1 WW F. SOHWEIEB, THE O0I3TITUTI0I-TI1 UKOI-AIJ) Til flT0X0EXE3T Of T3S LAI. B Editor and Proprietor. VOL. XLI. MIFFLINTOWN. JUNIATA COUNTY, PENNA.. WEDNESDAY. JUNE 8, 1887. NO. 24. " .iih one in io" -- .hat .J.!,,. hnclii i oares of romance TW'L'ZtZ We reheard .at-- i. IB trf lion - :..tf cwffliny , L "I'll '' for "T roar sweet sake." ease. . , i - -oru win :J I Mk- BlifiUt UlifulJ IT V:beri short and Ions ; fcE?S2?itelik. mine- 'i - what to K sa it FL0K1KKL r.,s certainly the loveliest little I ever saw. me urst ume x " i :is beinii broucht down fL in" the nurd's arms; but after iiulsetol walked a . h ue WT ..i,erijlwuoii me paeu:.i, "- -m ''. . , i nf l . r. so that she would not ""or U knocked over by the crowd; i wis reailv amusing losreau 'r;r-ModdUng along, littering little JtiTdfi iTlit at the numerous objects .'.-., . .. her on the street. : '' i ,.,.,vf.ilU- ilrps-aul in some Immaterial of delicate gray, and a r v. . '-ml Co ik near! v covered .... iraiu"''' m (t'"1'"'" If i;t:ie form. ,.,,. bad iom? i-'ii liair leu m ien waves u;wu her shoulders, and t iwtt ttt eves. "iVas so attracted by lier that I fol Tnl them to the square, where the 'r sat down on one of the benches i 'eratrre. while me nine luins irui idarouad. I took a seat near by i watched her innocent gambols. At 1 could cot help saying to the l- -VLit a dear little mmg you uae :cx'. Anl w!lat a liUle beauty!" -Yes, nia'am," assented the nurse, jsid at mv admiration of her youns xge. "Aad so good; she doesn't give .tit of trouble."' -What is her name':"' I Inquired. FloribeL"' Ka. what a sweet name! Floribel!" E ixd; "come to rue, come." and 1 lapped my hands to attract her atten- Sje stopped in her chase ot the Drown arrows and looked at me shyly. "Cooe here, vou sweet little thin?," t aii in as enticing a voice as possible, :&sg oat my hands. Sbe U come to you ma'am," said ue nurse; "she s not a Dit airaiu 01 tatters." And as she spoke the nttie one came mf.w dawn the walk toward me. ri 5iort. uncertain steps. I stooped tad picked her up and set her on my ap, tsar? the dear little face, and aooiiin? back the long silken locks That have fallen over her eyes ia her she could not talk plainly; infant, -ct at ad to be intelligible, but seemed to understand all that was said to her. 1ittictfd the attention of the passers-by. say of whom, es;eciaily the ladies, 4 stopped to give her a passing caress. i :se sat on n:y lap fcr some time, quite "oatctedly; delighted with watching . '-he groups of children trundling their -&:psor skimming by on their roller )At k-t I gave her back to the nurse .and i picture remained in my mind and I J taunted me. 'l ' How I could love herl AVhat an stcse source of pleasure she would be to my lonely heart!"' I had been married six years, but had sever had a child; and possessing a very I i-ectionate and demonstrative disposi i tion, 1 often longed fur something to tow my caresses upon; something to interest me during the long hours every day that my husband was away at his oSee. We were wealthy, but in the Kdst of our riches, mv heart often felt avoid. I wondered if I would ever meet the dear little thing again; but the very day there she was in the square. But two little girls had her in charge 3 time, and thev seemed to watch oyer her with the tenderest interest, lethttie Floribel was quite independ ent, aud as the children rolled about on "r skates, would run and frolic MMsg them, though they took care mat she was never hurt 1 found out tiiat she lived in the touse fcm which I had first seen her wmUig out with the nurse, and many a me l waiked by there oulv to catch a 8--mpse of my little favorite." Sometimes J Her at the window, and would Kiss lilf d ! Lfcr- s!ie ouU nod her loiehtadm return till her hair tum- ".oa oler iier eyes. She soon came w know me, I met her so often iu the (fl .took so much notice of her. Orally she u-is x.-iti, , 7. !;. 'itUe 8irls sometimes she "atk hair, and eyes of t:.e same deep WU ' lly,Iest the latter u.d consul italil-rtv. tad lottt YU;e Wan' to feel that I mml dr'lf ou l,a&d without X , :a!lutle FloribeI aul baring a ml r f Kt: 1 toU m-v husband of the w0tfj,nJ "I was just like aU rltb?'111111 andindul- "Oh ri ' Ut Iackl11 ln empathy. onlT mi7iK,ed. '"if she were tine ar',1 Vi Would never weary of pet .awithher." band K Cle' Kt me." my hua- WBAU' away a11 day' Md 1 cant MtUe thi th? WaJ could this dear wonlr?:, 1 acluaUr covet her. I ..."" '""rongto de so?" "if IZ'?!" y husband, Suable L T 1 buy yu one at a Use..! pnce- Suppose we adver- tluitrvX1 15 ?ue; little creature o Vnow a,'ined 10 love- aD who seems tat b! 6 56 that WaS ntf w flu f. T1' 4,1,1 tbis I know, from stsses"? features. little Floribef pos- tDU-parrot. or a Maltese ' Ml "Scat, Cliarles!" I cried, half amused and half vexed. "You know I have often told you that I dislike those things. The piercing notes of a canary go througu my head; a parrot is odious. and I have a detestation for the whole feline tribe. But I wish you could see this little beauty. I know she has not her equal in Xew York city." "Pshaw!" cried my husband. "How you women do carry on." "If you could only see her for your stlf", Cliarles, I know, you would be of my opinion," I retorted warmly. But Charley only "pshawed again, and said he had no use for such small fry. So, finding my husband so uusympa thetic on the subject, I did not mention It again, but continued my daily walks in the square and my constant meetings ... : i. 1 " i :i l ... i always took her in my arms, and lav ished a thousand caresses upon her. I had learned to love the little thin aeariy. and 1 believe she loved me in return. She would always run to meet me with a glad little cry of recognition, and she did indeed beguile many of my weary hours. liut the more I saw of her, the more I longed for her. I wanted her for my very own. I should then and there have fled temptation and never looked upon her again. But I could not That in nocent face, those sweet bright eves which had learned to know me so well possessed a fascination I could not re sist I coveted her possession so ear nestly that it became the one absorbins subject of my thoughts. I resolved to steal her! AVho can understand the workings of the human mind? AVho can tell what conflicts of conscience I endured ere I came to so sinful a resolution? Jud not, oh man, thou that judgest thv brotlier; and oh, woman, that judgest thy sister wonuiu. Wait till ye also are tempted, ere ye condemn. Know you not that ov.e idea long dwelt upon in secret dominates over the mind till insanity is produced? I can offer but one plea in my behalf. I believe I was temporarily insane, and hardly account able. I certainly became a monomaniac. I never breathed my intention to mv husband. lie would most certainly have prevented its execution. I did not think what account I should render to him afterward, should I succeed in my design. If I liad thought tliat the treasure could have been purchased, there is no sum I would have considered too exor bitant to have given to get her into my possession. But I felt sure such offer would have been worse than useless. From the moment I made up my mind to commit the theft, 1 watched for my opportunity, but for some time none presented itself. I never saw her without the nurse, or some or the family, who always kept a close watch upon her. liut one day I met her as usual in the square with the nurse, and a bright thought occurred to me. "Here, nurse," I said, for we had be come quite well acquainted now, and drawing some small change from my pocket, "take this and go across the square to that candy shop and get some sugar plums, and we'll have a little feast under the trees, x lorioei iooks as though she would enjoy some; and I'll take care of her while you are gone." The nurse readily assented, but hesita ted when she rose. Of course, ma'am, you won t let Floribel stray off ? And you'll be here when I get back? You know, ma'am, 'm responsible." 1 ou can ceruiniy trust ner wun me," I returned, -so ue on nurse." And the woman went, l waitea until saw her enter the confectioner's door. Then I sprang up. "Flonbel:" I cried, and at my voice the little one came tod dlimr un. I snatched her up in my arms and commenced to walk slowly at first uut gradually quickening my pace, in the direction of my own home, cast ing occasional glances behind me. I had gone two blocks and was about to hall a stage when I heard pattering feet behind me, and the nurse came rushing up breathless. "Oil, ma'am," she cried, "you gave me such a scare! "When I got back to the square I couldn't see you anywhere and a kind policeman said you had come up this way and then I caught a glimpse of her little head over your shoulder. Oh, ma'am, what a turn you gave me!" Here the nurse stopped and panted. My intention had not been suspected; that was clear. I got tired sitting there," I said, turning to retrace my steps, "and thought I'd walk about till you re turned. Did you get the candy? AVell, then, we'll go back aud eat it under the So I was foiled for the once, but de termined to bide my time. A few days after I was slowly saun tering by the house which contained my darling, when just as I got opposite, the front door opened, and one of the little girls came out with Floribel, as if going for a walk. She got half-way down the stops when she seemed to have forgot ten something, for, setting down the little one on the stoop, she went back in the house, leaving the door open. She liad hardly entered when a sudden gust ot wind slammed the door to. There was not a soul near; no one but my little precious, who stood on the upper step, gazing wistfully at the closed door. In an instant I was across the street, and had caught her up in my arms. She knew me at once, gave a glad ciy, and put her face up to mine to be kissed. But I liad no time to waste in caresses now. The house was on a corner and I flew arouud it into a cross street I should not be foiled this time. If I could only reach the horse-car I would be safe; but I had another block to go and that was a long one between the avenues. I would have run with all speed but was afraid of attracting atten tion. Walking rapidly I at length reached the car line. I looked down the street; a car was just in sight I waited a moment in breathless impa tience, then turned to go and meet it As I did so, a voice was borne on the breeze behind me "Floribel!" I turned, and beheld, half a square distant, the little girl that had started out to walk with FloribeL. She was in hot pursuit of me. I threw discretion to the wind and rushed down the street to meet the advancing car. I raised my hand frantically to signal the driver, when a heavy hand came down on my shoulder, and a tem voice said: "Stop madam!" , I almost sank to the earth as I looked round and saw myself in the custody of a policeman. The next moment the little girl canae flying up. "Oh, good gracious! is it you, ma ami' I thought somebody was stealing little Floribel, and I begged the policeman to stop you. I beg iardon, ma'am. Oh, good gracious! But wasn't I scared, though? Oh!" And thelittle girl was almost hysterical I was furious at thus being foiled a second time, and could with diillculty control my real feelings. But tho pres ence of the policeman aided me greatly iu cuiiccung myseir. "Did I frighten you, child?" I asked forcing a laugh. "You carelessly left t lonoei ujx)u me step, and I thought I would teach you a lesson; but I did not mean to frighten vou so." I spoke the truth; for I had no mean iug. no intention, u thoueht but one. and that was to gain possession of my covetea treasure. "I will help you take her back home." I added, as the policeman, seeing our apparent inendiy relations, retired. As walked back I pondered nioodilv uion my failure, not noticing the child as she rattled on. I had not better try this game again, I tnought; it is too uangerous. "Amelia," I said suddenly, for I had necome quite intimate with the child ren, "do you think" and here I hesi tated, aud looked at the little girl, fear ing the effect of my next words. "Do you think," I continued deaiieratelv. "that your mother would sell me Flori bel!" The child's eyes opened to their ut most extent Sell Floribel! Indeed, ma'am, she wouiu nor. "But I mean to ask her," I cried ex citedly. "Oh, child, I would give her anv price!" "Oil, dear! what a f uuny idea!" said the little girl laughing heartily. "Papa does say sometimes she is one too many in the familv, but none of us think so; and papa doesn't think so either; he only says so to teaze us. But come in, ma'am," as we reached her home, "and tell mamma yourself. La! how she will Hugh! ' I was not so sure of tba mirthful effect the child predicted for my re quest The lady would probably think me demented; and so I actually was, I believe, tor the time. The child ran into the parlor leading little I lonbel, and I followed. 1 here sat the tall dark-eyed lady reading by the window, she looked up as we enter ed. "Mamma," said the little girl, "here the lady we told you about, who always notices Floribel so much when we take her out with us. And mamma. she wants to buy her! just think of it!" and the child broke into peals of laugh ter at the bare idea of so absurd a sug gestion. 1 he lady who had risen politely at my entrance, tank back in her chair with a look of utter amazement upon ier countenance, and snatching up Floribel clasped her to her bosom with many endearing epithets. But I had gono too far to retreat now, and I was so thoroughly convinced that she was not Floribel's mother that I began to feel more confidence than if I thought she was her own flesh and blood. So summing up all the dignity I could command I said: You are doubtless astonished, madam, as well you may be, at my strange request, but I cannot help it I covet your treasure so earnestly that I would pay any price for her possession." Oh, madam," I continued, as l saw that the lady regarded me with indig naut looks, "if you only knew how your little darling has wound herselt around my heart-strings, you would pity a childless wife who yearns for some sweet little creature to console her lonely hours. You have two charming lttle girls, and others, too, perhaps," fancying her looks relaxed a little, 'while I have nothing." Here 1 could lardlv lestrain my tears, and one rolled down the lady's cheek and fell upou the little one's silken curls. HoDe sprang up in my breast, and at that moment the street door opeued and vounz man walked into the room. He stopped and looked at our emotion m surprise. "Why " he began, loosing trom one to the other. "Oh, Henry," cried Amelia, running to him. "this lady has iaiien in love with Floribel and wants to buy her to buvher!" 'I cannot part with her," said the lady, now speaking for the first time; "but. indeed, madam, you have touched my heart," and she wiped her eyes and kissed FloribeL But I did not despair. I turned to the young man. 'I am wealthy, "l saw; -my hus band denies me nothing. I am willing to pay any sum you may demand." 1 saw his eyes gutter, lie vaugui, the bait? 'Why. mother," he said, "you go on over her as if she was your own dear baby.'' (Aha! didn't l say so: one was oniy an adopted parent) "But I love her nearly as weu as u she were," said the lady, nuggmg loribeL "Name vour price," I said impa tiently to the youth. "What do you say to two nunui-eu dollars, ma'am?" Two hundrea aouarsi j. wouiu sura fully have given twice that amount You talk as H she belonged to you, - said his mother with asperity. "Now, mother," said the young man, going over to her, and kneeling by the side of her chair, while he stroked Floribel's hair, who had an tnis ume lain in the lady's arms, little dreaming she was the subject of so momentous a discussion. "Xow, my mother, don't you know that it is just two hundred dollars that I lack to get roe what you know, and what I have oeen wismug for so much? Here it is within my grasp; (for I had quickly signified my acceptance of his terms.) "Do you love this little morsel," twitching Floribel's par "who is no kith nor kin of yours, 'J J I Tl.in more than your own near sum was said coaxingly. Ifis mother was certaimy relenting, a could see it in her face, which I watch el closely, "I know t!:e lady will take excellent care of her," he continued. Indeed I Will," l mierrupicu ly "for I love her oeany. (iTnii will bring her to see me sometimes?" asked the lady "Indeed! will." I saiu uouguicuv, seeing my cause was won. "Take her men," eaiu ji and placing her in my arms; "you and my son have conquered." How can i uiau. juu cried, clasping my ireaauro w . "But wait; I will not take her until I bring you the money. I will be back in half an nour, - uiu upon the sofa, I hastened from the house, r hail! a passing cab and drove ranidlv to my husband's office. "Write me out a cheek, quick Charles, I said, as I entered.. "A check for" wo hundied dollars-juick please fore those people change their nunds. Why. wnai ao you desk he asked, looKing "n. "r whew he uaa oeea "Only that I have bought little Flori bel for two hundred dollars, and I want the money quick please." Tho puzzled look on my husband's lace loiu me ne had quite forgotten all about the subject which had been en- Kioasiug my mino, ior l had not men tioned it to him in a long time. In as few words as possible I recalled it to him. His astonishment was great "You don't mean to say, Jennie, that the woman has sold her?" "Yes, I do mean it" I said, "and I have bought her. But I will tell you all about it when you come home to night But write me out the check; quick now there's a dear," I said pleadingly and my husband, who never denied me anything, fitted the required check, only muttering: "If that don't beat the Dutch!" Not stopping to inquire into tho meaning of this irrelevant allusion to the Hollanders, I seized the check, with many thanks, and hastened back. The whole party was in the parlor as I had left it, the number increased by the accession of the other Lttle daugh ter and the nurse, who bad come to bid adieu to FloribeL They all took an affectionate farewell of their little pet. and some tears were shed. I almost felt a pa.ig of remorse in thus niakincr a break in their little circle, but was too delighted at my suc cess to let anything disturb me long. I nanueu me lady the check, and telling her how very happy she had made me, and promising to let them sea Floribel soon and often, I departed with my long-coveted treasure. And I am a happy woman, now. Mv little darling is my constant coinjwnlon. i uring her to the table, where she sits in my lap while I fetd her. Mv hus band does not share in my enthusiasm, but I did not expect him to. In fact he hardly more than tolerates my acqui sition; says I ought not to bring her to the table, and tells me to put her on the floor and let her feed herself from her own plate. Cruel man! And sometimes he calls her a wretched little cur! But he only does that to tease me. for know she is a Skye terrier of the purest breed. HOW GLOYKS AUK MADE. Where They Couie From. 2s obody, so faj as we know has ever disputed the proposition that one-half of the world does not know how the other half lives; and we have little fear of contradiction when we make bold to declare t hat probably one-half of the peo- lc of the L nited States do not know where their gloves come from. Of course it is generally known that gloves of fine kid, such as ladies wear, and gloves of a certain form which fashion prescribes for men, are brought from abroad, but whence comes the great supply of all the other gloves? The answer would not be very far wrong if one were to say from Fulton County, New York. ionr-Urths of the gloves made In America, it is estimated, are manufac tured in the county named, aud the manufactories which make gloves elf e where are in great part the children of ulton County, indebted to her for their nurture and their establishment in life. The headquarters of the glove-mak ing industry in Fulton County are forty five miles northwest of Albany in Johns town Township. The villages of Glo- ersville and Johnstown iu that town ship contain a population of about 20, 000, seven-eightlis of whom are glove- makers. I here are upward of loO glove manufactories in the section, ti love making in what is now Fulton County was begun early in the present century. Upon the passing away of Sir William Johnson, the famous Indian agent of colonial times, and of his son Sir John, zealous Torv who fought fiercely for King George, the Dutch farmers of the neighborhood looked about for some better means of supiwrt than were offered to them by the soil, which wasj not htted lor husbandry, aunougu mere was good grazing land upon the stony hillsides. A slirewd family from Con necticut are popularly credited with introducing into the neighborhood the manufacture of buckskin gloves. There was in the convenient North Woods in those days a supply of material for this manufacture so creat that nobody would have thought it could ever be exhausted, but the demand of the American people for gloves rroved to be still greater, and the North Woo Is' deer ceased to be depended upon by the Fultou County glove-makers years ago. To-day the gloves manufactured in Gloversvilleaud Johnstonare made of skins brought from the most distant parts of the globe. The great bulk are buck-skins and sheep-skins, but there are many others which the glovemakers use among them seal-skin, dog-skin, East India cowhide, aud the skin of the South American water-hog. The bulk of the buckskin comes from Mexico aud Cental and South America. Tiie deer of the tropics is covered with a heavier skin than covers the deer of these lati tudes, and the finest sheep-skin comes from South Africa, aud is that of the Caiw hair sheep. "The coarser the wool the finer the skin," is a glove-maker's saying. All manner of furs, too, go to Fulton County, to be used in finishing the gloves. The business of glove-making in Ful ton County amounts to about J,000,000 yearly. The wages of the most skillful workers the table-cutters, as they are called run from $00 to $H0 a month; block cutters get from $55 to $05 monthly, and machine girls earn, according to their skill, from $fJ to $12 and even $14 a week. The skins of which gloves are made go through a very exhaustive variety of processes. Some of them are soaked in vats variously from three days to four weeks, after which they get a scraping from the "beam" worker. They are then dried into parchment, then soaked in water, then "milled" in oil, then put upon the beam again and scoured of oil and natural grease with alkali, being repeatedly dried ln the course of this various treatment After the alkali scouring they are put upon the "break ing" machine, and are then 'hand staked'' with a blunt tool to render them pliable. Then they go on to the "buck-tail," or emery wheel, and from there into the identical oil and natural grease of which they were scoured with such pains. Then they are wrung out and colored, then again "broke-staked" and "finished" then smoked, and then turned over to the glove-makers, who promptly "stake" them again, cut them either on the block or by hand "table" cutttng), "silk" them, sew them, do much else to them, put buttons on them, fit them over metal hands heated by steam, sort them, and put them up in the pasteboard boxes in which they are sent to market The gloves made in Fulton County are of all sorts, and range from a lady's kid to the cowboy's gauntlet splendid with tassels and fold cord. HOW TO CHOOSE FI51L la ET Wmj of Telling Whether They Are Fit to Bat or not. Salmon, pike, blueflsb. whitefish, iron i, carp, trench, grayling, carhel, cntiD, run. eel. wbitmir. smelt, sliad. pickerel, etc., are known to be fresh or stale by the smell and color of their gills, the hanging or keeping up of the fin and the standing out or sinking of ine eyes. If sturgeon cuts without crumbling, the. veins and gristles are a genuine blu and the flesh perfectly white, it is goop. .- Cod and codling can be chosen by the thlekuess near the head and whiteness of the flesh when cut. Turbot should be chosen by its thickness and plumpness; if the fish is thick and the belly of a cream color, it will be palatable! if otherwise, it is not good. . The gills of herring and mackerel should be of a bright red, the eyes full and the fish stiff, when dusky and fa ded, and the tails very pliable, they are stale. Skate and thornback are chosen by their thickness; the female skate Is the sweetest especially if large. Hie best lobsters are the heaviest if there is no water in them; if fresh the tail will be full of liard or red-skinned meat A cock lobster is known by nar row back part of tho tail aud the two uppermost fins within his tail are stiff and hard; the hen is soft and the back of her tail is broader. If the flesh of pickled salmon feels oily and the scales stiff and shining, aud It comes in flakes and parts with out crumbling, it is fresh aud good, but not otherwise. Prawns, Shrimps and Crawfish The first two, if stile, will be very pliable. pale in color, and the body slimy; the last will be pliable in their claws and joints, color blackish, and smell badly under their throats. Pickled and Bed Herring For the first open the back to the bone; if the fish Is white, flaky and oily, the bone white (or bright red), they ane good. If the latter bears a good glo s, parts well from the bone aud is sweet, it is good also. In selecting dried ling, choose that which is thickest in the poll and of a bright yellow. For dried codfish, choe that which is thickest, that will lightly part in flakes, has a somewhat transparent ap pearance, and looks and feels dry. - Bluefish, wheak-fisb, and most of his kind, may be known by their softness and dull appearance. ETTIQCETTK IX J A PAX. Cdstoms Prevailing Among thi In- , tcifwting Pile. There are probably few c juntries un der heaven where ettiquette iu every rank of life has attained such rigidity as in Japan. Going back but a few years, it is simply apinlling to note the pain taken by the educated Japanese to aliSfi out social intercourse with the most ifjssiOle buckram or formality. Spontaneous courtesy was unknown. and a t the commonest action of (every day !lfe, from sneezing to marriage, iron: wattling to a buruii, but was regu lated aud prearranged in accordance with a rigid code of ceremonialism which never varied or changed, like the laws of the Persians and .Medea, A Japanese of the old school a man, that is, ot the generation now past trie mid dle age was such a stickler for eti quette that when he drank a cup ot tea or tossed off a bowl of saki he apeared to be as much engaged in a ritual per formance as when at his devotions in the temple of bis patron divinity. As regards formal salutations, he practised some score of them, as falling upon his knees and knocking his head against the ground when encountering a superior; until he acquired such suppleness rrom constant exercise ot this description. that bis body appeared to be made of india-rubber. Some one well described this characteristic feature of Japanese life by saying that throughout the whole realm there Ls a constant succes sion of prescribed genuflexions, waves of obeisance flowing from highest to lowest, which can only be compared to the rows of blocks children set up and then topple down one after another by giving just a single touch to the first Months before he is boru, the Jaiunese even in these days becomes the vic tim of the existing rule of etiquettr, which compels the mother to wear a tight red band round her body, in order to prevent the unborn child from steal, ing the food from its mother's throat aud so starving her. As soon as the little one is born the unlucky mother comes within the grip of the same cenmonialism. For nine days and nights she is wedged in a sit ting position with bags of rice, and kept wide awake during the whole of that time. Then the infant, when a month old, makes his first ceremonial visit to his relatives, when etiquette requires he should receive a couple of fans and a bundle of hemp to spin a long life. At the age of seven the boy must receive a garment of honor, and learns the mean ing of troublesome formality when he has bestowed upon him a new name. Four times in the course of his life every respectable Japanese changes his name, a perplexing piece of etiquette indeed, first when seven years old, then whea coming of age, again when receiv ing his first official appointment, and vet again when moved to a higher office or employment And in the ratter case. if a superior in station have by chance the same designation, custom requires that the id erior should change It yet once again. Marriage in such a com plicated piece of ceremonialism that even the Japanese no longer understand the mystic signification of the numer ous formalities Incident to the celebra tion, and the professional assistants at a wedding are obliged to have a number of necessary memoranda inscribed upon their fans in order to recollect the varU ous details and arrangements which Japanese etiquette prescribes. It is sug gestive of the rigidity of social formal ism in Japan that the language has no less than eighteen synonyms for the personal pronoun one for each class of people, and etiquette makes it unlawful for a person belonging to one rank in society to make use ef the pro noun pertaining to another. So firmly lias formalism crystalized itself in every day intercourse. Insofar as the gentler sex are con cerned, it is not too much to say that it would be a decided gain to civilization if the example set by the Empress of japan in the matter of Court ceremo nial were followed by every lady in that land, .t here is not a single leaiure or Japanese woman-life but appears most nbiecuonable: and. like the laws affect ing women generally, the code of Japan- i female etiquette requires raaicai ferision. Take that nasty practice of blackening the teeth, the sign of a mar ried Lidy. Of course, tlu.'e are numbers of late years who liave adopted Euro pean resinous, wifes a-.ul daughters mostly of Japanes; who .lave become imbued with Occidental idea-, or of men educated abroad or having traveled in Europe. These have given up the practice, but hi the cases of the vast majority of young girls, no sooner does -iir. iiKoyemon" make an offer marriage which is done oy fastening branch of a particular shrub to the house of her parents than the damsel if the gentleman is accepted, becomes entitled to dye her molars and grinders and pluck out her eyebrows. And the compound employed to dye the teeth is a most villaneous mixture, often corro ding the lips and gums and "making the gangrened mouth of a Japanese lady look like the sepulchre of all beauty." No less objectionable is the custom which comiels a young beautv or r i-gen to dye her lips a furious red and hide the natural carnation of Ik cheek beneath a layer c violet paint. It is unnecessary to say that there is much in Japanese etiquette and custom which is ingrained in the character of the ieo pie, and will change only slowly and iu the course of many years. But there is also much that tlie example of those in high places will do a good deal to modi fy. Japanese have begun to see that it is not indlsiensibln to cood manners that an official should Perform the Harikari" aud disembowel himself in public, because lie deems himself in sulted, any more than the industrial prosperity of the couutry is furthered by a law imposing a flogging uiion any one "who shall make any improvement in shipbuilding." And now that so august a personage as the empress has resolved upjn introducing a simpler code of state ceremonial at court, there can be no doubt that the intelligent Japanese will beg n to awaken to the fact that there is much in the elaborate and stiff etiquette governing their every day intercourse that is not in keeping with the traditions of an enlightened and progressive people. Extraordinary Powers ia the Feeble- Mliulctl. 7t is a strange but well known fact that in many persons who are idiotic or but little removed from the nieutal con dition of idiots, certain powers of the mind may be developed to an extraor dinary degree. Kemarkable precocity in the power of arithmetical calculations is frequently combined with a positive deficiency in other directions. In institutions devo ted to the care of feeble-minded chil dren such examples are nearly always present Deficient in some faculties, others are developed to excess. Some such can carve and draw with great skilL Extraordinary memory is often met with associated with very great de fect or reasoning. One boy, in reading Gibbon's "Ilise and Fall of the Roman Empire," skipped a line on the third page at the first perusaL Ever after. when reciting from memory the stately periods of Gibbon, he would, on com ing to the third page, fekip the line and retrace his steps, just as when he first recommitted the passage to memory. Often the memory takes the form of remembering dates and past events. One boy never failed to tell correctly the nanio and address of everv confec tioner's shop he had visited in London, and could as readily tell the date of every visit. The faculty of number is usually slightly developed ia feeble minded children, while memory is fairly well developed; yet occasionally the power of mental arithmetic has been well developed Improvisation is an occasional faculty. Memory of tune is a very common faculty among tho feeble-minded; they readily acquire simple airs, and rarely forget them. In none of the cases of idiot savants has there been any history of the pos session of a similar faculty by the par ents or sisters or brothers. In one case a necropsy is reported by Dr. J. L. Down, of London. The boy had a re markable, indeed perfect, appreciation of past or passing time. There was no difference from an ordinary brain, with the exception that there were two well marked and distinct soft commissures. Dr. Down's explanation of the phe nomenon was that, as every movement of the house was absolutely punctual. he had data from which he could esti mate tlie time by accurate appreciation of its flux. Every form of mental deviation may be met with in the congenital feeble minded. They may become the sub jects of acute and chronic mama, of acute and chronic melancholia, and of dementia. Occasionally under the in fluence of acute mania, the feeble in tellect ef the youth becomes fanned into a brighter frame. The taciturn may become loquacious; the timid and re spectful proud and defiant; the amiable and tractable, abusive aud destructive. Three remarkablo instances occurred to Dr. Down of boys whi had never been able to speak making use of well- for.ied sentences during the high fe brile state of acute pneumonia or scar latina. It is of much interest to report all such cases, as they throw great light on the workings of the human mind in health. F.nglaml When the Ilomans Came There. At the first coming of the Romans by far the larger part of the couutry was probably covered with wood. During the centuries of Roman occupation some of the less dense parts of the woodland were cleared. In driving their magnificent straight highways through the country tlie Roman legionaries felled the trees for 70 yards ou each side of them to secure them from the arrows of a lurking foe. So stupendous was the labor involved in this task that they gladly avoided forests where that was possible, and sometimes even swung their roads to right or left to keep clear of these formidable obstacles. For many hundreds of years after the de parture of the legions vast tracts of primeval forest remained as impenetra ble barriers between different tribes. In theso natural fastnesses the wolf, brown bear, and wild boar still found a secure retreat Even as late as the twelfth century the woods to the north of London swarmed with wild boars and wild oxen. Everywhere, too, the broken men of the community betook themselves to these impenetrable re- treats, where they lived by the chase, I and from whence they issued for pluc- J der and bloodshed. The foresU were thus from time immemorial a singularly Jllltir Mav vivuttu u wrvaufBT They have now almost entirely disap peared, an 1 their former sites have as yet only been partially determined, J though much may doubtless still be done in making our knewiedge of them more complete. SIGHTS SEEN IX CCBA. Votea of an Observer Wbo Accompa nied the Senatorial Party. Upon the second day of our stay in Havana the senators were invited to the home of the captain general, the invita tion being sent through the American consul, Gen. Williams. In accordance with the invitation, the party of "dis tiguidos viajeros Americanos" took carriages about midday for the home of the great dignitary in the suburbs. We made a funny string of dilapida ted victorias, multitudinously patched and mended, and measly littlo horses, which, in appearance, beat the mule in sorrowful abstraction and utter hope lessness. We went in a belter skelter way up the Prado, past the Campo Marte, and out the Paseo Tacon to the noted gardens and couutry house of the Spanish Ruler. In the tropical gardens are worlds of fruits and vegetables, many of which we never see iu the north. Why, to see them once leaves your mouth a little like that of a hungry dog eyeing a for bidden bone. In tlie same gardens there may be cocoanuts, dates, lemons, oranges, limes, sappadillos, zapotas, mammees, pomegranates, bread fruit, bananas, tamarinds, pine aples, man goes, alligator pears, star apples, gnqe fruit, guava, custard apples, yams, roe apples, citrons, and so on in an endless list The workmen were negroes and a few coolies, slaves or ex-slaves, and some were nearly naked and all naked to the waist In the workshops I again observed a curious thing, and that is the tendency to make all motions away from the body. They sharpen pencils, whittle, hew and saw never in war I or toward the body. It looks odd to see them with the stick fixed in position and the saw held perpendicular in front of it with its back to the body, and thus raked up and down. hen a person wishes to beckon to another, be holds up his hand with palm outwar J, gives a sharp "p-s-s-t," which is the universal I. ; ) : i : .. '..,.. n 1 ...... uaillll SigUitl 111 vuud, auu tuvri aici his hand outwardly in exactly the oppo site motion to what he would make. While we gathered at the stab.es the captain's general's daughter had her splendid saddle horse, of pure Andalu lian blood and brought over from her home, brought out and shown off for u?, while a groom hung on to hhn desper ately to keep him down out cf the louds. Finally we returned to the house aud proceeded informally to the dining room, where all were seated around a jingle long table except the captain jeneral himself, who remained standing aehind his daughter's chair during the meal. Our party was a good deal em barrassed by this, for, as we just filled the chairs, it looked as though we had crowded out our exalted host We then concluded that it was through point of etiquette or ceremony that he did not sit at table with us. So inxious were we that one of our ladies sked his daughter, and she explained that at such affairs her father rarely seated himself. He like to stand aud overlook the table, and see thai the ser vants nezlected no one. He never ate at such entertainments, as he has weak stomach tor indulgences, an takes cnlv very plain and simple food regularly. The servants were in gorgeous livery the wine was suierb, so that some of the connoisseurs of our party felt their eyes sparkle, and the refreshments sim pie and plentifuL hen it came to the champagne the captain seneral made a speech, which was translated by the consul general. and Mr. Sherman respouded, the consul general again translating, and all drank standing. The speeches were the usual conventional exchanges of compliments and good wishes, but the consul general told us afterward that the captain gen eral spoke with more warmth and evident sincerity than was usual with him on such occasions. Before we left an invitation was given to come again in me evening, when there would be music and dancing. a large numbe r of our party accepted and our ladies were much admired, and made a great impression. Ihe Span iards were greatly pleased at the ladies coming and dancing, and our young man showed some of the seuontasa thing or two in waltzing. The more we saw of Cuban women the more unqualifiedly we acknowledged their wonderful beauty, we hardly saw a homely woman iu Havana, and we saw some beautiful beyond descrip tion. There Is a sameness about the beauty that might in the collective grow a little monotonous, but an individual instance is incomparable. Even if the face is not otherwise tine the lustrous eyes can light up and lorify it, and the eyes of the Cuban women are like stars it tho summei night, and the velvety black masses ol hair bound about their heads and thrust through with a gold bodkin, after cus tom immemorial in old tpain, truly woman's crown of glory. The dark eves and alluring lips ful. and rich, the sly grace of the fan oi cigarette, tho dainty, arched feet, witt gold embroidered black stockings, ant that most beautiful of all ornaments foi the head, the mantilla, have often beer, celebrated in song and story and poetry, but they never received any more praist or admiration than they 'leserved. Legends of the Swallow. The sight of a sitting swallow is ac counted fortunate; of one on the wing the reverse. The present to a lady or a gold ring hich has lain in a swallow's nest nint days engenders love for the donor in hei breast. In Westphalia, when a man aces tin first swallow he should look if there be a hair under his foot If he find one hif future wife's hair will be the same color. The heart of the swallow, worn round the neck, is by some supposed to rendei the wearer attractive; it is also consid ered good for strengthening the memory. Nothing Is supposed to bring bettei luck to a house than for swallows tc build their nests round it; or, on tin other hand, be a worse omen than foi the nests to be forsaken. In some part; Germany it is deemed necessary tt ash the face immediately after the first swallow has been seen: otherwise ont must expect to be sunburnt and ireckieo during tho year. -1 THE one way or really saving root and promoting tne thrift or me dock b moat shelter, me better they an protected from the cold the less food it requires to keep their bodies warm. Poppies are both urged as a mosi profitable crop for Florida farmers anc condemned as likely to prove in tu nd an evil to the State. SEWS IN BRIEF. The balloon for the Paris exhibi tion of 1SS3 will carry up 100 persons. Microscopes are said to have been invented by Jansen in Holland about I59J. Twenty States of the Union now have Arbor Days. New Jersey had two of them. In British experiments last year, copperas proved a valuable fertilizer for many crops. . Bearing coaU-of-arms was intro luced and became hereditary in Eng land and France about, 1102. The town r.C Denbigh, Eneland, will celebrate the Queen's jubilee by apenirtg a new graveyard. An experiment lias developed the fact that a snail can lift perpendicu larly, r.iue times Us own welgtit. An average election campaign in New York city coj'.s the candidates or their suppDrters about 200,000. A German physician La3 ascer tained that the average gain in height during the hours of sleep is five centi metres. Cock-fighting is the national pas time iu Mexico, but as a rule It is only indulged la oa SuuJavs aud feasts of obligation. In the New Yoik sub-treasury 220,000 silver dollars passed through the hands of the clerks iu one dav for the purpose of redemption. A dog at Yonk-rj has bitten a polleemaa, and a war oa the locul ca nine population is the result Six chambermaids an nineteen jtirls in the laundry department of a Cleveland (0.) hotel have struck for better food and h-33 work. New Orleans !3 tho seat cf a war hotly waged between two newspapers, the ammunition thus far being edito rial criminations and at use. A little look containing a short letter ln Latin, written ly Christo pher Columbus, vrz sold at auction in Cjlogue the other day for $1,000. In Chin i a man's relatives, even t.i his cousins, are Lolden for his debts, nd a dead-beat is an individual al most unknown, even to tho tailors. It bothers tlie man who has earned success by faithful, honest, brainy work to heur hi friends sayin among themselves: "What an Infernally lucky fellow Jack is!" A Chicago phrenologist has de cided that John L. SulHvau's head shows him not to be cruel, severe or iggressive by nature, but that he ha3 a fondness for animal enjoyments. The sculptor EzekisI, whoexecuted the statue of Religious Liberty in the Park, has been decorated by the Grand Duke ot Saxe-Memingen with the Cavalier's Cress of Merit for Science and Art Vital statistics ia Germany are said to show that in 1S;0 there were nine persons over 110 years ot ago liv ing there live women and four men. The oldest woman was 117, the oldest man was 120. The Suez canal is 325 feet wide at the surface of the water and "2 ftet wide at the bottom. It is tf feet deep. The canal is 100 miles lo::g, about 75 miles of its length being actual exca vation. WLile the S-Lour day is the subject of much concern with some workmen, a number of the weavers at Marlbor ough, Massachusetts, are oa the strike against being worked more than ten hours a day. Paper bottks aro now being used by a manufacturer cf ink and blueing in Chicago. Ihe paper, or rather paoer-macne, is especially prepared. and, except that It is not transparent, has many advantages over glass. Cetti, the enterprising fiister who "exhibited" in Paris aud Italy, ar- rar.egd lately to turn his self-starving to pecuniary account by a puMio exhib ition ln Berlin, but the authorities have forbiddeu it A wren has bu!lt her nest under the eaves of a car ou a South Carolina railroad, and makes four trips over the road every day. The bird pay3 no fare, and does not appear to be entitled to a pass under the Lew law. The term "blue stocking," applied to literary 1 u'.ies, was originally con ferred on a society comprising both sexes in 1703. Benjamin Stiliingrleet, the naturalist, who was a prominent member of this stc'.ety, wore blue stockings. A truly regal present has been sent by the King of Portugal to the Ger man Emperor, which is worth, all the other royal birthday gifts put together. at is a sworu oi uonor, wua a oiaae specially made at the Lisbon arsenal, and exquisitely chlse'.ed. Tho hilt is of solid cold, lncrusted in every part with diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds. These were tet after a 'de sign supplied by the Queen. An idea oi the damage done the Australian rabbits In the colony of New South Wales is afforded by the report for the years 1S33-1?0. The report shows that f 1,807,400 was paid out, and that ,t-A.8. rabbits were destroyed, and adds: In spite of this drain ou the Treasury, the colony is not yet free from the iest, and more money will be asked for this year. Inhabitants of Northern Idaho are complaining of the tricks in trade of the Chinese. It is aaid that they mix gold dust worth $3 an ounce with that worth $10, and dispose of it at the maximum figure. Beside this they fail to burn their fine dust sufficiently, thereby retaining much quicksilver, and also file up silver dollars aud mix the filings with the gold. The changes in the method of purchasing supplies for naval vessels on foreign stations goes into effect on the 1st of July. Thereafter the paymasters on vessels will be required to advertise for proposals to furnish all supplies. The bids will be opened in the presence of the commanding officers of the vessels, and the contract awarded to the lowest responsible bidder. Passengers who jump off omni buses that are in motion in Paris now do so attheirown peril, legally, accord ing to a new decision that reverses a former one on the subject. There was picked up in the river at Bath, Maine, a few days ago, the water-soaked and battered figure-head of a vessel, which mnst have been a century old at least. The figure is of maple, about five feet in length, and represents the bead and shoulders ot a man. When found it was frozen to the bottom of a cake ot ice, as if the breaking up of the river diht have torn it from some ancient and forgotten wrecx- . i5-6 - J
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers