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\ ^ V WEEKLY EDITION. ~V WiyNSBOEO, S. C.. WEBfffiESI) AY, DECEMBER 14, 1681. ESTABLISHED IN 1848. 3gjj THE BLACK ROBE. BY "WILIvIE COLLINS. ?AUTHOR OF? * THE "WOU^S IN WHITE," "THE MOON ? STOJiE," " AFTER DABS," "NO NAME," " MAN AM) WIFE," "THE LAW ANE ^ TTTP1 LADY," " TH2 KEW MAGDALEN," ETC., ETC. BOOK THE THIRD. " Do you like dogs, Mr. Eomayne ? he "asked. "I see my spaniel's eyei saying that he likes yon, and his tai begging yon to take some notice of him.' Bomayne caressed the dog rathe: absently. Ms new friend had unconsciously presented to him a new view of the JJ 1 ? i. X* TI7.V4a? UATi^tjr aspect; ui ins uvvii nit;. r v> uui/er field's refined pleasant manners, his generous readiness in placing th< treasures of ids library at a stranger'; disposal, liad already appealed irresistibly to Bomayne's sensitive nature. The favorable impression was nov greatly strengthened by the briefly bold treatment which, he had just hearc of a subject in which he vras serioush interested. " I must see more of this man," was his thought, as he patted the compan. ionable spaniel. Father BenwelTs trained observation followed the vivid changes of expression on Bomayne's face, and marked the eager look in his eyes as he lifted his head from the dog to the dog's master. The priest saw his opportunity and took it. "Do you remain long at Ten Acres Lodge V lie said to Romayne. " I scarcely know as yet. We havi do otter plans at present." " Yon inherit the place, I think, frcoxi vonr late anni, Lady Berrick?" "Yes." The tone of the reply was not veiy encouraging; Bomayne felt no interest in talking of Ten Acres Lodge. Father Benwell persisted. " I was told by Mrs. Eyreconrt," he went on, " that Lady Berrick had some fine pictures. Are they still at the Lodge T / * " Certainly. I conldn't live in a house "'-without pictures." Father Benwell looked at "WinterSeiu.. j "Another taste in common between you and Mr. Romanye," he said, " besides your liking for dogs." This at once produced the desired result. Romayne eagerly invited "Winterfield to see his pictures. "There are not many of them," he said. " But they are really worth looking at. "When will you come V " The sooner the better," Winterfield answered, cordially. "Will to-morrow do?by the noonday light V " Whenever you please. Your time is mine." ^ Among his other accomplishments T?afh<?r "Ranw^ll xrfls a ehess-r>laYeT. Ti his thoughts at that moment had been expressed in language they -would have said, " Check to the queen." CHAPTER IV. ?THE END OF THE HONEYMOON. On the next morning Winterfield arg rived alone at Komayne's house. Having been included, as a matter of course, in the invitation to see the pictures ..Father Benwell had made an excuse, and iiad asked leave to defer the proposed visit. From his point of view he had nothing further to gain by being present * at a second meeting between the two men in tie absence of Stella. He had it, on Eomayne's own authority, that sha was in constant attendance on hei mother, and that her husband was alone. " Either Mrs. Evrecourt will get better ^ or she will die," Father Benwell reasoned. "I shall make constant inquiries after her health, and in either case I shall know when Mrs. Eomavne returns to Ten Acres Lodge. After that domestic event the next time Mr. Winterfield"visits Mr. Eomayne I shall go and see the pictures." It is one of the defects of a super subtle intellect to trust too implicitly to calculation, and to leave nothing t( chance. Once or twice already Fathe: W Benwell had been (in the popula: L phrase) a little too clever?and chanc< W had thrown >?im out. ;As events hap pened chance was destined to throw hin out once more. * *** Of the most modest pretensions in re X gard to numbers and size the picture: collected by the late Lady Berrick wen masterly works of modern art. "Wit! few exceptions they had been produce< by the matchless English landscap narn+ore Tiol-p Q Ofinfnrv STnf?A_ The? VA V* was no formal gallery here. The pic ^ tares were so few that they could b Hffijfo hung in excellent lights in the differen |& , living-rooms of the villa. Turner, Cod H liable, Collins, Danfcy, Calicott, Linne] *he master of Beaupark house passe* one to the other with the enjo) ra oj^ofaman who thoroughly appre RT gy the truest and finest landscape ai Kae world has vet seen. ^K>u had better not have asked m he said to Romayne, in his quainl here> gSkl-humored way. "I can't pa: | 1?! S?^Jhose pictures when I say good-bv with tjf-. You will find me calling hei | again aoam> till you are perfect] ; sick of"X^^-Look at tbis sea pieci . \S"ho thinkJ^f0* brashes and palett L of that painfeX; T^ere, truth to natui |n^ and poetical fee9iP? ?? hand in nan jPP* together. It is absolutely lovely? u could kiss that picture-" ? They were in Roma^P^'s study whe L*. this odd outburst of enthusiasm escapc ^ Winterfield. He happened to loc toward the writing-table n ext. Son p 0 pages of manuscript, blotted and inte Jf '9 lined with corrections, at onces attract* ^ his attention. { F "Is that the forthcoming l&story' he asked. "You are not one ??>f tl ; authors who perform the process J correction mentally?yon revise sviu u ^ prove "with the pen in your hancLV I: Komayne looked at him in surprise. " I suspect, Mr. "Winterfield, yon ha" ^ \ nsed yonr pen for other pnrposes th: !fet ^ writing letters." ^K--. 3 "No, indeed; yon pay me an n ^ deserved compliment. When yon cos to see me in Devonshire I can she > f I;" ' : . you some manuscripts and corrected proofs, left by our great writers, collected by my father. My knowledge oi the secrets of the craft has been gained by examining these literary treasures. If the public only knew that ever? writer worthy of the name is the severest critic of his own book before it evei r gets into the hands of the reviewers, how surprised they would be! The man who has worked in the full fervoi of composition yesterday, is the same man who sits in severe and merciless judgment to-day on what he has himselJ produced. What a fascination there must be in the art which exacts and , receives such double labor as this!" Eomayne thought?not unkindly?oi j his wife. Stella had once asked him , how long a time he was usually occupied in writing one page. The reply had r filled her with pity and wonder. " Why do you take all that trouble ?" she had gently remonstrated. "It woTild be iust the same to the people. darling, if yon did it in half the time." : By way of changing the topic Romayne led his visitor into another room. *'I have a picture here,*' he said, "which belongs to a new school oi painting. Yon have been talking of ' hard work in one art; there it is in an' other." ' "Yes," said "Winterfield; "there it is ?the misdirected hard work which has been guided by no critical faculty, and 1 which doesn't know where to stop. I try to admire it; and I end in pitying the poor artist. Look at that leafless felled 1 tree, in the middle distance. Every little twig, on the smallest branch, is conscientiously painted?and the result is like a colored photograph. You don't look at a landscape as a series of sepa rate parts; you don't discover even* twig on a tree?von see the whole in nature, and you -want to see the whole in a picture. That canvas presents a triumph of patience and pains, produced exactly as a piece of embroidery is produced, all in little separate bits, worked with the same mechanically complete care. I turn away from it to your shrubbery there, with an ungrateful sense of relief." fie walked to the window as he spoke. It looked out on the grounds in front of the house. At the same moment the noise of rolling wheels became audible on the drive. An open carriage appeared at the turn of the road. Winterfield called Komayne to the window. " A visitor," he began, and suddenly drew back without saying a word more. Romayne looked out and recognized his wife. 1 " Excuse me for one moment," he said; "it is Mrs. Romayne." On that morning an improvement in the fluctuating state of Mrs. Eyrecourt's health had given Stella another of those opportunities of passing an hour or two with her husband which she so highly prized. Romayne withdrew to meet her at the door too hurriedly to notice Winterfield standing in the corner to which he had retreated like a man petrified. Stella had got out of the carriage when her husband reached the porch. She ascended the few steps that led to the hall as slowly and painfully as if she 'he^n an infirm old "ccoman. TIip delicately-tinted color in her face had : faded to an ashy white. She had seen Winterfield at the -window. For the moment Rcmayne looked at her in speechless consternation. He led her into the nearest room that opened ont of the hall, and took her in his arms. " My love, this nursing of your mother has completely broken you down!" he said, "with the tenderest pity for her. " If you won't think of yourself, you must think of me. For my sake remain here, and take the rest that you need. I will be a tyrant, Stella, for the first , time; I won't let you go back." She roused herself and tried to smile, and hid the sad result from him in a . lass. " I do f6el the anxiety and fatigue," she said. "But my mother is really , improving, and if it only continues the blessed sense of relief -will make me strong again." She paused and roused all her courage in anticipation of the next words?so trivial and so terrible? that must sooner or later be pro . nounced. "You have a visitor," she r said. j " Did you see him at the window ? A c really delightful man. I know you will r j like him. Under anj other circum> i stances I should have introduced him. -1 You are not well enough to see strangers ] | to-day." She was too determined to prevent Winterfield from ever entering the - house again to shrink from the meets in?. = " I am not so ill as you think, Lewis," 3 she said, bravely. " When you go to 3 your new friend, I will go with you. I f am a little tired, that's all" e Eomayne looked at her anxiously. "Let me get you a glass of wine," ho 6 said. 1 She consented?she really felt the need of it. As he turned away to ring [] the bell, she put the question which had 3 been in her mind from the moment when she had seen "Winterfield. 1,1 a. ftAAnoi I >. | " HOW (11(1 you. uwurnc i .j ! with this gentleman ?" " Through Father Ben well." ! She was not surprised by the answer i. ?her suspicion of the priest had re,j mained in her mind from the night of ,f Lady Loring's ball. The future of her t j married life depended on her capacity to v [ check the growing intimacy between the * j two men. In that conviction she found ' j the courage to face Vinterfield. j How should she meet him? The imI raise of the moment pointed to the QIC .] j shortest way out of the dreadful position in which she was placed?it was to treat :e him like a stranger. She drank her >d glass of wine, and took Eomayne's arm. >k | "Wemustn't keep your friend waiting ie ' any longer," she resumed. " Come !" r- ! As they crossed the hall she looked ;ci j suspiciously toward the house-door. ! Had he taken the opportunity of leaving T ; the villa ? At any other time she would if | have remembered that the plainest laws oi I i i good breeding compelled him to wait - I --? r>?mfnm_ His own knowl | lor xwiLii^uc' . 1 edge of the world would tell him that an act of gross rudeness, committed by l" a well-bred man, would inevitably excite & suspicion of some unworthy motive? and might, perhaps, connect that motive .with her unexpected appearance at the house. Eomayne opened the door and they entered the room together. "Mr. Winterfield, let me introduce von to Mrs. Romayne." They bowed to each other, they spoke the conventional words proper to the occasion?but the effort that it cost them showed itself. Eomayne perceived an unusual formality in his wife's manner, and a strange disappearance of TVinterfield's easy grace of address. Was he one of the few men, in these days, who are shy in the presence of women ? And was the change in Stella attributable, perhaps, to the state of her health ? The I eviVJanatirm micrht. in either case, be tlir> right one. He tried to set them at their I ease. " Mr. "Wiuterfield is so pleased with the pictures that he means to come and sec them again," he said to his wife. " And one of bis favorites happens to be youi favorite, too." She tried to look at "WinterSeld, but her eyes sank. She could turn toward Hm, and that was all. "Is it the sea piece in the study ?" she said to him. faintly. "Yes," he answered, with formal politeness: "it seems to be on? of the painter's finest works." Eomayne looked afc him in uncon?i. j ?- ,-j ? rru -a?v CClUtiU. MUUU.C1. JL U nuiill i-l?U t.i >n III II III- | place Winterfield's lively enthusiasm had snnk in Stella's presence! She perceived that somo unfavo.. able impression had been produced on her husband, and interposed frith a timely suggestion. Her motive was not only to divert Romavne's attention from Winterfield, but to give him a reason for leaving the room. The little 'water-color drawing in my bedroom is by the same artist," she said. "Mr. "Winterfield might like to see it If you will ring the bell, Lewis, I will send my maid for it." Romayne had never allowed the servants to touch his works of art since the day when a zealous housemaid had tried to wash one of his plaster casts. He made the reply which his wif^Lid j anticipated. "No, no!" he said, "I will fetch the drawing myself." He turned gayly to Winterfield. "Prepare yourself for another work that you would like to kiss." He smiled and left the room. The instant the door was closed Stella approached Winterfield. Her beautiful face became distorted by a mingled expression of rage and contempt. She spoke to him in a fierce, peremptory whisper. " Have you any consideration for me left?" His look at her, as she put that question, revealed the most complete con* " * * 1 1 _ _ trast between nis iace ana ners. compassionate sorrow was in his eves, tendei forbearance and respect spoke in liis tones, as be answered her. "I have more than consideration foi yon, Stella?" She angrily interrupted him. " How dare you call me by my Christian name?" Ee remonstrated with a gentleness that might have touched the heart ol any woman. " Do you still refuse to believe that I never deceived you ?" Has time not softened your heart to me yet ?" She was more contemptuous toward him than ever. "Spare me your protestations," she said: "I heard enough of them two years since. Will you do what I ask of your . " You know that I will." " Put an end to your acquaintance with my husband. Put an end to it," she repeated, vehemently, " from this day, at once and forever! Can I trust you to do it?" " Do you think I would have entered this house if I had known he was your husband He made that reply with a sudden change in him?with a rising color and in firm tones of indignation. In a moment more his voice softened again, and his kind bine eves rested on her sadly and devotedly. "You can trust me to do more than y ra ask," he resumed. "You have made a mistake.'' " "What mistake?" " When Mr. Bomavnc introduced us you met me like a stranger?and you left me no choice but to do as you did.'' " I wish you to be a stranger." Her sharpest replies made no change in his manner. He spoke as kindly and as patiently as ever. " You forget that you and your mother were my guests at Beaupark two years 1 ago? Stella understood what he meant, and more. In an instant she remembered thaA Father Benwell had been at Beaupark house. Had he heard of the visit? She clasped her hands in speechless terror. "\Vinterfield gently reassured her. "You must not be frightened," he said. " It is in the last degree unlikely that Mr. Eomayne will over find out that you were at my house. If he does, find if ycu deny it, I will do for you what I would do for no other human creature?I will deny it, too. You are safe from discovery. Be happy?and forget me." For the first time she showed signs oj relenting?she turned her head away and signed. Aitiiougn ner mina was full of the serious necessity of warning him against Father Benwoll, she had not even command enough over her own voice to ask how he had become acquainted with the priest. His manlv devotion, the perfect and pathetic sincerity of h$.s respoct, pleaded witli Iier, in spite of herself. For a moment she paused to recover her composure. Id that moment Iiomayne returned to the in with the drawing in his hand. t; There!" he said. " It's nothing this time but some children gathering flowers on the outskirts of a wood. What dc you think of it?" " What I thought of the larger work,' Winterfield answered. " I could look at H l>y the hour together." He consulted his watch. " But time is a hard master, and tells me that my visit must come tc an end. Thank you, most sincerely." He bowed to Stella. Romayne though! his guest might have taken the English freedom of shaking han?.ls, ?< When will yo" come and look at the pictures again ?" ho asked. " "Will you I dine with us, and see how they bear the lamplight?" " I am sorry to say I must beg you tc excuse me. My plans are altered since J we met yesterday. i am obliged to leave 1 London." Romaynewas unwilling to part with him on these terms. " Yon will let me know when von are next in town ?" he said. " Certainly!" With that short answer he hurried away. Itomayne waited a little in the hall before he went back to his wife. Stella's reception of Winterfield, though not positively ungracious, was, nevertheless, the reverse of encouraging. What ex traordinary caprice had made her insensible to tlie social attractions of a man I 60 unaffectedly agreeable? It was not ' wonderful that Winterfield's cordiality should hare been chilled by the cold welcome that he had received from tlia mistress of the house. At the same time some allowance was to be made foi the influence of Stella's domestic anxieties, and some sympathy was claimed by the state of her health. Although her husband shrank from distressing her by any immediate reference to her reception of his friend, he could not disguise from himself that she had disappointed him. "When he went back to the room Stella was lying on the sofa, with her face turned toward the wall. She was in tears, and she was afraid tc iec nun see it. jl woo. & cuscuro you, he said, an J. withdrew to his study. The precious volume which "Winterfield had : so kindly placed at his disposal was on the table waiting for him. , Father Benwell had lost nothing try : not being present at the presentation oi . Winterfield to Stella. He had witnessed ] a plainer betrayal of emotion when thej | met unexpectedly in Lord Loring's i picture-gallery. But if he had seen Romavne reading in his study and Stella crying secretly on the sofa he might [ have written to Borne by that day's 1 post, and might have announced that he had sown the first seeds of disunion between husband and wife. CHAPTER V.?FATHER BEXWELL'S CORRESPONDENCE. To the Secretary S. J., Rome. I. < " In my last few hasty lines I was only able to inform you of the unexpected J arrival of Mrs. liomayne while Winterfield was visiting her husband. If you f remember, I warned vou not to attach 1 any undue importance to my absence on 1 that occasion. My present report will satisfy my reverend brethren that the interests committed to me are as safe as ever in my hands. "I have paid three visits, at certain intervals. The first to Winterfield (briefly mentioned in my last letter); the second to Eomayne ; the third to the invalid lady, -Mrs. Eyrecourt. In even case I have been rewarded by importanl results. "We will revert to Winterfield first. I found him at his hotel enveloped is"' ckrads-of tobacco smoker and looking ^ like a gloomy and dissatisfied man. As- i suming not to notice this I asked him < how he liked Romayne's pictures. i "' I envy him his pictures.' That was ] the only answer. ^ "' And how do yon like Mrs. Ro- | mayne ? I inquired next. " He laid down his pipe and looked al t me attentively. My face (I flatter my- \ self) defied discovery. He inhaled j another mouthful of tobacco and begar \ to play with his dog. ' If I must an- 1 swer your question,' he burst out sud- j denly, ' I didn't get a very gracious re- , ception from Mrs. Eomayne.' There h? j abruptly stopped. He is a thoroughlj i transparent man ; you see straight into ( his mind, through his eyes. I perceived , that he was only telling me a part (per- ] haps a small part) of the truth. < " 'Can you account for such a recep tion as you describe ?' I asked. He an- . .3 _i <"V? ? swereu, sjuui-mju aw. , "'A lady's prejudices,' I proceeded, in the friendliest way, 'are never taken 1 seriously by a sensible man. You have ; placed Mr. Eomayne under obligations . to your kindness?he is eager to im- *1 prove his acquaintance with you. You will go again to Ten Acres Lodge ? ! " He gave me another short answer. ; I think not.' " I said I was sorry to hear it. 4 How- i ever,' I added, ' you can always see him here, when vou are in London.' " He puffed a big volume of smoke and made no remark. I declined to be put down by silence and smoke. ' Oi perhaps,' I persisted, ' you will honor mootirifr Trim fit. 0. SllTmlA litf.lp HiO VJ ? i dinner at my lodgings ? Being a gentleman, he was of course obliged to answer this. He said: 'You are very kind; I would rather not. Shall we talk of something else, Father Benwell ?' " We talked of something else. He was just as amiable as ever, but he was not in good spirits. "' I think??J shall run over to Paris before the end of the month,' he said. " * To make a long stay ?' I asked. " * Oh, no. Call in a week or teD days, and you will find me here again.' " "When I got up to go he returned with his own accord to the forbidden subject. He said: 'I must beg you to Ars mo f-nm f&vnrs. Tho first, is. not to let Mr. Bomayn? know that I am still in J London. The second is, not to ask me i for any explanations.' " The result of our interview may be | stated in very few words. It has adj vanced me one step nearer to discovery. I Winterfield's voice, look and manner satisfied me of this?the true motive of his sudden change of feeling toward Ro may lie is jealousy of tiie man whc has married Miss Eyrecouit. Those compromising circumstances which baffled the inquiries of my agent are associated, in plain English, with a love iiilair. Remember nil that I have told you of Eomayne's peculiar disposition, and imagine if you can what the consequences of such a disclosure will be when we are in a position to enlighten ! the master of Vange Abbey; "As to the present relations betweer j the husband and wife, I have only tc I tell yon next what passed when I -visited | Romayne a day or two later. I did well to keep Penrose at onr disposal. We shalJ want him axrain. (To be continued.) g Fringes of the most elegant des3iiption have appeared, and, combined wth the new passementerie bands and beaded TTrvll v\i*r*T7/5. a pfrnnr* n'ro] fn "lar??> ?TAJ_L ^iVIC t* ****** ?.W Atrww as a garniture for elegant costulnes, both for the house and the promaaiade. TRICKS UPON JEWELERS. Some of the IneeDlons Practices of Roane: Who Steal Valuables. "Of all the tricks, devices, subterfn ges, sharp dodges or deceptions I eve] saw/' said Jeweler J. H. Johnston to s New York Sun reporter, "was one b] which a sharp fellow stole from m< three pairs of diamond earnngs. H? evidently knew when I was not in the store. Ee came in one day and said tc one of my clerks: " ?Is Mr. .Tolinoton in ?' " 'No,' was the reply. " 'I am sorry for that,' he said. '3 wish. to buy a pair of diamond earrings wife.' I ^tnis was repeated on four or five snccessive days. ' The last time he said he would not wait to see me, bnt would look at some earriags. The clerk showed him an assortment,and he finally selected three pairs, rained at ?450, and said: 'I guess I vwill let my wife select from these. Sh&will be at my store in an hoar, and I rantf yon to tell Mr. Johnston to brin^these around himself, will permit Mr. Johnston.' : - ap^P^P " 'Certainly,' a'aid the cleri,' who showed him to a desk,> and pointed out where he conld gSt paper and envelopes. He sat down, wrote a short note, folded it and put it in an envelope directed to me. Then he went backxto the counter, and said to the clerk. T think yon bad better put the three pairs of earrings in here and I will seal them Hp so that Mr. Johnston will be certain to bring the right ones.' * "Very well," said the clerk, who handed out the three pairs of earrings and the fellow dropped them into the envelope before the clerk's eyes and" Was apparently abont to seal the envelope when he snddenly said : '"Oh, I guess -you may put-in that other-pair,'pointing to a pair wtgicii the jlerk had laid on the shelf behind him. Ike clerk turned and got the'other pair md handed them to the fefiow, who 3ropped them apparently into the same envelope, sealed them up, handed them Dver, and said: 'Let Mr. Johnston bring the four pairs to my store as-soon as he lomes back,' he said, giving the address Df a well-known store in. the vicinity. Ihen he left, and the clerk laid the en-1 - . -1 i.11 T ? J J r\? feiope one siae tmtu x revarueu. vjl jourae we found but one pair of diamond earrings in the envelope, which was the .ast pair dropped in. The other three Dairs were paste, about the same size, the fellow had taken two of my enrelopes, and into one had placed the ;hree bogus pairs. "When the clerk :urned to get the fourth pair the fellow lad put the genuine'in his pocket and substituted the others. We never saw 11m afterward, but heard tha^lie prac:iced the same game in other places. ttr\e> !/i_ , i.:?^ l^. "KJi coarse iue iuipera,;j.vtj xuae is ii>j lot let goods go out of your sight until fou get the money. The trick of Saving joods sent to hotels and boarding louses with bills for collection,is so stale that the un deviating rule is to keep four goods in sight. But a shrewd fellow mce managed to get three watches from ne by a clever dodge. A bright, sharpooking customer came in one day and said: 'I am from Ohio, and have a commission to buy some goods for my sister, ;7ho is about to b<'- married there.' He wsked xrtrt o?$o00 vorth ofv varies articles and said: 'Just send them iround to my store in Broadway at 12 j'clock,' naming a well-known carpet store in Broadway. The goods were sent by a clerk, who found the customer ipparently engaged in showing carpets, md perfectly at home. He recognized ;he clerk and said:. " 'Ah! just step this way, and I will rivA von n. fVhftnk.' Ha went with the ;lerk to a desk, drew a check, and took ;he goods. He appeared to be so perfectly at home that the clerk had not ;he slightest suspicion. Of course the ;heck was -worthless, and we found that ie bad secured the desk privilege at ;he carpet store by pretending that he was buying a large stock of carpets imong 'other purchases in the city. He fooled five jewelers in New York and Dthers in other cities. "One day a swarthy, foreign-looking well-dressed young man called on a brother jeweler and handed him his jard?'Alexander Dumas, Prussian Legation, Washington.' He said he was tm'f.Vi Viis Tci'fo and fthild at the St. Nicholas hottl, and wanted to buy some matches and jewelry, for which he would pay cash. He said his wife was too sick to leave the hotel, and wanted the goods sent with the bill. The jeweler thought he would make a sure thing of it and take the goods himself. He went to the St. Nicholas, was told that Mr. Dumas was stopping there, and was shown to his room. Mr. Dumas was busy writing, but welcomed the jeweler cordially. " 'Ah,' he said. 'I am glad you have come. I am sorry that my wife is confin ed to her bed. I will iust step into the next room and let her make her selections.' "The jeweler, in a moment of weakness, consented. After waiting five minutes he began to get nervous. He did not like to disturb a sick lady, but went to the office to make some inquiries. There he found that Mr. Dumas had just stepped out, and had no wife or child in the house. He was finally caught, after he had played the same game on a number of jewelers, and lodged in Sing Sing. When he was captured he tried to conciliate his last victim by the presentation of a beautiful overcoat. But the overcoat proved to have been stolen. ? "In showing jewelry it is tne custom to show only six watches at once, 01 some uniform number. If the customei wants to see another, one of those already on exhibition will be taken away. The same rule is observed with rings. The tray is always full, or with a known number of holes empty, so thai if a ring were taken the loss would be instantly detected. Sometimes swindlers will watch an opportunity and slif in a worthless ring and take away a good one. One jeweler of my acquaint ?/-v-rtr-krnnrra ihna cnly iUUilU MTV yiuwvv* stituted for plain gold rings in one day. The trick was played upon a number od jewelers about the same time, and,ther the rogu6 was captured. "A common trick in buying goods or the installment plan is to give a wrong name, mentioning the name of some solvent person. The references will, of course, give a good report, and it will not be discovered until too late that thf good character does not belong to the one who purchased the goods." "One of the shrewdest and boldest tricks ever played on a jeweler was done by a woman of nerve in Cincinnati not long ago. One day a middleaged woman, of fine personal appearance, well dressed, and of mcst attractive manners, called at a private lunatic asylu^p and asked to see the superintendent. That official met her in the parlor. '' 'I wish to make arrangements for th? confinement of a patient here,' sh? said. 'What are your terms and th? conditions on which you receive youi inmates ?' " 'Our terms are $15 per week,and yon must have the certificate of two phy_ J SICiiUlS. c 'Very -well,' said the lady, 'I wil] pay you two weeks in advance. Th? patient is my son, who is insane on the subject of diamonds. He has a manis for selling my jewelry. I have not ye1 gotten the certificate of the phjsicians: but can easily do so. I will bring mj . V H son liere in the afternoon, and if you wiil keep him an hour I will bring the * physicians with the authority.' i "Then the lady entered her carriage and drove to a jewelry store. There r she selected $4,000 worth of jewelry, ( i which she said was intended for the ( r trousseau of her daughter, about to be t s married. She gave the name of a j. s wealthy family recently arrived in Cin- j. i cinnati, and said to the proprietor : 'If ^ ) you will let one of your clerks step into r n net rrr\ vr-i 4-yv\ T ttm 11 frr\ K/~v tot' V/CU- )T11U LUC) JL ?T 111 ??,?_/ IV AJ-i J ? husband's store and give him the money c for the goods.' s ! "The proprietor consented, and the i > clerk, -with the goods in a bos, entered the carriage with theUady, who said i she wished to stop on the way and show r i her purchases to a friend. They drove } i to the asylnm and were shown to the ; r . parlor. The superintendent entered, j E and the lady said quite calmly to the v I clerk: 'Just open the bos and show ; the .things to tins gentleman.' '0 "The clerk unsuspectingly complied. t Carelessly drawing near, the lady sud- j tcti ^aBbnt. r He is -getting a little^o-' & lent,.' Yon Lad better seeure him.' -- j $t?Was in vain that the clerk pro- ^ tesfiSd that a robbery was being com- ? miffed. The superintendent w&-jj inexorable. He called his assistants g. and secured the clerk, while the lady e walked to her carriage with the $4,000 ^ worth of jewelry." - ^ ?? d Pictures of life in Mexico. k d. The dense population that is pressed ^ together in the valley of Mexico, and- ^ the conntry-like character peculiar to a. minr nort.a rtffho /^a-nita! <j /^nrrosnnTvl. / * ?J | 0 ent says brings always crowds of boor-: ^ ish people into Mexico's thoroughfares. Indians of pnre blood, looking like disfigured gypsies, are constantly ^ 'seen roving about. Husband, wife and child are trotting the same slow pace, q stoopiDg to the very ground and fre- ^ quently carrying heavy loads, or the a] straw mattresses on which they have ^ passed the previous night, on their way ^ to the city. Passing the front of some s ancient church or a decaying convent, ^ we see the graves crowded with ugly- as looking Indian women nursing their dirty little urchins. In the shade of ? some building we see a happy family sharing the frugal meal, consisting of 'tortillas" (a cake baked of Indian ^ com) and some fruits ; now and then ; they may even be seen indulging m tne ; luxury of :'trijolas" (reed beans,) the ; ^ national dish of the Mexican; not r. very far from the happy "at home" we nn notice a crowd of shabby-looking young ? men lying on the ground smoking and ^ gambling at cards; the monotony of a the play is now and then interrupted by wild curses or a blow at him who has aj been found guilty of cheating his -r drowsy companions. ^ Indians and Mestizzos, the broad- a, brimmed sombrero on their dust-cov.-r- ' ed heads, are leaning against the walls of some "fonda" (inn); they are shep- ^ kerds or muleteers, who have brought ^ cattle and goods from the interior and v "Who afeiiow g^ing atrailthe splendors^ of the capital and beholding the won- ^ ders of them. They are daring look- ^ in? fellows, clad in dirty linen clothirig 0 ai 1 a parti-colored shawl, which they ^ draw closely around their neck and head when the wind begins to blow, so 1 that there is little to be seen of their defiant faces. Pickpockets and thieves, ^ wearing a mixture of national and for- g? eign garb, are seen spying out an op- j portunity favorable to their profession. Men and women of all ages and com- ^ plexions, boys and girls besiege the cof- ^ fee houses,annoying the pedestrian with their shrill voices, pressing him to buy ej a lottery ticket and gain the five or ten ^ thousand "piros1' that are drawn on the c, coming morn ; venders of matches and other trifles, follow you step by step till you get rid of them by spending a ^ copper piece or two, but only to be an- ^ noyed by others who have watched your n" weakness and are anxious to have their r< tnrn also. More oleasant than these match and ticket sellers are those who | Sl offer for sale small objects of ait, as i ^ waxen fruits of great beauty, artificial ' ^ flowers and wooden charcoal figures of: perfect workmanship ; tiny little figures ' representing scenes of every-day life, beautiful birds on cardboard and different kinds of feather work are to be obtamed at very low prices. A charming picture are the flower ^ girls, who are busy composing their abundant stock of the very finest flowers into tasteful nosegays, in which we ^ find a great variety of roses and the la dies' favorite. the dark blue violet? i v flowers that nature offer us all the year ^ ronnd. Tasteful garlands, flower bas- ^ kets that would make the NewYork fior- j. ist rave, charm the buyer's eyes ; nose- ? gays of all dimensions and the delicate j flower for the dandy's buttonhole are to be purchased at very low prices. For flowers the Mexican has a wellpleasing weakness, and the love of j. flowers is one of the qualities that the t Spaniard has inherited from his Moorish conquerors and has brought witti ^ him to Mexico. Old matrons and young v 1 ladies eyeing the passers-by from the ^ balcony, all have their hair and dress adorned with fresh flowers. V The fruit vender makes a fine display ] c ' of his stock on the ground or in his j t primitive shops. Apples, pears, straw- j r berries, peaches, apriq^, Turkish and; t ; Indian.figs, the growth of the temperate ' c climate, are to be seen lving together ) T with the golden orange, the yellow i lemon, bananas, anenas, mangoes, and j ; the delicious chirimoya, productions of ; L the torrid zone. Those who are fond of i ; a cooling draught may apply to one of j [ the numerous water stands, where in-1 offensive mixtures of water and ananas, j lemon and juices are served to the caller ! for two cents a glass. While sipping i ' our nectar we noticed two or three old i | Indian women, half naked, who press with a round stone the juice out of the > fruit. Chocolate and cocoa are served as well at the stand. Traveling cooks with their two-wheeled kitchens are to be found in every street, and they serve | | dishes to those who give them a call; i ; yet a foreigner would scarcely be ! ' pleased "with the acid Spanish pipkin or j : the baked sweet potatoes, and other ! ' dishes, as they are generally spiced with | ! I ^ a guuu ucai vi uui. ; A Wise Horse. The horse lives in Wilmington, Dela ware, and the Star of that city tells this story of brute intelligence : A few Sun days ago he was running loose on the ! streets and passed in the neighbor- j hood of a certain drug store, where the j proprietor noticed that he had a severe ' sore on his back and several less serious ! > eruptions on one of his shoulders, j > wherepon he put a suitable plaster on 1 i each of the wounds. The animal then ! : went off and he saw no more of him J until the nest Sunday, when he again i Ttronf. f.r> thft door of the establish-! . merit, -where he remained until his ' wounds were again dressed, and since i 1 [ then he has regularly appeared every | r 5 Sunday at the door of the drug store : 1 5 to have the plasters put upon his back ] i and shoulders, and the proprietor kindly ; i accommodates him. It is supposed j ( , that his owner keeps him busy all the ' c r week and turns him loose on Sundays, j < BADLY SCARRED. Piie Story of Colonel Martinez, of .Hexlco? i A Career of Blood. j The visitor at the Detroit House of i Correction who catches a glimpse of Colonel Martinez, may go away feeling j hat lie has seen one of the greatest ? teroes ever placed behind the bars and t >olts of any modem prison. Less than ( Inee years ago he was a Colonel in the c egular army of Mexico, while Tester- i lav he had served exactly ten months c in a sentence of two years. He is a ^ hort, stont man, with an eye which cuts c ike steel, and is one of the most orderly a insoners ever received. c Diaz had neglected to carry out tlie p eforms promised when he was a candi- t late for the Presidency, and official cor- 0 nption and mismanagement solved the 0 ecds of rebellion. Colonel Martinez a ras actuated by motives of patriotism in D fining the revolters, and every dollar ? f his private fortune was invested in y he purchase of arms for those who pro- n osed to overthrow the government \ ) Lhe_ Jisconrc^ ^id^espread, q a^^?3cp^s'?ever^l length' ? ia^ered:"iess..than 200 men.and foim<3, f< /Saffxibliged to retreat before -an over- ^ [helming force. * ' d While the little band, led now by t] lartinez alone, was slowly retreating a - -i A _ n _ n .me district 01 oonora, a iuxuts uj. 0 overnment troops got if- their rear. A 3 eavy force was coming^*) in front, and r, arrender seemed inevitable. In this S) mergency the Colonel stated his inten- 0 ion of cutting his way . out, and those ? ho did not wish to" share Tils-farther <? angers were left free to retreat to the t< ills. One hundred and sixty-four men, <? 11 well mounted and nerves strung for g esperate work, followed Martinez as d e drew sabre and charged into a valley ?> ad straight upon a force of more than t< ,000 men. Beyond the valley was the j? lountain pass by which retreat could jt p ^nntinned. bnfc only fiftv-eisht of the f, atricts reached it. Tlie remainder were j ? ift dead in the valley. The living had j Q terally cut their way through walls of ' ri esh and steel. More than 300 dead ; a: ten resulted from that desperate dash, j tj ad some of those who got out were j e :rribly cut. The Colonel jesterday ' irned back his shirt and exhibited a j ? ibre cut on either shoulder, a third on j g, le head and a bullet-wound in the arm j ^ 5 mementoes of that charge. | y( Being persistently pursued by the | "0< overnment forces, the patriots retreat- j << 1 into a sandy desert more than 200 : r( tiles in breadth. Diaz was determined 1 T, ) capture Martinez at any cost, and I g le pursuit was continued across the j 3 mds. The sufferings of both parties \ j o n /-if TT.jfoV ttTArO UJLU. iicatl C4JU.V4. i.UU<U Vi. TTWbVA IF WAV ut the patriots were the worst off. ^1 hey entered upon the barren waste ji i'chout a single ration or a spoonful of 3 ater, while the government forces had a] moderate supply of both. tjC The pursuit lasted till evening, and 0; fter the government forces had gone e: lto camp for the night, Martinez rode g ack alone to scout and spy. "When he jr certained that the pursuit was to be j tain tain ed to the bitter end he crept tnong the wagons and stabbed a dozen ^ mles before the alarm was given. s] ;eing pursued by three mounted men, e. killed Jtwo, wounded the other and < rove the horses into his own camp." p t a later hour he returned with his n >rce and charged through the camp of 000 men, killing a score or wore, los- ai ig three men, and carrying off ten risoners with their horses. SI Next morning when the government ^ >rces took up the pursuit, the ten pris- n lers were found dead on the sands, <? ich having been killed by the thrust p t a lance. >? "Had they captured any of my men 3 ley would have been hacked to pieces p ; once," said the Colonel, in extenua- j s] on. "We had more bitterness towards ich other than we would have had to- tl ards a foreign foe, and had I been ]j iptured they would have roasted me ? live." Si Next morning the pursuit was con- ^ nued. Nearly 2,000 men pursued fif- t] r-five. It was known that he had v either water nor food, and there was ^ ;ason to believe that his band must n irrender in a few hours. ^ At the close of the second day several ^ orses were killed and the men satisfied s. leir thirst by drinking the blood. Fires ^ ould not be kindled for want of fuel, ^ ad the meat was devoured raw. Some 0 f the horses licked at the blood; and ? thers dug great hoies in the sand and p ooled their tongues on the damp earth. a At the end of the third day a water ole was reached and here the patriots ^ emaiQed one whole day, repulsing three 0 ttacks of the government forces, and e eing reduced in numbers to forty-one a len. When they left the spot they had s ut thirty horses, and every animal r /hich carried double was overhauled in c ^/lott'oTMircnit. and nrisoners ? LLC JJ C-i. U U O.J kJ ^/u*w?*vj M.%. ^ :illed as soon as captured. When they c inally crossed the Colorado river into jimerican territory Martinez had less , han twenty men with him. a The Colonel claims that his band came g s refugees, intending to remain as peace- g al citizens of the United States until j hey could safely return home. Some j >f his men had hired to ranchmen, and ithers were looking for employment fhen arrested by the authorities as ilibusters. The Mexican Government lemanded them, and knowing they rould be shot if given up they pleaded < fuiitv to the charge and received sen- s ences of two years each. As the present t uler of Mexico has is&ued a proclama- j t ion pardoning all whilom rebels and j ? inspirators, ana as proiouna peace > eigns along the border, the Colonel $ lopes to be set at liberty at the end of c be year. All bis men have families, i ind being among strangers ana unable 1 o speak onr language, their imprison- ? nent has gene baru with. them. They < Lre a quiet lot, finding no fault and \ ' jbejing every rule of the prison, and ; \ hey have made; many friends. | ] "The Colonel has more-sears than anv j 1 >ther :ran living," said the der-uty at < he close of the interview. "Perhaps le will exhibit some of them." 3 The interpreter made the request, \ md after considerable hesitation the 1 i ln'c cVnrf "Eya!ama- I i JUJVJLLCJL icmu?cu AA4.VJ v ??~ ions of surprise were in order. There < itood a man who had two sabre-cuts ] m the head, two on the left shonlder i md one on the right, a lance wound in 1 lis right arm, another in his breast, a ] bird in his shoulder blade, a cut on his ight leg near the knee, and nearly a J iozen scars on other parts of his body < nade by bullets and daggers. Three of < he pistol bullets shot into him are still < n the flesh. When first arrested he j ] lad five unhealed wounds, and it is only j j n the last three months that his last j i 11 cj ? ~ i vounci neaiea ovor. outuc vi ws ovaio , late back twenty years, and he is in-1J lebted to the Indians for five or sis of j ^ hem. From head to waist he has < ileven prominent scarsr and enough on lis legs to make the full number crowd wenty pretty closely. After the Cololel had retired one of the lieutenants fas asked what sort of a fighter Martinez j 7as, and he replied : j "He has kiiled more men with the ance and sabre than any five officers in , Mexico. He would charge a hundred ! nen as quick as he would fight one."? j Detroit Free Press. , A water spout is supposed to be ] jaused by the passage of what would be : :alled a whirlwind on land. Wa^er is I ' Iravn up instead of dust and debris. J 1 All Empress Anions Peasants. A correspondent gives the following neident of the recent visit of the Czar aid Czarine of Russia, to Moscow and icinity: As we were going along the Volga, he bojs had been promised to run on hore, and so at a spot where all seemed ^ wiiVo/^r fVm /vrrmrpcQ TVTisift W jJXKJJUAXOX^ ?SJ?4T UWj )., a lady of honor, Nicholas AlexanIrovitch and George, his younger >rother, Count V., Mrs. S. and Prince smarted on an excursion. I was :indly invited to join the party. We lambered up a steep precipice of sand nd loose gravel, and after some diffinlty reached the summit. We crossed a lowed field and came to some cot** " 1 ft x. A7- _ J3 ages, maae ox logs. 3.1 me aoor ui ne of these stood an old woman -with ne eve. The empress approached her nd asked her if she conld have a little ailk for she was thirsty. "Milk T says he old woman ; "milk?" "Yes; will on kindly let me have some V Bnt Milk" was the only answer to be got. Ve all thought the old woman was razed, so the, empress entered the hut, o-d Rafters. ' * rwWhj3gh^r n^j&ty^ras: chatting afibly withCi^ yonng mother, the old -oman camein with a- bowl of - very irty-looking milk, and one spoon, for ae whole company. "Haven't yon got better spoon, good woman ?" A new ne was found, painted in red and gold, 'he empress for form's sake, tasted the spulsive-looking beverage, and after Dme conversation, Mr. S. asked the Ld woman what she wanted for it. Want for it?" she replied thoughtfully. I want five kopecks silver." "That's )o dear," hersaid", with a- serious air. The price is ruinous. Three ?" "It's ve kopecks silver," and the old woman rew the bowl nearer to her. "Three." No, five. It's a shame for gentle folks ) haggle about a few kopecks." "He i only joking," said the empress, comlg to the rescue ; "here are ten rubles ' ? 3 x T7 >ryou." "Jtsux," mierposea ^oum v., yon must give us nine rubles and inety-five kopecks change." "Nine lbles and ninety-five kopecks, wliere m I to get it from ?" she asked. "But aey are joking, I tell you," said the mpress; "the ten rubles are yours, cn't you understand?" "The milk is ve kopecks silver," she insisted, amid eneral laughter. "You greedy old oman, you get ten rubles, and now on want live kopecks more. You aglit to be ashamed of yourself." The milk is five kopecks silver," she ?peated, doggedly. Prince S.?"Do ou know who the lady is who has ivea you the ten rabies r~ -jso, x oa't," she answered. "It's the Gos-ol arina." "Oh, yes! very likely," she leered?the joke was a good one 'and ie old woman enjoyed it?"very kely." "It really is the empress; on't you know the czar is on the rivsr, id that all the people are gone to the >wn to see him V" It was no use. The Id woman only laughed and patted the mpress' arm. What was to be done ? as a last resource, takes out his nage. "You see I am a Christian man. swear on this image [kissing itj that ii3 lady is really our empress." The omaii was only half convinced, but ie had far too'little time to realize the Let. "0 matushka" (mother) she says, Good matushka!'' and pats more emhatically. The heat was suffocating; ot r. breath of air. The empress rose ) go, wished the good people good-by, id thanked them for their hospitality. I We had not proceeded far when a nail gronp of womt and one or two ten were observed following tis. "Let 3 wait for them," said her majesty; I ]iie to taik with these good peole." "How many are yon in the vilige?" "Fifty," replied the person ad ressed. Many otner questions were ut and answered, but it was not until tie gave them one hundred rubles that aey believed it was really their "Maiska, their dear little mother," and issed her feet. She could not escape. Tell them not to kiss my feet," she lid; "I don't like it." They were, owever, all around her ; they crossed aemselves and her; they kissed the ery ground on which she trod. But ho is that hobbling so eagerly toward s ? It is our old friend of ae cottage. She has had time now 3 realize the fact that the kind tranger really was the real maashka; that she whom all the world ad gone so far to see?she, the empress f all the Russias, the wife of the 'white zar," had actually been in her oor hut?had spoken so kindly to her, nd that she herself, a poor old woman, ad actually joi*4 with her and patte" ier arm ; tt s had eaten out of the U 1??1 ilf if n/vnr sliA JLU UUVtl? ;iu iv uv?i ~ 2me and -' .erself on the ground na kissed the hem of her garment and obbed like a child. The empress aised the old woman and said all sorls if comfortable words to her, and with uch success that hobbling old age took ctive youth under her arm and helped ter over the rough places across the >lowed field till we came to the ravine .gain, we reacuea uue sieamet jasb, nd as we left, among the group on the hore we saw our eld friend; but iow she got there and liow she got jack is a mystery to me. Matches; Edward Prince, splint manufacturer >f Horseshoe Bay, Buckingham townihip, is authority for the statement that ;here are about twenty-two match facories in the United States and Canada, mi that the daily production?and coniequentlv daily consumption?is about 55,000 gross per day. It may seer? a jueer statement to make that 100,000 iours of each successive day are spent jy the people of the two countries in striking a light., but such is undoubtedly the case. In each gross of matches m mm t j j i _ - A"!. _ i. manufactured tiiere are i-i-? coxes,so mat 25,000 gross produces 3,600,000 boxes. Eacli box, at least those made in the States, where a duty of one cent on ivery box of matches is levied?contains 100 matches, so that the number of natches produced and used daily imounts to 360,000,000. Counting that X takes a second to light each match? md it is questionable whether it can be lone in less time than that, while some nen occupy several minutes sometimes n trying to strike a light, particularly yhen boozy?to light the 360,000,000 .vould take'jnst that number of seconds. This gives G,000,000 minutes, or 100,000 aonrs. In days of twenty-four hcurs iach it figures up to 4166?, and gives ?ieven years and five months with a ;onple of days extra, as the time occupied during every twenty-four hours by ;he people of No:th America -not figurng on the Mexicans?in striking Hatches. Figuring a little further, it ;ives -ili9 years' time in each year. The .'act may seem amazing, but is undoubtedly correct. Heroism. A story of heroism comes to us from ;he English steamer Edgar on a recent trip from the Senegal. The entire srew, except the captain and his wife, md the mate, were stricken with sickcess so that they could take no part in :he navigation of the vessel. The captain succested to his wife to take the post of " the man at the wheel," while tie himself and mate acted as engineer md fireman. The three brought the ressel safe from the west coast of Africa to the European continent. t. J FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS. Scarlet fever alone is computed to cause one-third the deafness in America. The idea of fertilizing land with salt was conceived by John Napier in 1598, The friction of a railroad axle has sometimes been so great as to set fire to the car to which it belonged. It is estimated that there are 68,55?o " men and boys employed in and about the Pennsylvania anthracite coal fields. The boiling water colnmn of the Iceland geysers is nineteen feet in diameter, and sometimes rises ninety-two feet. When frogs are seized by snases they | enlarge themselves wonderfnlly, so that if the snake be of small size, the frog escapes. v The Bible has been translated into_^- ..r- ? 226 languages and dialects, and in the ^ last eight years 140,000,000 copies have been circulated. A recent estimate as to the amount of gold produced since the discovery of % America, gives it at $7,000,000,000, The sqKes used for weighing gold in the'assa^office^t NewYbrkare-so delicate that when brooghfc to a balanco withtwo pieces, of paper of equal size . iii thdpass, the writing of a name on one of the pieces of paper will tarn thescales in its favor. An ancient and remarkable clock has been recently set np in the readingroom of the municipal library of Rouen. A single winding keeps it running for: . . vo fourteen months and some odd. days. "' It was constructed in 1782, underwent 14-/% ?.?+ ?/>*-* ? in 1 Q1 A TT7QC litr I CLL. LVJ J. Cm UXVliO Ui J,UJ.Vj tt ovo wvuguv mj I Rouen for 1,000 francs in 1838, has recently been repaired and just set going. The growth of plants of all kind.% Dr. C. W. Siemens claims, after experi- \ ment, can be stimulated by the electric light. As is well known, plants grow all the year round in tropical regions, - ~ and Dr. Siemens believes that the elec- ^ trie light over glass, kept burning al^" night, will keep plant-life active duriqg the winter months, even in temperate regions. f Although considered mute, insects have the power of producing spends by certain movements which to, some extent are characteristic of tie different species. The shrill chirpm the cricket is produced by the rub^ng together of the wing cases. The harsh shriek of the grasshopper is cazfeea by faction of the legs against the wings. The shrill . ^ trumpet sound of tj^e mosquito and the busy hum of bees and flies, result from the rapid motion of the wings while flvincr. ^ 1 v/ T Among the objects found in one of the old tomfc^near the village of Sevrersk, in ?h"e Saknban district of Southern Russia, were two elaborately ornamented glass vessels, hooped with gold rings,-set with rubies, supporting chains which had at the ends heart-shaped pearls. Besides these relics were discovered a golden cup-holder, with two griffins in bas-relief, and a golden plate with a historical representation, also in bas-relief. It is thought by M. Felizin that these finds belong to the time of Persiad IL, who began to reign in tne jear 284 B. C., and that the grave in which they had been deposited was that 0f some great personage. TnanksffiYing Day, The Thanksgiving festival has now become a national holiday. The observance of the day has not yet become universal, but it is extending, and bids fair, before many years, to become an annual social feature in every American home. It is now but three months le?o than two hundred and fifty-one yeavs, since the first Thanksgiving Day was observed on American soil. The MaasacLu[ setts Company removed to Boston on I the 17th of Septembe^-1630. Gov. Winthrop, writing to ris wife, who ^vas still in England, at the end of November in that year, said, "We are ii paradise." A few weeks later, starvation clared the colony in the face. In Charlestown, the people, so the town records tell us, "necessitated to live on clams and muscles and groundnuts and acorns." The Governor, brave-hearted and noble as he wad, " had the last batch of bread in the oven," and was seen "giving the last handful of meal in the barrel unto a poor man distressed by the wolf at the door." A day was appointed for general ^humiliation, " to seek the Lord by fasting asd pr&yer." Nothing had been heard of the ship sent home six months before to fetch provisions. Just as the colony iN - 1? 3 was on tne verge ox uespair, tuc arrived in Boston Harbor, the day of fasting was turned into one of thanksgiving bv order of the Governor and Council, and was accordingly celebrated > on the 22d of February. 1631. In November of the same year, another day of thanksgiving was observed on the arrival of the same ?h:p, and since then, a similar festival his been held with great regularity. Tae custom did not spread beyond New England until during the civil war. President Lincoln was the first to proclaim a day of National Thanksgiving. In New England, where the day is & public and legal holiday, it is an occa sio'n of family reunions, and of feasting and good cheer. To those who have been accustomed to it from child- ^ hood, it is the merriest day in the year. Elsewhere, ifc is wholly overshadowed by Christmas. The idea is the same in both cases. The day is devoted by the devout to thanksgiving and praise to God for His mercies, and by all to happy meetings and joyful feasting.?Youth''s Companion, YFitty Auswer Turnsth Away Kores. The man who travels on the railroad and sits down by the side of lone females while laboring under the impression that he recognizes a likeness in their faces to his wife's aunt's cousin, met his match on one of the roads in his vicinity lately. He sat down in the : 1 f n? o cA5t the oilier half of which was occupied by a pleasant faced young lady. His first question was : "Pardon me, miss, but is your name James ? I have a consm of that name, whom you greatly resemble." "Xo, sir," was the reply, "my name is not Jatnes. Bat, pardon me, is your name Zinc or Copper V "Zinc or Copper? Xo, ma'am," said the asronished man. "What led you to suppose I had such names ?" "Excuse me," was the quiet reply, ' 'but I thought you must be first cousin to a brass foundry." The man fell over two seats and kicked o />oera Violf tot? ^Atrri tliA f?ar lTl Om UUU VMqV uma* lit* i, M v... his haste to get into the smoker, while the yonng lady smiled a gentle smile behind her handkerchief. It was a procf of the old adage, that a witty answer tnrneth away bores.?Oil City Derrick. The phrase "Speaking for buncomber originated near the close of the debate on tbe famous " Missouri question," in the Sixteenth Congress. It was then used by Felix Walter, who lived at Trr ',1 XT r4-Vi/i n^nn+.Tr tA r vvaynesvme, i*. u.j ucux Buncombe which formed part of his district. The old man rose to speak, r wliile the House was impatiently cailiugforthe "question." Several mem bers asked him to desist, but he dei clared that the people of his district , expected it, and he was bound to "make