The Fairfield news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1881-1900, March 08, 1882, Image 1
H WEEKLY EDITION. ^ WINNSBOEO, S. WEDNESDAY, MAECH 8, 1882. ESTABLISHED IN 1844. |j
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Ramon.
fBefugio^Mino. Northern Mexico.]
Drunk and seamless in bis place,
k. >. Prone aad sprawling oa bis face,
Jffore brute^than any man
tafr Alive or dead-1^,
"By his great pump out of
pr Xav the peon engineer,
jfe TVaking only just to bear.
Overhead,
Angry tones that called his name,
, Oaths and cries of bitter blame?
Vr Woke to hear this, and waking, turned and
9ed:
' " To the man svlio'il bring to me,"
Cried Intendast Harry Lee?
Hany Lee, the English foreman of the mine?
^ "'-Bring the sot alive or dead,
f% I will give to him," he said,
"Fifteen hundred pesos down,
Jusf to get the rascal's crown
Underneath this heel of mine;
Since but death
Deserves the man whose deed,
Be it vice or want of heed,
Stops t"ie pamps that give us breath,
% Stops the pumps that euck the death
ISroai the poisoned lower levels t the mine ?'
"No one answered, for a cry
From the shaft rose up on high;
-And shuffling, scrambling from below
Came the miners each, the bolder
Mounting on the weaker's shoulder
Grappling, clinging to the: r hold or
Lotting go.
A& the breaker gasped aud fell
>v. From the ladder to the well?
ST To tie poisoned.'pit of hell
Down below!
** To the man who seis them free,"
Cried the foreman, Harry Lee?
Harry Lee, the English foreman of the mine?
^ "Brings them oat and sets them free,
- I will give that man," said he,
yr " Twice that sum, who with'a rope,
race to lace witn aeatn snail cope,
Let >-im come who dares to hope!"
" Hold your peace I" some one replied,
Standing by the foreman's side;
" Thero has one alread^gone, whoe'er he be !"
Then they held t^fcir breath "with awe,
Pulling on the rope, and saw
Fainting figures reappear,
On the black rope swinging clear,
listened by some skillful hand from below:
"Till a score the levei gained
And but one alone remained?
" He the hero and the last,
He whose skillful hand made fast,
The long line that brought them back to hope
and cheer!
Haggard, gasping, down dropped he
At the feet of Harry LeeHarry
Lee, the English foreman of the mine;
*'1 have come," he gasped, " to claim
Both rewards. Senor, my name
Is Ramon!
I'm the drunken engineer?
I'm the coward, Senor?" Here
fell over, by that sign
f Dead as stone !
?Bret ffarte.
LIL'S FOLLY.
Pretty Lilian Lawney, exqtiisifcelj
ncfaima^ -from tlio cilfe-An nsfirrrth nlnmfl
of her hat to the tip of her dainty boot,
L ran lightly down thft high steps of her
fe^, ibeautilul new home. Hr
She had been married a month, and
was very happy as the darling of an old
man, who, while fortnnate enoxigh to
surround her with luxury, was also more
a fortunate to possess the utter faith and
love of his youag wife. ;
Lawney had never regretted
few year3 of tried fidelity and exf
perience which made his breast a haven
of rest and peace to this otherwise
lonely girl. It was Lilian who grieved
that her brief twenty summers might
separate so far their now united lives.
But this brilliant winter day possessed
for her no introspection. She
1? 1 XT?L 1 T
Oil!} k-uuv, LLuio uer uappj utrmro rseciutu
to bo reflected from the dazzling' streets
and bright blue sky. Her content
seemed to make all the world content
about her, until qnickly turning the
corner of a square, she came suddenly
upon a knot of boys, in tha midst of
"which was a dog; a miserable, crouching
creature, over whom her heart melted.
She stopped.
v "What are you doing with that pooi
do??" she asked, somewhat severely.
The boy3 had paused, at her sudden
appearance upon the scene, with the air
of detected criminals.
, One, revealing that he had a heart in
ins breast, finally answered:
' Ned Rollins he's turned a whole
bottle of kerosene over him, and they're
; sga going to set it on fire!"
i "Is this true?" demanded Lilian of
one of the older boys.
'A "He's my dosr, and I've a ricrht to do
% what I pleas? with!'' he returned, insolently;
and he rose np from his crouching
position and gave the poor dog a
kick -which actually caused Lilian a feelisg
of physical faintness.
The other hoys looked somewhat
cowed at ihe indignant flash of h -r
beautiful eyes, but the bully stood sullen
and defiant.
"You don't want the dog, I understand?"
she said, at length, addressing
1 him.
"No; I am going to kill him!" he answered
brutally.
4'He said he'd sell him to me, and now
he won't," spoke up another of the boys.
"Will you sell him tome?" asked Lilian,
quickly.
'.'How much '11 you give?" demanded
the young ruffian.
Lilian took out her little azure purse,
with its gold rings, and turned the coin
into ner nana, umy a lew pennies ana
a gold sovereign, which latter she had
kept for a pocket-piece for some months.
Her husband had- dropped it into her
purse one day, playfully proposing that
she should make some wise investment
of it. She turned the coin in her palm
over regretfully. There was no help for
"I will give vou this," she said, taking
out the sovereign.
a? _ t;You may have him."
4" Transferring the coin to the boy's
band, Lilian bent over her new purchase,
patting him, and taking the
? string which was tied about his neck.
The dog was only a puppy yet, apparently
of a large breed of animal, was
v of good size, with a shaggy, rusty coat;
but Lilian obseivod that his head, with
V its drooping silky ears, was really pretty,
aa f Y\ r\n r\ in
2UIU ihicjlxi^CUV^ OJUUUC xix iuc aupcaiiiL^
brown eyes. Still, the forlorn, halfstarved
creature was a ludicrous appendage
to the elegant young lady, and as
> she rose up ?.o lead him away the boys
set tip a shout of derision. Lilian's
cheeks burned, but she continued to
lead and coax the animal through the
quiet square to her own door. With a
breath of relief she at length shut it
upon him. In the vestibule of the elegant
house the miserable dog looked
more miserable than ever by contrast,
and Lilian looked at him thoughtfully,
.a faint smile of humor relieving her excitement
and compassion.
At that moment she heard her husband's
step in the drawine-room.
"Major*!" she called, gayly.
"Darling! " was the response.
" I have invested rav sovereign. Come
and see!"
Major Lswney, with his handsome,
manly face and curling gray hair,
appeared in the hall.
With a dramatic air of mock triumph,
J.Tliap pointed to the dog.
" Why, Lilian, where did you get that
unfortunate creature?" demanded her
husband, in the low tone of utter surprise.
' Found him with some boys who
were going to torture bim. I could not
save him any other wav> so I bought
him, and I had only the sovereign to
pay for him with. He isn't very nice,
but I pity him so!?and I mav keep
him, mayn't I, Guy ? "
Major Lawney looked from the lovely
face to the unlovely dog, and the next
moment his own face broke slowly into
a smile.
"Yes, yon may keep him, and he shal.
be called Lil's Folly," he said, rather
dryly.
The next instant her arms were around
his neck, and they were laughing heartily
together.
Bnt Lil's Felly, fed and washed,
brushed and treated kindly, began to
have a respectable appearance. His
shaggy coat became black and glossy.
Lil observed that he was growing ; and
Major Lawner surreptitiously fed him
from his plate at dinner, and pronounced
him a very good specimen of
the Newfoundland.
"Not so bad an investment, Lil." he
finally remarked; kindly, when in the
spring Folly had reached a remarkable
Lil laughed.
" Thank yon! I can bear considerable
of that sort of thing, Guy ; I nave been
ashamed of him so long !"
Folly was invested with a handsome
new collar, and in the summer went
to the seashore with them. They
"took board at one of the hotels. LU
had never been in snch a place before.
The great, restless, level sea, the stretch
cf silent, shifting sky, the panorama of
the gliding sails, were indescribably
delightful to her. She was constantly
out of doors, running along the shore
and climbing the rocks like a child.
She watched sunrises and sunsets. She
sat in the yellow sands watching the
snowy surf, and lived all the happiness
she had ever dreamed.
Her husband leisurely accompanied
her light footsteps. If his thoughts
were graver than hers, they were not
less pleasant; ana that bonny, golden,
glancing head was the light of his
eyes. But one day he had letters to
write \J^en Lil wanted to be out of
doors.
"By as quick as you can, Guy, and I
will run about by myself, with Folly,
until you are ready, when we will go
! down to the shallows," she said, and
was away, the great Newfoundland at
her side.
Folly was sagacious, docile, and very
obedient. Along the shore he was allowed
to accompany them; but at the
village, where Major Lawney received
his mail twice a week, he was found an
embarrassment?a certain belligerent
mastiff making war upon him; and
though Folly, ''being in," bore himself
bravely, he was the greatest sufferer in
these encounters, by reason of his
shaggy coat which gave the mastiff so
undetachabie a hold upon him.
Lil also had occasional errands to the
village. If Folly followed nnperceived
and was sent back, he always obeyed,
not only turning back at the command.
"Home, sir?home!" but returning to
the piazza of the hotel, where he lay
down and patiently bided his time.
But this morning he was free to follow
his young mistress. He bounded
at her side, his head erect, his great
tail moving like a banner, apparently
as happy as she was.
Lll took a new direction this morning,
and, being out' of signt of the
hotel, ran out upon a promontory that
reaohed far into the restless water.
There she sat down to rest, but soon
busied herself picking up some beautiful
pink seashells.
When an hour had passed in this
way, she turned to retrace her steps,
but paused in amazement. She was
upon a small island. The sea had advanced,
crossed the neck at its lowest
point, and cut her off from the main
land. And, to her horror, she saw that
it was still advancing, and lessening the
little island upon which she and the
dog stood.
After a moment she climbed upon the
highest rock and watched it. Yes, the
tide was coming in rapidly, and swiftly
and surely surrounding the island. She
had reason to believe that it would j
T_ _ ?i j xi^n? I
suuu ms jjuumergcu. .CVJLIJ, tuu, DCCIAICU.
to scent danger He ran back aud forth
uneasily sniffing the air.
Lil sank down on the rock and tried
to think. She was about a mile from
the hotel, and out of sight of it. Her
hnsband wonld apprehend no tronble,
ana. when he should have finished his
letters, wonld take a cigar and await her
return. No one was on the shore, and ;
no boats in sight. If the water shonld
submerge the rocks, upon which she sat,
there was no prospect bnt that she
wonld be drowned.
I cannot tell yon how long the poor
girl sat there watching the crawling
water?trying to be brave?trying not
to think how happy she had been?how
her hnsband wonld be stricken by hei
death?for she never knew herself.
Bnt she rose at last, making a despe-1'
rate effort for Jife. She determined to |
send the dog ashore with a message to j
her husband.
Tearing a blank page from a letter in
her pocket, she wrote a few urgent
words upon it with the little gold pencil
thfct hung from her watch guard, and
then tfied to fasten the note to Folly's
collar ; but the paper was too perishable
to trust to the water. The salt drops,
already dripping from his shaggy coat,
instantly soaked it and made it worthless,
and she broke into a bitter cry.
The next instant she snatched the ,
pretty straw hat from her hea< and tied
it securely by its cardinal ribbons to i
Folly's neck. ,
He looked into her face, wfcried and
crouched at her feet. Was he tronbled
for her or himself ?
"Go home?home, sir!" she said.
For the first time Folly did not obey.
He alternately crouched before her, and
sprung upon her breast, wagging his
tail. She caught hold of his collar and
led him to the water's edge.
"Go home, Folly!?home!?home!"
With a desperate howl the dog
sprung into the water.
He swam away and left Lil alone.
The water encircled her within a few
yards. She was certain now tbat it ,
would rise about the rocks upon -which
she sat. In spite of herself she was ;
crying miserably?whispering her husband's
name?trying, poor child, to say
her prayers?to say, humbly, "Thy will,
not mine, be done." Bnt it was hard,
while the cruel, craving, cold waves
came up, up, up, and there was no
sound but their clashing voices. She
was not ill, either. Her heart beat so
wildly in her young breast! the red
blood burned so hot about her throbbing
temples! and the sweet lips that
trembled were yet thrilled by kisses.
"It will be too late?too late!"
Folly might go directly to the hotel
and display the drenched hat; and then
again, for once, he might hie away to
sulk his own pleasure, and the hat be.
torn from his neck and never found in
time to tell the story. Already the
water was creeping around her feet?
already she sat on a level with the toss
mg waves. ien izuiiai.es more, ana?
"Lil! Lii! Lil!
A call?her name!
She sprung up?tore off her duster of
pale linen and waved it alolt to guide
the coming boat. She could hear the
oars; and at last?at last?she saw the
little dory leaping the waves. There
Was her husband and another strong
oarsman, and Folly stood in the stern.
S^e utterly lost control of herself
then, and wept wildly, until her hus
band's arms took her into the boat; find
then, sobbing into calmness on his
knees, as they rowed s.way from the
dreadful spot, Lil prayed.
When he could talk and she could
listen, Major Lawney told her how
Folly had come ashore.
"He came bounding into the chamber
with the hat in his mouth, evidently
wanting to attract my attention to it. I
was still busy writing, and half-absently
ordered him out. He would not go?
i but sprung around me, whining?until,
i glancing at my watch, and seeing how
late:: was, with no sounds of yonr arrival,
I looked at him more closely, and
saw that he was very wet On trying to
take the hat from him, I observed that
it was attached to his neck, and that it
was the one you had worn away. The
truth then rushed over me ; but never
was there a more miserable man, for I
did not know which way to go. I
feared that you were drowned. I rushed
down to the shore, called to our landlord's
son, and pushed off the dory. I
begged him to come with me ; Folly,
too, jumped in ; and when we began to
row he showed every sign of dissatisfaction
until we turned the boat Every
time I called, he barked?until, dear
child, we came in sight of you?and
then I could hardly keep him in the
boat?so anxious was he to reach you.
But for his help, sweetheart, death
would have separated us. No money
shall ever buy Folly."
Tbo Mexican Indian.
The Indian population of Mexico is
composed of various elements. The
American continent has had its migrations
of nations a<s well as Asia and
Europe. In the middle of the seventeenth
century' the Tolkets were followed
by all those valiant tribes, who
subsequently overran the country of
Auahoac and left marks of primitive
civilization in the parts through which
they wandered. It is more than probable
that the Tolkets met with nations
who had inhabited Mexico long before
their arrival. Many of th6 wandering
tribes who had crossed the Rio Bravo
left, while directing their course southward,
entire families behind, and these
families settled down in Mexico, mix-"
ing with the Mexican tribes or leading
in independent existence without amalgamating
with the latter. Considering
these facts in the early history of Mexico,
we may get a fair explanation of the
present existence of so many different
tribes in the territory of the republic.
TTatttatta* Vi /~\tt7_
XIIULUCIUU'^ LUUOO LiiL/t-Oj XX\J Ji
ever different their language, civilization,
and physical peculiarities, they
do not lack characteristics of one and
the same family?that great family that
extends from St. Lawrence River down
to cape Horn.
The Mexican Indian has a coppercolored
skin that has frequently a
dark-brown appearance. Smooth, black,
glossy hair, protuberant cheekbones,
very keen eyes, broad lips, and ?, flat
nose, are his most marked traits. The
beard is generally heavier with those
who inhabit the temperate zone than
with those whose home is to be found in
the hot zone, yet the beard is generally
very thin, growing only above the lips
and on the chin while the cheeks very
seldom show any traces of hair. In
Senor&, for instance, a person who has
anything of a prominent beard is certainly
at least from fifty to sixty years
of age. The Indian has a softness of
skin in common with the negro. The
frame of the body is large, stout, muscular,
and in good proportions. Cripples
are not to be found among the Indians
of pure blood. Even those who
have led for centuries the lives of
peaceful citizens possess great muscular
strength.
The Indian h an excellent porter and
walker "with a heavy load on his back.
It is common to see men carry loads of
30C pounds for; six hours, resting perhaps
once or twice. Children of
twelve years of age carry 100 pounds,
and seem not to suffer under the burden.
Women in general are not. far
behind the men. The way in which a
company of Indians go to tr-wn is
curicus. They move constantly in a
long row. one behind the other. If you
address a question to the perccn marching
in front, the row will stop at once, j
and not begin its movement again before
the conversation has ended. Tiie
Indian on an errand seldom walks, but
is constantly trotting, and in this way
he makes long distances in a very short J
time without showing the least sign of
fatigue. The body of the Indian is less
liable to disease than that of the white
man. Rheumatism, colds and toothache
are things unknown to those of pure
blood. It is not very rare to find in an
Indian village several persons who have
passed their hundreth year.
The Indian is frequently reproached
for a lazy disposition and a dogged char- ,
acter. Both accusations seem to origi- (
nate in a very superficial, observation ; i
for the Indian furnishes the toilinr
hands in the republic. He tills tbe
ground and raises cattle, works as a
day laborer on farmc, supplies the
markets of towns and cities with the
produce of his fields. Most of the
mining work is done by him, and he
follows the trades of mason, carpenter
and shoemaker. He is the faithful servant
of the house, and is the daring
and hardy soldier of the Mexican army.
In the school we find the Indian bov an
intelligent and inquisitive creature,
generally at the bead of his class ; and
as the actual government is very liberal
in furnishing means for public instruction,
the result will soon be known,
ana the young Indian may presently
have reached the degree of civilization
of his white feliow-citizen. With regard
to the alleged dogged character,
it onght to be known that the Indian
is rather shy with his white brother, but
whenever decently and respectfully
treated he is gentle and police. Once
having gained an Indian's confidence.
^ _ < 1.
you. may dispose 01 ms xoriune ana ms
life. There are Indian families that
aocummulated considerable wealth,
bnt instead of investing the money obtained
in indnstrial, commercial, or
agriculfcnral enterprise, they buried
the gold. As peace, industry and security,
begin to return, the Indiau comes
forth with his hidden treasure, and \ve
shall soon hear of bis taking an active
part in the development of his native
country. The imitative faculty is
scarcely more striking with the Chinese
than with the Mexican Indian. Most
of th# schoolboys are able to furnish a
true counterfeit of their master, and
there are few sketches or pictures
which would not be ingeniously imitated
by them. The beautiful wax figures
representing the Indian, his home
ana oany me, encit mucn aamir&non. i
Time will show that the Indian is not!
the base and animal-like creature he i
bas frequently been represented to be. j
\7hether he will ever attain the degree
of culture and civilization of his white
brother of the Aryan race we can not
decide, yet the year 19C0 will show us
the Indian as an individual who may
boldly prefer the same claims to the
world's respect as we demand for ourselves.
Enew His Han.
A young man was ridiculing the j
story or JJavict ana (jronatn, asserting I
that it was impossible for a small boy
to throw a stone with force enough oo
break the skull of a giani. He appealed
1;o a Quaker in confirmation of his
theory. "Well," said the man of
broadbrim prejudices, "it all depends.
If the giant's head was as soft as thine
appears to be, it oould be done easily.
5'-vC.'.
ARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Raw Potatoes.
Pigs, says a writer, will not always
eat, and Dever can be fattened npon raw
potatoes, while, if they are boiled, next
to boiled peas, perhaps, will briDg them
to the greatest weight they are capable
of attaining, and to greater perfection
tnan anything else that may be continuously
used with safety, admitting that
three to four week's feeding upon corn,
oats or barley, is necessary to make the
pork firm and impart flavor. It is tfce
experience of very successful perk raisers
that one bushel of corn meal mixed
with four bushels of boiled potatoes
gives a very satisfactory feed for
pigs.
Carrots ns Food !"or Cattle.
In Europe the carrot is grown to a
great extent for feeding to cattle in the
winter months. Roots of some kind are
fed the winter through to the cows. An
Iowa raiser of Jersey cows says he is
accustomed to feed carrots, of which he
usually raises 600 bushels per acre.
Carrots increase the flow of milk and
improve the appearance and quality of
butter. Beets are preferable to carrots
for increasing the flow of milk; the
milk, however, which is produced from
beets it not as good for butter. The
breeder mentioned above has found it
difficult to raise his calves on clear
Jersey milk, and advises the feeding of
fcfiat, wVn<Vh lias heen skimmed.
Gaano Water lor Fowls.
The Rvral New Yorker says : Guano
water is a first-rate manure for greenhouse
and window plants, it :is no
patent nostrum; we know what it is,
and that it is good. But in addition to
being a highly esteemed food for the
roots of plants, as a wash for the leaves
it is also excellent. Be your plant
outside or in the house, no matter. You
syringe them with clear guano water,
and you will soon observe an increased
thrift and fatness of foliage and immunity
from insects over those syringed
with clean water. Bed spiders, thrips,
and mealy bugs, hate guano water. Nor
does the guano water leave a sediment
upon the foliage, as might be expected.
Use it in this fashion : Into a bucketful
of soft water mix a teacupful of guano ;
stir well, and leave for a day or two to
settle; then pour eff the water into
another vessel, taking care not to stir
up the sediment. Add about as much
clean water; then use as freely as you
please.
Clover.
N. Griffin, at the Elmira Farmers'
Club, said: "There is no substitute
for clover, so far as I know?nothing to
take its place. It is better in its effect
on land than any other forage plant. It
is said that a good crop of clover?say
snch a crop as will yield two tens of
cured hay from an acre?will leave an
equal weight of rcots for the soil. That
is like a coat of mannre. I am sorry to
hear that clover is falling into disrepute,
foa its renovating power is greater than
that of any other plant. Lately clover
does better than in a few years past, so
I hope we shall soon have all the old
measure of success. Many years ago the
farms in Dutchess county used to give
large crops of timothy and they were
taken away and sold. Those farms are
now exhausted?ruined because the
crops were taken off. But clover is
never all taken off when the roots are
left. .Forty-five years ago a great deal
of timothy was raised in Tompkins
county and the land that produc ed it
ran down under its production anl the
occupants had to turn their attention to
clover. At first it was difficult ta get
J.b esiaunsueu, uuu inni: uj uttio xuuci
its influence the lands grew letter.
Farmers had to ditch their lands as the
first condition, then thay nsed plaster,
snd at last got fnll crops of clover and
better crops of grain, for their lands
improved through clover. Hungarian
grass has been tried, but, like timothy,
when the crop is taken off nothing is
ivftand the soil becomes poor. The
best crop is that which leaves most to
tne soil, and that is what clover does.
I hope it will not lose its place in our
farming, for there is no other plant so
beneficial in its effect.
Planting a Vineyard.
The distance at which the vines may
be planted varies with the different varieties,
the character of the soil and the
J- - J* A - "Vf i.
HlOQfcS UX traiiiixjg. JLU-UOII vaucuuj j_it??c
a tendency to make more wood on light,
sandy, gravelly or loamy soils than on
clays. Slow-growing varieties, snch as
Delaware and Catawba, may be planted
nearer together in the rows than strong
sorts like the Concord and Herbemont.
When the training it! to be npon trellises,
in any of the several modes, the
distance between the vines should be
greater than whsn the training is to be
on uiakes in the terpentine or bow sysr?m.
Many growers lay ont all the rows
si a. i'eet apart, as this is a convenient
dh.ance for cultivating and gives space
enough for rucn, horse and plough or
CT-Viivator. V"ith the rows six feet apart
they plant all strong-growing varieties
from eight to ten feet distant in the
rows, while slow kinds are planted
about six feet apart. A rule given by
P. Barry is as follows : Set strong-growing
sorts in loamy or rich soils, and to
be trained for trellis, ten or twelve feet
apart; on heavy clay soil reduce the
distance in the rows two feet. Plant
varieties like Catawba and Iona eight
feet apart each way. Delaware and
other short-jointed varieties plant at six
fant in t.Vin rn?? t.flA 7V>Wft fvicflt fftftt.
Select good strong one or two year
old plants with plenty of strong, wellripened
roots that are smooth and firm
and have also well-ripened, short
jointed wood. Having prepared the
soil for the reception of the plants according
to directions previously given,
make an excavation for each one eight
or ten inches deep in a slanting direction
and wide enough to admit the
spreading out of the roots. Baise a
small mound of well-pulverized earth
in the center and then lay in a plant
previously prnned with its tops and
roots shortened in, resting the lower
end on the monnd of earth; spread ont
the roots evenly to all 3ides and fill in
with well-pnlveiized earth, leaving the
upper bud above ground. Tne depth
to which the roots are covered should
never be less than four inches above the
npper or crown line, ana if the position
is a southern one, and the soil naturally
dry, six or eight inches will be better.
All the work should be done when tbe
ground is in good condition and dry
and mellow enough to be worked in
among the roots.
The Can of Milk.
In discussing this question Mr. C. S.
Kelbaum gives some very valuable
suggestions to the indifferent and inexperienced
dairymen of the grave
results that come through their carelessness.
He says manufacturers want
the full and hearty co-operaticn of every
^(lirrmnn in or> ^ op/mr?n cr tn crp.t, trip
possible results from their milk with
the least percentage of loss. Good
cows, well fed and well watered, will
produce good milk. Well watered
means plenty of good, healthy water
from a running stream or good well. It
is a notorious fact f L:it poor water? or
water from stagnant pools?is the
cause of more taint in the milk in
summer time than anything else. Salt,
regularly given, adds to the quantity
as well as the quality of milk. If it is
possible, let the cows have access to
plenty of shade during the hot days in
summer, for many a can of milk is
spoiled by a single pailful drawn from
a cow in an over-heated condition. Do
not allow your men to beat tbem n*r
dogs to worry tbem. Tbey will give
more and better rtiilk for the kindness
bestowed tipon them. "When your men
come to milk insist that they clean the 1
bag and teats with water, if they need *
it, and then dry them before milking, 3
and for Heaven's sake don't allow them 1
to drain the dirty mixture into the pail. '
Look to it that every pail, every
strainer, every can, is washed in cold 1
wat; r first and then most thoroughly j
with hot water, drained and allowed to
get tne sun's rays upon them, if pos- 1
sible, for there is no iptirifier like good J
pure air and a bright sun. ' Every 1
dairy fariaer should be provided with a 1
good milk house, situated at a good ]
distance from the cow stable, so that it may
be free from the disagreeable odors '
that milk is always sure to absorb if J
left all night in the cow stable. If you :
have not running water in the milk
house, provide yourself with a good >
wind-mUI pump. |As soon as the milk 1
is drawn, carry it ' at once to the milk
house. Have the water about the cans
changed several times, and the milk '<
stirred to prevent sream rising until it
is cooled to about degrees for the 5
night's milk, and sizty-.ave for the :
morning's. During all this time be
sure and leave the can covers off, to \
allow the anizaal, heat to escape. Do }
not mix your morning's and night' J
milk, but placa them in separate cans :
even if you hare only a can altogether. 1
Carry to the fa story as soon after milk- ^
ing as it is ccoledtoa proper tempe- -
rature, using, it ;"possiDie, a spring
wagon, to present too great churning
of the milk ou rough roads. Always .
cover yonr cars with a blanket to pro- !
tect the milk from the snn in summer
and from the cold in winter.?American
Dairyman.
Reel pea.
Gkou>~d Rice Cake.?Ealf a pound of
gronnd rice, four eggs and enongh )oaf
sugar to sweeten^ beat the whole together
for twenty minutes, bake in a
slow oven. \
Gueen Cork Ptpding.?Take twelve
ears of corn; splitTthe rows in the center,
then scra;-:>e ihe pnlp ont withthe
knife; this will leave the hnll on
the cob; add four eggs, one pint milk,
one spoonful butter, sweeten and flavor
to taste; bake one-half hour.
Toffee.?Pn': one pound of powdered
loaf sngar with a teacnpfnl of water into :
a brass pan. When the stigar is dissolved
add a qr arter of a pound of but- 1
kaofan +/\ Q .flflVtnnflT +.v? o i
1^1 k/U?b^JU W ? mi i i y MVVy VUV J
mixture over a fire until it sets, when a
little is poured on to a buttered dish;
just before the toffee is done add six
drops of essence of lemon. Butter a
dish or tin, pour on it the mixture and
when cool it will easily separate from
the dish.
Boiled Apples.?A correspondent
writes that about the nicest morsel to
tickle the palate is a boiled apple?not ,
boiled like a potato, nor steamed like a
pudding, but as follows: Piaco a layer f
of fairskinned Baldwins (or any nice ,
variety) in the stewpan, with about a
quarter of an inch of water. Throw on
about one half of sugar to sax goodsized
apples, and boil until the apples j"
ai6 thoroughly coc ked, and the syrup "
nearly thick enorgh for jelly. After one
trial no one would, for any consid- J
eration, lave fuirs' inned apples peeled, '
The skin contains a large share of the ,
pictous?.jellyjm^. irg?substances, and .
imparts ^gjSftvor ^possible to obta n
ofcherwiser Jle that a wise '
housekeeper, Histeacl otthrowing away c
the skin3 and cores of sound apples 6
would use then:.* for jelly, A tumbler ?
ful of the richest sort can thus be ob- F
tained from a dozen of apples. Boil the L
skin a few minrtes, and strain. Add a 0
little sugar to the liquid, and boil until ?
right to turn into the tumbler. ^
Hoc sebold Hints. ?
Enamelled c'.oth makes a neat and
useful covering for the wide lower c
shelf in the pantry where bread and t
cake aie cut. It is useful also, and r
looks well on the kitchen table, and a
can be ke pt absolutely clean Tiith little E
trouble. ?
Avery agreeable dentifrice for good _
teeth is made from an ounce of myrrh
in fine powder and a little powdered *
green sage, mixed with two spoonful ,
of white honey. A. druggist will make
up the compound, and teeth should be *
washed with ii; every night and
norniug. ^
Pretty bands to be used in looping jj
back lace curtains are made of the un- s
bleached tissue of which macremelace v
is made; crochet in some loose and 0
open-work pattern the width and c
length you wish, finish with a shell c
edge, and driw through the open t
meshes ribbons of any color, p
Oxalic acid will sometimes remove a
stains from brtiss which nothing else a
seems to effect. Great care must be e
taken in not allowing it to remain on
Apply it with a flannel cloth and then ii
polish with a chmois skin. \
Lentil Soup.?Mis a tablespoonfal of c
lentil flour and a teaspoonfnl of corn 0
flonr with a little milk till as thick as y
cream. Boil three-quarters of a pint of *
milk sweetened a little and flavored to I
taste; ponr this slowly on the flonr and E
milk, stirring meanwhile. Boil alto- ^
gether for ten minntes, still stirring,
Add a whipped egg. This is a most ?
nourishing albuminous food and a good *
substitute for beef tea. c
?
f
The Robin at His Best. t
"When the Duke of Argyll, who is a ^
i * ii.. ?z J j*i, r
lover ui wuo uiruo auu a guuu uxuxnuologist,
was in the oountry, he got the *
impression that otir song-birds were ^
inferior to the British, and he refers ^
to others of his countrymen as of like &
opinion. No wonder he thought our
robin inferior in power to the missal *
thrush, in variety to the mavis, and in ^
melody to the bladkbird. Robin did 8
not and could not sing to his ears the *
song he sings to ours. Then it is very 1
likely true that his Grace did not hear a
the robin in the most opportune mo- *
ment and season, or when the contast y
of his. song with the general silence and J
desolation of nature is the most striking f
and impressive. The nightingale needs 1
to be heard at might, the lark at dawn, r
? ? i- ^1. 3 L.'- Z? r
nsinjj 10 meet tue biui ; ana ruum, ii t
you would know the magic of Ms voice, *
should be heard ic early spring, when, ^
as the sun is setting, he carols steadily 0
for ten or fifteen minutes, from the top
of some tree. There is perhaps no
other sound in nature; patches of snow
lir ger here and there; the trees are f
naked and the earth is cold and dead, ^
and ohis contented, hopeful, re-resur- j
ing, find withal musical strain, poured r
out so freely and deliberately, fills the
void with the very breath and presence
of the spring, It is a simple strain, j
well suited to the early season; there c
are no intricacies in it, but its honest ^
cheer and directness, with its slight ^
plaintive tingo, like that of the sun
gliding me w:es-i/upo, gu aurtugiiu tu tuc
heart. The ccmpass and variety of the \
robin's powers are not to be despised
either. * A Geiman who has :had great t
skill in the musical education of birds ?
told me what J. was surprised to hear, j
namely, that our robin surpasses the ?
European blackbird m capabilities of ^
voice.?Century.
The colored people of Topeka, Kan.,
maintain fifteen distinct church organ- j
izations, embracing six various denominations?two
Methodist, Episcopal,
two African Methodist Episcopal, one
Congregational, one Cumberland Pres- <
byterian, four Primitive, and five Mis- i
sionary Baptist. ^ <
iHH
RELIGIOUS KEiDIN'G.
Conversions.
It is startling fact, and one thatcannot
be too much emphasized, that the
;en years of life between five and
fifteen are the most important, being
;he formative period of character, on
which depends the entire future,
rhe great majority of conversions are
cinder twenty years of age. The recent
testimony of a clergyman is that out of
235 hopeful conversions, 138 were
under twenty years of age, and only
[our had passed fifty. Another clergyman
testifies that out of 1,000 conversions
onlv twelve were over fifty. And
now comes the testimony of Rev. J. W.
M. Williams, D. D., who closed a few
Jays since his thirty-first year as pastor
Df the First Baptist Church, Baltimore,
fn the conrse of his anniversary sermon
he said: "I find that out of 1,016 persons
baptized by me in this city, 552
trere between 9 and 20 years; 355
between 20 and 30; 99 between 30 and
?0; 8 between 40 and 50; 2 between 50
jud 60. I say between 9 and 20 because
T have baptised several on their profession
of faith at nine years of age.
I have gone over this list so often that
L am perfectly familiar in the history
Df each case; and let me say those who
ioined the chnrch when children
have been the most consistent and usefnl,
and given the pastor and the
church the least trouble. Comparatively
few of them have been disciplined.
?Christian at Work.
Religions News and Noten.
Bishop Andrews is making early in
January, an official visit to the Methodist
"Rmaconal Church in Mexico.
X- X
By vote of tlie faculty of Chicago
Theological Seminary the Revised
New Testament will hereafter be tised
in the religions exercises of that school.
The receipts of the Board of Foreign
Missions of the Presbyterian Chnrch,
it the present date, are in advance of
;he receipts of last year i_ore than
518,000, bnt the chief increase is in
legacies.
The Year Book of the Unitarian*
ihurches for 1882 gives, as the whole
lumber of churches, 344, seven more
than for 1881. The whole number of
ministers is 404. Of the list for 1881,
fourteen died the past year. The
names of the four women are among the
ist of ministers.
The Domestic Mission of the Epis
copai umircn received iast year irum
ill sources more than $220,000.
There are thirteen missionary bishops
in the field, receiving each $3,000, and
having tinder them nearly 400 missionaries,
of whom 300 labor among white
people, 41 among negroes, and 52
among Indians.
What is Man ?
"While the gastric jcice has a mild,
)land, sweetish taste, it possesses the
jower of dissolving the hardest food
hat can be swallowed. It has no in!nence
whatever on the soft and delisate
fibers of the living stomach, nor
ipon the living hand, bnt at the monent
of death it begins to eat away with
he power of the s rongest acids.
There is dust on the sea, on land,
a the valley and on the mountain;
here is dust always and everywhere;
he atmosphere is full of it; it penerates
the noisome dungeon, and visits
he deepest, darkest caves of the earth;
to palace door can shut it out, do
I rawer so secret as to escape its pres(Eice;
every breath of wind dashes it
ipon the open ere, yet that eye is not
ilinded, because under the eyelid there
3 incessantly emptying itself a fountain
if the blandest fluid in nature, which
preads itself over the eye at every
linking, and washes every atom of
[nst away. But this liquid, so mild
nd so well adapted to the eye, itself
ias some acidity, which, under certain
ircumstances, becomes so decided as
o be scalding to the skin, and would
ot away the eyelids, were it not that
long the edges of them are little oil
aanufactories, which spread over their
urface a coating as impervious to the
iqaid necessary for keeping the eyelids
rasLed clean as the best varnish is imervioue
to water.
The breath which leaves the lung has
een so perfectly divested of its life
;iving properties, that to rebreathe it
.umixed with other air, the moment it
scapes from the month, would cause
mmediate death from suffocation; while
E it hovered about us, more or less detractive
influence over health and life
rould be occasioned. Bat it is made
f a nature so much lighter than the
ommon air, that the instant that it esapes
the lips and nostrils it ascends to
he higher regions above the breathing
K)int, there to be rectified, renovated
nd sent back again, replete with purity
nd life. Hew rapidly it ascends is fully
xhibited on a frosty morning.
But, foul and deadly as the expired air
s, nature, wisely economical in all her
Forks and ways, turns it to good acount
in its onward passage through the
rgans^of the voice, making of it the
rhispers of love, the soft words of afection,
the bender- tones of human eym>athy,
the sweetest strains of ravishing
ausic, and the persuasive eloquence of
he finished orator.
If a well-made man be extended on
ground, his arm at right angles with
he body, a circle maKmg tne navei its
:entr=r will just take in the head, the
inger-ends and the feet. The distance
rom top to toe is precisely the same as
hat between the tips of the fingers
?hen the anna are extended. The length
>f the body is just six times that of the
oot, while the distance from edge of
he hair on the foreheid to the edge of
he chin is one-tenth of the length of
he whole stature.
Of the sixty-two primary elements
mown in natnre, only eighteen are
mown to the human body, and of these
even are metallic. Iron is found in
he blood, phosphorus in the brain,
imestone in the bile, lime in the bones
,nd dust and ashes in all. Not only
hese eighteen human elements, but the
rhole sixty-two of which the universe
s made, have their essential basis in the
our substances of oxygen, hydrogen,
titrogen and carbon, representing the
ore familiar names of fire, water, salt,
>eter and charcoal. And such is man
he lord of earth!?a spark of fire, a
irop ot water, a gram 01 power, auaiom
>f charcoal.
Single ys. Married Soldiers.
It has long been a mooted point
chether single or married men make the
>est soldiers. Some maintain that the
ack of wife and family tends to make a
nan more reckless of his life?therefore
k good soldier. Others say that the
aarried man is almost a veteran when
le enters the ranks, being inored to
jombat?therefore a good soldier. In
he recent Tunisian campaign a colonel
vas questioned upon this point.
"Both are right," said he. "Look j
ronder?do you see that battalion of
lappy, devil-may-care fellows? They
ire all single men, and they would take
,heir lives in their hands, But look
igain?do you see those taciturn, somber,
gloomy-looking men there? They
ire all married, and in a hand-to-hand
ight they are terrors."
?? * ' * - ^ 1 1 _ -Li _ 1 -
"What is tne name ox me Daiiauun.'
isked the inquirer.
"They are called," said the colonel
gravely, "the 'Children of Despair.'"
The Indian pythoness sits upon her
;ggs as carefully as do birds. The eggs,
ibout twenty in number, are completely
;oyered by her coils.
UNDER THE PALISADES.
Borinsr Under the Eockr EmbankmentTon
the Hndaoo.
The work of constructing the*New
York, Ontario and Western railroad
tannel through the Palisades, from
Weehawken to Durham, is being vigorously
pushed forward. There are
now employed in all its branches nearly
900 men, and another month will
see the number increased to at least
1,500. This force is divided into two
gangs, one for the davand the other for
the night, and the work of mining
away the hard trap rock is continually
carried on by the light of electric
lamps. There are five shafts, and all
i ? T_ i.1.
nave Deeix suns sue requireu ueyioio.
In all of them the "headings" have
been turned. Shaft No. 1 is 150 feet
deep, shaft No. 2 is 165 feet deep, shaft
No. 3 is is ]J}& feet deep, shaft No. 4 is
140 feet dq$?^ shaft No. 5 is but eightyfive
feet deep, but its headings are 125
feet long. The height of the tunnel is
twenty-seven feet, and it is being made
wide enough to permit the laying of
two tracks. Forty miners are employed
at each shaft, and these are divided into
two gangs of twenty each. The cage
that lowers the miners to their work
and hoists them out again runs as easily
and noiselessly as any elevator in this
city. The drills are worked by means
of compressed air. Over the surface
Ul. LUC ? ajLi.cauco CkXJ.
has been constructed. Three locomotives
are used in drawing the trains of
stone car?. These cars are small and
are lowered down into the tunnel,
where they are loaded. When loaded
an electric bell notifies the engineer
! above, and he proceeds to hoist the car
to the surface. When a train of ten or
a dozen cars has been made up the locomotive
draws them to the edge of
the Palisades, where they are dumped
and their contents go thundering down
the steep precipice to the meadows below,
a distance of 200 and odd feet.
Below the hill, on the Hudson 'river
side, is located the massive steam
machinery for forcing the compressed
air with which the drills are worked to
( the bill top above. Tfcere are four
double air compresscrs, and the air is
driven through eight-inch iron pipes
laid over the ground and connecting
with each ?haft. In blasting the rock.
a dozen or more two and a half inch
holes are drilled four or five feet in
depth, and into each is placed a cartridge
o! dynamite and giant powder.
The holes are then tamped and the
ends of the cartridges connected by
wire with each other. A wire connecting
with an electric battery located on
the surface of the hill is then hooked
on to the cartridge wire, and the workmen
are hoisted up to the surface. An
operator touches a brass button, and in
a twinkling follows a dull rumbling
report, and thonsands of tons of rock
are loosened. The electric fluid that
discharges the blast, and which illumi
nates the deep cavern belcw is generated
in a little wooden ehanty down by
the river's edge. The entire length ef
the tunnel is through solid rock. There
has been but one fatal accident since
the work began last spring, and that
was the result of the man's own carelessness.
A year's time will yet be required to
complete the work. "When it is completed
five ferries will run from it to
as many points in this city. An immense
grain elevator, the largest in the
world, it is said, will be erected near
the eastern terminus. Exactly over its j
eastern approach is the historic' spot r
where the famous duel between Aleian-1
der Hamilton and Aaron Burr was
fonght in 1804. On the same spot were
also abont the same time fought duels
between Aaron Burr and John B. 1
Church; between DeWitt Clinton and
John Swart wont; between Commodore
Perry and Captain Heath; between :
George J. Eacker and Philip Hamilton ; !
between Benjamin Price and Major
Green; between William L Graham, an
editor of the Courier and Enquirer of :
this city, and a Mr. Barton, of Jrhiladelphia,
and others of lesser note. The
Hon. James J. Casey has drafted a bill J
which he will present to the New Jersey
legislature asking for an appropria- 1
tion for the erection of a monument to
mark this historic spot.?Neva York
Commercial. 1
The Two-Headed Girl's Hotel Bill. 1
A recent issne of the Philadelphia
Record says : Millie Christine, the two
headed girl, who some years ago attracted
considerable attention from Dr.
Pancoast and other prominent members
of the medical fraternity, is at present
a guest of the Great Western hotel, on
Market street, above Thirteenth. On
Saturday, when her agent presented
himself at the cashiers desk to settle
the week's account, he was surprised 1
to find that the bill read : " The 1
Misses Christine," and that board was :
charged for two persons. 1
"How do yon make this out ?" asked J
the agent, as he looked at the bill and J
then at the cashier.
" The lady has two heads, has she '
not?" said the cashier.
The agent admitted that such was the <
case.
"And she has two mouths?" con- i
tinned the hotel man. i
Again another affirmative mood. i
" And she eats with both of them ?" :
persisted Mr. Cashier.
"Yes," broke in the agent, "but she .
only takes half a meal to each mouth."
" That's all very fine," responded the !
cashier, " but you can't come that racket
on us. She's got two heads and two
mouths, and she gets two meals served
in her room. Now if that doesn't constitute
her two persons then Td better
go out of the business."
The head waiter was called and corroborated
the statement concerning the
double feed. Then the agent hied him
to an upper apartment and demanded
an explanation from the double-headed
lass, which developed the fact that
while the two mea]s were actually
served one of them was devoured by a
voracious cnriositv that occupied an
adjoining room. Somewhat of a similar
affair occurred on the Pennsylvania
railroad a few weeks ago, when a conductor,
who had not a spark of humor
in his system, gravely demanded two
fares for the monstrosity. It was only
with considerable difficulty that her
agent managed to convince him that
although there were two heads, four
arms, four legs and .two minds, it was
only one woman. After some demur
the conductor agreed to accept the single
ticket, but up to the time that the
train reached the depot he had failed
to solve the conandrum as to how one
and one could be simply cne.
A Missing Bridegroom.
Many guests met at the Threekeld
mansion, in Kansas city, to witness the
marriage of Theodore Medsker to Miss
Dora Threekeld. At the hour appointedthe
bridegroom was missing. Search
was made hi.^h and low. The guest
who seemed ro enjoy the trouble was
Charles E. Smiley, who thoroughly
earned his beaming name upon that occasion.
It furthermore appears that
the bride was not at all fretted by
Medsker's absence, for the reason that
the match was of her mother's making
and against her own desire. In the
ori/3 ro.
lUlbCi vuv vu?>. MW>* .?-W
turn of those who had gone to find the
groom Smiley got in his argument and
his work. The drawback was the license,
but that difficulty was surmounted by
the legal blotting out of Medsker's and
the insertion of Smiley's name. So it
happened that Miss Threekeld became
Sirs. Smiley and that, after all, the
company took the cake.
AX05G THE OPIUM DENS.
A JfeT* York Journalist's Visit to the Place
Where Opinm Smokinz is Indulged In.
A New York reporter describes a
visit which he paid, accompanied by a
gnide, in search of the resorts frequented
by opinm smokers. He says :
Oar second visit was to an opium
cellar, or "joint," in Mott street. It
is one of the few which are favored by
American smokers, and they frequent
it for tiie reason ttiat its tidiness is
measurable, that its pipes are good, and
that the opium supplied is li yun, or of
the No. 1 grade. The cellarway leading
to it is like most of the others in
Mott street. A citizen who did not
know what was on the other side of the
door would hesitate about descending
into it. It was about 3 o'clock in the
afternoon when we went in. As the
door closed behind us all the dismal
suggestion of the fog and the rain was
shut out. I had a half sense that I had
got into some small heathen temple by
mistake. It was warm and dingy, and
a peculiar aromatic fragrance filled
the air. A Chinaman with round silver
spectacles fairly glowed in an illumin
a tea cuoDy-noie. n? vena uuam engaged
in the manipulation of soem
mystij trinkets. A husky voice from
somewhere called, "Wing, gimme a
quarter's worth," when he instantly
bobbed out of sight. Through another
illuminated cubby-hole I saw a table,
upon which glittered a pile of polished
metallic wedges, curiously inscribed,
and I was told afterward that this was
gambling paraphernalia. Between the
two cubby-holea lay a dark passage,
which we passed through, fetching up
against what I suspect was either a
shrine or a Chinese toilet table. It was
laden with pots and brushes and saucers,
and lots of other matters with unknown
outlines and inconceivable uses.
A buncn ot ptms-coiorea joss sucks on
pink standards smoldered upon it
somewhere, and off to one side, flanking
it like a bastion, towered a gray
and massive jar of tea.
In a room behind all this we came
upon the smokers. There were eight,
all men. Only one was a Chinaman;
he was tightly rolled up in a horseblanket
and fast asleep. Two only were
smoking opiim. The others were
smoking tobacco and conversing.
At the suggestion of my companion,
I removed both my coats and my hat,
which I hung up on a peg, and also
divested myself of my boots and my
shirt collar. When I had done this I
reposed upon a low platform built about
three sides of the room, with my head
towaid the wall and my feet toward the
center. My companion did the same.
We lay upon our sides, facing each
other." Our heads were supported on
little cricket?, stuffed and covered with
carpeting. When we had disposed ourselves
my companion uttered that
-r^.TTAvf<n1 VI lo TpVilVh T Vl dTA ftl TPftfl V
once recorded: " Wing, gimme a
quarter's 'worth." Instantly, like a
genie of Persian fable, the Chinaman
with the round silver spectacles stood
before us. He bore in his hands a
rectangular metallic tray of moderate
dimensions, which he deftly shoved
in between my companion and me. ;
The tray contained five objects?a ;
pipe, a lamp, a slender steel imple- '
ment of the size of a knitting needle ;
at one end and tapering to a point ]
at the other, a slightly moistened <
sponge and a diminutive saucer, con- :
taining as much prepared opium (it
looked precisely like. , melted tar) -as >
could be accommodated perhaps upon
the surface of a nickel five-cent piece, t
Upon the point of the slender steel my
companion gathered up a small "pill"
nf fchfl nninm. which he held fust above
the flame of the lamp. It is a hot
flame, almost like that of alcohol, and j
is supplied by peanut oil. Under its j
effect the opium pill puffed up like the' 3
bladder that the small boy invests with c
wind to make a football of, and assumed ?
a violet hue. The workman &ept it *
turning, kneading it at short intervals 1
upon his thumb nail or the bowl of the ?
pipe until it was properly done, when *
he manipulated it into the suitable i
shape and established it upon the bowl 3
tor smoking. 1
This bowl of the opium pipe is called 1
so only by courtesy. It is the size and f
nPArlv the fihane of a door knob, made J
of metal or clay, and solid save for a
hole that would be filled by a knitting
needle, and that leads down through
its center into the bamboo stem. The
opium pill, when it is cooked, is set
upon the bowl like a small washer, the
opening left in by the steel needle
coming just opposite that in the bowl
itself. All being ready, the smoker
places his lips to the ivory mouthpiece
at the end of the stem, turns the opium
pill to the fiame, and, as it burns with
i bubbling sound, draws the smoke
into his lungs. It takes about twenty
seconds'to consume a pill, and a smoker
:an finish his pipe with a single inhalation.
From twelve to fifteen pills can
be made from twenty-five cents' woith
of No. 1 opium.
The matted boards and the stuffed
cricket were not as hard as I had supposed,
and I did not find the position
uncomfortable, my companion worsea ,
away like a skilled tinker, twirling the z
slender needle and deftly cooking and
molding the plastic pills. His face and
hands glowed in the clear, mellow
lamplight, the rest of his person merg- j
ing xindefinably into the shadows. 5
He chatted as he worked, and when
the pipe was ready he swung the monthpiece
around to me, and prepared to
bring the pill against the flame. I had
my donbts about drawing a quantity of
opium smoke into my lungs, and I 1
shrewdly determined to do the work as <
I would with a pipe of tobacco. He i
asked me if I was ready and I replied 3
that I was. He tilted the opium pill <
against the flame, and I performed i
rapidly with my lips the operation '
that I have always found to succeed
so admirably in smoking a tobacco 1
pipe. I think it was about the most 1
futile effort that I ever made. It 1
seemed as if I were sucking at all out- ;
doors, and in a moment the pill took to ;
flaming and spluttering in a most alarming
way, and my companion adjured
me to "hold on." JtLe proceeded to
inform me that it was impossible to circumvent
an opium pipe in that infantile
manner, and, overcome with chagrin at
my failure, I permitted myself to be
betrayed from the shrewd standpoint
which I had taken, and promised him
that I would positively "fetch the
thing at the next trial." I did succeed
with it in three trials. I felt a smooth
and oily warmth sliding, as i. seemed
to me, into the veiy recesses of my
being, and when the pill had quite
disappeared I lay and enjoyed the pride
consequent upon having mastered the
technique of a vice that is so odd.
We lay for two hours. I smoked
fonr pills and my companion smoked
fifty cents' worth. I do not know that
the opium prodnced in me any other
effectthan a somewhat surprising, but
certainly very willing, acquiescence in
my surroundings. I felt well pleased.
Tray after tray was bome in by Wing,
until nearly everybody was smoking.
The smoke lay in thick .strata. Its
odor, though heavy, was sweet and
pleasing. Under it, as nnder the moonlight,
objects seemed shorn of their ungainly
features, and appeared soft and
charming. The Chinaman, rolled in
his blanket, was touched with magic,
^ Art St M A C
a Liu twoencu. muiociA oo a wung, ui aib.
I liked the company.. They were intelligent
and animated, and their conversation
was mnch more interesting than
that of persons whom one is accustomed
to meet casually. At one time they
were talking about a confiscated " boodle,"
and at another about the style of
Charles Dickens. They were jnst a trifle
boastfal, and evinced a disposition to
narrate instances of personal prowess,
in which they themselves figured as
heroes who put to shame and confusion
everybody with whom they came in
contact. ~Mv companion pointed out
one of them to me as a thief, another as
a bunco steerer, another as a dealer in
a faro bank, and another as a telegraph
operator. One man who came in while
we were there and stayed for an .hour,
smoking constantly and sajing nothing,
was an actor in one of the leading
theaters. It is a mistake to suppose
that opium smoking immediately stupefies
those who practice it and unfits
them for action; on the contrary, it exhilarates
them, as would the moderate
use of liquor. When we arose to go
out my companion assured me that he
would find great pleasure in taking s
brisk walk as far as Central pafrk, and
that, although ho had not slept for two
nights, he could remain awake all that
night without experiencing any great
disposition to slumber.
Apples as Jbooa.
From the earliest ages apples have
been in use for the table as a dessert
The historian Pliny tells us that the
Romans cultivated twenty-two varieties
of the apple. In these Litter days we
probably possess over two thousand.
As an article of iood, they rank with the
potato, and, on account of the variety
of ways in which they may be served,
they are far preferable to the taste of '
many persons; and, if families would
only substitute ripe, lascious apples for
pies, cakes, candies and preserved
fwjfa fViora TPnnM Via Tr?TH?h Ipss fnc\
ness among the children, and the saving
in this one item alone would purchase
many barrels of apples. They have an
excellent effect upon the whole physical
system, feeding the brain, as well as
adding to the flesh, and keeping the
blood pure; also preventing constipation
and correcting a tendency to
acidity, which produces rheumatism *
and neuralgia. They will cdo! off the
feverish condition of the system; in
fact, they are far better for these purposes
than the many nostrums which
are so highly praised in the advertisements
and so constantly purchased by
sufferers. A ripe, raw apple is entirely
digested in an hour and a-half, while a
boiled potato takes twice that time.
Now that apples can be purchased at
such cheap rates, every family shonld
keep a dish of them in the dining-room,
where the children can have access to
eat all they pleas3 of them. They will
rarely receive any injury from them, if
they are thoroughly masticated. Baked
apples should be as constant a dish .
npon the table as potatoes. Every
breakfast and every tea-table should
have a plate of them. Baked sweet apples
are a very pleasing addition to a
f --i ?jj:?
saucer 01 oatmeai puuuuig, ouu n uw
served with sweet cream they are very
appetizing. They are not as commonly
used as they should be, as they will
supply as much muscular a ad nervous
support as dishes of meat and vegetables.
Thousands of bushels of sour
ap . les are used lor pies and paddings
in hundreds cf families, where wellbaked
sweet apples would prove more
nourishing food and much more economical.
They are also good food for
old people and are usually greatly
relished by them. In my own family
they are always, when in-seaso&fa part
of the<ci?ds.Qf^he daya^dlare as.cjjpir..
tnonly used as a slice of bread.'?&kw- ^
'ry Gentleman.
A Sad Story.
Yes, there was no doubt about it; :
he minister was in the habit of beating
lis wife. Their next door neighbor, a
ady of inquiring mind, at ten o'clock
me night heard a shriek?a woman's
shriek?from a chamber in tne parsonige.
She looked across, and through
;he curtain she could see that a man
ind woman were running about the
oom in great excitement. He was
lourishinga stick, and striking with
t. The blows could be plainly heard.
Lnd as he struck, she screamed. The
lexfc day the town rang with the dis
graceful news. The officers oi the
shurch. discussed the matter with heavy
learts. After dae deliberation they
jailed a meeting of the session, and
summoned the minister and his wife. %
3e to answer to a charge of unminis;erial
conduct, and she to testify in the
;ase. They came, greatly puzzled and
surprised. The case was gravely stated
dv the senior elder, when the culprit
tnd witness burst into a laugh. Chockng
themselves, when they saw how . ?
seiious and sad the session looked, they
explained, 'ice ministers wiie, mouga
m excellent woman who loved everyx>dy,
and especially her husband, did
lot love rats. But the house having
jeen vacant for some time, the rats had
;aken possession. When they went to
;heir chamber, a huge rodent ran under
;he bed. The wife screamed. The husband
caught- up a stick and tried to kill
;he intruder. Every time he struck at
ind missed the rat the lady screamed,
tgain. The scene must have been an
imusing one to their watchful next door
leighbor; and they laughed again at the
recollection of it. The worthy church
officers were mortified and disgusted ;
md the next day the whole town was
Laughing over the way in which one
mischievous gossip fooled the grave
;lders of church.
Dickens' Dream.
Apropos of dreams, is it not a strange
thing if writers of fiction never dream
jf their own creations, recollecting, I
;nDDOse. even in their dreams, that they
have no real existence? I never
Ireamed of any of my own characters,
and I feel it so impossible that I would
wager Scott never did of his, real as they
are. I had a good piece of absurdity
in my head a night or two ago., I
dreamed that somebody was dead, I
don't know who, but it's not to the purpose.
It was a private gentleman and
a particular friend, and I was greatly
overcome when the news was broken to
me, very deliberately, by a gentleman
in a cocked hat, top "boots, and a sheet.
Nothing else.
"He is dead, sir, rejoined the gentleman,
"as a door-nail. But we must all
die, Mr. Dickens, sooner or lateT."
"Ah," I said. "Yes, to be sure. But
what did he die of?"
The gentleman burst into tears, and
said, in a voice broken with emotion,?
"He christened his youngest child,
sir. with a toasting-fork."
I never in my life was so affected as
at his have fallen a victim to this complaint
Jt carried a conviction to my
mind that he could never have recovered.
.it.-J. -J. ii.. 1.
I saew mat it was me musb iiiLci.e3M.ug
and fatal malady in the world, aad I
^rung the gentleman's hand in a con- >
vnlsion of respectful admiration, for / "^iP3
1 felt that the explanation did equal'
honor to his head and heart. '
The Bachelor. , j
Surround a bachelor with very~pos-?, -J$
sible comfort; give him the roomiest of %
bedchambers, the most refreshing of
couches, the largest of sponging-baths;
4-a1\1a fV?a txtV?i
UUVvI ILLS UiCaMOOt"U?UAC " i"n ' ir A*.
of table-cloths; make Ms tea with the
hottest of boiling water; envelop his
body in the most comfortable of dressing-gowns,
and his feet in the easiest of
slippers; feed him amid the luxuries
and comforts of the snuggest of clubs ;
do all these things and more for him,
and he will, nevertheless, be unhappy.
He mopes, and ponders, and dreams about
love and marriage. .9j