University of South Carolina Libraries
? ^%/ ' '' . , V" - ' . . - " ' ' ' , ::m '.'.x^S ._ . ???Wrt,,?II "I Tuur rnr-irwim? The Abbeville Press and Banner. ! BY I1UGII WILSON. ABBEVILLE, S. C., WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1889. VOLUME XXXIII. NO. 48. 1 ? =g= . . _ Extracts from tbe Ciiristiau Neiglte. A Question ol'Education. The extract below is from Ceo. T. Angell's address to the annual meeting of the national Association of Superintendents of Public Schools, at Washington, D. C., Feb. 14, 1SS4. Copied from Our Dumb Animals : "Nearly all the criminals of the future, the thieves, burglars, incendiaries, and murderers, are now in our public schools, and with them the greater criminals who commit national crimes. They are in our public schools now, and we are educating them. We eau mold them now if we will. To illustrate the power of education : We know that you may make the same boy Protestant, Itoman Catholic, or Mohammedan. Jt is simply a question of education. You may put ^ 1 1.. f/%? <! into nis mne uuuus, us uoi whips, guns and swords, or you may teacn him, tis the Quakers do, that war and cruelty are crimes. You may teach him to shoot the little bird ii? springtime, with its uest full of young, or you may teach him to feed the bird and spare its nest. You may go into the schools now with book, picture, song and story, and make neglected boys merciful, or you may let them drift until, as men, they become sufliciently lawless and cruel to throw your railway trains off the track, place dynamite under your dwelling houses or public bnildings, assassinate your President, burn half your city, or involve the nation in civil war.. "Isitnot largely, if not wholly, a question of education ?" This extract contains a most important truth, onewhich should Ih' taught, if need be, over and over to every child, and adult as well, and never forgotten. The truth as stated l>y Mr. Angcll.j is embraced in a chain of truths ol j kindred and equal importance. The Jinks of this chain are, 1. Faith comes through teaching. 2. According to accepted teaching so is faith. 3. According to faith so is conscience. 4. According to conscience so is conduct. 5. According to conduct so is character. 6. According to charactei so is destiny. Rejection of teaching is unbelief concerning that which was taught. "Whether the teaching be true or false, faith follows acceptance, and he who accepts the teaching is sincere in his belief, as much so in believing the false as in believing the true. Sincerity is essential to and inseparale from faith of any kind or degree. It one is M not sincere he does not believe?has 9 no faith. How important then is it that persons should take heed as to what. they hear and also as to how they hear. ~Still more important is it that teachers should take heed as to what and how they teaeh ! Teachings accepted are the infinitesimal wires that make the first link of the series which ends with destiny. After teaching and faith comes conscience, which answers to faith as the printed page answers to the types by which it has been pressed. 1 Nextjis conduct, which is a manifest translation of faith and conscience into practical life?showing faith and ?rr,rL-u WUOtlBIIVS Next, the actions in probation lifeconduct?are the accretions that make character; and character is that which a man, after probation, carries with him into the state of award?destiny. Faith and conscience never disagree as the light or wrong of anything. AUSTRALIAN CORRESPONDENCE. Sydney Harbor ? T. S. Mori- Il.vifo Park?Quern Victoria's Statue? The Museum nn<l Art (iallcr.vliOrd.'Cjirrinfjton?Post Offices?ISiu< SfountaiiiH. Sydney, New South "Walks, Australia, Jan. 1 SS'J. Dear Neighbor: Usually the first question a body in Sydney asks a stranger is, "What do vou think of our harbor?" Very I truthfully could I answer all such inquiries by saying that it was the grandest and most beautiful harbor I had ever seen. Indeed it is worthy all the pride that Australians feel in it, for not only is it magnificent in it* surroundings of green hills and bandsome residences and public buildings, but its ample coast-line would afford splendid "berths" for all the shipping of Australia, should it ever be necessary to concentrate it in Sydney. The "Circular Quay," where the large ocean steamers lie, is a popular and pleasant driving place, and its pretty park is adorned by a bronze statue of T. S. Mort, one of Sydney's early settlers, and the most nolile philanthropist of New South Wales. It is worthy of mention that when Mr. Mort settled in Sydney he was rather "looked down upon"* because he was an auctioneer. The disfavor of colonial royalty had little or no effect upon him, however, and before a great while he had the satisfaction of elevating "trade" to acknowledged respectability in Sydney, and the pleasure of occupying the most exalted position as - ftvlitlonUirnrtiuf TTi? In V/UlISLi?u puiiaiiiiiix>t/,ov ...... cess was phenomenal, his achievements honourable, and his name is still borne upon many of the greatest business blocks in Sydney, where his memory is held in high esteem by people of every class. Sydney is a great and beautiful city, settled just a hundred years a<?o, aiic' passing through the vicissitudes of ;i penal colony of Great Britain, it has long since emerged from its misfortuues, and is now a thriving city of nearly four hundred thousand inhabitants. Possessed of many delightful parks, and beautiful terraces, adorned by numerous handsome statues and monuments, endowed with fine museums and art galleries, it is indeed <m charming place to visit, and to live in, too. I doubt not. Everything is thoroughly English, of course, and I have soon become accustomed to the scarlet coats of the soldiers and government employees to be seen on every hand. They appeal much more dignified than the same class of people in America. Certain localities about town resem ble those of .London,?in name at least: Hyde Park, ltegent Street, Holborn, J.Ioomsbury, and so on. At the western entrance to Hyde Park tire re stand line statues of Queen Victoria and of the late Prince Consort; the former was erected during the "Jubilee year1' of the Queen's reign, and is of most noble appearanee, reflecting great credit upon the sculptor for his magnilicent creation. Another prominent feature of this park is the white marble statue of Captain Cook, the renowned explorer and settler of the Southern Paeilic. Close by Hyde Park is the Australian Museum,?well worth a long and careful visit; in it one limls the relics of aboriginal life in the Colonies, and, indeed, all the wonders of the South Seas. The mineral department contains the largest gold nuggets I have ever seen, some of which are worth over a half million of dollars. Specimens of kangaroos and rabbits are plentiful, for, be it remembered, they n.? ..l,/>nt nf nil Alls ill C Lilt* illW.-U UUIWV4 UVWUW VX* .? tralian animals, the former for its value, and the latter for its destructivenessof vegetable life. Indeed, the ! Australian rabbit is a pest from which Americans should be very thankful they have escaped. .Strolling through the beautiful and I Vagrant botanical gardens one comes upon the New South Wales Art Gallery. The present building is not yet completed, but it is progressing rapidly, and, when finished, will be the finest gallery in the Colonies. Many of the pictures portray Australian life and are by native artists. The galleries of the world, however, have been laid under contribution by the liberal handed patrons in Sydney, and though comparatively new, this temple of art is fikely to take a high rank at no very distant day. Already it luvs brought to the front very prominently some of its local artists, and has created abroad an abiding interest in Australian works. Government House, as Lord C'arrington's residence io known, is a - nauusome suiiciure 01 fuugniiJitnu blocks of brown stone. The "ivy o-rcen" that clings about the sturdy walls lends an ancient aspect not wholly in keeping with modern .Sydney; still, as it is comparatively isolated in its ample grounds, one doesnot necessarily observe the contrast. Just now Lord* ('arrington is in "hot water" because he refuses to commute the death sentence of a murderess. It is gratifying to note, however, that he {irmly declines yielding to the sentimental appeals in the woman's behalf, and will not interfere in the case, because, says be, "she was strong enough to kill, and she is not too weak to hang." The Post O/liec occupies an entire block, and in it is contained the de partment of mails, the telegraph and cable ollices and the postal savings bank, all of which are owned by the government. The finest, largest and mo>t conveniently appointed oflice in America would sulicr greatly in comparison with the Sydney establishment. Plenty ol' space, ample facilities for letter "writing, wailing rooms,? indeed, ever\ thing one needs for correspondence is right at hand. The lilue Mountains aflbrd the finest scenery in New South Wales, and thetrincan be made very pleasantly iii t\v<> clays via the "Zig-zag" Railroad. The grade is so steep iu several places that in order for trains to make the ascent, the track has been laid in :i zig-zag fashion, from which fact the railroad takes its name. Many of the suburban residences are built-upon terraccs, and with a whole hill-side covered with handsome houses and gardens it is a pleasant sight indeed. In the principal residence sections of Hie city, private houses are designated by names instead of numbers. The custom certainly admits of more individuality attaching to a gentleman's house, but it is not nearly so convenient as numbering. Sydney is supplied with various styles of cabs and tramway*. Han-1 sums and gurneys are most in use for! small parties; st.-am tram-cars with seats below and above are patronized very liberally, as are also the many omnibus lines. Strange to aav, there are no horse-carr, but the lack of proper trallic accommodation is soon to be remedied by electric street railwavs. ' ' T 11 ill enurcnes, scnoois ann couches :iiul hospitals, Sydney is abreast of the world. St. Andrew's Cathedral is a fine old brown stone cdifiee, solemnly grand in appearance; the light steals softly in through richly stained windows, and one can almost fancy in the twilight that lu* sees weird shadows Milting behind the massive pillars and disappearing in the starry expanse above. The boy choir in St. Andrew's is an especial feature in its favor, and attracts all lovers of music, even at the evening rehearsals. All in all, I have found Sydney a most charming city, and but for lack of space could say much more about the pleasant places visited and people I have met, but I must not trespass further. S. T. Bkownk. A Curious Combat. A travel lor in South Africa tells of a singular combat be witnessed. He was musing one morning, with his eyes on the ground, when lie noticed a caterpillar crawling along at a rapid pace. Pursuing him was a host of small ants. IJcing quicker in their movements, the aunts would catch up with the caterpillar, and one would mount his back and bite him. Pausing, the caterpillar would turn his head, and bite and kill his tormentor. After slaughtering a dozen or more of his persecutors, the caterpillar showed . signs of fatigue. The ants made a combined attack. Petakiug himself . to a stalk of grass, the caterpillar climbed mi tail first. followed by the . ante. As one approached, he seized it in ins jaws and threw it off t lie stalk. Tiie ants, seeing that the caterpillar had too strong a position for them to overcome, resorted to strategy. They began sawing through the . grass stalk. In a few moments the * stalk fell, and hundreds of ants poime. ed upon the caterpillar. lie was killed at once, and the victors marched oil" in triumph, leaving the foe's body on the field. Tin-: Frigatj: iJiun.?Sailors believe religiously that the frigate bird can start at daybreak with the trade winds from the coast of Africa and | roost the same night upon the American shore. "Whether or not this is a [ fact has not yet been conclusively determined, but it is certain that the bird is tlie swiftest of winged creatures, and is able tolly, under favoring conditions, 200 miles an hour. * ^ v. . ft? . . CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA. Christmas at tlic AiitlpndoN?A Mi<lSmiiiiior Festival?"Piuld.v"* Murkoi"? St. Andrew's Cathedral -- "ISoxinc Day." Sydney, New Soutii Wales, Australia, Dec. 31, 18SS. Dear Ncif/hbor : \ Ten nights ago the good ship "Lubeck," of the Norddeut^chcr .Lloyd line, brought me safely into Sydney harbor, after a pleasant run of 2,3G3 miles from theSamoan Islands. We had scarcely reached the quarantine station in the outer harbor when the "newspaper boats," as they are called, came alongside with reporters for the press, bringing tiles of the latest papers, and seeking the war news from Samoa. After glancing oyer our passenger list one enterprising scribe, desirous of outstripping his rivals, requested an interview with me; at the time I was just retiring for the nierht. but when the message came I thought that the gentleman in waiting might be the bearer of some important despatches which I expected to receive upon my arrival, so I slipped into something a little less than full dress, and went out to see him. What was my surprise and disappointment to find in the person hanging on to the "Jacob's ladder" at the ship's side, a knight of the quill. "An interviewer interviewed !"?a droll thought eaough, but when I remembered the anxiety I used to experience in a like position, I concluded to gratify my visitor?partially, at least. After giving him such information as I felt at liberty to disclose, the reporter thanked me profusely, assuring me, the while, that 1 had secured myself a prodigious "head-line" introduction to the city. He was considerably taken aback when I told him that on no account should he use my name in connection with the news he had obtained ; that I cared for no publicity in the papers beyond the ordinary passenger-list it printed, and that I thought the letters I bore would be sufficient introduction to the good peonip nf Kvdnpv whom T exnected to meet. Thus was his anticipated sensational report shorn of some of its possibilities of embellishment. The next day T was gratified by reading in the Mornintf Herald a simple and correct narration of the Samoan war news, devoid of the customary, useless and misleading intcrspersion of personal opinion by the party interviewed. But, of "Christmas in Australia,"? for, having transacted the business that brought me to Syddey,?I gave myself over to the kind attentions of old friends and new acquaintances, and entered into the spirit of the festival season. Fancy Christmas in midsummer! Yet so I found it here; but, owing to an exceptionally cool wave, the temperature was in re like October ' ' >. - ' T IS ill ine oiiiit's, ucutc a cujiy (,-u wvi novelty to the utmost. Day before Christmas llio streets and! | the fancy stores were crowded with J anxious and eager shoppers; the Victoria and the It ova I Arcades, almost impenetrable, [what useful and beautiful blocks are these arcades, where one can find everything he wants in the numerous bazaars on every side.] I5ig people and little people, pretty girls and girls not pretty, lords and ladies, paupers and pickpock-j lets,?all were in the throng, here andi [ there, a red-coated soldier, "quite English, you know." Ladies and children i in white, men in light-weight clothing and straw hats everywhere. Such was the scene in Sydney this year;? in what great contrast with my last Christmas,?blockaded by ice in the Hudson River. Christmas eve drew 011, mid 110 perceptible diminution in the crowds. Along with a friend or two, I visited j "Paddy's Market,"?a large, barn-like old structure in one of the poorer districts of the city. It is a wonderful place, this market, where all sorts of slut!', mostly second-hand, are disposed of at auctions held on certain nights. It was pandemonium. Qui ali sides little auctions were in progress, a horse or a hair-pin on the bl.ieks; here, a "merry-go-round" j loaded with frolicking men and children ; there, a magic medicine vendor, proclaiming 111s nostrums, auu performing tricks of humbug for (lie pleasure of bin gaping audience. Everywhere commotion; everywhere noisy trailers trying to entertain their customers while they swindled them, r 11 the hurry of the evening some secured bargains, and others,?well others went away poorer, if not wiser men. With all the noise and jollity, the Christmas horns and fire-crackers, so usual ill American cities at this season, were conspicuous by their absence. Wcndingour way along the crowded thoroughfare we were attracted by the pitiful cry of a forlorn little newspaper girl, begging the passers-by to take her papers. I shall never forget the gladness that glowed in her wan little face when one of our party "bought her out" and paid double the price of her stock of J'k-hoCH. She seized his hand and kissed it, and said, "God bless you, Mister; I'll pray to Santa Claus for you to-night; 'Merry Christmas' to you^ too." Only a moment,?but the incident set nie a-thinking of Christmas and its real import and oblign > '.< Il?. llw.nto.wlc u-linca lions, aim \n mv iuwu.-tuiuo u?ov Christmas is always a sort* reminder of sadness and poverty than a rather than a season of merry rejoicing. Musing thus, there fell upon my ear thesouuds of Christmas chimes ringing out from the many belfries over the city. And thus was my Christmas in*Australia ushered in. It seemed to me, next morning, that all the waiters, porters and chamber maids in Sydney were crowded in the "Crown, and Anchor Hotel" where I was stopping. Step as softly as one might, and glide along as swiftly, they were sure to hear you, and pop out of every door and unexpected corner with an obsequious "Merry Christmas," ending in a plea for the "help," as they call themselves. Holly si ltd mistletoe do not grow in Austiaiia to any extent, and the little /* that one may Jiml is 01 an mierior quality, and is unworthy a place in Christmas decorations. However, a \ery pretty substitute Is (blind in the "Christinas bush," which is of rather a "scrubby" growth, hut which is covered with innumerable little crimson (lowers, having a back-ground of yellowish-green leaves. With a profusion of "Christmas bush" and cut flowers were the halts, reading-rooms, and parlors and dining saloons of the Crown and Anchor adorned on Christmas morning. St. Andrew's Cathedral (Episcopal) was the great attraction, and long before eleven o'clock its seating capacity of eighteen hundred was taxed to the \ V'X.r.i ' V-"?> -? _ 7 utmost. Although St. Andrew's is extremely "high church," it was devoid of all decoration save a handful of white lilies at the foot of the pulpit cross. A choir of eighty boys rendered most charmiugly some of the sacred melodies that belong especially to the Christmas season. A sermon by the Bishop, and the ceremony of confirmation, prolonged the service to almost three hours, yet a more patient and apparently interested audience I have never seen in any church. After luncheon we drove a few miles out of town to see the wonderful "weeping rocks." For nearly a mile there runs an underground stream which finds its outlet between several huge rocks just overlooking a precipice of three hundred and ninety feet. The manner in which the water courses through the rocks gives them the appearance of actually weeping,? that is, very profusely. Later on we drew up at "Leura," the suburban residence of an old friend, and there we enioved a delicious cup of afternoon tea" and many interesting, even thrilling, reminiscences of early Australian days. I accepted an invitation to an informal evening party at "Ercildoune." (They don't have numbers on the private houses in the villa regions in Elizabeth Bay and other fashionable suburbs of Australian cities, but each residence is known by the name its proprietor pleases to bestow upon it.) There the hours sped in pleasant,' and refreshing talks about old times and familiar men and places, and in the company of many new acquaintances of Australian birth. I do not know when I have been so deeply impressed by cordial hospitality and thorough good fellowship as by that I met with in "Ercildoune" and other Australian homes, especially at Christmas time, when, it seems to me, one's hearth is sacred, and "a stranger within the gates," is not greatly to be desired. But my preconceived ideas were rather upset,?probably because I was the stranger, (as it were) and was so heartily welcomed by all with whom I came in contact. December 2G is known in Australia, as well as in England, as "Boxing Bay." Owing to the ancient custom of solemnly observing Christmas as a religious occasion entirely, the following day was set apart for the secular observance of the holiday; and it obtained its name because on that day the longed-for "Christmas boxes" are sent and received, and are opened by the expectant recipients, it is, too, the day that good, liberal (or, shall I say just?) hearts control the hands, and kind deeds are done, sad souls gladdened, and the poor rejoiced a little. I have accepted this "amendment" to the American custom as a very great improvement, for, whilst I disapprove many holidays, I think that the good works of "Boxing Day" warrant its observance. A pleasant party was invited ior a trip around .Sydney harbor after luncheon on Boxing Day, and in the handsome yacht of the gentleman from ''Ercildoune" we viewed the magnificent harbor, which is the pride of the Colonies, and is said to be the finest all the world over,?bar none. The water was covered with craft of all sorts,?great ocean steamers, luxurious yachts, the penny ferry boats, yawls, dinghevs, <fcc., galore. The scenery | along the Paramatta River was most enjoyed, because of its majestic grandbu'r and ivilijness, resembling in many respects our famous French Broad in ' America. At twilight we ran into the little bay belonging to "Ercildoune," and disembarked to the plaintive melody of "Home, Sweet Home,"?alas! so far away from. S. T. Browne. She Knew the Furniture. There is a good May moving story which has just gained publicity, retmrdiner some prominent furniture | dealers in Chicago. The firm alluded j to had a very elegant parlor set of solid | mahogany and the linest upholstering, jit also had duplicates in veneering wood and cheap plush in the store I room. The mostly outfit, which was worth about $200, was displayed in the window and marked : "This elegant parlor suite only $27." One day a | mild, meek-look ins woman came in, I examined the furniture and Invested. She took a receipt for her money, left her address, and was bowed out by the smiling salesman, who assured her that "the things would be sent right over." In due time the wagon arrived at the young woman's house and backed up in front of the door. "Hold on," said the purchaser. J-/U11 t u muuu j vvf Then she climbed on the van and made a very peculiar examination of the load. At last she said to the driver iind his assistant: "I'll go back with you io the store. These are not the goods that I purchased." And back she did go, despite entreaties, protests, assurances, etc., that everything was ali right. When she walked in she was not the mild-mannered creature of two hours before. "You've tried to swindle me," she cried. "I bought one set of furniture and you sent me another. Now, I want what I paid for. Plow do I know? Because in every jtrticle of that set you sold me I stuck m pin in while you were not looking. Now, I am going to picK out my proper^ ?uu see that you take it over. If you don't there'll lie trouble." There was no trouble, and the little woman is again looking for some sharp merchant with a similar "bargain" on hand.?(.'Aicuyo Herald. 4^^ A Cup of Cold Water.?One da}', seven years ago, when a preacher went into the pulpit to preaoh, he found that the sexton had forgotten to put a glass of water on the pulpit table. His throat was dry, and he felt that lie could hardly preach without a drink of water. He was iu a strange church, and did not know how to get the water without interrupting the services. Just then one of the little girls in tho congregation noticed me eiupij gins*. Without disturbing any one, slie rose and brought a full glaes of water to the preacher. It relieved his throat, and helped him to preach a better sermon. That preacher has never forgotten that cup of water, nor the little girl who brought it. And sometimes he says that if he can remember one cup of water so many years, it will be very easy for Christ to remember the little things that his little ones do for him. It requires a sterner virtue than good nature to hold fast the truth thaj it is nobler to be shabby and honest than to do things handsomely in debt. -C It Came Upon the Midnight Clear. It came upon the midnight clear, That glorious song oj old, From angels bending near the earth, To touch their harps of gold: "Peace on the earth, good-will to men, From heaven's all-gracious king." The world in solemn stillness lay To hear the angels sing. Still through the cloven skies they come With peaceful wings unfurled; And still their heavenly music floats O'er all the weary world: Above Its sad and lowly plains They bend on hoverlug wing, And ever o'er Its Babel sounds The blessed angels sing. But with the woes of sin and strife The world has suffered long; Beneath the angel-straln have rolled Two thousand years of wrong; And man, at war with man, hears not The love-song which they bring: Ob, hush the noise, ye men of strife, And hear the angels sing! And ye, beneath life's crushing load Whose forms are bending low, Who toll along the climbing way, With painful steps and slow,? Look now; for glad and golden hours Come swiftly on the wing; Oh, rest beside the weary road, And hear the angels sing! For, lo! the days are hastening on By prophet bards foretold, When wir.h thp over-nlrnllni? vears Comes round the age of gold; When peace shall over all the earth Its ancient splendors fling, And the whole world glre back the song Which now the angels sing. Edmund Hamilton Sears, 1850. Extracts from Jonathan and his Continent. BY MAX O'RELL. If you ask a passer-by in the street the nearest way to the station, he waflis as though he understood you not. The word "station" is English, but here you must talk American, and say depot, pronounced deepo. The invariable answer you get to the questions you ask in the street is, "I don't know." They are all like Joe, "they don't know nothing." When a railway servant has succeeded in insulting you, he is quite proud, and plumes himself on his smartness; he looks at his mates and seems to say: "Did you hear how I spoke up to him?" He would be afraid of lowering himself by being politp. In his eyes politeness is a form of servility, and he imagines that, by being rude to well bred people, he puts himself on a footing with them. You go to a railway ticket office to look for a certain place. Perhaps there are several lines of railway running to your destination. The clerk says, without looking at you, and at the rate of a thousand words a minute : "What line? B. and O., or S. F. and W. R. H., orS. T. L. and C.?" "I want a ticket for Chicago." "I ask whether you wish to go by the" Here he once more repeats various parts of the alphabet, casting a look of pity at you all the while. Do not believe he will translate his A B C D's into English. It is your place to unders land them. Do not lose your temper, however; that never pays in America. The natives would only enjoy It, Take the matter laughingly. This is the advice the Americans gave me, and I recommend it to you, if ever you are similarly placed. f was having a siesta one day in one of the comfortable arm chairs of a drawiug room car, when the conductor came along and, giving me a formidable thump, cried out in the most savage tone: *'Your ticket!" I made haste to oblige him and to offer apologies. "I trust I have not kept you waiting," said I. He went away quite crestfallen. Here are two advertisements which I extract from ap Indianapolis paper: "tiitiiutlou as dish washer required by a lady. Apply Sentinel office." "A lady (white) undertakes washing at home." (Address follows.) Democracy can no further go. "I take care never to part on bad terms with my servants when they leave me." This was said to me one day by a clever Boston lady, who, to my thinking, laoks sufficient admiration for the democratic institutions of America. I guessed that she intended a covert satire on the greatest republic in the world. "Why?" I demanded. ''Because, when one of those girls leaves me, it is quite within the range of possibility that she will marry some western ranchman, and one day, when her husband becomes a senator, she may be useful to me at Washington." The great mass of the American people live on tough meat uncooked and Joed water unflltered. I take it for granted that sheep and cattle are born at as tender au age in America as elsewhere, but the society for the protection of animals probably prevents iholr being killed for food while they are young enough to enjoy life, and so the patriarchs alone are reserved for the table. That which renders the problem of dining almost past solving is that the meat has to be attacked with plated knives which tear but do not cut it, I suppose that, as half tbe lower class Americans still eat with their knives, it was necessary to abandon the idea of having steel knives tor fear qf their accidentally gashing their faces. If sharp steel knives were in general use in America the streets would be full of people with faces scarred and seamed like those of the Heidelberg students, Mr. Spurgeon has it thus: "I came across a very nice little anecdote the other day. A child was asked if she would like to stay with her Aunt Marv or her Aunt Jane; both aunts were very kind. She said she would like to stay with Aunt Jane best, because, though both aunts made some tarts and cakes. Aunt Jane always set them 011 a low shelf, and she could easily get at them. Some teachers have very good addresses and talks to children, but they are rather stylish?upon a high shelf. Others are so simple that they can get the cakes ! and children like that. Have you never heard of the minister who used such big words in his sermon, that one said to him : 'I thought your Master sent you to feed sheep, but you preach as though he had sent you to feed giraffes.' Very few children are girafflc. Put your cakes low. A nailless haraeshoe has been Invented in England. The shoe is so adapted to the foot that a driver can put one on in three minutes. It pinches the edge of the hoof at certain points, and is held on in this way, no nails being driven into the hoof. The invention saves time in shoeing and avoids its perils. It is just as serv'ceable as the old-fashioned way. * "Is it Catching: Why should intelligent persons, as If they were parrots, adopt and utter certain phrases and exclamations? I sat by Mrs. Blank (her husband is a clergyman) in the street-car a few days ago, and after we had exchanged greetings I said, "My Cousin Angeline sails from Liverpool to-day." "Is that so!" said Mrs. Blank. "Yes," I said, rally-1 ing as well as I could, for this reply takes all the spirit from me, "and she is always very ill on the ocean." "Is that so!" said Mrs. Blank again. A pause followed. How can one con- , tinue to pay out the coin of conversa tion if not even the interest comes 1 back ? J I was glad to get out of the car and ' meet pretty Amy Dexter. I had a 1 hit of news for her. Amy is in the 1 High School, and I told her at once ' that Miss Cummins, who taught her 1 botany last year, is to be married soon, i "Is that so!" returned Amy. I love 1 Amy, but I do not like "Is that so!" 1 and I hastened on to get out of it way; but as I went along Frank Sulli- ( van overtook me, and will you believe j that when I asked Frank if Mr. Stockton had really promised to answer the ' queetion "The Lady or the Tiger?" he 1 exclaimed, "Is that so!" ' JLater in tne day I tola Mr. jumory that his playing of the organ last Sunday had been much complimented, and he smiled and murmured, "Is that so!" Tissue or printing paper is the best thing for polishing glass or tinware. The best of tea makes but an indifferent concoction unless the water is fresh. Egg-shells crushed and shaken in a glass Dottle half filled with water will clean it quickly. Paint made with turpentine is a better protector for iron work than when mixed with linseed oil. Kerosene is unexcelled in starch to give polish; also to polish glass. It will trtolro vAni* winHnwa uhino 151/A silver. ! To clean ornaments of alabaster dissolve borax in boiling water and apply ; with a cloth or soft brush; rinse carefully and dry in the sun. The remedy against sore throat of wearing a few threads of Berlin wool ! around the throat is said to act by keeping up a belt of skin action, and so acting as a counter-irritant. Here is a use for old paper which 1 may be new to some ladies. Fold old, soft newspapers in several thicknesses, place in a pan of water until thoroughly wet, then wring out, tear in small bits, pick up fine, and throw over your 1 carpet instead of wet tea leaves, and see if you do not like it better, 4 ^B> American Gold Cannot Pnrchasc Cuba nor any Other Colony. Madrid, March 20.?In the Senate to-day, replying to a member of the Upposition, me minister or me interior declared that Spain would never , consent to sell Cuba to the United States or any other country, nor would Spain, he continued, accept any price for the smallest portion of her colonial empire. Therefore the rumors circulated by the American press were without foundation. He declared that there was not wealth enough in the whole universe to buy even the smallest portion o,f Spanish territory, and that in case of need Spaniards would knowhow to defend their country's soil. ? The Highest Mountain.?According to Gaskell's New Family Atlas, Mount Hercule?, in New Guinea, now claims tlje ho.nor o.f being the highest peak in the world. lis height is given as 32,768 feet. The same authority gives Mount Everest 29,002 feet, so that Mount Hercules leads the world by 3,76G feet. Win Vuist.?Onft mm fresh boos. three large potatoes, one cup flour, one soaked yeast cake, one table-spoonful sugar. Boil the hops in a quart of water and drain off; scald the flour with the water from the hops; when cool ' stir in the dissolved yeast cake and set to rise in a warm place, thicken with corn-meal, roll out, and dry in the shade. The continued existence of churches depends on the continued process of conversion to God. Whenever conversion becomes a "tradition" in a j church, farewell to every other form of good. There may be wealth, growing numbers, name and repute in the world, influence and a thousand other things that men value and that Jesus , Christ cares very little about; but? Ichabod?the glory is departed. There are within the range of every one's life processes of life which must ( be solitary?passages of duty which throw one absolutely upon his individ- j ual moral forces, and admit of no aid whatever from another. Alone we must stand sometimes ; and if our better nature is not to shrink into weakness, we must take with us the thought which was the strength of /n ! -1 - * T n r\Af OIATIC 11 UO jurist; i ct i am uw atvuvj WW?MMV I the Father is with me." In the moment that I shall waver strengthen me; restrain me when the malignant thought arises; and while the yet unuttered words are ready to issue from my lips, set thou thy bridle ; there, and govern my rebellious faculty. Look for good in every life instead : of. evil, and you will be surprised to light on much of it where least expected. An expression of happiness over the discovery will leap to its cultivation, As the word of God, well studied, will help us to understand his providences, so the providence of God, well observed, will help us to understand his word, for God is every day fulfilling the Scripture. 1 It is a curious fact that wasps' nests sometimes takes fire, as is supposed by the chemical action of the wasp upon the material of which the nest is made. Undoubtedly many nros of uu- known origin in haystacks and farm buildings may thus be accounted for. The Province of Quebec having < granted $400,000 to the Jesuits on an old clame, vigorous protests are being mads against it us a dangerous preced- i ent. Tlie way to cure prejudice is this? ' that every man should let alone those 1 things that lie complains of ill others ! and examine his own. The best place for a sick bird is the bottom of a flour barrel, straw being ! used for bedding. Better to be despised for two anxious . apprehensions, than ruined by too confident a security. i The Stolen Costard. Ia haste I bore the tidings; "My darling, I'm afraid Your pussy-cat has stolen The custard that yon mada." I feared a burst of weeping. But saw. with glad surprise, A look of joyous rapture Light up the childish eyes: "O, auntie! I'm so flattered To have dear pussy feel That I can make a custard That's sood enough to steal." The Little Beauty. "I know lam homely," said little . ,/ \. Rosie Oppenheim, as she peeped from the top of the chair into her looking jlass and scanned every feature. It was only too true, for the face she saw was far from fairy-like. There was no pretty dimple in the cheek, no bright, winsome eyes, no tiny, clear-cut nose, no smooth, white forehead and drooping eyelashes. It was a dark countenance, small eyes, thick lips, large nose and huge ears. Goodness! What a fright!" she / exclaimed, as she got off the chair and Lumed her face from the mirror. 'Well, I am glad that I know it, anyway ; and so, if the girls eall me names, they won't sting me at all, because it is true." And she lauched jucli a merry little laugh that the sunbeam through the window caught its jchoes, and passed them to the clouds jeyond. liosie took up her sewing by the window, but after a time grew tired of the work, and, picking up Alice in Wonderland, was deep in its mysteries. With what interest did she follow the adventures of that pleasant little maid! How excited she grew as page after page was quickly scanned! How? "Rosie"?it was Mrs. Oppenheim svho spoke. "Rosie, dear, I would like . ' you to run to the corner and match this silk." Quick as a flash she threw down the book, and returned in a few minutes with the article desired. Then she resumed her book. "Sister Rosie-Posy"?the voice came from a little chubby boy of five. "Won't you please tell me a little story ?" "Why, of course I will, my precious," said the young girl, seizing the little fellow; and he eagerly listened while she told him such a fair story that his eyes grew larger and larger. Q11/1 Vl?C m/Mlt'l> tlfMni* nml ?nu *110 lliWUVU IT IUVA WllU VTiUCI) UUlll lie soon fall fast asleep. "I don't think I shall read any more now," said Rosie to herself. "It ia time to go to the piano. I have to run over those scales," and she darted ujp the stairs and had just opened the piano, when her father appeared at the doorway. "You would oblige me, my darling," he said, "if you would close that piano. My head aches dreadfully." "All right, papa. I will get up early to-morrow and finish the exercises." And she closed the piano softly, then quietly left the room as her mother entered. "What ft beautiful disposition that child has!" said Mr, Oppenheim. "It is your training, uiy love." J51U i (to wisn tuat9iie was a iiuie prettier, Joseph." "Not for the world, not for the world, Hanuah. Believe me, she is a little beauty as she is; and if God spares her, her features will grow more regular. . Rosie did not hear her father'9 remarks, although she felt that she was loved even more tenderly from that hour. But the sunbeam that caught her merry laughter and bore it to the slouds heard the words of praise, ancl shone in extra lovely colors that evening.?Jewish Messenger. ? Mr. Labouchere relates this 9tory of Bishop Wilberforce, which has not be- ' yr'h fore, he thinks, been printed. The Bishop was riding in one of the oldfashioned broad-gauge railway carriages, and was seated at one end of it, < when he heard a truculent voice at the other end exclaim *, "I would dearly like to meet the Bishop of Oxford. I will be bound I would puzzle him." "Very well," replied the Bishop to me speaKer, wno naa not perceivea him, "now is your time, for I am that person." The man was rather taken aback, but quickly recovering said "Well, my lord, can you tell a plain man a plain way to get to heaven ?" "Certainly," replied tho Bishop; "nothing is more easy> You have only to turn at once to the right, and go straightforward,"?New York lYibune. The Commissioner of Agriculture has given formal notice to its owners uf the abandonment by the government of the land at Summerville, S. C., recently occupied as an expert mental farm. The permanent im- * provements made by the government revert to the owners of the property. In giving this notico the Commissioner writes: "On behalf of the government 1 desire to express its appreciation of the public spirit of the late Mr. Middleton in so generously co-operating in the important experiments which have been made at Summerville?experiments which have been nono the less valuable because they nroved futile." I French Rolls. --One quart of flour sifted with a tea-spoonful of salt and a tea-spoonful of sugar, two cups of milk, one-half cake of compresscd yeast, two eggs, one table-spoonful butter. Hub the butter into the flour, add the eggs, beaten light, and the milk, Add the yeast cake dissolved in throo table-spoonfuls of warm walei\ Knead well five minutes. Let it rise over-night, and in the morning mold into rolls. Dip the side of each one in ii saucer of molted buttor to keep it from sticking to its next neighbor* Let thorn rii.e ; cut each across the top with, a knife aud bake. - -- ?? * "So you wouldn't like to be a minis.* ter, ]>obby, when you grow up?" remarked Mr. "-Vhiteohoker at the table* ltuieeu, ' respouueu uouuv, ;mphatieally. "Ami why not?" insisted Mr, Whitechoker, amused at the lad's eat^ nestness. "Because ma says she always feels iorry for country ministers, an* that's [lie reason she lias you here to dinner 30 often.''? Drake1 $ jj&ctyazine. Soui*.?Use a quart of water off of mutton which has been boiled, for a basis. Cut fine an onion and a carrot; mid a quarter of a pound of vermicelli and boil all together an hour, season as preferred; add water enough for two quarts of soup.