The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, February 17, 1886, Image 2

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* " ' ' V ; : JUST ENOUGH. The man who hopes for littlo In t.hfo great world of strife "Will find success awaiting Ere the culminate of life; While he who hopes to grasp the stars From out their legions bright Will falter by the wayside drear, With havens just in sight. The child that learns to babble Close at the mother's knee May have the germ, ambition, In babe's expectancy; To-morrow, when the sun of life Has settled o'er the land, A sod of green may cover o'er The chill and nerveless hand. It's much that makes the little, Or little makes the much, Depending all entirely Upon the might of touch? Upon the touch of greed or trust. Oh Hope! why will you die When tirst the beacon flashes o'er The firmament of sky? Oh heart of great endeavor! You'll never learn the worth That's germed within the human breast As smiles and tears in birth. Why will you never count the cost Of jewels far away, And never stop to gather up The pearls which round you lay? ?H. S. Keller, in Clipper. CHANGED HIS MIND. Old 3Ir. Molyneux was immensely proud of his position as the country magistrate. lie lived in a feudal castle in Great Britain which he had bought cheaply, having taken over at the same time the good will, so to speak, of its former owner's social influence ana dignity. In consideration of his great wealth his neighbors charitably ignored the fact that his father had been a small j tradesman, and that he himself had car- I ried on a lucrative business in the hard- i ware line for many ye irs. lie was not a j bad old fellow, his vulgarity being of a j subdued and inoffensive kind, and con-' sequently he was received in the best j county society. But he aspired to even i greater distinction, for his pet project was to marry his only son, Tom, to one of the Earl of Laburnum's daughters. There seemed no reason why this auspicious event should not come about, for the Lady Florence looked kindly upon Master Tom, and his lordship had more than once hinted that, he would raise no objection. Lord Laburnum was the lord lieutenant of the county, and alliance with his family meant admission j into the most aristocratic cireles. Unfortunately Master Tom was rather a scapegrace, and his father preferred to Jet him see a little of the world before revealing th'i high honors that were in store for him. f One day, however,the young man camd down from town, where he was ostensibly studying for the bar. and with a very j grave and determined air announced that j he was engaged to be married. Old Mr. j Molvneux nearly had a fit of apoplexy on | the spot, and when Tom began to state j that the young lady earned her own living by carrying on the business of a ; dressmaker at the West End his horror ! and indignation knew no bounds. In vain { Tom pleaded that Miss Fabian was a lady by birth and education, and that the poverty of her family was her only crime. | His father became more and more furious, until Tom showed symptoms of flat rebellion. "Think of your position in }he county!" cried old Mr. Molyneux, perceiving this, and wisely making an effort to control himself. '*1 will take it for granted, if you like, that the girl is an exemplary character. She may be ladylike and the rest of it. But her station is altogether inferior to yours." i "r don't ccc t^at," said To,yi. stubbornly. ] " "Why, of course. It i.s ridiculous," . said the old gentleman, swelling with ! self-importance. "Her father, you say, j is a poor-out-at-clbows elerk in the city.'' j * "I never noticed that his coat had j holes in it," retorted Tom. "As for his 1 being a clerk in the city, so were you, j once. The only difference is that you, have been more fortunate than he, and i Jjave made enough money to retire upon." "None of your radical nonsense, sir!" cried old Mr. Molyneux, infuriated at this reference to his own origin. "It j would be just as sensible to say that you j and I are the. equals of Lord Laburnum ! because Adam was our common ances- j tor. What does it matter if I was a j 'clerk in the city? I have since attained i a superior grade in the social scale, and i that is the fact that must be faced. By j marrying the daughter of a city clerk, 1 who earns her living by dressmaking, j you would be making a mess-alliance. I don't want to have an argument with vou. The lonsc and short of the matter is, that I won't he:tr of this foolish en- | gagement. There! It is no use talking, j Let there be an end of it, or I shall have ! something very unpleasant to say." The old man bounced out of the room : as he spoke, not a little startled and | amazed by his son's tone and attitude, j Hitherto Tom had "never ventured to | argue with him. lie began to fear that j the lad possessed unexpected firmness, j He prudently resolved to treat the matter j as definitely disposed of, and to make no j further allusion to it?at all events until Tom had time for reflection. Judging j from appearances, the lad seemed completely subdued. He spent the next few i days slaughtering pheasants in a dejected j 1 ? 11.V. 1 it:,. ! U11U .mui\v iraiiiL' in iniiiu. nn luiua ; smiled within himself and held his | tongue, though he showed l>y his manner ; that he did not intend to be trifled with. ! "When he considered that he might safely : speak, he said one morning, with an as sumed carelessness: "Well, niv bov, what are you going to i do?" "Oh? Well, of course, I must kcQp | my word," said Tom, with flushed i cheek. "What! you haven't written to break j it (iff?" said Mr. Molyneux, feigning sur- ! prise. "No guv'nor, I haven't. I hoped you i would have softened by this time. ! She has sold her business, father," said Tom, eagerly. "She might have done better had she waited a bit, but out of deference to j'our wishes?" "My wishes," interrupted Mr. Moly-1 lieux, angrily. "I don't care if she ear- j lied on twenty businesses. What I say j IS IDIII you suali IICR'I iiumj uv;i w mi my consent That's all." 'I should be very sorry to disobey you, father," began Tom, gravely, **but? "Look here, my 7)03%" interrupted the old gentleman, quickly, speaking with unusual calmness, "let us understand each other. I forbid this foolish engagement, and I order you to break it off instantly. That is my bark. Now for my bite. You leave my house within an hour, and unless you inform me in the course of a week that the affair is at an end, I stop supplies. If you nersist in marrying the girl, then, T 9 by heaven! I will alter my will and leave every farthing I possess to your cousin Ted. You know, Tom," he added, noticing the wholesome effect of his words, ovo onfir^lr rlnnnndattf imAn mo ""U"VI0 > and unless you took to poaching, I don't see how you cou'd possibly earn a crust. Beside, you are up to your cars in debt." "I don't owe much,"said Torn, quickly, with a tell-tale blush. ' You will lind out that you owe a good (led when your creditors learn that I have made your cousin Ted my heir," said the oi l man. enigmatically. Tom was evidently seriously disconcerted by this remark. lie turned on his heel, muttering something about catching the next train to town, leaving his father master of the situation. The old man considered he had gained a signal victory, and was, therefore, not the least perturbed when his sou started off to the station with his luggage, in literal accordance with his injunction. He did not doubt that Master Tom would see the folly of his ways; and, sure enough, two days afterwards the young man reappeared, looking decidedly sheepish, and tendered his submission. u I'm frnino- uwav for a bit. eruv'nor. * ? - / cr Webster and some other fellows have hired :i yacht, and sail for Madeira tomorrow." " By all means, my boy," cried Mr. Molyneux, secretly delighted that his son should leave England for awhile at this juncture, "and I hope on your return that you will settle down and reside permanently in the country." j He had it on the tip of his tongue to i hint that he must be prepared to marry [ Lady Florence, but he wisely refrained. | Nevertheless, he was as full of the project i as ever, and after Tom's departure he j spoke to Lord Laburnum more plainly | than he had hitherto done. { He was very much startled and disj gusted on learning that his solicitor had 1 ! been asked to accept service of a writ on I ! Tom's behalf in an action for damages ' I for breach of promise of marriage brought 1 by Miss Fabian. The news upset him, ' I for such a scandal would set all the j papers gossiping about his antecedents. Mr. Molyneux soon arrived at the con- ! elusion that the action must be com- 1 promised at any cost. He rushed up to 1 town in quite a frantic state, and disre- J yarding the advice and protestations of 1 his solicitor insisted that Miss Fabian's 1 claim should be settled forthwith at any : sacrifice. 1 He was successful in his mam object, , "hrt iroc 1 olmncf frrnnn. mil/ IlUJi JU<IJ1 iir> liVi IIV ivuuvov ^kVMi. f ccl when lie sat down to write the check that Miss Fabian's advisers denianded. The amount was represented by no less than five figures. Tom returned after an absence of three or four months, and was evidently not a little apprehensive of the reception he would meet with. But the old man, delighted at seeing him again, sought to put him at his ease by saying: 'I am not going to allude to what has happened, my boy." ''You are Very good, father, but? t but?" " What is the matter ?" 441 still cling to the hope that you ' will consent to my marriage with Miss Fabian," said Tom, desperately. What!" roared his father. ''You sec, guv'nor," proceeded Tom, . ' I'm in a much better position than I was , before I went away. My debts are now paid, and as for my capital?" . 1 "Well, sir. what about capital?" interrupted the old man, too much amazed to , Ik' angry. "There is the money you paid to Miss Fabian," said Tom. with a fleeting smile. "The interest on it would keep us from stn.rvin.or." ** - ?0"But?but I paid the money because ^ you broke youi' promise to marry her," argued his father, incredulously. "She c would never marry you now." ,4I think she would," replied Tom, in a confident tone. "The fact is, sir, I have been victim- ? i/.ed," suddenly, as the truth flashed r his mind. 1 Xot exactly, father?at lea 4, not yet," returned Tom. "I hope you will not withhold your consent to our marriage. If you will consent, the money shall be paid back to you?every far- . thing." Old Mr. Molyneux had turned purple t in the face, and Tom was justly alarmed . at his aspect. But before he could utter I [ a word in reply, a man-seivjnt brought 1 in a note, remarking that a messenger 1 was waiting to know if there was any re- s ply. Mr. Molyneux opened the envelope 8 half-absently, glanced hurriedly at the I contents, and then gave vent to a mut- 6 tcred execration which apparently re- * lieved his over-wrought feelings. ? "You?you impertinent, disrespectful, * disobedient rascal! "What did you say ? about the money?" 1 " f--.it.!? 1,1 i.? r "1 saici every iarcning woum uu n;turncd to you," replied Tom, staring- at * his father. ''Very well," said the old man, c abruptly, and he immediately sat down I at; the writing-table and wrote a note . with a tremulous hand. "Read that." c Dear Lord Laburnum: It is very kind of I you to hasten to inform me, on hearing of my son's return, that you have other views with c regard to your daughter Florence. I ought, i perhaps, to have mentioned that my son has , been engaged to a Miss Fabian for some , months, and that his marriage will take place : immediate]}'. Yours faithfully. 1 JXO. MOLYXEUX". A "Oh! father. It is awful good of t you," cried Tom, with tears in his eyes. c "I expect Lord Laburnum will be hor- I rified," said Mr. Molyneux, sulkily, as he folded u]) the note. "I doubt if I should have made $10,000 by allowing you to marrv his daughter." 1 1 Painting' a Portrait by Description. i Gloomy Siberia lias furnished a joke of 1 her own that has made all the Russias ' laugh. Ivan Petroff, a merchant and e mayor of the city of Gorki, of the Tomsk c Province, died a while ago. The citr/ens ^ raised two hundred rubles to procure a ? painting of the dead mayor. They sent * the money to Mr. Skotti, the well-known } painter of Moscow, asking him to make a c portrait of the mayor. They did not in- c close any photograph, but g ive this de- 1 scription: ''Age, fifty-two years and six ^ months: stature, five feet six inches; hair 1 and eyebrows, auburn; eyes, gray; nose, ? Tnnnfh chin, nrdiniirv; face, clean. ^ He had no special traits, except stammer- ? ing." The artist laughed, and .gave the 1 curious order to one of his young pupils, AstrakhofT, who in a few days painted tlio portrait of the stammering mayor and sent it to Siberia. In a few weeks Skotti received a letter from the (lorkians, saying: "The relatives of the late Mr. Petroff and the rest of the citizens ! believe that no better likeness could have | been made." Consolation at the Last. "When life's pilgrimage is over, and its rare* and troubles end. Ere we enter the dark valley whither all our footsteps tend, How 'twill cheer those solemn moments if we feel that this is true, That the world is some way better for our having traveled through; Some of its sorrows lessened, some of its darkness turned to day, j Sonifl of its thorns uprooted, some of its burdens rolled away.5' ' WOMAN'S WORLD. PLEASANT LITERATURE FOR FEMININE READERS. The Passing of the Letters. The mail from the east, and the mail from the west? A thunder of wheels?a rushing blast; But the sleepy travelers never guessed What voices arose as the two trains passed. 'Tell him you met me, tell him I fly!" "That will I?tell her I stay not nor rest!" Thus greeted Love's messengers speeding by, One from the east, and one from the west. ?Edith M. Thomas, in the Critic. Seven Wonders of a Young Lady. 1. Keeping her accounts in preference :o an album. 2. Generously praising the attractions >f that "affected creature" who always euts her out. 3. Not ridiculing the man she secretly prefers?nor quizzing what she seriously idmires. 4. Not changing her "dear, dear friend" quarterly?or her dress three times a day. 5. Reading a novel without looking at the third volume first; or writing a letter without a postscript; or taking wine it dinner without saying "the smallest drop in the world;" or singing without "a bad coldor wearing shoes that were not "a mile too bier for her." 6. Seeing a baby without immediately rushing to it and kissing it. 7. Carrying a large bouquet at an evening party, and omitting to ask her partner l<if he understands the language of Sowers."?Tid Bits. A Good Housekeeper. Ability to be a perfect housekeeper is aot conferred on every woman, but it is possible to be a good one without sacrificing all other interests in life. While one is learning, to be sure, it may seem is if there were not many interests beyond the household, but after the art has Deen mastered, there is a freedom and a sense of power worth all the struggles nade. Of course, the kitchen is not the >nly place in wrhich burdens are borne, pet the care of the table generally makes tself felt more than anj'thing else; and 10 matter how well conducted all the )ther departments may be, if this one be leglected, discomfort and unhappiness vill ensue. Cooking is a science, and 'or this reason girls are often more suc;essful than their elders in ordinary exjeriments, because they comply strictly vith directions, instead of gnessing what quantity of ingredients to use in order to jroduce desired results. Experienced lousekeepers might avoid much disap)ointment if they were equally'careful.? The Home. Sweet-Minded Women. So great is the influence of a sweet ninded woman on those around her that t is almost boundless. It is to her that riends come in seasons of sorro-v and ickness for health and comfort. One oothing touch of her kindly hand works vonders in the feverish child; a few vords let fall from her lips in the ear of l sorrow-stricken sister do much to raise he load of grief that is blowing its vicim down to the dust in anguish. The msband comes home worn out with the )ressure of business and feeling irritable vith the world in general; but when he inters the cosy sitting-room and sees the >laze of the bright lire, and meets his vife's smiling face, he succumbs in a noment to the soothing influences which ict as the balm of Gilcad to his wounded tKot nri* Tvnnnrlnrl TvifVi tlir? stf'TIl ealities of life. The rough school-boy lies into a rage from the taunts of his :ompanious to find solace in his mother's mile; the little one, full of grief with icr large trouble, finds a haven of rest on he mother's breast; and so one might go n with instance after instance of the inItience that a sweet-minded woman has n the social life with which she is conicctcd. Beauty is an insignificant power \'lien compared to hers. A Virginia Gentlewoman. A correspondent at Richmond of the Joston Home Journal writes: It is a Measure to sit at dusk in Capitol square. Tow and then some lithe young form clad n the latest fashion trips bv. Perhaps inmediately after her. with stately, neasured tread, a dignified figure walks lowly by. She is perhaps clad in the implest garb, not coarse, but inexorably >lain, her bonnet the pattern a dozen easons ago, but there is "something" hat tells you beyond peradventure that he is a gentlewoman. Faded gentility ? r-i - x-:4. i, N UI It U1U Ui XL. Xjiivu oiiu n? v,o n? , solid old mansion which has been in ter family time out of mind. It is furrislicd with faded, cumbrous old furniurc that she would not change for the inest modern upholstery. Every artile has its history. At table, where she >resides with cordial hospitality over a iberal meal deliciously cooked, you Irink your tea from rare old china and >our your tea from a silver urn stamped vith a coat of arms hundreds of years >ld. She builds no pride on diamonds, mless, indeed, they are heirlooms, nor lpon silver or gold, though she admires heir beauty and appreciates solid value, >ut begin to talk of " family," and she vill point to the portrait* on the walls? he highbred, refined faces of a century )r more ago, and her face will glow with )ride as she recounts to you their history. "Women as Inventors. Joseph Ilatton, in a letter written from England says: A list of American women jatentees has called the attention of social eformers to this interesting subject, and vhilc. the number on this side of the Atantic of women who have taken out patints for new inventions is very small in Iced when compared with those of the Juited States, the number of patents granted to women from .July. 1884. o the end of .March in the current 'ear of 18So shows a great increase >n previous years, and is not. with>ut special interest at the present monent. It is. however, noticeable that vhile American women soar right into the nasculine atmosphere of mechanical and cientific research and invention, English vomcn arc mostly content with what is generally regarded by men as their own )articular sphere. While an American vomen invents the Burton horse-shoe nachine, an English woman takes out a latent for an improved pea-soup; while Urs. Mary 15. Waltrcn perfects :t system or deadenmg the sound of elevated rail-j oads, her English sister, a governess, paents a registering label and means of atachmcnt to boots and shoes at hotels and i Afrj \ if JtUCT CSiaMll^lllimuin, nnuv, Wanning invents a new mowing and reap- [ ug machine 011 your side of the water,the English widow of a bookseller register* mprovements for the manufacture of 5read; Mrs. Matlier, in the United States, mproves the deep-sea. teleseopc, and Mis. fones, of England, makes a compound sardine paste, and so on. Sot that I ivould infer there is no evidence of higher nechanical genius than is represented b\:hese English patents, for, among others, ivomen have taken out papers for im provements in piano-forte key-boards, in the manufacture of non-alcoholic beverages from fruits, and improvements in i connection with.circular frame knitters. The comparsion I have given above is, nevertheless, a just one, although it may fairly be said of English women that just as they are only now entering upon a course of social and political freedom, they are only beginning to take up the role of inventors." Fashion Notes. Straw fans are shown. Cuffs arc in fashion again. Velvet is worn, plain and frise. Black and brown are combined. Plush is being shown in new varieties. Sleeves are still tight, but must soon give way. ^ J New varieties in the scented ribbons arc shown. [ Mantles still continue long in the front and short in the back. 1 ? ?___ i Jb'ur capes are growing longer ana lower on the shoulders. I Tulles offer as much variety as any material found in the stores. Gloves arc always long in proportion to the shortness of the sleeves. Woolen lace is the next to be adulturated; gold and silver threads are added. Gold and silver glisten everywhere, in ) every part of a full-dressed lady's cos- j tumc from top to toe. Trains are once more fashionable for evening dress, although not quite so inconveniently long as before. : Floral fans are always worn, and are j being made on a bramble foundation, 1 showing leaves on one side and flowers ou the other. The waists of morning dresses are to imitate a gentleman's coat, a brightcolored material being set in vestwise where the shirt would be. Embroidered shoes, boots and slippers arc much worn; the more elaborate the embroidery the better, and the raised work in saddler's silk is really beautiful. A red brocade china crepe is trimmed with black lace and velvet, large passementerie motifs catching down the lace n frnnt tlio llArJ lVf? nf rnrl prpnp. rlrimpcli I " "u""i " " * ? 1? r with black lace. Pink is no more becoming to dark than to light people, and yellow is being worn by blondes even more than by bra- I nettcs; it is just found out that brunettes ought not to wear it. Satin shoes are once more preferred to boots, and arc made very low in the instep, with flat bows, or, which is far more elegant, prettily embroidered and with no bows at all. Woolen stuffs, the rougher she better, have driven silk, satin, and velvet from 1 the streets to the interior of fashionable j houses. No truly fashionable woman wears a silk or velvet walking dress this winter. New varieties in hose are being shown, but there are but few sold. Who are to buy the immense stock of light hose, ] /-loliffifn fint/vl kill rrlnvns fclllOV llSind kcrchiefs and the many elegant thing* I offered? I Coiffures arc still worn high in super- i posed curls or rouleaux, but a few curls or a eatogan is left to droop in the necK at the back for ball coiffure1*. The eatogan is a braid or plait of hair turned up over itself so as to form a loop, and < fastened at tho top with a bow of ribbon. < The latest in millinery is scarfs ol raised velvet, embroidered plush and , ; satin wrought with silk and gold thrc ids ; '' in tapestry effect. This style of trim- I 1 ming is expensive, but little, however, is I used. A few loops grouped high againsl 1 the front of crown, and ties carried from < the back of crown, are needed for a graceful finish. 5 Indoor dresses arc now made somewhat j in the style of a monk's dress. Fancy a morning dress of brown woole.i material, ' open in front over a plastron and tabliei | of white veiling, gathered at the neck, and tightened round it with a gimp cord, either white oi' brown, finished with black tassels. The collar is very large, in ] the form of a sailor collar, and the sleeve! ] facings are very deep; both collar and , facings arc of white veiling. j j Aii Old Schoolmaster's Scheme. Congressman Haynes, of Jsew Ilump- j shire, says': liEvcrv session of Congress < brings to Washington scorcs of men witli ( 'a mission" of one sort or another?poor, j r half-daft fellows with a claim or a schcme , of some sort for relieving their impccuniosity at the expense of the public treasury. Tnoy are sometimes annoying, for you cannot reason with the man oi | one idea, and that hinging on misconcep- ' 1 tions of law, fact and practice. But to us j ' it is tlu: pitiful side that presents itself in 1 many of these cases. A new arrival this year is an old schoolmaster from some- ^ where up in Maryland, with a scheme foi < pensioning school teachers. ( "The old man has spent his life in the ' profession, and now,old and poor,broken 1 in mind and body, he feels that he has u ' mission, and coining down to "Washing-1 * ? A?i?nacmnn finrl in . ] [Oil, J1U Mif lli/llUUil/D VUIIil 1VOOI1AV11 UM4V* 4M I ;m apolegetic, pitiful way, suggests to j ] them that there is as much propriety iu j ] pensioning th>se who lay the foundation . 1 of the nation as those who save it. And * years may come and years may go, and 1 th'i old man will prnhubly come and gc j just as regularly with each succeeding J Congress. There seems to be fascination in pursuing a hobby under the great ^ white dome. And when he some day ! fails to put in a i appearance it may be as- < sumcd that he has been gathered to his -v fathers?gone to meet the rewards which 1 are not dependent- upon the caprice ol ' man or the wiil of Congress. A Stopping at the >Ylii1e House. Not long ago I heard an old gentle- ' man telling with great delight of how lie J was once a guest at the White J louse. Il was during Andrew Jackson's first term. His father was an ardent admirer ol 1 Jackson, and insisted tint the son. then : just of ag<\ should make :i pilgrimage tc 1 Washington for the sole: purpose of see 1 ing the old hero. They lived at Erie, 1 .. ..ii.l i!,,i Iniiip innrni'V lifld to lie i ' made on horseback. The young man 1 took tlit; tedious rid<\ and. after refresh 1 in? himself :it :i Washington hotel, went 1 up to the White House and went to r the President. When he was admitted 1 lie told .fa?*k<:?n that he had ridden all llicr \v:iv from Krie to sec liiin. The President asked his business, and wa* highly pleased when he w.-is lold thai 1 he only object of the vi-.it had been ac- f complishcd in obtaining; an interview, t Jackson asked where the young man > was .^topping. and on being told, insisted 1 on sending down for his horse and sad- ) dlebags and retaining him as a guest at i the White House. For a week theyouny ) Pennsylvania!! enjoyed "Old Hickory's" 1 hospitality. On the morning of his de- :i parture his horse, with the saddlebags 1 across his back, was led in front of the a White House, and the President came t out, as any good old farmer would have i done, to shake hands and wish him a t safe journey home.?Atlanta Constitution, c * THE HOME DOCTOB. "Sinking at the Stomach.** Individuals sometimes complain of a very unpleasant sensation at the pit of the stomach, as if the bottom had dropped out. It is commonly due to the improper use of the breathing apparatus. The abdominal and dorsal muscles have become relaxed, and the diaphragm has been forged to do more than its appropriate share of work. The remedy is fresh aiv and exercise. TTrnv tr? 'Rrr?n<hr? Be careful to keep the mouth closed and breathe through the nostrils this cold weather. There are two good reasons for j this. Air, drawn through the nasal pas- j sages, is slightly warmed on its way; if j breathed more directly through the j mouth, it reaches the lungs too cold. It j is also said, and it looks reasonable, that j the line hairs lining the nostrils keep out ! dust and disease germs which would find j free passage to the throat and lungs if j one breathed through the mouth. Chil- j ilren should be taught correct habits of breathing from the beginning. Critical Periods of Life. From the age of forty to that of sixty a man who properly regulates himself may be considered in the prime of life. Ilis matured strength of constitution renders him impervious to the attacks of disease, and all the functions are in the highest order. Having gone a year or two past sixty, however, he arrives at a critical period of existence; the river of death flows before him, and he remains . i a .1. i.?ii .1.1 i xL! . I~ ar a standstill. uur atnwarc tnis river is a viaduct called "The Turn of Life," which, if crossed in safety, leads to the valley ''Old Age," round which the river winds, and then flows beyond without a boat or causeway to effect its passage. The bridge is, however, constituted of fragile materials, and it depends upon how it is trodden whether it bends or breaks. Gout, apoplexy and other bad characters, are also in the vicinity to waylay the traveler and thrust him from the pass; but let him gird'up his loins, provide himself with perfect composure. To quote a metaphor, the "turn of life" has a turn either into a prolonged walk or into the grave. The system and powers having reached their utmost expansion, now begin to close like flowers at sunset or break down at once. One J injudicious stimulant, a single fatal excitement, may force it beyond its strength; while a careful supply of props at the withdrawal of all that tends to force a plant, will sustain it in beauty and vigor until night has nearly set in. Points About the Eye. The following facts and statements are frrvm n lnnfiirr* hr ?1r H R (-IrOVP fill "Color Blindness and Other Peculiarities of the Eye:"' There is no cure for color blindness. The first case of color blindness was reported in 1777. Color blindness is due to exhaustion of nerve libers. Four in every 100 male? and one in every 400 females are color blind. It is no sign a man is color blind because he c annot name every color. The eye of an insect contains from fifty to 20,000' small eyes. It is really composed of eyes. AVe do not need light to see certain objects. A sha p blow on the eye often L-ausesa man to ' see stars." The cause of olor blindness, aside from natural causes, are alcohol, tobacco ind dis:a-:e. It is in many cases hereditary. 1 once saw a man who was color blind take 150 colors and divide them into four ijroups, black, yellow, white and blue. It is nonsense to believe that there is my particular way to rub the eyes. It n.ikes no difference whether ?rou rub from or towards the nose, or up or down. The cat, horse and birds have a thirct 1 \velid. which is used to protect the eve j from too much light. .Man has a third jyclid in the corny of the eye, which is undeveloped. The defects of the eye are numerous, , but we are pretty well satisfied with it. Everyone lias a blind spot in his eye. riris is proven by shutting one eye and looking at an object. "We cannot see it fully. The use of the rye cups to change the form of the eye in hopes of bettering the sight is ridiculous. They draw the eye )ut of shape and often cause blindness. Thousands of these cups are sold every year. ?Buffalo Erprm. A Startling Question. A letter from New York deals with a lovel and startling question, which will jo of interest to all heirs-presumptive to ich men's estates: Is there a thrilling fact in the suppositious case presented at the last meeting }f the physio-legal association, or was it Duly a curious piece of fiction? Lawyer ( [Jarhart made a hypothetical question, as ( follows: 4,A rich man was dvincr. Ilis \ >ocly was very weak, but his mind was . 'trong :m<l clear, though acutcly sensitive ] in consequence of tlie nervous nature of j [lis disease. He had made a will leav- . jug all his property to a sister's children, hus disinheriting his own estranged son. j , )n the day before his death this son ar- j ( ived and sought a reconciliation, which , :he old man refused at first; but the son ^ intruded himself into the chamber, ] grasped the dying man's hand, gazed into , lis fact; and spoke softly to him. After 1 i feeble gesture of repugnance and an . ffort to turn away his head the father . uhmitted to the interview, grew kindly, i hen affectionate, and liually ordered his , awyer to write a codicil to the will, re- ! oking the previous bequests and making , he reclaimed son sole heir. The mental ] soundness of the testator was beyond all issail, and no contest of the will could be , bought of on that ground. But it can , K' proven conclusively that the son had jecn for several years a professional mes- , nerizer in England; that before going , ibroad he was capable of curious feats in )sychology, and that his natural will>ower was enormous. Such being the , ? "> i r t > i! .1! ... 1.1 tonus SllSCOptlUlC 01 SllOSiailUHllon, CUUUl ! !lie; -will be successfully attacked on the | ] heory that it was made while the dying nun was under the control of his son's nind?" The query is worth stating to , general readers, on account os its ingenuity, at all events. ] A Remarkable Old Pair. ] Some, time since, the New York Mail ; j nid E-vpn'ts published the fact of DauicI j ' Mnitli. of .Merrick, L. I., having attained j he age of ninety-two years. 3Ir. Smith's j | vile, eighty-nine years of age, is still j ( iving. t he y having enjoyed seventy-two i cars of married life. Mr. Smith served j n the war of 1 SI2 to 1815, and for two j j ears was stationed at Fort Green, Brookyn. I'ntil recently he has managed a ninety | icre farm, and last fall cut two acres of ! * mckwheat. This remarkable couple had *j l family of fourteen children; nine of hem are st ill living. They have twenty- 1 line grandchildren, forty great grandihildren and four great -grcat-grand:hildr n. " ' Vi'vf.yv . POPULAR SCIENCE. From studies in Sicily, Drs. Buchner and Emmerich find evidence that the occurrence of cholera' has some connection with the character of the soil, and that it makes its way into the system through the alimentary canal. Professor Langley's recent researches have led him to conclusions which imply that in the absence of the absorbing atmosphere, the earth would receive sufficient heat from the sun to melt an iceshell about 180 feet deep over the globe's entire surface. Professor Fleischman has tasted a new patented apparatus, the process with which consists in simply heating the milk to 140 degrees, and then quickly cooling it to fifty or sixty degrees. Milk so treated kept sweet thirty hours longer than without the treatment, and had no trace of the taste peculiar to boiled milk. The operation required only an hour's time. Careful experiment has disclosed the fact that a single square foot of leaf sur lace in tnc case 01 sort, tnin-ieaiea pianis will, during fair weather, exhale vapor at the rate of one and a quarter ounces daily. At night the rate is only about one-fifth as rapid as during the day, and during rainy weather there is absolutely no evaporation. Somebody says in a London paper that the highest velocity yet imparted to a cannon ball is 1,620 feet per second, equal to a mile in 3.2 seconds. The velocity of the earth at the equator, due to rotation on its axis, is 1,000 miles per hour, or a miles in 3.6 seconds; thus, if a cannon ball were fired due west and could maintain its initial velocity, it would beat the sun in its apparent journey around the earth. The weight of scientific opinion now favors the view that ' 'flying-fish" do not fly. The muscles of flight in birds average in weight one-sixth of the whole body, those of bats one-thirteenth, while those which have been supposed to enable the X I M+Tf OA/tAn/I DSHC8 IU DJf Urt' UlJlJf UUU'IUU I j-^wuu. The impulse to the propulsion of flyingfish is probably delivered while they are still in the water by the exceptionally powerful muscles which cover both sides Df their body. * Investigations show that the limit of temperature at which men can work depends upon the length of their exposure, the amount of exertion they put forth, their condition, and the nature of the atmosphere, particularly as to its degree of moisture. It is stated that men have been employed on railways at 104 de?.; ia mines?under very favorable conditions? at 125 deg.,and are said to work occasionally in the stoke-holes of tropical steamers at 156 deg. Professor Dubois is reported to have estimated that a temperature of 122 deg. can be endured when the air is as dry as possible, but 104 deg. is likely to be fatal in an atmosphere saturated with moisture. It is also consideeed certain that men cannot become accustomed to stand for any considerable time a highar temperature than from 145 deg. to 165 deg.. even when they keep perfectly still and are in quite pure air. A Volcano Under the Sea. Captain Robert M. Lavender, of the schooner Alice Montgomery, which arrived at New Orleans, recently, with a cargo of ice from Kennebec. Me., reported an interesting incident. He states that four days before arriving at New Orleans and southward of Rebecca Shoals, in' the extreme eastern portion of the Gulf of Mexico, lie passed through an extensive tract of floating lish, dead and dying. As far as the eye could reach this spectacle met the gaze and the vessel sailed through it for twenty miles. The fish were of great varieties; and another curious feature of the phenomenon was that the sea was yellowish and streaked on the surface with a yellowish scum. The supposition that these fishes were destroyed by some sudden visitation of nn epidemic disease is scarcely reasonable. Of a variety of theories, the most plausible appears to be that which attributes the destruction of the fishes to | the breaking out beneath the sea of volcanic matter and poisonous gases destructive to the lives of marine animals exposed to them. Submarine volcanoes are by no means unknown. The fact of their existence has often been attested in disturbances of the ocean bottom, cases of the sinking of coasts and islands into the sea or of their elevation out of it being on record. The opening of rifts in submarine rocks, through which poisonous sulphurous vapors are driven into the waters above, would be entirely in accord with the rules of volcanic action. The Coopers' Dance. A curious custom, known as ths "cooper's dance," is observed in Munich, from the second week of January until Ash-Wednesday every seventh year. The custom dates from early in the sixtenth century, and originated as follows: During the plague of 1517 Munich gave way to the most abject terror. In order tc buoy up the spirits of the inhabitants some followers of the art of coopering irlrmfr'rl thn vci*v original course of per forming dances in the open spaces and streets of the town. Thus a less melancholy feeling was created, and the eourlge of the people was revived. Since this time it has been customary to commemorate the date of coopers every seventh year, and the present year the time-honored observance came round igain. A number of journeymen coopers ?the most aimable and attractive fellows to be found?are chosen to dance to ca >ld melody in public places and before the dwellings of leading citizens. The Sance is a sort of ballet, and the dancers liavc in their hands hoops with green foliage. As nearly as possible the old ?ostumc is imitated, and everything is :lone to reproduce the quaint spectacle which the good folks of Munich laughed it in the midst of terror over three hundred years ago.?Pn/I Mall (Gazette. The Blizzard. Fhe lilizzarcl came down like a inousuuu u? brick, His breathings were cakes of ice four iuclies thick, A.ud bis hair streamed far out in a stiffness that l>cnt With the swirl and sj>ecd of the pathway ho went. Mis beard, that found roots to the lids of his eyes, His in a hairy. unpierced disguise, Vnd spread out in ice-like rigidity fur >'rom his one eye that flashed like a pivotal star. rnsren was the rest of the demon-like form Jf the swift-moving blizzard, the god of the storm: But the presence was felt of an unconquered will, or the fast-running rivers stood suddenly still. Vnd the noses of people who traveled the st reet I'urned white with affright, and the hurryins? feet >Vere stung as with sting of a hundred of bees, iVhile the blood crept away and allowed them to freeze. ?Columbv.s Di*pr:tch. ' ' '' r'- : ' ? ' ?:' .',-V V.l . ' ' FO RES H A DO WINGS. Wind of the winter night, Under the starry skies, Somewhere my lady bright, . Slumbering lies, "Wrapped in calm maiden dreams, "Where the pale moonlight streams, Softly she sleeps. I do not know her face, Pure as the lonely star That in yon darkling space Shineth afar; Never with soft command : Touched I her willing hand. Kissed I her lips. V I have not heard her voice, j I do not know her name; Yet doth my heart rejoice, Owning her claim; Yet am I true to her; All that is due to her Sacred I keep. Never a thought of me Troubles her soft repose; Courant of mine may be >*? < T M Lily or rose; They may not bear to her, This heart s fond prayer to her, Yes?she is mine. ?Julia C. R. Dorr. PUNGENT PARAGRAPHS. A cold snap?Breaking an icicle. The best thing out?An aching tooth. ? Up to everything?The thermometer. Are hair-brained people ever baldheaded? "My stars!" is a favorite expression | with theatrical managers.?Maverick. There are a good many Johns in Congress, but the Bills head the list.?Good* aWs Sun. The only leading lady that society recognizes is the one who conducts a pug I with a string.?The Judge. . v -. ' . , ; 4 'Keep it dark I" as a Burlington girl remarked when her lover t urned down thega? and kissed her.?Burlington Free Press. She took his watch and said to him, "When you have learned to do The things I ask and you forget, ril give it back to you." That evening, wh?n she asked, in tones Of confidence sublime, "Say, did you get it/" "No," he said: "1 didn't have the time." ( " , ; "A man never loses anything by po- .) liteness." At all events there are a great many men who never do and never intend to.?Boston Transcript. . The most modest man we ever heard of was in a row boat in a storm. He got swamped and drowned because he refused to hug the shore.?Dansville Breeze. In Alabama they chew the tassels of the lir trees as a substitute for tobacco, "which," says a correspondent, "reminds me of the adage, 'be iir-chewers and you -.ill k.nnr > V Tit'j) Will ILm liup^j. u-/?y v. The South Americans put upsausago in bark. Concerning this no comment is necessary, only, to say that the South Americans desire to preserve every phase of thedopr.?Arkansas Traveler. A Camden man has invented an ice velocipede. JNTo, thank you, none "for ua. We have cracked ice two inches thick with the back of our neck off common skates.?Germantoicn Independent. The Prince of "Wales has made black silk ribbons the style for full dress watch chains. If the Prince should get sufficiently hard up, almost anybody could afford to be fashionable.?Boston Post. FANCY AND FACT. " These were the rings that the circus man swore They would have in their show, at least thr?? or more, OOO \-? But the people who gathered did jeer and did hiss, Instead of the three, they saw one like this o" . ?Evansville Arqus. ' First "lady''?"And which side is your husbuna now, _to.rs. Mangles?" Second ditto?"Sometimes one, and sometimes another, m'ma. When 1 don't want any money he's a 'Liberal,' but when I'm short he's a regular Conservative!"? Punch. A French agricultural college experiment is claimed to have demonstrated that giving cows water at sixty-six degrees increased the milk yield one-third. Sut this must be a mistake. We suspect that, from long habit, the water was put into the miik can instead of the cow. ?Minnesota Tribune. AT THE BALL. Her face was fair Beyond compare, Her manner naughtiness supreme; I thought, and yet I can't forget, That things are rarely what they seem. Three words she spoke, Which like the stroke Of doom, in fragments rent my dream. "You dance?" I said, She turned her head, And smiling, answered, "I should scream." ?New Haven News. Pennsylvania's Coke Region. The Connellsville coke region is com* paratively little known outside of "Western Pennsylvania. The coke country proper embraces about equal parts' of Fayette and Westmoreland counties. It is fiftytwo miles long and twenty-six miles in breadth. Uniontown on the south and Latrobe on the north mark its limits. The vein of coal from which the unsurpassed coke of the district is made is found in veins of unequal thickness at a depth oi from twenty-live to 200 feet below the surface of a scoop-shaped- valley at the base of Chestnut ridge, the westerly chain of the Alieghanies. Every phase of mining life is presented in this circumscribed area, including the drift, slope and shaft methods. The latter plan is al most exclusively adopted in tkis ena oi the region, owing to the depth at which the vein is found. Ten years ago the manufacture of Connellsville coke was in its infancy in that section. To-day 10,000 ovens are used, and the average output daily is hauled away in cars, which, if placed in one continuous line, would make a train a mile and a haif long. The Pennsylvania, the Baltimore and Ohio, and the Pittsburg, McKcesport and Youghiogheny railroads have the monopoly of this gigantic tonnage, the rates being fixed by their repre* sentatives in council once a year.?Km . Tori S'Ol. Moxa. Although tattooing is confined to the lower orders of the Japanese, round white spots are to be seen on the skin of almost every native of Japan in all ranks of life. These spots are known, Dr. Baclz tells us, as l'mo.\a," and they are produced by burning the flesh in a peculiar way, with the object of curing some disease" The belief in the efficacy of moxa is universal in Japan, and the Portuguese and Spaniards must have adopted the same faith in its power to alleviate or cure deep seated pain, for they introduced both the treatment and its Japanese name into Kurope. "r L