THANKSGIVING. Around the board we meet again, O, loved ones true! With words of greeting, not in vuin, We welcome you! The laugh of children in the hall Delights our ears; While suowtlokes falling on the wall Call forth their cheers. 0 d Towser, sleeping on the mat, The scene enjoys, 1 hough all unused to daucing girls And noisy boys, O, blessed day of thankfulness To Him above! Who showers upon unworthy heads His gifts ot love. Let not our happy ears be deaf To other calls, But let the poor ones feast this day Within our walls. —llone L. Jones. Miss Rites' Poii. BY CORA ST I'ART WHEELER. "The Miss Pilkenses" was the name by which they were known all over Buc ket Town, and if a few intimates whose hair had silvered in gentle company with theirs since they sat in school to gether sometimes ventured upon the more familiar names of Dolly and Dru silla they corrected themselves in the j next breath. Not that there was any thing forbidding about these mild-man nered women, but a certain sentiment of high courtesy made the townspeople care ful to increase the outward tokens of re spcct in proportion as they were obliged to care for and support these helpless gentlewomen. Colonel Pilkins, their father, had been the great man of their village. Blood of the bluest, and ancestors of the most im maculate and aristocratic, had stamped such lines upon the family faces that it did not need the slender, exquisite hands and feet to confirm Nature's patent of no bility. Every one loved them, and from ; the doors of the llill House (so-called from its standing on high ground) the j poor in spirit and purse always went away not only fed but comforted by the lovely mistress and her daughters. So 1 when the Colonel died from a drenching i received while directing others in saving the men from an overturned fisliing smack, and the frail little wife died of grief within a fortnight, there were friends enough and to spare to attend to the settlement of the estate and watch over the interests of the bewildered daughters. Lawyer Satterlee and Judge Grover sat late over their friend's papers , the night after the funeral; and when they came out of the library, in the faint light at four o'clock in the morning and went down the steps together their kind faces wore a new gravity, and as tliev separated at the corner they said, with the airof sealing a compact, "Theymust never know.'' So Dolly and Drusilla did not know anything, except that their income was much reduced and that the old must be sold to give them even the pit tance that was left. And the pang with which they caught a passing glimpse of the man who bought the old place, with his dull gray eyes and coarse red mous tache, was never sharpened by any knowledge of who he was. Deep in their loyal hearts tin- two friends buried the secret of their dead companion, stip ulating only, when this son of a mad, un acknowledged marriage came to claim "his own," as he put it. that he should os tensibly buy. with money of their fur nishing, the Hill House, which purchase momy could be put to the sisters' credit without question, and then that the heir should go quietly away. For there was literally nothing left, nor any provision made for the daughters; and those delicate minded chivalrous old men could not leave them helpless, nor did they wish them to feel dependent upon any one's bounty. The very thoughts made the old friends groan, as they recalled the sisters' lavish genorosity to the needy while they were the ladies of the 11 ill House. Even the provision thus made was so slender (for the friends were not rich men) that every economy had to be prac ticed to keep Betty Pratt's tiny cottage, which the sisters leased, comfortable and tidy. Twice a week only, Dolly, who was the ' financier, allowed them meat for their ( simple dinner, unless some thoughtful i neighbor who had "killed" left some I dainty part of the "critter" for the Miss ! Pilkinses as he passed on his way to mar ket. But the Miss Pilkinses seemed to thrive upon the housework which they were obliged to accomplish. And still a number of pensioners came to their door, while the bits which they could ill spare from their own scanty larder were given out as sweetly and ungrudgingly as when they were the almoners of their father's bounty on the Hill. Hearing of an un usual strait to which they had reduced themselves by their charities, Judge Grover undertook once to remonstrate with Drusilht, but he never ventured again to meet the mild reproach of her eyes as she said softly, "Is it not our own, though little? And the greatest, in deed, only, luxury which we permit our selves is sharing with those less fortu nate. Papa, who always thought of others, would wish it." ' Remember •ing I how sadly unthoughtful Richard l'ilkins had heen of his dearest, the judge made an embarrassed exit . When farmer friends going to town found it unusually convenient to stop and lighten their loads at the cottage, or a busy time among the bucket makers los seued the demands upon the Miss Pil kinses' slender resources, then, indeed, they sometimes allowed themselves a lit tie feast somewhat shamefacedly, as though apologizing for thinking so much of what they should eat. At such times a 44 drawing would he taken by I.)ollv from the last of the fragrant tea which I'ncle Maxwell had brought home rears ago from China, measuring it carefully in a spoon so small as to be inconstant moment speechless. j "O law, honey," burst out Cicero, I "Miss Dolly, don' you go fur to be so j I kineto ole Cicero—he no count nigger I j suah dis time, an' not do good Lawd | hisself cbcr can forgib such ole debbil— Yes, I is! Done et ail turkey hisself, i a did. LcfT all dem lil chillun what dc ! Lawd gib him 'out nobrekus, 110 dinner, j Ino fiah no nuffin. Didn' go for to do j it nohow, but this mis'sbl brock rascal let that drefTul gone-no-ncss in the sto- | I muck get dc better, an' all 'cm wood, | all 'em turkey, an' taters in here," strik- I ing his waist-hand, "an dem hungry i chilluns cryin' an' ole ooraan's clatter j j hern," clutching his grav wool dramati-1 cully. | This incoherent explanation was clear j as day to poor Dolly in the light of pre- ; vious less serious experiences, and full | of contempt for the black brute who had dared to squander on his appetite for j liquor the money she had saved from her i | own scanty meals to give his children | I a treat, her tender heart was wrung—as I | lie knew it would be—by the thought I of the hungry and lireless wife and ehil- j dren this bitter day. Thinking only of ' them, she swiftly calculated that by using 1 the stove they could spare wood to warm ! them. But she hardened her heart at j j thought of food, for this day Drusilla' ' must have no deprivation; and well she 1 j I knew that to-morrow's breakfast must! he the fragments of the feast. And was not hci own healthy stomach clamoring fur food? At first she decided to divide the dinner and pretend that, being ill, she had put it away for to-morrow; but takingup her knife to cut the chicken | she thought, "this won't be a mouthful t<> those children, but there an the pip kins; I'll get tliern and send the wnole I peck." With asigh|of relief she started down the steps into a tiny milk-room, j where the precious basket of apples was | stored. Hearing the door close sharply ! as she stepped back, she gave one hur ried look at the empty dishes and sprang to the door to call back the supposed thief, who was making good speed out of the gate to appease Mammy. A gen tle touch upon her arm detained the im petuous Dolly. " I gave him the dinner," said Drus illa. "There was nothing else to do, was there!" seeing Dolly's disturbed lace. " Anything will do for us, and it's so hard for children to be hungry!" "But we haven't * anything J" replied her sister, "except," with ii grimace, "apples—and the pudding." "With raisins," added Drusilla again, i smiling, "you always forget the raisins." And the tears were still in Dolly's eves i as she joined in a helpless peal of laugh ter over this absurd bill of fa:c. They . were just finishing the pudding with the i ten, which was still in its dainty old not, 1 and deciding how they should prepare (heir apples for breakfast, when that • dreadful unfamiliar knock once mere I made them spring from their chairs. But ► the early winter twilight had demanded candles and the light betrayed them, so I a friendly voice pronouncing respectfully, "Miss Pilkins," brought Polly promptly to admit Lawyer Satterlee, Judge Grover i and—yes it was the unknown man with I the terrifying shoulders, n9 Dolly de i cided; something familiar about him i holding Drusilla's eyes in puzzled atten tion. "There ain't no call to be frightened little one—that is, I mean to say. Miss Pilkins," said the burly man, without i waiting to be introduced. "When I fust oome to Bucket Town, I'll be dog goned—a—l beg yer parding, Miss Pil kins, it was my ole man tu an' no dis respect intended—" At this point the piteous bewilderment in the faces before him seemed to penetrate the mind of the ; speaker, Jwho made no remonstrance when Judge Grover interrupted him somewhat abruptly. "Let mc explain, Starkweather, and you can correct any mistakes afterward, it is a painful subject, dear ladies, and one which we hoped never to open with you; but since Mr. Starkweather, from the most sincere aud manly motive, in sists upon taking his rightful place as your protector—" (Here the amaze ment deepened as the sisters exchanged looks of alarm, and Dolly furtively pinched herself.) 4 'Well to be brief, your father, when seventeen years old, ran away from col lege with his janitor's daughter, whom lie married. Mutual discontent separa ted them without publicity, and the mother disappeared with her son, this gentleman, thus preventing your father's educating him as he desired. During I her last illness Mrs. Starkweather open ed communication with your father, who, ! finding his son's tastes were for farming, | gave him opportunity to follow them, I stipulating only that your mother, whom ! he had meantime married, should never know of this son's existence. In com pliance of which Mr. Starkweather has refrained from using the name which is rightfully his." "Now let me talk awhile, Jedge," in terrupted the burly man restlessly; "I never kno wed but what the Guvnor'd purvided fur you gals handsome, cos he'd al'ays been squar' with me (not to say he wan't with you); but t'other day as I was in Boston, I hurd some men 'at knew the Colonel, sayin' as how 'twas meaner'n dirt for Pilkins' son to leave his half brother to starve. "Oh, no!" interjected the sisters men daciously. | "Thct set me tu tliinkin' an' inquirin' I about sum, an' I've made up my mind that the ole man—l beg your parding, | j Miss Pilkins, your father and mine—jest ! j left it for Abijah Stark weather Pilkins ; ' to do what seemed to him fa'r and squar.' j j Now, thct's the hull nut meat. An' if j | you'll come along o' mc, Betsey an' me'll ! make you as comforable as comfortable i can be, an' take pleasure in doin' uv it, I an' you shan't lift a linger, cos I know I you's brung up that away. Or cf you'd rather stay long o' folks you know I'll just put your sheer in bank (it's yours I by rights), an' you can do as you please with it." | When the full generosity of the pro posal dawned upon the sisters, the home ly face of the farmer seemed glorified by j its honest friendliness and simplicity of I motive. After careful discussion and , thought, somewhat to the relief of both i parties, the sisters decided to keep Betty's cottage, which, with wood enough for two tires and full larder, with enough and to spare for others, seemed a luxu rious home to their simple tastos. And I when Mr. Starkweather rose to go they I timidly ventured upon the kindly famil , iarity (decided in the next room) of us ing his first name when they bade the brother good bye. The tremulous "Good bye, Brother Abijah," seemed to unlock his great honest heart; and for the first time in their lives, a robust, manly kiss was planted squarely upon the lips of the Miss Pilkinses. And so with very pink ! cheeks he left them. 44 Oh, my!" said Dolly at last, "that was like—rice pudding"—hesitating for a simile— I "And raisins, Dolly; you always for get the best part." And then it was | Drusilla's turn to blush, and both laughed light-heartedly over the uncx- I pectcd ending of their Thanksgiving.— I [The Housewife. The Origin of Music. The interpretation of music which Mr. j Darwin gives, agrees with my own in ! I supposing music to be developed from I j vocal noises; but differs in supposing a i particular class of vocal noises to have ] j originated it—the amatory class. I have j aimed to show that music has its germs in the sounds which the voice emits un der excitement; whereas Mr. Darwin i argues that music arises from those ! sounds which the male makes during 1 the excitements of courtship, that they ; 1 arc consciously made to charm the I female, and that from the resulting com- I lunations of sounds arise not love-music only but music in general. That certain tones of voice and cadences having some likeness of nature are spontaneously used to express grief, others to express joy, | others to express affection, and others to express triumph or martial ardor, is un | deniable. According to the view I have set forth, the whole body of these vocal manifestations of emotion form the root of music. According to Mr. Darwin's view, the sounds which are prompted by the amatory feeling only, having originated musical utterance, there are derived from these all the other varieties of musical utterance which aim to ex press other kinds of feeling. This round about derivation has, I think, less proba bility than the direct derivation.—[Pop ular Science Monthly. Rewarded for His Honesty. A fat man who saw a crippled beggar at the corner of an up town street some time ago, put his hand in his pocket, took out a coin, said "There's a nickel for you," and hunicd along. AVhen the cripple looked at the gift, he saw it was i an old-time $5 gold piece, but could not ! j run after the giver to tell him of his 1 1 mistake. After the fat man had been ' i at home some time, lie missed his coin, j and while fumbling in his pockets to , find it, bethought him that he might ' have" 1 unbeknowingly handed it to tho mendicant; but when he went back to the corner he could sec nobody there. ! I'pon returning toward his house, he saw hobbling along near his door the cripple, who soon said: "You have made a mistake, sir, for this is not a ! nickel, but a gold piece!" The fat man 1 took the coin in his hand, held it for a moment, looked at the hoary face before him, and said: "'Tis yours for your I honesty!" It was gratefully accepted. j The giver then entered his house happy, i and thinking well of mankind, while j the receiver stood dumbfounded, yet , still more happy and thinking well of mankind. The cripple still sits at the i corner where he formerly stood, not now 1 | as a beggar, but as the keeper of a news | stand which he established with the eap . I itnl thus unexpectedly acquired from the i ! fat m; n, who is now one of liis custo -3 j nicro.—lNcw York Sun. THE JOKER'S BUDGET. JESTS AND YARNS BY FUNNY MEN OF THE PRESS. Artful Jack—Not a Recommendation —An Honest Confession —A Wor thy Example—A Revised Version, etc., etc., etc. ARTKUIi JACK. <4 Why didn't you write ofteuer in answer to my letteis, Jack?" she asked, tearfully. "Because, dearest," he remarked, "yours were so long and interesting that I spent all the time reading them." —[Bazar. NOT A RECOMMENDATION. Stranger—Say, mister, did the real estate man tell you that there's running water in that house ho wants you to buy ? Brown—Yes, he said so. Stranger—Well, so there is—only it runs through the roof every time it rains. AN HONEST CONFESSION. Jenkins—Look here, Tyler. My friends are all guying me about this suit of clothes. I thought you said you never kept clothes out of style. Tvlcr—l don't keep 'em—l sell 'em. —[ America. A WORTHY EXAMPLE. Mrs. Trotter—Jane, didn't I hear you say "in the soup" just now? Jane—Yes, ma. Mrs. Trotter—Well, you don't want to say it again. It's vile slang. Pattern after me in your language if you want to be up to snuff.—[lnter-Ocean. A REVISED VERBION. Mr. Bingo—Well, Tommy, what did you learn at Sunday-school to-day? Tommy—l learned how to say grace. Mr. Bingo—Let's hear it. Tommy (meekly)—lt only goes with two pieces of cake.—[New York Herald. WOULD LOSE ONE SUIT. Teacher—lf you had a suit of clothes and some one should give you another, how many would you have? Willie Slimsou—One. Teacher—Now, Willie, how do you make that out? Willie—My little brother Bobbie would have the other. DIDN'T WANT LEAD. Wife (nudging husband at midnight)— j There's a burglar down stairs, and he'll ! get our silver if you don't go down and i drive him away. i Husband (philosophically) —Yes, and if I do go I'll get his lead. I think I'll stay where I am, my dear.—[Epoch. HUMBLED THE POMPOUS CASHIER. ' There is a pompous cashier in a certain j San Francisco bank who lost all his pride I the other day. "You must be identified, 1 ' he said to a tall, hook-nosed woman in green, red and blue, who brought in a check at a time his window was crowded. "Well, I—l—why—l—110, it cay n't be! Yes, it is, too. Ain't you Henry Smith?" "That's my name, madam," he replied , coldly. | "An' you don't know me, Hen? I'm 1 changed some, an' so air you; but I list 1k no wed I'd seen ye. You've got that . same old cast in your left eye, your nose crooks a little to the left, and you're a I Smith all over. All' you don't me! j Don't know Salindy Sprntt that you usctcr coax to become Salindy Smith. I 'Member how ye useter haul me to school j 011 your sled an' kiss me iu the lane an' I call me your little true love? 'Member | how ye cut up 'cause I gave ye the mit j ten? Land, lien, I could stand here all day talkin' over them old times! You km i dentify me now, can't you, lien?" j "Hen" did so, but in a mood that al most produced apoplexy.—[San Fran cisco Wasp. TOO MUCH OF AN EXERTION. ' Patient—l'm all run down, Doc., end I want something to brace inc up. Doctor—As I remember it, Mr. ! Feathcrly, you have a good constitution. You must have over-taxed your strength, j Patient—l haven't been doing nny | thing for a month, Doc., except to hope | that our bowling-club would win a ! game. A LIFE-SAVER. I "A great many people owe their lives to that doctor," said Kicklington. I "Is he an able physician?" "It isn't exactly that that I referred to. He is never in his ofHcc when you want him." —(Washington Post. TOO BAD. I "You must write a regret, John. I , can't go to the Bronson's dinner." "Why not? Didn't your dress come?" "Yes—but the dentist hasn't sent my teeth." —[Epoch. TIME 18 PRECIOUS. Jack Hustle—Will you marry me ? Rita Rustic—This is so sudden—give me time. Jack Hustle—You can't afford to waste any more time. You must be 20 now. Say yes, Rita. MISLEADING. Freddy Fangle —Papa, couldn't the old patriarchs afford to buy their clothes? Fangle—Certainly. Why? Freddy Fangle—Because the Bible says, "They rent their garments."— [Judge. COLD COMFORT. "We can die only once," the doctor said, Consoling his patient, nearly dead. He answered: "That's where the trouble is; If a dozen times I wouldn't mind this." THE WOMAN'S SHARE. Inexperienced Daughter—Do you be lieve iu long engagements? Experienced Mamma—Yes, dear. It is the only chance woman has for some small share of leadership in the battle of life.—[New York Herald. WHAT lIE WOULD DO. Mr. Bingo—Tommy, when you get to be the head of a family what will you say to your sous? Tommy (thoughtfully)—l will tell them how good I was when I was a boy. —[New York Sun. ASSURANCE DOUBLY SURE. He—You remember you said last night that you would be a sister to me all my life ? She—Yes. I did. He—Well, I proposed to your sister j Kate this afternoon, and judging by what she said, I rather think you will. —[Somerville Journal. AN IMITATIVE MOTHER. ! Teacher —Tommy Bingo, this excuse that you have brought mo for being ab- I sent yesterday looks very much as if you j had written it. ] Tommy Bingo—Mother always did write like me, ma'am.—[New York Sun. SHE KNEW. An up-town teacher asked u girl how many bones there were in her body, and the glib girl nearly swallowed her chew ing gum in her haste to answer 208. "Wrong; there are only 207," said the teacher. "Yes'm," was the triumphant response, "but I swallowed a fish bone to-day."—[Philadelphia Record. NOT LIKE A FISH. "Oh, no; he doesn't drink like a fish." "Why, I've known him—" "That's all right. But fishes, you know, driuk by gills."—[Philadelphia Times. GIVING IIIM COURAGE. She—How beautiful the autumn leaves are, George? He (seeinga chance for a compliment) —You are like the autumn leaves, Clara. She—You never pressed any autumn leaves, did you, George?—[Boston Her ald. A LOVER WITH CONSIDERABLE SAND. Miss Bullion—Will your love for mo last, Jack? Is it founded upon the rocks? Jack Marigold—Why, of course, it is —on your rocks. SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT? "What's the matter, old boy? Can't you meet your bills?" "Yes, confound it, I meet so many I can't pay them."—[Light. CURIOSITIES OF LITERATURE. "All the vowels are found in their regular order in the two words 'face tious' and 'abstemious,' " said Smarticus. "That's so," returned Hicks. "And j you'll find all the vowels and consonants ! in their regular order in 'the alphabet.' " I BEFORE THE DENTIST'S DOOR. Trembling Patient—lf I were only j sure that the doctor was out, I would ring the bell.—[Fliegende Blaetter. THE SHITLNE OF LOVE. Charlie—What church do you at tend service at, Fred ? Fred—l-er—l say, Tom, what church is it Miss Swccte goes to ? DEAD HOPES, "My hopes are dead." "What killed them?" "Heart failure. I hadn't the spunk to propose to my girl until she got en gaged to another fellow."—[Bazar. COMPARATIVE. "You think I'm tart, Mr. Hen peck," began Mrs. 11. "You put it mildly, Mrs. Henpeek," returned her lord. "You are more than tart; you are a Tartar." UP IN FRACTIONS. Employer (to the new boy)— Hive yon any brothers? I New Boy—Yezzir; one. Employer -One? New Boy—That is, two half-brothers. HEAVY ENOUGH. | "I'm going fishing, wife; give me , ! some doughnuts." • | "Going to use them for bait?" j "No, for sinkers." —[Ashland Press. j DANGEROUS RIFLEMAN. 1 Small Boy—Mamma! Mamma! There's 1 i a mad dog in the street, and everybody t j is running into the houses. 3 Mamma (rushing to the window)— 1 i Where? Where? ! Small Boy—Lookout! Dodge down 1 1 Get under the sofa! A policeman is go ing to shoot!—[Town Crier. 1 The Sea-cow Nearly Extinct. The manatee or sea cow, two speci mer.s of which have been on exhibition here, is now almost an extinct species, says the Washington Post. The two seen in Washington were captured in the [ Indian river, Florida, last July. The ! larger of the two weighed about eight 1 hundred pounds and was nine feet long. The other was a foot shorter and weighed about seven hundred and fifty pounds. The two in Washington were said to . be the only specimens that ever lived more than a week after capture, and t they were apparently in good health. Captain Zcller says he hunted several weeks for these specimens, following ! them for a number of days after he first discovered them. They usually are found in herds, which combine for mu tual protection when attacked, placing their young in the centre. They are great cowards, always trembling in fear of danger. Nature has failed to provide them with any weapon of defense ex cept the power to outswim the sharks and whales. The disappearance of the sea cow is accounted for by the fact that the hide is valuable and the flesh held in high esteem for food. These specimens were driven into nets and pulled aboard with a rope, which the captain looped about their tails. He says that he will make an effort to catch a couple for the Na tional Zoological Park. Specimens of manatee have been harpooned which weighed four tous and were twenty feet long. Good Points of the Indians. I do not want to be misunderstood as saying that there is nothing artificial or conventional in the social system of our typical barbarian; this would not be strictly true; nevertheless, it is refresh ing to dwell among a comparatively simple people—a people whose etiquette is easily learned and based upon an in stinctive sense of propriety ; who know no prearranged division iuto classes; whose every-day hospitality is not de termined by the desire for or the ability to afford display, but solely by the ac tual need of the chance guest. It is de i lightful to hear people come straight to the poiut, tell home truths, talk frankly and ask frank questions, call ft spade a spade, and be as uncouscious as a child of any possible motive for doing other wise. A naive curiosity, a strong sense of humor, a child-like abandon to the simple pleasures of the hour, a respon sive ana receptive quality of mind, and real courtesy of manner, arc all charac teristic of our barbarian in his hours of social relaxation. He has his faults, but these arc always an evidence; what we have determined for once frankly to con sider is, not what the poor Indian lacks, but in what he actually surpasses us.— [Elaine Goodalc, in the Popular Science Monthly. • Oysters a? Money. In "Chisholm'B Hand Book of Com mercial Geography," is a statement of the various articles used as money, and > the author says that "in a certaiu dis trict on Chesapeake Bay oysters are 1 stated to be used as money, an oyster forming the regular subscription for a | daily newspaper." This statement is "important if true."—[American Grocer. 1 SOMEWHAT STRANGE. ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OP EVERY DAY LIFE. Queer Episode, and Thrilling Advan tures Which Show that Truth i. Stranger than Fiction. THE following curious tale, according to a Philadelphia newspaper, comes from Bridgeport, Couu.: "Two twin sisters living at the east end are so iden tical in appearance that even members of their own family cannot tell Martha from Mary, except by a small mole under Mary's right ear. They are pretty and winning, and have plenty of ndmirers. For several months past Mary's accepted lover has been a young blacksmith named Rogers, nnd last Sunday evening he made up his mind to learn for cer tainty whether she would marry him. When he arrived at the house Mary was out, and Martha received him cordially, expecting to entertain her until her sis ter's return, llogjrs supposed she was his adored one, and at once broached the subject nearest his heart. He found her n little more reserved than usual, he thought, and her hesitation made him all the more persuasive. At length she accepted him, just as Mary came into the parlor and turned up the light. Rogers then at once discovered he had proposed to the wrong girl. He made profuse apologies, aud the sisters kept him in hot water for an hour. Then Martha released him from the engage ment, and left him to finish out the evening with his 'speckled beauty.' It was too good a joke for Martha to keep, and she whispered it to one of Rogers' friends the next day." A SPECIAL dispatch from San Francisco, Cal., says: "The Bteam whaler Beluga arrived to-day from the liehring Sea, bringing remarkable news of the recovery of a harpoon which had been thrown in to a whale sixty years before in the South Seas. Kvery whaling vessel has her name stamped on the harpoons it uses. Iu August last iu the Behring Sea the Beluga killed a big whale and when it was cut uji they discovered an old har poon bearing the name of Moctezuma in it. The head of the harpoon was per fectly preserved, but the shank had been eaten away close to the skin of the ani mal by the action of the salt water. The records show that the Moctezuma quit whaling in the South Seas sixty years ago. Sho was a New Bedford | craft aud while lying idle at that port j during the war she was bought by the I government and sent with other old j hulks down to Charleston harbor, filled with stones and sunk at the entrance of the bay to break up blockade running. This veteran whale that carried n har poon for more than a century proved a formidable lighter, aud while the Belu ga's men were after it it several times came near escaping. One of the boats had to be cut away to prevent its being drawn under. Finally, after exhausting all devices, the old whale was killed." A CORRESPONDENT of The Field records an experiment which lie made some years ago with a wasp. Having (he says) sev ered a wasp in two pieces, I found that the head and thorax with the uninjured wings retained full vitality, at any inte for a considerable time. It tried to fly, j but evidently lucked the necessary [ balance through the loss of the abdomen. To test the ',matter further I cut out an artificial tail'from a piece of thin card board, as nearly following the shape of the natural body as possible. To fasten the appendage to the w asp I used a little ox-gall (such as is used for gold leaf in the art of illumination), gum or more I sticky substances would uot do, as it im j pedes the use of the wings in flight. Presently the operation was completed, [ and to my surprise, the wasp, after one ! or two ineffectual efforts, flew in rather | lopsided fashion to the window. It I there buzzed about for at least a quarter of an hour, eventually flying out at the top. The chief difficulty ist o construct a tail affording the requisite stability; i care must also betaken not to injure the second pair of wings, which are not so J readily seen as the larger ones. Ido not for one moment suppose the mutilated | wasp could exist for any length of time, i but it was vigorous when it flew away. TIIK Penu township school district possesses a prodigy of a school teacher IU the person of little Clara Greenawald, of Bernvill, Penn., 11l years old. She has been tilling her post ably and acceptably ever siuce the fall term began in Septem ber last. She is a remarkably bright girl for her age, with exceedingly bright eyes and fresh complexion, and has about her an unmistakable air of self-re liance. When the little lady first pre sented her application for the school, the trustees looked with astonishment at her childish figure and felt skeptical as to her qualifications to instruct a big room full of children. She produced a certificate, however, showing that -she had passed the required examination at 21 J, the highest standard obtainable beiug 22. Then the trustees were doubt ful us to the propriety of allowing so young a person to teach, but she pluck ily asked for a trial. This was reluctant ly granted, and after less than two mouths' experience her triumph is com plete. A canvass has been made among the patrons of the school, and the senti ment is practically unanimous in lavor of her retention. The people admire her courage and ability, and are delighted with her methods of teachiug and her style of government. UEOROE WHARTON, of Brown County, Ind., tells a blood-curdling snake story. Mrs. William Huxellv, living in a log cabin, was making soap in the buck yard, having kissed her sweet little six-month babe to sleep in the cradle. Presently the baby screamed, and she rushed in and was horror-stricken to find a hid eous black snake of enormous size trying to swallow the child, having cngulphed the hand, had swallowed it up to the armpit and wat writhing in its con tor-' tions and efforts to make further prog ress. Grasping the hideous reptile in the middle, it seemed to relax its hold and disgorge the child's arm, then turned upon its mother. She dashed it to the floor, and in her wild frenzy stamped it to death. It proved to be of the black racer species, seven feet two inches long and measuring six and one-half inches in circumference. The baby lived, and the only inconvenience it suffered from its terrible experience was that its arm and hand were blistered as if scalded in hot water. A PETRIFIED human body—a body which has turned from flesh to white marble us hard and firm us the stone it self. This is the very strange and ex ceptional sight in an undertaking estab lishment in Atlanta, Gu. It is a case which will be spoken of and treatises written upon in future works on embalm ing. The body is that of Edward Sound strong. Forty-five days ago Mr. Fouud stroug died and his remains were taken to be embalmed. Some days ago the undertaker noticed that the flesh was crystallizing. The fluids used in em balming are exceedingly poisonous, and as Mr. Soundstrong had died (Tom mer curial poison it was believed Vhe action of one poison on another was producing the strange result. Gradually the face of the dead man became whiter and whiter, harder-and harder, until now it is nothing but white stone, as white and firm as marble. A SINGULAR story is told by a head game keeper in Prussian Silesia. A few weeks ago one of his under keepers found in the tract of shooting country under his charge a covey of partridges— two old birds and fifteen young ones— all lying dead. They were huddled up close together within the space of a square yard, but were too decomposed to show any reliable signs of the cause of their death. Poison was at first sus pected, as the spot was close to some peasants' allotment, but a careful exam ination of the ground revealed the fact that the birds had been struck by light ning. The flash had struck a little mound a short distance away and then coursed along the ground, and the grass surrounding the spot where the partridg es lay had a burnt and yellow appear ance. NEAR Glen Cove, Long Island, are two trees of rather odd growth; they stand close by the roadside, alive and thrifty, and arc good specimens of the old family of chestnut. They stand between two and three feet npart, and some ten feet from the ground they are strongly united by a woody ligament, through which there is doubtless a perfect circulation of sap. This connecting link as it shoots from their bodies is of the same thick ness as the trees—about live or six inches —and tapers to the centre to a diameter of about three inches; it does not run at right angles with the main growth, but takes an angle of some thirty degrees. The trees are comparatively young, and form part of a group of other trees. IN London there is a man who follows the business of tattooing. The majority of his patrons are men who have designs of a naval character pricked into their skin, but there are also a great many wo men who employ his art, if it may be termed such. With women the decora tion is usually a bee, a butterfly, a spray of flowers, or a monogram. These orna ments are worn inside the wrist, so that they can be hidden by the glove if neces sury. Mr. Macdonald also produces beauty spots. A short time ago he put two on the face of a lady well known in. society. Whether they are really "beauty spots "is a moot question. They resem ble a mole more than anything. A CORRESPONDENT of the Carncsville Enterprise notes a curious phenomenon which recently occurred in Rabun county. On a clear day a cloud appeared on top of the Blue Ridge mountains in the western part of Rabun county. It spread out over the county and snowed very heavily. It traveled in a southern direction, and by the time it reached the headwaters of Eustanallee creek it had risen so high that the falling vapor became so con densed by the time it reached the earth that it formed little pellets of ice, result ing in a hailstorm. After the cloud passed over a few miles it cauie in con tact with a hot current of air and there was considerable thunder. A CAT owned by Charles Rich, of Brit ton, in South Dakota, is a strange freak of nature. The color is white, with mouse colored spots. Its form is like a cat in front, but the hind part is like a rabbit. It has long hind legs, and usu ally hops like a rabbit, but when it tries to walk like a cat the length of its hind legs causes them to swing around, first to one side, then to the other. Its tail is short and its fur fine and soft, like that of a rabbit. It hides and sleeps most of the day, but toward night it goes around hopping and playing like a rabbit. It catches mice, and will play with them as any other cat. It lives upon milk and other food like a cat. MRS. WOI.F started out with her ono ycar-old baby to do some shopping at Buffalo, N. V. Suddenly she noticed that the baby was ill and growing worse. She hastened toward home, but had not gone far when the child was taken with violent spasms. Upon reaching homo Mrs. Wolf summoned medical aid, and the conclusion was reached that the in fant had swallowed poison. An exami nation was made, and it was discovered that the baby had been chewing the strings of its bonnet, which were of a light green shade, und contained a large quantity of arsenic. AN Englishman, it is stated, has re cently been astonishing old Rocky Moun tain hunters by killing grizzly bears with explosive express bullets. It is un derstood that these arc charged with dynamite, held iu place in the cavity of the missile with a preparation of wax. No details are given in relation to the method by which the bullet is exploded when it enters the body of the animal. The post-mortem examination of a bear treated to this dose revealed a complete ness of internal wreckage highly satis factory to the Western experts. A MONO the odds aud ends of a some what famous junk shop under Essex Market buildings, iu New York, are some thousands of horseshoes. They are not sold, however, to either black smiths or iron founders, but are bought eagerly at 10 cents apiece by East aiders who still have faith in the horseshoe's powers as a mascot. A great mady East side shopkeepers have horseshoes snugly hid away in their money drawers. Many a cheap apartment in the tenement-house region has a gilded horseshoe over the hull door. EARLY this year the strange travels of an Austrian, named Herman Zeitung, attracted a good deal of attention. He was sent from Vienna to Paris by parcel post—or at any rate in a trunk. He accepted an engagement at the Folies Bergeres, and became for a time tho idol of the Paris populace, his portrait, let into the hanules of walking-sticks modelled to resemble the box, being seen on all the boulevards. Zeitung has just repeated his feat, this time travel ling from Berlin to Londou. A HIRD which has selected a grim place for a nest is the Cape wagtail of South Africa. The skull is that of some unfortunate Kaffir, who had probably been killed. In that country decompo sition soon takes place, and in a short time the bones would bleach and fall to pieces. One portion of the skull had al ready fallen away, exposing tho hollow cavity of the head, when the wagtails, in search of a sheltered and cosey place, selected it for their nest. A Japanese Monstrosity. In Japan there is a province—recall ing the farmer's dog—called Bingo. . Near an old temple in this province an urn has been discovered of immense size, containing the mortal remains of a very large gentleman indeed. The head measures two feet in length and is pro vided with horns and perfectly preserved thick black hair. The skeleton has been presented to the university of Tokio, where an investigation as to what the thing exactly is will be no doubt very interesting.—[Commercial Advertiser.