The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, March 13, 1875, Image 1

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

F t? ?4? 3 HT E I 'TT ft * . i? E. A. WEBSTER, Editor and Proprietor. A Weekly Paper Devoted to Temperance, Literature and Polities! *"" .m. -_U* I tc/. VOLUME, I., ORANGEBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA, SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 1875. NUMBER 31.;^ .LEONA. BY JAMES O. OLAnK. [Competent litorary critics havo pronounced tho following poem unsurpassed by any other produc tion of l?a class in our -languaco. It is porfoct In rhyme, t>eautlful in figuro and expression, and wo know our- readers wlU thank us for its reproduc tion,! . Leona, tho hour drawB nigh, .Tlio.hour wo'vo awaited HO long-, For tho Angel to opon a door through tho Bky, That my, spirit may hroak from itu prison and try ' Its voice in an infinito song. JnBt now aa tho BlumborB_oJt night. _ _ Carno o'eivmA with poncoigtving ^roath, Tho curtain half Iii tod rovoalod to my sight Thoeo windows whioh look on tho kingdom of light, That borders tho river of death. And a vision foll solemn and sweet, Bringing gleams of a morning-lit land ; I saw the white .shoro which tho palo wator? beat, And I hoard the low lull as ihoy broko at thoir - feet "Who walkod on tho boautiful strand. And I wonderod why spirits ?fiould cling To thoir clay with a stfUgglo and sigh, Whou life'H purple autumn is bottor than spring, ... - And tho noni MOB away, liko % sparrow, to sing In ii climate whore loavoo never dio. Leona, como oloao to my bcd, And lay your doar hand on my brow ; Tho samo touch that thrillod mo in daya that aro fled,. . J . VI And raised tho loet roses of youth from tho doad. Can brighton tho briof momenta now. I thank the 'Great Father for thia, That our love ia not laviahed in vain ; Each germ in tho futuro, will blossom to bliss, And tho forms that wo lo YO, and tho lipa that we kins, Never shrink at tho shadow of pain. Ky tho light of thia faith am I taught That my labor in only begun ; In tho atrenglh of this hope havo I struggled aud fought With the logions of wrong, lill my armor lins caught The gleam of Elornily's aun. Looua, look forth and bohold, From headland, from hillside, and duop, The day-king surrenders his b'a'nubra of gold ; The twilight advaucea through woodland and wold. . And the dews aro beginning lo woop. The moon's ailver hair lieu uuourlod, Pow LI tho broad-broaBtod mountains away; Ere sunuet'B'rod glories again uhall be furled, On tho wallu of tho wool o'er Ihp plains of tho World? . - - I shall rise in a limitless day."" O ! como not in leara to my lomb, Nor plaut with frail flowers the Bod ; There is reat nmong rosen too sweet for its gloom, ,.. -T ; . . And-?lto-wU?r?JLo mic/. jto.niallibjoont^^ -J lh tho imlfflR)roal??it!g gardens of God. Yoi deeply Ihouo momoriea bum, Whioh bind mo to you and to earth ; And I Bomotimoi have thought that my hoing would yf am lu the bowers of ita beautiful home, lo re turn, And visit Ibo homo of ita birth. 'Twtfcuhl bo pleasant lo stay,, is And walk by your aide, to tho last ; But tho land-breeze of Ho?v?h is beginning lo play- y Lifo u Bhadow'a ?re meeting Eternity's day, And ita tumult is hushed in tho paat. ni VSAW ?*2*JT if?'ly Loona,' good-byy sh?nld the grief Thal ia gathering now, ovor bo Too dark for.yonr faith, you will loug for ro liof, And romombor.'tho journoy, though lonosomo, is brief ' " "' Over lowland aud river t o mo. MISS ERISM'S OODIOIL. M?BS Rebeooa Erism, a valetudina rian of sixty, Jay dying;at her house in town. She baa held so ten ne hms a grip upon life that it wao difficult for. the fcwo y?ung p?bple to realize the end was so near. ThoBo two young people were Gerald Erism, heir nephew, and Miss Luane Williams, her companion and nurse. 1 Gerald had seen the* young woman every day'for the three yer-s she had lived with his mint, but never until thin moment had bestowed a serious thought upon her. Ho did not oven know the color of her eyes till his aunt gasped out a sentence that caused him to look at her attentively. Then be found thom shining luminously'in the somber gloom of tho sick chamber, and some thing therein forbade him to hate her, although ;the. sentence his aunt had uttered was to the effect that she- had left Miss Wilhams all her money. " If you expect to pay for that horse for Emily Thorpe to ride with tho money you got by my death," said tho dying woman, "you're mistaken." "You don't understand," began Gerald. . " It was an infamous transaction," said tho old lady, " and .what "T jcnll a postobit. I found out enough about it to make mo put a codicil to my will. That rascally horne doalor'U loso his money after all, and Emily Thorpe shall flaunt none of her finery at mv'expense.' I've left my money to L?nne Williams!" It was thon that Gerald looked at L?nne ; but his aunt suddenly stretched out hor hands to him pleadingly, and finding a gray pallor spreading ovor hor face, ho knolt down by hor bedside and took hor cold withorcd baud in his own. " If tho horse had boon for any one but that Emily Thorpo 1 " faltered the poor old lady. " Oh, aunt," said Gerald, "if you'd let mo explain-" " I would if I had time," she said; ' ' but I must die now; " In ten minutes, it was all over, and Gerald went out of tho house with a groat ache at his heart, He was very ?orrf for his* suit; sliehatt been Very'kind to him-too kind, for sha had reared him for the useless life of a drone, when now it appeared ho must work for a living likq ali thei r^st -pl*.the.'bees* ?lb; had hrthortoue?h somethingfof a hore to him morely, lo?spend ?\nneiyV.ahd tho foot began to dawn unpleasantly upon his-mind that to earn it must ba in finitely moro wearisome. Walking aimlessly on bin, foot took mechanically a familiar direction, and ho found himself pausing before a fine house in a fashionable quarter of the city, from which shambled a somewhat bent and awkward figure that presently disappeared in a brougham before the door. Gerald recognized the man as Mr. Badger the- millionaire, and involun tarily contrasted his condition with that of tho fortunato soap dealer. He was,, however, so absorbed with the direful news he. had to tell Emily that before she came into the parlor he had forgot ten Badger's exiBtenc?. It was singular that her remarkable beauty and brilliant toilet did not np pr/il Gerald at that moment ; that the loot of his no longer being able to grace that lovely hand with befitting gems did not prevent him from seizing it in both his own, and kissing it rapturous ly. But for an enchanting moment ho was allowed to forgot the gloomy cham ber where his atmt lay dead, and the woman who waited there for the monoy ho had been taught to consider his own. "It seems to mo that you are veiy beautiful this morning," was all that ho could say. Emily drew her hand gently away from his caress. " Gerald," she said, *' I have some thing to toll you." Her accent was cold. Thcro was something in her manner that caused him to stop bank and.look at her with a dim premonition of what was to come. " You know," Bim .continued, "how bitterly opposed is your aunt to your af fection for mo. Bho has told mo horsolf that she will never consent to our hap piness. Gerald, I am too fond of you to wreck your wh'olo life. Thero was but ono way to cud it oil-" Hbo paused. Ho leaned forward, and still kept his oyo, now wan and haggard, upon her face. Then she sank.palo and trembling into a chair, and covered hor eyes with her hand. She was moved with'pity, perhaps, or a'vagho " rogrot. At last she spoke. " I havo just accepted au oiler of marriage." "From Badger,"-cried Gorabi, aud walkod to the door. " Your prudence," ho added, standing upon tho threshold, " has Served you well. You havo just got rid of mo in f*?iel ? My aunt died this morning, and; "hur. loft overything to her nurse and companion. " Then he got into the street, and wulked^longjvitk^ _faHtojng? stagger-. T??g step. TiiB^?v?a were willi bia fned dividly pale. Pooplo turned to look at him as ho wont hy, and two or threo wondered what was sending that manto tho devil. Ho went homo and stood by tho body oi his anni Thero wan n ningle fasci nation about this death-something "ery wondorjnl and tempting in that 'mysterious?and absolute rest. Sudden ly ho bocam'o" master of liimsolf, of tho bitterness and despair of tho moment. Ho walked firmly to tho door, but a step followed him, and, turning, he saw the pale, perturbed face of MISB Williams. Then ho remembered her presence in tho room, but his madness and grief had prevented him from realizing it. t* Just ono word, Mr. Erism," she said. " Of course you know that I will not touoh ono peuny of this money 1" " It doesn't matter now," he replied. "It might as well bo yours as any body's r ff Bnt it ia yourt," she said. . " Oh, as for me," said Gerald, "I shall not want it." Ho waited through t Lo hall. Miss Williams followed him stealthily. He entered tho room, but when tho door abut him in Lnano re mained, haggard and trembling, hor ear gined to the cold panel between thom. A grim silence reigned about her. She could hear tho clock tick in tho dead woman's room. below. Soddenly. she put both'her hands about the knob and opened the door. Gerald turned quick ly ; there was an ominous cliok ; thc Eistol fell a little as it went oil. The lood soaked through his coat and triokled out' lipon the floor. .Ti;Sv af L?nne waa about sinking at bis feet, Gerald put ont his hand to her. " An accident, Miss Williams," ht said. "Please send Adams for th< doctor, and thou help mo off with m\ coat," This brought L?nne to herself. Sh? hastened to do his bidding, dispatcher! Adams, and returning again to Gerald, stanched tho blood with strips of thc pillow-case ' from a bed. When th< dootor came she held tho light for hin while he probed tho wound and ex traoted tho bullet. " An inch or so higher," said tho-doc tor, "and yon would have been buriec' on tho same day with your aunt." "It was a lucky thing, then, tba M?B8 Williams had an errand to mi room when she did/- said Gerald " As she oponed tho do?r my hand fel and tho pistol wont off/? "Sholins unconsciously saved youl lifo," said tho dootor. Thou as Lu am loft tho room he added, "Shu's tin finest young woman I know, and wonk make a capital nurso in my hospital Do you know what she thinks of doini now that your aunt is gone ? " V No," said Gerald, with a grin smile; "but I taney she'll think o something livelier than that. " " She has suoh an excellent physiqui and splendid nerve," said the doctor " But 1 must < go., - Keep as quito a you can, and havo Adams within .call.' That night Gerald awoke with an in tolerable thirBt ; his temples throbbed bis eyes burned. Looking over a Adams," ho lound that ho was sonni asleep. This of itself was offensive, i Gerald. What business lind tho mn: to sleep when ho. was suflering? Hoi terribly oppressive tho atilluesa wat this s?mi-darkness and lonelines 1 A that moment a ponderous snoro r< sounded from Mio throat of the ?turd Adams, and Gerald almost leaped from his bed. It was like a stab to him ; it was unendurable. He stretched over his sound arm, and reaching a pillow, threw it with all his might at tho un conscious Adams. But in spite of the agony the movement cost him, it was a futile one. The pillow fell far short of the object on the floor, and Gerald sunk back with a groau. But suddenly the soft touch of a woman's hand fell tenderly upon bia forehead, the sweet tones of a woman's voice fell soothingly upon his ear. " It is time for your medicine," said L?nne, and put tho cup to his lips. Gerald drank as it it was nectar. Then she arranged his pillows for him, and was about retreating from the room when ho faintly called for a drink. Then bo thought his head was too high, or perhaps a trifle low ; every move ment caused bim intolerable agony, and he hated to be alone with Adams again. She must have really divined his motive, and come to save his life. She was again about to leave bim, bu h ? put bis hand upon hers to dotaint Uer, and found that it trembled a little beneath bis touch. " Your hand did'nt tremble when you held tho lamp for the doctor," said Ger ald. " Ho wants you for a hospital nurse, but I told bim you'd prefor something moro cheerful." "Why, I think I'd like it," said Im ane. " Yon know I must do some thing." "1 don't soo Ibo necessity," said Gerald; "you have my aunt's mouoy, and it will occupy all your time to enjoy it," " Your aunt's money is your own," said Imano, "and you insult mo by thinking I would tako advantage of a poor old lady's weakness; I never will touch a penny of it. And, Mr. Erism, you must not talk." "Ono word, only ono," pleudcd Ger ald. " But for you I might havo boon like-like our poor old friend below." Gorald shuddorod and turnea palo. "I am cowardly enough," ho wont on, " to hate even tho thought of it now. How can I thank you, M?BB Williams V" "By takiug what is your own, and imiog it nobly and well," said Imano, and vanished from his sight. But as sho loft him ho felt a sudden throb in tho hand beneath his own, and uaw a (puck flamo leap into her check, a glow to her eyes. v "..Three .lpiltr ?ftnrB,1' innrn-\t<:oJL Ocv aid, "and I novor know her till now." Gerald was young and strong, and tho fourth day, tho one appointed for the funeral, bo was able to bu up and dressed, iiud welcomed Luauo warmly as sho onterod his room. Sho looked paler than ever in lier blaok droHS, but Gerald thought ho had never F.eon HO sweet and noblo a face. " How I would like to go down, Miss Williams," ho said, "aud enjoy the BurpriBe of tho good people below ! I'd like to see thom bow and smilo to the heiress of my aunt's fortune. I'm as bad as the rest of them, I supposo, for I feel like making all sorts of pretty speeches." Gerald paused, and his face grew suddenly grave and tender. ** Go now," bo added, "and kiss my aunt good-by for me ; toll her I am quite satisfied with everything." Imane went from the room and down the stairs. For the last three days she had been like one in a dream. Ii seemed awful to be warm and happy even after she entered the dark, gloomy drawing-room, even after she had bent and kissed the cold, stem face for Ger ald and for herself. "I will not take it," she whispered, hot tears raining on tho dead woman'E face-"I will not take a cent of it, but it has given me such a gleam of happi ness. God forever bless you for it." Then the people began to pour in, and tho ceremony commenced. Luane'c were the only tears that were shed, anci the most of the guests came from civil ity or curiosity. Miss Erism bad taker bnt little active part in the world foi many a year, and the poor lady was verj soon put away and forgotten." The most important part of tho pro ceedings was when they returned fron tli? burial to hear tho reading of tho will Lnane trembled when the pompom lawyer unrolled the parchment, and bo gan in a sonorous voice: "In tin name of God, amen !" "What would they think of her-wha would they say of her? Oh, how glai sho was that the only ono she cared foi in tho world know all about it ! HOT innocent she was, and bow ignorant ! But oven while sho thought thus sin heard the lawyer read ; . " To my bo loved nephew, Gerald Erism, 1 givi and bequeath all my property, persona and otherwise." Luano couid seared; believe ber ears, ?hc listened to thi end, and heard at hist: "To Luau Williams, my faithful nurse, I givo i mourning ring and tho sum of $50." Then sho wont up stairs to Gerald. " Tho King shall havo bis own !" sh sahl. " Onlyou ono condition,''said Gorabi " I'll tako your mouoy only on ono coi ditiou." "You'll lake my money?" echoe L?nne-"my poor little fifty dollars': Luauo's face shone with a profound j oj " Your aunt loft her money where it bi longs, Mr. Erigin. I havo just hear you declared ber solo surviving heir. Gerald remained blunuod and bi wildered. " Whero is the codicil ?" ho cried I the lawyer, who stood at tho door. " M aunt left her mono}, to Miss \Y illiam She told mo so when sho was dying " Oh, that was when you bonght tl horse ! .1 was afraid there would 1 trouble then ; but, bless your soul, si got nil over that." "And tho money bj minc?" evil GeVrddi "Of conreo it's yours," and the lawyer went down tho stairs chuckling at his incredulity. Then Gerald held out his bands to Luane. " "I was^ going to bo magnanimous enough te marry you despite your money," he said ; "now there is no ob stacle to our happiness. Come, my sweet Luane, aud bless the lifo you have given me I" Luane became his wife. Mrs. Grundy said that lie married her to spite Emily Tnorpe. ?The lawyer chuckled still more, and'thought of the codicil. But wo know that it was love, and for love ulone. _ The^.fJchoolmnster's Story. When ? taught a distriot ???hool, said he, I adopted as a principle to give ns few rules tp my scholars as possible. I had, however, one standing rule, which was : "Strive, under all circumstances, to do right," and tho text of right, under all circumstances, was the golden rule : "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do yo even so unto them." If an oSftiso was committed, it was my invariable practice to ask: "Was it right?" " Was it as you would bo done by ?" All my experience and observations havo couvincod mo that no act of a pupil ought to bo regarded as an offense U? . less it bo snob when measured by the standard of the golden rule. During tho last yoar of my teaching tho only tests I over applied to an net of which it was necessary to judge were those bf tho above questions. By this course I gained many important advantages. In the first placo, the plc?, "You have not filado any rule against it." whioh for .:i long timo waa n terrible burdon to nie, lont all its power. lu the soeond plano, by keeping con stantly beft;ro tho scholars tm n stan dard of aeft?n tho single text of right and wrong jas ono whioh thoy were to apply for tlA'msolves, I was enabled to cultivate in them a deep feeling of per sonal respoipibility. In tho ti j rd pl noe, I got a stronger hold on their feelings, and acquired a new power ?l cultivating and directing them. ft h In tho fpujvth place, I had thc satis faction of I Boing them become moro truthful/*^ Sst, trustworthy aud manly in their?i>>;/;* .parse with mo, with their Qnce, V?v-f?ver, I was sadly puzzled by au application of the principle by ono of roy s^jholars. George Jones was a largo boy/Who, partly through a faino feeling of humor, and partly from a feel ing of stubbornness, refused td give me some information. The eircumHlauoeB were these Tu-' A scholar ljuid played some trick whieh interrupted ?io oxorct?oB. As was my enstom, I colled on tho ono who bad dono tho mi; ohief lo como forward. As nc one starfv d, -I repeated tho request, but with n<~* mccess. Finding that the oulprit woul l not confess his guilt, I asked Goorg?: if ho kuew who committed tho offence. ? " I did no . do it," was the rfply. " Bat do j ou know who did ?' " Yes, sir. s " Who was it ?" " I do not wish tp tell." "But you must tell. . It is my duty to ask and yours to answer-tee." " I cannot do it," said t?sorgo firmly. " Then yon must stop with me aftor sohool." Ho stopped as requested, but nothing whioh I could urge would induce bim to reveal anything. At last, ont of pa tit nee with what I believed to be obsti nacy of tho boy, I said : "Well, George, I have borno with you ns long an I can, and you must either tell mo or be punished." Wi'h a triumphant look, as though conscious that ho had tho better of me by an application of my favorito rulo, he replied : "I can't tell you, because it wonld not bo right. The boy would not like to have me tell of him, and I'll do as I'd be dono by." A few years earlier I should have deemed a reply thus given mo an in sult, nnd should havo rosen ted it ac cordingly ; but experience and reflec tion had taught me the folly of this, and one of the most important of my oit quoted rule was-to judge of tho nature of others as I would have them judge of mine. Yet for the moment I was staggered. His ploa was plausible ; he might bo honest in making it. I did not seo in what respect itwas fallacious. I felt that it would not do to retreat from my position and nutter the offender to osoapo, and yet that I should do a great injustice by compelling a boy to do a thing if ho rosily believed it to be wrong. After a littlo pause I said : " Well, George, I do not wish you to do any thing winch is wrong, or which conflicts with your golden rule. Wo will leave this for to-night and perhaps you will alter your mind before, to-morrow." I ?aw him privately before school and found him moro linn in bia refusal than ever. Aftor the devotional exercises of tho morning I began to question the soholnrs, na was my wont, on tho va rious poiuts of duty, and gradually led the conservation to tho golden rule. " Who," I asked, " aro tho persons to whom, aa members of this school, you ought to do as you wonld bo done by ? Your parents, who support and send you here ; your schoolmates, who are engaged in tho samo world with your selves ; tho citizens of the town who, by taxing themselves, raiso inonoy tc pay tho expenses of this sohool ; the school committee, who take so great nv interest in our welfaro ; yonr teacher, ortho scholar who carelessly or will' fully commits nome ofienao against goo<" order? A hearty "yes" was responded to every question except tho last, at which they were silent. Then addressing George, 1 said : "Yesterday I naked you who had com mitted a certain offense. You refnBod to tell me because you thought it would not he doing ns you would be done by. I uow wish you to reconsider the sub ject. On one side aro your parents, your Behool mat cs, the citizens of this town, school committee, and yonr teacher, all deeply interested in every thing affecting the prosperity of this school. On the other side is tho boy who, by this act, has shown himself ready to injure all these. To which party will jon do as you would be done by ?" After a moment's pause he said : " To tho first ; it was William Brown who did it?" My triumph, or rather tho triumph of principle, was complete ; and the lesson was as deeply felt by tho other members of tho school as by him for whom it was specially designed. The Khedive's Ball. A Cairo correspondent describes n ball recently given by tiro kh?dive as follows: "It took place"at tho Qne zireh palace, situated on tho Nile. As one entered tho uvonuo leading into tho garden of the palace, fairy land boguu -Chinese lanterns suspended along the avenues, and gleaming amid the broad grcou leaves of lofty palms, giving thom tho appearance of being covered with gorgeous flower? ; fountains sparkling like sprays of diamonds in th? flashing light ; graceful statues draped with gar lands aa if trying to conceal their love liueHH ; gaB-jcts placed close together round tho top of tho pallico, giving tho effect at a distance of an unbroken chain of flame ; revolving lights in many col or?, so arranged as to bo reflootod in tho river for almost a mile, combined to form a scene of magical beauty un equaled by any in tho 'Arabian Nights.' When tho invited guest roached the grand entrance his ayos were dazzled by the flood of light poured upon him from the richly gilt chandeliers in tho vestibule; tho marble pavement and tho broad marble stops woro covored Hit h rich Persian carpets. As tho ladies Blepped from tho carnages ushers dress ed iu tho native costume offerod their arms to tho cloak-room ; then up tho gr?i?<l lil.-.iivasa, ?nd, i Loy - /.'>'.:!<.!. t*k* spook English nor most foreigners Arabic, thoy could not present tho ladies whom they oscorte.t, but now and then a gentleman who had been presented and who understood Fronoh conducted tho Hfcraugera to tho room whero tho khodivo stood alono, receiv ing his guests liko any ordinary Amori ean gentleman. When introduced ho7 shook hands and smiled pleasantly. AR lie, too, could not understand those who did not speak French, ho remained silent till another group onme up. The next thing in order was to walkthrough the various rooms, particularly admir ing those occtqned by the Empress Eugenie, of France, when here on a visit some few yours since. They were elegantly fitted np in blue. It would be impossible to fully describe their mogniticont beauty. vVheu we entered the ball-room, which was superbly dec orated and lined with mirrors, a single set had been formed for the 'Lanoiers.' The gentlemen in tho set where Prince Arthur, two princes (sons of tho kh? dive), and the duke of Mecklenburg. The ladies were very handsome and mngnifloiently dressed. Tho dresses of tho women in gonornl at this princely fete wo/e surpassing in their splendor, ulitteriug coronets, necklaces of pre cious stones, and on their arms, in tlipir hair, and oven around their waists and on portions of their dress wore some of the largest diamonds that were over seen outside of palaces when the conrt jewels were displayed. Weary of the glitter of tho bnll-room we passed out on the balcony to there revel in tho panorama spread before us. It was boyond description, and still (though the hour was late), far as tho eyo could reach carriages could bo seen coming up thc illuminated avenue as though bringing gnests from tho uttermost ends of the earih. Tho kh?dive'? buffet was next in order. Hero there wore all kinds of refreshments for tho gentle men, with.a profusion of rare wines. All through the evening waiters carried around trays of ices, wine, lemonade, lind sherbet. Half an hour after mid night supper was uunouueed. The guests wore all teated at tables glitter ing with crystal, silver and gold, and laden with all the luxuri?s of tho east." Tho Shah's Strong Box. Tho f-trong box of tho Shah of Persia consists of a small room 20x11 feet. Hore, spread upon carpets, lio jewels valued at ?7,000.000. Chief among thom is the Kainiari crown, shaped like a flower pot, and topped by an un out ruby ns Iorgo ns a hen's egg, and supposod to have como from Siam. Near Ibo erowu uro two lambskin caps ador iu d with splendid aigrettes of diamonds, and before them lie trays of poa ri, ruby and omerah! neoklnceo, and hundreds of rings, A Mr. East wick, who is reported to liave been allowed to examino the collection, states that conspicuous among tho gauntlets and belt-a covered With pearle and dia monds is the Kaianiiui belt, about a foot deep, weighing perhaps eighteen pounds, and one complete mass of pearl?, diamonds, emeralds and rubies. Ouo or t wo scabbard* of swords aro said to lie worth a quarter of a million each. Tuero is abo the finest turquoise m tho world, thiee or four inches long, and without a flaw ; and au emerald as big an a walnut, covered with tho names of kings who hnvo ponsoflsed itt FACTS AND FANCIES? - -"Fd like to give something to the poor," remarked a Toledo lady.-".*^"^^ hard times and they must be suffering,* but I've got to nee this $40 to buy an-*? otherswitoh." -.-?IA -" Hellen was proud," said an .Ind?^?<? ana widower of his late wife, " and she was a great worker. You onght^W" have R to o d by and eeo her jerk' a j bedA.,, atead down and go for boga * " -A woman recontly died in Alabama r leaving to somebody,it is said, an inher it anco of no less than. 287 hoop-skirts. Tltat woman was as well hooped aa 'an* imported barrel of French brandy. J" -A good many young men would be content if they were only astronomers, but when a mau sets out to be really great he will never stop until people speak of him as a pisciculturist. -A Troy fool got a beef's heart, pul n golden arrow worth $75 through it,, and sent it to a Troy young woman for a valentine. The fair creature gave the... heart to her poodle, but will keep the arrow. -A silly fellow whose ears were, 'un usually large once Biniporingly asked a witty lady : "Will I not mako a lino angol?" "Woll, no," she replied, pointing to his ears, "I think your0' wings aro to high." -Now England Beems to bo drying np. At Braceborough, "Vt., water costs thirty cents a barrel, and at Graf- . ton, N. H., ono mnn asks li YO hundred dollars for tho privilege of drawing water from Ids woll. -1 HE total receipts of tho trans atlantic steamship companies plying ' botweon Now York and Europe were * rmly $30,153,885 in 1874, against $57,- ?" "577,350 in 1874, a dooroaso of $27,423, J65. -Murderons affrays, burglaries"; and issassinations aro of constant occur- 1y) renco in Port Said, Egypt. *The r?si- ' ?leutu are hardly Baie in . their., ?awmsa liouses, nnd a lady scarcely dare venture .. io appear in the streets for fear vf ",s insult. aafi? -A vory tlexiblo tempor?neo pledge is this, which is circulated among Bbs-7 ton fashionable ladies: "I promise* Hint no intoxicating liquor ?Indi bel'* used in this house for cooking purposes, und in sickness that it . shall be given conscientiously^,' . . .'.."- -'. V'-?'*'d -rTiio Pall Mall^Gazette'a ^corros"- - p?Weht^r^Brlul^? Ger man government has received a memo rial from the Protestant clergy of Spain, oomplaiuing that tWliberty of worship. ?a threatened. Simimfr^omorials have beau forwarded to\othor Protestant povvors in Europe and to Uie United0-'*! W**- }o ..>-..,; Q??r Iior Uiinr? nv?r l.or ^T-^yp^r ? uilow my old groiiumotnor used to spank mo; ' . ?vor lior knoo, over lier kneo. When I watt quite a amah boy ! It. VT.:? J.pank, spank, spank ! No nae waa it kicking, for on abo went liok- , . 'ng, . With spank, spank, spank! Tho thing i'll o used to enjoy! Ohorue-Thon it's ovor knoo, oto. -A wealthy and eccentric woman in Springfield, Til., contributes $."?00 a year to* tho support of ono of tho churches there, but cannot be induced to attend ' ' i single service. Nor will Bhe allow its pastor to enter her house. She says that ho "means well," and that is why . die gives the money, but sho doesn't. lesiro to " hear any of his can't.". -They have a good deal of wind in Holland and the people make a good [lear of money out of it. Thero are 12,000 windmills in operation, each do ing a sir or ten-horse power service; through tho twenty-four hours. These .; : mills are kept up at an annual cost of 54,000,000, and they perform all the service required of steam engines at ane-twentieth the cost. -For tho year r n^ing September 80, the pi onle.of tho United States con sumed 580,000.000 bushels of peanuts. Tennessee furnished 185,000 ; "Virginia, 225,000; North Carolina, 60,000; and the balnnce, 125,000 bushels, was im ported from Africa. The maturing Virginia crop is said to be largo, prob ably about 350,000 bushels, while the North Carolina crop is estimated at 120,000 bushels. -The compiler of foreign gossio doesn't often give us anything so ro niantio as this : The will of an old mau, who died recontly in Brussels, tells how he once fonnd a valuable diamond in Ania, .which ho concealed in a ont in the calf of his log, where he had made an intentional wound. The apparent mis> fortune procured his reloaeo from tho mine, and be was made immensely rich by the salo of the gem, whioh is now one of Russia's crown diamonds. -Old man "Wheeler of Minnesota wauts a divorce from his wife. She sent him down tho cellar one night last week after a bottle of yeast. Ho got it and WHS trudging along up stairs, think ing of nothing in particular, when the bottlo exploded, scaring Wheeler so that ho foll with ono prout whoop down in a soap bnrrol undor tho stairs. When tliey pulled him out he pranced around yelling " Cuss a wifo ; on ss yeast ; ouse tho winde of yoi" And the lawyers say ho has got a good ease. -In making dresses for this season nearly overy lady can have a style of n her own, tho only points in whioh-fash ion is inexorable being a long over-skirt . and a high corsage, except for, full dress. Af ter conceding these pomt8-ai;/ dress may be short or demi-trained with a p?ain or drapod apron front, or. no apron ; may bo puffed full at the back, or drapod gracefully or left to hans perfectly plain. It may bo caught ? up at one side or at both. The waist may bo single or double breasted, and tho sleeves of rigid plainness or covered from shoulder to wrist with puffs, pleat* iugH and ruffle*)