THE DECORATING MANIA. 011 r he rag c '' A fashionable air. •You needn't purchase things," says she, With a superior smile, •I'll use your common household goods, For thom tffo all the stylo." And with n mtle gilt and such, She fixed us up bo fine, That when I looked about the house I hardly knew 'twas mine. Well 1 pa and me, at first, wore pleased, But pa soon cried in wrath, •Where is tho old snow-shovel gone? I want to make a path." And there it was a' painted up With mauy a bud and rose, And hanging on the parlor wall By sky-blue ribbon bows. And soon it was my turn to fret When ironing day came round; I had two favorite tlatirons, But ouly one I found. • I went into the sitting-room And there I found the mate All gilded up to look like gold. And made a paper-weight. And when pa bought a steak, 1 found Of broiler 1 had lack: -4 The gridiron was fixed to bo A fine newspaper rack. And all tho tins for jelly-cake Had been woll washed from grease, And painted up liko plaques, to stand Upon the mantel-piece. But when pa found his old arm-chair That hugged tho kitchen fire, A' painted white, and hung with bows, Tho way some folks admire, And standing in tho sitting-room, Too nice and fine to use, Ho said that fashionable styles He henceforth should refuse. Bo pa and me wo both agreed Tnat fashion hadn't paid, And that we'd use our common tilings For what they most seemed made. Bo down came shovels, down camopans, And off came every bow. And things are now more comfortablo, IX not so much lor show. ADVENTURES OF A SPY. A STOItY THAT RE AOS LIKE A PAGE FROM A WORK OF FICTION. Tho Remnrkabio Career of Major W. C. Gorman, a Spy in tho Service of the Con federates During tho War—Thrilling Adventures, and Halr-IJreadth Escapes. NE of the most re mark able eontrlbu ((tions to war history in recent years ' 8 t,mt f urn ' Bk°d 8 k°d to I th o pes Moines lieg- BI later by Major W. C'. =jr. Gorman, an ox-Con tfjfl '/ federate spy and at 1 present a resident of Birmingham, Ala. obL The story of bis peril ous adventures and hair-breadth escapes reads liko a page from a work of fiction, and would scarcely bo credited had the narrator omittod to give dates, localities, and tho names of tho actors in tho exciting life drama in which ho was an active par ticipator. After the retreat at Perryville, in 1862, be gins Major Gorman. I received orders to I*o - to Gen. Forrest for picket duty on tlio Cumberland lliver. between bpnrtaand Gal latin. I tfioro received orders to report to Gen, Forrest at Murfreeshoro. which I did. Gen. Forrest wished mo to undertake a com mission entirely foreign to the duties of a soldior, being a trip to St. Louis on private business for ray commander. I went to St. Louis and returned just prior to the battio of Stone ltivor, in which I participated i with my battalion. Six days later I was ordered to report to Senator Sims at Richmond, Vu., for duty on behalf of the Confederate Government. I mot Senator Sims. President Davis, Vice President Stephens and Winder in confer ence, and they unfolded the plans. Gon eral Forrest was to make a raid through West Tennessee, aud General Murmaduke through Northern Arkansas, tho two forces meeting at Springflold. Mo. Scattered through Northern Missouri woro 12.000 true Confederates, as yet unorganized, and it was their desire that I should organize those men and march them to Springfield at the appointed time, as a contingent to Forrest and Marmadukc. This plan was carried out so far as cir cumstances would permit. I went to North ern Missouri and organized the l'aw Paw militia; Gonoriu Forrest started through West Tennesooo and Goneral Marmaduko through Northern Arkansas. I hud organ ized 6.000 men at Blackfeet Hills, roady for marching orders, when I learned of For rest's dofo.io nt Jackson, Tona., and Mar maduko's dofoat fliteon miles from Spring flold, which drove tho men back to bush whacking. There woro a number of Incidents on my trip, I returned to General Forrest's com mand and asked him for a pass. In his gruff way ho said: "Go to h—l for a pass; if you can't steal through the Confederate linos, you can't steal through the Yankoe lines. Iptirtod on foot from Franklin, Tenn., for Hickman, Kv., making tho trip in ton days, and stealing through both linos, tho Confederates and Federals being picketed from Gallatin to Memphis, At Hickman, tired, dirty and ragged from BWiraralng streams and climbing through and over hushes. I wont to a hotel and ate supper. That night I heard music in the parlor, and going up I saw two young ladies, one playing tho piano nnd the other singing. I Know that if they woro Confed erates the ladios would bo tho truest and best of friends to the soldior boys, so I asked them to allow mo to play. They looked surprised, but lot me have the uso of tho piano. I sang, "Maryland, My Mary land." which at that time was now. From the effect tho song had on tliom I knew they were sympathizers with my cause, and I asked their assistance to get 1110 a pass by steamboat to St. Louis, as the stop-son of Judge Fitzgerald, of West Tennessee, in whose loyally the Federal soldiers hud con fidence. The next morning I got tho pass and loft for St. Louis, I claimed that I was on my way to Kansas to visit relatives, and that I was a Union man. Tho boat was loaded with Foderal soldiers who were going home 011 furloughs or for tho purpose of re-enlisting. I was well supplied with money, and whiled away tho tune playing poker with the men who. if they had known who I was, would have hot mo and thrown my body in the river. 31 v money was that of tho Bank of West Tennessee, and was in bills, but in those days ass bill could bo cut in two and each end was good for $2.50; in fact, change was scarce, and was genor nilv made in that way. Each end of as 2 bill was good for £l. When I reached St. Louis I had my West Tennessee money and $1,600 in greenbacks. I went, to Bingham, Wright & Co., with whom 1 had transacted tho private businoss for Gen. Forrest on my previous trip. Hero I had all of my money changed into gold. The quo-lion then was, how to got out of St. Louis—a man could not loavo tho city nor even obtain work in the city without a certificate that he had taken tho oath of allegiance. I was not going to take tho oath, and finally devised a scheme. Going down to tho levee 1 met an honestlrishman by the name of Murphy. I got in with him. made him drunk and bought his ceitiflcato for SSO. Being un Irishman myself 1 was not afraid of tho name. I wont to tho Wedge house and bought ahorse for $650 and loft town. When about four miles out I met two young la lies and saluted them. Thov returned the salute, and I saw that they wore red and white ribbons around their nocks. Turning my horse, wo wont to their homo together. That acquaintance was my starling point in Missouri. Their fathor was Lieut Col. Kibble. Q f Price's regi ment, and their homo was tho hot bed of tho whole Southern organization in North Missouri. At midnight that night 102 determined Confederates mot there, inside tho Yank* o linos, and within four miles of St. Lou's, twenty-eight 01 them being commissioned officers. 1 left the noxt morning, going through tho State on the s>-ulli of the river, making my reports through tho mail at Paris, 111. My noxt expor euoos of Interest wore in 6t. Charles County, where I mot with CruighiU's Dutch Horn" Guards. At War ronton. whde eating <!inner, twenty-six of them came in to arrest ine. I showed my certificate or oath, pleaded I nion senti ment, cursed Jefferson Davis aud tlio whole Hou'horn Confederacy as an honest Irish man-. "but !t took flvG lcegs 61 Deer to finally convince them that I was loyal. The Eng lish-speaking people in that soction wore ' " "MABTLAMD, HI KABTL kND. " usually friends, but those Dutch were bit ter enemies of the South. I learned that Colonel Kibble had a broth er toward Black Rivor. I finally reached there after swimming two swollen crooks and having two battles with CralghiU's Dutch. I learned that Colonel Kibble's daughter had married a Sergeant in Gen eral Price' o 30 •n ind, and that these Dutch troops had draggod her from her bod while in a delicate condition, and had burned the house on the day previous. When I learn ed this 1 made up my mind to teach the Dutch a lesson. Taking flfty-two men I went to Warrenton, and wo killed every Dutchman we mot. This gave Murphy a notorious character, and the quicker I got out of there the better for all concerned. I took two men with me, Cumberland Kibble and John Andrews, and started through tho country. Gen. Odin Guitar was at that time com manding the Department of North Mis souri, with headquarters at Columbiaville. Ho issued an order that no person should carry firearms except those engaged in "I HAD A SHAItr Fianx WITH THE YANKEES." activo service for tho Fiiit.-d states Gov ernment. The throe freebooters, armed to tho tooth, and killing every man they met! with a homo guard uniform on, naturally created a sensation. That night wo ato supper at Charles Pra thor's in Columbia County, at tho foot of Bluckfoet Itidgo. While eating, forty Yankee soldiers arrived, looking lor a notorious bushwhacker by tho name ot Conway. Kibble and Andrews escaped, and I have never seen them since. I pleaded loyalty, said I was alono and on a pony, and to show my loyalty would assist them in hunting up Conway, who. by tho way, had agreed to meet me at Prather's that night. I i;ot on Prather's pony and went with tho soldiers to a corner grocory eight miles away, and twenty-two miles irom Colum biaville. Here I called tor Conway, and in sisted that I know ho was there. A man named Steele was proprietor, and I gave him $lO and paid for all tho whisky to make tho soldiers drunk; then I loaded them up with bottles of liquor and started with them for Columbiaville. Arrived there I took them at once to Gen. Guitar's headquar ters. and said: •'General, I am a loyal Irishman. Your men took mo prisoner, and, to show my loyalty. I have brought them back to you. It I had not they would have all been killed in their present drunken condition." Tho "GENERA!,, I AM A LOYAL IRISHMAN," Gonoral thanked mo. became satisfied as to my loyalty and gave 1110 a pass, with which 1 got away as qutoicly as possible, before they reeognizod mo. I returned to Pra ther's. whore I found my horse and Con way with sixteen raon, who submitted at onco to my orders. Wo then organized the Paw Paw militia, and hod a fight near Ht. Joe with Craighill's Dutch, in which Conway lost an arm and I was shot through tho shoulder; nine of tho Dutch being killed. I then succeeded in getting to Paris. 111., where Mr. and Mrs. Farrel nursed mo back to health, and I roturnod to Missouri, then to Richmond, where I roported to Senator Sims. I was thou instructed to return, and given tho rolls of the Confederates in tho North— -30,000 in Illinois, 12.000 in Missouri. 26.000 in Indiana, 4,00!) in Ohio, and 5,000 in Penn sylvania. On tho 10th of January, 1863, I went to City Point and hired as a roustabout on tho Unftod States flag of truce steamboat Gen. Honaell. I was to reoolve $75 a mouth. I staid six days, for which tho Government still owes mo, leaving the boat at Balti more. Tho noxt morning I was in Washington, where I met United Htatos Senator Powell, of Kentucky, delivering to him a regular commission as lieutenant goneral In tho Confederate army, commanding all the forces north of tho Ohio River, and with authority to issue commissions. From him ,1 obtained a map of tho fortification*) on the Potomac River, tlio number of men b tweon Washington and tho mouth of the rivor, tho condition of fortifications around Washington, and other valuable intorma tion. I loft for Cincinnati over the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and was orrested at Bollaire, being guarded by three Irishmen, John Burke, of Pontine. Mich.; John Doyle, ol 321 Sixth street. Detroit; and another whose name I have foigotten. For $lO and a quart of whisky 1 bought a Yankoe over coat and got awav. I first wont to Colum bus, Ohio, where I met Goorge Zonov. and going twelve milos out of tho city, was in troduced to DUO as determined men as ever shouldered a gun. They were tho best drilled and best equipped of any of the cop perhead organizations, and were sworn Confederate soldiers. I swore them info service with Goorge Zeney as colonel. 'J'lioy afterwards did valiant so vice in the rescue of Gen. John Morgan from the Ohio penitentiary. I went to Cincinnati and mot one of tho truest friends the cause ever had, Samuel P. Thomas, now a dry goods merohunt of that city. II • was commissioned quarter master general. Returning to Washington, I stole a skiff arid floated down the river, then stole a horse and reached Richmond safely. When I reported they wanted mo to re turn. to which 1 seriously objected, as my description was printed everywhere. Tho rewards for my capture were largo. I had used a dozen aliases, aud tho police and detectives woro scouring the country for mo. Genorul Winder insisted on one more trip. I started, crossing the Potomac half way botwoen Math ins* Point and the mouth I of the river. Hailing un oyster schooner I paid thorn tSU to put me on the Maryland ship. Went to ushineton und Columbus*. arid then ClfiTSltihull, wnere uoneFal Thomas had collected $280,000 In cash, which ho gave me. together with maps and plans of the Ohio diver between tho mouth of the Big Sandy and Louisvillo. Wont to Aurora, Ind to confer with Senator Huff man, who had organized three regiments— one ait Aurora and Lawrenceburg, one at Boymour and one at Madison and North Ver non. I gave him a commission as major genera!in the Confederate array- The next stopping place was at Spring field, 111., where 1 met Judge Dixon, who was at the head of the movement in Illinois, with a commission as Major General. Ho ! had more influence, and afterward, in at tempting to release prisonor-3 at Camp But ler, accomplished more than any man in Illinois. This attempt would have been successful had it not been for Colonel Shanks informing the authorities. He was afterward killed at Cheyenne by his own men, on account of this, us I believe. Gcing to Carlinvillo, I stopped with John D. White, a wealthy farmer of Macoupin County. Hero I drilled my men openly, until I received information that General John M. I'almor was about to call a regi ment of soldiors to arrest me. I called on General Palmer, and told him that we would fight it to the bitter end. I was not arrested, and I have talked with General l'almor since that time, and ho said that he concluded that it was best to lot me go. as it would have taken flvo thousand men at that time in that county to arrest me, and would have precipitated the war Into tho heart of Illinois. Going to Madison. Ind.. where John T. Mooro was in command of the copper heads, he told me thud everybody was looking for mo, and he assisted me across tho river, where I found a horse at John Wells'. I rode to Cnrlstianburg, then to Versailles, then to Lexington. In order to understand the subsequent ovents, wo must go back to August, 1802. At that time my battalion was with Gen. E. Kirby Smith, in the battle of Richmond, Ky., and I was assistant provost marshal at Lexington, thus making many acquaint ances. I had also remained on the battle- Hold to bury the dead, impressing the serv ices of oitizens, among whom were four Drothors by the name of Haley. On my arrival at Lexington from the Northern trip, I called at tho Curd House, which was the rebel soldiers' headquarters, and Miss Naunlo Curd was the moving spirit among them. While eating dinner I met Capt. Gwynn, of Gen. Morgan's staff. At that time there wore 4,009 Federal Infantry at Lexington; 2.UCKT cavalry af Georgetown, 3,000 cavalry at Frankfort, ail undor march ing orders for Lexington. I gavo Capt. Gwynn this information, and wo parted to meet at Tate's Croek ford, four miles from Richmond, at 11 p. ra. Provided with a horse and Lieut. Col. Riley's uniform of the Twenty-fifth Miohigan, with the post countersign, through the influence of Miss Ninnie C'urd, at 8 o'clock I started for Tate's ford. After crossing tho rivor I was hulted. I gave the countersign, toiling thorn I was Col. Riley of the Twenty-fifth Michigan. "Getdown. Capt. Gorman; wo know you." said one of them, and I saw that I was in tho hands of tho Haley brothers. They treated mo kindly, and took mo homo with them. While in a room disrobing, one of them picked up my coat and heard some paper rustle, lie ripped it open, and found somo maps and a lot of lettors directed to Presi dent Davis and Vice President Stevens. Then they knew that they had a prize. Tho letters wore all in cipher, which I could not road myself. They furnished me with another suit, and laid Col. Riley's uniform, which I had worn over my suit, it being too large lor me. away. I was taken back to Lexington, where I was tried before Gon. Gilmoro, who asked if I could road the letters. I said that I could, and that saved my life. Instead of having mo shot the next morning at sun rise. ho sentenced me to bo shot on April 7, tho trial oocurring March 7. I was con fined in a dungeon in John Morgan's old negro jail on Limestone street, a place with which, as Provost Marshul. I was thor oughly familiar. In tho dungeon was Charles Shiver, of Scott's Louisiana cav alry. At first we wero suspicious of each other, but through our mutual acquaintance with Miss Nannie Curd, wo soon became warm friends. Our hands and feet wero shackled, and then a chain was fastened from tho one which bound our hands to tho one which bound our feet. Wo wero both to be shot. I began to figure away to get out of there, and sent for Father I.yncn. a Catho lic priest. Through his influence I suc ceeded in obtaining n call from Miss Curd. I told her to have tho girls make love to the guards and sergeants, which they did. She obtained bedding and clothes for me, and in a few days I found a file starched inside of the sleeve of a shirt, so that it would not fall out when tho garment was shaken. With this wo cut tho rivets on our shackles, and with our case knives we be gan the task of cutting out through the floor. On the 19th of Marcli the hole was largo enough for a man to crawl through, and wo made our escape that night, eating a hearty meal at Mrs. Myers', next door to tho jail. We reached Versailles and wont to General Ruford's house before daylight, running nineteen miles during the night. On our way to this place wo found a farmer' in the road resting for tho night, Wo stam peded his ho;ses, and binding him tc a tree, left him, wishing him good luck. At half past 4 o'clock the next morning wo awakened Mrs. Bmord, who was well acquainted with both of us, and who had made many a prayer for the forgiveness of my sins, expecting mo to die on April 7. When she first saw us she was trightonod, but soon rejoicod und welcomed us most heartily. Will Moore, tho overseer, was oailed, and wo went to tho far side of the plantation, where wo took refuge undor a straw stack. At 6 o'clock that morning Mrs. Buford. Miss Wiloy George, Miss Canfleld. and Miss Harris rode out over tho plantation on horseback, finally coming to tho straw stack and producing from their long riding skirts tho best broukfast I ever ate. They had not been gone half an hour when the section was literally swarming with Yan kee soldiers, looking for 11s. Wo had been traced to Versailles, where all clue had been lost. That night it rained very hard, and under cover of darkness we left for Frankfort, where Shivers left me, and I have never soon him since. I hoard that ho was killed by Jack Goodwin's bush whackers. "JUMPED OFF WHILE THE TRAIN WAS IN MOTION." I wont to Madison. Carlinvillo. Kprlng fleld. Aurora, Cincinnati. Columbus, and Washington returning with copies of tho communications tbatlhe Yankee's had cap- j turcd. I returned to Wall's, opposite Madi- ! son, and when groins across the river two soldiers followed mo in ttie ferry-boat, which I succeeded in capsizing, throwing the soldiers into the river. I reached Wall's, where I was given the best horse that 1 ever rode, and seeing that , 1 was pursued, 1 wont to the top of u hill, ! whero I hud a sharp light with the Yankees, who chased me to Ohrietianburg, whore I was far enough ahead to get a lunoh at Dr. King's. At the corner grocery I got half a pint of whisky, which I gave to the horse, and another half pint, which I used myself. The Yankees were aguln in sight, and tired as my horso was I again distanced them, cut the telegraph wires and went on the dead run for Danville, thence to Lebanon. Six miles from Lebanon I turned off the pike and rodo up Poke's Creek in three feet of water. I put up at the house of old man Prowitt, having run my horse 104 miles, six of which were In the creek. The next morning my horse was dead, the noblest animal I ever saw. I was takon. i sick in this house, and while in bod I was' captured. When 1 became a prisoner the Bxcitomont seemed to cure mo, and on the train, whilo being taken to Cairo, I jumped off whilo the train was in motiou. I was not seriously hurt by the jump, and hid out I in the woods until night, when I stole a horso from a man named Greer, who, by the way, I have met since and offered pay ; for his horse, which he declined. The next morning I was in Glasgow, whore I received mail and left, crossing the ! Cumberland River near Sparta, then to Tullahoma, thence to Knoxvillo, where I gave ray stolen horso to Miss Mattie Love, and took the train for Kiohmond. After making my reports I declined to return to the North, and again assumed command or my regimont of sharpshooters in General Claiborne's brigade, joining them at Le noir's station. In October. 1863, I was taken prisoner, and confined first on Johnson's, Island and then at Camp Morton until the close of the war. I was three times offered my parole, ! Governor Orth. of Indiana, coming specially ; to see me at one time, but I refused to take I the Iron-clad oath. After the war was over I went North and ! settled in Detroit, whore I was elected as a member of the Michigan Legislature, being I defeated as a candidate for re-election in \ 1888. I then came to Birmingham, where I ; have resided over since. Love by Wire. Said a Maine telegraph operator to ! the writer the other day: "You j wouldn't think that spoony lovers ! would resort to such public means of | correspondence as the telegraph for the transmission of their sweet little messages of love and devotion, would you? They do. just the same. Very often a certain young man in this place, if he does not regularly re- j ceive a letter from the future source of j his joy and happiness, rushes here with a crestfallen countenance and files a message like this: " 'My dear, why did you not answer my last letter ? Yours devotedly, , "Perhaps you don't believe that such I a message as this was ever sent, but I would show some of them to you if it wasn't against the rules. "We fellows on the wire enjoyed ' quite an amusing incident not very long ago, in which Sophia sort of gave away John's brilliant scheme of popping tho question by wire. We surmised that this brace of folly's victims had been conducting a correspondence for some time, which the artful John culmi nated with the following dispatch, which was evidently intended to draw forth an answer to an entirely differ ent question: " 'SOPHIA: Did you receive my last letter? JOHN.' "Sophia, \u her ecstatic delight, evi ] dently understood the query in a dif ferent sense from that which the ordi nary reader of tho epistle would, and, with joy and exultation depicted in every lineament of her countenance, she proceeded to the telegrapher's sanctum and left the following to be forwarded to the flower of her affec tions : "'JOHN: Yes. How about next Christmas? SOPHIA.' "This gave the thing dead away, and John was much chagrined when he re ceived it. It accomplished its purpose, nevertheless, and now the couple are soaring in tho rapturous realms of double bliss."— Lewis ton Journal. In the Dark. When I UIHB'<I her that night 111 tho hallway ! 'Twaß h dark that nothing was nlaiu ; And not being euro but I'd miss h^r, Why, 'twas right I should kiss hor again. There was darkness on everything round us; I was reaching in vain for tho door, And whilo 1 was seeking an exit It so happened J kissed her some more. ! And 1 wasn't quite suro that I left her AH to whether she liked it or not; But 1 know that I sighed to by back there j Tho further away that I got. And tho next timo I callod it so happened That wo stood in tliat hallway once more, And the gaslight fell over and round us As I quietly moved to the door. j But her rod cheeks so roguishly dimpled, And her eyes shone so wickedly bright, Tlt I guessed whero her thoughts wore a-strav iug, And I reached uu and turned out tho light. The Chatelaine Fad. The best of the new devices of belt and chatelaine show a great deal of antique silver and MjjSbl plenty of pretty or \ T naments. The cliat / elftino is a pretty \jpjj device under any circumstances, and /l\ VF\\ w k en suspended / a £ a bist the right I A \ll Wn \ \ gown adds yj \ \vff yn\ a s ea i *° its C l 7 appearance. One of nf*\ these articles is of I T7l' •JHI \ be ordinary an f)J Wil \ tique silver, and has \\ yjT \ chains whereby to 1 \ 1 hang a velvet or 7 1 \ /] l bag with a I \ \ J silver snap, a note- 8 \ \ ' book, pencil, scent —\ u . bottle, and watch, j If desired, tho bag for holding pursel and handkerchief can also be hooked separately on the belt, dispensing en tirely with the chain and relieving the wearer from the thumping of a well filled pocket-book against her leg. Most jewelers keep any quantity of chatelaine attachments,and almost any article of use in tho toilet or in needle work can ho carried in them. BEAUTY is skin deep, that's why it doesn't show much on tho rhinoceros. CHINESE CHILDREN. | now BOYS AND GIRLS ARE REARED AND EDUCATED. Character of Chinese Village Schools— Studies of the Young—Their Games and Amusement* Tales Which Edify the Embryo Mandarins—Selections from u Popular Chinese Story-Book. OYS are the joy of Chinese homes, and are never as jfflp welcome at their son is born the con g rat illations heaped upon the parents are loud and joyful. When a girl is born the best that the parents can say is : "Well, girls are also of some use." In some districts of China, especially in time of war or famine, poor people are sometimes guilty of destroying their female infants. But the educated Chinese disapprove of this custom, and societies exist for its suppression by aiding poor parents with money when a girl is born to them and by prosecuting such as are guilty of its practice. The reason for this popular aversion to female progeny lies chiefly in the fact that girls in China are be trothed while yet very young and some times leave their own parents to live in the homes of their prospective hus bands long before they are married. In a Chinese proverb girls are called "fine bamboo shoots springing up out side the fence"—that is, outside their fathers' homes. The significance of this saying will be apparent when it is known that the bamboo tree is the most A CHINESE HOME. useful plant which grows in the Flow ery Kingdom. Its young shoots, much like great nsparagus plants, are used for food, and out of the wood of the tree are made kitchen and table utensils, I chop-sticks, tables, chairs, and umbrel j las, and masts, sails, and cordage of boats. All the parental' love which girls in China miss is lavished upon j their brothers, upon whom devolves the i family honor and the sacritieal worship J performed at the graves of their ances tors, and the Chinaman's ideal of per fect bliss is "much joy, many sons, and ' great wealth," an ideal which they ex j press by a term meaning "threefold i happiness." The youngsters of the Oriont are not , lacking in names, and some of them i are saddled with titles which an Amer j ican would lose no time in ridding liim- I self of by application to liis Legisla- I ture. Among the superstitious liigh : sounding names are supposed to arouse the envious wrath of evil spir- I its, and their children often bear such appellations as "Little Dog," "Hill | Dog," and "Old Cow." The more re fined and intelligent of the Chinese j choose for their little ones the finer j titles of "Long-Lived King," "Glori ' ous Light Summer," "Beautiful Gem 1 Place," and "Beautiful Phoenix Bell," j etc. Besides these names the little I ones have what are called "milk i names," which correspond to the pet j names of American nurseries. Matter i of-fact Chinamen waste no energy in inventing titles for their children, and ; they are simply known by numbers, i the first-born, of course, being "Num ber One." When the boys enter school | they have a new name given them by j their masters, such as, for instance, j "Perfect Talent," "Dutiful Obedience," A CBIHESE VILLAGE SCHOOL. etc., whieli is written on the class books and copy-slips. In the north of China the summers are very hot and the winters very cold. There, in mmmer time—especially in July and August—the children are scarcely clothed at all. Little cotton garments and sometimes gauze tunics compose their full dress. In winter they are nearly smothered in clothes. As the people light fires even in winter merely for the purpose of cooking food it becomes necessary to increase the clothing as the cold intensifies, until in midwinter the children of the poor in their multiplied wadded cotton jack ets look more like bolsters, or even balls, tj|an like human beings. Almost every villago has a school which the sons of the rich and poor at tend togethor. Kicli people have pri vate tutors for their elder boys and !ometimos for their daughters, who are never allowed to attend the villago school. The educotiou of Chinese girls is comprised in learning to cook, sew, embroider, and sometimes to play the guitar, read, and write. Their chief.occupation while young is silk weaving and malting gold and silver tinsel-paper for use in the worship of gods and the spirits of their ancestors. Reading and writing alone of the three LAI-TS/.K AMI-SING HIS PATIENTS. R's are taught in the Chinese village schools. Geography, except that of China, and arithmetic are not taught. Arithmetical calculations are made by the aid of the abacus or counting board. Young pupils have a dull and hard time of it in these schools, for they must learn by heart the shape and sound of the multitude of word ; characters of their language, the mean ings of which are not unfolded to them until they are 13 or 11 years of age. ! Every word lias its own peculiar sign ; and to "spell it" is to know the right number and position of the strokes and I dots which compose it. I The children of China have their games, the chief outdoor sport being kite-dying (an amusement in which old 1 gentlemen as well delight), but they know nothing of foot-ball, hockey, | cricket, boating. Punch and Judy are as much at home in a Chinese as m an 1 English village, and sliuttle-cocks are 1 knocked about by the children with their feet instead of with battledores, i Once or twice a year the women and 1 children of each village go into the fields of the country and return laden ; with flowers to be offered at the graves : of their dead. ! Many hooks for children are written ! by the Chinese, and they are profusely ; "PERFECTLY DUTIFUL" AND THE EMJ PI:K< IR. | illustrated, but these books are sold so cheaply that the illustrations are : usually cheap and far inferior to tlio 1 book illustrations of England and ! America. The cuts reproduced with ! this sketch are fac-sirailos of pictures | published in China in a toy book con ; taining one hundred and two sTories, j and faithfully represent the condition of celestial pictorial art. The stories j are told to illustrate and emphasize j the apothegms* of the Chinese moral ! ists and will remind American readers 1 of the Sunday-school books of a gen i oration or two ago, in which the heroes and heroines were always preternatur allv good and always dressed in the bulging cap or prudish pantalets of Jacob Abbot's Polio nd his sister. A few of these odd moral tales are here reproduced that tlio joys of the little Chinese may be fully appreciated. . I. "In the Chow dynasty there was a man named Laon Lai-tsze. When he j was 70 years old ho used to put on bright, many-colored clothes to attract the attention of his aged parents and ; plav like a child to amuse them. Rome times he would carry water into the hall, and pretending to stumble would fall Hat on the ground. Then ho would cry and run to the old people, all to make them forgot their age and imag ine that lie was yet u child." n. "There was once a boy named Woo Mang, or 'Brave and Talkative,' who, when only eight years old, was very dutiful to his parents. They were very poor and could not afford even mos quito curtains for their hed. So the little boy used to get into his parents' bed early in the evening and let the mosquitoes bite him until surfeited with his blood. Then he would sur render the bed to his parents that thoy might sleep iu peace." 111. "There was once a man named Han. Whan a boy he misbehaved himself very often and his mother used to beat him with a bamboo rod. One day he j cried ufter a beating and his mother said: T have beateu you many a time and you have never cried before. Why i do you cry to-day ?' " 'O, mother,' he replied, 'you used | to hurt me when you hogged me and I j did not cry, but now 1 weep because ! you are not strong enough to hurt me.' i "It makes me weep," says the Chi ; neso moralist, with unconscious humor, I "even to read this story," IV. "About 1,300 years ago an officer was unjustly accused of treason and con demned to death. His son, 15 years old, went to court boldly and heat the drum to claim an audience with the Emperor, and entroated that he might be allowed to die for his father. This so pleased the Emperor that lie set the man free anil was about to confer the title of 'Perfectly Dutiful' upon the hoy, when the latter exclaimed : 'lt is right and just for a son to die when his father is disgraced, but what disgrace can be compared with that of gaining iionor at a father's expense? I respect fully decline your Majesty's proposed distinction.'" LETTERS FROM THE CORNERS. J LETTER FROM GRUNRIMOTLIER. ; KECK ott NOTBIN' HALL, ) KII UKNN'Y COBNKNA. F I js : Wb on George W^II/fV° atmlol ' i itt up retched me a letter frum the soliool granmaw; f ew lines to let; j you no thet we air all ill, an I hope these few lines will liud you all the same. "We hev got along fust-rate axcept ja thet one clutch o ducks all dide • frum the straddles, by roostiu in the (log fennil, an the ole turky gobbler will run off, eather to Roperses' or J'urdy's, every whoop steetch, an the Jast settin o cliickings most all dide o tthe pip. Ben vows he's a goin to hev a house keeper of his own; sum ses it's one an sum another, but he don't go with narry one twict in a row. The widder , Van Dyke is so mad at the school marm thet she wunt look told the house when she goes a past. You node Jonathan Blodgers' all lied the whoopin coff, didn't you? Well, they've got it party bad; cot it 1 frum Mis Peter Roperses little gal. I Ole Zekes haint a goin to give a house warmin till it gits cooler. Ole Speck hed the holler horn jest awful, but Ben an me dosed her up with turpentide an so forth, an she is better now. We wus all over to the Squire's tother day a visitin cm. We lied a awful nice time. They hed fride - chicking an tomattoses an cake an so forth fur supper. We dont git menny aigs now, an what wo do git were a puttin down fui winter use. Bens craps air all a lookin fine. I ses to my gran-dotter, "Hes a goin to make some gal amity fine husbau sum 0 these days." "You hot he air," ses she. We air a makin a heap o butter now, but taint no price at all skursely, only a shillin. Mis Giles wus a telfin me a week ago cum next Mundy - thet Mis Boggs hed got a feller an wus a goin to bo marryed. Hev you seen ennything spicious? Laws nose she wunted to find number 5 bud euuf. Wo killed thet ole bob tale rooster fur dinner the day Mis Peter Roper on Mis Giles an Mis Purdy wus here. He wus kindy tuf, but we ett him fur all o 1 thet. Ben ses to tell yon ef you wunt to lie here when he fetches on his new I housekeeper you must huriy up. Every buddy is a wunderin an a wunderin who in the world it kin be. Ef you no, I wish you'd tell me in your next, tlio I spose you! be home in about 3 wcaks more. Ben sed you hed some forty grafs look, an every buddy aroun herewunts | one. So good-by. Frum yure frend, GRAN-MAW MARCH. i Willam Henery wus jest on pins to | git home an find out who Ben's best gal wus. But I felt more consarned ' about mv ducks a dyin off with the itraddles, eto. An so we cuncluded to j cut our visit short here to tlio boys a 1 few days es thay wus all a livin in to the same town. Mis Boggs an lier bow set out on to the steps a talkin an eatin penuts, tell supper time, an then arfter supper thay went in to tlio parlor an he stade tell most mornin. "He sed ho coodn't stay away no longer," ses Sally. "I shuden't think he eood," ses I, kindy dry. So no more at present frum HESTER ANN SCOOPER. Thanks, Eliliu. Editor—lt's no use—l'm desperate I There's no support in this one-horse town for a live paper, anyhow! Editor—(twenty minutes later, writ I ing)— Business is booming. Our pub licrspirited fellow-townsman, Mr. Elihu Ba klots, has just left a gallon jug of prine hard cider, in payment for Bix months' subscription. Thanks, Elihu. —hick. Fitted by Experience. A Massachusetts aveuuo lady wanted a csachman, and one was recommend ed, whom she interviewed. "I want a very safe and careful driver," she said. "That's me. mum," responded the j applicant, confidently. (I'm nervous about horses and I I doij't want to drive fast, and I don't a wajt to go 'round the corners with a whiil." "1 know, mum, jest what you wants. . t Tlif'ii were my orders before, mum." I "Where were you engaged last?" 1 I "l'rivin' a hearse, mum." j | He got the place, and he is giving J eieilleut satisfaction. Washington I Stm\ ■ Ho WUH I'Mod to It. I Chief of Montana Regulators (unty- I ing the prisoner)—" Some of the boys'l 1 Uov just come in with the feller that 11 really did steal the mule. You're innoif * cent, and we've give you this boss-* I whippin' fur nothin'. I'm mighty sorrj fur <he mistake, pard." , Prisoner (putting on his vest j coati —"Don't mention it. It's nothing. I I'm a Mormon missionary." I I
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers