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FRIDAY JANUARY 3, 1889.
RKltlL'S CKlxItT
What if iii the early days of the Ameri
cin Republic seme supernatural lieing
with prophetic powers had taken Wash
ington or Jefferson or Jackson to an
ethereal eminence and had there shown
him in a vision the great Republic of to
day, with ils enormously increased power
and wealth, respected by atl nations and
peoples, and regarded everywhere as tlie
li tpu of the oppressed anh down-trodden,
and at the same time the prophet had
pointed out the example of an adminis
tration in power, refusing to recognize
the formation, without bloodshed or in
teriuption of business for one day, of a
Republic in a sister country, thereby
throwing the weight of the influence of
the great American Republic on the side
of the previously existing order of tliiugs.
Could any one have convinced either of
those men or any other patriotic men of
their day that such a slate of, tilings
could ever to ne to pass? Never. And
lite gtaudson of ihe'Hero of Tippecanoe
as President 100. impossible! And yet
that v ty ilting has come to pass. We
witness ttie peculiar ami humiliating
specta lc ot a great republic—a countiy
that gut s almost into testacies in boast
ing about its love for liberty—hesitating
about taking a slep toward promoting the
establishing of a republic ia.Brazil. Even
lillle Switzerland, more than a month ago
authorized her representative to recog
nize I lie new republic. When the
Spanish-American countries revolt-
e i again H, ai.i, t.'id this
county wait so long n> to make the world
believe we were on the side of imperial,
ism ? When Texas attempted to throw
off the Mexican yoke (although Texas
had precipitated the trouble by violating
Mexican laws) we did not even wait till all
disputes were settled, but promptly rec
ognized the new republic. When France
changed her form of government at the
fall of Louis Napoleon, what was the
conduct of President Grant ? But now
with jingoism and a " vigorous foreigu
policy " in full power, the administration
stands back. Perhaps the incumbent of
the Presidential chair is too ignorant to
see that by holding aloof he is siding with
the Imperialists. Already the word comes
from Braz'l that the cause of the Repub
lic is suffering because of the lack of
recognition abroad. Thus the United
States in effect becomes a party to an at
tempt to restore the monarchy in Brazil.
The crowned heads of Europe are tremb
ling lest the de-die for liberty pieve con
tagious. What have we to tremble lor ?
If there is anything for which we ought to
tremble,it is the cau-e of liberty at home,
when the stubborn stupidity und perverse
incapacity of the national administration
dictates a lrown upon nu uprising of lib
erty. There is grave cause to be appre
hensive for our own future, when public
opiDiou will tolerate such inaction on the
part of our chief executive, with the
cause of lib.rty is on trial.
1890.
Good bye old 1889, and welcome, ibriee
welcome 1890 ? With comparatively few
regrets —far less tiiao usual in parting
with an old year—we to-day blot out the
nine and substitute a naught, with the
hope that the change is an auspicious one.
While gratefully acknowledging what
ever favors, benefits and blessiugs we
have received at the bands of 1889, the
impulse is strong to hope 1890 will be
less liberal in the bestowment of calami
tics than its predecessor was. The year
that closed business, by shutting up its
shop at the old yuud, at the midnight
hour last night, will go down in history as
unprecedented in its sad and widespread
disasters all over the world. With no
disposition to cost reflections, or to call
ugly names, or to indulge in railing accu
sations against anything that is as dead as
the old year is we feel constrained to say,
as one whose duty is to chronicle the
events of time, that 1889 has broken all
past records respecting sorrowful disasters
and widespread calamities.
Briefly stated'?it cau be truthfully
•aid that thousands upon thousands Lave
met with sudden and violent deaths dur
ing the past'year, ,while;many>therjthou
sands that survive "have been in perils
oft "—in perils at home, in perils abroad,
in perils by water, in perils in storms, in
perils in railroad wrecks, in perils by
Arc. So much so, that hair-breadth
escapes have been as marked and marvel
lous, as have been the deaths of those
who fell before the destructive power of
calamities.
Therefore all that passed through the
perils of a CoDemaugh|flood,*or the perils
of an Opera House disaster, or perils of
other kinds here and elsewhere, ought to
look back on the past year with feelings
of grntilude. Yea, more, ought not only
to feel grateful, but'should'express grati
tude by giving thanks—provided always
that in doing so self-complacency be rig
idly suppressed. Which translated into
plain English means, that while duly ap
preciative "f life for its preserva
tion, its benefits and blessings—care
should lie exercised lest we emaglnu we
have been special objects of a discrim
inating providence, and. therefore, spared
; because we are wiser, or better, or more
i important inj.be eyes of heaven, than tiie
j thousands who were not so fortunate in
' escaping perils.
Forgetting the past in respect to ils sad
visitations, that is as far as is consistent
with our profound sorrow for the loss of
loved oucs, it behooves now to look for
ward and not buckward, upward instead
of downward, so as to prepare lor Ihe
duties and responsibilities of the year
whose advent we have welcomed.
: Schooled and disciplined as we have
been in the adversities ot 18SI), we ought
to be able to face whatever trials, crosses
and vicissitudes await us in 1890, witli
an increase of knowledge, with gret t r
patience, w itli more of the virtues of a
heroic fortitude.
With kind congratulations to all, with
heartfelt sympathy for the bereaved and
afflicted, and with best wishes for man
kind at large, we sincerely hope this year
may shower blessings upon I lie poor and
the rich, upon old and the young, upon
the low and the high, upon sinner ami
saint, upon foe and friend.
" THE SI'IBIT Off 10."
" We hold these truths to be self evi
dent that all men are created equal, that
they are endowed by their creator with
certain inalienable rights, that among
these are life, liberty and pursuit ot hap
piness : that to secure these rights gov
ernments are instituted among men, de
riving their just powers from the consent
of the governed; but whenever a govern
ment becomes destructive of these ends it is
the right of the people either to alter or
aboliih if."—Declaration of Independence.
The government of Brazil had been
taking steps, prior to the exile of Dom
Pedro, which warranted the belie f by the
people of the country that an unwanant
able jurisdiction was being gradually es
labhshcd over them. Imperialism was
entrenching itself more (irmly and ex
tending its jurisdiction by assuming
powers heretofore delegated to the peo
pie. The people were therefore justified
in taking the revolutionary step, and how
well tliev did it 100. No bloodshed, not
even the least interruption of business.
If Mr. Harrison will look over his
grandfather's books and papers, lie will
find somewhere a copy of the Declaration
of Independence, written by one Thomas
Jefferson, who was personally known to
the grandfather "f this Administration,
and President of the United States at
the time the battle of Tippecanoe was
fought.
Perhaps it Mr. Harrison were told of
this circumstance lie would take sufficient
interest in the historical document to
read it and learn enough about tue lights
of people to recognize the right in the
people of Brazil to change their form of
government.
1 here have been a good many jokes
about the Russian influenza, "la grippe,"
as it is called ; but the time for laughing
seems to he passed. The disease was
generally believed to be accompanied by
nothing more than discomfort, and the
report a week ago that ft had assumed a
fata! form in Vienna could hardly be be
lieved at. first. The startling death rate
in Paris, however, fully confirms the
earlier reports from Vienna, and there
can be no longer any doubt that "la
grippe" is not to he trifled witli.
NatiO.sai.is.m appears to have gotten a
grip on the United Slates Senate, with
Edmunds and Ingalls advocating u Na
tional University, and Hoar pleading for
a National Reformatory. The next thing
in order is a National Nursery, with bubv
carriages and nurses and officeholders to
do the uight-wulking act.
Justice Brewer, of the Supreme Court,
used to write poetry aud, what is worse,
publish it. The fact did not leak out in
time to prevent iiis confirmation by the
Senate
The belief is growing that F. B. Gowan
was murdered. Tile solution of the mys
tery of his death will make a chapter of
intense dramatic interest.
•IT looks very much as if the new year
will make its appearance carrying a para
sol and a big palm leaf fan.
Raided Again,
The Uoberts den in Conemaugh bor
ough has becu raided again by the po
lice. Mrs. Uoberts, Emma Dunn, and
Cinda Swank were tuken to the locknp
on a charge of disorderly conduct. They
were given a hearing before the Burgess
yesterday cveuing, which resulted in their
being found guilty of the charges. Mrs.
Roberts paid Anes and costs to the amount
of $15.40. and the other two in default of
paying $10.40 each, fines and costs, were
detained in the lockup. The informa
tion was made by the people of the vicin
ity, who arc totally disgusted with the
indeceut and disgraceful conduct of
these offenders. The cases will likely he
carried further as there is a determina
tion to get rid of the annoyauce of having
these people in the neighborhood.
A Token of Appreciation for h Noble Act
Mr, John llcss, the engineer, who bv
hlowiug the whistle of his engine as he
ran down the track around the bluff at
East Conemaugh, to alarm the people at
the approach of the flood, was presented
a very costly gold watch and chain by a
number of the people of that place, on
Wednesday evening. Man lives were
saved by this thoughtful act on the part
of Mr. Hess, and the token presented is
only a mild expression of the gratofulncss
of those who profited by the warning and
escaped being washed away by the awful
torrent.
New Year's day was not generally ob
served here as a holiday.
TN THE FAIR LONG AGO."
Are the old remembered paths still preen,
O rose with the warm white heart?
Do the elders yet o'er the waters lean
And the same dim light shine soft between
Where the trees and the brooklet part?
O rose with the warm white heart,
Are the pine woods waving still?
In May do the same wild bloasoms start
(Ah, me! that the years should have held us
apart!)
From the valley and sloping hill?
Whisper it low to my keart, O rose,
Do the fairies still haunt the green
When warm uud fragraut the south wind blows.
And far in the west the young moon glows
With the flretlies' glimmer betweeu?
O rose, when the hills grow brown uud bleak
With the shadow of autumn dajs.
Do the truant children vainly seek
For the lilies that grew by the winding creek
And curtained the shining ways?
Ah. wonder not that my pulses thrill.
And my eyes grow dim with tears
Because. O rose, thy |>eta!s spill
Their musky fragrance above the still.
Dark grave of the long, lost yeurs:
—Maytleld Ilerald.
THEIR NEW NEIGHBOR.
'(Jiris!'' cried Margery Kearney, "I've
seen him!—Clive Sterling—our now
neighbor!"
In i|uite a whirl of excitement Mar
gery had dashed into the cozy room
where her three sisters were sitting.
She was shining with rain, from the
hood of her silver gray gossamer to the
very tips of her rubbers. The fluffy
brown curls across her forehead were
sprinkled with bright drops, and her
cheeks were glowing from her rapid
walk.
"You did!" interrogatively chorused
three eager voices.
"I really did!"
'ls lie handsome?" asked Janet, who
appreciated all beauty as intensely as
only a plain looking person can,
"Intellectual looking?" inquired Clo
tilde, who dipped daily into Emerson
and professed to adore ltuskin.
"Jolly?" queried little Bertie, who was
at the age when jolly people seemed
created for her especial amusement.
"No—no—no!" laughed Margery.
"Not handsome, or learned looking, or
| even jolly. He is simply the most awk
ward looking mortal I ever beheld!"
And she broke into a peal of heartiest
laughter at the recollection of her en
counter with their new neighbor.
"You see it was this way, girls," jerk
ifig off her gossamer, and disclosing a
form attired in a dress of chocolate cash
mere—a form that was trim, slim and
willowy as that of sweet 17 is apt to
be. "I was running home in a great
hurry—for it's chillier out than you folks
imagine—and just as I came opposite the
gate of 'The Oaks,' I stopped very sud
denly. For right there was the most tre
mendous black dog 1 ever saw. I said:
'Go way!' and he didn't budge. I shook
my umbrella at him. lie wasn't a bit
afraid. I said: 'lf you don't get out of
the way I'll hit you!' and he actually
grinned. There was nothing to do but
step out in the street—it was so muddy,
too —and walk around him. But just
then—l suppose my dilemma was ap
parent from the house—down tho path
he came running. Oh, he looked so
ridiculous! ilo is about as tall as Jack's
bean stalk, lean as a lath, and brown as
an Indian."
"Well," exclaimed Janet, "he must be
charming!"
"Oh!" cried Margery, going off into a
fresh paroxysm of laughter. "What,
with his glasses and his coattails flying
straight out as he rushed to my rescue
he looked like some great curious, com
ical bird!"
"Birds don't wear glasses," corrected
Bertie. "Was his coat a swallow tail?"
The appeal for information was ignored.
"Well, he called off the dog, and apolo
gized for the monster, and—that's all."
"I wish he'd offer mo the use of his li
brary." sighed Clotilde.
'They say 'The Oaks' is a perfect pal
ace as far as furnishing goes," murmured
Janet.
'1 think I'll ask him to loan me the
lovely white pony," decided Bertie.
But this rash resolution was rushlesaly
crushed.
"The Oaks" had been shut up so long
—ever since the Kearneys had come to
live in the gray green cottage near by. Its
owner had gone abroad on the death of
his mother, three years ago, leaving his
handsome house in the care of a couple of
servants. But now that the news of his
return had spread, curiosity was rife in
the fashionable suburb of Ri verview. And
not the least interested were Clive Ster
ling's near neighbors.
A pleasant room this in which the sis
ters sat; a homelike room, even if the
carpet was threadbare, the chairs venera
ble, the damask curtains darned—per
haps all the more homelike for theee sug
gestions of social service and experience.
Janet went on with her task of re
modeling an old dress. Clotilde went
over to the window and looked wistfully
througli the drizzling rain to the red
brick chimneys which rose above the
house which held the coveted books.
Margery, obeying a sudden impulse, had
snatched up her ever ready sketch book
from the table and was scratching vig
orously away. An ecstatic giggle from
Bertie, who was pee ping over her shoul
der, called the attention of the others to
her work.
"What is it?" asked Janet.
Margery looked up with a nod and a
smile.
"Wait a moment."
On her brisk pencil flew, the dimples
in her pretty cheeks depening as her
mischievous smile grew.
"There t"
She held up the open book. The others
flocked around her.
"Oh, Margery!"
"He can't look like that!"
"What a caricature!"
Indeed, comical and grotesque was the
drawing of the long, lank figure, with
the spidery extremities, the flying coat
toils, the tremendous goggles.
"Oh, just a trifle accentuated—not
quite a caricature," she said laughingly,
as she scrawled under the picture the
words: "Our New Neighbor."
"The rain is clearing off 1" cried Bertie,
"I'm going to run and ask mamma if I
mayn't go out"
And off she rushed.
Soon, with her kitten in her arms and
her little spaniel at her heels, she was out
on the wet road. The rain had quite
| ceased. The afternoon sun, weary of
sulking, was coming out in splendid
state. In its radiance every drop on
every clover leuf wa3 a glittering jewel,
and the pools in the street reflected bits
of the brilliant sky.
On and 011 wandered Bertie, iter scar
let skirt blowing backward, her yellow
hair tangling flossily as the breeze caught
and played with it. As she passed "The
Oaks" she paused to put her small, in
quisitive face against the iron railing and
peer through.
What a grand, big house it was! And
how smooth and green was the large
lawn, all lovely with beds of bloom!
And how sweet the flowers smelt after
the rain—the geraniums and carnations,
and sweetbrier and verbenas!
"I should so love to seethe funny man
Sister Margery saw," she said to herself.
And then, just as if she had had a magi
cal ring, her wish was gratified. For
out on the main walk, not twelve feet
away, from a small side path came Mr.
Sterling.
He saw the little maiden outside the
railing—the bright eyed, curious face.
He liked children. He sauntered towards
the gate.
"Hello, little lassie! what is your
name?" '
"Kearney, sir."
"Oli, you're one of the Kearney sisters,
are you? Which one?"
"I'm not the clever one." she said.
He smiled.
"No?"
"No. Clotilde is the clever one."
"Well?"
"And I'm not the gdod one. Janet is
the good one."
" Indeed 1"
"Yes," with a nod. "And I'm not the
pretty one either. Margery is the pretty
one."
"And you?"
"Oh, I'm the bad dhe. At least that
is the way Uncle Dick says wo ought to
he dis-dis-distinguished!"
She was breathless from her struggle
with the big word.
"Then," lie said, laughter lighting up
his quiet brown eyes—"then it was Mar
gery I saw today?"
"Yes, and 1 think," indignantly, "slit
was all wrong. I don't think you're one
bit awkward."
"Eh?"
"I think you're downright nice. And
some day—not now, because the girls
said I mustn't, but some day, when we're
better acquainted, I'm going to ask you
to let me ride on your little white pony."
He bowed gravely.
"Certainly."
"It's so sweet!" growing friendly and
confidential. "Do you know that last
summer—keep still, Kitty Kearney!" to
the pussy, which was writhingly at
tempting an escape —"last summer Mar
gery, who is the grandest artist that ever
lived, I think, made a sketch of it
when it was out at pasture. Just wait
here and I'll run and get it. Cotne on,
Twig!"
Away she scampered, her little dog
after her. Smiling amusedly, the tall,
brown gentleman by the gate waited her
return,
In about fifteen minutes she was back
with a flat book under her arm.
"It is in there, and he is eating grass!"
He tpok the book rather diffidently,
hut very curiously, too. It could not
matter. Sketches were made to he
looked at. And this was a sketch of his
own pet pony
"By George!"
He almost dropped the book.
"Oh. please, please," cried Bertie, in an
agony of remorse. "I quite forgot your
picture was in there. What won't Mar
gery say! Oh, never mind the pony's
picture now!"
She snatched the book, turned, ran
home as fast as her fat legs would carry
her, leaving Olive Sterling crimsoning
and laughing as lie never had crimsoned
and laughed before.
"Well, I've seen myself for once as
others see me, thanks to the pretty one!"
He dropped his eye glasses and saun
tered back to the house. For several
days be neither saw nor heard anything
of his neighbors. Then he chanced to
encounter Bertie.
"Oh, please, I can't talk to you," the
child said. "The girls say lam so un
reliable. You know Margery caught
me when 1 was sneaking her sketch book
back, and made ine tell her where I had
taken it to"
"And then?"
"Then," confessed Bertie, with a con
trite gulp, "then she sat down and cried!"
"I say! No!"
"She did. There she is now! Oh.
Margery, Margery!"
The girl had come unexpectedly around
the corner. To avoid a meeting was im
possible. She was quite near her sister
and the master of "The Oaks."
"This is Mr. Sterling, Margery. You
know you weren't reg-regularly intro
duced before. I've been telling him how
you cried about"
A delicious blush of mortification, re
gret, pleading swept across Margery's
wild rose face. Frankly she held out
ber hand, lifted her clear eyes.
"I am so sorry for having been so
rude! Will you forgive me if you cant
And come over and play tennis this
afternoon?"
"Thank you. Yes," ho said.
"Why, Margery," the others said to
her when he, after a rattling good game,
had returned home, "he is just splen
did!"
"Good looking, too!"
"And a gentleman!"
"All three!" decided Margery, prompt
ly, as she sought the sketch of their
new neighbor and deliberately tore it up.
She is Mrs. Clive Sterling now.
Bertie was her bridesmaid.—Kate M.
Cleary in New York Ledger.
Among odd and pretty German "fa
vors" are perfume bottles made to simu
late English walnuts. Ribbons or cords
aud tassels attach tbem to a button or
to the wrist of the dancers.
FROM HIGH TOWERS.
How They Will He Important AuUtnott
in Meteorologlcnl Inquiry.
London is to have a larger edition of
the Eiffel tower. It will bo 1,200 feet
high, and will enable scientific men to
make important observations not possi
ble on the earth's surface.
The proposed tower would allow of an
inquiry into the atmospheric conditions
up to 1,200 feet. Instruments for meas
uring the heat of the sun's rays, sucli as
black bulb thermometers in vacuo, and
actinometers, disposed at the top and
bottom of the tower, would also give
very interesting readings, the instru
ments at the highest station probably
showing an excess of the sun's heat over
the other, because of the atmospheric
humidity intervening between thoearth's
immediate surface and an altitude of
i,200 feet.
Thermometers disposed at various
heights and properly screened from
radiation would show the temperature of
the atmosphere at different levels; the
air would probably be found cooler on
rising higher and higher, giving this cu
rious result—that the sun would ho
warmer at the top than at tho bottom;
hut, in the absence of -the sun, tho air
would ho colder at the top. At night
the distribution of the temperature in
the atmosphere is known to bo the re
verse of the daytime. On a fine, clear
night the temperature will bo found
higher at 1,000 feet than it is on the
earth, while 011 a cloudy night it will be
much the fame at both stations; hut we
have much to learn of the laws of ter
rostial radiation, and the proposed tower
would be very useful in that respect.
Of course an observer would not be
expected to race day and night up and
down a tower 1,200 feet high, to mako
observations and read thermometers;
this would be too great, and indeed an
unnecessary devotion to science. The
whole thing can be done from below in a
comfortable building by means of Sie
mens' electric thermometers. Such an
instrument lias been used for some time,
and is now at work at the Lincoln cathe
dral, giving correct theruiomf--- read
ing on the earth's surface from a Height
of 270 feet. Besides observations for
temperature at various altitudes, the
state of humidity of the atmosphere, a
condition greatly concerned in the forma
tion of fogs, could be readily examined,
dry and wet bulb thermometers disposed
at various heights and in electrical con
nection with Ihe station below would
yield interesting observations, and assist
materially in conjunction with the ba
rometer ia forecasting the weather.
The force and direction of the winds
at various altitudes are subjects for me
teorological inquiry of much interest
and importance; there are eddies in the
atmosphere, spiral and upward currents,
of which little is known, and a tower
sucli as tiiat now contemplated would
allow of very interesting observations to
bo mado on winds. We may also ven
ture to suggest that the information thus
obtained would have an important prac
tical bearing in an engineering point of
view, as showing the strength of tho
wind buildings may have to withstand
at great heights. The measurement of
rainfall, made simultaneously at 1.200
feet and on the ground, would add to our
knowledge of the laws of rainfall; it
would !)o found that less rain falls at the
top than at the bottom. The connection
of tills phenomenon with atmospheric
humidity and temperature would be
vt •resting to investigate.
"i ally, earth tremors, the forerun
ners earthquakes. Would bo felt at the
summit of a high lower much more
readily Hutu in contact with tho earth,
and em diqual. - m tbo expected to
produce greatly ma > e.l effects at such
an elevation; hence a seismometer
would find a fitting place at the top of
tlio proposed building. A great deal
might he added on this subject. We have
not touched on the astronomical uses of
a very high tower from the greater clear
ness of the atmosphere at such an alti
tude. Therearoalsootberpointsof physi
ological interest that could have been
dwelt upon, such as the- influence of an
altitude of 1,200 feet on respiration, or
on the nervous system. It might be re
marked that there would.be little fear of
feeling giddy when looking down from a
tower of such a height, although the view
over a precipice of 1,20 ft feet would not
bo unlikely to produce a most unpleas
ant sensation.—British Medical Journal.
To Pamp Down Ozone.
Sir Edwin Chadwick, known in Eng
land as "the father of sanitary science,"
in a recent interview said.- "I do so be
lieve in fresh air. My pet project, at
which a correspondent in the papers
laughed some time ago, is to build great
towers in our cities and pump down the
ozone from above; there is a wonderful
American machine for pumping which
actually makes 1,200 revolutions in a sec
ond. Well, that would soon purify a
neighborhood. At the base of St. Paul's
there is no ozone; there is at the summit
How often my government clerks have
asked leave to take home their work,
finding it impossible to do anything in
the poisoned air of the great public of
fices. This system, about which I have
consulted 31. Eiffel himself, who thinks
very highly of the idea, would effect a
revolution in tho health of our great
cities. On a very small scale it has been
tried and found to answer perfectly upon
some of the great 'liners' at sea. "—Boston
Transcript.
A True Likeness of Oeerge Washington.
A description of the personal appear
ance of Washington, written in 1799, is
reprinted in The Pennsylvania Magazine
of History and Biography:
"Gen. Washington is now in the 47th
year of his age. He is a toll, well made
man, rather large boned, and has a tol
erably genteel address; his features are
manly and bold, his eyes of a bluish cast,
and very lively; his hair a deep brown,
bis face rather long and marked with
the smallpox; his complexion sunburnt
and without much color, and his counte
nance sensible, composed and thought
ful; there is a remarkable air of dignity
about him, with a striking degree of
gracefulness."
MY NEIGHBOR'S TREE.
LESSON TAUGHT BY CLOSE STUDY
OF THE MYSTERIES OF NATURE.
AH It Look* mid Seem* to B Summer
ami Winter—Th© Glitter After o Spring
Shower—Th Thunder Storm* an 1 Au
tnni* of Life—What They Mean
My room, which is in a high house, is
on an even height with the crown of the
tree opposite. For seven years this tree
has been a true friend to me. llow often
it has refreshed my sight! I have here
at different times jotted down what I
saw, thought and dreamed about it.
Everything in nature lias its fixed des
tiny—man alone has the worry In na
ture there is a "must," with man it is
"you shall." and, therefore, there is a
desire of freedom in the heart of man
kind, an endeavor to discern our natural
destination. Schiller says:
Seek you tho highest, the greatest? the plant can
teach you it;
What it is without o will, you should bo willingly.
The history of religion begins with di
vine adoration of certain trees, and this
culture becamo so deeply rooted that it
was difficult to destroy it. The envoys
of Christianity had to apply the ax to
the holy trees to destroy this kind of
worship.
The crown of the tree is too high to be
readied by regulating garden shears; it
rounds itself. Tako a lesson from the
tree, raise yourself up, man; learn to
stand high in yourself and tho world
cannot mold you against your will.
My tree stands in my neighbor's gar
den. It is not mine, and yet my pleas
ure is not decreased by the thought that
it is not my property. In tho contem
plation of that which is eternal there is
no mine and thine, and tho pleasure
makes one happy and asks not from
whence it came.
It is a withered tree during the winter,
and the thought arises, "Who knows if
it yet lives? Will leaves, branches and
fruit thrive again?" Spring—new or re
turning life—will show.
After a spring sun shower, how all the
branches glitter with the hanging drops,
which play in wonderful colors. What
an absorption there must bo in the trees!
As soon as the rain ceases the !! ah ap
pears and siugs his song so gayly that it
seems the merry fellow had freshly
moistened lus throat; and, indeed, it is
so, for man and bird sing better after a
rain than in dry and close air.
The tree has its hours of animation.
Science has discovered that the lifo of a
plant is strongest under the influence of
the light, • peciallv in the hours before
midday.
In April there was another snow. All
the branches were laden, all day long
the flakes whirled about, and it was all
still and quiet, except now and then a
complaint from the iinch. A chill per
vaded nature; oven peoplo in heated
rooms could not keep warm. It seemed
as if life and soul were in sympathy with
the millionfold sorrow of the scared
away birds and newly opened blossoms.
Whoever enjoys the life of nature must
also suffer with it. Nature's life is harsh
and sharp, for all lifo is a struggle. Even
if a thousand blossoms, which have
scarcely bloomed, pass away, the devel
opment of nature's forces is overflowing;
also in human lifo only little comes to
pass which blossoms in tlio mind as wish
and aspiration.
Tlio tree takes in only fluid food, and
corresponds in this point with the first
lifo of the child or animal.
A child destroying a plaything which
is put together by strange hands is forced
to do so by its curiosity to examine the
inner works. Neither can science act
differently than to follow natural life,
and by investigation it kills that taken
in hand. To bo separated from nature
has a tendency ro make tender.
A hail storm has broken off a branch
and another will not grow again in its
place, but the tree may add new branches
and twigs, and tho wound of the torn
off branch may heal up.
A thunder storm in the vicinity has
snapped off trees and uprooted others,
and when a tree is down and its roots
are exposed it is not questioned how it
was thrown down and uprooted, but
how it could have existed and grown in
such a thin layer of soil. So it is with
many so called heroes; when they have
fallen one can scarcely conceive the pos
sibility of their former state.
Autumn comes with such force that
you feel as though you were parting with
the dearest associates; that you had not
fully returned their friendship, and that
you had not enjoyed them as you could
and should have done. The reflection
returns how you could hare hoped in
the spring to take In the life of summer
in full draughts, and, having neglected
it, it is now too late; and so it will be in
the antumn of your life.
Cease remorse, which overcomes you*
with the falling of the leavee. Wake up
and work in the new day. Inasmuch as
the fallen leaf returns to its stem, so will
a day passed return to you, but there
will be new leaves and new dayß as long
as life is allowed to you.
The stripping of the leaves seems to
go on more quickly than the leafing, be
cause the falling of the leaves is more
plainly visible, although the dying off of
the tree really lasts as long as its return
to life.
He who studies nature in winter ia
nearer to it than the season enjoying
ones, the city people, who only go into
the country when the table of nature is
set Can one say of such persons, who
are unfaithful to nature; "Yesterday
they seemed so near to you, and today
they act almost as though they would
ask: 'Who are you?" " Yes, there are
people whose perception of life ia only
quickly withering grass, and many per
sons' moods very like the weather. But
in the firmer ones it ia like the tree—al
though it is leafless you fully understand
it.—German of Berthold Auerbach.
Dow It Happened.
Young chap—How does it happen that
your balr is so much grayer than your
Whiskers?
Oldhoy— My hair is ever so much older,
you know. —Capo Argus.