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ABBEVILLE PRESS AND BANNER.! BY HUGH WILSON AND H. T. WARDLAW. ABBEVILLE, S. C., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1881. NO. 29. VOLUME XXVI.|||| A Song for Christmas. Ye who have scorned each other, Or injured friend or brother, Iu this fust failing year? Ye who, by word or deed, llavo made a kind heart blee l. Come, gather here ! Let sinned against and sinning Forget their s'rifes, beginning, And join in friendship now; lie Jinks no longer broken, Be sweet forgiveness spoken Under the holly bough.* Ye who have loved each other, Sister and friend and brother, In this fast fading yearMother and sire and child, Young man and maiden wild, Come, gather here; And let your hearts grow fonder, As memory shall ponder Each past unbroken vow. Old loves and younger wooing Are sweet in the renewing, Umler the holly bough. Ye who have nourished sadness, Estranged front hope and gladness, In this last fading yoar? Ye with o'orburdened mind, Made alien from your laud, Come, gather here. T.et not tho useless sorrow l'ursue yoa night and morrow; If e'er you hoped, hope now; Take heart! Uneloud your faces, And join in our embraces, Under the holly bough. A RICH GIRL. CHAPTER I. I knew, about twenty years ago, a remarkable person, in who8e life took place a very curions incident. The person was Torn Dearing, about twentysix, slender, o? medium height, exceedingly graceful, profuse in expenditure cn dress ?a weakness which an ample estate enabled him to gratify. His hair was blonde, his eyes blue, and a delicate mustache as soft as silk shaded 6miling lips. Tom was a fop to the echo, did nothing in the world, passed his time in the society of ladies, and was apparently good for nothing. Envious people looked side wise at him, despising heartily this butterfly?but they did not understand him and perhaps valued themselves too highly. Tom Dearing was a fop. but ho was the kindest-hearted of mortals?a man of very elegant culture in spite of his apparent frivolity; a graceful writer, not bo bad a poet, a musician and withAM f a 1A rr? IaoIa T i vuu a avmt laolui jlu lo tt ^uuu deal to eay of a young bachelor, with plenty of money. This one preferred to pass his evenings flirting fans in the society of ladies to muddling himself with brandy and water in less reputable places. One morning Tom Dearing came into my office, where I was studying a law record. He was clad in all the colore of the rainbow?a style of dress which he alone seemed to possess the secret of wearing without shocking good taste. " I think I will marry," he said, lighting a cigarette. Well, why not ? You are thoroughly useless as you are." " Do you really think so, my dear fellow?" he replied, with his delicious drawl and smile; " but you are right perhaps." tt n.-x_ .'-I? t cm _ l i "vertuujj/x am. ? uai are you gooci for? You dawdle all the morning, drive out, go to parties, play with fans, dance a little and end with a cigar. There is your day ?" Tom Dearing smoked his cigarette, Berenely reflecting. "You are right, my boy,:' he said at length. " King Solomon himself could not exceed you in wisdom. I will reform, and I am not aware of any better programme than matrimony." " "Well, marry." 'There is the doubt as to what it mil all come to." " Then don't marry." " There is the certainty that I will come to nothing. Decidedly I must marry,and,as you are an old comrade, I'll define the situation. I have two dear creatures in my eye?would you like to hear about them ?" "Yes, if you are in earnest. If you are merely talkiDg to pass the time, I have this record to study. If you are serious, I will listen." I am deeply, profoundly in earnest, my boy. I know wbat a sacrifice to friendship you make by neglecting that attractive document. But 1 true friendship demands sacrifices. I want suggestions." "State the case." " I will do so." And my friend Dearing with great candor and simplicity laid everything before me. He was on the most intimate terms with Miss Edith , the daughter of a gentleman of large property; and Miss Emma , the daughter of a la-.ly in reduced circumstances. "Rnt.Vl XBGTCX Knonfifnl nri*l a Tr-rvl 1 ? -. V*V MVUUVUIU "CJl IU1UWU in the friendly society of the little city; and it appeared from my friend's account that his relations with them were equally confidential. " I believe I am as fond of either of these t^o young angels as of the other," said Tom Dearing, mildly. " To which wonld you advise me to propose, my friend?" " "To the rich one, if you like her as well as the other. Other things equal, mon?y is always a consideration." " But the poor damsel is so pretty." "Then propose to her." " But the rich one is just as attrac- j tive." " Then propose to her." Bearing letlected, and said at last: " .Well, I'll go this evening and open : the campaign?call on both, and come ] to a stern resolve." " Do so, and tell me the result." At eleven that night DeariDg came into my bachelor lodging, andstretche.l himself in an arm-chair. His costume resembled the rainbow, and hj smiled vaguely. "Well?" I said. " She is charming!" he exclaimed. '' Which ?" " Miss Edith, of the moneybags; so is Miss Emma, without them." " So you have been to call on both.' " Yes.'" " The result." "A worse bewilderment on ihe subject of my own sentiments than before, my friend. When I see one I forget the other, rind when I reflect upon the other I forget the one present. I am in a state of mental paralysis. Decidedly I'll propose to Edith! No, 1'Jl certainly try for Emma ! That is to say?" " You have lost your head?ix you ever had any. Act with energy, Tom Dearing, or you'll prove a failure. The j way to do a thing is to do it?not to re- I Bolvo tVlCll Tf.11 TIM II tl lint nf if or\rwo r\4 ! these days. Describe your friends? : yoa know I am not acquainted with either." " I will do so with pleasure. Edith eighteen, brown hair, dove's eye3, with a oharming reserve of manner, and a districting glance." "She is the rich one, I think. I would propose to her at once." " Bat Emma! She is twenty-three, rosy, riant and flirty. You never saw such eyes?they are positively ravishing. "Very well; go and propose to the ravishing eves. What are vou going to do ?" "I really don't know." " Well, it is mere than probable that j il ^ou act with decision your difficulties | win disappear, une wni aiscaru you; that will narrow the question. Which likes yon best ?" "1 really can't say." " Tbe consideration is important." "It is of enormous importance, my dear fellow. If I could ascertain that." "You might do so." "Hew?' "Ask them." " T! at is the simplest way; but then I shoald risk a discardaL" "What of that? Baggage at the risk of the owner." "A noble maxim; but reflect how unpleasant it is to be told,' No, I thank yon!'" " It is not agreeable, but riska arenn { avoidable. If a general never delivered | battle for fear of defeat, be would effect j nothing." I " Your words are words of wisdom, but : I do not admire the feminine slipper, ! except at a certain distance," said Tom ; Dearing, lost in reflection. " There | might be found some means of deciding J this fearful doubt and anticipating the : result." ! "You are right Why not go on a ! journey after bidding each maiden a : tender udieu. Then manage to become ! tho victim of a railway collision, and , write from your expiring couch to each, j The responses will probably enlighten I yon." I "That is ingenious, but rather diflifiiilf. mv friend. T should be eomnelled i to write a falsehood, and my nature shrinks from that heroic proceeding. I But your suggestion has aroused my imagination?my inventive faculties are ! already at work." What do you mean ?" " I will explain myself subsequently. ! The plot of the drama is not yet definitely arranged. By-the-bye, do you know of a good situation for a young i i man of high moral character ?' " A situation ?"' i "I have a young friend who is afflicted i with a want of funds. He was once i wealthy, but is now in reduced circum- < stances. He must do something for a living?but I will recur to the subject. < ' Matt rrnn/l.nirrhf 7>ir /InoY? fnllAtr " i iJLLJ UUMi Tom Deariug then departed. i < < CHAPTER II. I met my friend DeariDg on the next < day. He said : : " A final te6t?come and call with me i on the two damsels this evening, and 1 give me yoar opinion of them." " Certainly." And it was arranged that Tom would < pick me up in the evening and take me ( to see his two inamoratas. He was punctual, and about nine in l the evening I was presented to Miss Edith. She was as charming as my < friend had represented. What espe- i ciallv impressed me was the sweetness of j her rather reserved manners, and her j habit of blushing easily. She had very i tine eyes, which expressed every emo tion, ana I tnougnt I could perceive that my friend Dearing bad made a t strong impression. She laughed at him t a little gently for his fopperies, but that ( did not deceive me. She plainly rccog- c nized his finer qualities, and bad con- ^ ceived something more than regard for ] him. The visit was entirely pleasant. The ^ young lady played and sang, and her father, an elegant old gentleman, was plainly wrapped up in her. On all sides c were the evidences of wealth?the fate \ of Miss Edith seemed a smiling one, and s when we retired I said to Dearing: " There is your parti, my dear fellow! c She really is charming as you say." " She certainly is. Bat come in and 1 see the other." t Wo went to call upon Miss Emma, It t was in another part of the city, and the i house was small and plain. We wore g received by the young lady with cordial c nmi]f>c nriil franlr nloaonro Slio xrna ? unquestionably a beauty, too. The play c of her features was dazzling. Sbe eaid c a number of things to my friend Dearing \ in a low voice which I surmised, and was r either exceedingly fond of him or anx- g ions to produce that impression. s " Well," said Tom, when wo were in g the street again, " which ?" c " I really don't know how to advise you. Are you above money considera l tions ?" w Frankly, my dear fellow, I am. f You may not believe me, but it is true, H eccentric as it appears, no doubt. Rich t or poor, I should never marry for f money?the game is not wortn tho a candle." " Then propose to your dear Emma? if you think you prefer her, and she is d fonder of you than the other." a Dearing walked along refleciing, and I swinging his whalebone cane. r xzacic io otin auuiua qucs^iuii, lie i r said. " I am 6aid to be wealthy?which ! r I am not. Do you think that consider- t ation has ever entered into the minds of i: these angels?" s " I really don't know." t "Because it would be interesting to e arrive at right views on that subject, fi And the topic reminds me that I have L not yet obtained a situation for the I friend in reduced circumstances which 1 mentioned last night. I must look after that young man's affairs, and b secure some employment for him. He ti is poor, but honest, and would take any n position?senator of the United States fi or market gardener." d s CHAPTEB III. C These latter words recurred to me a o week or two afterward, when the rumor c was disseminated through the city of s' that elegant Tom Dearing had g become a market gardener. l attached no credit whatever to the tl report, which seemed to me in the highest degree absurd; but I was very soon s compelled to acknowledge that there h was no exaggeration whatever in it. a Dearing had disappeared from his lodg- tl ings, and the door was locked. If I s doubted the market gardener report, I a was told I could verify the fact by going early in the morning, on any day in tho week, to the New Market, where s I would find Tom Dearing, with a neat apron on, selling vegetables. I went, and, threading my way through the crowd of purchasers, came in front a of a stall wherein were exposed for sale 11 every vegetable of the season. Over ; I this stall presided the once elegantTom n Dearing?a personage no longer recognizible. Inaiead of the most artistic o costume which the bsst tailor of the city could devise, he wore a plain, rather coarse coat, heavy aud service - i able boots, a straw hat, and a long, p white apron. Y Watching him unperccived I saw him dispose of his vegetables to purchasers a with a matter-of-fact air, give change from thfi nnfikot nn^or Viis nnrrm anil n xr ? p there was absolutely nothing in his demeanor to indicate that he had not followed the business of a market gardener t all his life. * r I went up behind him and said: r "So you are the young man in re- r duced circumstances, Ti m?' r He turned round, and looking mo } calmly in the face replied: " Even so, my dear fellow. This is fc the end, you see, of all my matrimonial 1 dreams?a sudden crash in stocks, t penury where wealth was once, the al- L ternative of sponging on my friends or a pur.suing some honest calling." I looked at him attentively. Was he in earnest? v "I see you have taken up the idea t that this is a stupendous lark, my dear c i .iUm ?? ? :.i m ?- - Ai ?i. iciiu>v, muu jluli, quietly; " out you will see that I am neithor better nor worse than a market gardener if you stay here. Between living as a burden j on you and my other friends and earn- I ing en honest support, I have chosen the latter. Was I wroDg ?" "You were right if you are in earnest. But surely you have not lost your means." Tom Dearing shook his head in a desponding manner, and turned round to serve some radishes to a customer. " Come back in an hoar or two and I will tell you all about it," he said, mournfully. " I shall have more leisure then. A cabbage, madam ? Why, it is Mrs. 1" It was in truth the mother of Miss Emma, who, followed by a servant carrying a basket, had como after the fashion of many ladies to do her own j marketing. " Mr. Dearing I" she exclaimed. f "Unhappily, madam!" replied Tom, | turning away to bide a blush, it seemed. 1 "You P " Myself, madam?reduced circumstances?unforseen misfortune. I see you have rccognized me." The lady look'ed extremely shocked, ^ and after a few words of commonplace 1 sympathy bowed slightly and disap- ] pearea in the crowd, her face indicating, I thought, relief at thus terminating the 1 singular interview. For. confess that it ' is embarrassing to meet -he guest-with whom you have spent the evening before i behind a market stall! i "You see," said Tom, mournfully "this excellent lady is terribly shocked ! But I ought not to be surprised. Come back in an hour or two, my old frieud, and I shall be able to explain everything. You at least are not ashamed of your former comrade." I went away in a maze of wonder? was tho scene real or was there wraetiling under it ? I could not determine. Either might bo the truth. If Tom bearing had experienced a sudden loss of fortune, a man of his real pride and horror of dependence might have re sorted to tms nonest occupation. it was certain that there he was, with an apron selling vegetables?ami the writer of this narrative assures the reader that the incident is strictlv true. When I returned " in an hour Tom . Draring was gone, and on tho same i eveniDg I left town in haste to see a : member of my family who had been taken ill. "When I returned threo weeks i afterward my first thought was for Tom i Dearing. i I hurried to the market. He was not i there. Another person presided at his stall, who could tell me nothing of him. I went back wondering, and looking around for some friend to interrogate. I saw nobody, but in passing Tom Dearing's former lodgings heard the notes af a fluto. I stopped and looked up. The win- " lows were open and tho rooms wero ' rkloinlw inVioTiito/1 Wtxa it. lw Tnm T I ran up the steps and knocked, half- 1 expecting that a strange voice would ] lemand my business. i "Come in!" said the familiar voice 1 :>f my friend, and hastening forward I him in a flowered dressing-gown md velvet slipoers, leaning back in a luxurious arm-chair. "Tom!" " The correct thing would bo to exjlaim, ' Good heavens !?can I trust my ?yes!'" he replied. "You are not a market gardener any onger, then ?' " No. I have resigned. It was not entirely favorable to my pet ambition? natrimony?so I thought I would dispose of my entire stock, and do liko ill the rest of the world?marry for noney." " Marry ? Are you to be married ?" ,fi " I havo tiie pleasure of replying to ' bat question in the affirmative, my lear friend; and to say that I shall ? ?xpect you to be my first groomsman ra the happy occasion. I positively ^ von't call you my 'best man'?that is too 1 English." I etared?acknowledged that the fact fas not surprising. ^ " Tell me what you mean," I 6aid. " With pleasure, if you will sit down md not continue to gaze at me as if I rere a menagerie or an aquarium mentor." 0 Tom smiled, laid aside'his flute, lit a :igar, and said: ti "You gave me the idea which has ed to the present denouement?to test fi he friendship, let us call it, of those wo charming young persons?Made- jj noiselle Edith and Emma. You suggested a railway accident, and a note to ach with a view to a reply. But that 01 ras impracticable, and did not promise ^ lecisive results. Unfortunately, tho onvention of modern society interferes *( pith romance. The maidens could not ^ ush to my bedside, or even express in pushing terms their emotions by mail, k lince others would peruse tho notes. * 1 s< jave that up, and thought of a more :onvenient plan." a, "I see?you mean the market garden h msiness?but?" "Let me flow on uninterrupted, my n riend. I shall reach the conclusion ^ ooner. I said to myself, 4 There is one paramount question. Which of these , air ones is sincerely attached to mo, ,nd likes me the best for myself ?' " "I begin to understand." " Ami the test was perfectly easy. I 8 lisappeared from Bociety, and became t] . market gardener, saying to myself as took my place in a white apron behind Ii ay stall: 'The one who does not lose ft espect and affection for me now is the eal angel.' Well, you were present t] nai mornmif, uui nut uu umei muru- 8Qgs. The angels actually came on tho ^ ly _one after the other?to see if tho ^ errible report were true They did ^ iot speak to the poor market gardener, e ormerly their friend. They lurked be- a iind the crowd, with vailp down, but recognized them." "Yes-well?" J "I see you are impatient, my friend, T iut it is necesssary to permit a raconl*.i(.r o proceed after his own fashion. Let f le proceed. First came my beautifnl , riend Miss Emma. Her mamma had 1 oubtless informed her of tho montrous fact thr.t I was reduced to utter overty, and was compelled to sell ^ abbages. She came to see with her wn eyes, and as she passed me, unper- ai eivcd as Bhe no doubt supposed, I b wear I heard a low laugh under her Tl reen vail." A "That was not sympathetic, to say w tie least." ? "Itjgras not, but I waited?sure that E ome one else would come sooner or b iter. There was another youthful n ngel who had professed friendship for 1( lie unfortunate market gardener. I cj aw lier pass on the very next morning, J' nd-" h ' She laughed, too?'' r< " On the contrary she?well, she obbed." '' Really ?" q "Actually." li " And that very evening you went ud knelt down and confessed every- {] bing, and gushed, and asked darling Vl idith to marry you and share your 'j; larket-gardenV" p " No. I went and asked the other ?j me." f( " The fair Emma?" a. " Even so. You see I was anx- a] ous to know everything?to ascertain C( reciselv how I stood in the regards of ioth." * a " Yes; and you went in your white pron ?'' fj 'Not precisely, but in my coarse r, nAnnr'n on 1 f 1' aiv.ituv/i o ouiu. " And your friend, Miss Emma?" n "Discarded me with a promptness f( hat really made me dizzy. But the u aost interesting part is to como. With i ^ aild sorrow, but earnest persistence, I t] equcsted the grouuds npon which she p efused me so flatly. You will not be- ^ ieve mo, but in the end I made her ac- ri :nowlodgo that she did not think it a lonorable in a gentleman to urge a ady to occupy an almost menial sta- ^ ion, and then she really tossed her a lead, and I thought I had better bow n nd retire." '[ "Broken-hearted?" a "Not entirely. There was another ieit to pay on the same day. You knew o whom it was?and the market gar- ^ lener's reception there was very dif- R. erent! In fact?but you are not so ' rareasonablo as to expect rue to com- jj nucicate the incidents of that inter- ^ 'iew! There is, however, no objection n o telling you the result. Iam engaged ^ o be married, and the interesting cere- a nony will take place in just three nonths." [j "You are much too concise in yoar a lenouements. Was the market gar- ^ lener no objection ?" ^ " None in the world. Somebody told ? ne, with a laugh through tears, that it i vas a very respectable business ; that ^ ihe was not at all ashamed to merry a D narket gardener, and after all I need ^ lot continue od, as my wife would ^ nave plenty of nr-ney! Then my in- 8 nost heart smote me, and I acknowl- rj jdged my deceit?" a "And she forgave it?" I said, laugh- j ?g- I " YeB ; but really she seemed a little c jorry that I was not a poor market _ gardener, after all. Confess that is not ? bad for what is called a rich girl I"? t /. Ektencooke. ^ Medium-sized fans are carried instead t Df the immenselv large ones so lately ? popular. Beautiful evening fans are c made of rose-tinted ostrich feathers, c with mother-of-pearl handles. Portia fans are also shown, made of delicate mauve-tinted feathers, with sticks of jhased silver. It takes just three people to keep a ] secret properly, but two of the three s must be dead. - j 1 FOR THE LADIES. Girl I'oHtbnrn. At every station in Finland, says the author of "Land of the Midnight Sun," I had a young girl for a driver; aud these children of the North seemed not in the least afraid of me. My lirst driver's name was Ida Catherina. Sbe gave mo a silver ring,and was delighted when she saw it on my finger. I promised to bring her a gold one the following winter, and I kept my word. She was glud indeed, when at the end of the drive, after paying, I gave her a silver piece. Another driver, twelve years of age, was named Ida Carolina. The tire of one of cur wheels became loose, but she -eras eqnal to the emergency; she nliirhtofl iilnfltffl t.hn Ttfhppl with n stone, went to a farmhouse and borrowed a few nails and a hammer, and with the aid of a farmer made everything light in a few minutes; she did not seem in the least put out by the accident; she chatted with me all the time, though I did not understand what she said, for I did not then know the Finnish language. She was a little beauty, with large blue eyes, thick, fair iiair and rosy cheeks. Marring C'lihtr.niH oT AmpI rnllun Native* When a girl is betrothed her mother and aunts may not look at or speak to the man for the rest of his life, but if they meet him they squat down by the nravsido and cover up their heads, and tvlien ho and they are obliged to speak in ono ano'her's presence they use a peculiar lingo, which they call "turntongue." This queer dialect is not used for concealment, for everybody luderstands it, and tome examples )f it show that it has much in common pith the ordinary language. To give in idea of the stato of formality into vhich life lias come among these supDosed free-and-easy savages, mention nay be made of the duties of the brideuaid and groomsman. When the maried pair have been taken to the new mt built for them, for the next two noons the groomsman and the husband leep on ono side of the fire, the bridenaid and the wife on tho other, the new narried couple not being allowed to peak to or to look at one another. The irido is called a "not-look-around," and ho pair in this embarrassing position re a standing joke to the young people iving near, who amnse themselves by leeping in ond laughing at them.? Valure. Fashion No ten. Red and white make an admired combination for evening wear. ^Esthetic yonng ladies cling to the mall sunflower floral garnitures. Whether bodices are plain, gathered ' r plaited is a question of figure. The most fashionable flower garniares for ball dresses are of water lilies. Velvet, plush, moiro and satin all requently appear in the same costume. Ladies' riding hats are a little lower 1 the crown than they were last season. Some large hats have the crowns^ ompletely surrounded with silk pomons. Young and slender women prefer 1 TT? TTTft Iflfl TTTlfV* ArftMinrt J\y i u UiiU WUIOL3 UivU (JCllO 1VI OTLUlUt^ rear. Ulsterottcs reaching nearly to the neo take the place of long ulsters this 1 eason. Heavy double box-plaited rnchings dorn the bottom of the akirt of many andsome costumes. Rhino crystal ornaments are now lade so fine as to simulate diamonds : cnderfully well. lied paper fislies with blue eyes are :ie latest novelty in Japanese hanging rnaments for rooms. Long collars are worn by children, ; iris in their teens, young ladies, raarons and elderly women. Ombre de Burmah is a new cloth for : idies' suits. It comes with a wide incy border for trimming. A single wide ruche at tho edge of ' lie skirt is a favorite trimming for j ' imple dresses. It is five or six inches 'ide and is laid in treble or quadruple ox-plaits placed an inch apart. It is ! iicn stitcht'd in the middlo and the dges are allowed to full forward and ' Imost meet. In tho line of winter chapeau there IU 14 IU>V jUUilUUUtCU uuaugco, >1 UR'U | ( light bo classed as exaggerated stylo, 'he "huge" poke takes tho lead' in , Dciety headgear. This stylo is very j ecoming to some faces, and particu- 1 irly when tho wearer tips tho bonnet | ! ver the forehead. Indicative, or rather confirmatory, of j io supposition that round waists aud 11 ill, antique bodices will bo as general |: 3 the sharp-pointed waists have already i eeome, are exhibited a very handsome j ariety of waist-buckles for belts, j j mong these are solid silver clasps, set J i ith semi-precious stones, and those of i i :oman gold, with carvcd heads in i Igyptian designs. More novel still are j i uckles made of shark's skin, which is I ow being utilized for useful as well as I : >r merely decorative purposes. These lasps are mounted in silver, and the ellowish-whita epidermis seems as i ard to tho touch as the metal sur-} ] junding it, I: Postal Savings Ifanks. We are glad to see that Postmaster- , j reneral James strongly urges the estab- j f snmenc 01 postal savings uaims j iroughout the country, and we hope , lat Congress will give its early and faorable consideration to the subject, 'hese institutions have met with mach opular favor in Great Britain, where ley havo been in successful operation )r twenty years. The banks are open t all money order oflioes and deposits re received from one shilling up, ex?pt that no person is allowed to deosit more than a hundred and fifty ollars in any one year or run up his j jtal account beyond seven hundred and ^ fty dollars. Interest is paid at the : ite of two and a half per cent, a year Dd begins to nin from the first of the | lonth after deposit. . One convenient jature of the system is that j hen a depositor wants money jJ e is not obliged to draw from I j re office where he deposited, bat may i efc it at any postal bank in the United l angdom. Another advantageous ar- 1 mgemenfc, which was first tried ubout -j year ago, and has become very popu ] ir among the poorer depositors, is tLat ] velve penny postage stamps stuck on slip of paper prepared by the govern- 1 lent may lie deposited for a shilling, j 'he oxtent to which these institutions ] ro used by tile people is shown by the i ict that ill 1879 tlio number 01 uanKg ' ad increased to six thousand, the uumer of annual depositors to nearly three ad a half millions, and the total mount of yearly deposits to fifty milon dollars. The open accounts at the eginniug of 1880 numbered nearly twoi liliions, while tho amount standing to Lio credit of depositors was a hundred nd sixty million dollars. Wo believe that postofSce savings anks would be even more successful nd popular in this country than they ave proved in Great Britain. While liey would be a great advantage to the icople they would be a substantial ain to the nation, by encouraging labits of thrift and economy amoDgthe aafses. The postmaster-general refers o the significant fact that in the greater >art of the United States there are no ] avings banks and not likely to be bdj. ] ?o the peoplo who are thus deprived of 11 proper means for saving their earn gs postal institutions would seem to ie a necessity as well as a boon. But < ven in the more populous cities, where irivate savings banks are not wanting, ' ;overnment depositories would be ex- 1 ensively patronized, particularly by the 1 >oorer classes, for the obvious reason hat the depositors would have in tbe jovernment u confluence and a sense if security greater tlnn in any pi irate :oncern, however wnll managed.?Nne fork Herald. _ Frederick Douglass, after a life of! trange vicissitudes, is spending his I atter days in comfortable prosperity, | le is the possessor of 8100,COO or more.1 ind his office in Washington provides ! lim with an annual salary of $7,000. CHRISTMAS GIFTS. Present* Tor the Holidays thnt arc Eai>llv I)Iadc> Of the many home-made rugs in imitation of the Turkish a very pretty and at the same time simple one is made as follows: Construct a framo of four strips of wood. Let it bo of what- ( ever size you wish the rug. The frame ! may be rested upon the back of chairs or anything convenient. For the body of the rug stretch a picce of burlaps upon the frame. Nest sketch any design you like first upon paper, and afterward with colored chalks upon the burlaps. Any simplo pattorn in wtiich colors are well blended will do. Tlio materials i for working aro coarBe skein-yarn of i various plain colors and a crochet ( needle. Hold the yarn against the < under-side of the burlaps witli the left I hand and draw it through with the needle t held in the right hand. Begin to work t either at tho border or in the center. 1 A. pattern is not absolutely required. It [ is oulp necessary to mingle the colors ' harmoniously. e A Roman afghan may be made as fol- ( lows: Cast on forty stitches of black, t knit two rows of black, ono of yellow, b one black, twelve of rod, one yellow, two of blue, ono of whits, one of black, f one of yellow, two of red, one of yel- * low, and twelvo of green. This makes a one pattern. Repeat, using red, yellow, t blue, white, in succession until your r itripe is tho length you desire. Make ( each alternate stripe black, of the same i widih, embroidered with white daisies, t Set the stripes together with old gold, s Mark the colored stripes exactly alike, c so when the afghau is finished each 1 color will run across tho entire width, t This is knitted on bone or wooden nee- c dies, about the size of a straw. Knit ( back and forth, plain knitting stitch, ' keeping all knots on one side. Make o fringe for tho ends of the bright colors, v tJm euIoq Tuil.li cm flip fori ocolln-n q of plain colcr. a A pretty Christmas crcsu may be t raado with tissue paper oither white or t in shades of brown and green. The li foundation is made of wood or paste- li board. Cat the sheets of tissue paper p into strips au inch and a half in width r and these into fine fringe. Cover the o foundation by wrapping the fringed m strips about it. The effect will be an I imitation of moss. A few scarlet ber- d ries or leaves among the moss are very JE attractive. J Imitalion of bronze vases and other ii ornaments of clay and earthenware may G be successfully made by a simple pro- Ijj cess. Let the vasea be without glazing e and of a pretty shape. The first step is to give a coat of copal varnish, into fi which vermilion or chrome green has v been thoroughly mixed; or the color ti can be mixed with turpentine and first if applied; then when dry varnish over tl it. If medallions are desired, xipon the n front let tliem be painted upon this ^ ground before varnishing. "When the si varnish is almost dry dust bronze pow- g der over the surface and rub lightly b with a silk or woolen rag until a good c gloss is obtained. The green paint g gives a pure bronze colors vermilion, tl a copper colored bronze. p Feather mats or rugs for parlor or bed- v, room may be made with sorted feathers c< from poultry and birds sewed on in rows ii one upon anothor on a foundation of a: Btrong unbleached muslin or gunny- S bag. A border of peacock's feathers, C followed by a row of white goose n feathers; next a central star oi: green a: drake neck feathers and medallions b of black and white with any dark Y ground will provido as soft and sf rich a rug as if made ot llamatufts. o White and green feathers from the n neck of common barnyard cocks with a f( ground of partridge feathers produces a ei pleasing effect, and any bright tints e: mounted on a ground of ordinary hen- ti feathers is effective. When done the vi rugs must be lined with some heavy g material and the edge bound. p To make a gilded frame taie any cl plain wooden frame, give it a coat of oi gold size, which can be bought ready w for use, or prepare as follows: Put ti pome boiled linseed oil in a saucer; let tl it stand exposed to the air three days; c? mix sorno yellow ochre ground in oil n with it ami the result will be oil gold d: size. Give your wooden frame, which jr should be sandpapered smooth, a coat b; of white paint. Let it dry; then give ai it a second coat of white paint. When n quite dry and hard, rub smooth with ai line glas3 paper. Give a coat of the h gold size and let it " set" for twenty- ai four hours. II. is then ready for the si gold leaf. "With a sharp knife cut the gold leaf into pieces just the width of b the frame. Take a piece of tissue paper hi two inches square and lub one side light- is ly with white wax. Pat the waxed ai side of tbo paper on the gold leaf, lift g< it up and lay on the frame. Uub the " paper lightly with tho linger and the ai gold will adbcire to the frame. Let w each piece of the gold leaf lap over each sc other slightly, so the joinings will not j A show. When tbe frame is covered, pat : R over it with cotton wool. Set it away I hi for a few hours, then brush oflf tbo ! e3 superfluous gold, and your frame in tl finished. cc Worsted parlor balls for little folks b; ire m::c as follow;;: Cut two round ar [jiecos of stif)' pasteboard, using a largo w saucer as ii guide ; cut out tbo ceuter, tL leaving a vim about two inches wide. ] G L'ut l ho two pieces together and wind l gi round them odds and ends of worsted ra ind yarn, patting the ball in and out of O :he hole until it is tilled. Then cut tho G worsted on the outside e?ge and insert, ai l strong string between the two pieces p< A pasteboard. Wind it around several tl ,imes and tie securely. Next cut and ci ;car out tho pasteboard. Shape the a1* jail with your hands, and clip the sur- fo 'aco until it is perfectly even and soft hi is velvet. tL Great Fires of the World. We give below an interestin,' list of aI igures showing tho great fires of the' iJ1 vorld from 1GGG tol87G, with tho losses t]. n number of buildings and dollars: xoss. b' CGG London, 18,000 buildings burn- *' etl, covering 13G acren, with ' ? . ?n- nnr. n/in IT! eiglity cnureues *oo,uuu,uuu ? .778 Constantinople,2,500 buildings pi burned 13,500,000 .782 Constantinople, 8,000 buildingj burned 15,000,000 .788 Constantinople, 10,000 .30,000,000 11 701 Constantinople, 'SO,000 150,000,000 &l 1794 Copenhagen, Denmark 28,000,000 tl .799 Smyrna, 8,000 50,000,000 Q .803 Island of St. Thomas, V,\ 1... 30,000,000 .822 Moscow, 18,000 houses, includ- ?5 ing royal palaces 140,000,000 *r SIC Constantinople, 4,500 build- el ings 10,000,000 ci .818 Constantinople, 5,000 15.000,000 Rf .831 Constantinople, 18,000 80,000,000 .835 New York city, 1,000 20,000,000 "a .839 New York, 40 warehouses and fr buildings 10,000,000 N 841 Smvrnu, 10,000 bl'ds burned.. 18,000.000 Tj .842 Hamburg, Ger., 2,000 10,000,000 [848 Cons'aiitinople, 3,000 15,000,000 .850 Philadelphia, 400 buildings and warehouses 15,000,00 ti: r? : -i o.'.u 1 o n/in nnn ,n.ii Will rrauciscu, umuuuyn Itf,uuu,uuu 1852 Sacramento, 2,500 10,000,000 ni .801 London, England 10,000,000 " 801 (Hams, Switzerland, entirely P1 destroyed 11,500,000 n< .805 Tort an Prince buildings 57,000,000 b] ,800 Valparaiso, Chilli, 50'J 13,000,000 aI 1800 Portland, Me., 800 10,000,000 , I860 Charleston, S. C., 1.158 10,000,000 * [807 Constantinople, 0,000 17,500,000 " 1870 Constantinople, 1J,000 25,000,000 tc 1870 Strasburg, destroyed by Prus- fc sians 90,000,000 p, 1871 Paris, partially destroyed 140,000,000 , 1871 Chicago, 18,00*0 buildings.... 200,000,000 al 1872 Yeddo, Japan, 3,000 buildings 10,000,000 T 1872 Nijini, Russia -10,000,0( 0 in L872 Boston, Mass., 748 80,000,000 187-1 L<ni'lon; England 15,000,000 v 1870 Yeddo, Japan, 5,000 lo.OOO.OCO jj; Total $1,405,500,000 3\i From tbis table it will be seen that tl America leads in great fires, Obi 'ago, E mitli lior twn hundred million blaze. P taking tlio lead. Moscow and Paris o: como next. Constantinople is the d champion city in the number of her A great fires, and taking her ten great e' tires, sho takes rank over all with a P total los* of three hundred and thirty- fc( six millions of dollars and tinety-six ^ thousand buildings. Almost half the lc; s ($610,000,000) occurred in the last six a years of tho 210 years included in the A list. M tl Some novel imported hats are made entirely of a thick network of ci^stjJs ai and beads, which in the evening glitter p like a thousand colored gems. ti THE ATLANTA EXPOSITION. What It Isnnd What It Means?A Snrvryol tho Exhibition as It In?Tlio Men Who Have Worked for It?Its Prognosis. An Atlanta letter to the New York Sun says : If any one supposes that the Cotton Exposition is a local fair, a Southern enterprise, let him with me take a survey of Oglethorpe park and its wonderful winter show. . For tbis 2xhibition is in reality a winter resort for both Southern and Northern visitors intent on pleasure, amusement, instruction, or tho pursuit of material interests. The entrance to the park is on ;he terraced elevated plateau, usually represented as the background jf the pictured representations if the Cotton Exposition grounds, standing on this plateau, in he midst of things from all parts of his country, below us are the main juilding, the Machinery hall of the Ex .* i -* a : 11... i i. ~ 11 i jumliuu, ^i^riuuiLurui nan, ?u immense 'annex" to the north wing, with mother "annex" back of it, Public Domfort building, an annex to the south ving, and other buildings, restaurants, ind special exhibit edifices, all of wood ?Georgia pine. Every roof is gay with lnfctering flags of all sizes, of all nations, pith the Stars and Stripes surmounting ill. The grass and flower gardens in he plateaus below us and on the teraces ure as green and fresh as those of Central park were in May. The trees n the distant background surrounding he lakes are just taking on their Indian iummer liveries. The air is deliciously sool and soft, though bracing, for wo are :,050 feet above the sea level. We are on hat plateau just below the one generally lesignated as the land of the sky?that 3nmberland plateau where the author of ' Ragby " has planted his English colmtJ nf "RnorViv Savnral onnvmrmo '""C J * K/WT VUV&iMVUU rooden buildings, also of Georgia pine, re on our right on the terrace. They ,re Art Industrial hall, the Chattanooga milding, Judges' hall, and, far down he slope, the Florida building. These, ike the main buildings in the level find below, are painted in delicate tearl-gray tones, pointed with Egyptian ed, and decorated with flags. On one f the terraces at our feet is an antique windmill, 100 years old, brought by the leckor Brothers, of New York, as a epot for their special exhibits. The 'ress pavilion is on the terrice below. Iuch of the timber in all of these build3gs were growing in the pine forests of leorgia not more than eight weeks ago. jpne of the buildings were standing or ven "raised" prior to this date. The exhibits of every description ound within these buildings, together rith their arrangement, must not bo esimated from the above statement. It 3 true that they have been collected in kici v olinrf. anopn nf frmv lonths' time; but after inspecting them 'ewill look at the men and the circumtances which have brought them toother. In the center of the main uildings, as I have said before, are ollected the cotton machines, from ins to looms, and sewing machines, jat stamp this fair as a cotton exosition. In the east wing are 'oolen machines and wool and otton manufactured exhibits, embracig those from Texas to New England, ad from Indiana to the Carolinas. ome of these, particularly from North arolina and from Georgia, are of great lerit and beaufy. The cotton blankets od plushes manufactured in Colum us, Ga., are in greater demand in New orit than can be supplied. Thoumds of persons use theBe goods with..l t?? lib liLiU VVlll^ LUttU LLlKjy U1U \J JL (/V/Xgl(t lanufaeture, the name being suppressed )r business reasons. In the extreme ads of the north and south wings are shibits of other machines, pumps, action engines, circular Baws, barbed ire fencing, turbine water wheels, lass, candy, and other manufacturing rocesses. The buzz and hum, the lash and clatter, the whirl and whiz I ill these machinos, create, along ith the gay flag decorations and arstic touches of the exhibitors, one of le most exhilarating exhibitions that in be conceived. Nothing like it, othing half so brilliant and animated id I see at the Centennial World's fair t Philadelphia. Please to observe that y far the greater number of exhibitors ad exhibits in this building are from orth of the Potomac and Ohio rivers, ad, by a long odds, the Northern exibitors, are in the most hopeful mood, id predicate the most profitable rellts from the exhibition. Passing through the South Carolina ailding, on the north, into Railway all, the first object thai; greets the eye ? A ?( n AVAfl AW TTIUACIA Q AO it ox ucicdj uu n UU-ju id pillars and obelisks is inscribed in Dlden grain and fruit letters tbe legend '< Kansas." This is the most ingenious id artistic agricultural exh'bit iu tbe 1 liole collection. Equally rich but not > showy are tbe exhibits of Southern l rkansas and TVxas in the same part of iilway hall. The north wing of this : ill is dovotecl to the singularly rich 1 chibits of the railways that extend * trough Northwestern Georgia to the 1 >al measures of Tennessee and Ala- 1 una, those that tap the agricultural i id mineral wealth of the great South- * est as far as Texas, the roads tbat run ' trough Southwestern and Southern ' eorgia to Florida and Alabama, aud tbe 1 eat Topeka, Santa Fe and Kansas ' ilways. Here are the wines of North * trolina, the gold and gold ores of ' eorgia, tlft silver and copper and lead I id gold ores of the Carolinas, the cop- J jr pigs of North Carolina, her ame- ( lysts and sapphires and rutiles and ' ystols agates and plates of mica ( i large as window panes. The < untain playing in one wing of this ' ill throws its spray over specimens of ( ie mineral wealth of Georgia, and a jautiful display it is. me geologises, ong with their pamphlets and charts id maps, that can be found in this ' jilding; tlio railroad offices, with ' leir schedules, and the intelligent exibitors from all the sections traversed ' y these railways, make this hall a perct guide and signboard to the tourist . Southern lands, whether he goes for rofifc, health or pleasure. In the annex to Kailway ball are col- 1 cted tho vegetable, mineral and indus- 1 ial exhibits of Southwestern Georgia 1 id South Alabama. Thomas county, in 1 ie extreme southwestern corner of ' eorpria, sends a bewildering display of itive wines, canned and preserved ' uitH, including pears aud other North- j n fruits, along with the lemons, limes, trons, figs and oranges grown in that >mi-tropical region. Tho exhibitors ! ,v that many of their orders for canned ; ui;s and native wines tome from ortoern visitors, who resor- to Thoma- 1 llo every winter for health and pleasOutside this "annex" are two turpenae stills, where the turpentine sta- 1 sties of Georgia can bo obtained, ong with descriptions of the wondrous ine forests of Southern Georgir, and it far distant is a pine log?vj tree ronglit from that section, straight as 1 arrow, and measuring over 100 feet , ength, or eighty feet of available ; mber for a ship mast. Bat why attempt i describe the various exhibits mnd in this fair? It takes eleven liles* walking to make the circuit of 1 the buildings, aisles and grounds. ( hero aro 2,500 eeparate exhibits by as { iany exhibitors. Did the new South o all this work? No. More than alf the capital subscribed, and fully filf the exhibits aro from the North, [ore than half the men interested in ie enterprise are Northern men. New ugland brains, energy and machinery redominate in every detail. To the rganizing ability of one man, the irector-general, H. I. Kimball, who ( ve years ago was appreciated but little , ither South or North, are the present , ronortions of the enternrise admitted ) be due. "Who but II. I. Kimball ould Mr. Atkinson, of Boston, have mnd to carry out bis ideal scheme of cotton exposition? And why are Mr. tkinson and other New England and orthern men so much interested in ( lis scheme? In vague mmors and whispers around ud among the buildings in Oglethrope ark the frequent visitor to this exposion finds the true significance, the real ; meaning of all this display. The curions ones mutter: " This fair is nothing but a scheme to build up a New England cotton factory in this park. Look out! Kimball and his stockholders are only doing this to fill their own pockets." "And what if Kimball and his stockholders do establish a factory town and enrich themselves ?" is the reply of others. " Will it not develop this country, and make an outlet for the 1 surplus factory labor of New England, the North, and Europe? Have they not more capital than they can invest profitably in their own lands ? Does not this section need capital and skilled labor ? Has not tho $2,000 raised by a lottery annrnv#?fl nnrl oliAvtArAA Ivr OAnrcia in 1788 (nearl; five score years ago), for ' the purpose of erecting and carrying on the machinery of a cotton factory,' steadily increased until it had reached the snm of $5,000,000, every dollar paying handsome dividents?'' In addition to this, there are now two more companies that will shortly establish mills in Augubta, Ga., with a capital of over 83,000,000. This is not all. These exhibits of minerals, coal, iron, gold, copper, silver, lead, manganese, gypsum and asbestos found in Ilailway hall have all been placed there by companies composed of both Northern and Southern men who are actively and profitably engaged in mining the same. To show the national character of i.1. * *i_* L.' L t AT 'i-.W siiib exposition, wnicu mw mrown iihbii into shape in such an incredibly short space of time, let us examine an exhibit near the center of the main building. Il consists of a collection of samplts of cotton fabrics and cosmos, made by the department of state of the United States, through her consuls all over the world. It is, in fact, an epitomo of the cotton trade of the world. Every sample is labeled with its place and cost of production. This is further made plainer by a report upon the same in book form issued by the statistical bureau of the depnr rarnt of state, and with this book of reports in hand and th6 samples lx-foro them, the American cotton manufacturers and exporters have, with a few hours' study, all the precise technical knowledge on this subject which it has taken Great Britain sevepty-five or one hundred years to lea^n by experience of reverses as well as successes. This part of the work of the cotton exposition originated in the mind of Governor Morgan, of Mississippi, and the compilation of the facts and arrangement of the samples for this exposition was made by Colonel Charles S. Hill, of the bureau of statistics, department of state, in Washington. Thus it will be seen that this winter fair is a national affair?a movement nmnnc the rieonlo both North nrid South to blend the interests of this i great country into one homogeneous ' whole. - 1 The Tides. , These phenomena have, in all ages, , exrited curiosity, and in many instances , they have produced wonder at their ex- . traordinary height and fury. It is re- ( lated of the soldiers of Alexander the ( Great, who were natives of the Mediter- , ranean shores, that when they reached ( the confines of the Indian ocean, and , saw its waters rolling up to a great t height, and then flowing back, twice ( every day, they became alarmed, and , attributed the phenomena to a special interposition of the deities of the coun- , try which they had invaded. Various . remarkable theories have been advanced \ regarding the tides. Many of these are , truly so absurd that it is hardly worth { while to refer to them. Persons find it j difficult to understand why the tides ( are higher at one time than another, and why they rise to the height of j sixty feet in the Bay of Fondv, forty t taak in tVio nnrta nf Ttriaf-.nl TT.nnr. 1 land, and St. Malo, France, and only rise to a few feet in height at New York and other places,while they are scarcely perceptible in the Baltic and other seas. Descartes was the first philosopher who advanced the theory that the tides were due to the influence of the moon, but Newton was the first who worked out the problem and discovered the true cause. Descaites believed that the moon acted on the waters of the ocean by pressure; Newton demonstrated that it acted on the ocean by attraction; that instead of pressing on the waters, it rolled them up directly under it, and also at its antipode3 at the same time, thus producing the two tides every day. The tides are attrac tions of both the sun and moon. If the earth had no moon the attraction of the sun would produce two tides everyday, but their ebb and flow would take place at the samo hours,' not varying as they do. Thr?e tides would also be much ? smaller than thos9 of the moon. Al- D though the mass of the sun is far greater than that of the moon, and though attraction is in proportion to the mass, yet it is also ^inversely as the square of the distance. As the sun, therefore, i3 four hundred timos more 3istant than the moon, the attraction of the waters of the sea toward the sun is Found to be about throe times less than those of the moon. There are really two ocean tides, the lunar and solar, but ilie latter is absorbed by tbo former, I ivhich is wholly observable in respect to ihe time, the solar only as it influences ;he height of tho tidal wave. That ;aused by the moon is three times jreater than that of the sun, and it follows the moon's motion around the jarth, rising and falling twelve hours, ind each succeeding tide later by threejuarters of an hour than tho preceding me, exactly in accordance with the posi;ion of the moon, or, as it is commonly called, its rising and setting. A Close Shave. "Yes, I have had some pretty close shaves in my lifetime," answered the :aptain as he took a seat by the stove. "Go ahead," called three or four at Dnce. "Just seventeen years ago this fall, srhen I was sailing the Martha from It Here six of the men took out pencils i - f J 1 1 - ma scraps 01 paper uuu uegaii to jot ? 3own names and dates, and, as the cap- I taiu observed it, be continued : "But I t think the closest miss I ever had was t about ten years ago, when I commanded t the Daylight. One night, along toward t the last of November, we were trying to t make Buffalo. That was to bo our last <3 trip. Well, that was the darkest night J [ ever saw. and the wind blew great o guns. The schooner climbed mountain 1 high, and then slid down as if she a meant to strike bottom, and I thought ^ avery plunge would be her last." {'And she finally went on her beam ends ?" asked one. "Oh. no?she rode as level as a tl duck." I r "And didn't she lose her masts?" ii "Not oue. She went into Buffalo with everything as taut as you please." n "Then where was the miss ?" asked a petulant voice. 1 ..titi _ t ?:n.nf ">Y uy ? CULUU WIL LI ill LKJ Ui otv/uuu-i WA missing the midnight train for De- s " was the calm reply, as ho turned L ore h ]'i'd.?Detroit bYee Press. a Supreme Court Judges. ^ The united ages of the eight justices a of tho United States supreme court ag- j. prregate 41)3 years, averaging sixty-one, (. Tustice Hunt being the eldest, at seventy, and Justice Harlan the youngest, at forty-eight. Justice Woods is fiftyfive, Justice Matthews Ufty-seven, rlcI * the other live are sixty-five and over. I It is a great pity that younger men are 1 not placed on the bench. Of course 11 the older the justices when appointed } the larger the legal or judicial experi *! ence, as the case may be, but it would ,] 9eem that good lawyers might be found G of forty or forty-live years of age wbo F bave had experience enough for the F position. Physical strength supple- ^ ments mental faculties very well, so much so that a capable man of forty- l1 five is likely to make a more satisfac- ' tcry justice tban one of sixty-five, all other things being equal. Of course there are exceptions, but this is a very good general rule.?Washington Post. | An exchange as^s " Do beets pay ?" f Dead-beats never pay. t SCIENTIFIC NOTES. Star-flshes and sea-urchins are developed from a secondary larva, which appears to be produced within the body of a first larva. M. Richenbach, in noticing the statement that Dr. E. 0. Spitzka found in the egg of a turtle a live maggot, says that he once found in a hen's egg a small piece of printed paper. Mr. Maxwell Hall has succeeded in establishing a regular system of meteorological observations throughout the island of Jamaica, and both shipping and agricultural interests have the benefit of weather forecasts. A society for the promotion of experimentation in navigation of the air has been formed in Berlin. All plansible ideas and inventions in that direction nro tn ho ormrmraorprl. airlpd anil t.Vmr oughly tested. A permanent fltation for giving aerial voyagers a good start on their flying trips ia to be provided. The main object of tho association will be the attainment of some practical and trustworthy method of steering balloons or other air ships, this being the first point to be overcomo, and no progress being possible without it. Dr. dePJongeon,of Mexico, hasmad9 some interesting excavations in the ruins of Uxmal, near Merida, Tucatan. He has found a well preserved bust of the god Cay, with aa inscription in the Mayo language, stating that the god is Ieaa, i. e., necessary revealer or Messiah. Noar the bust was an altar with cabalistic signs. Other articles in the : ruins bear a striking resemblanco to those discovered at Heliopolis and Memphis, and he believes he has traced Chaldaic words in the inscription on a ; stone forming part of a Fre 3 Mason's 1 lodge of the first class. He has placed dynamite cartridges round the rains iD order to prevent the Indians from coming to them. Sights on a Road in Palestine. The old maratime plain<cf the Philistines (which is another name for Palestine) lay along this coast, from Gaza northward, aud it was considered a land ' worth struggles. This Joshua found, j Bnt in vain do wo look for the "roses of Sharon and the lilies that grow" in this land so renowned once for its j roseate beauty. Still, we are told that ' in the vernal season it is carpeted like f a Texas prairie with flowers of various 1 hue and loveliness. Along the dusty afternoon road we pass innumerable 1 caravans of camels, led by Arabs on ' donkeys. The Arabs generally sits on ^ the remote point of the es cocygis of the animal, and without stirrups. He swings his bare brown feet and legs, while the little beast, like Jahis, alongside of his father, trots inequo pede. Plenty of women, with faces here apparent, and in long, blue, cheap cotton mantles, and sometimes with head crowned with burdens of fruit, pitchers, straw or wood, are met in the way. Some ruins, mostly of churches, here and there appear, while square, windowless, Turkish guard-houses are seen at intervals, at whose doors aro the white-dressed, fezsapped Turkish soldiers with guns and cigarettes. These are the police who ire supposed to guard the road; but to our observation no guard is needed, except in the dark mountain passes, ind there Turkish engineering has been 3areful to have as few guard-houses as possible. Tnere is not much to see on the road until you come to Ramleh. Beggars md backshish, and some old relics as crusading reminders are here, and one rery conspicuous object. The latter is i square tower and winding staircase, tt is off the road and has a fine view Df the surrounding country. It is over L,000 years old, and bus many Moslem issociatiors. Eamlek has been the j ^/?nnft ftf nftrifocf flrflrc 5UCLIO VI U1UV/U LVUlOOUl XUUtCVi) VIW1J J iittle ppot here in Judea is fall of ] memories, from the time Israel came ^ lown from the Moab mountains into ( ;he Jordan valley. The road is not to. ( je mentioned for its convenience and t jerfection, only for its historic, relig- ] ous and {esthetic interest. It was < milt in 1869, by forced labor, and in- 1 leed its rough and stony incomplete- 8 less looks like anything but the result \ )f cheerfal work. It is supported by. s oils, so much per head, on every animal t m the road. One should not complain 1 >f the road when it is remembered that * >efore 1869 there was not a bridle path i o Jerusalem. It is said that the sultan j jroraised the Empress Engenie to build ? . road to Jerusalem if she would come j hat way, and this royal courtesy is the I irigin of the road.?Congressman Cox. \ ? 1 Telegrapli-Polc Curiosities. It is an ascertained fact that, under ? iertain circumstances, telegraph poles ^ ire subjected to the attacks of birds ind animals. It seems that in Norway here is a variety of the woodpecker riiich is very destructive of the poles. Che bird is to be seen pecking away at he wood until, with that hammer-like novement of the head peculiar to the vood pecker, he has bored a hole through he poet. In studying why these woodjeckera Bhould be so busy with the >oles, the solution is that the bird, tearing the vibrations of the wire so iistinctly carried through the wood, magines that there is an insect con:ealed in tho heart of the pole, and aciordingly tries to get at it. .but larger features than birds are deceived by his vibration. Bears in Norway are rery destructive of telegraph poles. L'his same vibratory sound they fancy s "the grateful humming of the bees, ind rushing to the post they look about or the honey." Fancy a bear at the foot >f a pole, his mouth watering for the uscious food, and not a morsel of the s IrinDiner sweetness to be foundl His T ?ir"7v ? i ager is at once aroused, and in a most 1 eprehensible way bruin scratches at f he pole, and carried away by his pas - 8 ion works away at the stones placed at 1 he base, doing his best to briog down % he pole, not exactly satisfied in his f iwn mind but that after all there may 1 >e honey hidden somewhere. "Indis- 1 ratable traces of bears about prostrate c >ost8 and scattered stones prove that v his has really happened," writes Mr. ? fielsoc, of Christiania, who has studied } hid subject. But on the other hand i elegraph poles seem to frighten away ^ he wolves, who look with suspicion at T he stretched wires, imagining them to * >e some kind of a trap devised for their ^ lestruction. "When twenty or more c oova ?icrn fi tfilecranh line was carried I t >ver the mountains and along the val- r eys the wolves totally disappeared, and * "specimen is now a rarity," says Mr. ( fielsen. u - v A Slight Mistake. h " That's a fine honse you've got a bere," said Yeast to a friend who had ecently laid out considerable money a a new residence. " Yes," replied the friend, "I think 1 aade a pretty good bargain." "Any incumlranee on it," queried ? 'east, cautiously. . "Well, yes; my wife's mother is topping with us just now, but her lealth is not the best, and the chances re?" But Yeast suddenly remembered that t lis wife had told him to hurry back, ^ ,nd he started off at a pace that would t lave done credit to a professional pe[estrian.?Statesman. r The Utica Herald has invented what j t is pleased to call "a newspaper s irimer," aud this is tbe way it alludes g o a well known individual: "Hereis a s aan who has just stopped his paper, x Vhat a miserable-looking creature he r 3! He looks as if he had been steal- r tig .sheep. How will he know what is t oing on, now that he has stopped his a laper? He will borrow his neighbor's- 1 iaper. One of these days he will break I lis log, or be a candidate for office, and r hen the paper will say nothing about 1 t, That will be treating him just^right, c rill it not, little children ?" v t Commanders of whaling vessels which p lave arrived at San Francisco report he sea opened to an unparalleled exent in the Arctic. Some whalers went r nrther north than their charts ex- c ended, j Oar Legacies. If some hand is quite still That we have love3 and kept in our* oxrtfl - vp It grew bo cold; If all it hold hath fallen from its hold And it can do No more, perhaps there a a few Small threads which it held fast, Until the last, ? That we can gather up and weave along, With patience strong In love. If we can tak* But some wee, single thread, for love** awe* ^ And keep it beaten on the wheel A trjfle longer; feel The same thread in onr hands to add unto, and Hold until our own grow cold, Wo may lake hoart, abovo tho wheel, and epia "jJ With weak hands, which begin ' '-^3 Where those left off, and going on c| Grow strong. If wo bend close to see Just what tho threads may te Which filled the quiet hands, Perhaps some strands So golden, or so strong, may lie there atill, That wo oar empty hands may fill; And even yet JIay smile though still our eyes be wet. . HUMOR OF THE DAY. In view of the buckwheat season the.i^ New Haven Register calls in ft loud voice -Ju k for scratching posts. When six young ladies pit down to talk about a new dress pattern a UEftU'i|l boy with a tin horn is a refuge for the V|j weary. Rochester has a olass of thirteen . young ladies who are taking lessons on the violin. They want to be sure of ? bow.?Free Press. "Are you feeling very ill V asked the,^|| physician; "l6t me see your tongue, please." "It's no use, doctor," replied '.*? the poor patient; "no tongue can tell J bow bad I feel." It is useless for physicians to argne igainst short-sleeved dresses. The Constitution of the United States say "Theright to bear arms shall not be -iS infringed."?Buffalo Exprcst. No woman wonld be happy to be the. inly woman in the world and have all ;he men worship her. She wouldn't be satisfied. She'd want another woman ' J >r two to envy her ?Boston Port. It is feared that the enormoiir^^ manufacture of wooden toothpicks is ltterly destroying the forest8 of America, but then the young man who <p| spends all his salary for good clothes -ij nnst have something to eat.?Batob- >M Until churches are furnished with ;Ji nirrors women will continue to keep y/-M iheir bonnets on during the servioe. jJ| SVithout a looking-glass a bonnet once ;aken off could never be put on again. That is to say, we never saw or heard v)f such a thing.?Boston TrrrucripL jwa The gladiole has hauled in its horrn^ ind the mignonette has retired, and the ^ ;ulip has rung down the curtain. There* 'ore the garden hose has been wound lp and stowed in the carriage-house; md when the boy of the place wants to ; ' play on a passer and make him sad hfl-^Si las to resort to a bean-sbooter.?Pack. ;S2| "Will yon hold my baby while I look 5nt for my baggage?" asfee<* a woman jf a railway employe in a Ouicago de- . pot, the other day. "No," said the ,, inan, "but I will bold your baggage" ;|jj while you look oat for your baby." He tield a baby for a woman once and she aever came back for it, and that Wa*is what made him so careful. A Koj-Peddler's Strange Whim. J.HO OOJ jueuuier, wim u>vcubj*jiuio^^B| 3ne suits of clothing, twency-four over;oats and thirty-three pair of kid gloves, las his home in Beading, Pa., and ia yell known to all traveling commercial !^| iien who get p.loug that way. Periodi;ally the boy breaks out in local adver.isements announcing an addition to.'^j lis extensive wardrobe, as follows 'Thomas Jefferson Cnmmings has the lonor to announce that lie has just idded another suit to his full afternoon ' ^ vear, and now his fine wardrobe con- >; ists of forty fashionable full suits, 'aj wenty-four overcoat?," etc. It is his . ^3 joast that he can appear on the street ^ ivery day in the month and wear a lifferent full suit of clothing each day ' 3 tvd allow at least three changes on * * Janday. (Jammings is about eighteen. rears of age, peddles notions, with * ;. J* >asket on his arm, helps to support vidowed mother, pays cash for all ie gets, sells close and works hard.^^ On the streets of Reading his appeals mce is that of a Beau B. ummeL Eis dress is exceedingly loud, his veakness running to green kid glQves, \ r^nlr avP.oloiUM ;Uill*UUlUiCU liUwuMu, ind silk hats of the latest style. In the ' jountry, 011 business, his appearance Is a ihat of a poor, humble, meek and lowly ETebrew, and his customary salutation -3 o the people he calls on is: "Have )ity on a poor boy and help him along." -1 Che young man is exceedingly kind, . ^ iffable and agreeable, and succeeds in '4 elling largo quantities of goods at very air prices. The farmers have a strong ikins? for him, and when they .visit '1s|j leading on business and see the well- ; 3j0 lre?sed young man sweeping past in ffM >roadcloth, kids and gold-headed cane, :. ' hey little dream that the young man is he peddler boy they know so well at tome. " ' His savings are entirely invested in /: dothing and articles of adornment. At / ^ imes he is not seen for weeks. He is jj hen out on the country highways, coin- ^ ng money in a small way. He neither | imokes nor drinks, and has no expenses rnrt-h flDPftfeinc of. Then, suddenly. -..iS te will break out in Reading, set the J asbiona for a week or more-, and as V? uddenly after disappear. He generally i eaves home on Monday morning, in- i variably starting before dawn, in order hat his acquaintances may not see him ? n bis conn try make-up. He carries a arge basket filled with goods, and he . irders his fresh supplies shipped to arious points along his ronte. On Saturday night he generally returns, ooking decidedly weather-beaten, but \i f there is an opera or theater in town \-|! to is generally in the front row of the J laraqnefc bv 9 o'clock, dressed to rival . A '--I--* 1-1 -11 c- > ?1(3 most lUSllluuuuic? awoii iu i j-io iouu? a le is quite a favorite among commerial men, who know him as "Collins, he boy millionaire." It is currently ^ eported that he is to be married, and bat an insurance has been placed on him marriage insurance) of SI'25,000. Cumjings claims that he has the largest v3s rardrobe in tho world of any person of is age. He is five feet five inches tall, nd weighs 1'28 pounds. ? Close Quarters With a Wildcat. A frightful encounter with a wildcat ras had last night about midnight at a aloon on Mill street, by Charles Bax- ; er. The ferocious beast was met in \ he cellar by Mr. Baxter. Baxter had , light in his hand, but a gust of wind xtinguished it, and almost simult*nelusly he heard a hissing noise and hen felt the animal's claws lacerating he flesh of his face and neck. The at- * ack was so sudden and unexpected * hat he was for a time overcome. He oon recovered, however, and a terrible onflict ensued in the dark. The young aan was nor long in reauziDg ma uw >erate situation. He clutched his as- , ailant with both hands in a death like ~,i ;rip and commenced ascending the # teps. "When near the top the animal trenched itself from his hold and ran , ; apidly up the steps into a small apartuent in the rear of the saloon known as he lamproom. Baxter called assist- A3 ,nce, and in a few seconds the animal ay dead on the floor with a ballet J, ?uried in his brain.- It proved to be a emarkably large one, and a desperateooking beast even in death. How it ame to be in the cellai* is a mystery fhich no one seems anxious or compeent to explain.?Silver Cliff [Col.) Hemblican Some idea of the magnitude oi the ailroad interest in the United States an be had from the fact that 860,000 >eople are employed in its service.