The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, June 18, 1879, Image 1
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ABBEVILLE PRESS & BANNER, j
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J BY HUGH WILSON.AND W. C. BENET. ABBEVILLE, S. C., WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1879. . NO. 2. VOLUME XXY.
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Little Mary's Secret. an
Oh, larks! sing out to the thrushes, ?;
And thrushes, sing out to the sky; < " .
Sing from your nests in the bushes,
And sing wherever you fly; 'pi
For I'm sure that never another de
Such secret was told unto you? til
I've just got a baby brother! ea;
And I wish that the wholo world knew.
have told the buttercups, truly, CU
t And the clover that grows by the way; ^
Aud it pleases me each time, newly,
When I think of it during the day.
ilUU A OttJ I*J UJJOCU, LilUlU OJXaiJ , jgg
You ought to bo good as you can, e(J
For the sake of tho beautiful fairy ch
That brought you the wee little man." an
thi
I'm Ave years old in the summer, M'
And I'm getting quite large and tall; aw
But I thought, till I saw the new-comer, Pri
When I looked in the glass, I was small.
And I rise in tho morning quite early, ^
To be sure that the baby is hero, t}1(
For his hsir is so soft and curly, '
And his hands so tiny and dear! wi
I stop in the midst ot my pleasure? JH(
I'm so happy I cannot play? 1
And keep peeping in at my treasure, lie
Xo see how much lis gains in a day. ^ j
But ho doesn't look much like growing, J
Yet I think that ho will iu a year,
Ann i wisn umi ine aays wouiu oe going, on
' And the time when ho walks would be here '
an
Oh, larks! sing out to the thrushes,
And thrushes, sing as you soar; fee
Vor I think,^when another spring blushes, thl
I can tell you a great deal more? '
1 shall look from one to the other, ,
And say, " Guess who I'm bringing to you?' gQ
&.nd you'll look?and see? he's my brother!
And you'll sing, " Little Mary was true." 1
?Mrs. L. C. Whiton, in Wide Awake cai
eir
= ]
THE LOST BABY. g
u..
The name of our little one was Mar- .
guerite, but we called her little Pearl,
Philip and I. She was our first baby, P*1
the daintiest, dearest little thing that
ever you set eyes on; cheeks like half- P
blown rosebuds, hair like rings of sun- P?
shine, and eves as blue as the depths of a r?
June sky. Darling little Pearl, how we
loved her. We had been married iust a a"
year and a half when Philip caught the *
Western fever.
I loved my husband with an intensity l"1
bordering on idolatry, but when he told &u.
me of his intention to leave our beautiful {
? u 1 1. u:? f?t. WI
cuiiagi* mm s'jLti. ma JUI Lunv. in tuv nil. ,
West, it was a terrible blow to mo,. We
had lived at Rosedale ever since our {
marriage, and I could see no reason why ?we
could not continue to live there.
Truly, the place belonged to my uncle,
but then it would be ours at his death,
and why should Philip fret and chafe so '
under a foolish sense of dependence? We ar<
had everything, elegant rooms, flowers, bu
birds, pleasure grounds and servants tin
enough to keep our hands from anything an
like labor, ana uncle gave it all ungrudg- ch
ingly; still my husband was not content, be
"I can't live this life, Belle," he said; be
" I wasn't made for it. My work awaits to
me somewhere in the world and I must tui
hunt it up. My little ones won't respect ]
their father by-and-bye if he is nothing j01
more than a drone in the hive of life."
I wa3 vexed and angry at first, and ^
said a great many things that were un- *1(
wise and unwomanly, but Philip pur- j.j1(
sued the even tenor of his way, all pa- SP1
tience and forbearance. Our prepara- "j
tions were soon made, the few things we mj
held most precious we packed up, and ra,
bidding adieu to our sunny Southern 0?('
home, we started westward. tu,
| The excitement of the journey, to- -pj
' cether with my husband's constant ten- ^
derness and encouragement, reconciled ^
me, in a measure, to the change of life; ^
and when we had reached our little ?u
Western cottage my impulsive nature, fu
always rushing to one extreme or the ev
other, carried me into an ecstacy of de- j^i
light and anticipation, even beyond any- <
thing my steadfast husband exhibited. nQ
He seemed greatly relieved to see me OC(
growing so thoroughly contented, and ja]
we began our new life very bravely. an
The cottage was comfortable enough, WJ
but bare and humble in comparison to W(
what we had hitherto been accustomed; jos
the square, whitewashed rooms had a gp:
dreadfully forlorn look, and the little .
kitchen,with its one staring window, and
the cooking-stove standing in the middle IVf
the floor, filled me with shudderingdis- y1
T ?i. 1 U..4. fl??l I J
gusi every inuu 1 eutcreu it. uut ? u<m
made up my mind to endure all and ni!
everything, and, as I have said, we be- i1''
gan our new life very bravely.
For the first two or three months I ,,
had help, not very efficient help truly S
.but better than none. Philip entered at J:
once upon the practice of law, and as ^
his office was some distance from home,
he did not return until evening, so we w!
had no great amount of cooking to do,
and between us, we managed to keep |)r
the cottage tidy, and to take care of little
Pearl. J!
Every afternoon we went to meet him.
taking little Pearl, through the grand J
and gorgeous prairies, and as often :is "
as his happy eyes caught sight of her lie y
would h;isten forward with fond cm- *'
hrapps and annrnviiiL' words. .,
" Ah, Belle/' he would say, " I believe ln
I am the happiest man in the universe, ^
and you are growing contented, too, "?
dear?I can see it in your bright face."
The glory of autumn faded, and the jr
chill November rains set in, bringing
dreary, sunless days, and changing the
gorgeous prairie-bloom into endless
leagues of sodden gray. My girl left :
me, and little Pearl grew cross and fret- v:
ful in her teething. In addition to his P
business, Philip had gone into farming. J?
and we had two or three laborers to feed J?
and lodge, which greatly increased the
housework. Under this accumulation ?{
of trials my patience began to give way. '?
I worked late and early, but I grew
morose and fretful, and never had a .
pleasant word for my husband. But he
never complained
"Poor Belle," he would say; "poor,
over-worked little wife, be as brave jis Pi
you can; better days will come oy-ana- ***
bye. Just as soon as I get of!" from my .
business I'll go to the city and obtain
Eermanent help. In the meantime don't 'n
et the roses from your cheeks and the w
brightness from }our eyes." ar
Hut despite njy husband's loving
words and constant help, for he took llone-half
of the household labor on his y(
own hands. I continued to murmur at
my fate, and one morning the crisis
came.
i Breakfast was unusually late, little
^ Pearl cross to absolute fretfulness, and 111
J the sick laborer up stairs in need of st
constant attention, Philip obliged to 'n
leave early, and, after coaxing and P(
hushing Pearl to sleep, I laid her in her m
dainty little crib and went about my
morning's work. ft
I felt wronged and injured: and while e*
I worked away, dusting off the soot and
ashes and scrubbing up the mud, the
hot tears fell so fast as almost to blind
me. My husband was cruel, heartless, w
I thought, to take me from a home 'e
where Si was beauty and pleasure, and .
bring me to that dreadful place to wear n
my life out in hateful drudgery. I v
would sooner be in my grave tnan to
live on so from year to year. li,
In the midst of this despair, I heard
the sick man calling from above, and d<
hurried to .him. His fever was rising
again; he needed coo'ing draughts ana bi
ice-cloths to his he- 1. I went to work P1
to prepare them wit > nervous haste, for
the morning was 5 pping by, and the 01
noon meal must br in readiness for the ai
farming-hands. In the midst of my
work and hurry, little Pearl's sharp, im- c(
perative cry came piping from below, in
What should I do? I had just spent sc
over half an hour lulling her to sleep, m
and here she was on my hands again.
" I won't go down," I cried in real d<
ger. "She may have her cry out
on, dear, I wish I had no baby!" <
But the instant the unwomanly wish
.d passed my lips, I repented of having i
tered it. No baby, no little PearH
le bare thought filled me with shud- 1
ring terror. Hurriedly administering <
e sick man's potion, I hastened down, 1
ger to compensate for my unmotherly I
jrds by fond caresses. <
There stood the little cradle in the ac- 1
stomed comer, the dainty lace cover- 1
I thrown back, the pillow still damp j i
d warm from the impress of the curly J
Vnit- Ponrl was rrnnn!
b'or an instant I stood dumb?breath- 1
s, then, in frantic foolishness, I search- *
the rooms, the yard, calling upon the '
ild's name, as if she could hear and
swer me. And then, at last, a happy 1
ought broke like sunlight upon me. (
y husband had been home, and stolen
ay the child to tease me. I set about ]
eparing dinner, looking every moment 1
see him come in. In a little while the
on bell rang, bringing the laborers
im the clearing. I hurried out to meet (
em. 1
4 Where is Mr. Weston?" I questioned,
th my heart in my mouth. J
' Haven't seen him, ma'am, since ]
>rning."
'Not seen him? You surely have; 1
's got my baby." r
But the men shook their heads, and
cching up ray shawl, I hurried off in *
3 direction of his office. I
flalf a mile irom the cottage I met him :l
his way home.
' Why, Belle," he cried, catching my e
ai and looking down in consternation
my draggled garments and muddy 1
it, "where are you going? What is a
e matter?"
'Oh, Philip, the baby, little Pearl, Jl
lat have you done with her?"
' Done with little Pearl? Are you *
ing^mad, Belle? Tell me what you
;an>" r
'She's gone?little Pearl's gone. I ^
me down stairs and found her cradle
ipty, and I was sure you had her." I*
lie stood silent for a moment, his faje j
)\ving as white and stern as death; i(l
en he said, solemnly:
'No, Belle, I haven't seen the child. I E
ven't been home since morning." s
He started on before me, with long,
aid strides, into the cottage, and up e
the little cradle standing in the cor- }
r, as if to satisfy his own eyes. Then 1
turned back to the yard, and began '
examine the tracks in the mud around
e doorway. The farm hands were ex- *
lining them also.
4 Moccasin tracks, boss," said one old *
m, significantly, pointing to an indenre
in the yielding soil. "Injuns, I ?
ess." *
My husband's face grew a shade
liter. y
"Yes," he responded, "that's it; s
me, my lads, we haven't a moment to S
,e." a
He started off, followed by the labori,
but a few rods from the house he F
rned back. 1
' Poor Belle," he said, putting his arms (
jund me, "this is terrible for you,
t you must be strong, and hope for ^
S Ul'SL, AUG JLliUliVUS nave piVOCJCii ucicf jd
it was they, no doubt, who stole the j.
ild. We must try to intercept tlicm
fore they cross the river; we may not 'j
back to-night; you had better go over t
Mr. Delavan's and stay till we re- e
rn.''' j
But I did not go. I went into the '<
lely cottage, and fell upon my knees e
side the empty little crib. God had b
i-en me my wish; I had no bal?v. Ah. c
the self-torture, the bitterness of p
ose long, long hours can never be de- v
ibed. c
Morning dawned at last, lurid and t
sty, a red sun struggling up through n
?ged billows of gray tog. About ten t
:lock my husband and his party re- 2
rned, weary, haggard and nopeless. a
ley had followed the Indians all night, v
it when at last they came up with o
em, far beyond the river, they could I)
in no tidings of the child. And all
rafter efforts were eaually unsuccess- li
I. We offered rewards, and instituted
ery means of inquin^, but in vain.
ttle Pearl was gone! I had no baby! b
niere was ample time for leisure then; f
peevish cries, no little baby wants to t
pnnv me! But I. who had hated ?
ior, flew to it now as my sole refuge t
d comfort. The only ease that I found c
us in constant action. My husband
n-ked too, but his life seemed to have
it its impelling force, its happiest in- n
iration. r
Veai*s went by, and not content with ^
f simple household duties, I took
arge of a neighboring school?later '
lidod my husband in his office. My n
ind expanded, my ideas enlarged, I was
longer an indolent, helpless repiner,
it a strong, self-reliant, laboring
)man, a true helpmate for my husnd.
Success crowned our united 0
orts, wealth and renown flowed in t
on us, my husband was elected judge 0
d spoken of for Congress? i>ut we r
?re childless, for no more babies came, r
Ten years after our removal to the t
est, we received intelligence of my j
icle's death, and, being his only heirs, n
? went down at once to attend to the
element of his estate. Returning j
uneward, we made a tour of Niagara (
d the principal Northern cities. ^
One Sentember night found us in New t
Drk, and at the opera. The house was i
lusually gay, the music divine, but
rough all the glamour and perfume of T
rgeous toilets, amid the wailing of the j
usic, and the triumphant strains of the j
igers, I sat unconscious, almost indif- V
rent, the old yearning in my heart
used up to strange ana sudden inten- r
;y. Only one thought possessed me, r
id that was my lost baby, little Pearl. \
VIA /VTTAt* fVtof Kin
5CCUICU \AJ UC living U*V>i tuau vuutwiv ?
orning and long, long night again, and s
y soul cried out for my child with a [
nging that would not be silenced. Yet g
the gay house and exquisite music j
ere was nothing suggestive of her f
lort, sweet little life; why, then, did ]
ie seem so near to me? what was it ,
at thrilled and shook me so? 1
The opera over, we started for our t
>tel. At one of the crossings the carnge
made a sudden halt. 5
" Nothing but a strap broke loose; all 1
gilt in a moment, sir, said the driver, t
answer to my husband's inquiry. 1
I leaned out while he was arranging t
, looking over the silent city, and up c
to the solemn summer night. Thcsky s
as blue and cloudless, the stars mellow <
id misty, and a full moon hung like a <
)lden jewel in the far west. My eyes i
led with tears, and an inexpressible c
?arning tilled my soul. <
"Where is my baby?where is little :
earl to-night?" I murmured. 1
" Please,'madam, just one penny!"
The slender, childish voice, mellow
id sweet as the note of a blackbird,
artled me out of my reverie, and, look- t
ig down, I saw a tiny figure and an ap- (
baling baby-face below in the misty 1
loonhght. 1
' Please, madam, I never begged be- t
ffruwlmorm ia flnflinlr nnrl *
it nothing since yesterday." c
Just then the driver sprang to his box, (
id the carriage whirled off again, leav- t
ig the little thing far behind, but I <
lught at my husband's arm in breath- ]
ss eagerness. I
"Philip," I entreated, "stop the car- (
age, I must see that child." \
He glanced back hesitatingly, and <
lere the little thing stood in the moon- .
ght, just as we had left her. (
"I must, Philip,"I repeated; "don't j
jnyme.", (
Andmjr husband bade the driver turn ,
ick, which he did with a muttered im- recation.
(
"Now, my little girl," I said, leaning i
it and extending my arm, " come here \
id tell me how I can help you." 1
"Grandmaim is sick,rt she replied, 1
>ming close up to the wheels and rais- s
ig her soft blue eyes to my face, " and {
> hungry, and I never begged before, i
adam!" . c
"And where does your grandnja live, :
jar?" ]
44 Right down the street, in that ri
5f tenements."
"Take her up, Philip; we must lc
into this case."
My husband obeyed, and the driv
aeing promised double pay, turn
iown toward the tenements. I seal
;he little girl beside me, and took her ]
;le brown hand in mine. The bare ton
>f her slender fingers made the v<
jlood in my heart thrill, and I wanl
:o clasp her in my arms and cover 1
poor, wan little faee with kisses, witl
longing that was absolute pain.
44 How pretty she is," I said, smool
ng back her tangled golden hair tl
.haded her white forehead and sw
slue eyes.
44 She looks like a frightened bird," si
ny husband, smiling; 44 what willy
lo with her, Belle?"
44 Keep her forever, if I can," I replii
.vith a feeling of intense happiness at i
leart.
Just then we reached the tenements
" That's grandmarm's room," said t
ihild, pointing upward to a window
vhich a-dim light was burning.
We left the carriage and followed 1
lp a long flight of stairs, and into t
ow, humble room. On the rude cou
ay an old woman, her strong, worn f:
vearing that pallor which never kno
i change.
" Grandmarm," cries the child, n
ling to the bedside, 44 here's a good, n:
ady come, and she'll give you some t
md you'll get well now."
The old woman turned her head. 1
ager eves fastening themselves upon i
"Thank God!" she murmured,
bought I should die and leavQ 1
,lone."
44 What can I do for you, madam?'
5ked, bending over her.
44 Nothing for me, I'm piist help; i
he child I want looked after."
44 Yes, but you must have nouris
nent?Philip, go out for some tea, a
ve'll have a fire at once."
44 Womah," she said, solemnly, 44 list
o me. I am dying?in a few hours
hall be in the other world?I coi
[rink a drop of water, but nothing els<
My husband procured it in a Jew n:
aents, and after drinking it she seem
omewhat revived.
44 Now," she said, 44 while I am stro
enough, let me speak about the child
vhen I'm gone sue won't have a friei
n tlm u-iHp wnrlH?vrrn 1nnlr likfl a ri
voman, wouid you?"
" I'll take her and be a mother to hei
interrupted, eagerly.
" Corae round here and let me see yo
ace."
I obeyed, bending down to the dyi
yes that searched my face so keen!
lifter a moment she drew a deep breal
" Yes," she said. "I can trust yo
our face is good and honest?God li
ent you?come here, little Hose?this
our new mother: you must love li
nd be a good girl when I'm cone."
I held out my arms, and the little thi
icstled close to my bosom, looking
nto my face with wonderine eyes.
" I will be good to her," I said; "
Jod hears me, I will."
" I believe you, and now I can die
ieace. I should a' been dead long af
iut for leavin1 the child?that kept r
lack. She ain't a frien' in the worl
nd she's no flesh and blood o' mir
?en years ago, my old man was ali
hen, and runnin' a flat-bout on a Wei
rn river. We fell in with a party
i\juns. They had a white baby wi
?m, the prettiest, daintiest little tiling
ver set eyes on. I had jest lost my o\
iaby, and I couldn't bear to see the
arry the poor little thing away, so
ursuaded my old man to buy it. Th
cere glad enough to sell, so I took t
hild and raised iier as my own. I mea
o hunt up her folks and 1 named it afi
jy own baby. I had a great likin' f
lie little creature. I couldn't bear
ive her up?but I was sorry enoui
fter ray.old man died, and we came
rant. *But I've kept the clothes she li
n, and maybe, madam, you may hear
ier people somf day."
" Let us see the clothes," gasped n
msband, his face as white as death.
44 T nnlr in Kav on/1 rrot 'om Pncc
U?/UXV lit tllV> UVj\ (V1IU gvu VsAA&y AWklV
The child obeyed, bringing a sm:
lundle carefully wrapped up. I u
aided it with trembling hands, ai
hen, as my eyes fell upon the embroi
red frock, the little crimson sack ai
he dainty blue shoes?my own bal
lothcs?for the first time in my life
Topped down in a dead faint.
Wlien consciousness returned I foui
ay husband bending over me with
adiant face, and little Rose?my ov
ittle Pearl?closely clasped in his arrr
"Found at last, Belle," he murmurc
remulouslv: " God be thanked, we :i
iot childless!"
Increase of Gambling.
As to private gambling, it can hard
ie denied that there is a good deal mo
f it now than before the war, both r
ually and comparatively. It is a vice
ur colleges, and games with stakes :i
ilayed at many of the clubs, while
irivate houses it is very generally f<
hat the facination of the play is mu
ncreased by the putting up ofsomethi;
t the corners. Betting 01 all sorts h
.lso increased within twenty years, coi
ng into vogue with other English ai
Continental fashions. Poker has i
levotees by the hundred thousand; ai
lie steady multiplication of horse rac<
>oat races, billiard matches, ball gam
md all sorts of athletic contests, fi
lishes occasion for gratifying the ta.<
or taking hazards. The demand f
ottery tickets has also grown withir
[uarter of a century.
Among the games of cards which a
iow most played in private circles, t
loh.e and ancient game ot whist has
ate regained its former supremacy. E
lire, of trifling consequence in compa
on, and of far less interest for a mi
apable of concentration, for a til
icemed to eclipse the glories of wh
n general estimation, leaving that di<!
ied game to be courted by old fogii
3ut euchre had its day; and now t
vhole pack is brought into requisiti
iy those who seriously follow the i
rieacies of the most engaging of gami
Sinfo tlin int\vnf1iir?tinn nf np\v ?i
mproved combination game, by t
ules of which whist is made more scic
-ific and satisfactory, the number
,vhist clubs has increased throu^hc
lie country, and it is steadily drivi
)Ut other games of cards. But why :
;ist on money at the corners! Can't t
;nme furnish excitement enough wil
)ut such hazards? Many people thi
t can; and in fact it quickens the p:i
)f the passing hours for thousands
onscientious men and women to whc
i money stake is an offence and a wick<
less.?New York Sun.
A Wax-produdng Inscet.
We learn from the Colonics and rnt
hat an American explorer has rccen
liscovered in the little-known district
Sfucatan, bordering on British Horn]
iis, a valuable insect, possessing propi
ies which ought to make it a rival
;he cochineal and shellac-producing
sects. This is the necn, or niin, a spec
>f Coccus, which feeds on the man
;ree and similar plants, and exists
inormous quantities in Central Amerii
It is of considerable size, of a yellowi
srown color, and emits a peculiar o
>dor, containing, as it doe3, a large qur
;ity of fatty oil, or rather grease. T1
jrease is used by the natives for varic
mrooses. beinc highly prized as mei
nnal oil lor external application, and
is also employed for mixing paints.
;an be made to change its condition v(
considerably by different process
When exposed to great heat, the ligh
)ils evaporate, leaving a tough flexil
uass, resembling half-softenea wax, 1;
inaffected by heat or cold, which m
ae used as a lacquer or varnislj. Wh
lurned, this material produces a thi
semi-fluid mass, somewhat resembling
solution of india rubber, which, aftel
"ew days, becomes hard and solid. A
jement this substance will be invaluab
md it might also be used for wat
aroofing purposes.?Nature.
3W THE DEAD LETTER OFFICE.
'?k The Washington Hoipltal for Infirm and
Failing Lietteri? Gueaslnir, Detective
61% and Other (Work.
ie^ The dead letter office, says the Washed
ington Star, is not accurately defined by
ll!j- its name. To be sure, deceased letters
lc" of the common sort undergo cremation
there, and the more important and illustrious
dead are honored, like the great
ier among the ancient Egyptians, by ein1
a balming; but for all that the office is not
so distinctively a sepulcher for the ashes
or other l-emains of dead letters,as a hoslat
pital where sick, deformed and maimed
ee' letters are doctored, cured and sent on
... their way rejoicing, to fill the ends for
which tliey were created.
ou More than three million letters a year
are now received at the dead letter oihce.
They are drawn from all classes of mail
uy communications and furnish an epitome
of the correspondence of the country.
The first step in their treatment is to exVe
amine them in order to discover whether
in they have received the proper and prescribed
consideration from the postmasier
ter who forwarded them, originally, or
'"e who forwarded them to the office. If
{'h neglect on the part of any postmaster is
106 discovered he is handed over to the merws
cies of the44 blowing-up clerk," who then
states facts to him. A vigorous lecture
!n" in which the bureau expresses its amazelce
ment and surprise at the unpardonable
ea> ignorance, etc., etc., is the most severe
punishment inflicted. It is only recentier
ly that an effort has been made to estab^s
lish the death penalty in aggravated
J cases. A few days ago a clerk in the
ier city postoffice had occasion to lyindle a
, T parcel addressed to the Smithsonian In*
stitution. It was sent through a post,
oflice in Texas and a label on the outside
ts informed the public that it contained
, two live scorpions, a live centipede and
a Mexican sour. The clerk was somen(*
what flurried, it is alleged, at the thought
that he held ''poisonous varmints" in
^ his hands. Ilis agitation was not de*
creased when he received from a hole in
the box what he imagined to be a sting.
It was discovered that he had only cut
l0" himself upon a projecting rowel of the
ecl Mexican spur.
At the opening table the cont?nts of
such letters as need to be opened are
' iliaorwprefl Tn fnrmer timpc tlif> f>hnm_
pion letter-opener was he who turned in
c" the most money as the result of his
. ? labors, and much ingenuity was exercised
in the selection of letters likely ;
to prove valuable. One of tiie numerous
ur improvements in the system introduced
by the present chief, Mr. E. J. Dallas, !
makes the number of letters opened, i
v* whether containing money or not, the i
test of efficiency. But the influences of \
u: the old custom still make the eyes of i
u!s some of the clerks glisten when the i
18 opening of a letter brings to light a crisp 1
ier bill of" a large denomination. Special 1
efforts are of course made to return or i
nS forward letters containing valuables. 1
UP Over ninety per cent, of sucli letters are
disposed of. Some letters containing
513 small amounts, sent under .fictitious
names for improper purposes, and some i
in communications sent to lottery dealers, I
5?' after failing of delivery, either through I
^.e order of the postmaster-general, as in <
l(1, the latter case, or for other reasons, are .
IC* _ refused by the senders, who disclaim '
X? all knowledge of them. Thus the com- 1
5t^ munication is left suspended after the <
fashion of Mahomet's coffin between <
"i writer and addressed. About 8700 in <
> 1 greenbacks and 81,000 in- government <
bonds are the largest amounts that have '
!ni been taken from letters.in recent years, i
1 Twelve thousand dollars is the largest 1
,?y amount that lias ever been found in a ]
single letter. A draft unclaimed and ;
nt consequently bogus, found in one letter, 1
:er was for 82,900,000.50. It is noticed that
?r since the fractional currency has been <
^ retired postage stamps to about the same i
=tl amount have appeared in letters re- 1
*9 ceived.
ail The " guessing " desks at the jieadof
O* llio flonrl Ipftpr nfflr-o sivn r?f inf-/>rP5t.. I
Long practice has made the clerks exliy
ports at their work. At one desk ad?
dresses are translated, misdirections detected.
and writers saved from the
111 natural consequences of carelessness.
n7 The editorial capacity of reducing to
I\(1 English letters words twisted into an '
ar inky labyrintn or words run into a hori- 1
[?a zontal line, the power of putting one's \
self in the writer s place, an acquaintance i
1 with the usual mistakes of misdirection,
, and a minute knowledge of localities and i
directories are necessary for success in i
JJ" this work. The office has no blind ]
'n reader to teh the correct address by the <
J?' sound of the misspelled names; nor '
does it need one. At the desk of the ]
clerk who examines letters that have i
been sent out from the dead letter office i
unsuccessfully, guessing powers of a i
different kind are required. He reads
ly the returned letters through carefully
ire and seeks for a clew which will enable
ic- him to find the sender. A person must
of write very guarded indeed to prevent the
ire dropping of any hint which will enable
in this amateur detective with his discov[?lt
cry circular to trace the letter to him.
eh One astonished individual who received
ng information from the office of a letter
as containing money which he had misdiu
rccted was at such a loss to comprend
hend how his whereabouts had been
its discovered that he wrote the clerk tellnd
ing him to keep the money and send him
2s, in its stead an account of the method
les by which this had been accomplished,
ir- As his request could not be complied
ite with, he is, perhaps, still in a state of
or wonder.
l a ?"
Farm Maps.
T6
jie The Charleston (S.C.) News thinks that
Gf on the large farms in the South work '
;u_ would go on more systematically if maps
rj_ were made of the whole property:
n(l " Every farmer should have a complete
11C man of his farm, with each field, pasture
jst and wood lot,, together with all the
n. fences, roads and ditches, plainly drawn \
'iH< and numbered or named, so they can be ,
i(*2t(tijy ucMgimi/eu. ruw luiiiien* uttn ,
0? appreciate tlie i-eal value of one until ,
in- they have tried the experiment; for, with ,
es> a map of the farm before you, you can
n(j direct your workmen to any part of it
]1C without the possibility of their making
>n_ a mistake. You can plan your improve0f
ments and estimate their cost at your
,ut leisure, instead of spending half a day
n? eif valuable time surveying the land itself.
jn_ It should be about twelve feet square, or
jie larger if desired, and drawn on thick
1,. card board, to prevent its being torn
nk or defaced. Let our farmers try the ex^.(1
periment.; they will soon learn its value.
0f All necessary surveys may be made when
)m other farm work is not pressing, and the
map may be drawn and the lots numbered
in the winter evenings." It may
be a question whether in the smaller
Northern farms the same practice would
not be often profitable.
tly
,01 Bee Stings as a Wont Remedy.
luBr_
Several articles and letters have been
of printed in the German papers of late
in. lauding the efficacy of the sling of the
ies common bee as a cure for gout. Here is
go one of the latest of these communicain
tions, which appeared in the Augsburg
Ba. Evening Gazette: I was lying in beo,
sh says tli* writer, suffering from a heavy
ily attack of gout, accompanied with violent
in- pains in my left foot, when I chanced to
[lis read in a newspaper an article describes
<ng how gout may be cured by the sting
ii. of bees. I at once determined to try the
it remedy, and soon contrived a small box
It by means of which a captured bee could
>ry be applied to the afflicted part. I then
es. let my foot be stung by three bees in
<.? cnwncsinn flnpli hop lpnvinf* Ins stinir
ICi" OUVVWU.V.., o
ble behind in ray flesh. After ft few minutes,
mt these stings were extracted; wnd when
[ay the pain caused by them had subsided, I
ten found that the gouty pain had also left
ick me. On the same day I left my bed, and
r a on the morrow was able to walk about.
' a For some little time my foot was slights
a ly inflamed, and I experienced some
,le, burning sensation, but in four or flve
er- days tins left me, and I* was completely
recovered.
TIMELY TOPICS.
A pntent has been issued to Miss H:
net G. Hosmer by the United Sta
patent office for her process of maki
artificial marble, regarding which
much has been said. The claims
forth that limestone, ot other like si
stance including alabaster stone, may
given the appearance and uniform hai
ness throu^nout of natural marble in
various colors by t'.ie application of mo
Imof ni< lmof ?n flip form nf aWnm
combination with a bath of alum a
water, or with various baths compos
of various chemicals and coloring matt
In an article on " External Parasite
the Rural New Torlcer gives this curic
information: "There are three spec
of lice that disturb the peace and qu
of the human family. The head loi
is the most common. It is saM that
olden times it was thought no disgra
but fashionable and desirable, to hart
and nourish the crawling pigmies of t
head; now they are only common amo
such people as neglect personal neatne
The most cleanly person may be so v
fortunate as to possess specimens r
pinned in an entomological cabinet, h
lie will soon banish them according
the fashion well understood in all ci
ilized society."
At the annual meeting of the Penns;
vania State Medical Society, whi
opened at Chester, a report was receiv
from Dr. P. D. Keyser, surgeon of t
Wills Hospital of Philadelphia, deta
ing the results of an examination as
color blindness of train men employed
railroads converging in Philadelph
He found that of those examined thi
and one-half per cent, mistook colors c
for the other, their defects being of su
character as to make them really incaj:
ble and unsafe to fill the positions th
occupy. Then there were eight and 01
half per cent, additional who, althou
able to distinguish colors, were una!
to tell the shades of colors, thus maki
twelve per cent, of those examined w
were not quick and sharp in notici
and distinguishing colors and shades.
The annual summary of births, cleat
ind causes of death in the large cities
England for 1878 furnishes some intera
ing statistics with reference to Londo
Its population exceeds 3,500,000, and,
the suburbs are included, 4,500,000.
almost equals that of Paris, Berlin ai
Vienna, and with its suburbs it equf
the population of the capitals of Fram
Prussia. Austria ar.d Russia. The ar
of the city is 122 square miles, and t
density of population 29.392 people to ti
square mile; the proximity of tne pop
lation 11.04 yards from each other. \V i
the above density, the mortality shou
ho 35.2 per 1,000, but from 1874 to 1878
lias been reduced as low as 22.8. T
registered deaths are 83,895, and the birt
lifting 129,184, they exceed the former 1
15,489.
We have been apt to consider Chi:
is a heathen country, and such it is fro
the Christian standpoint, but it is f
from an ignorant land. It has, witho
loubt, according to Barnes1 Education
Monttdy, over 400,000,000 of people,
vvmcii vast nuinner inure is scarcely o
wlio cannot read and write. It has 2,0
colleges, and their libraries outnumb
;mrs ten to one. There are in that lai
3f pig-tailed Mongols 2,000,000 high
educated men. while there isMiardly
woman who is educated of all the v?
number of its people, and not one who
thought to have a soul. Education
principally a discipline of the memoi
ind their schools are based upon an e
tirely different idea from ours. A li
JTankee schoolmaster would find litl
employment in China, even though i
understood the Chinese language ai
literature perfectly.
They have a cheerful way of doii
things in Russia. Whenever anybo<
is arrested there, the fact is kept a seen
nad everybody who calls at the house
the arrested person is also put und
irrest. Recently a physician in got
practice at St. Petersburg was arreste
:ind it so happened that at the time !
was captured a chiid was taken ill in
family which he was in the habit of r
tending. During the night the chilc
illness became so alarming that the fath
went to fetch the doctor; but, <
arriving at the door, he was seized 1
the police and earned off in spite of 1:
protests. The mother waited an ho
r>r more, ana nnaing tnat Her nusbai
tlid not return, went herself to t
physician's house, where she, too, w
nrrested. Meanwhile the child remain
alone in the house, and on the iollowii
morning it was dead.
The prospects for a large wheat cri
in the United States are very good, if a
may believe the special reports ire
thirty-four States given in a New Yo
paper. A late Chicago paper also h
an encouraging word on this subjec
" Fears were entertained a few wee
since that the drought would serious
aftect the growing wheat crop, but the
fears have oecn dissipated by the genei
rain of Friday and Saturday nights, ai
the fine growing weather now promise
Reports from all parts of the count
show that the acreage of wheat sown
larger by at least ten per cent, than If
year, when the largest crop ever gat
ered in this country was grown. Wi
favorable weather henceforward it
re:isonably certain that this year's cn
will reach 450,000,000 bushels. Ihe co
planting season promises to be most i
vorablc in the West. Everything co
sidered the outlook for farmers is ve
encouraging."
The English bench has decided i
formally that a woman can tell a bett
lie than a man. At the Devon Assiz
in Exeter, during the trial of a perju
t:ase, the counsel for the defence ma
use of the remark that a woman wou
say anything. Baron Iluddleston, inn
dressing the jury, observed that hecou
not go :us far as the counsel, but it wa#
well-known fact that a woman told
lie better than a man did. It was a 1
niarkable circumstance that when
woman waJ determined to say that will
w:us untrue, she did it a great deal bett
than a man. Whether it was that a m
was more conscious of his indignity, w
:i metaphysical question lie could not a
swer; but it was certain that a worn:
could tell a story much more logical
;ind perseveringly than a man could. I
was glad that it w:is a question for t
jury to say whether the girl should
believed, for he himself admitted his i
capacity to gauge the veracity ofa worn
when she appeared in the box.
The sin of cruelty to animals is n
gravated by two circumstances. Fir;
the obligation under which we lie
the dumb-creation, which are our s<
vants. We owe so much to the hor:
the mule, the cow, the faithful wafc
dog, and we ought to treat them kind!
nay, gratefully. The want of these a:
other animals would be a felt calamit
But we want to rememher that the s
is aggravated by their silence. They n
dumb. If you are ill-used, you can c
for aid, and secure it.- If you are hung
you can cry for bread, and get it; b
the poor dumb beast cannot ask for foe
nor appeal for protection to the offic
of a law court. Hence the crime of
man who ill-uses his beast is aggravat
by the most contemptible cowardice,
the bully or blusterer, in a fit of passio
striKes ma equal, ne may receiTO a nic
in return, or lie may be seve^y elm
lised for his temper; or ifhisantagonii
through self-respect, only sees fit to a
minister a dignified rebuke, he still g?
the worst of the encounter; but the i
used beast cannot thus retaliate, tliei
fore the cruel monster who merciless
abuses the-beast he drives or rides is t
meanest of all cowards.
Coi. John IT. Groesbeck was apron
nent citizen of Cincinnati, who unn
countably slipped away from home ai
friends and went to New York. To all I
appearances he was in the possession o
ftr_ everything that would conduce to the
tca comfort and enjoyment of a man. His
ng profitable legal practice may be in part i
so ascribed to the fact that he was a brother c
Bet of William S. Groesbeck, who was one t
xl). of the great legal lights of the Ohio bar,- ?
be and who had been oecasionly mentioned g
r(]_ as an available candidate for high politi- e
its cal positions. 2he Cincinnati Commerist
rial tells the sad story of John Groes- f
in beck's fall. His dead body was dis- ^
nd covered floating near one of the North ,
led river piers, ana bis identity was fixed ?
er. by a ring inside of which his name was c
inscribed. The cause of the depondency r
g ? which led to his death was the loss oi {
>U8 his estate in stock speculations. He was ,
ies very cautious in his ventures for a long
iet time? and esteemed one of the most conjge
servative operators on the street, but he *
in was gradually tempted further in and *
ce damaged, and the crowning blow was
,or the loss, of over $100,000 on Western ?
lie Union Telegraph stock, which rose ?
ng rapidly when he had sold for a decline, j:
ss. ^
in- Umbrella and Parasol Manufacture. E
l?t The manufacture of umbrellas and f
parasols is an extensive industry in the t
,to United States, and the importation of
lv" tlie? goods all made up is reduced to a c
very small limit. Parts of umbrellas g
and parasols are quite largely imported, c
y{" but they are generally put together here. E
C*J Plain twilled silk for covering is aliAost ji
Pd entirely imported, while figured silks, ?
i1? such as are used to some extent in para- i:
sols, are made at Paterson, N. J. Al- g
paca is largely imported, though the use i
?n of domestic is increasing. The cotton t
|a- coverings are all of domestic make. c
"ee There is a class of goods, known as a
nP worsted serge, which have a silk border, fl
cjl and which are all imported, being made
,a" especially for umbrella covers. The ?.
ey cheapest covering used is a print cloth, ^
1(? dyed black or brown, and stretched over
gh the ribs of a parasol without hemming. ^
)le A fourteen-inch parasol ol this descrip- n
"8 tion is sold as low as eight cents by the ^
ho manufacturer. This is narely the cost ^
n? of the article, which is complete in every ^
part; but it is used at this price as a ^
leader by the maker and by the Western- v
9s trade, who are the chief buyers. From n
m this price parasols range up to any figure t]
3t* a buyer wants to pay, it being an easy fll
matter to put a hundred dollars' worth c
" of work into a lace-covered, ivory- g
It handled article. The sizes of parasols u
ld ran^e from fourteen to twenty-four
"s inches, and the average price for full;e,
sized goods is from $2.75 to 84. Umea
brellas measure from twenty-six to d
he thirty-six inches, with stage and track $
lie umbrellas running up to thirty and lorty, ^
u" inches. ^
th The main parts of an umbrella or \
Id parasol are the handle, the shank (the r(
it stick), the ribs, the stretchers, the cover,
he the runner, tho ferrule, the cap, the ri
hs notch and the cup. The "cup'' slips &
t?y over the ends of tne ribs when closed c
and holds them, and the " notch" is the S(
$ ring which is fixed at the top of the um- ft
na brella under the silk, and into which the e]
? ribs are fastened. The "cap" is imme- g
ftr diately above this?the silk being be- ti
Qt tween. The other parts are indicated t'
al by their names. It often occurs that f,
of the stick is only in one piece; but when
?e elaborate handles are emploved, they are C:
00 separate from the stick, which is then gi
er known as the shank. Sticks are made g
^d of maple, ash and birch. Ribs for very b
iy cheap umbrellas are made of rattan, ti
11 though the use of any other than metal- ri
ft lie ribs lias pretty much passed out of I
)8 date. Whalebone long ago fell into dis- ^
18 use on account of its high cost. The g
7. finest paragon frames, comprising ribs y
n* and stretchers, are impoi*ted, but most of n
ve the frames used are made in this country b
tie from finely-tempered iron wire, drawn p
he down to the requisite size. Handles are
1(i made of a great variety of materials and e<
at all sorts of prices. tl
Celluloid, which has been in use of si
|*s jate, makes one 01 tne nest handles n
jy known. It can be molded into any fovm fi
-t. desired, and is strong and lasting. It is g
of made in black, white, red, blue and imi- n
tation tortoise shell. The largest manu- d
3d factory of umbrellas and parasols is in ii
d, New York city. More of these goods in tl
he the aggregate are made in New York tl
than anywhere else in the country. A si
few manufacturers make their own v
I's sticks, ribs and other parts, but gcner- si
er ally this is a separate business from put- b
3n ting together and making the covers, o
by The largest factory of ribs and stretchers o
119 is in Forty-eighth street. New York; the ii
sticks are made chiefly in Jersey City, a
while the small parts are mostly mat.e o
"e in Connecticut. p
as
ed
ng The British Parliament.
A London correspondent describes a ?
visit paid to the British Parliament ;is tj
follows: In passing from Westminster P(
It to St. Stephen's hall, one of the police y
calls for my ticket and is announced by u
V; another,44 This is an English gentleman: ,
he was here hist year; all right, pass in.'
? * Here the spell of great and eloquent
, ? names falls upon vou sis you pass along ?
^ one avenue of pedestals on which Eng- ?
f ^ land has erected marble statues to her jj
best and wisest statesmen, to whom she g
\ owes lasting gratitude for their patriot- ^
ism and public virtue. Burke, llamp r.
r.y den, Fox, Pitt, Mansfield, Walpole and ?
G ratten are among those men she de- *
f lights to honor. Like the shades and ?
?j" sunrises of our Webster and Clay in the
. capitol at Washington, they make one s
18 almost fear to enter lest ho find the liv- a
P ing actors a degenerate race. Passing 3
P through numerous outposts of guards v
and several magnificent halls and lob- v
n" bies, I am at length in the House of Lords, a
ry which, without doubt, iPlhe finest spec- ,
imen of Gothic, civil architecture in Eu- 0
rope. It is too fine, altogether, with its j,
stained windows and gilded niches be- j
;*;r tween them, its throne glaring with :(
8 gold, and the richly paneled walls and
V coffered ceiling, for me to undertake to g
I ? describe now. I came to see and feel the c
, living mon that govern a great empire. n
rT The Lord Chanceior was already on the j
,a woolsack when we entered, at precisely v
' ft five o'clock. Bishops in connicals, lords, n
, a dukes and marquises are on either side v
e" of him, with their hats on, talking and y
.a reading, and for all the world looking a
c" much as untitled mortals do on our side r(
,er of the water. Nothing was up to call
an out the power of their lordships?simply
118 the subject of a narrow-gauge railroad
n" for Ireland, upon which Lord Beacons- n
|'n field expressed himself in a few plain p
!'y words. The premier looks thin and worn 1<
ie ?"deliberation and care sat upon his h
brow," iincl evidently the carrying out g
130 of his proposed " spirited policy " wears
n" upon him. After waiting for two hours d
an for scintillations of genius from a body p
which after all do little but sanction the y
acts of the Commons, I pass over to the ti
LS" lower house,where a storm was moment- p
arily expected in the attack of the oppo- v
'? sition upon the budget. There is a full a
;r" attendance, both of members and of vis- h
itors. Lord Northcote, representative of tl
P'1 the government, is in his place, and sev? a
ernl times on his feet in reply to ques- c
n(; tions and in explanation of the policy tl
y: of the government. John Bright and c
,in Gladstone are side by side. It is the s;
,re government night, and an attack was si
ry made upon the war policy and schemes s,
ry. of the premier. The small amis were c
discharged first, anil it was expected that ti
Gladstone would deliver himself of a o
;er broadside. Rut hour after hour passed o
? away, and at twelve o'clock Gladstone t<
left /reserving his fire till Monday night, n
1 when he occupied the house with one of
'n? tliu ablest speeches he has ever made.
>w *
ls- " f;
af The nrodno.tion of the salmon can n
d- neries of the Pacific co:ist l:vst year wan e:
its 584,000 cans, or 28,032.000 pounds, s]
11- Specimens weighing sixty to seventy- i<
e- five pounds were caught by the Oregon p
ily fishermen. A. peculiarity of the Oregon 1]
lie salmon is tl^oir contempt for all the to
anglers' lures. There is no salmon ang- d
ing on the Oregon rivers. They are b
ii- sometimes caught by trolling at the 1
lc- mouths of the rivers, hut they never take p
nd the angler's fly. ' tl
'ARM, GARDEN, AND HOUSEHOLD.
i
Keclpea, i
Victorias.?One cupfiu sugar, one 1
ng, one teaspoonful of soda dissolved in 1
ine pint of water; bgat butter and sugar
ogether, add the water, stir in enough
lour to make thin batter; bake on a hot
[riddle without turning over; butter
ach one the instant it is done.
Shortcake.?Prepare the dough as
or biscuit, only much richer; rollout
wo crusts nearly as thin as for pie erust;
lut them together, spreading a little <
(Utter between them; bake in a quick
iven. When done, place the fruit or
reserves between the crusts. When it
s not in the fruit season, dried fruit or
(reserves make a very good substitute.
Dry Bread and Cold MeatUtelzed.?Chop
your beef very fine, then
loak your bread .in cold water till it is
rery soft; take 'it in the hands and
queeze as much of the water out as you
an, having twvthirds as much bread
is meat; mix the bread and meat
horoughly together; beat three eggs
veil and mix in; add salt to taste:
aake in balls the size of a biscuit, and
ry slowly in butter or cooking fat till
irown on both sides.
Mutton Stew.?Three pounds of
ireast mutton, one teaapoonful of salt,
ix potatoes, four onions, two carrots, |
ine pinch of black pepper. Stew the
autton in water just sufficient to cover !
t. until tender. Skim off the fat, and
dd the vegetables, pared and cut up 1
nto thin slices. It is more delicately 1
lavored if the meat before stewing is cut 1
uto small pieces, ana wnen me vegeabies
are added, all is put in layers in a
lean slew pan, covered with the liquor,
nd then closely covered to fceep in the 1
team while cooking. Stew one hour.
Tomato Soup.?Take neck piece or '
rom the round?two' or three pounds 01
ieef; remove every particle of fat, and
ut the meat into very small pieces; put
uto the kettle with two or three quarts
f cold water, and simmer for onp hour;
s the scum rises remove, and keep the
;ettle covered; strain the meat from the
roth, and add a auart of tomatoes which
ave been pressed through a colander, .
rith a bunch of parsley, and boil twenty .
linutes; cut and scrape the kernels from
hree ears of sweet corn, and add to the j
up, with half a teacupful of sweet
ream, two small tablespoonfuls of ,
our, pepper and salt; boil fifteen min- tes,
and serve.
Strawberry Cultivation. j
To cultivate the strawberry in gar- '
ens for familv use, Messrs. Ellwanger
5 Barry, of Rochester, N. Y., recom- '
lend planting in beds four feet wide, j
rith an alley two feet wide between,
'hose beds will accommodate three
3ws of plants, which may stand fifteen
iches apart each way and the outside
dw nine inches from the alley. These
eds can be kept clean, and the fruit j
an be gathered from them without :
3tting tne feet upon them. We find
om experience that no more conveni- j
at mode can be adopted than this. The J
round should be well prepared by !
:enching or plowing at least eighteen to :
wentv inches deeD. and be nronerlv en- I
iched, as for any garden crop. * 1
The season for planting depends upon 1
ircumstances. It may be done with ,
ifety from the time that plants begin to :
row in the spring until they are in J
lossom; and again in the fall, from the
ime the young plants are sufficiently .
ooted until the freezing of the ground,
t is well, however, to plant at a time
rhen the plants will at once commence j
rowing. It planted in warm, dry
reather, as August or September, it is :
ecessary to water the ground thoroughly
efore planting, and then to shade the j
lants until they have begun to root. ,
The culture subsequent to planting 1
Dnsists in keeping the ground among j
le plants clear of weeds and frequently
tirred with a hoe or fork; to keep the "
tinners closely pinched until after the 1
nit is gathered, and to mulch the (
round among the plants, before the ;
uit begins to ripen, with two inches
eep of cut straw or short grass mowlgs
from the lawn, or anything ot
liat sort, to keep the fruit clean and
le ground from drying. In exposed
ituations. or where the winters are seere,
with little snow for protection, a j
light covering of leaves or litter will j
e of great service. This can be raked j
ff ana the beds dressed at the opening j
f the growing season. A bed managed f
i this way will give two full crops, \
nd should then be spaded down, a new ,
ne having been in the meantime pre- j
ared to take its place.
Layering Grapevines. 1
There is nothing new to a mjyority ot 1
ur readers in the following sugues- (
ions by a pr:ictical grape-grower. Hut 1
liere is always a rising generation to be i
ducated, or a new class of men and ]
romen who are benefited by practical :
ints. The writer says in the Country 1
lentleman: 1
jjeing a pmunau grttpu-gruwci, JL
an give a few hints about layerimg .
vapevines which might be of interest to
ome of your readers. I select vines that ]
ave one or two good canesYrom six to |
iglit feet long; tie thenv down horizon- 1
illy to small stake&Jbout six inches ]
rom the ground, untir the new shoots '
re about eight inches long; then I loosen
p the ground in the direction where the !
anes are to be layered, leaving a little ]
rench about four inches deep. The 1
hoots which start from the under side 1
re broken off altogether, the others are !
tripped of the lower, leaves, and the 1
irhofe is put in the trench and covered
rith an inch of soil, filling the trench up 1
bout a week later. To insure the root- (
lg of the layer, I get a copper wire 1-32 s
f an inch thick; cut in pieces 1?
iches long, and with small plyers 1
ike a twist around the cane at every 1
Dint, on the side next to the parent vine, I
nd just tight enough to pinch the bark
lightly. The sap can go one way, but
annot go back, and tins helps the forrntion
of roots. Varieties like Delaware
o not root very readily without being
rired. By this process I have raised as
lany as twenty good layers from one
ine, besides two good canes for another
ear's layering. As a matter of course,
11 the bloom, on layer as well jis on paent
vine, must be pulled off.
That Burrowing Mole. .
The mole being an insect-eating ani- '
lal relieves the farmer of many noxious i
ests, :ind therefore is in one re3pec- at '
. ast his friend. But from its burrowing '
abits it not infrequently becomes a '
reat nuisance in botli field and garden. 1
There appear to be various means of <
riving moles away. They may In1 '
oisoned by placing pills of Hour mixed t
irith arsenic into their holes and shut- 1
ing them up. Again, a paste of 1
otash is spread in the moles' runways, 1
irhich burns their feet and drives them ?
* 1 ? i _ r TT.'.M. i/ jt i
way. A coiTespunuem 01 * ikk s iuv/uu/
advises soaking corn until it is soft, >
lien with a penknife open each kernel 1
nd introduce a dose of strychnia and s
lose it up again. Open a hole through
lie earth over their roads, drop in the
orn and cover again. Another corrcpondent
says to plant in the garden the
?eds of the mole-tree (Euphorbia liUliyis),
a hardy annual, sometimes called
aper spurge. Farmers in many secions
soak corn in a solution of sulphate
f iron (copperas) before planting, not
nly to preserve it from the worms, but
j insure it Jigainst the depredations of
loles.
Panalet.
These lovely flowers are universal
itforites, and no bouquet is quite comlete
without them. They are very
iisily cultivated, and bloom from early
fill waiinrl la Amrtntt T1?a?i??
tin iuu giuuuu 10 nu/^cii. niru J
i something almost human in the ex- ,
ression of the flowers, as they so modest- .
j raise their petals from their lowly bed ,
d catch the sunbeams. Cultivation has
one more to improve their size and
eauty than almost any other plant,
'heir rich hues from the dark royal pur- 1
le#to the brightest blue, combined with i
ie* shades oT rioh orange to til? most i
t
delicate cream color, make a bed of pansies
cue of the loveliest for a yard or gar- ?
clen. Thes thrive best in a mellow loam
enriched by decaved leaves or woo l.
Chip dirt scraped from the bottom of the
woodshed is an excellent guano for the
pansy bed. They need moisture and
shade, and grow best where brilliant
flowers languish.?Country Gentleman.
"Shutting Down" at Herring Brook
Carl Atherton, in a letter from West
Setucket, Mass., to a Boston paper, says
Tt. ia rm 1 v in Mow fimo fhaf a aom^lannn t
*? viiuu vuuu w uvmuiwuvv, V
of the old- time life and stir is seen around g
Herring Brook. In that month the her- t
ring come up in great numbers from the
sea to deposit their spawn in the fresh 1
inland waters, and then is the little ^
brook made a trap to capture hundreds ,
of the poor fish. The time for taking 1
them is usually from the 15th of May to
the 10th of June, although sometimes 1
the work begins as early as the last of i
April. The method is one that would ]
have saddened the soul of old Izaak ]
Walton, being neither more nor less than
the cutting off all communication with \
both sea and ponds, leaving the herring "
fluttering in snallow water an easy prey. (
This " shutting down," as it is called. ,
takes place at noon and sunset of eacli
day while the season lasts; and at those ]
times, particularly at sunset, it is well '
worth one's while to visit Herring ]
Brook. The taking of the fish is in itself
a pretty sight, if one can become reconciled
to the unfairness of such a pro- ' '
ceedinz, and it is matter of equal interest
to see the gathering of the country folk
from far and near.
Many a time, about an hour before the
sun goes down, have I taken my station
on the grassv bank behind the brook in
the shaae of an ancient willowy whose <
long drooping branches dip in the stream w,
below, that I might see the very begin- ?
ning of the sport. At first there are only
the rich afternoon lights and shadows on = .
toll and stwam, ana the silver gleam of
herring through the clear water as they Al
:ome in from the sea, but soon the people
began to ajrive.' 30,
Just as the sun dips down below the
western woods, a man in an oiled suit, wj
with sunburnt face and grizzled beard,
*ppears on the bank at the upper end of
the brook, and pushing down a wooden
slide or gate, shuts ofl the water from J
the ponds; then, coming down to where ^
the people are thickly clustered, he shuts ]
iown the second little gate, and takes pel
(lis stand on a slippery wooden platform (
it the foot of a flight of steps leading m}
iown from the fish-house. The effect is th<
Instantaneous; the sweet, babbling music .
)f the brook is stilled, and in place of the
"oaming, hurrying waters a thin little ?
stream trickles along the stony bottom,
where scores of the frightened fish are J
larting about. j1?1
You did not guess herring could be so
jretty! They gleam and glance likfe bur- 1
lished silver in a rosy sunset light, as ma
;hey fight their way up stream, wildly we
eaping the rough rocks and trying eacn 1
ittle water channel, only to find escape thi
nade impossible by the wooden barrier it i
;hat has so suddenly and mysteriously ,
nade its appearance in the friendly r
irook. They are met by the shouting ,
mrefoot boys with their willow wands,
who chase the poor herring about in
ligh glee, amid the jokes and laughter of 1
;he bystanders, and finally succeed in
Iriving them all down to the platform, to
where they lie in a great shining, flutter- P3*
n/ heap. 1
The waitincr fisherman then takes a sui
jreat wooden scoop and sli ovels them up thf
jy scores into baskets and barrels, which ex]
ire carried off to the fish-house, where bu;
;he process of " saltins* down11 takes ]
jlace. This would seem to be the most
;ruel part of the herring fishery, but I )101
lave been assured that the fish live but a 8ta
ew minutes after the salt fe thrown upon iiei
iliem, and I sincerely hope it is true. rac
\fter all, it is hardly more barbarous t
;han the gentle art of' angling, when the *
wretched fish is often left to gasp and struggle
for hours after the hook is dis- t-^
engaged?and it is never done for the
nere pleasure of the sport. we
?? pO]
OV(
A Supposed Yellow Fever tierm. the
Dr. Walter Bailey, of New Orleans, .?
has in his possession what he believes the
to be a real yellow fever germ. Look- boi
ing at the particles through a microscope str
it appears to be a cloudy or colored .sub- gle
stance divided in all directions by lines hei
fibers taking the form of a grapevine, elo
which are somewhat darker in color it s
than the main body of the substance. the
Smiffnvnrl olvMif fKoen linoa ivrcrm1ni*l\7 trt
jv/ii>kiviv;u U1IA/UU iiuvu iA*s^un?k*j^i <
ire several specks or spores of a dark I u
brown with a minute light speck in the j
center. The germ, which lias formed in
upon the inner surface of the lower dai
'lass in the eye piece of the microscope, Mr
is invisible to the naked.eye; but when of
i certain focus of less power than that Pri
under which the above desci*iption is an<
made is obtained, the particles resemble wa
lust mixed with linen fibers. Mr
As to the origin of the substance, I)r. Th
Bailey stiites that it so happened that he coi
:ook out his microscope and cleaned it wo
vhout the first of September last, when wii
he yellow fever was raging in an cpi- a p
lemic form in New Orleans, and care- Spi
"ully rubbing and drying the glasses sh<
with a chamois skin the instument w:is ly
closed up and laid away in a dry place tils
n the wardrobe, where it remained lav
antil five weeks later, when, upon tak- Ga
Ing it out to examine some deposit in a spe
ase of Hright's disease, nothing could em
so seen but the peculiar half transparent on
iubstance which appeared upon one o no^
;he glasses. After examining the glasses to I
;arefally the doctor came to the conclusion
that the object on the glass was a
ort of vegetable of the fungus order ^
which had crown upon the inside of the
nicroscope'after it "was closed up and ;m
)Ut awav. He is certain that the glass *tvv
was perfectly clean when lie put the in- ^
itrument in the wardrobe, because he act
remembers distinctly that he locked 8t0
;hrough carefully to see that it wjis all jie;
right, it being his sole purpose to have mfl
it ready for use. Gg
, I rac
A Pretty Nihilist's Deed. tin
A St. Petersburg correspondent writes: ??!
Thus fur the :iutliorities have only been Paf
inle to arrest three men and 'one young
lady. The latter, Miss Agramowskaja, ln?
i young girl of seventeen, of extraordi- iin'
lary beauty and splendidly educated.
She was the one whe defied the Cossacks HV
:o take the conspirators without taking h"
ler alone. It was near the Plaza, when
,wo workingmen and one nobleman, !,in'
ivrotoff, passed near her, and she, with ,?.
;he agility'of a young maiden, jumped I .
:o the pavement and kissed Mr. KrotofT. m=
lidding him good cheer. Tlie olllcer of j wc
he patrol having charge of the prison- y?1
,rs a-ked her whether she sympathized j, .
.vitli the work done by the prisoners, j.
md displaying a nicely mounted revol- | !n*
,-er, which she drew from her bosom, | I1.8,
;he said: " Aye, aye; I do!" Quick as : ,
ightning the olhcer told one of the i C0!
guards to arrest lier; hut before she was I J?
?ven secured, she, cocked, aimed and ! J 11
ired her pistol, killing outright the com- 11
nander of the guard. lie fell trom his !,
lorse, his body bleeding fearfully, while I
Miss Agramowskaja assured the crowd j
Jiat surrounded the terrible scene that j,
:his was the Russian revolution in all its ! I1,0
bearings and movements. " This blood j ,
tvill help us to freedom," she exclaimed i .
n grand tones, " and now I am going jV
Siberia to bring back thousands ofj;,c
mr fellow-beings who are suffering for ,:.1"
the want of liberty." vShe left the bloody i
jcene, poor soul, looking more like a I ?
maniac than a reformer, and with the !' 'l
ilood of the commander of the guard on I ^1
iier hands; she was chained to the j
wagon that ended the miserable proces-1 4"
sion as it passed along the horrible ! li
street of Kison. ^
? gu
One who pretends tq read the signs of Hi
the weather predicts a dry summer, but ho
lot so hot and dry as 1874. A fruitful tin
season is also predicted. I tui
A Loring Heart.
innny eyes may lose their brightness;
Nimble feet forg?t their lightness;
'early teeth may know decay;
iaven treaseeltarn to gray;
Cheeks be pale and eyes bo dim;
aint the voice, and weak t)ie limb;
iut, though youth and strength depart,
fadeless is a loving heart.
l<ike that charmiug little flower,
keeping forth in wintry hour,
iVhen .the summer's breath is fled,
Jaudier flowerets laded, dead:
!o when outward charms are gone
brighter still doth blossom on,
n spite of time's destroying dart,
rhe gently, kindly, loviDg heart.
fe, in worldly wisdom old;
to, who bow the knee to goldDoth
this earth as lovely see nr.
\s it did in lile's young dream,
2re the world had crusted o'er
Teelings good and pure before,
Sre you sold at mammon's mart
The best yearnings of the heart?
jra.nl me, Heaven, my earnest prayer?
tVhether lile of ease or care
Be the one to me assigned,
Fhat each earning year may find
Loving thoughts and gentle words
r wined within my bosom's chords,
Ajid that age may but impart
Riper freshness to my heart.
ITEMS OF INTEREST.
Weather report?Thunder.
A hen lays and a ship lays to.
Come to stay all summer?Warm
;ather.
The auctioned* makes knock-down ar
jnents.
More frogs' legs are now eaten in
nerica than Franco.
Paris drinks in a year more thar.
,000,000 gallons of beer.
A. young man talks only the more
len he gets?lown on his Dp.
Hie swells of the ocean get dead broke
soon as they strike the shore.
Last yeat 51,592 Ohioans were married
d 1,997 divorces were granted.
Establishments for the refining of
;roleum are increasing fast in Japan.
3ne hundred and eighty-three cotton
lis have been built in the South since
3 war
4 A beautiful custorii prevails1'?at
i stores of merchants who advertise.
w York News. ,
The Crown Princetes of Germany, who
3 been; made a grandmother, is less
m forty years of a^e.
I party.of twenty Americans will
ke a tour on bicycles through the
st of England next fall.
Flie human skeleton consists of more
in 200 distinct bones. Some 5,000 less,
s calculated, than shad a contains.
I little Philadelphia boy startled a
2nd of tlie family by remarking that
was " four years old with his clothea
!"
Jicycles are used 16 such an extent in
ndon that it has been found necessary
adopt stringent rules to regulate the
itime.
rhe boy who left a piece of ice in the
i to warm up was no more foolish
tn the man who opened a store and
aected people to hunt him out and
y nis goods.
n the race for the 2,000 guineas at
wmarket, in which the American
rse JLTncas was engaged, a hare was
rtefl nnd instead of makinff for the
ith got :imong the running horses and
:ed with them for a good spurt.
^ast year 1,152,525 births were regised
in the United Kingdom, oj: thirtyirper
1,000 of the estimated populan,
which, in the middle of the year,
,s 33,881,965. The deaths registered
re 715,165. or twenty-one per 1,000 of
julation, showingfcn excess of births
?r deaths of 436,460, or 49,242 less than
s excess in 1877.
Jays Jones, "When I see Mrs. J. in
i clothes yard, both arms as red as a
led lobster, bared to the elbow and
etched high above her in their strugs
wkh an unruly sheet, an apron over
.* head, her hair in her eyes and a
thespin protruding from her mouth,
seems impossible tint she is one and *
?~ T
; same wmi tiii; ivjLiijnui/cuuiiio JL uocti
feed on peppermints wid about whom
sed to rave so."
V. curious case has just been decided
Washington. Mrs. Senator Sprague,
lighter oFChief Justice Chase, directed
. Alexander Gardner to make a series
photographs of her father's library,
I'sident Lincoln's commission to him
i several other tilings, all of which
s satisfactorily done," but not paid for.
. Gardner acoovdingly brought suit,
e plea' entered by Aire. Sprague's
insel was thati she, us a married
man, had no separate estate. The
11 of the Chief Justice, which showed
ersonality of $90,000 in favor of Mrs.
rague and her sister, Mrs. Hoyt, was
>wn to be irregular, not being properwitnessed.
Tfie court, therelore, held
it Mrs. Sprague was a nonentity in
7, and, as a matter of course, Mr.
rdner lost his suit. The case is of
icial interest, as Congress recently expted
Edge wood, her father's estate,
her account, from taxation, while
&on her testimony it does not belong
ier. ___________________
Slaughtering his Baby.
I Seaford (Del.) correspondent of the ?
ilmington Every Saturday lately saw
old man named Giles Hitchene, who,
enty-two years ago, was the principal
or in a tragedy similar to that en,ed
at Pocasset, Mass. Kitchens' own
ry was that during the night he had
ird the voice of God which cominded
him to kill his little son and
er his blood as a sacrifice. In the
trning lie went to the woods and was
lin commanded, as he said, to'make
; offering. He did not dare totdisobey
d went back to the house where the *
be was sleeping and its mother watch;
over him. Not wishing to alarm
i wife he waited until she went out
d then took the child in liis arms andl
:ried it to the potato-patch, having in
3 mean time prepared a keen knife.
ien he waited, like Abraham, hoping
if flift T fa liitll 'Kftiltl
wilt IA/IU wv/uiu OM^atv iw mm U^MHI
d command some other ottering, hut
received no sign. Then he became
irmed, lest his wife mi*riit be watrhand
crossing tlie field went into the
>ods, where he laid the child upon
me fallen leaves and again prayed,
iring the prayer a little dog ran up to
ii and sniffed alrnut his feet. Suppos?
that, like Abraham's ram, this dog
d been sent by the Lord in place of
3 child, lie waited to hear a voice
mmanding him to kill the dog. hut no
ice said "Stay thy hand," and beheld
e struggling infant while he cut its
roat and offered up its blood to tin'
rd. Then taking the body in his
tns he bore it to the house, the blood
ipping as he walked, and laid it upon
b bed. Ilis wife, rushing from the
use, frantically told the neighbors and
By arrested him.
rlwi f-viul rwvllHVll t!ll> following
)ril ;in<i the prosecution was vigorous.
orge P. Fislier was attorney-general,
d Chancellor Saulsburx, then a [ironing
young lawyer, defend "d Hitchcns.
ter tlie State had closed its case Mr
ulsliury rose to make a defence. I>ui
is so overcome with emotion ai the
Iness of the circumstances that he was
able to continue and broke completely
wn. The court and jury were also atteiK
and the latter, without leaving
? box, returned a vei-diet of " not
ilty," upon the plea* of insanity.
tcliens was taken to the county almsuse.
where he remained for some
ae, but was finally discharged and re ned
to his home.
L Jk