The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, June 08, 1881, Image 1
ABBEVILLE PRESS AND BANNEfl
BY HUGH WILSON AND H. T. WAKDLAW. ABBEVILLE, S. C., WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1881. NO. 1. VOLUME XXVI.,||
The Dead Child and the Mockiiig-lHr<
[The following poem is in 110 sense a me:
fancy. On the contrary, the strange, pathet
incident it commemorates actually occum
not long ago in the neighborhood of Jucksoi
ville, Florida.]
Once, in a land of l>alm and flowers,
Of rich fruit-laden trees,
Where the wild wreaths from jasmine bowe:
Trail o'er Floriilian seas.
We marked our Jeannie's footsteps run
Athwart the twinkling glade;
She seemed a Hebe iu the sun,
A Dryad in the shade.
And all day Ion" lief winsome song,
Her trebles a:. 1 *oft trills,
Would wave-like flow, or silvery low
Die down tho whispering rills.
One morn midmost the foliage dim
A dark gray pinion stirs;
And hark! along the vine-clad limb
What strange voice blends with hers ?
It blends with hers, which soon is stilled?
Braver the mock-bird's note
Than all the strains that ever filled
The queenliest human throat!
As Jeannie heard, she loved the bird,
And sought thenceforth to share
With her new favorite, dawn by dawn,
Her daint:"?t morning cheer.
But ah ! a bl;0'ht beyond our ken,
From sr.ae far feverous wild,
Brought that dark Shade ,? feared of men
Across the fated chil l.
It chilled her drooping curls of brown,
. It dimmed her violet eyes,
And like an awful cloud crept down
From vague, mysterious skies.
At last one day our Jeannie lay
All pulseless, pale, forlorn;
4*he Hole sweet breath 011 lips of death
The fluttering breath of morn;
When just beyond the o'er-curtained room
(How tender, yet how strong!)
Rose through the misty morning gloom
The mock-bird's sudden song.
Dear Christ! those notes of golden peal
Seem caught from heaveuly spheres,
Yet through their marvelous cadence steal
Tones soft as chastened tears.
Is it an angel's voice that throbs
Within the brown bird's breast,
Whose rhythmic magic soars or sobs
Above our darling's rest ?
The fancy passed?but came once more
When, stolen from Jcannie's bed,
That eve, alonp: tho porchway floor
I found our minstrel?dead!
The fire of that transcendent strain
His life-chords burned apart,
And, merged in sorrow's earthlier pain,
T* IH*AL'U f?'or1u?l/?n honrt
Xiitien anil bird !?Tbe self-same grarfc
Their wedded dust shall kwp,
While the long low Floridian wave
Moans around their place of sleep.'
?Paul If. Hayne, in Harper's Magazine.
WITH THE BEST INTENTIONS
There's no doubt about it that Robin
son was a good fellow at heart, am
meant well; but it's astonishing wha
an amount of trouble a man may brini
upon himself by undertaking too muci
for his fellow-creatures. I don't sup
pose there was another man in our stor
that took the iuterest Robinson did ii
the different wardrobes of his fello\
clerks. If a man got a new liat Robin
son noticed it right away; wanted ti
know where it was bought, when an<
why, and generally concluded by say
ing that if the purchaser had consulte<
im he might have made a better bar
gain. And I've no doubt ho would
Eobinson would have made it a point t<
favor him with his influence and expe
rience, both of which were considerable
The same way with coats, or pants, o
boots, or anything! But, notwithstand
ing all this, very few of our boys con
suited Eobinson in these matters; the;
generally bought their articles with ;
reckless indiscrimination that was pain
ful to a man constituted as Eobinsoi
was. It seemed hard, when a man too]
the interest in his fellow-creatures tha
Robinson did, that his motives shoul<
be misconstrued and unappreciated. !
remember when I bought that new ul
ster of mine, I disliked, for some reanoi
or other, to see Eobinson. I had :
ridiculous aversion to telling him jus
where I got it, and when, and how mucl
it cost, and what I did with the othe
one. It was a kindly sympathy oi
Robinson's part, there's no doubt abou
that; but it was wasted, so far as ou
uujo were euueemeu.
"Why don't the fellow mind his owi
business?" they said. "What does h
want to manage other people's concern
for?"
SoIwasgladwhenhetoldme,confiden
tially, that he was about to be married
I felt then that his interest would b
so absorbed in the one object that i
would be impossible to diffuse it al
over the universe.
( Robinson seemed to have found ;
treasure. Of course everybody think
so; but I knew that Robinson woul<
know more, and see more, and be les
likely to be deceived, than other men
and he had, as I supposed, gained th
confidence of the family into which In
, proposed to marry. I was afraid hi
projected mother-in-law might object ti
- / T> * V i. 1_ _ i. _ 1
bume ui xwuuiiisuli s uui ne iui<
me he got on with her splendidly,
thought she wa3 a remarkable woman
not altogether because she got on s<
well with Robinson, but from Robin
son's conversation I imagined she inns
be very clever.
"The fact is," said Robinson, " w
are mutually interested in the sarn
topics. We sit and talk about domesti
matters for hours together, while Anni
thums over her new piece on the piano
and Mrs. Page has told me, time an<
again, if there's one thing more thai
another she admires in my character it'
the interest I take in little domesti
details that most men despise or hold ii
utter mainerence. iou see, amith, mar
riage is a sacred obligation."
"Undoubtedly, Robinson."
"And requires study, Smith,
wouldn't have been a successful buye
if I hadn't inquired into all the littl
intricacies of our line of business."
" You certainly can judge of a gooi
article, Robinson."
"Ah, Smith, the one I've securei
now is beyond price. She's just th
kind of goods a man wants to rest hi
eyes upon when he's tired of shams am
shoddies. Ajmie isn't brought up t
dazzle and deceive. Her mother ha
taken great pains to inculcate in he
daughter qualifications of mind ani
character that will make her a good wif
and mother. Mrs. Page is an excellen
woman. Smith."
"And I suppose her daughter is lik
her?"
" Well, no, Smith. She can't cor
verse and reason as her mother can, no
has she her mother's appreciative quali
ties. Annie's mind is less astute."
" Well, she's young yet."
" She's as simple and pliable as a Ii1
tie child. I'm a happy man, Smith."
I was delighted to hear him say sc
and told him so, and at the wedding
expressed it as my opinion that his hap
Einess would last. I was charmed wit!
is wife. She seemed such a nice, joll
little creature, so unaffected and simpl
in her manner, and had a wonderfti
magnetism about her. She was as plum
and round as a little partridge, with bi|
black melting eyes and a pretty littl
mouth. I can't say I was so much draw
to her mother. She was a fine-lookin
woman, with a deep voice, and some
th'ng very firm about the contour c
her jaw. Mrs. Page had more of wha
*they call character in her faco than he
' daughter would ever have; but I haven
the admiration for a face with characte
that some men have. Robinson alwa\
said he liked that kind of thing, and b
certainly had it in his mother-in-lav
Robinson spent the better part of a
hour talking with her that night, whil
I was chatting with his wife. I cam
away convinced that marriage must b
a very pleasant thing, with a little wii
like Robinson's, and my bachelor qua:
v i ters looked exceedingly dingy an
forlorn.
I don't know how it was; but I too
an extraordinary interest in Robinson
1, marriage, and was sorry to see n clou
rt on the matrimonial horizon before si
ie months were over.
?1 "We've gone to housekeeping, vo
[1* know," said Robinson. " I was afrai
| Annie would want to board at hom
| with her mother, but Mrs. Page agree
with me it was better to build a littl
rs nest of our own. She took the kinder
interest in everything, and wanted to g
house-huntinc with Annie and to hel
j her pick out the furniture. But I lia
already secuied a house, and bough
the furniture of friends of mine in th
business, who would favor me in price?
J As to bed-linen, carpets and things c
that sort, I got them here in the stor
at cost. In heaven's name, Smith, i
| there any reason why a man sliouldn1
: hire his own house and purchase hi
own furniture?"
"None whatever," I replied, "unles
j it may be that his wife desires the sam
privilege."
" But she didn't Smith. Annie sail
1 she was glad to leave it to me. I too'
; the dear little woman in my arms am
I kissed her, and felt my heart lightenei
i of a very heavy load that somehow liai
rested there since my last interview
with her mother. But Mrs. Page'
manner is very unpleasant, Smith?verj
I don't want to say that she accuses m
of robbing Annie of any legitimate hap
l piness, but she conveys some such im
I pression to my mind, and it makes m
1 feel like a malefactor. I'm so fond o
my wife that the thought of deprivinj
her of the smallest joy is mistry to me.'
"Well, these little trifles will alloorui
: right, Eobinson. It isn't as if you
mother-in-law lived with you."
" She's only round the corner, Smith
j I thought of that when I took tin
J house, that it would be so comfortabli
; for Annie to live near her old home
and have the attention and advice of he
mother. As heaven is my judge, Smith
I have tried to take every burden fron
my wife. I've opened accounts witJ
the neighboring grocer, butcher, baker
| and hired an excellent servant. I leavi
a generous margin for sundries, which!
look into rigidly at the first of ever
j month, and settle with tho other ac
. counts,when we begin again with a clea
fresh record. A woman certainly ougli
; to be happy when she has nothing to d<
i but enjoy herself. I've even persua'dec
her to put all her little expenses dowi
; in my book, so that sho knows when
i every penny of her money goes; and, a
i I said before, I take care of the house
hold expenses myself. Tho servan
| comes to me every morning for order!
i before I go to business, so that Anni<
! scarcely knows what she's going to hav<
j for dinner. Could a man do more thai
that, Smith?"
" Perhaps he might do less, Robinson
I'm only a miserable bachelor myself
- | and ufcont ^;?men ; bu
I me quesiion is, 11 yon re not ernug oi
j the generous side?if you're not takini
I too much upon yourself."
"A man can't do too much, Smith
| for the woman he adores."
Just then a customer came in, and !
' I was glad to get away. Robinson evi
! dently had the best intentions in th<
i- j world". He loved his wife. He evei
I: esteemed his mother-in-law. I neve:
t ! saw a man work so hard in what he con
g i sidered his line of duty, and so utterl;
h ' fail to recommend it to others, as poo:
k 1 Robinson. But he began to be brighte
e and apparently happier. The anniver
a eary of his wedding was close at hand
v and he was interested in a gift to hii
- wife.
a "I was puzzled what to get," saic
1 Robinson. " You see she's got almos
- everything, Smith; her wedding pres
1 ents embraced so many little adorn
- ments and knickknacks. At last I hi
. upon a black silk dress?a woman can'
3 have too many, and I can get a bargaii
- down in the store just now. She saic
i. she'd rather have the money and buy i
r outside; but I persuaded her tha'
. would be foolish. So she's coming ii
. to chocse the trimmings this afternoon
y ' and if she comes while I'm out you'l
a take ea<e'of her, won't you V"
" With pleasure," I said. And it s(
i happened that she did come whil<
i Robinson was away, and 6eemed tc
t bring all the sunshine with her.
I I.told her that her husband had lef
I her in my care, and begged her to us<
.. me in any way that suggested itse tc
a her; that it would bo my happiness t(
a serve her.
t I suppose there was an honest fervoi
li about this declaration that impressed
r Mrs. Robinson. It had so happenet
a that I was ablo to show her some little
t favors and attentions in return for th<
r many that her husband had done fo:
me. I had told her I was under obli
q gations to Robinson. Of course ]
e didn't explain that it was in his desir
s ing to help me select my hat and coat:
and boots; it wasn't necessary to ente:
i- into these little details, but she under
[. stood that a natural gratitude 011 nr
e part led me to send her in return a fev
t little trifles, like bouquets, or nev
1 books, or music, or opera tickets, onci
in a while. So she knew the declaratioi
a of mine that day at the store, that !
s would be happy to servo her, cami
i straight from my heart.
s "You are so good and kind," sin
, said. Then all at once an eager wist
e fulness leaped into her eyes. " I wisl
e I could dare ask you to do me a favor
s Mr. Smith?a very great favor," shi
0 said.
1 " Do," I replied. " I won't abus<
I your generosity."
1, j " Oh ! I wonder if it will be right ?'
0 ! she said, clasping her little glovet
- hands, and looking up in my face witl
t a charming air of indecision. " I won
der if I ought to do such 11 thing ?"
e " The fact that you desire to do it i:
e a proof that it is blameless," I replied
c " I do desire it, ever so much," sin
e said; " and it is perfectly blameless
?, i I've set my heart on giving my liusbanc
1 a present upon our marriage anniver
a sary"
s " Is that all, Mrs. Robinson."
c "All!" she replied, tapping her foo
a 1 with her parasol, with an air of vexation
j She was looking upon (he iloor now
! and a warm color burned in her cheek
"It's so hard to explain to you," sin
I said. " I don't like to borrow money o
r mamma, because she don't understam
e i my husband, and makes so many rm
: pleasant remarks, and it's quite a largi
[1 sum I want for the present. I'm afrait
j it will cost ten dollars." Here sin
il hesitated, and her color grew more ant
e more vivid.
s ' " Ten dollars isn't a very large sum,'
I j I said. I had decided now that sh
0 wanted to ask me to lend her the money
s but didn't know how to go about it, ant
r I was at loss how to help her. I ha<
:1, two crisp five-dollar bills in my ves
e pocket, but how to get them into he
t hand was a problem. In the meanwhil
time was flying and Robinson would b
e back.
"You understand my husband, Mr
i- Smith. You know how kind and goo<
>r he is to me. He has told me how h
i- contides in you. You must know he i
the dearest, best of husbands."
"Of course I do, Mrs. Robinson. W
are like brothers," I said, with intensi
friendly fervor
>, i "I hate even to deceive him for i
1 moment, Mr. Smith. Of course I slial
) ! tell him afterward; but I want to surli
prise him. I wouldn't care to give hin
y anything if it wasn't a surprise."
e "Of course you wouldn't, Mrs. Rob
il inson. Any other way would be si
p humdrum and commonplace. I kno\
g just how you feel about it."
e | "And my husband is so thoughtful
n j ho is so anxious to relieve mo of ever;
g care, that he knows just where ever;
s- i penny goes; and, oh dear, it's too bad!
>f Big tears gathered in her beautifu
,t ; eyes ; it was too much for me.
T j "I understand it all,Mrs.Robinson,
't I blurted out. "Don't fret over such
>r i trifle as this," and I thrust the two five
s dollar bills in her hand.
e | She was on her feet in an instanl
f. i White now to her lips, and an awful es
n pression in her eyes of reproach, ragf
e regret, heaven knows what and all. Th
e : five-dollar bills had dropped on th
>e ; floor.
re j " Good-morning, sir," she said. "
r- i have been mistaken in you. Please te]
d . my husband I could not wait for him.
She was a little woman, but sh
k ; seemed about ten feet high as she swep
's | out of our department. Fortunate!
d | some foreign eases had effectually I
x j screened us from observation. It was !
I some time before I could pick up the '
u I bills. I felt stunned, bewildered, and j
d exceedingly humiliated and miserable,
e I had made an ass of myself in some
d way, and innocently outraged the feel- |
e ings of this excellent little woman whom :
?t, I was most desirous to serve.
0 | When li^binson came back he thought i
p j it so strange that his wife hadn't waited j
tl for him. He wanted to know when she |
1 1 1 ~1 I
IL , CUIliU, I1UW lUli^ DUU OliUU , UllUtUCi ouu j
e sat down or stood up, or said sbe'd come .
?. in again, and if so, when. At last I was |
>f desperate, and went out into the street. !
e , Before I knew what I was about I was j
!s ; uptown, and ringing tho bell of the '
t' brown-stown house that Robinson hired, i
!s The servant he had selected came to the I
! door, and showed me into the parlor he j
s had furnished. His wife came right
0 j down to me, and the moment she entered :
the parlor I saw that her good sense
il and laud heart had gained their own :
k again.
[11 " Not another word, Mr. Smith," sh?) !
lI said, when I began pouring out apolo1
fries and explanations. " I was myself !
v , To blame for it all. I wanted you to j
s i sell something of mine for me, and with .
the money help me to get the present !
e at cost. There, now, that's the whole ;
1 of it. If I had only told you at once,
-; instead of beating about the bush in
e ! that way! But I've given up that idea,
f: because he'd be sure to know if I part
i ed with anything, he's so interested;
" | he'd know if a silver thimble was gone,
e But I've hit upon another plan, and I'll
r ; tell you all about it, if you'd like to
i hear."
. I " Of course I'd like to hear," I ex0
i claimed. " You are an adorable little
s woman to forgive that stupid blunder of
i, ! mine. I was so miserable to have
r i offended you; and your husband," I
, added, for I thought I noticed a grow1
ing rigidity in her manner from the
i word " adorable," " we are like broth,
ers, you know, Mrs. Robinson?twin
b brothers!"
[ i " Well, I'll tell you what I've decided
ifj to do, Mr. Smith. I had to take ma
- j into my confidence, for - she's going to
r j help me. You know I'm to have a new
t j black silk, and it costs a good deal of
3 money to have it made. Mrs. Jones,
I j my dressmaker, wouldn't do it for less
i j than twenty dollars, and mamma and I
2i will make it ourselves, and take the
s money we'd have to give Mrs. Jones for
-1 the present. That will be really my
II own money, because I shall earn it?
3 ! my very own. Isn't it a capital idea ?"
31 " Splendid!" I said; and shortly after
3' I took my leave, thinking all the way
i j down to the store what an amount of
trouble Robinson innocently gave that
. | dear little wife of his.
i ' Wo settled upon a dressing-case for |
t Robinson before I left that day, and J
a ; airs. LCQJLiinspn uii(j J. nao. togpiogemer
? ! to look at the different"varieties oi*A\es>%
articles, and I didn't want to choose
> anything in a hurry, and then be sorry
afterward; and altogether it was astonI
ishing how absorbed I became in the
w purchase of that dressing-case. I
3 thought of nothing else.
i Tho anniversary of Robinson's wedr
din^ came upon a Saturday evening,
' and the next morning I was walking in
f I the park, thinking it all over?how
r I happy Robinson must have been when
r j she surprised him with the dressing-case,
-1 and what a confoundedly lucky fellow
? I he was anyway. I fell into quite a sens
J timental mood. I suppose the scene
j around mo had something to do with
II it. It was one of those delightful
11 mornings in May, when happy ripples
- run through the grass, and young 6hrabs
- burst suddenly into bloom and verdure,
t Birds sang gayly in the hedges and the
t air was full of a vague perfume. Some
11 white-winged butterflies flitted by. I
I took off my hat. Though a little bald,
II I enjoyed the soft radiance of the sunt
shine. I began to understand how at
i certain seasons a man might slip into
> rhyme, or matrimony.
1 All at once this celestial silence was
broken by an advancing figure. It was
> Robinson?and alone. His head was
3 bowed, his hat jammed over his eyes ;
>. the only part of his face that was at j
; first visible was of an ashen hue. His j
t whole aspect was one of unutterable j
3 misery and despair.
> " Good heavens, Eobinson," I cried, i
> rushing up to him and seizing his arm, 1
i " has anything happened to your wife?" ;
f ! ti m_ o 11 l._ : J ,1 r
L j.u my wuu r JLtJa, uu buiu , uuu ?
1 sank into'one of tbe iron benches. I |
1 thought she was dead, and was relieved
51 to hear the next sentence. Relieved,
2 though startled.
r I "My wife has Wo me, Smith. She's
- j gone home to hex mother."
[ i " Left yon9 Gone home to her
- j mother ? '"Why, wasn't last night your
3 anniversary?"
r : " Yes ; that was how it came about;
-1 that was the way I found her out, j
7j Smith. She's deceived me?shamefully j
^ I and persistently deceived me, and yet, j
7 ' miserable wretch that I am," added j
3 ; Robinson, sinking into tiio scat beside
1; me, and covering his face with his
I! hands, " I love her still."
0 "You have deceived yourself in some
way," I cried, naturally indignant and
2 incredulous. " It is some miserable
- mistake of your own. I know that your
1 wife is the soul of integrity and honor."
, " God bless you, Smith !" he cried,
e grasping my hand fervently. " "Would j
; to heaven I could believe what you say!
B i but the facts are too convincing. Up
to yesterday I was the happiest man in
" the universe. I went home early, and
1 on my way stopped at Mrs. Jones', my
i wife's dressmaker, to see if her black
- silk was done."
I " What ?" I shrieked.
s ! " Her black silk, you know," said
. Robinson?" the one I told you about,
e She said at least a dozen times that it
i. i was in the dressmaker's hands. I gave
1 ; hor twenty dollars long ago to pay for
-; it, and I thought I'd step in on my way
home, so that there would be no disap|
pointment. That was perfectly natural,
t | wasn t it, Smith i ,
. 1 " Go on," I groaned.
, i "I went to the dressmaker's, rang the I
. bell; Mrs. Jones came to the door, and
0 [ she said that she hadn't seen my wife
f' for six months, that sho never heard
1' anything about a black silk dress. I
-; was stunned, bewildered. I tried to
b persuade lier she was wrong; she shut
1 the door in my face. I hurried home,
d naturally vexed and indignant. My
I wife came to meet me, smiling and fond,
Smith?it breaks my heart to think of
" it. I asked her about the black silk,
e Was it done V Not quite, she said. Was
, | it at tho dressmaker's? Yes. At Mrs.
1; Jones' ? And was it to cost twenty dolII
lars? Yes; but why was I so troubled
t j ahout it ?
r| "'Because, madam,' i cried, 'you
e i have deceived me ; I have just stopped
e at your dressmaker's. She hasn't seen
you for six months."
" My ivife turned pale, called to her
.1 mamma, and fell back into Mrs. Page's
e arms in a dead faint.
s " Mrs. Page then flew into a violent
rage, and abused me shamefully. Sho
e used language, Smith, that it is painful I
e to repeat. She called me a sneak and j
a petty tyrant, a spy and a miser. She
a declared that her daughter never had a I
1 j penny that I didn't know when it was l
- | coined, and how she spent it; that'
i Annie had no more to do with her own j
house than a Dutch doll, and the soonei i
- she was out of it itho better. She sent j
r> mv servant for a cab, and before my i
v wife had fully recovered she took her i
1 away. I have paced the floor all night, j
, Smith. I shall never go back to the i
y ] store again. I'm a ruined man?for 5
y ; there'ssomething behind all this, Smith: j
" my servant told me last night that my j
:1 wife has been in the habit lately of sec- 1
! ing a gentleman, of going out with him
" and remaining a couple of hours ; he is j
a , stout and dark, a little bald, and wears
j spectacles."
! I burst out laughing. "That's me!";
t. , I cried. "Look at me, Robinson. I'm
j the man!"
! Robinson glared at me in a dazed but
e | desperate way. I saw that he was upon
e I the point 0i i'renzy, and hastened to tell
him all about his dressing-case. Before
I j I was half through, ho liod absolutely
II j thrown his arms about me, and cried
" j like a baby.
el " My mother-in-law was right, Smith,"
it k cried. " I have been a sneak and a
y spy, and perhaps a miser."
"You meant well, Robinson; but it's
better to let women manago tlieir own
affairs."
" It's better to mind one's own business,"
said Robinson. " I've been a
miserable meddler, and deserve to be
punished. Before heaven, Smith, it
was with the best intentions."
i Know it, lioDiuson.
"But I'll never do it again?never!
And now let's go after my wife? you
and I can explain the thing to Mrs.
Page. I don't wonder she hates me,
Smith. Poor little Annie ! "What a
life she has led ! I wonder she remains
fond of me."
"Well, I can vouch for that," I replied,
honestly enough; and I persuaded
him to stop at home and tidy up a bit,
get shaved, and have some breakfast.
" That servant must go," said Robinson,
savagely.
" Let your wife hire the next one," I
said. And just as I imagined, when we
readied Robinson's, there was the dear
little woman waiting for him. He fell
on his knees at her feet and began his
protestations. I thought it best to leave
them alone together; but how exceedingly
lonely and forlorn my bachelor
/ilinmWa lnnlr Trlion T
tliem !?Harper's Weekly.
A Reporter's Work.
It is generally supposed by the world
at large, says a sympathetic contemporary,
that the lot of a reporter is happiness
itself. He is envied by the rich
and the poor, but especially by the boys
during circus-time, as he is supposed to
"git in for nuthin," which is a big
thing in the eye of the gamin. There
are those beside the gamin who think
he wears a magic slipper that carries
him safely past all doorkeepers and
ticket sellers ; that he sports a cliarm
about his throat that briDgs forth free
beer and bug iuice ad libitum ; that he
has brass-plated cheeks which are passports
even into tho skeleton closet of
the household, and that his conscience
is pliable and his disposition so mercenary
that it is but necessary to cross his
palm with a few paltry shekels to turn
lkirt mIhmami. i.li A M /I lllO fd/lto
ilia UUJL UliXLI Y JLJULCU pxuiou WUU iliO iUVtO
into fancies.
But alas and alack ! Truth stripped
of the imagery with which it is frequently
clothed, oftentimes would not
he recognized by its own mother. Behold
the naked truth.
In order to get the facts with which
to construct his numerous articles, he
must travel on an average of five miles
a day, or an aggregate of 1,500 miles a
year. During these perambulations he
asks several thousand civil questions
and gets several thousand uncivil an';
swers; gets fired out of oflices and
houses ; has dozens of doors slammed
in his face; is asked 10,000 questions
and returns as many short but civil answers
; gets in the* circus on on a
Y>Toratsb to give it & big s - wi-ofT; is button-holed
1,300 times "by parties
desire to impart a good item about
themselves; is let into several political
o/?/>rofo Viv nnnr1i/lnfos_ tvlliVll ftrfl b irff
faced boasts; is boosted by the 6iime
candidate because be didn't publish the
secret; is welcomed wherever bis penci
will put money into people's pockets or
give them a little notoriety. However,
he pays five cents a glass for beer, full
rates for board, top prices for clothes,
either walks or pays full fare on the
street-cars. "While others are enjoying
the opera, the social party, the circus,
prayer-meetings, lectures, a game of
poker, a turn on the roller skates or
marching with a political club the reporter
is wrestling with a mass of chaotic
facts and endeavoring to get them
into shape for you to read while you
quietly dispatch your good, warm break
fast.
He goes to bed at 3 o'clock in the
morning, and between the annoyance of
flies, noisy chambermaids and pencils of
sunlight boring into his eyes, he does
well to get seven hours' sleep by the
time he is aroused at noon to get his
breakfast. At 2 o'clcck he reports at
the office and begins the same old round
of duties. But, takirg one consideration
with another, the life of a reporter
is not much worse than that of a streetcar
driver after all.? Oil City Derrick.
What Vaudcrbilt Could do With His
Income.
It is computed that Wm. H. Vanderbilt's
income from his investment in
fifty-one million four per cent, government
bonds pays him a daily income of
five thousand dollars. This nets him
two hundred and eight dollars and
thirty-three cents per hour, or three
dollars and forty-seven cents per minute,
or five cents per second, without
counting fractions. Assuming that he
is paid by the second, he cannot possibly
spend his money, a ho could not
select his purchases and lay down the
prices fast enough. He couldn't even
throw it away?to pick up, cast, recover,
pick up and cast again, woiUd
take him two seconds, and if ho worked
throughout the twenty-four hours without
rest he could only dispose of onehalf
his income. If it were his design
to scatter in such a way, he would have
to buy a machine operated by steam.
This would involve the employment of
a fireman, a engineer and two feeders,
aud, as the machine must work day and
night to accomplish the task, three reliefs,
or twelve men, would bo necessary.
As none but skilled workmen
could do such work, the daily expense
for hire would be three dollars each, or
thirty-six dollars per day. To pay
these hands it would only bo necessary
to stop the machine a fraction over ten
minutes per day, just long enough to
pay ofT, and enough money would accumulate.
There is a possibility that Mr. Vanderbilt
does not intend to throw his
money away by steam, and it might be
worth while to look into various ways
in which he might amuse himself with
it. By living economically, saving up
for four years, he could, by placing his
five-cent pieces sale by side, make a
nickel belt around tlio earth; or, by converting
his savings into one-cent pieces,
and mounting them in a pile, he would,
in twenty years, erect a road to the
moon, and have five hundred dollars to
invest when he got there. Should his
amusement take a charitable twist, he
could, out of a year's receipts, donate to
every man, woman and child in the
United States, twenty cents, and have
money left over. In one day, ho could
(if he could get round) go to eight
thousand different circuses, eat ten
thousand pints of peanuts, drink five
thousand glasses of lemonade, and have
money left to get his boots blacked.
He can afford to have five thousand
shirts washed in one day, and on the
day of his death his income will buy
ten first-class funerals. It must be
clear that Mr. Vanderbilt is making
money, for while we were making these
computations ho took in one hundred
and four dollars and ten cents.?Appleton's
Railway Guide.
Educating Oysters
Although it has been doubted that nn
oyster had been so far subjugated as to
" follow its master up and downstairs,"
a consummation which might be accepted
as positive progressive steps in
the rise toward ultimate civilization, at
least according to "Lewes Sea-side
Studies," oysters are susceptible of
being educated to a small extent. In
the great establishments on the coast of
Calvados the merchants teach oysters
to keep their shells closed when out of
the water, by which means the liquor
retained keeps their gills moist, and
they arrive lively in far distant Paris.
The process may be worthy of extensive
publicity; it is this: No sooner is an
oyster taken from the sea than it closes
its shells, and opens them after a certain
time?from fatigue, it is paid, but
more probably because tho shock it received
by removal into the air causing
its muscles to contract has passed away.
The Calvados men take advantage of
this to exercise the oysters, and make
them accustomed to be out of the water
by leaving them daily in the atmosphere
for longer and longer periods. This has
the desired effect; the well-educated
mollusk keeps its door closed at least
for many consecutive hours, and so long
as the shell is closed its gills are kept
moist.?All the Year Round.
A'r ifr rv
FACTS AND COMMENTS.
i Extended crop reports recently pT
icess ^ie Chicago Times indici
fk0 that the Northwest will more than mr
been up *or Par^a^ failure of the win
jHjg, wheat ciop by an increased acreage a
a{ assured yield of spring wheat. Mini
or^g sota and Dakota alone promise to mc
'and S00^ the deficit.
most
FOR THE LADIES.
A ltornl Rrhle'nTroiifincia.
The New York Telegram stiys of
trousseau belonging to the Prir
Stephanie, of Belgium, married to
Crown Princo of Austria: It had 1
exhibited at the royal palace at I
sels, and the descriptions of its f;
like materials, and the exquisite w
of art in gold and silver embroider}
laces of marvelous delicacy, were :
exciting. Amid all the bridal gl<
one table in the middle of the hall
heaped up with linen and house
goods, which attracted the attentic
the ladies. It may interest lady rea
to know that the chemises are fri]
with costly lace and with lovely bo;
o:: artistic workmanship. Then t
were jackets, corsets, jupons, hanc
chiefs, fichus, cravatos and other :
charming objects necessary to the f
nine toilet. Near these were cos
prenents of dresses and jewelry,
bridal dress was of the traditional <
of silver, richly ornamented with
broidery designs representing
laurel and rose branches, intertw
i wnu oouqueis 01 orange mossoms
[ whole, both for design and harmoi
; color, forming a robe such as coo;
| seurs declared was never seen be
i The waist and arms were decorated
| delicate silver lace, the train of the i
: material as the robe and embroid
I to match. It was four meters long
j four wide. The botiquets and def
in high relief on the train Lave occn
many industrious hands for over t
months. The queen of the Belf
| wore a dress at the wedding which
| composed of azure velvet, the t
! with rich silver embroidery, fa
I over a similarly embroidered ur
; dress of dead blue satin. It was
i tastefully decorated with silver
and the draping and arrangemen
this matchless robe were such a
i RAnrl tlinsn who have seen it into e
| sies.
How Women Shonlrf Drcft*.
An American authority says: No
need be ashamed to dress plain]
cheaply; she can, with the help oi
modern guides to dress, appear li
lady on very little money. She cai
j down three rules for herself: Neve
! pretend to anything, never to wear
! elry, and, affirmatively, always t
j neat. A young girl with a white r
; lin and a fresh flower is dressed j
queen's ball. A lady of maturer y<
j with a well-fitting dark silk, real
' elry or none, and her own hair?all
1 better if it is white?is also dressed
! a ball. True womanhood includ
I the delicate refinements that ovei
j in the perfect glove, the well-fil
| shoe, the pretty stocking, the
frills, the beco:aiing bonnet.
| American woman, to do heir only
| tice, is not a creature by instinct, a:
; she occasionally gives too much thoi
to dress, she is still to be admired
commended ior her daintiness,
Fnnhlon Note*.
Scarf draperies grow in favor,
j Vermicelli lace is out of fashion.
Coloi ed Spanish lace is made into
I Steel lace bonnets are trimmed
ostrich tips.
Tuscan cream is the name of a
| color in lace.
! Crosswise draperies are much use
! short skirts.
; Surah sergo is trimmed with ba
: embroidery.
i Soft thick ostrich feathers are pi
! bonnets of steel laco.
The_frills on summer silk dresse
cut in points this season.
Wall flower tints reappear aga
I flowers, ties and ribbons.
The Watteau is the favorite styli
illuminated foulard dresses.
Paste jewels set in steel are usee
buttons on foulard gowns.
The pinkish white color of the
; laces is called baked earth.
Some of the summer piques
I designs like those of brocade.
| Surah is made into blouse waisti
children's wear. It washes as we
linen.
j Chenille dotted net is not tied ^
1 used for bonnet strings, but caught
j UUWUii
Flat collars to be worn on silk dr<
have a point behind and a point on
shoulder.
I Watered silk appears as panel
| skirt-?, and also as waistcoats in eve
I costumes.
Black satin parasols are freqtu
i edged 'with plaited satin ruffles of
color or scarlet.
Shirred cuffs edged with lace, ac<
par j shirred collarettes and fichus o
same material.
1 The fastening used with sur
waists is three buckles placed s
wise at the waist.
Some of the light summer ma;
are trimmed all around with black
over white lace.
White piqxie bonnets in the ]
Hliupu imvu luuiiim tiuwua truitu
fastened on bv buttons.
"White waists under overdresses
square neck and no sleeves are t
worn by little children this summe
Summer gowns for young girls
skirts of thin wool, and waists of s
with silk ruches and ruffles of cl
i lace.
Ear and Urnin.
The substance of the following s
ments with regard to the eir and I
is from a paper in the New York il
; c<d Journal, by Dr. Andrews, surgec
; the Manhattan Eye and Ear hosj
New York.
Ear diseases are much worse
i those of the eye. They are a prim
| cause of deaf mutism. They are
among the most frequent disease
childhood, being developed in <3
theria, whooping-cough, scarlet f<
measles, smallpox, typhoid fever
' fluenza and tubercular affections oi
lungs.
Indeed, a simple cold in the hea<
sore throat rapidly spreads along
j mucus membrane of the nostrils
j pharynx to that of the car. Says
i late Professor Clark, of Harvard uu
sity: "So important is a proper a
j tion tc ;he ear during and after s
! exanthemata" (diseases attended
rash), " that a physician who treats
cases and neglects to give this a
tion, cannot be said to perform his
to his patient."
I But the most serious fact about t
diseases grows out of the very intii
connection between the ear ar.d
brain. Most of the bony wall w
j contains the internal ear lies in d
contact with the membrana of the bi
Some parts of the wall are so thin c
| be transparent. There ate also o
j ings through it for the passages of oe
j and blood-vessels, and oft an parts
| are wanting through arresi of dcv<
ment.
Hence, purulent inflammations o;
| car extend readily to the brainI
more so, the younger the child. T
j may cause similar inflammation of
membranes, inflammation of large v<
i and abscesses of the brain,
i Nearly one half of all the latter
i due to tiiis cause,chronic inflamm?,ti<
i the ear?showmp itself perhaps on]
a slight headache?being vastly i
j dangerous than acute.
Silent Influence
: We are touching our fellow-being
| all sides. They are affected for goc
for evil by what we are, by what w<
! and do. even by what we think and
i May-flowers in the parlor breathe t
fragrance through the atmospl
We are each of us silently
urating the atmosphere about
I with the subtile aroma of our cln
ter. In the family circle, besides
j beyond all the teaching, the daily
i of each parent And child mysteric
j modifies the life of every person ir
household. The same process <
wider scale is going on through
1 community. No man livetlx to hir
nnd no man dietli to himself. Ot
I are built up and straightened by
. unconscious influence.?Congregati
| iit. ?
Ones vjeux'yts 1UUX LUU, u V_/ULIIUUULI uukbsc I
was porter, will undertake a scheme foi
hold great dairy colony in the North we
m of There are to bo 221 farms of 1G0 ac
iders each, stocked at the outset with thi
aged cows each. The novelty will be a n
Boms rov-gauge railroad, with a station
here each farm, so that milk can be carri
Iker- to a central cheese factory twice a d:
most
emi- A dangerous counterfeit of the stai
tlier ard American silver dollar has made
The appearance. They have the ring of t
iloth genuine metal, the milling is perfe
em- and there is an absence of that gret
oak, substance which is found by running I
ined thumb over the general run of bi
, the coins. They are, however, too lig
iy 01 anu a inue imujier iuuu niu geuuiue.
D016
fore. The days when nothing was sold
with San Francisco for less than a dime, a
3ame even that minimum price was almos
lered badge of disgrace in the eyes of peo]
; and who remembered the golden days of 1
signs half-dollar, have passed away forev
ipied Californians have passed their period
hree contempt for small coins and the chi
tfans of the nickle is heard in the land. 1
. was Bulletin regards this fact as an indi
rain, tion of the healthy financial condit
lling of the community. People purch
ider- less of what they do not want and
very necessary articles only what they ne
lace, and have ceased to fear the derision
ts of those who still refuse to recognize i
is to sum of money smaller than one " bit,
csta- .
/X WiUCl lu u l'xciii>u
the exceptional healthiness of butch
to their inhaling the nutritive princip
lady of meat, and a French physician of e:
7 or nence deduces from tliis the desirabil
: the of vapor baths charged with vitaliz:
ke a principles. Cooks, at this rate, ouj
i lay to be amazingly full of vitality. 1
;r to good health of butchers is probal
jew- due to their living entirely in the 0]
0 be air, the same cause which gives so mt
Qus- more years of life, on the average,
for a tho grocer's clerk than to his dry goi
;ars, brother. Thirty years ago butchers
jew- London never wore hats when at wo
L the but drove all over the town barehe
1 f?.r ed, as many young butchers do n<
e all This inhaling idea is, like all oth<
fl?w old. A century ago consumptive
;ting tients were sent to live over cow-houj
neat
The The ratio of ministers to memb
jus- varies greatly in different denomi
if tions, as the following table will sh<
light
Churches. Meml
and African M. E., ouc minister to every
Lutheran, >e "
M. E., South, " "
lie formed (Ger.), one minister to overy
Colored M. E., " "
Reformed 'vT2'if.ibV " "
Methodist Episcopal, '" - "
Baptists, " "
nacs* African M. E. Zion, " "
with EvangelicalAssocia'n, " " ....
United Presbyterian, "
Presbyterian (North), " " ....
Congregationalists, " " ....
Protestant Episcopal, "
j Methodist Protestant, " " ....
Cumberland Pres. " " ....
United Brethren in Christ, one minister t<
>tiste every
it on Average.
Eecent advices speak of tiie discov
s axe 0f a new g0id field in the most inlf
part of New South Wales, which is ca
in in ing some excitement among the gc
mining community. The scene of
9 for find is the Grey Ranges, a wild eleva
country in the extreme northwest of
^ f0.r colony, and on the borders if Soi
Australia. Apart from the nature of
deposits, which are said to be rich,
new discovery is interesting as a matter
science, as being a deviation from
have rule which has hitherto prevailed t
all of the mineral wealth, and especis
3 for the gold deposits, in Australia hi
11 aa been found within a short distance fr
the coast. The nearest village to 1
vhen Grey Ranges is Wilcannia, on the E
by 8 ling river, some 600 miles from Sidn
and 200 miles from the gold fie
ssses ^ater *s scarco? an<l only to be i
each at distances of fifty miles apart,
that intending prospectors will have
encounter more than the usual amoi
8.in of difficulty.
uxng
Durability of the Obelisk.
eold Commander Gorringe lectured a sh
? time ago before the Teachers' asso<
tion of New York, on "The Obel
:o^* nnd African Archaeology." In the cou
f the cf yg lecture he said:
The ancient Egyptian obelisks w
plice originally monoliths, and were all qu
lant- ried at Syene, on the banks of the N:
about GOO miles from the sea, wh
titles there exists an enormous mass of r<
lace known as syenite, celebrated for
hardness, freedom from cracks c
poke veins of foreign matter, and susccpti
are of the most beautiful polish. It ]
been asserted that the climate of Eg;
ir in more favorable for the preservat
o be syenite that of Paris, Lone
and New York. I contest the accuri
l' of this assertion. Tlie wonderful p
serration of the Egyptian monument;
urah ^jue materiai of which they
10100 made, and not tho climate. Iq Eg;
very heavy dews accumulate in i
summer and autumn, when the skj
, . almost cloudless and the sun puts fo:
i" its greatest heat. The moistened s
led' *ace3 arfc ac*ed on ky *he powerful n
of the morning sun, and, as is univ
.. 1 sally the case where there are heat a
' moisture, there will be decay. Thus
tlmn 19 eas*ern an(* southern sides
, the mountains all along the north<
a?-1 coa3^ Africa show signs of disinteg
s<? tion, while the western and northf
[. ,? sides remain more or less uninjuri
" You have observed that the hieroglyj
v?r' ics on two of tho sides of our tbel:
! ,,n" aro perfect, while on the other they i
ie more or less obliterated. This is r
, due to the sand storms of the desert,
.,01 has been stated, because the most p
? feet side was facing the southwest, fr<
which direction the most severe sa
storms of Alexandria invariably cod
f,rer" The raame condition that caused the <
facement of two sides in Egyj>t exists
th ^ew ^'or^' ^ut un(^er different circu
? stances and to a less degree. It is 01
during the summer afternoons, af
f!1' the thunder-showers, tbat the sun t
' u ^ an opportunity to exert his most pow
fill influence on a moist surface. T1
!e is the reason I have turned the wo
a.a^e face of tlio obelisk to the west, to
. . ,e ceive whatever injury may result fr<
' ? the name cause. Many persous int
*r. ested in the preservation of the hie.
glyphics as they are have expressed soi
Is anxiety as to the effect of severe cc
Pon" following rapidly a heavy rain. I lia
no hesitation in asserting tbat we ha
, 1 ittlo to fear from that cause.
iilop
I'the A I'nffcflnt in Siam.
-the The rice crop this year is a bou'
hese ful one, and the people aro rejoic i
the over it. The second king came in fr<
sins, the country on Sabbath morning,
had been out on his fields threshing ]
are rice. Returning, he arranged for t
)n of yearly procession tbat is made at t
ly in close of tho harvest. The first go
noro had rung for our religious service ji
as the procession reached tho lov
compound. The noise of bells on f
elephants, and the chanting of t
's on riders, together with the music made
>d or the king's band, made it necessary :
3 say us to delay the ringing of the seco
feel gong until after the procession h
their passed. I had not supposed it was
lere. be so great an affair. A largo numl
f at- of elephants had passed before I beg
us to count, but I counted 110 as tli
irac- passed along one bv one. I was t<
find there was 170 in all in the processii
life One of the largest wore trappings of I
iusly brightest silver. The howdas contair
i the rice. All these were decorated w
)n a green branches. Tlie procession was
tho | honor of the guardian spirits that p
nself side over the rice crop.. Those tl
,hers 1 could see the procession in its wh
our j length considered it the most impos:
onal- one that has passed for years.?ltev.
Wilson, of Siam.
THE FARM AND H0CS1H0LD. 01
Dlnking Trees Fruitful. T
Lte The question is often asked why al
thrifty-looking trees don't bear fruit,
ter and a desire expressed that fruit could ci
ud be had from them. Oftentimes there w
ae. is too much hurry for fruit in such cases, ir
We have known owners of trees discon- ci
tented, when, in our opinion, there had ci
been no time lost. A tree hurried into k
lipnrinit isininre<1 in its ornwth therflhv. t(
o 4 ' o ./J
. " as growth does not proceed so rapidly n
; ,a when fruit-bearing is going on. But t(
ss ' sometimes it is desirable to have fruit tc
r?3 even at the expense of growth, or a tree
r ^ may be in such rich soil as to keep up a o:
ar~ rampant growth too long, and in such p
?Jj cases food must be withheld from the C
tree in some way. When no other way y,
seems open, root pruning is sometimes w
, resorted to. The supply of food is fl
3., * shortened in that way. Care should be jt
| 3 exercised that no large roots should be h
' i6 taken off to endanger the stability of a
Jay thotree> r?
;he
Fattening Fowls. ^
1,4. What a different taste a fine, nicely d
and quickly fatted fowl Las when served jf
on the table, compared with one which b
jjj has been forced to scratch for all its 0
m| living, and then be consigned to the f]
t a spit in anything but a fit condition for
ple food! Farmers realize the importance p
of fattening quickly when feeding a
er. beeves for the butcher, yet many do not
0f seem to realize the fact that what holds j.
ink good with that kind of meat is equally _
[>]ie true when applied to fowls. Tender- ^
ca_ ness and juciness are results of fattening ?
ion quickly, while mere ordinary flavor and
aso want of tenderness result from letting ^
0{ fowls run until wanted for use on the j.
ec]( table. To enable ono to fatten fowls
of or chicks quickly it is absolutely necesiny
sary to give such food as will accom- c
? plish the purpose best, and to this end
we unhesitatingly recommend plenty
t,es of milk, in any state from fresli to thick. I
era This should be fed in connection with a c
jeg grain diet, for one counteracts the other. y
If kept in a darkened place and fed un- ?
ity sparingly on milk, with grain food in the 1
ing proper proportions, you will soon have r
something very choice to set upon your ?
'he table to your friends,' as well as to your *
bly lamily. When milk is ff d no water is
,en required for fattening fowls.?Poultry
iny Yard. <
to J
PnfnrnnR. t
J
( In order to have the best success in t
, growing potatoes,and to secure a healthy, t
1 vigorous growth and crop free from i
" rot, says Thortmrn, it is necessary to t
* plant as early as the ground can be got s
' ' ready. Select a rich soil and plant in (
f ' rows three feet apart and the sets one ?
' ' foot in the rows. To kill the young s
weeds, run a light steel tooth harrow
over the field lengthwise of the rows ;
this will allow the crop to get the start
' of the weeds, besides breaking up all r
2^ lumps and leveling the ground for the j
221 cultivator If wood ashes and plaster \
214 can be procured sow a good dressing
212 over the field after the potatoes ere up. ?
If a very early crop is desired it will be
]44 necessary to sprout the potatoes before t
.Vl? planting. Cut the potatoeis into pieces j
.127 oi r.t.y size desirable and place in a ^
Tvarm, light rtzm from four to six weeks
' 114 before required for planting in the open
j07 ground. During this time sh^s will ^
. 100 start out strong and vigorous, so thai 7A
8G goon as planted they will send out roots ,
? and grow moro rapidly than those treat61
ed in the ordinary way. Another method
1? is to place the sets in a hotbed two j
.141 weeks before thevare wanted, and then '
lift carefully and set out on fresh horse (
ery dung, so that the heat will cause them 1
md to start at once. If the Colorado poras
tato beetle makes its appearance the t
)ld- vines must be dusted with paris green t
the mixed with about eighty parts of plas- i
ted ter, or, what is better, mix the paris )
the green in water, two tablespoonfuls to a i
nth paii( and apply with a small brush or s
the broom. Take care to mix the mixture s
the often or else the paris green will settle a
of at the bottom. Two or three applica- v
the tions during the season will usually sufhat
fice to clear off all the beetles.
illy
ave Farm nnd Garden Notes.
om Keep goslings and young ducks I
the away from the ponds until they are c
ar- fledged. * a
e7> Wheat chaff, wet, and mixed with ?
^d. bran and a little salt makes a good feed
nefc for sheep. r
BO
s to White clover is better for sheep than f
inj. the red, as it is shorter and makes bet- vi
ter grazing. a
A wash of carbolic soapsuds occa- t
sionally will prevent the annoyance of f
insects to cattle. I
ort vaiue 0f agricultural salt as a fertilizer,
it would appear, is becoming e
13 widely recognized, judging from the a
lw innvfloainrr /lotnon/1 ?L
Oicuuilj luuitngiug vi&uiM?-*v*
ere Guinea fowls will keep all bugs and v
iar. insects of every description off garden ?
ile vines. They will not scratch like other 11
ere fowls or harm the most delicate plants. n
)ck A neglected, poorly-fed, stinted lamb ?
its never recovers, however well-fed after- t
md ward, so as to make as good and as largo j,
ble a sheep as it would had it had proper ^
lias care early. Feed the ewes so that they ^
ppt can supply the lambs with plenty of
ion milk. ' ^
Ion The best place for turnips is a spot c
*cy on which brush has recently been burn- s,
re- ed. The soil is fresh, cool and moist t]
3 is and the ashes aid not only as a fertil- ti
are izers for the verv elements that turnips o
Fpt require, but it keeps away the 11 j. l)o q
;he not sow in a dry time. t:
I1,3 Clover is a nitrogeneous and also a
Z1 potash plant, clover hay containing
" more of these elements than the best ?
J English hay, although the former will
j j not sell for near as much as the latter, P
' .. j consequently clover hay should never ^
i of ' be sold off the farm. I
;rn liancid butter may be recovered and n
,.a. sweetened by washing and kneading it ^
;rn well first in new milk, and afterward in
2d_ cold spring water, butyric acid, on which ^
3^1 the rancidity depends, being freely *
isk soluble in new milk. The above recipe \
ire has been found to answer perfectly. '
lot strawoerry plants cannot uu iuimias
plied from the seed, as there is nothing t
er- certain about it. Acres might be >;
Dm sowed with the seed, and not a berry ^
nd be obtained worth cultivating, bat in
ae. good rich soil a plant will put out run3e
ners so that fifty good thrifty plants
i in may be obtained the first season after
m- planting, and twenty-five hundred the 0
ily second year. f,
ter A writer in the Fruit Jieenriler circvLw- a
ias vents the ravaging currant worm by al-' t<
er- lowing no sprouts to grow. He allows i t]
bis but three ?uain stems to a bush, and j h
rst rubs off all root sprouts when about six | jt
re- inches long. The worms begin with the tl
5m new growth first; hence, he says, 110 b
er- sprouts, nc worms. The fruit also is
ro- far finer on plants thus treated, the
me common red Dutch being nearly as large
>ld | as the Cherry currant, and a better q
ve bearer.
,Te In nearly all soils ashes are beneficial.
Their action is manifold; they supply to t(
plants inorganic elements, which they
relmire; they neutralize acids; they act -y
ti chemically as solvents upon other salts
in tho soil. They are more beneficial on
^ni sandy and gravelly soils than on clay.
fje For plants that contain a large amount jj
liis ! of "potash and phosphoric acid, as car]ie
I rots, turnips, potatoes and cabbage, j,
jlc 1 ashes are an essential manure.
list ' Recipe*. r'
! Sardine Toast.?Place them with
j I some of the oil out of the box between 1
bo tw0 l^a^es *n ft h?t oven; when thorl,v
oughly hot through place on toast cut 1
fc? in long slices the length of the sardine; ,
shake a little cayenne and salt mixed
1 over them, with a gentle squeeze of ,,
t0 lemon.
jer Rich Soda Cake.?One pound of pul- ]
;an verizod loaf sugar, mixed with tlireeiey
quarters of a pound of sweet butter, the j
)bl j beaten whites of fourteen eggs and two 1
r)n. [ teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar sifted , (
;he with a pound of flour, and lastly, a tea- j
led spoonful of soda dissolved in half a '.ea-; g
ith cupful of sweet milk and strained ; I ake
in immediately. j
re- Ckeam Cakes.?Melt as much butter C
bat in a pint of hot milk as will make it v
ole 1 rich os cream. Mix in flour enough to
ing : form a dough (it will probably take one
J. quart), and knead it well, not forgetting J t
j to add a pinch of salt. Eoll cut rapidly j 1
a your board several times, cut into
nail squares, and bake on a griddle,
hese cakes are considered to be a suit_>le
accompaniment to oyster soup.
Fabsiers' Fruit Cake.?Soak three
ipfuls of dried apples over night in
arm water; chop slightly in the mornig,
and then simmer two hours in two
ipfuls of molasses. Add two eggs, one
ipful of sugar, one cupful of sweet
iilk, three-quarters of a cupful of but;r,
one and a-half teaspoonfuls of soda,
our enough to make rather a stiff bat;r,
say one quart; spice to suit the
iste; bake in a quick oven.
A Good Plae; Cake.?Three-quarters
[ a pound of butter, ten eggs, one
ound of flour, one pound of sugar,
ream the butter, beat the sugar and
oiks of the eggs together, then add the
ell-beaten whites, and lastly stir in the
our. Flavor with the grated rind and
lice of one lemon. Bake in a mold,
aving previously greased it and fitted
paper to the bottom. Bake in a slow,
jgularly heated oven.
Cheese-Cakes.?Turn a quart of milk
ith a spoonful of vinegar over the fire ;
rain the whey from the curd; rub the
itter dry in a cloth ; add ten eggs, well
eaten, with three-quarters of a pound
f butter, and the same of sugar;
avor with lemon, nutmeg and roser.ater.
Lay some puff-paste in your
atty-pans, fill them with the mixture, t
nd bake in a moderated oven.
Hop Yeast.?For good bread three p
hings are needed?good flour, good fc
east and great care. To make good
east: Take eight large potatoes grated, ?
flrl nnp ciin Kiicrar. nnp-lmlf run wilt. _
?o?? ?- ?r 1 a
nd tablespoonful ginger; pour over v
lien two quarts water, in which a large
landful of hops have beon boiled, stiring
well; set away till next morning, r
vlien it can be put away in airtight
ans ; I use fruit cans.
Ihish Potato Pie ob Pudding.?One ^
)ound mashed potato, rubbed through
:olander; half pound butter?cream j
vitli the sugar; six eggs, whites and
rolks separately; one lemon squeezed
nto the potato while hot; on& teaspoon '
mtmeg, same of mace; two cups white e
u'gar. Mix as sweet potato pudding; ^
ake in open shells of paste. To be
laten cold.
Green Pea Soup.?Wash half a peck
>f green pea hulls, put them in a galon
of cold water with a large onion and
en cents' worth of shin-bone, and let t
hem boil three hours; then rub through 1
he colander, then put back in the pot 1
vitli a saltspoonful of white pepper, a <
able-spoonful of salt, a quart of milk and
i tablespoonful each of butter and flour ^
sreamed together; let it boil quickly, i
ind serve immediately with small :
iqnares of fried bread. j
Household Hint*.
Woolen hose should be soaked all ]
light, and washed in hot suds with beef's ]
jail, a tablespoonful to half a pail af
rater. Iron on the wrong side. ^
To take iron stains ont of marble b> i
iqual quantity of fresh spirit of .vitriol j
,nd lemon juice being mixed in a bot- jj
le, shake well, wet the spots and in a t
ew minutes rub with soft linen till j
bey disappear. i
It is said two parts tallow and one of t
esin, melted together and applied to t
he soles of new boots or shoes, as much
us the leather will absorb, will double j
:heir wear. ]
Workwork stTCEgly impregnated with i
;ung8tate of soda or pilicate of soda? j
jy treatment in strong aqueous solution 1
)f these salts?will be found toVw quite i
minflammable. - ?
To wash a fine cambric handkerchief, |
;mbroidexed in colored silks, so tha'j
he colors do not run, the secret is to
vasli in a soap lather very quickly,
vring thoroughly, and then iron, so that
t dries at once. There should be no
;oaking, and the embroidered corner
hould be kepL. out of the water as much
is possible. A little alum in the water
vill make the process more sure.
A Terrible Malady and Its Cause.
The terrible malady known as the
)ellagra has at length aroused the seri- t
ius attention of thq Italian government
,nd the municipal authorities of some e
if the leading cities of the districts
rliere it prevails. It seems to have 1
>een unknown before the middle of the
ast century, and its ravages are con- j
ined to those of the rural laboring pop- o
ilation who are ill-fed and overtasked,
,nd even then only afflict certain dis- (
ricts. Sardinia and Sicily are exempt a
rom it. The provinces of Brescia, \
5adua, Piacenza and Ferrara suffer most '
-in Brescia 80 in the 1,000. The
arliest sensations of the person attacked e
re an itching and redness on the hands n
nd feet, followed by attenuation of the f
rholebody. Finally the patient becomes c
mere mummy, dried up, apathetic, v
asentient. A tendency to suicide is a li
larked characteristic of the malady, b
:hick frequently ends in madness,
rreat pain3 have been taken to discover s
he origin of this terrible trouble. It b
5 established beyond a doubt that poor h
nod is the main cause, but obviously p
liere must be something more than p
bis, inasmuch as the pellagra has not
roken out in Ireland and many other p
ountries where the food has been as p
canty. A most intelligent reporter of j<
lie Pavia chamber of commerce seems tl
o have solved the mystery in the course t!
f his painstaking iuqniries on the spot, g
'lie flour of maize forms the basis of b
lie food of Pellagra's smitten popula- fi
ions, and the peasants there rarely con- a
time it in a wholesome condition, but
at it more or less fermented, formed e
ito bread so revolting that the very t
iga recoil from it, and washed down v
itli water almost always of the worst, b
f maize be sound and of good quality a
o ill results follow, even if it be used a
xclusively, but pellagra almost cer- p
linly follows the exclusive use of dam- t'
ged maize by those in weak condition, h
t has often been observed here, says a w
icw York paper, that Italians will un- a
ertake the most noisome labor, aud S
IjiU they live more frugally than any )
titer class in the community. But to g
liousamls of them the hardest life in o
^ew York must be luxury to what they fi
ave known at home. The Pavian re- u
orter tells us that in the richest dis- ti
ricts may be seen a populatiou morally
educed to the level of brutes, and physi e
ally ruined by the inhuman severity c
f its labor, infamous food and shame- b
il lodging. The proprietors and their 1
gents appear to be utterly indifferent <3
a tbe condition of the laborers. Now t
:iat the government and the great cities li
ave turned thei/ attention to the sub- v
;ct there seems rome ground to hope f:
:iat this frightiul state of things may a
e at last abated. n
?? t
The First,
In an article on Iowa newspapers the
hariton (la.) atriot gives these inter- 8
sting facts: r
First newspaper?Colonial Press, Bos- 8
>n, 1690. P
First political paper?Journal, New *
'ork, 1733. s
First daily paper?Advertiser, Philaelphia,
1774.
First religions paper?Recorder, Chilcothe,
Ohio, 1814.
First agricultural paper?American
\irmer, Baltimore, 1818.
First commercial paper?Prices Curs)it,
New Orleans, 1822. b
First penny paper?Morning Post,
iew York, 1833. p
First independent paper ? Herald, c
lew York, 1835. a
First illustrated paper?News, Boston, p
853. t
First religious daily? Witness, New
'ork, 1870. c
First illustrated religious paper? t
\'re ly, New York, 1871. v
First paper west of the Mississippi? t
lep'Mii'nn, St. Louis, 1808. g
First illustrated daily in the world? I
rrophic, New York, 1873. f
First Woman's Bights paper?Lily, t
lenpca Falls, N. Y., 1847. t
The Lily was started by Mrs. Amelia c
iloomer, now an honored resident of c
lonncil Bluffs. The Lily flourished six
ears. t
? I
" I'm just petting my hand in," said i
he irate feminine, as she clutched hei; a
lusband's hair.?Ntw York New*. <]
A Lullaby. 1
Sleep, little one, sleep ! J
Let slumber geutly steep 8
Dim ores o'cr-dazzled by the day |
Soft limba o'er-wearied by their inay ? 1
Sleep, little one, sleep 1 I
Sleep, pretty one, sleep ! . I
The tlowerg in slumber deep
Lie hushed on the dark breast of night, I
As you upon yc-:r pillows white? I
Sleep, pretty one sleep I
Sleep, nappy one, oiecap;
Why should you wake or weep ? s
Yonr sins yon ?hake off in voar prayers;
Yoor cares?you have no thought of cares I *
Sleep, happy one, sleep!
Sleep, precious one, sleep I
God will thy treasure keep
Safer than sheltering mother-arm;
Nor earth nor hell shall work him harm?
Sleep, previous one, sleep 1
81eep, cherished one, sleep !
I hear his breathing deep I
Behind sleep's cut tain an it shifts.
An older baby, when it lift?
To-morrow, forth will creep 1
-Mrs.C..M. IlarriK 4
HUMOR OF Tin: DAT.
He who flings his pills aw&y will live
o die another day.?American Queen.
A drum is quite an instrument for
iroducintf noise, but a drummer can |
teat it all hollow.
" I haven't tasted a drop in the last S
en years,'was the tramp said when the
erving-maid tendered him a glass o?"S
rater.?St. Louis Spirit.
A cloud about the size of a one-dollar *??.
lote has 'risen upon the brow ol
'oung man, indicative of coming ice- '^3
:ream.?Indianapolis Herald.
The old style of doctors used to bleed ':H
he arms of their patients. The new
ifwla lilooil tVioir nn.ilrota Tlio />lien?A
I VJiW VMVM ^/VWMVVUI A M V *:>.
lowever, is in favor of life.?Picayune.
Professor Proctor seems determined
hat the world* is to come to an end ^
loon, but then he has just married & ?
viduw.?New York Commercial.
Now doth tho niral matron
Prepare her garden patch;
Erstwhile the hen appeareth,
To scratch, and scratch and scratch. .
?Wit and Wisdom. ^
The wealthy man walks out to get-an vs
ippetite for his breakfast, and the tramp |
<0 get a breakfast for his appetite, and
;hus the world rolls on.?Quincy Mod- f
rrn Arqo.
Miss Eva C. Kinney has assumed
;orial control a the Ellis (Kansas)
Headlight, and announces in her
lumber that she is " a girl, withall ?
girl's love for fun, frolic and romanoA* ^
[t editing doesn't take that love for Ion,' -3tc.,
out of her we shall be mistakes. $
[t has a more sobering effect than a fras- ^'
jand could have.?Troy Tivus.
It is said that Barnum pays Chang, .
;he Chinese giant traveling with >
iboWf ^JLOQ per__day. If this is traSfcv?
,here seems to be a"diara
n the^wages of Celestials in this
America, halfthe size of Gbmg,
he Chang basis of size, to get $50. Bat" '
.hey "don't.?Home Sentinel.
Some time since a letter was received I
n New Orleans directed "to the Biggest
Fool in New Orleans." The poatma&teSf' l
w&s absent, and on his return one of Jhe^; *1
youngest clerics in the office informed &
lim of the letter. "And what became of %
t?" inquired the postmaster. 41 Why,*.?
replied the clerk, " I did not know who J|
Enft-biggest fool in New Orleans was, and ^
30 I opened the letter myself!" "And.**!
what did yorf&nd in it?" inquired the-^
postmaster. "Why," responded the
ilerk, "nothing blithe words, 'Thon
irt the man!"' ^ j
High-Priced Beans.
Tom Watrous, commercial travele^S
stopped off at the Marshall, Mich., eat- - ']
ng house several years ago.
He was not very hungry, and called for '
1 plate of beans, which he received. Hec s
nquired the price, and was informed^
;hat it was seventy-five cents.
"That's a thunderiug price for beans," 4
laid Tom. ?3
" That's the price," said the propriaor.
'Jg&i
The train was just starting; Tom .J
mid the bill, and the coaches bore him t '*
md his indignation on toward Detroit.
This was on Saturday. On Monday,
5ilraore, the eating-house man, received"* \
, telegram, collect on delivery, S1.25,
phich he paid, and read on opening it: *9
'A thundering price for beans."
Thirty days from that date a nea?
xpress package was banded in to Gil " *
lore, C. 0. D., who paid ninety cents
or the privilege of openirg it to dwrv yj
over a lot of sawdust, on the top^l^g
,'luch lay a slip of paper with the baca- * ,
istic symbols: "A thuudering price.forVcans!"
'
Two months from this Gilmore was
ummoned to Chicago to meet a former *
lusiness partner, and tfcj hotel clerk
landed him a letter conveying the *
feasant information: "A thundering ;J
irice for beans !"
During Gilmoie's absence his son
aid for two telegrams and one express /:*?
ackage, all bearing directly on the sublet
of seventy-live cents being?"a^.^
bundering pricc for beans!" Cost of'/j
hese articles, S3 80. A genuine tele^
ram irom Gilmore's minium share
iroker, advising him to sell, was re- %
used, and the loss of it entailed an .J*
ctual damage to Gilmore of ?1,500. ^ \
A year rolled away. Gilmore order-Vj:
d a case of Mackinac trout from Deroit.
They came C. O. D., $13.83; :
rhen opened he found every fish had .
ieen removed from the ice and sawdust, '
nd a shingle met his eyes marked with
blue lead pencil: " A thundering
rice for beans!" Trouble arose
ween Gilmdre and the Detroit fish
ouse, and they went to law, Gilmore
inning the suit, $'23 damages, and all
t a cost for the attorney's services of vj
86.90.
Gilmore grew dejected. Life looked 5
loomy. Letters poured in on every
ne of liis family at regular intervals ^
rom all parts cf the world, bearing the
npleasant information that it was "9
hindering price for beans.*'
At last Gilmore sold the Marshall
ating-house and moved to Chicago. He
arried his deep affliction along with iim,
gnawing like a cancer at his vitals,
.'he persecution uever ceaed. Gilmore ->
rooped, faded anu finally died. The
erribly afflicted family followed him to
lis last resting-place, and the widow,
?ith what little money she had saved
rom the expenses of bogus telegrams 1
nd express packages, erected a plain
aarble slab to the memory of tho tot*
ured Gilmore.
The following Sabbath the mourning
amily went out to the cemetery to plant
omo viole's on Gilmore's grave. Ariving
on the ground they observed in
ilent horror that another legend ap- ;<*
eared above the name of Gilmore, on
be tombstone. It was chalked on a
mall blackboard and read:
I A THUNDERING PRICE FOR BEANS. ;
?Central City Item.
Rice as Food.
The value of rice as food is set forth
y the Sanitarian:
Rice is almost the only diet of the
eople in China, India and all Eastern
ountries. In those countries it is used
s a substitute for potatoes. At the
resent low price of domestic rice it is
he cheapest food obtainable.
Potatoes contain about eighty per
ent. of water, and do not gain much in
he process of cooking. Rice has no
raste whatever, contains only twentywo
per cent, of water, and in boiling
;ains three times its original bulk,
ience, one pound of rice at six and oneourth
cents per pound makes three
imes as much as when cooked; equal
o three pounds of potatoes at two and
ine-half cents per pound, or seven and
tne-half cents.
Rice properly prepared should come .
ipon the the table dry, each grain un>roken,
and served with the condiments
ised on potatoes; and b( partaken of as
, vegetable with meats and not as a
lessert.
A