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' r'^'A VALENTINE. ? - If only I might sing Like birds in spring? Robin, or thrush, or wren, ' In grove or glen. If onlj I might suit To harp or lute, j To chime in tender time Some touching rhymeThen I'd not hope in vain Thine ear to gain; But now?I halt?I auail? Ah I must I fail? So small my skill to pload * My earnest need, ; Love?love is all the plea ? ' I bring to thee. ?Clinton Scollard, in the Century. ( ? A TREASURE HUNT. In the fall of 1859 a man named James 8hields, who hailed from Charleston, appeared in Boston and interested several capitalists in a strange adventure. As near as I was ever able to learn, for reaflona which I will explain, he had located a treasure-wreck to the east of the Canary Islands? between them and the coast of Morocco. What papers he had is <snown only to the other members of the syndicate. He must have had a pretty plausible yarn, for they bought and outfitted a brig and sailed away on the search. I was second mate of the brig, and all I knew about the voyage was that ;thc articles read, "To the Canary Islands and surrounding waters and return." The first mate knew no more than I did, and while the Captain, no doubt, knew all about it, he was as mum as an oyster. Shields went along as passenger, and a man named Harper was aboard to act as ageut for the others. While the object of the voyage was .'kept secret, we had hardly cleared Bositon harbor before it was understood by .all that it was a treasure hunt. We were in ballast only, had a full crew and one .man over, and the chains and cables and diving bell put aboard all went to prove tn^ we were gojng to fish for dollars jafy ing un?.eJ'WSter."^* ~ It va long voyage from Boston to the Carries, but we had a fairly good run of it Our brig was called the Swallow, and as she was a good sailer and well proS visioned,there was no growling among the men, when, at times,she lay heaving on the glassy seas without wind enough to flare a candle. The object of the voyage had almost been forgotten when the islands were finally sighted. It was not until we ran into Simm's Bay, on the eastern side of the group, that interest was again at fever heat. Here we took in fresh water, overhauled the standing rigging, secured fresh provisions, and were almost ready to sail away when a large dhow, such a3 the Arabians use in the slave trade, and geemingly carrying a large number of men, arrived in the bay and anchored within a cable's length of us. The West African coast of thirty years ago was not traversed almost daily by the steam war ships and steamships of several nations, and the merchantman never felt perfectly safe outside the Straits of Gibraltar. Whether this dhow was bound down the coast after a cargo of blacks or was cruis- j ing for nobler fry was an enigma. Wc | carried an arsenal of small arms, but nothing in the way of cannon. One of our men, who was sent aloft for trie purpose, reported that he was certain the dhow carried two pieces of ordnance forward. The dhow came in about ten o'clock in j the morning, and as soon as her anchor was down her boats started for the shore. "What the errand was we could not tell, I but guessed they were after fruits. After dinner her Captain was pulled aboard of us. He was an Algerine, with as wicked a face on him as any pirate ever carried, and though he tried to render his visit very pleasant he left nothing but distrust and suspicion behind. One and all betlieved that he came as a spy. He asked, j as natural, our port of hail, whither | bound, our cargo, and so on, and it was j thought best to tell him that we had been [ sent out by the American Government to rescue a crew of American sailers, shipwrecked some time before about three | hundred miles Deiow tne coast, yy e nau | put in for water and repairs, and would . soon resume our voyage. This story seemed to satisfy him, and, after a lunch in the cabin, he took his departure. That afternoon he dropped out of the | bay with the tide, and we expected we i had seen the last of him. We were all j glad enough to sec him go, for no man i aboard doubted that he was up to mis- j chief. The next mornhig we were ready to 1 sail, and now I learned more of the ob- J ject of the voyage than ever before, j Shields had a British chart of the waters, I and midway between the northeastern island and the mouth of the Draha Iliver ! he had made a pencil mark. Whether this 1 stood for a shoal or a wreck I did not j learn. At 5 o'clock in the afternoon, having I held a course to the northeast since we j left the bay, we took soundings, aud found bottom at five fathoms. This went i .to show that Shields had marked a shoal. ! I heard the Captain and mate talking about coming to anchor, but no orders 1 had yet been given when the dhow came ! stealing down upon us from the east, ! coming out of the blur which hung over j the water as one might suddenly appear j ? from.behind a curtain. She wasn't over , two miles awaj when first sighted, and j after a hurried consultation the brig's I bead was permitted to fall off and we ! headed to the north with a light wind j abeam. The dhow altered her course to 1 intercept us, at the same time signaling , tiiat she wanted to speak us. Her appearance created surprise and consternation, and when it was seen that she meant to lay us aboard a consultation was held in the cabin as to what should be done. A decision was reached very quickly. She could sail two feet to our one, and it was | plain that she could board us whether we j cotiBonted or not. There was some talk of getting up the arms, but this was only ' among the men forward. The head of ] the brig was brought forward to the wind, and as darkness came stealing down over ! the sea tbe dhow came gliding toward us ; like h serpent approaching its prey. From the first apptMiauc-j of the dhow j I had no doubt that she meant us evil. I j was ready to do my full share toward beating her off, but when I was told that there would be no resistance, and when she was within pistol-shot of us, I entered the forecastle, and from thence by means by means of a sliding door in the bulkhead, passed into the hold. We were rock-ballasted, and in the hold were .a score or more of empty crates and boxes. I selected one of these as a place of refuge, having a plenty of matches to enable me to see my way through the darkness, but waited a while to see what would happen above. I heard a hail from the dhow, an other from above, and then a shock as the stranger came alongside. In a moment, as I knew by the tramping overhead, we had been boarded by a large gang. Two or three pistols were fired, there wa? shouting and running, and after few minutes I made certain that the Algerine had taken possession. Men began to rummage the brig, and as one of the hatches was pulled off I retreated to the hiding place I had selected. Three or four men i came down with a lantern to examine tho j hold, and I heard them cursing away in the Moorish tongue because they found no cargo. It was now evening and the wind had died entirely out. I crept out of the box and stood under the main hatch, and as tne cover was paruy on i couia plainly hear what was going on, although I could not understand what was said. As I heard nothing from any of our crew, I concluded that they were either prisoners in the cabin or had been transferred to the dhow. Up to midnight the vessels lay side by side, the flap of their sails proving a dead calm, but soon after that a breeze sprang up and wo were forging slowly atiead. I heard them hailing from one craft to another, and I would have given a great deal to have been able to understand the tongue. It was my idea that they were going to run the brig over to the Moorish coast as a prize, and that the crew would be sent into the interior as captives and slaves. This had been the fate of more than one crew I shipwrecked on that inhospitable shore, ! and at that very time France had a manof-war on the coast and was demanding the release of fifteen sailors known to be held in captivity. The wind not only held light during the remainder of the night, but camc from the fifisfc and thus headed us off. I sat ou the hard ballast under the hatch, w ondering and planning but arriving at no conclusion. It was fair to presume that I had not been missed, as no search was made for but this was little comfort. If the brig was taken into some bay on the coast she would betfroroughly searched and I would be^frgged out. I It would beonly twfrortli? u'^y3 a"ttHe~ longest before"nunger and thirst would drive me out. Daylight was not half an hour old bcf 3re I heard an alarm on deck, and it might have been another thirty minutes when the boom of a cannon proved that we had a signal to heave to. The brig was brought head to the wind, amid a great clamor of voices on deck, and then everything was quiet. I now made my way across the ballast to the sliding door, opened it a little to find the forecastle deserted, and I at once passed through. Npt hearing any one immediately above me, I ascended the ladder and got a look along the decks just as a French naval ? ?:i T omcer came over uic ?u. * upaug the ladder and rushed aft with such a speed that, no one saw me until I was at the officer s side. Lying off to windward was a big French frigate, and alongside was one of her boats. Hanging in the wind, half a mile distant, was the dhow, with another of the frigate's boats just boarding. On our decks were thirteen Moors?swarthy, ragged, and j showing the villain in every movement, i The fellow in command was just opening his mouth to make explanations to the officer when I came upon the scene and , shouted: I "Lieutenant, that dhow yonder is a ! cursed pirate,and she captured us at dark last night!" "Explain!" he replied as he looked I, me over with curious eye. I briefly told him who and what we were, and the actions of the Moors corroborated my story. He called four | marines aboard and sent the boat back j with a message. The frigate had drifted down a little near, and some of her guns had been cast loose. This was lucky, as all of a sudden the dhow spread her wings to sail away. "We saw the frigate's boat sent adrift, and afterward learned that the boarding officer was cast neck and heels over the rail to tike care of ' " Ti. J UlLLlSt'll* It ?iWJ a, ucspuiabv; iooviyv mvu the dhow,and it might have succeeded at longer range. As it was she had not moved a hundred yards when boom! boom! went the guns and we saw the splinters fly. She at oncc luffed up and let everything go, and another boat's crew was soon alongside. Everything was soon made plain to the Frenchman. When the dhow boarded us her hot headed crew were ripe for killing, and without the slighcst provocation Shields was shpt through the head. Harper protested, and shared the same fate, while one of the villains ! slashed our Captain across the face and gave him a wound which was months in healiug. The dead bodies were searched and thrown overboard, and the living transferred to the dhow. They were ; found in tier noia nan aeaa xor wum ui air, and momentarily expecting to be led out and murdered. The Algerine was caught red handed, and could trump up no excuse. He and his whole gang were transferred to the frigate, a prize crew put aboard of the dhow, aud we sailed away for Malta. I was taken very ill there, and had no part in the proceedings. The Captain, mate, and one or two others were condemned and executed, and the dhow was made a prize to the frigate. It was currently reported that a large sum of money was found Under her cabin floor, and that every man abor rd the frigate was well rewarded. The remaining prisoners, num1 --- * > o flmn uunilj^ UVUf 1UHV II1CU, I1CIC mwi a. umu exchanged for the shipwrecked Frenchmen, while our brig sailed home empty handed and much the worse off for the strange voyage.?Neio York Sun. Dyes. "Dyeing," says an expert in the Washington Star, "simply means boiling thing* in copper kettles for the proper time in a solution of dye and water. For what wc call 'fancy colors' we use the aniline tints that are derived from coal tar. Every coal bed is a mine of rainbow hues, you know. The aniline dyes employed arc chiefly for light blue, maroon, cardinal red and such brilliant effects. Woods ground to coarse powder aro largely relied upon by the dyer. For instance, there is santal wood for ecru, from the Santal wood Islands; logwood for red, from Sicily; gall nuts for silver drabs, from Aleppo; fustic for yellow, from Cuba, an J madder root for ecru, from the south of France. It has been found that madder, alternately fed to and withheld from growing animals, will color their bones so that in sectiou they will appear white aud yellow in alternate rings from center to circumference. You mast remember that all these are used in an infinity of combinations. It is rare that one of them is applied pure and simple. Ouc dye for crimson is obtained from the lac insect, scraped from the bark, of certain trees in tho East Indies.^ "" f r-; " WOMAN'S WORLD." PLEASANT LITERATURE FOR FEMININE READERS. SIMPLICITY THE 8TTLE. It may be interesting as well as profitable to the young ladies who have limited means to dress on to know that the coming queens of society make a study of simplicity. Not a particle of jewelry is worn, and even the belles eschew every ornament but a string of pearls. In the hair aigrettes half wreaths of lily of the valley or white violet* are often seen and occasionally small side combs bound with carved silver or gold hold the hair in place. A girl who prides herself on her good taste would as soon wear a girdle and chatelaine pendants with evening dress as a bracelet or earrings. Gauze is the regulation fabric for her dress and ribbon bows or garlands of flowers the only garniture permitted. ? Washington Star. FRENCH DRESSMAKING. French women are clever in the little niceties of dressmaking which give finish to the appearance. For example,unless a skirt sits quite- evenly, it looks unsightly. They insure thii by sewing a large-sized dress hook on the stays, not a big stay hook, which might show, but just an ordinary one. Every skirt has an eye which fastens on to it and renders moving impossible. Possibly some reader would like the dimensions for the foundation skirt of a good French dress. I think you will find that it hangs well. The front is 29 inches at the hem, and diminishes to 9 inches at the waist. There is only one side gore at each side, ^ * ' '* * - * t* 1 i. xl- _ Hi inches at tne iiem, 10 incuus tu tu? top. The back is straight and 37 inches wide.?Mail and Etprtu. A FEMALE PAWNBROKER. There is a woman up in WestJEitfey"-'" fourth street who does JrtKnving busiamia-fche lale and exchange of what she calls ladies' miscellany. Party dresses, street suits and wraps, tea-gowns, furs,hats, bonnets, shoes and silk underwear are brought to her by ladies' maids and sold for a song. The owner may be going in mourning, going abroad, or in such straitened circumstances as to regard a few dollars as a fortune. Brand-new gowns and bonnet* are daily received from ladies who are penniless. They bave unlimited credit, but to get spot cash orders are sent to the modiste, and as soon as filled their garments are disposed of to the female Fagin for a tenth of their cost. Legitimate sales of secondhand, slightly worn clothing arc made by economical women, who receive an extra dollar or two for the waist-band or bonnet-lining bearing the name of some good house. Nine-tenths of the sellers are carriage people, and of these sixty per cent, demand spot cash. The rest are content to give a wrap in exchange for a yard of good lace, a carved fan or some such confection as a manicure tray, bonbonniere or viniegrette. For a sealskin wrap an old cabinet has been accepted. Quantities of gloves, slippers and shoes are almost given away, and so ignorant of value are the patrons of this "miscellany" that jewels watches and shell goods are bought by the house at a profit of from 200 to 300 per cent. The buyers for the most part are actresses. They are capital judges of fabrics, they buy closely, and when the garments are re made get a lot of good out of them.? New York World. DOWDY WOMEN. It is feared that Boston women can ever claim the title of being well dressed, says the Boston Herald. Do what the few may to aspire to that favorable verdict, there is always the ordinary, uncorseted, hygienic majority to counteract it. It would be laughable, were it not pathetic, to note the shortcomings in this one direction of the average Boston woman. She has as much opportunity, as many means of dressing well as women elsewhere, but she invariably fails in producing the effect which strikes the observer in New York. Regard the throngs or women wno aauy pass up and down Boylston street, for instance, and point out ten, if you can, who become their clothes, or who carry themselves with grace and elegance. Nearly all have been to fashionable tailors, who have*done what lay within their power to give chic, air, style; but the Boston woman is stubborn. She will not permit her preconceived notions to be displaced by the newest fashions; she will wear a hygienic waist, if she wants to; she won't wear her hair except so, and she will kick up her skirts at the back because her gymnasium teacher tells her to bring all the muscles into play when she walks. Beside this, she is in haste. How can she take life easily and gracefully when sixty different calls are being made on time and brains all at once? The art of wearing her clothes well is unknown to her. She puts them on. She does not make her toilet. She wouldn't be guilty of "prinking," nor of being sure her boots were well blacked; nor would this usual Boston woman consider it worth her while to take a hand mirror to sec if the angle of hor virtuous bonnet corresponded with the angles of > /si- ?J i?i?,1, I,.;. tier promc auu uei uav.iv uau. It is these little omissions, this forgetfalness of detail, which renders twothirds of our women dowdy?in the eyes I of appreciative, though critical observers. for woman's wrists. The favored bracelets just now must, first of all, be unique, and the Exposition has, because of its wonderful exhibit in jewelry, afforded opportunity to whoever had the good taste and ducats to get just the jeweled band that one woman would most envy another. One of the most beautiful is of Indian work, 1 1 ^ " ? ? Viof OAff f*nl H inc HacRgruuuu uciu^ ui vuuu oV4* in which the Indian workers so delight; in this is set a circle of every known, and, I do believe, unknown gem, uncut. The effect is marvelous. A pink pearl is wooing your eye and claiming admiration close to an opal, while a black pearl is making more beautiful the depth of color in a ruby. Three different shades of turquoise are shown; a dark and a light amethyst form a contrast, while one of the moat perfect emeralds imaginable seems to be throwing out a ray of hope as it nestles closely to a milk-white pearl. The ordinary, everyday bracelet designated by even the extraordinary jeweler sinks into insignificance beside this wondrous band of color, which can bo traced to opal and pearl, turquoise and emerald, ruby and diamond, chrysobcryl and chrysoprase, ... ' ^ "-i?;r5jV"^^-;r;^jp;/f:* ? -'onyx and amethyst, Alexandrite and moonstone, garnet and sapphire, an d all the wondrous family of gems that mean so much in color, and delight so the artistic or poetical mind. Another bracelet which also had its biith in India is lucky to wear becausc it is made of iron; but unless you had it in your hand and knew what you were to look for, you would never be conscious that such an unromantic material was used for it. It is entirely overlaid with gold, which on the other side is smooth, and on the upper is etched out in the finest way possible, after a curious design of flowers and birds, giving the effect of a gold band heavily enameled in black; on the top a medalion outline is achieved, and engraved on this, in the most intricate manner, is one of the thousand blessed names of Allah. This bracelet was submitted to a jeweler to be made smaller, but he said it was imposible for him to do it, as it might be neeessary to pass it through the fire, and the etching once injured or defaced, there was no one in this country who could restore it to its original condition. If you haven't an Indian bracelet, then get one such as is worn by the Chinese women. The lady of the higher classes wears one of gold, the next grade of silver and the next of iron; in pattern they do not differ, being a twist of the metal that can be slipped over the hand ?that is, not a complete circle. The Chinese ladies are far-sighted in possessing these bracelets, for whatever the material may be, it is real and solid. Whenever Madame Chinois gets a little hard up she doesn't create a racket in the establishment trying to get a little more than her usual allowance from monsieur, nor does she borrow from her women friends, or play against her luck at poker; not she! She simply marches off to tne place where they make the money, takes off her bracelet, throws it in the scales, and the obliging man heaps up .the'other side with jfiooey -Uttt'A tne "weight of the brsceletla reached; it is worth exactly what it weighs in the money of the realm, either in gold or silver.?New York Sun. FASHION NOTES. Nearly every dress is double-skirted. The polonaise dress will be the rage in the spring. One of the Yankee notions is a glove with a purse in the palm. A rosette of colored velvet ribbon trims a large muff of black martin fur. Velvet sleeves and chatelaine are added to elegant evening gowns of satin or lampas. The Russian collar of fur, lapped to ?. ? j.v toe leu siae, remains uuo ia*uutc uuuu for long cloaks. Very large muffs of beaver, sealskin or sable are shown by modistes among the midwinter importations. Dressy waists of soft silk or satin in some brilliant or artistic color are worn with various skirts at the theatre. Useful dresses of serge, cashmere and plain merino are trimmed with a good deal of braid, especially of fancy weaving. A substitute for the boa is found in the new capes of coqs' plumes with long mantilla fronts, with tasseled bits of plumage all over them. French furriers combine sealskin and Russian sable in the same garment, in the same way sealskin and Persian lamb are used in this country. Plain dresses of cloth and serge are made with jacket basques and straight skirts, relieved by straight rows of braid ing in various arrangements. Jackct bodices, with a deep pointed Swiss belt and full plastrons laid in tucks, are very fashionable for completing the walking costumes of young girls. Entire toilets of velvet often have petticoat fronts of satin in a contrasting color, and the rich effect is sometimes enhanced by garnitures of gold cord passementeries. Ostrich feathers in profusion trim the large-brimmed hats worn by little girls, and the rule seems to be, the smaller the girl, the greater the number of feathers. The very swell est visiting costume consists of patent-leather shoes, brown gloves, a close-fitting bonnet and a long nolonaise buttoned diagonally from neck to hem. Combinations of velvet and broadcloth are now made up in such similar styles for cloaks and costumes that it is sometimes difficult to tell which a lady may be wearing. Fur-trimmed, tailor-made costumes of brown or gray cloth are very much affected by young ladies, the only outer, wrap worn by them being a princess or other shoulder cape of fur. Garnitures of silk cord, made up in V-shaped pieces for the front and back of the waist, and in deep Vandyked borders for the bottom of the skirt, are the usual trimmings for costumes of plain velvet. Full velvet sleeves, aarKer man tne material of the costume, and hilfbreadths, inserted between the breadths of the skirt, give a striking effect to many of the newest gowns of dark 01 black cloth and silk. Varying Value of Silver. Silver, in its relative value to gold, has varied greatly at different times. In the days of the patriarch Abraham it was 8 to 1; B. C. 1000 it was 12 to 1; B. C. 500 it was 13 to 1, and at the commencement of the Christian era it was 9 to 1. In the year 500 A. D. it was 18 to 1; in 1100 it was 8 to 1, and in 1400 ll was 11 to 1. In 1454 gold was only six times more valuable than the precious white metal, silver, and within the next hundred years two pounds of silver could be exchanged evenly for one of gold. In 1600 gold was again worth ten times a6 much as its paler brother. In 1725 gold was thirteen times more valuable than silver, just as it was 500 years B. C. At the I beginning of the" present century it had risen in value to a higher point than at any time since 500 A. D., being fiitecD times more valuable than silver. In 1876 the ratio of silver to gold was twenty to one, and in 1880 it was at the highest point ever known, since which time it has gradually declined to twenty to one. ?Chicago llernld. The late Thomas Parker, of Washington, became so attached to a cane, which he had carried for years, that he kept it in bed with him during his illness, and before he died expressed a wish that the favorite stick be buried with him. His wish was carried out, the cane being put in the coffin. There are upward of 10,000'. professional beggars in New York. I POLL PARROTS. SOME PRACTICAL HINTS ON THEIR HABITS AND TRAINING. How They Are Imported and Acclimatized?Dying for Want of Proper Care?Teaching Them to Talk. "I suppose you know that every ship from the i3thmus lands at least a score Df parrots in San Francisco," said an snthusiastic bird tamer to a reporter lately. "What becomes of them?" "I believe most of them die within a month for want of proper care, and very few of the rest learn to talk. Of course all the parrots don't come from the isthmus or the coast towns where the steamers call. But euough come from these points at a low figure to make it well worth while for a man to undertake the business of training and acclimatizing them. You ;an get a young parrot at Corento or A.capulco, or at almost any Central American port, for five pesos (about $4), that will be worth from $50 to $100 when properly taught. It's easy enough when you know the way." 'Some varieties are better than others, ire they not?" "Yes, but practically any parrot can be trained to talk if you commence when the bird is young. There is a common but foolish notion that it is only the male birds that talk. As a matter of fact there is no more difference in this respect than in the human species. The hen parrot can do her share of talking about as well as a woman's rights advocate." "Do the different kinds of parrots re-quire different food?" * "Cert&iniyVthat is one of the secrets. Let me describe to you here the kinds of parrot commonly met with in this country. Of course you know they are all imported and acclimatized, the bird being strictly tropical in its natural habitat. The Mexican double yellowhead parrots are among the best birds we get; they have better talking power, greater sharpness in picking up words and tricks, and a more pleasing humanlike voice than the other varieties. They are also quick to become attached to their owners, and to make strangers feel like strangers, which is one of the chief charms of a parrot for the average man or woman. That's humau nature, isn't it? If a parrot will take to everybody the owner has no use for it. This variety has another good quality: that of fearlessness. A Mexican double yellowhead parrot will convince any cat in about two minutes that distance lends both enchantment and safety to the view. As to what these birds can learn I will only say that they have been taught to imitate all the animals in the barnyard? the rooster, the dog, the pigs, the peahens, the turkeys; they can be mude to repeat half a dozen letters of the alphabet correctly in succession, spell words, and as to swearing?they will pick up. 'piisq' wnrds as nnIrk as anv tfin-vear-old gamin in Tar Flat." "Are these birds the ones which die off so fast?" "Yes, because they are the most sensitive of all parrots. They require special care the first winter, and should be kept warm and out of the draught. Just here I will give you a pointer. If you put a monkey, an ant-eater, a parrot or any tropical animal in a draught of air?as, for instance, by opening the window in a room where a fire is burning?you are going to lose your pet. It will catch cold and die as surely as if pou had put it in a refrigerator car." "Then the imported parrots die of cold?" "Not all of them. It is not really cold ;nough in San Francisco to kill a parrot, ;ven on a cold day, but draughts are fatal, in summer and winter alike. The real trouble people have in raising parrots is because they will not try to believe that the birds will get along much better it first without drinking water. If you jet a vessel of water near a freshly imported parrot, however healthy, it will 3rink itself to death; that's what I mean." "Then you would give them no water at all?" "Not exactly that. A little water may ho to r vnunrr bird everv dav: sav C>" * ? ~? J o y ?* ? ?<J one or two teaspoonfuls. But the proof that water i3 bad for a green parrot, if you let the bird feed itself, is shown by the fact that a parrot which has been getting along finely for a whole week without water, but with plenty of green food, which contains all the water it requires, will get dysentery or some other trouble directly it is allowed to swill all it wants." "Parrots improve rapidly in value according to their talking powers, I suppose?" "Yes, so much so that a good talker is worth $100 where a finer-looking bird that cannot talk is only worth $10." "How are they taught to talk?" "You must tame them first. For instance, by giving them water at a regular hour; instead of allowing them to j help themselves you will accustom them to look for your presence and that is evervthiner. Then try placing a cover over the cage, to confine the bird's attention, and say a short word or sentence i every day till learned. Once the parrot ! gets a start at talking the trouble is to < keep the gift iindcr control. The bird < has no knowledge of good and evil; it | will learn swear words just as easily as the i others. The best plan is to have a stock 'i of words and use only these in the bird's i hearing, always pitching them in a par- 1 ticular key so as to fix the attention." "Apropos of the diseases of parrots; is ] there any remedy for them?" < "Yes, if not too far advanced. Dyscntery is very common; it is cured by < cutting down the water supply, which is ] generally the cause. Remember, once < for all, that it is only a thoroughly tamed 1 and acclimated green parrot which can f be trusted with a water glass in its cage, s Cold is best dealt with by given the bird 1 ? of warm rock candv. stronsr and I i sweet, or even a little ruui punch, but i coffee is bad. Very often a sick parrot I may be cured of a bad cold and dysen- 1 tery by putting a teaspoonful of paregor- i ic into the drinking water." ? "Do parrots breed in captivity?" s "Never; at least so far as those kept in t cages are concerned." t "What age do they attain, when taken t care of by an expert, for instance?" t "Anything from twenty to fifty years. 8 It all depends on the feeding. The [ trouble is that tame parrots are too often r treated as mombcrs of the family and s given everything they screech for. Don't I forget that young gray parrots can bo i trusted with water, green parrots never." ?San Francieco ChreaM^ w '] 1 I Hari K*rl in Japan. The following description of the Japanese method of committing suicide is given by an English paper: The family and friends of the noble to commit suicide entered the room led by a priest, the latter bearing in his hands a full blooming lotus flower, which he deposited across the sword lying upon the platform, and the spectators took seats around the room. The nobleman then entered, dressed in pure white garments, with a yellow colored scarf encircling his body, and carrying in his hand a little saucer in which burned a wick lighted previously from the everlasting light in front of the family god. Behind him came his eldest son, if over five years of age?if not, his nearest relative?carrying upon a platter made of sandal wood the wakizaski, a dagger-like weapon nine and a half inches long, and nVtlinnplv r*n fViP Ipff. cirip HThp Hlftdp "? ? ? of this lancet-looking weapon was wrapped in yellow crape, a lotus flower being placed upon its hilt. It generally was an heirloom of the family, aod considered the most valuable article in its possession. It is the instrument with which hara kari was always committed. The person to commit this act would then kneel upon the platform with his face toward the north and the wakizaski placed before him. The priest would take the lotus flower from the Japanese sword and cut the leaves in pieces, strewing the same over the kneeling man. After blessing him in this manner the lights in the corner saucers were blown out by the priest, and the light carried by the suicide extinguished by his son or nearest relative, and the time for the final act had come. After recounting in a solemn voice the insult suffered by him from his enemy, he invoked the spirit of his ancestors to see in what manner he upheld the family honor entrusted to him at his birth, and rising upon his left knee he would take hold of the wakizaski with his left hand, lift up his white robe with his right hand, wrapping the end of the yellow sash around his left wrist, and deliberately and verv slowlv insert the dagger-like knife into his stomach above the right hip bone. At the moment he inserted the knife his next-of-kin would take the kahanna (ordinary sword), and with a swift blow sever the head of the suicide from the trunk. In every case of this description,when harakari was committed in defence of insultsd honor, the insulting party was informed by the family of the act performed, by sending to him a sort of affidavit of the nextof-kin of the deceased written upon yellow paper wrapped in the leaves of the lotus flower, and if that gentleman would not be considered a craven, unfit for association with honorable men, he, too, would then commit hara kari in a somewhat similar manner. He Looked Rather Blue. Over on Desplaines street is a well-to ?a-M ? ao recall grocer wuu uuic uere i iuui Germany some years ago and has grown up with the city. Along in the early 703 there was a popular dye house next door to his grocery store, and in the back yard were a number of dye vats and a great tank in which the dyer jealously guarded a gcod supply of soft rain water, in which he rinsed out the garments sent to him to be cleansed. For many weeks the German grocer had had his eye on this rain water tank, and had I thought how delicious would be a bath in its cool depths. One warm, moonlight midsummer night the grocer looked from an upper window into the dyer's back yard and the glint of the moonbeams on the rain water tempted him sorely. Along about midnight, without saying a word to any one, the German sneaked out of his back door, soap and J towel in hand, cautiously scaled the fencc and gained the dyer's yard. In the shadow of the rain water tank he disrobed, and then he vaulted into the pellucid water. The sensation was delicious. The sly German splashed around in the water, lathering himself thoroughly with the soap, and chuckled to think of the consternation of his neighbor, the dyer, when he found his rainwater full of soapsuds the following morning. Aftdr a while he hopped out, rubbed himself dry with his towel, jumped into his clothes, and climbed over into his own yard. He went into the house, and, as he entered his wife's room, she screamed and called for the police, tie looKea surprised and asked what she was yelling about. She recognized his voice and asked where on earth he had been. .He grinned and told her. Then she asked him to look in the glass. "When he did so he fell back in astonishment. He was darkly, deeply, beautifully blue; even to his blonde whiskers and hair. The adventurous German disrobed and the dyer was summoned. He howled when he saw the grocer, and explained that he had put blue dye in the rainwuter tank that afternoon. Chemicals were used on the unfortunate grocer for hours, but to this day blue spots can be found all over him.?Chicago Herald. The Mackerel Industry. The habits of fish, says the San Francisco Chronicle, are not perfectly known to naturalists. For instance they have never been able to determine where the mackerel passes the winter. Some writers have asserted that it goes, as soon as the cold weather commences, to the coast of Greenland, enters the bays, and plunging its head into the mud, remains in that position, with tail in the air, till revivified by the spring sunshine. Then it goes south seeking spawning grounds, following the coasts of Europe and A.raerica, especially the latter, guided probably by the Gulf stream. Arriving an the coast of Europe the schools separate, swarming about the coasts of jrreat Britain and Norway, entering the Baltic or seeking the bays of the French :oast. In France it is usually caught by .railing hooks or drifting nets. When 'resh, it is the favorite fish after the tole, and certain other kinds that are ess common. Being found everywhere n the north of France in abundance and it a low price in the spring, and being )V no means rare thenceforward till the irct. of the following January, it is in less epute among the rich on this account, ?nd even among those of moderate means tales by repetition. The fishermen of he Norman and Breton coasts cross into he Irish sea in search of this prccious ish. Salt mackerel is held in a certain 'Stimation by Americans. At Dieppe md Fecamp, in France, the mackerel is >rcpared with oil in a manner that enders itr almost as delicate as tho ardino. From its intestines the ancient tomans prepared a brine, of bad odor, laturally, and of a taste that moderns nrould find absolutely disgusting, which, levertheleas. they held in high esteem. J, v;.-'. Hv*- . ' >' ;.... ^ I SABBATH SCHOOlW INTERNATIONAL LESSON FoSM FEBRUARY 28. Lesson Text: "The Temptation of^J Jesns," Luke It., 1-13?Golden N J Text: Heb. 1L, 18?Com- fl ment*ry. 1. "And Jesus, being fall of the Holyi'^fl Ghost, returned from Jordan." This leeeon seems to follow immediately the last one, which told us of the baptism of Jmos by 9 John in Jordan, and of the descent of thf Holy Spirit upon Him in the form of a dove? lH We might, with much profit, stop to speak of M the Jordan divided for the millions of Israel' to pass over into the promised land, when the Ark?trpe of the same Lord Jesus?stood in H the midst on the priests' shoulders till every. V one bad passed over; divided again for Eli jan V and Elisna, and a third time for Elisha, but both the Ark of the Covenant and the priests who bare it, Elijah and Elisha, and all the prophets, as well as all the Bible and the his- tory contained in it, point as to Him whom, in this lesoon, we see returning from Jordan,' . filled with the Spirit. If the 14th Terse of| -4 the chapter was included in our lesson, wa I would then say that the lesson begins and1 | ends with a record of Jeeus returning from1 certain places filled with the Spirit, first to be tried and then to minister; and iz wo are not willing to be filled with the Spirit for % trial, can we expect that God will fill us with His spirit for service? 1, 2. "And was led by the spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the 1 devil." We have seen the Holy Spirit in the I birth of Christ, and at His baptism, and now, we see Him filling the leading Christ; and.' J whether we see Christ preaching, teaching,j working miracles, offering Himself a sacrifice, or rising from the dead, it is the Spirit in Him that does it all. "And in those days He did eat nothing' and when they were ended. He afterward hungered." Tne forty days' fast reminds us, of the fastings of the two men wbo afterwards appeared with Him on the Mount at I Transfiguration, or Moses it is written, m m reference to both periods of forty days and I nights when he was in the mount with God,1 M that he did neither eat bread nor drink water (Deut. ix., 9, 18), and of Elijah it to' Ifl written that he went in the strength of that^H meal (which the angel hadprepared) forty^H days and forty nights unto Horeo the Mount E God (I. Kings iir., 8). There to no doubt more in the forty days' fast of these wonderful three than we have yet seen or shall) see till the kingdom comes; but we shall do, well day by day to see no man save Jesus only (Matt, rvii., 8). 3. "If Thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread." The fa-. ' ther of lies insinuates that perhaps He is not the Son of God, but only a mere man, justs poor carpenter from Nazareth, making pretensions of being some treat one, ana that * He had better return to His humble home or else give some token of His power. It to W poor thing for the Son of God to be hungry, when he can, by a word, turn stones into bread. Let Him satisfy His hunger. Does not the reader (if he or she be a Christian) recognize in this tempter the same one who ; I has often whisp?red to you: "If you were a child of God, would He let you want for this or that which you certainly need? Can He really love you as you think He does and' deny you the very necessaries of life^ or keep from you this little gratification?" Thus the tempter of Eve and of Christ still seeks to overcome the children of God by leading ' j them to question the love of God or to doubt that they are His children. .$5 4. "It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." * This is the reply of Christ to the tempter. Thp outward indications were that God had failed him, but Jesus places the word of God against all other evidences and rests unmoved on what is written. Believing is better than seeing. 5-7. "If Thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall- be Thine." The statements 01 these j verses that the devil took Him to an hi^ij j mountain and shewed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, cannot be understood or explained by us, but can be re- i ceived, on the authority of the Holy Spirit, who, through the servant of God, wrote f these things, and implicitly believed. The 1 full power of the devil we are not familiar with (nor do we want to be), cor is it fully re^^^H vealed. Jesus elsewhere calls him the pnnee^] of this world, and Paul speaks of him as the J prince of the power of the air and the god of I this world, while John, in Revelation, speaks J of a time when the devil will rive to Anti- 1 christ that which in our lesson ne offered to .1 Christ; so that his boast in his temptation I /i/voc nr.* cum tn hav? been altogether a vain one. This world is the Lord's by "creation; He ' gave it to Adam, but AdauL by his sin, gave the deviJ a claim to it which he has not failed to j make use of, and it is true to-day that "The whole world lieth in the evil one" (I John v., 10, R. V.). This statement is true not only of heathendom, but also of Christendom, and, in some measure, of the Christian church. If the manifest works of the devil indicate his property, then that which he does not control is a small section of earth and a ?mall ... number of people. But Daniel saw in vision the kingdom and dominion under the whole heaven given to the Son of Man aad to the saints of the Most High (Dan. vii., 13, 14, 27), and this temptation was to obtain by short cut and apart from suffering that which in due time will be all His. (Sea Rev. xi., 15, 18). 8.' 'Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." Again Jesus is victor, ana the sword of the Spirit is the successful weapon. The Word of God is more to Jesus than all the glory of all the kingdoms of this world, and eagerness to do the will of i God crowds out all else. ) 9-11. "If Thou be the Son of God cast thyself down from hence." The conflict is now I in Jerusalem, the Holy City, and, on a pinnacle of the temple, and in presenting this J temptation the adversary also seeks to wield , j the sword of the Spirit, but he did as so many do to-day, quoted only the part of the passage which seemed to suit his purpose, omitting that which would have condemned him. The words quoted are given in the rsaim (rs. ici., -n 9-13) as the result of making the Lord, the 1 j Most High, one's Refuge and Habitation. To 1 do as the devil suggested would surely be a I ceasing to abide under the shadow of the AI- J mighty, or to make the Most Hieh one's habi- J tation, and therefore, the conditions being^^B broken, the promise would be forfeitedi^^M Abiding in Christ and in the love of God need fear no evil, but are perfectly safe in^P His keeping. 1 12. ''And Jesus, answering, said unto him, It is said, Thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God." Again the sword of the Spirit flashes, and this time it is a word from Deut. vi., 16, the context of which is: "Ye shall diligently keep the command- < ments of the Lord your God, * * * and thou shalt do that which is right and good in 11 ti,a " Tf wb would not be LUU SlgUb \JM. VMW _ guilty of tempting the Lord, let us keep His commandments and do right in His sight. Listening to any other voice bat His, even to the voice of the best of men, we are apt to be led astray. 13. "And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from Him for a sea* son.' Matthew and Mark add that angels came and ministered unto Him. Although <10 human eyes witnessed this conflict, who can tell what hosts of angels, good and bad, were present: the bad in full sympathy with their leader and eager for his victory, the good in full sympathy with Christ, but compelled to stand aside till the enemy was van?[uished. With joyful hearts they now reresh Him as victorious. He accepts their cheerful ministry; while satan ana his followers retire to plan some new device whereby they may perchance obtain a victory over this Holy One of God. And now we are in daily conflict with this same adversary. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world rulers of darkness, . against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."?Lesson Helper. WHAT IT COSTS. fl Tbe actual amount of malt liquors con- 9 sumed in 1888 was 767,587,056 gallons. This fl Includes not quite 3,000,000 gallons of im- H ported beer and ale. The manufacturer'! fl price to the retailer is ratber above than be- fl low twenty cents per gallon. At twenty fl cents the cost to the dealers would be $153,* Bi 517,411. The retailers get au average ol fl sixty cents per gallon, which makes tbe fl to the consumers (460,522,233, which th? fl American people spend annually for malt liq- ' fl uor, principally beer. The most careful 66- fl timate puts the cost of wine to the consumet fl at $72,670.136, and of distilled spirits $379;- fl 46)6,860. This gives us a grand total of $912,'- H 449,129, nearly $1,000,000,000, spent annual!; fl for L? ">uor by the people gf 11;? United 3^(09. fl ?Catnoiic Citizen. __ fl