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A LION TAMER. k AXOCCUPATION FRAUGHT WITH \ GREAT DANGER. \ -? 'forest Lions More Teachable Than \ Those Born in Captivity?First Lessons la Jumping?Wallace and the Dogs. A man who had once been engaged as assistant to lion tamers said to a Chicago Herald representative: 'Three kinds of lions come to this country and Jiurope, and the biggest European importer is Jamrach. The lions come from the Cape and some from Nubia, and another sort come from Senegal. You get them from Jamrach well nigh as wild as the day they were caught, for I believe he never allows any of his men to go into the cages, and if he wants to shift them ne | pla.es one cage alongside another and i drives them in by placing lighted j straw in the den he wants them ' to quit. There are not very many { lions imported; you sec they breed like j cats?have a litter every eight months? j and as many as six at a litter. The con- j finement-bred lions se!dom live very long, | and are not to be compared in looks to ; ll _ * A. 1i 1 l. At-* -V ? iue ioresi nuns, out mey come cneuper. j The tigers come from India and don't breed like the lions. Tha tiger is not so j suUen in confinement but is more treach- ; erous, and when he once loses command of himself there is not a pin to choose j between him and the lion. I think I j would sooner, on the whole, have truck j with the lion than the tiger. Some pco- j pie will tell you that there is no vice t about either. Boshl It's all very well j to say that when he puts his claws into | you in a playful way that you ou^ht to ; have prysence of inind to keep still and he will take them out But when you j feel the claws going into the llesh an inch or more you cannot help dragging the limb away. Then the beast drags his way and you get torn and the blood comcs, and the animal, j partly at the sight of blood and partly in a tit of desperation, as he knows he ( has done wrong, takes hold anyhow, and the others in the cage catch the infection ?and then you can say your prayers. | The most dangerous time to interfere i9 j when they are feeding, especially if tbey ; arc knawing a bone. It is pretty nearly i certain death for a man to go near an old lion or lioness -when either is gnawing a bone and try to take it away from them. ; The lion tamer likes to get his beasts as young as he can, because then they are : more easily brought into order, althougn ' no doubt there are many instances when & full-grown forest lion has been trained to high perfection. Whatever is the reason, it is a fact that forest lions are more intelligent and teaohable than those ! bred in confinement. The lion-tamer begins by taking the feeding of them info his own hands, a id so gets them to know , him. He commences feeding them , from the outside of the den, then : ventures inside to one at a time, always careful y keeping his face to ; the animal and avoiding any violence, which is a mistake whenever it win he 1 avoided, as it arouses the dormant devil in the beasts. Getting to handle the lion the tamer be :ins by stroking him down the back, gradually working up to the head, which he begins to scratch, and the lion, which, like the cat, likes friction, begins to nib his head against the hand. When this familiarity is well established a board is handed to the trainer, w'\ich he places across the cage, and teac. ;s the lion to jump over it. ' Gradually this board is heightened, the lion jumping over it at every stage, and then come the hoops, etc., held on top of the board to quicken the beast's un- 1 derstanding. 'lo teach the animal to ! jump over the trainer the latter stoops alongside the board, so that when the 1 lion clears one he clears the other, and ( half a dozen lessons are generally suf* , ficient lo teach him this. To get , a lion to lie down and allow the , trainer to stand on him is more \ difficult. It is done by flicking , the beast over the back with a small whip, and at the tame time pressing him , down wiih one hand. By raising the head and taking hold of the nostril with 1 Vif? i-iiflit. liniid nnrl tVin nniliir lin nnrl ' lower jaw with the left, the lion loses greatly the power of his jaws, so that a , man can pull them open and put hi-; head in the beast's mouth, the feat with ( which Van Amburg's name was so much 1 associated. The only danger is lest the ' animal should rav-e one of his fore paws ( and sti k his da s into you, and if he ( } does, the tamer must stand fast for his , life until he ha shifted his paw. Old lions are easier nandled than vouog ones, 1 > as they are sure to be better trained. By 1 ; the way. did you ever hear the story of Wallace's fight with the dogs? No? * Well, Wallace v.as an old lion be- ! longing to George Wombwell, the Eng- j lish menagerie man, and the old j1 beast was as tame as a sheep. Well . George's finances -were at low -water and he thought that to advertise a fight be- j. twegn Wallace and a dozen Engli>h ' ma&SLffs would prove a drawing card. '1 Aud you just b..-t it did. It took like 1 wild :ro, and seats were sold for the psr- j formance as high as $25 apiece. The i house was packed und hundreds couldn't ' get in. It wa; a queer go and no mis- 1 take. When they were put in the cage ? the lion didn't CHre for the dogs and tbe 1 dogs didn't care for the lion. Some i times the old lion wou!d scratch a lump i out of a dog, and sometimes the dogs 1 would make as if they were going to 1 worry the old lion, but neither showed ] any serious fi^ht, and at length the pa- ] tiencc of the audien e got exhausted, and < they wentawa in disgust. George's ex- 1 cusewas: 'We can't make'em tight if s they w >n't can we?' He cleared over ( $10,00J by that 'tight?' " . < !! A Clever Business Woman. Riding with me through a thriving Maine town, recently, a friend indicated \ a large tannery and remarked: "That est iblishment b is an entertaining story. Its founder built up a large business aud ( willed it to his daughter, instructing his executors to permit her to manage the j bus ness herself. The neighbors pre diet d a collaps'; of the concern; but the girl proved to be even a better business ( maD than her father, and cleared $7,000 i the first year. fr>h- ran it several years , and then a minister settle d in town, who took to her. The taking was mutual. He married her, left the ministry, is now : running the tannery with his wife's help , and drives the fanciest team in town."? Lewialo)i {Me.) Journal. Why He Failed. "I can't sec," said the fat man with : the red neck*ie, "how you could possibly have faied; you say you gave a man $8,000 to buy beans with?" "Yes." "And told him what prices to pay?" "Yes." ; "Well, as beans didn't go down any, how could you lose?" ] "Easy as grease. He took my cash ( and skipped." < "Oh."?WaU Street Newt. \ r A Ghostly Table. Probably the most horrible and gfiastly piece of furniture ever conceived is a table in the Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Itnly, the work of Guiseppi Sagatti, who was several years engaged in its construction. The material was drawn from about a hundred human corpses, and the table consists of a circular top resting upon a pedestal with four supports representing claws. The face of the table is about three feet in diameter, and appears to be a fantastic but artistic work iq marble, though, in reality, it i9 composed of the hearts, livers,, muscles, and intestines of the human body. The weird craftsman who originated this singular piece of furniture has been dead for many years, and his work was completed half a century ago, the last corner of the table, committing suicide over it before it was secured for the Palazzo Pitti. Sagatti spent several years in perfecting a system of petrifaction and succeeded in discovering a process whereby natural animal reaction in a corpse after death could be changed to mineral reaction by first securing immunity from decay by an embalming process, and afterward immersing the body ia a bath where it absorbed ailici particles. For mifnAcn s\f o illnofrflfiftn ftf bUC JJUI pyow \'l u |yiuvvivui W. the method and its results, he set about making the table. The corpses necessary for the purpose were ofltained from the hospitals. The intestines were used in the construction of the ornamental pedestal, and, having been pressed into shape, were petrified. Tha claws of the table were formed from the hearts, livers and lungs, which still retain the appearance of live flesh. The leaf of the tsble was composed of the larger muscles of the body artistically arranged to ether to form the desired effect. The table was intended to be highly ornamental, and though nothing was to be used in its construction but parts of the human body, the mind that first conceived it was not at a loss to find means of ormentation. A hun dred pairs of eyes or more, and as many pairs of ears, were petrified and artistically arranged around the edges. The effect was the most blood-curdling that could be imagined. The process succeeded in preserving the eyeballs in their natural state, so that after polishing they retained their color and ante-mortem ap? j pearance with an intensified brilliance. { This completed the task of the savant. | He was proud of the result of his labors. ( The test of his proces3 of petrifaction i was e ninently successful. He coramu- j nicated his method to the medical world, j but naturally it never became generally , adopted, though it was well understood by 6urgeous azd physicians.?Buffalo Cementurian. A Eeliable Messenger. A touching story comes to us from the South illustrative of the close relations which existed between many of the better class of slaveholders and the better class of slaves. In 1So3 Colonel A. n 1~~11 on/vn, v\1 ? n UilUipuC l) lucunuci vi iai^u ougai ^tuutations in Louisiana, found that it was impossible to receive the money due to him from his consignees in Nashville, the line being drawn closely between the sections. Several other planters were in the same position. Tneir debtors, they knew, were ready and willing to pay, but there was 110 safe way of transmitting the money. Any Southern man who crossed the blockade was liable to be hung as a spy. Colonel Campbell called all his brother creditors together. "I know of. a messenger whom I am willing to trust," he said. "He is my old body servant, Sanford. You must judge for yourselves whether you will do the same." Sanford was a slave. The money in all amounted to $(J0, OuO. Years before the old man, who was a Methodist preacher,had lectured his young master on the wickedness of holding slaves. "lie's an original abolitionist," said Colouel Campbell now, "and a9 soon as lie enters Nashville he will be surrounded by a hundred slaves flying to the North. V*A fKa mAilOU Ond PQPflnP lip jliUuiu uo niviu. tav mvuvj wuu vwwu^/v would be free and rich for life. Hut I will trust him to come back. It was a desperate chance. But partly because, perhaps, the money could aot be got in any other way the jther planters resolved to take the chance. "On de fust ob de mont you can look [oh me, Mars. Alejk. If I don't come ien, you may reckon on old Sanford as lead." Sanford entered Nashville with crowds >f negro refugees, and for some days jould not succeed in gaining an interview with hi* master's creditors. He inally succeeded, presented his letter, md received the money, which he sewed jp in his collar. As the month passed the other credit>rs became uneasy. Every day Colonel Campbell drove anxiously out the road ay which Sanford must come, but in rain. On the last eve of the month a tattered, imping figure came in sight. "Hvah's de monev. Mars. Aleck! Hount d m bills, sah!" said the old man, fvith justifiable pride.?Indianapolis Sentinel. A Great Bear Hunt. John Duncan has just returned from a lunt in the mountains near his place, lays a recent letter from Centreville, Utah, to the Philadelphia Neuts. He was prepared for any kind of gane that night turn up, and in the course of his ;ratnp he c.ime upon three bears. When le first saw them he was about thirty ptirds from the nearest one, which happened to be a big female. She was some iistance apart from the other two, which 1 tvere lyin_sj close together, and somewhat jmaller than her. Mr. Duncan fired at ;he big she bear, w ounding her. when she :ame for him in a rage, iie tired again ! und a^aiu. the final and fatal shot taking j stfect when the savage brute was but iight or ten feet distant from him. The first one killed, Mr. Duncan turned his attention to the other two, | which still remained close together, ' where he first saw them He fired at one ttf them, wounding it in the neck. The , wounded bear howled and began cuiing i its companion, as it supposed that its pain was caused by its comrade. Mr. Duncan fired again and wounded the other. Then began a ficrco battle between the two enraged brutes, each evidently supposing the other to have in- ' fiicted the hurt from which it suffered. ! Mr. Duncan waited till there was a lull in the light, when he fired, killing one of the om iatar.ta. Another shot took fatal effect in the corpus of the third bear, and Mr. Dunc in found himself the champion bruin bagger of the country, j Three dead bears lay around him, the fruits o hi* combined courage, luck and marksmanship. Always Dry. 'Which is the better weather for your business," was a question put to a down town bartender, * not or coiat" 41 It doesn't make mnch difference," he replied. "In hot weather they take a little something to cool 'em off, and in cold weather thoy take a little something to warm 'em up."?Drake's Magazine. | WOMAN'S WORLD. PLEASANT IiITERATURE FOR T7I T7l T XT T \J T7> T> V? A I'k IT. R.Ct JL* Mli VA.A.L-% The Bis Hat. A pretty littl9 bonnet Is deserving of a sonnet, For a pretty face within it is a vision of delight, But a hat of seven stories, Though bedecked with floral glories And with feathers and with ribbons, makes a girl a perfect fright. ?Boston Courier. The President Proud of His Wife. Mrs. Cleveland is a groat favorite with a number of statesmen and prominent : men who visit the White House. The j President always likes to hear her beauty J ipoken of and takes great delight in J commenting on it. A few days ago, be; fore the President was taken ill, a prominent citi/ent of North Carolinia and one j from Georgia called to pay an evening 1 visit at the White House. Soon after they arrived the North Carolinian remarked to Mrs. Cleveland: "I saw you i on the avenue to-day in the earriage "Yes," replied Mrs. Cleveland, "I I saw you, too, and I bowed to you." "So j did I," said the President, "but you did not see me." "Were you in the carriage, too?" asked the Southerner. "Yes," replied the President, "I was sitting back, but I saw that you only had J an eve for nrettv erirls." and he eave an ' ain't-vou-sweet look at his wife, and all the party laughed.? Washington Letter. The Square-Shouldered Woman. p There is some excuse for the bustle. It is rational. Its office is to assist nature in presenting the female figure with mo<t attractive outline. Both the bustle and the corset have their origin in appreciation of the form divine and knowl| edge of its perfections. "When moderate they are defensible, almost indis! pensable. They are in a certain sense artistic, in that they fortify certain lines | without which the form is anything but ; beautiful. But there is no excuse for the ! jackets, now unfortunately becoming i fashionable, whi h either square the Bhoulders of the wearer, or place u ridge an inch or two high just at the extremity of either shoulder blade. These jackets, or whatever they may be, are unnatural, ugly. Nothing can be said in their defense. They did not have their beginning in a purpose to assist the develop? * f.vrm f\rt nofiifo'fl I UlUUb UI blic 11UCO Ui bUV/ 1VAIU v 9 model. No woman not a monstrosity ever grew hummocks on her shoulders. The square-shouldered woman is not the ideal of art. Think oi a Venus, or a Madonna, or a Greek Slave with square shoulders and a little transverse ridge or thick, high seam just over the base of each arm I Square shoulders are raasculine, and a woman so unfortunate ns to possess masculine shoulders could be pardoned for indulgence in dress devices which would give her at least the appearan. e of possessing the gentle slopes and curves with which nature endowed the fairest of all her creatures. Her deceit would be forgiven in appreciation of art. But what should be said to the hundreds of young women in Chicago actually possessing tine, sloping, rounded shoulders, who ignorantly square them off a9 with a carpenter's tool, and nail stiff humps upon the extremities.?Chicago Herald. Ornamente of Algerian Women. The dre9i of the Algerian hangs very loosely about the arms, which are always bare. Sometimes a red band, which passes in a loop over each shoulder and crosses at the back, where it is ornamented with red tassols, keeps the dress closer to the figure. When the arms are raised the loose drapery hanging through the loops has much the appearance of the full sleeve of the Italian peasant. Shoulder pins are very much worn and are ~~ ~ J ~ A/ An wi t K /*nrnl UiUUC UJL Oil V CI J VSJ iva uutivi.ii.v4 uivu yw?M? and enamels, resembling an Irish brooch. These pins are s ragtimes conn cted with , a chnin, to the cinter of which is suspended a little metal box, enameled and containing scent. On the head iB worn a little peaked bonnet, like the French cap of liberty. It is made by doubling in half, lengthwise, a broad silk band, and sewing up one side. It is kept in , its place by a second kerchief, bound vound and knotted behind. Many women allow their hair to wave free, or confine , it simply with a fillet. A frequent or nament is a round silver brooch with an J opening in the centcr crossed by a pin. Roses of coral, as well a3 knobs of silver. which latter have a pearl-like effect, ar<? dotted about it. Thev are effective pieces of jewelry, and with the sun shining on them glisten like moon9. J They are not adopted till a woman becomes a mother. On the birth of a girl j the broooh is worn between the breasts; on the birth of a boy, it is raised, and , gleams above the forehead. When a wife is disobedient, and is beaten by her j husband, the brooch is often undone by the woman and dashed to the ground at his feet. There is another head'orna- 1 xnent, handsomer than this. It consists of a central s Iver rooch over the fore- i head, and side brooches above the 1:em- i pies,enriched in the same *tyle,and with rows of gleaming silver semisphcrcs com- i pletely oncirclmg the head, and forms a ( glittering tiara fit for a Princess. Necklaces are ma le of biads and coral and j also of cloves and sweet-smelling paste. | ?Brooklyn Magazine. Qneen Victoria's Life at Balmoral. ! The Queen's life at Balmoral is very simple and quiet. Her suite is notlar^e. Her Majesty is always accompanied to ' the Highlands by lier Hoval Highness 1 the Princess Beatrice, whose devotion to her mother is a splendid example to ev- i ery English, or, as the Queen would her- < self say, every "British" daughter. Since the Priucess's marriage .chc is, of course, t frequently accompanied by her husband , Prince Henry of Battenberg, whose pleasant frankness of mann.r and genu ine kindness of nature have won him a ! l.igh place in the regard of the HighIan lers. Occasionally other members of the royal family visit the Queen. The < Prince and Princess of Wales often come < to Abergeldie, which is quite near Bal- 1 moral; and this season the young widowed i utchess of Albany has been t staying at Birk Hall. Frequently Her < Majesty invitis some of her friends to re- < side at \bergcldie iWaiu?, and a visit to them ther^ for an afternoon call or aiter- ] fno mnlfM n nioasjint drive. A , lady in w iting, two youn^ ladies?maids j of honor?a Cabinet Minister, aneiuerry, one of the '.uecn's secretaries, and the doctor may be said to make up the suite: and the Queen's able and indefatigable ' commissioner, J.r. Profeit, i* always at 1 hand. Her Majesty hore, as everywhere, 1 works very hard, and gives much of her time to the business of the nation, the 1 management of her own estate, and the 1 welfare of the people among whom she lives. She spends as much as possible of 1 her time in the open air, reading and writiog outside when the weather per- < mits, and sometimes breakfasting and i taking tea in one of the summerhouses: ' in walking abont the love y grounds, I with a single attendant, and one or more j 1 nf Vor <ino o^vlHo rlooa and in tfllcind* long drives to places of interest and beauty in the neighborhood, and frequently honoring some of the neighboring gentry with a visit. The Queen also visits a great deal in the homes of the cotters, in many of which there are tokens in the shape of photographs, pictures, books and other valuable presents of her Majesty's affection and regard for her humble subjects and friend*. It is most touching to hear them speak of the Queen's kindness, and the interest they take in all the members of the royal family is very ??reat, and almost intimately personal in its character. She freouentlv shares in their domestic joys by attending in their homes the "kirstnin" (Christening) of a baby, and in their sorrows by being present at the short religious service performed by the minister on the occasion of a funeral. Proposing: in His Sleep. A strange romancc is recalled by the Atlanta Constitution. Some years ago Dr. Hardin removed from Savannah to Americus, Ga. He was warmly received and became a favorite in the best social circles. His closest friendship was formed with a young lady, Miss Julia , and later on she and her mother started out shopping for the bridal trousseau. Of the usual sequel the Constitution says: Society had pretty well guessed the course of affairs. Congratulations poured in upon the young lady, all of which she accepted with becoming modesty. The groom-expectant, however, acted mysteriously. He never made reference to the happy affair with which his name was linked. When a friend congratulated him he looked puzzled, but offered no invitation to proceed. Thus weeks passed uptil the date popularly supposed to have been set for the nuptials had gone by. The doctor moved about the citv in his usual unconcern. The young i i >11 :-r 1 J: laay neia uer grid uuu uisap^umuutun sacredJI and ventured no word of censure or complaint. In fact, the mystery hecame so great that the question as to whether the couple had ever been engaged or not became one of violent local agitation. The soldier friends of the young lady's brother, feeling that she was without male protection, determined that she should not be imposed npon. They met, to the number of a dozen, late one evening, and agreed to call on the doctor and get au explanation. They reached his room, and were told that he had gone out not five minute* before for a walk, and would not be back until after midnight. In order to fill in the time until that hour, the party went to Miss Julia's house to consult her about the matter. They were surprised to find the doctor there, while near him sat the youn? lady in tears. One of the men, maddened at the doctor's icy in-' ** ? * J rtPQOn ainercQce,rusueu uvci vumui., uuagi^!#ing him by the shoulder, shook him violently. The doctor yawned deeply; he arose and rubbed his eyes, and, looking around him in the utmost bewilderment, asked: "How came I here? This is so very utrange. I went to bed in my room at* 8 o'clock, and thought until tliis moment that I was there." He was a somnambulist! In the talk which followed the whole matter was made plain. After having visited MI'S Julia twice, he began coming at 9 o'clock, when he was not expected. His manner was somewhat stiff and formal, but he pressed his suit with perse.trance, tie would never make the remotest reference to any other subject. He never thought of leaving until a few minutes before 1 o'clock in the morning. His late'hour i:i coming, .'his late hour in leaving always seemed strange, but, as his behavior was always most circumspect, it was not thought of after the first few nightij. Thus he proposed, was accepted, had th e date appointed and passed it over. In his waking hours he had no recollection whatever of the events of the night bofore. After the matter hud thus been made plain the doctor said: "Now, Miss Julia, since all this transpired in my 9leep, I may as well tell you tbat your imago has been impressed on my heart all along. "Will you consent again tn my proposal?" It was too plain that no opposition existed theio. Soon the licence was procured, the minister oallcd in an d the happy pair were made ojie. But one chapter more remains to be told. When the yellow fever broke out in Savannah with virulence, about ten year* ago, Dr. Hardin was one of the most zealous in waiting upon the sick in that city. He never refused the ca I of duty. At U.st he, too, succumbed to the dread destroyer, and he now sleeps with the silent majority. Fashion Notes. The belted round waist is seen on some French costumes. Figured and plain velvet are combined in some dressy costumes. Poplin is an old-fashioaed material of svhich the use is predicted. Fine qualities of cachemire furnish a favorite material for dressy toilets. Cape coats of checked or plaited vuaierial provide a popular wear for misses. Clinging tea gowns of China crepes md lace net are the most stylish for this season. i-_:n, DlCHISniie JS tucuutjr ana. uiiiki lanmeu by Parisian dressmakers for children's iresses. New passementeries and gimpi have black grounds, covercd with gold em- j broidery. Tiger plush is an effective novelty, ' showing tiger lines or stripes on a plain plush ground. j Three yards and a half is a popular length for the ro?ind boas of long, fluffy Fur now fashionable. Watered and brocaded silks are now seen in eld-time style, as elegant as those ol' our grandmothers. Yellow and white is one of this sea- ' ?on's combinations which is much adtnir3d, although it is not s. new one. Some New English shoit jackets are lovered all over with satin-stitch embroidery in quiet, unobtrusive patterns. Boas for little girls are of white crinkled mandarin lamb, white fox and chinchilla, and they have tiny muffs to xatch. * * ?? L!?l. / Ti. iQe reuingoce is IU miju itavur. jlo cuu ;asily be remodeled for street or house iress, thereby proving a most economi- j 5al garment. EmbroUered gauze is superseding }1a:'Jc lace for ninny uses. It is shown in ill colors, in graduated designs for different parts of the diess. The revival of basques of velvet is a welcome one. They ana not ouly handsome. but used to replace a worn corsage make many a half-worn suit as good as new. Velvet plaids in shades of red, blue ind green are shown. They are in* j -1 x * * rtamkinaf?an "nrifVi tenai u IU UC IWCU 1U tumuiiiaviuu nnu plain woolen goods, at panels, trimmi i gs, etc. The made bow still takes precedence >f tied string-; for bonnets. The bow is slightly wider and larger than hereto ore. Ti d bonnet strings are represented by two sets of inch-wide libbjn, velvet and faille. i A BIG TELESCOPE. THR T.ATtOWST TV THE WORLD IS IN CALIFORNIA. What the Colossal Instrument of the Lick Observatory is Expected to Reveal ?The Moon Sixty Miles Away. ? The approaching completion of the colossal telescope of the Lick Observatory, in California, lends interest to the question: " How powerful will this teleBcopic giant be? " The Lick tclescope 1 la iu UB uy lur me largest reuauiui iu mo world. Those who have seen the huge ; telescope of the Naval Observatory in "Washington will be interested to know that the California giant will survey the sky with an eye tea inches broader than that of ti e great star gazer at the capital. The pupil of the human eye would have to be enlarged to a diameter of three ' feet in order to collect as much light as will fall upon this wonderful object glasa of the Lick telescope. As the average . diameter of the pupil of the eye is about one-fifth of an inch, it follows that a man i whose eye was large enough to equal the | great telescope in light-grasping power would bo afcout 1,000 feet tall. The statue of Liberty would serve him for a j cigar lighter, if hung up where he could conveniently reach it. tSo much for the power of the Lick wonder to gather starlight. The magni, fying power is another thing, though it deDends directly upon the amount of light that the telescope can grasp. An ordinary opera glass magnifies two and a half or, at the most, three diameters. Let any one recall how effective even so low a magnifying power as that is when J applied to persons and objects upon a distant stage, and then he will at once perceive the signiflcan-e of the statement that the smallest astronomical telescope | will bear a magnifying power of two or three hundred diameters. The relation ; between the magnifying power of an optical instrument, reckoned by diameters, and the apparent distance of the object looked at is very simple. If an opera glass magnifies three diameters, it shows j objects as they would appear at only one) third of their real distance from the eye. So a telescope magnifying 200 diameters would show a man a mile away as if he : were standing within about twenty-six feet of the observer. But only tele copes constructed for astronomical purposes | will stand magnifying powers like that, and, moreover, in consequence of the impurity and unsteadiness of the air near the earth, and the lack of illumination of terrestrial objects, the ima-'e in such a case would ba more or less blurred and Indistinct. The same power, -200 diameters, applied to the moon brings it with in an apparent distance of about 1,200 miles, and shows clearly the extinct craters, empty sea bottoms, and ragged mountain ranges of our satellite. Now as to the magnifying power of the Lick telescope, it has "been found | that when the most skilful opticians have ! done their best in making a telescopic I object glass, it will bear, under favorable { conditions, and for certain purposes, a magnifying power of one hundred diameters for each inch of its own diameter. The object glass of the Lick telescope is thirty-six inches acioss; therefore it should be able to stand a power of S,600 diameters, but only under the finest conditions. Such a power applied to the moon would bring it, when nearest to the earth, within an apparent distance of a little above sixty miles. Under the most favorable circumstances, an object upon the moon as large as St. Patrick's Cathedral could probably be seen with such a power as a wbitc spat K. uut or- ; dinarily a power only one-half or one- j third as great as that could be used with advantage. So, as far as the ability of the great telescope to reveal them is concerned, the moon might be swarming | with inhabitants who would still remain out of the reach of our eyes. But if cities or other great artificial works existed there they would doubtless be | clearly distinguishable, and should, in ; fact, long ago huve been perceived with telescopes much smaller than the Colossus of Mount Hamilton. The new telescope can, then, only be cxpected to add a little more evidence to the proof . I that the moon is an extinct planet, a i world of desolation, where all the great creative forces have ceased to operate and nature seems to have reached the end of her tether. But with the planets the ca3e is different. Recent observations have shown the existence of enigmatical features on Mars, upon which the Lick telescope may be able to throw much light. Its great : size is not the only advantage it will possess. Being placed upon a mountain top it will be above the denser and more impure portion of the atmosphere, which is a source of perpetual and unconquerable difficulty to astronomers whose I of Innrnr IavaIq IC1CBUUUC9 ill O OlblldbCU av iv ?t v?i tw t v iw? Then tne atmosphere <r' the Pacific coast ; appears to be exceedingly clear and steady, so that an enormous advantage is gained in that respcct. Here in the East, and in Englind and most narts of , Europe, an astronomer is lucky if he finds a do-.en or even half a do en nights in a year when the atmospheric conditions are good enough to permit the u-e of the highest powers of his telescope. Ob ervations taken on Mount Hami ton, the site of the Lick telescope, show that as many as two hundred and fifty nights in a year may be expected to furnish such opportunities for first-class work. With such advantages the great telescope should ? 1 I.J ~ C largely increase our unywicugc ui ?uo i huge planet Jupiter, and of the changes goin^ on there which clearly indicate ; that it is an orb that is now in the act of transformation from a sun into a world. With respect to the fixed stars, or other suns than ours, the Lick glass will prove its superiority on account of its enormous lightgrac.ping, or, as it is called, 8; ace-penetr ting power. This same property, together with the exceptionally excellent atmospheric conditions amid which it is situated, will enable it to reveal new wonderr. anong the nebul c, those storehouses of the raw material of the universe whose known number is constantly being increased by modern observers.?Neva York dun. A Queer Superstition. PnrVianQ st.rnnfrest fad that an1? x uiuwpw v"w ?-?n ? has in this town, says "Halston" in the Kew York Time*, is that of a cashicr in a down town bauk, who every night at 10 o'clocks walks up Fifth avenue to Fortythird street for the purpose of seeing whether or not a e.rtnin millionaire's front door has crape tied on it. For four years he has made this nightly journey. He doesn't know the millionaire. He doesn't know any reason why the millionaire's death should be bum nent Vet he has a superstition that when he discovers the crupe he looks for. on that same night some great good fortune is to fall to nis own lot. He ha> triel to shake of the feeling that se.ids him on this nightly walking tour. It won't sh ke. And, rain or shine, he goes religiously up and down the avenue at 10 o'clock every nijrht. - ' * **"' -i.r SUNDAY SCHOOLINTERNATIONAL LESSON FOB JANUARY 9. Subject: "Sin and Death."?Gen. lib 1-6, 17-19, Golden Text: "By one man sin entered into the world and death by sin."? Rom. v: 12. COMMENTARY - BY REV. WM. NEWTON, D. D. V. L Are we to understand that this expression as to the serpent's subtlety, applies to the whole race? Bp. Horsely, in his "Critical Notes," is very clear that we are not. Tbe Hebrew letter rendered l'the" is the same as that prefixed to "virgin" in Isaiah, vii: 14, and rendered "a." He insists that as that designates only one virgin and Is therefore rendered "a virgin," or a certain virgin, so fkid /laoi nri a fat? An 1 rr a?a carnanf Ai* a /? *4> t n i"*i iiuu ucgtguavoa vutjr \'uo cvi v? u vi/t serpent. The suggestion is worthy of earnest thought, and does not in the least interfere with our Lord's words: "Be ye therefore raise as serpeDtV'etc.?where the wisdom is the serpent's prudence or care as to getting ii\to danger. Some points we take to be certain as to the matter in hand, L e. .* 1. The serpent was only an instrument In the bands of an unseen agent. 2. The serpent was specially fitted for the work in hand. The Hebrew word rendered serpent, has for its root a verb which means to sci? inize closely, and is also used of divining or enchanting. See Gen. xliv: 5; Lev. xix: 26. On the ether hand, our English word serpent comes from the Latin verb, to crawl, or creep, or wind. 3. The serpent's position must have been an upright one, and his hatiits altogether different from those which now mark the race. Cer/ainlv the iudsrrnent uronounced UDon it proves this. MUpon thy belly shalt thou co, and dust shalt thou eat," etc. Now there would have been no judgment here, had this been his condition, up to the temptation Now, acting through a creature, so perfectly fitted to his design, tho "Old Serpent, the Devil," "the murderer from the beginning," the father of lies, moved on the unsuspecting Eve. Clearly, tbei e was nothing to surprise or alarm here. Clearly, the conversation had been going on for some time?for the word rend red "Yeais never used, in the Hebrew, at the commencement of a conversation, but olways, like onr, Jndeed, or Is that so/ after some communication going before it. The question of the tempter, is his reply to some words of Eve, no* here recorded. It assumes surprise on his part. It is so. Can it be, tnat God has forbidden you to cat ofthetieeof the garden? It is not only the suppression of the true, but the suggestion of tne false, which makes the artful lie. And we have them both here though the suijyestion of the false predominates. And it is so in every temptation?inasmuch as a true-hearted belief in the word would deprive the temptation of all its power. V. 2, 3. If we adopt the rendering of the Revised Version, the tempter says: "Hath God said ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden,"?instead of every, as in the Authorized Version?the answer of the woman seems much more pronounced and childlike in its statement of the truth. It is a 'simple statement of the facts of the case. For the addition of the words, "neither shall ye touch it," can scarcely be regarded as indicating a disposition on her part to show that they were hardly dealt with, for surely they could not eat of it without touching it, they bad been faitly and most generously dealt with. All the stores of the ijarden were theirs. They might eat of every tree?save one, and of eating that, the penalty was deatlu U p to this point in the narrative, she stood in the simplicity of the truth. V. 4, 5. And now commenced the real assault of the wily tempter, and in it two things are very clear, i. e.: 1. The absolute denial of the Lord's words. "Ye shall not surely die!" One little word -makes all the dilference between God's truth and the Devil's lie. And so it has been all through the ages. 2. The statement of reasons meant to be tinders oodin one sense, vhile the facts would be in another. Now Gjd did know all the facts and outcome of the case. Their eyes would be opened?but not in the 6ense in which the tempter knew that Eve would .i a. J \-i mi_ _ t I.J understand uim. xiien~ kuuwiuugc wvi?'u be enlarged, but not as she supposed. She thought it would be the God-liice attribute of discerning between the good and the evil, while he meant that evil would be theirs as their abiding portion, and the good as an experience of the past, which they wonld never know again. How truly is he ' a liar, and the father of it." V. 6. It is worthy of serious observation that the tempter d:d not urge her to eat of the fruit. He simply told his glaring lie as truth, and le ft it to produce its own legitiresults. And we may notice throe steps in the process of deception, 1. She saw that tne fruit was good. 2. It was pleasant to the eye, and S. It seemed to have the properties the tempter said it had, i. e., she believed him wnen ne 8SIU it una. nero was uie pnn.c? of seduction. Sight on the one hand working against faith on thj other. The tempter's, lie here, God's truth there, and that lie received in the place of that truth. That was all ! That is all there ever i3. There are opposing powers in every temptation since fiie world began. In tho i great affairs, or the little, in men, in women, and in children, the process is the same, the opposing powers are the same, the instruments are the same, and the result is always the same, and the result is always on the side of God's truth, or Satan's lie. In the case before us it was soon reach-d. She took of the fruit and ate. She gave to her husband, and he ate also. At once her delusion vanished: conscience was born in that hour? for she knew the evil she had done. "Their eyes were opened"?but how differently from the opening she had looked for. It was all plain now when the irrevocable step'was . And God came near iu judgment, linked with a gi acious promise, they could not then well understand. There is something very impressive in the statement, "They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they were afraid." The flush of first delight over the eating of the fruit bad passed away, and they, were alone with their conscience and their sin; and the cool of the day had come, and God was coming nigh to tali with them, and for the first time, they were afraid. The world within was full of accusing voices, ai'?l they could not hush them into silence. Henceforth, Paradise was Paradise to them no more. It remained the same. They alone were changed, "and they hid themselves." And ever since man have been dainq the same thing, hiding from God and from themselves. V. 17-19. "Without a question as to what he had done, judgment was prononnced on the serpent first. V. 14. The instrument of this great evil must tell of its greatness to all roming time. For even in the Millennial dav, it is written, "and dust shall be the serpent's meat" Is. lxv.: 25. Then fol* At TVl'fk IUW5 CUO 3CUWCIKO upuu JJTC, wupivu ??4VU the gra< ious promise conccrning the woman's se&l;andin that on Adam, be is rebuked for harkening to the voice of his wife, i. e., for listening to it before the Lord's command. It then includes two thines. i.e.: 1. The curse on tho ground; and 2. liis own doom of labor. The earth was raa'le for man, and therefore must respond to his condition. Was he sinless? It was gloriom la its gifts. Did ho fall? It shaded his low estate. Will he be sinless again' It shall regain its first condition. And so. for man s sake, the curse came down upon the earth, its fertility was taxen awav, and "in sorrow" he should eat thereof a 1 his days:? in sorrow, for the remembrance of the past, and for his experience in the present. Henceforth its voluntary offerings to him should be thorns and thistles, the emblems of the curse everywhere; and when Jesus was crowned with thorns, what was it showing, but that the curse of the law which we had broken, was compassing Him round it He was crowned with it It set Him apart as a crorvn does a f.ing. He wore it In the royalty of HU love. And with this curse of barrenness ou the eanh came liis own doom of labor. From thut hour man has eaten bread in thn sweat of his bi ow. The nrcssity o f lahor is upon bi n everywhere. And. under the circums!au es that surround him, although a reminder of his fall, it has proved a source of blessing. It is ,iusf one characteristic of our race. And is there no escape from it? None? Its only limit is, "7't7/ thou return to tlift ground,'' ct . And so the divine reading of the great problem of sin and labor and denth i s " R-ionr man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that aJi have sinned.? I'uiladelphia Lesson Helper. The Duke of Westmister has accepted the Presidency of the London Temperance Hospital. RELIGIOUS READING. M Hymn for 22d December. j AUTHOB T7HXBOWX (Tune: Lyons.) A rock in the wildarness welcomed oar From bandage far over the dark rolling On that holy altar they kindled the fire?, Jehovah, which glow in our boeomtfor Thee! Thy blessings descended in tnnanine. ana. zsa shower, ftm Or rose from the soil that was sown by '4S Thy hand; Themoantain and valley rejoiced In Thy- \ power, And Heaven encircled and smiled on th* ' ~ The Pilgrims of old an example hare given . Of mild resignation, devotion and love, . ' Which beams like the star in the blue vanlt . -VI of heaven, A beacon-light hung in the mansions above. v v &SH In chnrch and cathedral we kneel in oar prayer, Their temple and chapel were valley and ?||. Bat God is the fame In the aide, or the afr, v'iiM And^He is the Rock that we lam upon ; The Htrdeit Battle. ' ^ A brave officer who had led his : ^ conquering command in the "march to 'j 'p the sea," was in our inquiry meeting recently, greatly troubled. "Oh, he said, the peril and strain of the battleflcld^g&M thoagh endured for days and yean together, never troubled me as I am troo- :'?| j bled now. This battle with sin and self is the hardest one I have ever had to H f fight. I never surrendered in that conflict. And now you ask me to surrender unconditionally. It is so hard.*y;^? And the last we heard of the brare sol- ^ dier he was still "holding out" agains* "< thy love of God. How much nobler to 'M iiuve Burreuueivu uu uuw; auu uui/vw~ . 'r.vfifM ditionally to such a leader as Jesus, tivfc-i'anj Captain-general of our salvation. 'A Opportunities Opportunities are what we make them. ' > To the sure-footed they are steppjpit;ffifiH| stones to success, but stumbling blocks to the -weak and careless. A man's dom is shown by the way he uses them; -f'jffig and the measure of our life is not ac? '? $) | cording to the number of our days, but % according to the use we make of our j fajj opportunities. They make the staircas^agHi; of life, and a conscientious use of the passing chances brings others within our < reach. The idlest man in the world is he who waits for the brook to run instead of using the stones in its bed^^^H Life is a straight line. The same oppor^ . ^H tunities never come twice, and weaiimeat uuiui tuu nvuu vuuw. . ctm ford to squander them. They are pricft- ; '^S less gifts from God. As the kej fits " wards of the lock, so oar opportunitie*^^M| are adapted to our lives. The breeze s 1 never fills a furled sail, and he who % would win success must "have every ;:J inch of canvas spread.?Christian JourPeril of Postponing S?W*tto& ^ James W satin his lather's office; <($ reading an interesting paper. HI* fattier | sat at a desk opposite, busily engaged in I writing. "Hyson, I want you to go'^J|g j down to the post-office forme." "O 'V'*J father I not now, I am busy reading.'* His father made no reply then, but in* few momenta, when his mother and sis- ' . .'I ter came in a carriage to the door, as > \ James was about to step in latner, tne latter repuea, sim, iww, mj ., soa; you may finish your reading." This little incident brought to my remembrance a pieture which I had seen .'-.y-, in my early childhood, which made a lasting impression on my mind. The . artist represented an old man climbing ' on a chair, and endeavoring to reach a book from a high shelf. But before the desired object is attained the old man sinks down overcomo with exertion. His history has often been written. In \ his youth kind friends and the voice of ~:j$ conscience urged him to read his Bible, but his answer was, Not novo. On entering manhood it received the reply 3fe#33Sj?||| note. At last old age and disease over. took him, poverty and affliction visited , vffl him, and his former numerous frienda d deserted him. And now, when all else . "*$! has failed, he remembers his I0&3 r.e-. glected Bible, and goes to look for it to'.' 't'M see if it will afiord any comfort. He climbs to get it, and as jo bas a hand almost upon it he hears a voice, tha awful voice of death, saying, Not now. "How often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth. gather her brood under her wings, and'..-'M ye would notl"?Presbyterian. A young man whose heart was warm ';$f with tho love of Christ was very desir. *"..a| ous to be useful. He went to his pastor* told him what be* felt, and asked * what way he thought he might bo em-. ployed. He told him he thought he might be useful among tho young. On his suggestion he set to work in prayer J] and dependence on the Holy Spirit, and the result was that in a short time four ^- ^ young persons were led to the Saviour. A pious Christian woman for many years M vraa always seen in her place in the house . d of God on the Sabbath. As she watched '% the people coming in, she saw manj nmong them who were unconverted, for " '>] whom she prayed. A short time before j her death, she stated that she had Uved to see twenty persons for whom she had . J prayed brought to Jesus and member! 'r$M of the church. She was truly a mother fl in Israel.?Rev. A. Dallery. jj The saloon-keepers and liquor-dealers, the country over, says the Democrat, are ^ raukinc party fealty entirely subservient H to their iufamous business interests; and this i< the step which is certain to seal fl their doom. I The Princess of Wales has become pa- I trones3 of the Scandinavian Sailors' Ternpcraace Home, and has given $250 to- ] ward the erection of a new building fo^ ' | that institution. 1 Ji