SULLIVAN REPUBLICAN.
W, M. CHENEY, Publisher.
VOL. VIII.
Of 100 samples of "safety envelopes,"
•o prevent rifling in the mails, which
Were submitted to the conference of
postoffice insprc:ors at Washington, all
were rejected.
Alexander Ilogebnd, president of the
Boys' and Gills' National Home associae
lion, makes the startling stat m ;nt that
there aro 60,000 boy tramps in the
Unite I S'atts.
A now company, in which Thomas
A. Edison, the inventer, is largely in
terested, has been organized to manu
facture dolls on a large scale. It will
turn out 250,000 the first year.
A race between bees and pigeons late
ly took place in Westphalia. The bees
were marked by rolling in flour, and the
first reac'ici home over the distance of
three and a half miles twonty-fivc sec
onds before the first p : geon, three other
bees arriving before the second pigeon.
Professor Bchrond, an English medi
cal authority, points out that in a prac
tice of thirty years, largely among He
brew patients, he has not met a single
case of phthisis in the members of that
faith, their immunity from its attacks
being undoubtedly due to the Hebrew
method of examining and slaughtering
cattle.
Tne Ku-si.in naval manoe ivres in tno
Black se i narrowly escaped being a
direct failure. Owing to the impossi
bility of procuring efficient stokers
three of tho largest ironelads were pre
vented from lcav.ng their moorings to
take part in the affair. It is impossible
to find Ruisians enough to fill these
places, while for varii u« rea«ons the
service is not particularly inviting to
foreigners.
Probably the smallest republic in tho
world is the one which recently de
clared its independence at Franccville,
one of tho island') of the new Hebrides,
and elected M. CheviUiari its preu
dent. The inhabitants consist of forty
Europeans (including a solitary Eng
lishman, a missioner), and 500 black
workmen employed by a French com
pany. The new flag of the republic
having been duly hoisted, the French
gunboat Saone landed a detachment and
saluted the flag
r—r-r- r
A tost of mei\L railroad ties will soon
be mtide in Chi..ago. It is predicted
that metal tiei will be used before long
on all railroads in the country. Beyond
their technical value, observes the New
York World , theso ties suggest tho pos
sibility that our American forests may
be saved from total destruction. The
grentest drain upon our forests has been
made in tho construction and repair of
railroad tracks. A woode.. *io has only
a short leaie of usefullnejs an «. to
be replaced very frequently.
The Japanese minister to America,
Mr. Mu'su, has just received the decora
tion of the Order of the Crown, con
ferred upon him by tho emperor in
recognition of his recent conclusion of
a treaty with Mexico and other services
for tho state. Mr. Mutsu had pre
viously been dec >ra ed by tho emperor
with the Orde:' of the Ri ing Sun. The
order was inclosed in the hollow of a
bamboo stick, a method which prevails
in J.ifan. Mr. Mutsu is not a no:>lo
mnn, but belongs to a clasi in J ipau
analogous to that of the gentry in Eng
land. It is exceedingly raro that the
orders which he liasreceivcd are bestowed
upon any but the nobility, and they in
dicate that ho is held in the highest re
pute at home.
The charges made with r.gurd to the
treatment of recruits at J U rson Bar
racks, Mo., have been investigated by
an army court of inquiry and a re
port made to the Secretary of
war. A number of tho charges
of cruelty against enlisted men
were proved to be exaggerated, al
though the cooking was found to be bad.
A number of non-commissioned ■ Di
cers, it was discovered, had been
running games of chanca whereby re
cruits lost a considerable p>rtion of
tUeir earnings. More desertions occur
from this post than any other. T.iis
is attributed to the fact that the post is
so near a large city. Many men enlist
in the Eist merely for the sake of
getting sent out West. Many chronic
deserters from the artillery and in fa itry
enlist and get sent to thi* cavalry post,
where the chances of meeting their
former officers become very slight. Ia
this way they manage to desert, in
many cases, for the third time.
AT CHRISTMAS TIME.
At Christmas time last/year
So many friends that are-now gone were,
here!
I So many hopes were glowing then unspoken,
So mauy faiths were strong that now 1 lie
broken.
And loving hearts that trusted. without|fear,
At Christmas time last year.
At Christmas time this year
So many of us find the world so drear
And barren desert wherein blooms no
With mountain peaks surrounding it, wjhose
snows
Have chilled our hearts and turned
foliage sere
At Christmas time this year.
At Christmas time next year
Who knows what changing fortunes) may be
near?
Take courage, then! For night shalbturn to i
flay.
From brightening skies the clouds must roll i
away,
And faith and hope and love shall all be here
At Christmas time next year!
—Helen if. Winsloiv. ,
A CHRISTMAS FAN.
ELL! it isffinished at
last. Isn't itaibeauty?"
' r/ pretty and bright-j
looking girhof eight- i
een, pushed«away her :
palette, rose from her seat, andtstanding
in the midst, of the room, helduip with
a graceful pose a fun of silk and mother-1
of-pearl, exquisitely painted.
"Indeed, Eva, it-is your masterpiece," I
said an elderly girl, tall and handsome, j
as she took the fan and examined it. j
A pleased smile lit the pale facetof a j
lady who reclined in a rocking-chair,
engaged in the certainly not artistic work I
of darning linen—fine old linen which j
told plainly enough that the owners had '
known "better times."
"I will take it at once to) Monsieur!
Fouquerein," Eva said, turning to a mir
ror, and beginning to adjust the pretty, i
gold-brown curls above her smooth fore- 1
head. "It wants only three days to j
Christmas, and be was anxious to get nil j
my work in time. The rest I can finish.!
to-morrcw."
And enveloped in a thick veil and man
tle, she left the house in which they had j
lodgings, and tripped lightly down the I
street to the store of a dealer in "fancy
and artistic work," in a fashionable busi- j
ness quarter of the city.
******
It was Christmas Eve, and the snow j
was falling without, as Mrs. Belton sat I
in her cozy dressing-room, looking over
a quantity of dainty articles, useful or
ornamental, which stewed the table be
fore her.
Opposite her sat a handsome young
lady, with a magazine lying open in her
lap, idly looking on, and occasionally
making a rather sarcastic remark, which
seemed not at all to disturb the elder
lady—her aunt.
"A terrible bore, this (business of pre- j
seutiug Christmas gifts,*'Mrs.Belton said,
as she selected and laid aside several arti- j
cles. "Such a strain upon one's purse,
where one must give; and one cannot
well avoid it without an appearance of :
being mean or stingy."
"Fortivx 'Sly, you have a way of escap
ing both alternatives," said the young
lady, laughing. "You give what costs j
you nothing, and so save both purse and
reputation."
"I do as others do; and consider it a
very commendable course to give away i
what you don't care to keep, and avoid 1
unnecessary expense. Now, here is this I
lovely handkerchief, in an expensive anil
useless fancy box—a Christmas present
from Mrs. .ferrold. I happen to know
that it was purchased for Mrs. Jerrold
herself, who, having more handkerchiefs
than she knows what to do with, has
kindly bestowed this upon me. Well, it ,
shall go further. I will give it to that i
pretty Marie Leasing, who sends me flow- j
ers, and who, being prolmbly not so well ,
provided with costly gifts, will know
how to value it."
"What will you give Mrs. Herrick ?
She has been very assiduous in taking
LA PORTE, PA., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1889.
you out in that elegant new carriage<of
hers, when you were so ill. She wilhcx
pect some acknowledgment."
"That is true. I have been* thin king)
of it, but can find nothing here exactlyi
suitable," glancing over the table. "Asi
for her kindness, the obligations* really'
not on my side. She is pushing)her way'
up, and it was to her advantage my be
ing seen in her carriage. Nevertheless, L
must send her a Christmas token."
j At this moment a servant entered writh
a small parcel in her hand, which<shc
handed the young lady.
The latter received it eagerly,butfafter
glancing at the address, passed it, with
! a disappointed air, to her aunt.
"Forme? and in the Major's liaudwrit
j ing," said Mrs. Helton, with a slight
flush on her rather faded cheek.
She had been a handsome woman, and
was still so when "gotten up to be seen;"
and the gallaut Major,to whom her hand
was pledged, was twenty years her
senior.
"Really," she added, as she unsealed
the parcel and drew forth an elegant fan,
"I must say that the Major displays a
great taste in his selection of presents.
What a lovely design, and how exquis
itely painted! And yet lam disappointed,
for I had hoped it was something for
you, Eulalie, from Neil. My dear," with
a solemn shake of the head, "I begin to
fear that you will never succeed there!"
"But I will succeed!" the girl replied,
with a sudden, sharp decision of voice
and expression. "You will see!"
"I hope so; for,as you know,mv heart
is set upon this match. Neil Gordon is
not rich, but between you there will be
enough; and in other respects he is the
safest, match that I know of—and that is
what you most need, Eulalie. If you
will be a little less open in your eticour
ment of him, and we can keep him out
of the way of that .Maynard girl—"
"I don't believe there was anything in
it," interrupted Eulalie, hastily. "I
don't think he cared for her—a girl who
makes her living by painting and music."
"The Maynards are of good family,
though poor, and these girls are veil
educated and ladylike. Neil thinks it
nobler in them to prefer not to be de
pendent upon their relatives. Eva in
deed, let me assure yjou, is a rival not to
be despised; and if?l had any idea of
how things might • turn out, I would
never have engaged ' her to paint those
water-color sketches last summer. To
think of Neil going with her always to
select views and act as escort and pro
tector!"
"It was her artfulness, and I believe
they have moved to town purposely to
throw themselves in his way!" said Miss
Eulalie, sharply.
"No, they are too proud for that; but
I have taken care to put him on an en
tirely false trail. And he is not likely
to renew his search, since I informed him
ol what I heard from Wilkins—that
Miss Maynard is shortly to marry that
clever young country parson, Mr. Boyd.
Of course, I did not consider it necessary
to mention that the prospective bride is
T -iura, and not Eva."
The loquacious lady paused in her dis
course to renew her examination of the
fau—the Christmas offering of the gal
lant Major.
"What a pity that his judgment did
not equal his taste, and prompt him to
select something more appropriate to my
age. This is too light and youthful for
me: and it strikes me now that it would
be the very thing for Mrs. Herrick."
"But if the Major should see her with
it."
"Nonsense! He could only see it on a
close scrutiny, and then would not. rec
ognize it. Really it has come just at the
right, time!"
"Certainly. How Providence does
provide!" laughed Eulalie, satircally.
And before an hour had passed, the
fan, with an elegant little note from Mrs.
Belton, was in the hands of Mrs. Her
rick.
"It's perfectly lovely!" said that lady,
admiringly. "But what am Ito do with
so many tans? 1 have already a score of
them for which I have no use. This one,
1 know, is from Fouquerein's, fori saw it
yesterday, and noticed these tiny initials,
•E. L. M.,' among the heartsease. I will
take it there, and exchange it for liut,
I lovely bonboniere to give to Mrs. De
Lancey. If Mrs. Belton ever sees it
again, she will;imagine it a duplicate."
Eater on that' Christmas Eve a hand
some young man - entered the fashionable
emporium of M.FV>uquerciu,and inquired
for something appropriate as a Christmas
gift for a lady.
Several articles were placed before
him, one of which seemed instantly to
take his fancy. Ir was a fan of silk and
mother-of-pearl,!painted in water-colors;
and as he closely examined it, his eye de
tected, half-hidden amid blue forget-me
nots, the tiny initials, E. L. M.
At once before hiswision rose a sweet,
fair face, with brown eyes, and golden
brown hair shading a pure, white fore
head.
How often, in the summer past, they
.had walked together amid fields and
'woods, and."on the bank of that lovely
iriver whosefbeauties she had so skillfully
• sketched!
>
i r
Then, when he went back to visit her
in her rural ttiomc she and her family had
disappeared—swallowed up in the big
city to whichHheyjhad gone—and not to
be found or heard tof, until there came to
him, from hismncle's widow, the intelli
gence of her-approaching marriage with
the young clergyman, of whom he had
been somewhat jealous, even though he
had, as he fancied, good reason to be
lieve that his own sentiments were un
derstood and reciprocated by the fair
girl, who, indeed, had never ceased to
think of him, despite his apparent for
getfulness of her.
"Pi> you knowtwho painted this fan?"
Mr. Neil Gordon»uskcd of the polite pro
prietor, Mons. Fouquerein.
Certainly monsieur knew; liut Ls was
unfortunately under obligations not to
reveal the name or address of the artist.
"Could the lady paint, another such as
this—say in time for a New Year's gift?"
"I presume so, monsieur. If monsieur
desire, I can atonce send an order for a
duplicate."
And he obsequiously took the gentle
man's address
"How soon can you send it?" the lat
ter inquired.
"At once; in fifteen minutes; so soon
as my office boy returns, if that will suit
monsieur."
The gentleman left the shop, and se
cured the first messenger boy he chanced
to meet.
For a pecuniary consideration this
youth agreed to follow M. Fouquerein's
office boy, take the address of the house
to which he should go, anil immediately
inform Mr. Neil Gordon thereof, at the
latter's residence.
It was a simple plot, but, as it proved,
effective.
It was barely 8 o'clock when Eva May
nard came in from a walk—one of the
long and lonely walks to which she was
accustomed when her day's work was
over. She found the little tea table laid
and a small parcels for herself, with a
note, lying upon the table.
"It is my mother-of-pearl fan," she
said, after glancing over the note.
"Mons. Fouquerein has a customer who
wants both this and a duplicate, to be
ready for New Year's. I was sure it
would be liked, and now I think I shall
soon get plenty of custom."
An hour after, when her mother had
retired, and she sat reading aloud, while
Laura sewed on what looked like a piece
of bridal trousseau, there came a ring at
the front door bell.
The girl whose business it was to wait
on Mrs. Sutton's lodgers, hastened to
answer the summons, and immediately
appeared in Mrs. Maynard's rooms.
"A gentleman to see you, Miss Eva;
and here's his card, mum."
Laura glanced at the card in Eva's hand,
and then at the blushing face of her
sister; and well posted in such delicate
matters, slipped out of the room as the
visitor entered.
"It is Mr. Gordon, mamma," sin
answered, to her mother's inquiry. "I
knew he would come some day, though
Eva doubted it. "
And when, an hour later, Eva came,
radiant yet subdued, it needed but. one
glance at her face to know what kind of
an interview she had had with the lover
she had deemed so forgetful.
ALr*. Belton learned in time, le iuu
Terms—sl-25 in Advance; $1.50 after Three Months.
great vexation, that had she been more
appreciative of the Major's Christmas
present, her late husband's nephew had
probably never married "that Mavnard
girl," who, as Mrs. Neil Gordon, was
now so much admired in society.
She still owns the Christmas fan, but
has never painted its duplicate.
Yule-Lot: and Mistletoe.
The Yule-Log and the Mistletoe are
traditional garnishments, so to speak, of
the English, and largely of our own
Christmas holiday. From Scandinavians,
who in winter built immanse tires on the
hill-tops in honor of the sun's return, we
borrowed the yule-log. And it became
an English custom to preserve a bit of
one year's yule-log to light the fires on
| the great heart 11 at the following Clirist-
I mas-tide, in token of warmth and plenty
to abide in the household throughout the
year. When the log was ready to be
brought in, the youngest child of the
family was seated upon it, and all the
rest assembled to witness its entrance,
drawn by the merry retainers, and to
prepare it for the lighting.
Au English superstition is that the
bees sing in their hives between the 24th
and 25th of December, while mysterious
bells can be heard echoing underground.
From the Druids come our Christmas
decorations of evergreen garlands and
the mistletoe. The latter was sacred to
them, particularly that which grew upon
an oak tree. It was considered medi
cinal, and especially believed, until a late
day, to be a certain cure for epilepsy.
With great pomp,at the winter solstice,
the priests and people surrounded the
oak upon which the sacred vine grew,
and the chief priest in his white robes
ascended iuto the branches to cut down
the twisted stems and waxen berries of
the mystic plant, with a golden knife.
There must have been steel in the yellow
blade, however, for the mistletoe bough
is tough. Then followed the slaying of
'•two snow-white bullocks," as one
chronicle has it, while another saith just
as positively, ''two milk-white heifers."
Then in both accounts arc given ghastly
details of human sacrifice.
But this is past, and to-day the mistle
( toe remains to us a joyous harbinger of
merriment, and harmless cheer.
It inaketh spring in winter—
Our merry Christmas Day;
May it chase frost and snow
Forever far away.
, Bound to Attract Santa Claus's At
tention.
Having no stockings to hang up, they
i stripe their legs—
And leave the lamp burning, so Santa
Claus can see thein. VVe hope he will!
Christmas Fun.
Christmas is the great modern give
away.
Now, girls, bring out the fifty-cent
necktie for Charles, and prepare to re
ceive a SSO locket.
The best Christmas gift is what every
man may give himself. And that is a
good record.
"Books suitable for the holidays,"
reads an advertisement. But it fails to
mention the most important—pocket
books and bankbooks.
Under the Mistletoe Bough.
She (coyly)—" Now, you must only take
one, George."
He (gallantly)—" Hut one from one
leaves nothing, Mable. Let's make it
one each and tie."
She (lilushinir) —"It's very sudden,
George, but you may ask papa.
With children a Christmas present beats
Christmas i
NO. 11.
/>. ISabv's Kcfleclicits.
I'm :i very little baby,
Little face and hands and feet,
And my mother says she never
Saw a baby half so sweet.
It's nice to hear them talking
In that way, but I can see.
Oh, a lot of little babies
Who all look and laugh like me.
When I look out of the window
There's a baby in the glass.
And he wavts his hand as I do
To (he )> ople as they pass;
When I put out hands to tonch him
And pat him on the clieek,
He will look and act as I do,
But he'll never, never speak.
There's a baby in the mirror,
There's a baby in the spoon,
And there's one in front of mother
When we plav a little tune.
These are very funny babies,
Where I go they always come,
But I never hear them talking,
So I guess they're deaf and dumb.
—London Figaro.
HUMOROUS.
There's nothing like leather—espec
ially in a pair of $1 shoos.
The occupation of a wheelwright is in
one respect a tiro-some one.
Why poach your eggs when you can
honestly buy them at a fair price?
Asking a man togo on your bond is
likely to liavo a bail-ful infltienco in
your future relations.
"I have been in a country," said a
Nebraska preacher, "where the hand
of God never set a foot."
First Arizonian—So Pete is dead.
naturnal death? Second
Arizonian—Yes—hung first and then
shot full of buck and ball.
Dock: "Bess, I have three millions
and I love you." Bess: "No mistake
about the threo millions, is there?''
"You never saw my hands as dirty
yours," said a mother to her little girl.
"No, but grandma did," was there
ply.
Foodlebhoy—"Not at home! Why,
I told her I d call this afternoon.''
Footman—"Yes, sir; so she told me
when she gave me the message."
Disgusted Tramp: What! hard boiled
eggs, madam? Old Ijidy: Ain't the*
fresh? Tramp: Bless yer, mam; don't
yer see yer've forgotten the saladl
"Now, really, what was the most as
tonishing thing you saw in Paris, Mr.
Bpiccr?" asked Miss Gusher, and with
out a moment's hesitation, Seth an
swered, "My hotel bill."
Old Gentleman—Little boy, if you
don't want to lose your dog you'd bet
ter collar him. Little Boy—No need of
that. Pa said the police would collar
him, and 1 guess I'll wait.
There is a man traveling through the
East delivering lectures to newsboys.
His avowed purpose is to prevent
tramps in the future. If he succeeds
he will cause a big aching void in Amer
ican humor.
Grocer—"l've got a lot of Limbur
ger cheese that I'm going to sell at
cost. I want to stick up some taking
notice of the sale. Can't jou give me
something?" Riddiwit—''How would
'unapproachable bargain' suit you?"
Fond Mainma—Oh, uncle, you should
see our darling bahy when I play the
piano! Ho just listens by tho hour,
and when I cease playing the nurse has
to take him away, ho cries so awfully
Cynical Uncle—Perhaps—aw—my dear,
he—aw—weeps for—aw—joy ?
Short Names.
The family in France which has no
other surname than the letter B, has,
since the publication of tho account ol
(i registry official's perplexity over tho
name, developed several rivals.
In Belgium there is a family of some
distinction whose name is O. One branch
of this family is said to bo descend-d
from a French Marquis of O, who was *
court official in the reign of Henry 111.
In addition to the French village
named Y, there is a river Y; and in
Sweden there is a village callel A.
It is said that there is in China a vil
lage named V; but as the Chinese
have no equivalent for our alphabet,
the bestowing of this name upon it on
the maps must have been the result of
the ingenuity of the geographer, who
had no room to got in •Vee'' on his
chart. Youth'* Companion.
Too Tough for Him.
Mi P.incalte 'la trump): W<ll, what
do yen want?
Tramp: Here, mum, is der pio I stold
i.IT \er window yesterday. Thnro may
b.; two or throe teeth stickin' in it, bu»
othcrw.se't ain't hurt a-iyl