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.'"-TJfcJL . « ( * 'TKMTAMM] > / i /. m: ^ 1. ' A';5 TRI-WEEKLY EDITION. WINNSBORO. S. U. MARCH 27, 1883. ESTABLISHED 1848 A. Close-Fisted KconomUt, The farmer eat in Uig easy ona® ; lietweeu the Are and the lamplight’s glare His face was rnddy and full and fair; HU three small boy a in the chimney nook Conned the lines of a picture bo >k; HU wife, the pride of hU home and heart, Baked tne biscuit and made the tart, Laid the table and drew the tea, oeftiy, swlfty, silently; Tired and wearv, weak and faint, she bore her trials without complaint, I. kc many another household saint— content all selOsh blue above I a the patient mlnUtry of love. At last betWeen the clouds of smoke That wreaihed his lips the farmer spoke: “There’s taxes to raise and Int’rest to pav. And if there should ootne a rainy day • • » » ’Twould be mighty handy, I’m bound to say. T have Hometfitng put by. For folk* most die; An’ there s funeral b Us, and grave-stones to buy- Knough to swamp a man, puny nigh; H slaes, there’s Edward an’ Dick an’ Joe To be provided for when we go; so, It I were you. I’ll toll you what |’d dn; I’d be savin’ of wood as eve’’ I cOuM—' Extra Ares don’t do any good; I’d be savin’ of soap, and savin’ of lie. And run up some caudles once In a while, I’d rather be sparin’ ef coffee ana tea, for sugar is high. An’ all to buv. And cider is good enough drink for me: I’d be kind o’careftu about my clothes And look out sharp how the money goes— Gewgaws Is useless, nater knows, Extra trimmin’ ’8 the bane of women. I d sell the best ot my chsese an’ honey. An’eggs u as good, nigh ’bout, as money; An’ as tu the carpet you wanted new— 1 guess we can make the old one da; And as for the washer an' sewln machine, Them smooth tou^ued agents, so pesky mean, You’d better git rid of ’em slick an’ clean. What do they know ’bout women’s work? Do ’hey calkilate women was made to shirk? Dick and Edward and ittle Jcel bat in the corner In a row; , They saw their patient mother go On ceaseless errand) to and fro; They saw that her form was bent and thin, Her temples gray, her cheeks sunk in; They saw the quiver of lip and chin— And then, wltn a wrath be coala not smother, Outspoke the youngest, frailest brother: “Yon talk of savin’ wood and lie An’ tea and’ sugar all the while, But you never talk of savin’ mother!'’ | The Carthage of To-day. No one would think of going to Tunis without visiting its ancient neighbor Car thage—mighty Carthage, once mistress of the seas; and rival of Rom” m the domina tion of the world; now but a heap of ruins. It was a drive of a few hours over a sparsely inhabited country, end we were well satisfied to qpcept the proffered com panionship of an elderly French gentle man and his daughter, who, like ourselves were pilgrims and strangers. For the gentleman was courteous and agreeable— as most French gentlemen are—and well informed, and the daughter was young and pretty and vivacious. “Safety lies in numbers," he had said, half apologetic ally, after making the proposition as we sat at breakfast that morning; “and like wise, in this,’ 1 and be drew cautiously from his pocket a silvermounted revolver, accompanying the act with sundry hints and nods and low-Voiced allusions to the insecurity of the country, and the necessi ty of being veil armed. Americus pro duced its fellow, and America made up the complement with an oid flintlock pistol that we bad picked up somewhere in Al geria for us antiquity and rare workman ship. To be sure, it wasn't loaded, and ptoh&bly wouldn't have gone oft if it had been; but that was all the better for her. Then we sallied proudly off, confident ot being able to vanquish any troop of marau ding and murderous, Arabs that fortune might send in our way. In parenthesis 1 may add that our doughty valor met with no foeman worthy of its powder. The roads were bad, as one never finds in ^Alge ria, but they lay through a wonderously fertile country of olive orchards and lux uriant fields of wheat and barley and flax, and were bordered with flowers of myriad hues—the delicate, star-shaped -asphodel, the crimson anemdne, ground lilac and purple clover, and a thousand ethers. The most exciting incident of the trip was Ihe stopping at a well-kept cafe where they kept genuine lemonade; and the only Arabs we encountered were ihe small boys that followed us pertinaciously among the ruined temples of Carthage with old coins and hits of porphyry to selL Mr. Fisk, the U. S. Consul-General, jnay have not been so far wrong when be had said the day before: “Why, I would far rather trust myself in the city 1 or precincts of Tunis alter nightfall than in some of the districts of Detroit 1 know of. Pagan and .Cnrisiian, Roman, Vandal, Byzantine, Arab and Turk have successively contri buted te despoil ,th s once mighty city of her proud monuments and blot out her ancient glory from the memory of man. History assumes that Carthage was set tled by a band of Plceuiciau navigators some 3.000 years ago, more or less. My thology goes more into the detail of ro mance and tells how the beautiful princess Dido, of Tyre, fled from the wrath of her brother Pygmalion after he had slain her husband, taking with her 80 devoted fol lowers ; how the stopped at the island of Cyprus aid earned off 80 maidens to icr- msh them with wives; How she landed ou the north coast of Africa, entered Into a treaty with the natives, and bought f. om them as much land as could be inclosed within a bull's hide ; and how she then cut the hide into the thinnest of strips, and so inclosed a space of 22 stadia, on which she built her city and called it fiyrsa, or Bull’s Hide, which afterward became Carthage. A few vestiges remain of Queen Dido’s Palace, which occupied a lofty i eminence overlooking the sea, whence she j watched the departure of tineas and his [Trojans as ,she stubbed herself upon the [funeral pyre she had erected to the mem lory of her husband. The site of the state- | ly palace is occupied now by a little chapel erected by the French to the memor? of Duis JX., who died thereabouts when on iis last crusading expedition against the 'aracen. The enclosure in ' hich the apel stands is encircled with walls into nich have Been built numerous fragments i sculpture aud Roman inscriptions found [the vicinity, and a museum m the same closure contains a good maay aacient ics in the form of rings, necklaces, ?es, coins, and the like. Just below chapel -are a few stonee which mark site of the temple ot. .dSaculapius, eh was the scene'in the third Punic ;of the heroic conduct of the -wife ot drnbal who, when her poltroon bus * deaerted bis post and surrendered to [Romans, set Are to the temple where were besieged, and with her children its little band ot defenders, perished flames. Where stood the amphi- fre, stained with the blood of Christian -it was there ibat 8L Perpotua companions were thrown to wild -there is only an elliptical cxcava- and no relict remain to tell that ge was onoe the great stronghold of Christianity, in northern Africa, and boast ed of the proudest name: in the Christian church. In fact, the only remnant of past ages that remains in any degree cf preser vation are the immense vaulted Roman or Runic cisterns. The beautiful pillars of marble and porphyry, and the massive stones of the furum and theatre, and the temples of Apollo, Diana, Minerva and other pagan deities have been carried off to build Tunis and other cities, or to en rich foreign museums; and nothing now remains of Carthage but excavations and shapeless massed of masonry and heaps of debris of broken bits of marble and pot tery. The European nation that gets pos session of the regency of Tunis will find a rich boon. The country is luxuriantly fertile throughout, and those who have traveled over it affirm that in the hands of an industrious and euterpnsing people It would become one of the most beautiful countries in the whole world, and of the greatest agricultural richness. It has a sea coast of nearly 500 miles, with an area of 70.000 square miles and a popula tion of 2,000 000. Tha country is inhab ited for from 100 to 250 miles from the sea, generally by a peaceable and indus trious people; the interior is well watered, and it ppssesses a good many large and important towns. The regency is an hereditary beylik and, though nominally under the suzerainty of the Porte, is governed absolutely, by the bey. It has no constitution or legal code. The Koran answers tor both. In all im portant matters justice is administered by the bey in person. The business is con ducted in the simplest manner. Com plainant and defendant present themselves, each relates his case, and the bey adjudi cates thereon. Sentence is immediate. In the case of debt it is imprisonment; foi criminal offenses the castinado or the axe, according to the degree of the crime. It is said that such implicit confidence is placed in the judgmeut and Integrity of the bey that it never eaters into the head of an Aral) that he has been unjustly con victed. An example of the style of ad ministering justice mav be furnished in a recent case. An Arab had assassinated his father-in-law. The fact was well sus tained, and he did not himself deny it. He was taken before the bey, who alone has the right to pronounce sentence of death. The facts were briefly stated. The accused said not a word in defense or extenuation of the deed. A simple gesture of the hano by tha bey, which signified “Go,” and the case was disposed of. The instrument of punishment stood ready, and the condemned walked to the block and the sentence was executed without a word or motion of resistance. The hearing, condemnation, and execution lasted just twenty minutes. Of course 1 this summary style of meting out justice applies only to the subjects of the bey. Foreigners are judged by their eonani* nr n-mUHM-magis tratee, and the usual E iropean formalties of trial are maintained. It may be a question, however, whether the Arabic method does not attain the ends of justice q-iite as surely as the European. Preparing to Math. Street Oar Etiquette. Second Hand Furniture. The best furniture is not by any means always the dearest at the outset, for piuchasers must always pay the increased price for the latest fashion and for ornamentation as well as (some times even more tharl for real excellence of workmanship, which is the only expenditure that can be defended on economical gronnds. There is a striking resemblance of the cost of following the fashion in the prices given for old for- uiture. A few years ago, within the memory of most of ns, old oak chairs aud chests could be picked up for the worth of the wood they were made oL At the time every one who had money to spend, spent it on gilt and ormolu and gaudy damask, and since the old furniture is well made,it was very cheap. But now a rage has risen for old oak Fancy prices are asked, and given for things that twenty years ago went for an old song, and only the wealthy can now afford to sit on the chairs that onr grandmothers relegated to the back par lor. Second-hand furnitnre is often pre ferable to new. The warps and started joints are plainly visible if bad wood has been some time in use; no more warp ing will take place and the price, in compaiison with that of new, is often much less than the amount of wear and tear would indicate. There are circumstances that give to old furniture a distinct excellence,quite apart from the existence of a fashion of buying it. It was made by hand, generally the same man worked on each piece throughout, acquiring « special interest in every department and think ing no trouble too great to make it more perfect, it was sold eftenest in the immediate neighborhood, perhaps to a friend of the maker, and wc may well believe that In this case special pains would be taken to produce the best possible value for the money. These old chests were bought as a mar riage portion, filled with the clothes of the bride, and they were handed down from mother to daughter as good ns when they were new. We have changed all that. Not only would daughters scout the idea of beginning housekeep ing with their mother’s furniture, but they expect to purchase several new sets of turniture during their own lives. We do not even wish onr furniture to last too long. It has almost as little indi viduality to the purchaser as the maker. Mach of onr modern machinery, is cat by machinery. One makes legs and a second backs, while a third glues them together for a chair and passes it on to a fourth, who staffs the seat. Often it passes through eight or ten hands be fore it is ready for sale. The result is a good many ehairs, all about equally good, but none very good. It is scarce- possible to feel deep interest in the tenth part of a dozen chairs, except in so far as they are a means of subsistence and jet thia wholesale manufacture lowers prices, so that manufacturers oi a smaller scale are almost driven off o the field. There was to be a i^rand Ball, and a gilt-edged barber parlor was crowded, and the reporter was compelled to wait his turn. As be perched himself in s conven ient seat, one ot our Best Young Men had just comfortably bestowed himself in one of those luxurious racks on which the skinning operation is conducted, and the reporter naturally bent his lalchion glance upon bun. The inundation of soap and the slow movement of the glancing blade were both old songs to the man of news, who was bearded like the pard, and the tiny fountains of blood which appeared occasionally were equally old and familiar sights. Then came a deluge of water and a brisk friction with a towel, and the face of the Best Young Man shone out shiny, clear and red: And now comes the operation which caused the regards of the reporter to be fixed with fearful inteutness. The artist produced a bottle containing a milky li quid, and with his soft palm distributed n smoothly over the shining face, giving it a soft, pearly glow, whitening as the liquid dried. Ibis was rubbed in and toned down by a gentle application of a second find, the aromatic Oder of which proclaimed it bay rum. A soft towel dried it off again and the barber, seizing a box of prepared chalk, coated the face until it wore the smooth white ness of alabaster and resembled a newly kalsomined ceiling. The ghastly effect of this was removed by a gentle rubbing with the eperator’s soft hand. The result of the treatment thus far left the face with an enameled look, and the owner had, un der the gaslight, a creamy complexion nuchas Wheeling smoke never permits; and here the reporter expected the opera tion to cease. But no ; going to his dres ser, the barber produced a comb and a stick of pomade ; the former was inserted under the pale moustache and the latter softly dabbed over it, giving to it a warm color of deep brown. A little touch of cologne dissipated the odor of the cosmetic and more evenly distributed it over the moustache. A soft brushing and a little waxing completed the decoration of the mouthpiece. What next? Those pale eyebrows did not correspond and must be made to do so. A email tooth brush, dipped iuto brilliant- me, darkened with blacR pomade, was deftly passed over the brows, which were then oologned and neatly crushed, giving the owner a wonderfully improved look. Then came the eye lashes. Very import ant features are they and great care was bestov.ed upon them. The pomade pencu was again brought into requisition and a hue delicate line was drawn ou each lower lid, just away from the lash. Then the lashes were touched up with the pencil and .the subject oneoedlfipair of eyee that seemed twice as large and dark as before, while the penciled brows gaYe character as well as beauty to Ms altered visage. Was this all? Ihe barber opened another draw er, took out a bottle and dampened his finger with us contents. The finger was then passed over his subject’s lips and presto! they lost their paleness and wore a rich ruby redness that Hebe might have envied. The finger again sought the bottle and then caressed bis cheek, and lot on their pale ramparts health set her rosy banneia. “Yes, I’m very, very beautiful ?” this Grosvenor seemed to murmur to himself, as he threw an approving glance into the mirror and then vacated the chair. “Do you go through that often ?” asked the reporter, as he took the emp y chair. “O, yes, sir,” replied the tonsonal art ist, “especially on party nights. Have it done, sir ?’’ “How much ?’’ “Twenty-five cents.’’ “Gimme a ten cent shave.” .Y. Daubree advanced the opinion that earthquakes have probably their maximum rate of occurrence at the new and full moon and their minimum at the the inter mediate quarters ot the lunation. The number of farms in the United States has increased fifty-one per cent, in the past ten years. An old man, poorly dressed, entered a horfe car and locked around him for a seat, it was an hour when many persons were returning from their work down town, and the car was filled with the usual assortment ot passengers. None of them seemed to see the old man, who appeared to be feeble, greatly fatigued, aud in fear ot being thrown down by the motion of the car. Pretty soon a woman who had been lookiag oyer a written paper, appar ently a bill for goods bought, raised her eyes and saw the old man. With hardly a moment’s uesitation she arose, touched him on the arm, and aghP: “Take this seat sir.” The old iran accepted the seat, thanked her and seemed very grateful. No one in the car appeared to notice the woman’s act. The men who bad seats allowed her to stand. “Did you see that ?" we asked the con ductor. “The woman give the old man her seat? That’s common enough now—a good deal more’n it used to be. I guess the older a people grows the more respect they have for oid age. I mean the older a country is. China is the oldest of all of ’em, they say, and there’s no place where old men and women are treated so well a* among the Chinese. IPs a part of their religion. What you don’t see very often,” the con ductor went on, after stopping his car to take up a fat women with a market bas ket, “is one women give her seat to ano ther woman. When that happens you can put it in the papers. It ain’t very common to see a woman move closer to another passenger in order to make room for another woman to sit down, or to see her take her child in her lap, or even take a bundle from the seat at her side, till the conducter comes along and asks her to do so, and then she generally looks at him as though she had been grossly insulted, and at the other woman as though she had been the willing cause of the insult. Until the conducter stirs her up, she is to all ap pearance unconscious that anybody is standing up. and she looks straight past the standing woman, and seems to be tak ing a languid interest m the fronts of the buildings she sees through the windows In the other side of the car." “Do women remember to thank men oftener then they used to for seats given to them?”. “I’ve been on this road a good many years,” the conductor replied somewhat earnestly, “and I never aaw many women take a seat from a man without expressing their thanks in some way. A woman don’t get up ou the seat and have the oar stopped, and-call in the conductor-and driver to hear her make a jpeech of grati tude to the noble being who has sacrificed so much for her conveu)e : /'e. And she don't ovKtouDbie nim and tell him he has done a big thing, and that if he ever hap pens to be going past her residence he must come m and be introduced to her husband and stay to dinner. But she usually savs, ’Thank you' she inclines her head in acknowledgment ot his politeness, which is quite as much as he deserves. The men who are always saying that they have spent the best part of their lives giv ing seats to women m street cars, and have never been thanked, are the ones who never see a woman standing until they are within one block of the corner where they're going to get out, ana then they yield up their seats with a great show of gallantry. They wouldn’t be satisfied if every woman who took their 1 seats after they were through with them should for ward to their residences rolls of engrossed and illuminated parchments setting forth their deep obligations. ’’ A *100.000 Picture. The Violin Ct»«e Racket. What the Telescope Did for Astronomy. Tne foundations ot physical astronomy were laid in the invention of the telescope. Every one has heard of the emotion which filled Europe at the announcement of the discoverv ot an instrument which had the power of making distant objects appear as if they were near. It was at that time that Galileo, having only learned that such an instrument existed, discovered its arrangement, constructed one, turned it toward the sky, and, with this aid, fertil ized by his genius, made a series of magis terial discoveries. Tnese discoveries be longed pre-eminently to physical astrono my, and from ita first courses. If we ex cept the sun and moon, which have a very sensible diameter, aud admit of some ob servations. without the aid ot the telescope, all the stars appear to the eye only as brilliant points, and admit of oo studies except of their motions. Tnerefore, an astronomy wiinout the telescope would never have permitted us otherwise than as a matter of probability to consider the planets as like the earth in form, constitu tion and office. But when it was seen that these brilliant and almost blazing points were resolved under the telescope into well-defined disks, showing indica lions of continents, clouds and atmos pheres; when satellites were perceived around these globes playing the same part to them as the mom plays to the earth- then probabilities gave place to a clear certainty. Telescopes, then, are the in struments by means of which the eonstitu- tion of the solar system has been definitely unveiled and the earth has tieen assigned its part and its rank in the system ot the planets. The discovery of the spots on the sun and of its rotation completed the conception of the solar system and pre pared for the theory of Its lormatton. Here is marked a well-determined phase in the history ot human ideas respecti’qg the universe, and it is characterised by the great name of Galileo. Was it possible at once to go beyond this? Was it possible to question the stars in their turn, and inquire if. like the sun, they had a sensible disk, spots, a rotation, and planets revolving around them; was it possible, in short, to extend to the stel lar universe Hie notions we had already acquired concerning the solar system? The methods in use did not permit this. A traveling theater manager in a small town ont West was ta! ing tickets at the door, when a man appeared with a violin ease in his hand, and said he belonged to the orchestra. He was passed in. Another chap appeared with a fiddle-box and went into the honse. At brief intervals fiddler after fiddler appeared and entered, The manager became suspicions. He took a look in side. There was not a soul in the or chestra except an oid pianist; bnt he saw the last fiddler passing a violin-case out at a window, opening on an alley, to some new candidate for admission. As many of the bogus violinists as could be picked ont were boonoed. Another fine-looking man approached, with a richly-dressed woman, for whom he bought a ticket. In nbont an half an hoar he returned with three tunhrelias under his arm. “Is the show over?” he inquired. “No.” “How long?” “Two hours.” “Indeed! Well, I’ye come to take my wife home You’ve no objec tion to my stepping inside nntil the performance concludes?” “Yon' can’t go in,” said the manager. “Whv not? I’m waiting for my wife.’, “Can’t help that. Yon must buy a ticket.” “It is outrageous that I cannot stand inside to wait for mj wife.” “You can’t work that umbrella racket with me.” said the manager. “Yon just wait till I ever let my wife go to see your darned old show again.” With this crushing retort on his lips the man departed with his umbrellas. The moon shone bright ly ail the time. The Habit of Fainting. Permanent Black Ink.—Vanadium Ink is really the only permanent black ink known. The basis of this wri ing fluid is rare, and what little there is in the stores of supplies of chemical materials is very costly. Ho sever, there has of late been a quantity of it discovered in Ceylon, ahd it is probable that it will be found worth working for the money which it is certain bring, both here aud abroad. A correspondent irom Rome says, as I entered the door I saw a crowd of people gathered around a railing on the opposite side of the room, gazing silently and in tently straight at the wall before them. Then 1 knew that the Madonna was there. With a feeling of mysterious awe akin to that which one feels when going to look on the face of the dead, I approached and looked on the great picture. It is painted on a panel perfectly circular in form and about the size of an ordinary barrel head, and is set in a massive,elaborately wrought gilt frame five or aix inches wide. a . The Madonna is represented as standing thoush only a half length is shown m the picture. She wears a robe of grayish-blue material gathered loosely across the bosom and fa ling in ample folds over the left shoulder. Her hair is combed smoothly down over the temples and back from the face, and is mostly covered by a veil of a green color, worked in silver threads, and falling with the hair in graceful waves be hind the shoulders. As to the face, 1 almost hesitate to speak of it; tor no words can convey any adequate idea of its divine beauty. And yet if I had never heard of it, I don’t think 1 would have seen anything extrardinary in it, because 1 would only have given it a casual glance, and one marked peculi arity of the picture is that you can’t see it at a glance. It does not at once rivet the attention and impress you deeply as most great masterpieces do. To appreciate it at all at Us true worth, it is absolutely necessary to study it long and earnestly. Hut after looking at it awhile its trans cendent beauty beeau to dawn upon me, and the longer I eased the more and more beautitul it became, but gradually, very gradually, like the slow coming of perfect day from the first faint streaks of light in the east. Before 1 left 1 was completely under the influence of its magic power, and I felt to my inmost soul that it was the finest work of art that I had ever look ed upon. 1 studied it for an hour or more and while I was standing there a number of persons, men and women, came up quietly and looked at it, making various comments with bated breath and then passing on, most of them evidentlv dis appointed, though only a few so in express terms. 1 think none of them saw its full beauty. The bead is nobly shaped and gracefully poised and the brow is smooth aud serene. Tne face is oval m form, with delicate, clear-cut features lit up by a soft, radiant light. The eyes are cast down aud the orbs are only partially visible from under the drooping lids. The most expressive single feature is perhaps the mouth, the under lip of which is slightly drawn in one side. The predominant expression ot the whole is that of deep, rapturous, but — — 4 « ** jvyjf y MSAAS^tViA W 1VX1 a modest but inapproachable reserve that gives to the lace its peculiar character of noble dignity. Still I don’t think it is a highly idealized face. 1 think 1 have now and then seen on the female countenance m real life evanescent jexpressious just as lovely. Italian Murderers In Frlson. A Bank of England Story. Tliere is not so much fainting in public as there was thirty years ago. Sound health, which necessarily se- enres the firm nerves and muscles, is the sorest preventive of faintness. An exchange remarks that the majority of vigorous men go through all kinds of Hevere and painful experience without fainting, while delicate men and women swoon at trifles. American women, who used to faint continually — in crowds at bad news, at scenes of dis tress—now faint comparatively seldom; and the fact is ascribed to their re linquishment for the most part, of the habit of lauing, to their increased ex ercise in the open air, and their better physical conditions. Not one Ameri can faints to-day, where, thirty years ago, twenty-flve women fainted and the diminution of the disorder, always the result of direct causes, is an unmis takable evidence, wmoh other things corroborate, of the marked ameliora tion of tne health of the highly organ ized, extremely sensible, bat flexible and eadoring women of oar complex nee. A lew weeks ago au Italian newspaper published au account of a visit psid by one of its correspondents to the convict prison ot Porto Ferraio, in the Island of Elba, where Fass&nante, who tried to murder King Humbert in 1878, is confined- Passanante’s life was spared but the exis tence he leads is no better than living death. He is secured to the wall of an almost dark cell by a chain five feet in length which is riveted to an iron ring around his ankle, and which does not al low him to take more than one step in any direction. During the first two years of his imprisonment the wretched man lay all day upon his mattress since then he has been released once a day for half an hoar to walk about his cell, but he never goes into the o]>en air. He is watched night and daj by three wardens, who sur vey his movements through a peep-hole in the door, but who are forbidden to speak to him or to answer his quesuons. He has become imbecile, in contiguous cells are two other atrocious murderers— Risignol, a Frenchman, who committed fifteen murders at Tunn, by waylaying people at night, stabbing them, and throw ing them into the River Po, after rifling their clothes, and Cipriani la Gala, torm- erly the chief of a gang of brigands. Ros- ignoi, who is described as a colossus, was first sentenced to death, but Victor Eman uel commuted the sentence, and. the mur derer showed his sense of this favor by killing the two carabineers who were conveying hiiu to Porte Ferraio, after which he nearly made his escape. He has been seven years in what is called stretta custodia; but Cipriano la Gala, his neigh bor, who is dreaded by all in the prison, from the Governor downward, as a most dangerous scoundrel, who would stir up a revolt of all the convicts in the prison if he were let out his cell, has been living since 1862 chained in a sort of stone box, where there is not enough light to read by. All these gloomy details, when they were published, produced considerable excite ment in Italy, and it was asked in many quarters whether there had been any real mercy in sparing the lives of Paasanante, Hossigtol and Cipriano la Gaia. The se verity with which these men are being treated is exceptional; but that there should be any need for such severity ap pears to show that it would have been kinder to the men to have put them out of their misery long ago. imnob Wlue. The first person I met on entering the Bank of England was a venerable porter in a quaint uniform, which dates back I think a hundred years or more; it left a green-and-buff impression on me, but I cannot accurately describe its details. The porter led me to a room where the executive officer of the bank was to be found This officer, Mr. Gray, is entitled “Chief Accountant,” and his position cor responds very much to that of cashier of one of our banks. Mr. Gray, who sat at his desk surrounded by a corps of busy Marks, and who is a gentleman of the most eourteoue and unassuming manners, gave me a cordial welcome, and under his guidance I visited every department of the bank and had everything which 1 did not understand explained to me. The capital ot the bank is fourteen and one- bail millions sterling; its circulation m the hands of the public about twenty-flve mil lions sterling; its deposits, on no portion of which is interest paid, average in these days about thirty-two milkoos sterling. With its customers it has two kinds of SMouat, deposit and discount. 1 was told that in order to get a discount at this bank it was absolutely necessary to have a deposit account, but it can hardly be possible that a banking institution with such an enormous working capital, amount ing te nearly $290,000,000, is ever obliged to bny paper in the open market in order to keep up loans. The bank discounts no bill having over three months to run; the smallest city bill which it discounts is one hundred pounds; smallest country bill, twenty pounds. It circulates no smaller note than five pounds, but this seems to be the only limit to denominations; m a frame in the building is a cancelled note of the Bank of England lor a million pounds sterling, and, if 1 remember rightly, the banker poet Rogers had hang ing in his library a cancelled note of the same institution for BtO.OOO. I have heard that a note tor £10,000 once had a singular history. It was paid out to one of the directors of the bank who soon after lost it under such circum stances that he was satisfied, and sue eeeded in satisfying the bank; that it had fallen into the fireplace and been de stroyed. He was given a new note, for which he returned a proper receipt and guarantee. Many years after the original note was presented for payment; the bank endeavored to disown it, but could not, for it was genuine and in the hands of an incoeent person, and the bank had to pay it. It was ascertained that, instead of being burned, it had been carried up the afaimney by a draught, and had found a safe lodgment in some cranny in tiie flue. Here it had remained until alterations in the house necessitated ♦»**> removal of the Chimney; then' it was discovered by a workman, who regarded it as a legitimate find, and who presented it for payment. Right here I may as well relate another siory of the bank, ot which there are many, both in print and as legends, hut of whieb I will let these two serve as speci mens. A sewer workman, while poking around under ground, found that by rais- inc a flagstone he could penetrate into the bullion room ot the bank. Amazed at the discovery, he pondered over it and finally concluded that he would utilize it to his pecuniary benefit without btealing. he therefore wrote to the directors asking what reward he would receive if he should meet them at any appointed hour ot the night in the bullion room ami thus reveal to them a mode of ingress of which they were entirely ignorant. Tney named a sum which would make him independent for life, and to their overwhelming sur prise he kept bis promise by popping up through the sewer, for which he received ten thousand pounds or so. This is sup posed to have happened long ago. TanderbUfs Christmas Gift. Turcoman Horsemanship. The French vintage of 1882 was 70, 000,000 gallons less than that of 1881, and 860,000,000 gallons less than the average vintage of the lust ten years. The Minister of Agricultare, however, finds consolation in the foot that the districts invaded by the phylloxera show a marked improvement, and that the decline is most conspicuous in those dis- trots which were visited by hoavy rains at a critical period. At the same time there can be no doubt that the aitnation of the wine-growers is Franco is a seri ous one; for : whereas, up to the year 1877 the imports averaged only 18,600, 000 gallons, while the exports averaged 80,000,000 gallons; the imports for the last few years have actually reached an average of 160.000,000 gallons, wnfle the exports have declined 10,60,000,000 gallons. A Turcoman dismounted from his horse, a white one. Animals of this kind are rarely seen in the district, an evil repute attaching to bun. The hpiseman wanted a drink of water, and incautiously let go the bridle. The steed forthwith started incontinently to gallop across the plain. A runaway horse is a serious nuisance in a country like this, and everyone feels it to be his duty to aid the master of the fu gitive beast in recovering his property. The whole of us, 60 in number, strove to head off the truant. For a couple of miles we rode in a straight line, but the runaway unencumbered by weight, and having a good lead, gave us a long chase. I was completely tired of the matter ; and be sides knowing tbat we had a long journey before us, I did not care to blow my horse further, so I drew up on a slightly rising ground, and watched the hunt. From what 1 saw of the remainder of it, I am-cf opinion tbat Turcomen horsemen would scarcely do well “acroas country,” for though they will hang alongside their bore scs, stand in one stirrup, and sling them selves under the belly at full gallop, they do not care for leaping. I saw many a one come to gnef at the broad irrigation trenches. The country is so flat that the burses are never taught to jump. A Wanliluffton letter. While Mr. Vanderbilt was passing through the Park, in New York, a amaii boy attempted to cross the rood in treat of the flying horses. The boy in his attempt to avoid the hones fell over in the road, but was not hart, Mr. Van derbilt was frightened. He felt so glad when he saw the lad safe and sound that he who had jnst been preparing to rush on, in the hope that be had not been recognized, pulled up and beckon ed the boy to him: “Here, Johnny,” he said, here’s a dollar. Don’t yon try to cross the road that way.” “Why, sir, I was running for a doctor. Father told me to hnrrj up, ’cause he had to go ont and motiier’s all alone*” “Why does your father go out on Christmas Day? To the nun-shop, I suppose?” said Mr. Vanderbilt frowning. “No, sir. Father works on the rad- road, and if* he misses a day he gets docked.” “Even Christmas?” •“Yes sir, Mr. Vanderbilt don’t let up no nobody ’cause its Christinas.” “He works for Vanderbilt, does he?” “That he does, and more's the bad luck of it, as he says.” “Why?” “Well, you see, mother’s sick, and father has been staying up nights with her, and then he’d take a nap, and twice he got late to the switch and got fined a quarter each time.” “How much does he get a day?” “One dollar, sir.” “Seventy-five cents a day? Good God! and a sick wife at that,” thought Mr. Vanderbilt, and his heart misgave him. Was this right, after all? “And what sort of aChriatmas dinner will yon have to-day?” he asked. “We don’t get none. Father ain’t at home and mother’s sick. The money’s got to go for to buy medicine, you see sir.” This is hard and no mistake, “Will you take me to your house?” asked Mr. Vanderbilt. "Yes sir; it’s right here, sir,” said the boy. It was a picture of detolatibn, bat cleanly; no carpet, bnt a good substan tial cottage, a small sprig of firs, a wom an sitting in an easy chair, thin, pale bat cheerful When Mr. Vanderbilt entered, the woman exclaimed: “Why, your not the doctor, sir?” “No, my good woman, bat I came from him; be is very busy. Now, what is the matter with yon?” “Weakness, eir.” “What from?” "Well, air, I hate to eay, but I think its from want of food.” “I thought so,’’and Mr. Vanderbilt turned around and pat a $60 bill in an envelope and also his card. * In half an boor open this and send it aronnd to the store. Yon will find a prescription that will do yon good. There is also a card in here. Bend year boy to that address to-morrow, and I’ll give him something, too. You shan’t starve any more ” Before the sick woman oould say any thing he was out and off, but as he rode back to' his palace his face looked the picture of good pature. He smiled and laughed to himself so that people tamed around and exclaimed: “What can be the matter with WilUam H.?” When anybody looked at him he did not pale, aud the rattle of his wheels over the hard road made rythmic music to the joyous beating of his heart. It was ihe merriest Christmas day Mr. Vanderbilt lias spent this many a jear. KAMI of Snnaluno. An autograph letter of (Washington, owned by Mrs. Lucy Woods, of Staun ton, Va., has jnst been made public. It was written to the citizens of Shep- herdstown, October, 12, 1796, in re sponse to a formal address tendered by them to the first President on his an nouncement of his determination to retire to private life, and runs in part as follows:—Tliat beneficent Providence which hitherto has preserved n8|in peace and increased our prosperity will not, I trust, withdraw its protecting hand, wnile we on onr part endeavor to ment a continuance of its favors. Equally persuaded am I that no inconvenience will result from my retreat to the walks of private life. The good sense of my countrymen will always discern and can never be at a loss to choose a fit character to administer the exeentive government of these United States, I it has been my good fortnm through the oonrse of my civil and military employments to have [met the approba tion of my countrymen, my wishes wilt be consummated afid I shell have found the only reward I ever had in view.” From an acorn weighing a few grains, a tree will grow for 100 years or more, not only throwing off many pounds of leaves every year, bnt itself weighing many tons. If an orange twig is pat in a large box of earth, and that earth is weighed when the twig becomes a tree, bearing luscious froit, there will be nearly the same amount of earth. From careful experiments made my different scientific men it is ascertained tnat a very large part of the growth of a tree is derived from the sna, from the air and from water, and a very little from the earth ; and notably all vege tation becomes sickly unless it is freely txposed to sunshine. Wood and coal are condensed sunshine, which contains three important elements equally essen tial to both vegetation and animal life— magnesia, lime and iron. It is the iron in tne blood which gives one the dora- bility necessary to bodily vigor, while magnesia is important to all of ths tis sues. Thus it is that the more persons are ont of doors, the more healthy and vigorous they are, and the longer they will live. Every human being ought to have an hepr or two of it, and in the early forenoon in summer. la Excellent Hamer. Early in the year 1835 an amusing col loquy took place m the senate between Henry Clay and James Buchanan. The latter, when a young man, belonged to the Federal party. He was defending him self against the charge of disloyalty during the war of 1812. To prove his loyalty, bo stated that he entered a company of volunteers at the time the British attacked Baltimore, or at the time of the battle of North Point, anfi marched to Baltimore. “True,” he said, “he was not in any en gagement, as the British had retreated be fore he had got there. Mr. Clay—“You marched to Baltimore, though?" Mr. Buchanan—“Yea ’ Mr. Clay—“Armed and equipped?” Mr. Buchanan—“Yes,” Mr. Ciay—“Will ihe Senator from Penn sylvania be good enough to inform us whether the British retreated in conse quence of his valiantly marching to the relief of Baltimore, or whether he marched to the relief of Baltimore in consequence of the British having already retreated ?’’ This colloquy, with its unlooked for en ding, was greatly enjoyed by the Senate and galleries, and put both in excellent humor. Ston» Cbsam.—One quart of mil*, half box of gelatine, sugar to tafta. Mix well and pat on to bod, then add the well-beaten yolks of three eggs, and stir until it thickens. When done, fla vor to taste with vanilla, and put it into moulds. 4