The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, October 07, 1891, Image 6
Twixt Life and Death
U\DER MEDICAL ADVICE.
A Story of the FrancoPrussian.
War.
BY ROBERT BUCHANAN.
chapter xii.
THE MEDALLION.
As the night advanced, the wounded
man continued to sleep tranquilly, only
now and then turning on Lis pillow and
mnrmnring to himself. A clock on tne
mantel-piece of the little sitting-room
Bounded the half-hours, and as each
truck clearly Blanche rose and administered
the anodyne.
Blanche felt no desire to sleep. Her
heart was too deeply 6tirred, her mind too
troubled, for her even to close her eyes.
She eat watching patiently, thinking of
fell the sad fortune of war. of the strange
erent? which had brought the young officer
to that house, and, above all, of her
father.
She thought of the home beyond the
Bhine, where the soldier's 6ister, a girl
like herself, was waiting for him, perhaps
praying on her knees. She could
almost picture her?a child, as he had
< ?aid, with golden hair. Ah, yes, Her clear
It father was right. War was an evil thing,
and even the enemies of France had loving
homes, with dear ones to watch fondly
their coming and their going.
Suddenly she was startled by a wild cry,
almost a shriek, from the sick "bed. Rising
to her feet, she saw that the wounded
nan had started up from his sleep, and,
leaning upon one elbow, was wildly looking
round. As she bent toward him he
? apoke rapidly in German, and gazed upon
acancy with the expression of one seeing
aome hideous sight.
. "Monsieur, what is it? Ah, try to compose
yourself!" she cried.
"Who's there? Who speaks?" he cried,
in German. "Look, look?that face! Can
you not see, there against the wall?"
Terrified and trembling, 6he followed
file direction of his gaze, but saw nothing
Is it you. Mademoiselle Blanche?" he
moaned, this time in French. "I thought
it was her voice, my little Annchen's.
% How long have I been lying here?"
"Since this afternoon, when you were
grounded."
-" T 1 V V.
xes, yes; ? rumemuer. iuu uivu^m
[5; me here. Am I at the Chateau of GrandS&
pre?"
fef "Yes; but do not question any more,
y. Ue down, I beseech you!"
"Come closer," he murmured; "closei
till. I think?I think?that I am dying?"
No, no; you will live!"
Whether I live or die, I have a duty
; to fulfill?a Bolemn duty. Something
warned me in my sleep?a voice?his voice.
Bend down your ear; I must speak to
you."
"Not now?to-morrow."
Eis face became almost stern in resolve
M he replied.
*Do me this last service. Let me ease
iny heart, let me keep my promise."
He reached out his trembling hand and
grasped her by the wrist. In her horror
v and pity she could say no more. He went
on:
"The war! Ah, what a curse is war! It
torus men into aevus. i^ven j. speiis
to you have blood upon my hands. One
night, up yonder in the north, I killed a
frenchman."
, " His expression -was so terrible that she
would have shrunk away had he not held
her.
"Listen, Blanche. We were dc-tached
to 6torm a cottage, held by a handful oi
?i the French. As we crept forward in the
shadow of the trees we 6aw one of the
enemy standing like a sentinel in the fall
aaoonlight. His back was toward as; he
didn't seem to hear us coming. I was
upon him before he could turn or fly, I
cut him down with my sword; he fell without
a groan."
"Let me go, for God's sake!" moaned
the frightened girl; "I cannot listen."
But though his hold upon her was weak
and trembling, she had cot the strength
to draw herself away.
"We sacked the cottage," he continued,
in a hoarse whisper. "Then, sick of the
laughter, I stepped back into the moonlight.
Suddenly I heard a voice faintly
: T V.I.OJ
CBlIlBg lO mo. oiuupmg, jl ueuciu iuo
officer I had cut down, not dead, but
dying. Touched with compassion, I knelt
down b?6ide him and tried to raise him up.
'Too late!' he murmured; 'but if you are
man?a gentleman, perhaps?promise
aae one thing: if you survive, to forward
this to the French general, and tell him?
toll him ' Here his speech failed him;
but with a last effort he drew from his
breast a locket and a golden chain, and,
thrusting them into my bands, fell bacs
lifeless and cold."
With a tremulous effort he opened his
J dress and drew forth a chain and locket
'which had lain concealed upon his heart.
At that moment a convulsion ran through
bis frame, and, with a deep groan, he sank
back upon the bed.
His hand still held the locket. White
M marble, Blanche loosened his fingers
and took it from bun, and iieid it np to
f; . the light. Her head went ronnd, her
eyes dazzled, but with the strength of
< despair 6he pressed the spring and made
it open.
cr? of terror burst from her lies. She
aw her mother's likeness?side by side
with her own as a little child. It was the
gold medallion which she had given to her
father the night before he went away.
CHAPTER XIII.
blanche's auosy.
With a low scream frozen upon her lips
la the very act of utterance, Blanche de
Gavrolles, still clasping the medallion in
her hand, fell senseless by the led
How long she lay thus Bhe could not
tell. Presently, however, she stirred,
and opened her eyes: then, rising on he*
knees, Bhe crawled, drawn by some fata,
fascination, to the bedside, clutched the
coverlet, and gazed wildly at Hartmann,
who lay upon his back, breathing heavily.
Clinging on and panting, with eyes wide
open and dilated pupils, she looked and
looked, as a doomed creature looks on the
apparition of death.
Then, struggling to her feet and raising
her arms in the air, she uttered a
moan most sad and pitiful, full of horror
and infinite despair.
"Father, father!"
It waB ft supreme mercy for her tint in
that awful moment her reason did not
?nap, like a silken thread.
Gradually she began to realize it all.
Her heart was b:oken, stabl ed through
/ and through by a sharp and fatal horror
Hot only had she lost the one being she
loved in all the world, but she had lost
iiim bv a fatality so dire and dreadful
that it made hope impossible, despair inevitable.
He had been slaughteea in the
fall flush cf strength and manhood, assassinated.
murdered; and as if that wa?
' not enough, as if that were not excess of
sorrow, the cruelty of fate had brought
the murderer to that house, had put his
hateful life in her hnnde, had planned all
with such hideous cn-"'ing that she, the
berenve.l daughter, L d succored and
save !th* inau whom she should have
h .t- d and destroyed.
It w b horrible, most horrible!
She beheld the dying f ice uplifted in
t> ?> ft?r ii'ht. t* * fee! If bands Hinsine
around rtie mnrrtere*-; Bhe heard the last
mid words, the p'teous message, given in
the voice she knew so well.
Atid tLe murderer lay there?there on
ler f ther's led. bio:ight there by Lei
compassion, saved twice from a miserable
tteu'.h l>y her niinnteiiuc c. re.
She tottered to the bedside again anc
I ga-ed upon him, her hands clinched, he
face like marble. Her whole soul sickenet
to behold bim. She longed to drag hin
from tiint shelter and cast him forth int<
the chilling snow.
Meantime the German bad begun t<
breathe more painfully. Half op.'uini
and shutting his eyes, r.nd moving hi
^vAr*\ ci/ln in ciflA. Ill
UCilU i J AiVUl ~-"-i ?
seemed struggling van some snarp mier
cal p in. His right band, lying upon th
coverlet, opened and phut convulsively
He murmured faintly, as if talking to him
self.
It was well for him that he war uncon
scious, th-it he could not see the look stil
| frozen ou the girl's face?a look of concen
i tr?ted cruelty and pasB.on, horror an*
J pain!
j Was he dying? Blanche asked herself
I Yes ?God was good after all?he mustb
I dying.
I Then his life was in her hands afte
! all. She had but to stand still, no
] lifting a finger, and still avenge he
. father. "What 6be had done already sh
had done in blindness; but it was not toi
I late to justify herself, to redeem the wick
edness of having sheltered and 6Uccore<
him!
She could hear the wind crying without
Scarcely conscious of what she did, sh
50=6 to her feet, and with convulsivi
hands threw open the window. The col<
blast rushed into the room, large flakei
of snow floated in and glimmered in thi
dim light.
Clutching the window-sill, 6he leanec
out into the night.
ho tnnw fflll thicklv nrion he
! head, while the wind loosened her goldei
hair. Still -with, that stupefied, despair'
ing look, she gazed out into the darkness
Hark!
A feeble cry-, like a call for help, cami
j from t'ue sick-room.
She started, but kept her place.
In a few moments tne cry was repeated
I but still she did not stir.
She s'.vaiued her eyes up at the darl
j heaven. Her father was there, some
! where beyond those troubled clouds. Ah
I that she might go to him?that he couU
beckon to her out of the shadows of th?
grave and call her to his 6ide.
The cry came again.
I She turned from the open window and
Btaggered rather than walked back to the
sick-chamber, pausing at the door like a
ghost and gazing In.
I The man had changed his position, and
; with both his arms thrust up above his
' head was lyins; back without the pillow,
' which had fallen to the floor. His mouth
was half-open, his eyes looking straight
at Blanche.
She saw that he had partially recovered
consciousness, and recognized her. Wae
i it fancy, or did he call to her in a faint,
low voice, entreatingly?
Sne stood like stone; then, taken by a
sudden thought, and fixing her eyes oa
his, she raised the medallion, which still
lay in her hand, and kissed it.
He watched her, and seemed to understand;
but the next moment his eyes
turned away in pain, and a convulsion ran
j through his body. How lurid, how deathI
HI-/* Viie tnca !mnfl?rpd in tha faint <?lim.
mer of the night-light!
The email timep.ece in the adjoining
room struck oue.
Nearly an hour had passed since she had
last administered the anodyne. Already
her vengeance had begun. He wag sinking,
and she had not Diit out a hand.
All at once, as if by a heavenly inspiration,
she seemed to hear the voice of hei
; father speaking to the ear that is in th?
! soul. The voice was low and gentle, just
I as it had always been, but it sounded like
! a warning. She knew the Chevalier'e
: deeply humane nature; she knew that he,
1 of all creatures, would have been the ln6<
i to approve an act of vengemce.
| An act, not merely of vengeance, but o 1
! murder?none the less murder because
i the victim was a miserable sinner, guilty
| of unnatural bloodshed. If she stoo<i
by, with the power to save the life that
| was fast going, she was a6 responsible for
| the loss of that life as if she had used
' knife or poison to destroy it. She would
i 1 ? ' kofni.0 r.ront
i JU&VU LU UUBWOI AVI a oiu uoivic v**w VI4VWI
i Judge of quick and dead.
Then she thought of her God. She reI
membered the divine precept of her reI
ligion, "Lovo thy neighbor a6 thyself."
j Alas! it -was a mockery. How could she
! love the slayer of her father? But love
I was one thing, and obedience to the corn!
mand of the Almighty was another.
The clock ticked out the moments,
while she watched the agonized struggles
of the sinking man. In a few minutes it
would be too late?peihaps, indeed, il
was too late already.
Tortured between hate and duty
Blanche now underwent the great trial oj
her life. God in His mercy gave hei
strength, rnd at last she conquered. Com<
what might, she felt that she could no
let the man perish without making an attempt
to 6ave him.
ather, forgive mel" she monned, piteou?ly,
while now for the first time th<
tears* began to trickle down her cheeks
. "Forgive me! I cannot let him die!"
I Moviiig duickly to the mantelpiece. sb<
took the vial, and with a trembling hanc
measured out the life-eivine drops: then
holding out tne glass, sfce approacnc^ tn<
bed. Aud now, once again, the horro
cnme upon her to tbiuk she inwt approacl
so near and even touch the being sh<
loathed so much.
She paused and prayea for strength; ii
was given to her.
Steeling all her bouI in'o resolution
6he bent over the inan. raised his heai
with one hacd, and with the other placec
the elas6 to his lips. His eyes were half'
closed, but they opened for a moment anc
looked gratefully upon her cs he dranl
the anodyne.
Then, * overpowered by that snl.limi
effort, Blanche utteied a heait-brokei
cry and sunk, wildly Eobbing, upon he:
knees.
Her face looked quite old and dreidfu
as ehe stole shuddering toward the door
Before she reached it a cry from lh<
bed startled her so that she almost shriek
ed. Turning involuntarily, she saw hin
gazing at her with outstrfched hands.
"Fraulein," he moaned^what has hap
pened?"
Then he, too, 6huddered, adding, "Ah
I remember,"
Sh<; stood like marble?her eyes dilated
her iace ghastly?looking at him.
He uttered a groan of pain, crying:
"Why do yon look at me so strangely
I thought?I thought that I was dying
but I am stronger now, I think. Tha
draught you cave me?but for that
Bhould have died. God bless you, Blanch?
God bless you!"
Blessings from him! It seemed to<
horrible.
"Silence!" 6he said, in a voice so fain
and low as to be almost inaudible. "Di
not speak to me; I cannot bear it!"
And she hid her face in her hands.
"One word?only one," she heard hin
moan. "Is it possible you knew himthat
Frenchman;1"
The question recalled her to herself
brought back to her all the agony of he:
loss. With a face set like steel shi
walked la"k to the bedside, and gazini
into the man's face with tearless eyes
replied:
"He was my father!"
He shrank as if from a blow, and at
tered a cry full of soriowand compassion
At that moment she felt a touch upoi
her arm, and, turning, she saw the agei
housekeeper, who had entered the roon
unperceived.
"Madefnoistdle, it i=? I: I thought !
heard you call. Hon Dieu! what is th<
matter?"
Blmche did not reply, but, shivering ai
if with cold, turned her face away; then
followed by the dame, she walked intc
the outer room. Th? window was stii
w.de open, the snow drifiing in and lyinj
in white patches upon the floor.
"Mademoiselle, look, the window ii
open. Ah! you will catch your dea'.h?
; it .b u bitter nitht."
l lint Blanche stood bareheaded in tb
r window rece68, beedlfl86 of wind or 6nov
i Appalled by her look and manner, tb
i old woman questioned her again; bi
J 51111 File reiurnuu uu uubwer.
"Mademoiselle, are you angry? Wha
0 has happened? "Why a e you so strarge'
1 At last, recalled to herself by the col
s breaih of the night, Ulaucbe pointed t
e the inner chamber and bade the woman p
- there and take her place. "With terribl
e resolution she conveyed to her the Do;
. tor's instructions, word for word. "For,
- she thought to herself, "I will be just:
fied before God. When I go to met
. my father up yonder 'and may it be 6001
j he shall know that, even to the lac
. extremity, I have returned good for er
1 and fulfilled the written and unwritte
law."
But what she had already done in bittei
e est mercy 6he felt that she could never d
again.
1 Without saying one word of the horribl
t truth she hastened away, leaving the ol
1 daa?e lost in fear and wonder,
e Flitting through the dark chateau, whil
0 the wind shook the 'walls and the snow
. drift heaped itself at the door, eh
3 reached her own chamber, threw nersel
wildly upon the bed. and sobbed hystei
. ically, still with her father's name upo
e her lips.
e [TO BE CONTINUED.]
3 .
g Guilds in China.
Speaking of employer's ucious, al
' rrlasses of Chinese men Lave their guild
and these are almost as old as the coun
| try. One of the finest Club Houses c
1 AJ A il.. /I 1
i; 11111 a IS mat 01 uie vjiiuiuij uicicuuLii'
of Foo Chow. It is made up of a grea
number of finely finished rooms ele
3 gantly furnished in Chinese fashio:
and located in the best part of the city
Here the merchants come to drink te
j and to chat. They have a temple am
: i a theater connected with it, and th
club consists of five hundred members
i I visited at Shanghai some of the fines
j specimens of Chinese architecture
i have seen. They were guild halls be
longing to tea and rice merchants, am
they had wonderful gardens of cave
1 and' rocks built up in the busiest par
1 of the city. These guilds regulate th
' commerce of China. They fill the rat
[ of interst, the time on which goods ma;
i be sold, the weights and the standard
of goods. A member using differen
i scales than the one prescribed is fined
! and a man acting contrary to the gnili
| can, in many instances, not go on wit]
1 his business. One of the druggists
1 | guilds has just adopted some new rule
which lie before me. These prescrib
j that accounts shall be settled thre
i times every year, and that a disconn
of 5 per cent, may be allowed on casi
tToneojifinna No TTIMTlbpr in the cruili
' shall be permitted to trade with th
' others while he is in debt to a membe
1 of the guild, and any member who vie
lates these laws shall pay for two tliea
ter plays for the guild, and for th
j drinks and a feast for twenty members
Some of these guilds pi escribe tha
I promissory notes shall be dated on th
r day of sale, and all of them fix th
rules of giving credit. The bankers
guild fix all matters relating to inter
| est, and these different organization
i j make the dealings of foreigners wit]
; the Chinese more safe tban snch deal
1 I ings would be in other countries. Th
1 i Chinamen respects liis contract, and i
i he does not his guild makes him.'
Frank G. Carpenter's letter fror
I Pekin.
| The lime-Kiln Club.
"Ar' Brudder Lightfoot in de ha]
; j dis evenin'V" asked the President ash
' | looked anxiously around.
' j "Yes, sah," answered the brother a
i ho linliVififl Tin with enercrv and dis
"v "'WW- T wt*
patch.
"Please step dia way, sah. Brodde
Lightfoot, I understands dat you ha
' lately been callin' yo'self purfessor ?"
> "Yes, Eali. I plays on de fiddle."
1 "Oh. dat's itV Yon has also bee:
' wearin' mighty high collars."
"Yes, sah."
I Got good clothes?"
\ "Yes, sah."
t "Talkin' Tjout rentin' a box in d
pos' offis, I h'ar ?"
"Yes, sah."
"An' you is smokin' reglar cigars?
' "Y-yes, sah."
! "Ar' dat a dimun pin you has on?"
"N-not quite, sah."
"Am' dat watch chain all gold?"
"N-not all, sah."
3 "Now, Brudder Lightfoot, look-s
rere. Y'ou is behind in your rent, hea
aber heels in debt, an' your chill'e
| hain't got shoes to go to school. I hea
of you loafin' 'bout saloons an' standin
' j on de co'ners. I'm gwine to gin yo
1 jist one week to drap dat purfessor bis
J ness an' hunt fur a job. If you do i!
3 well and good. If you doan' do it, di
club kin dispense wid your presence, j
f nnrfessor ar' all rierht when he purfes
ses, but a purfessor who saws a fiddl
. fur beer whilo bis "wife rubs a was!
J board fur grub am about de moa:
' onery critter on airth, De meetin'ai
j cow disjourned."?JDetroit Free Prcsi
: 1
The value of titles in Great Brital
is illustrated by the latest that ha^
J been conferred. Mr. Harris, a Londc
theatrical manager, is knighted b
1 cause of the manner in which he ente
tained the Emperor of Germany du
I ing hia recent visit; and the Lor
! Mayor of the little "core" of Londc
called the "City" is made baron for h
speech and other flunkyism on tl
, same occasion. But, after all, thei
origins of title are more creditable thf
, some ancient one3 now considered blui
blooded. The accomplishments of
j theater manager and the bows, scrape
toggery, and toadyism of a petty ma,
t istrate are worthier fountains f<
I honor, such as it is, than the vices
1 monarchs and the crimes of courtie
J which gave life to so many aristocrat
roots that flourish like green ba
t now.
5 Sylvester Young, lately of Loui
ville, Ky., but now of part3 unknowi
i is a remarkably cool young man. Er
' bezzlements, forgeries and peculatioi
of various orders whi"h require cu
r oing and involve a measure of concea
e ment, are usually more in the line
3 such as lie than the downright liter:
robbery in which masked men, wil
nnpleasant-looking revolvers, deligh
His deliberate theft of $50,000 from tl
pay car of which he had charge, at
i o'clock in the afternoon, when he mu
1 ! have known tLat tho crime would 1
x discovered within two hours, and th
escape was next to hopeless, stan<
among the most impudent o:imes
the year.
The man who wishes to erect at "tl
> fair an elephant *200 feet high, that sha
I lash its trunk, roll its eyes, nod i
J head, roar harshly, and otherwi.se di
, port itself ir? terrifying fashion, mu
be plotting a scheme to keep Ke:
tuckians away.
. < v. r . '
I
| ANIMAL PILOTS.
it i
t ! F1SHLS AND BIRDS THAT HA\
- j ATTENDANTS.
(1 I
? | Sharks Followed All Over By Lit
le t islies?Crai>s ana sea Aiirraoue?A
Remarkable Feathered
Pilot.
it
i) It is a popular belief among ma
>t i 6ea-farers that the shark depends to
" | greater or less extent upon the pilot fi
n i for information, and is ?guided by t
! little attendant to the various tid-b
" i that come in its way. Iiow much tru
there is in this it would be difficult
e determine, but it is barely possible th
d the curiosity of the shark may be attrai
ed to -food by the action of the pil
o fi6bes.
Once when sitting in ray boat fishii
6 I noticed the scythe-like tin of a lar
* shark moving about in the vicinity.
q had evidently scented a bunch of fi
which I had hung over the stern, ai
|
I HERMIT CRAE WITH AXEMONE.
>
i nn t.hA tide nr current in rabid
.? --?- -r ?
8 decreasing circles. I threw a small lii
t astern, baited with a large sardine. Tb
e was taken and the line broken with
e steady, dignified strain. Bnt the shai
7 still came on, its temper unruffled by tl
8 sharp barb in its jaw, and wheeled nboi
* the boat with its head slightly tippe*
? showing the ugly, hammer-like r.-etul
;f erances on either side. It passed so ne
, i that I couid have touched the big dors
' ! fin, and I had an excellent opportunil
8 j to note the actions of the attendant
: There were half a dozen in all; two <
^ l three being pilot fishes and the rest tl
k ! curious sucking fishes or remoras. I
j | the shark swept around, the pilots?litt
0 I striped fellows three or four inches lot
r J ?kept at its he.ad, making short excu
sions from it at every object that a
I peared like food. They were evident
a foraging on their own account, and tbi
i. the shark saw them there can be bi
t little doubt. But in all probability
e had scented the fish a long time befori
e j aud paid no attention to the so-callc
j pilot fishes. They would dart at a b
; of seaweed and nibble at it. perha]
3 catching a minute crustacean that ha
^ been floating with it, then darting bac
to their huge consort that was wheelic
? around and around, wondering whe:
the fish was, which I had as a precai
tionary measure lifted into the boa
* The remoras were black, and presente
a marked contrast to t^e lighter hide <
the shark. One was swimming with
j j wriggling motion beneath it, while ai
a other was just above. An hour late
when this bold marauder fell into n
3 hands, the black remoras came out upc
l- the beach with it and fell victims
their attachment.
1 ' - <- 1-1
r ine soars pnuis uciuug *uc uavi
3 crel family, and besides the cotnmc
name of pilot fishes have a more digD
fied "handle,"as the sailoi6say, namel
a nancrates. I think they merely folio
out what is more or less a habit of mac
of the family to whom the ^ferm pil<
may be appropriate.
Oncc when drifting along in the war
9 waters of the Gulf of Mexico I catr
upon a large number of jelly fishes floa
? iug like umbrellas in the current. No
and then they came lazily to the surfaci
exposing their rouaded. glass-like dome
Tipping one over to obtain a glance i
the interior and its maze of tentacles,
noticed a number of little fishes dartir
about, as if terribly alarmed that the
? umbrelfti had been upset. They dart<
n here and there, one or two taking r
,r fuge beneath the boat, but when tl
g jelly righted itself back they swam, at
u I could see them anions the tentacle
evidently perfectly at home in a maze
5, what are deadly weapons to a large nur
s ber of fishes. All these jellies had th<
1 little white pink-dashed pilots, for
>- they seemed, thdt swam out and inve
0 tigated surrounding objects in search
*- food, then darted back to their protc
3 tor, to whom we might imagine they i
n
I jjgFgpp*
JELLYFISn A KB PILOTS.
a [ ???
g ! poried the condition of affairs beyond 1
' very defective range of vision possess
by the glass-like jelly. The little fi3l
- found protection here, just as the pi
? fishes did consorting with the shark.
ra One of the most attractive pilots
10 consorts is touud up under the physa
or Portugese man-of-war. The latter
a floating community of zooids, left up
3. j the water by a bubble, richly tinted wi
a j pink and purple, from the upper surf?
Q[ | of which rises :i sail that can be furl
j or drawn in or thrown to the breeze,
the case may be. From the lower p
. j tion extend long streamers or tentac
1" ; of au intense purple and a viruh
?* i poison; so powerful, in fact, that 1
! slightest touch is fatal to fishes of lai
tli \ size. Up among these pcison darts 1
t. | a number of fishes of the exact hue of 1
le : tentacles?a remarkable case of prot
? j tive resemblance. Here they swim aboi
j and are, according to some authoriti
' sometimes caught, though in hundrc
at i which I have examined it was uever i
.Is ! good fortune to find the little fish <
oJ i tangled or caught in the toils of its hoi
j The physalia varies its sail and is bio
| along, trailing its tentacles behit
ie j around which the little pilots swim, tl(
" or lie; now darting out at bits of floati
, weed, scampering away at the approa
3* I of larger fishc3, but showing a decid
sfc i curiosity for all strange objects, just
a- | in the case of the shark pilots.
i It is very diffijult to make these litt
pilots 6r attendants leave their consort. ia
"When I lifted the physalia from the til
water the fishes darted about in great D?
dismay, taking up their position beneath at
TE the boat, but returning to the dangerous fe
man-of-war as soon as it was returned to m
the water. Sometimes the pilots were 0f
tjc 1 obliged to desert the ship. When the w
wind blew a gale the bubbles would be ca
stranded upon the beaches in such num- as
ber3 that there would often be a winding d
winnow of bubbles along shore, the ]e
wrecks of the beautiful maD-of-war, but 0(
DJ the pilots were nowhere to be seeD. As to
a the little crafts went ashore they made so
sh \eir way to some other protector. g,
If appearance are to be considered, h
lts then certainly the sea anemones mu3t be tl
"l included among the pilots, as there is of
t0 one, if not several, kinds that in some as
a' incomprehensible way takes up its position
on the tip-top of a crab's back and
there lives, movincr about with its host.
and we can imagine keeping its myriad a
a= eyes open for the main chance; but that fg
6e it tells what it sees to the crab that is ^
thus forced to bear it we may readily ot
doubt. Why the anemone takes this p,
ac* position, and why the crab permits it, w
opens up a wide field for speculation. e3
The anemone is the natural food for a ea
large number of fishes. Captain Bartlett,
the commander of tho ship Blako ^
in her dredging trip in the Caribbean ^
Sea, told me that he dredged a large
number of cod in very deep water where ^
it was very cold, and that almost every ^
one caught had a large sea anemone in its .
mouth. Looking at it in this light thG ^
crab might object to a tenant that was ^
liable to be gobbled up at any moment,
as a large fish would not, in all - probability,
object to an anemone with a good
plump crab at the other end. On the
other hand it is, possible that the anemone
may attract small fry, and so
act as a decoy, the crab lying buried in
~ the sand and darting up to seize the in^
truder. Various suggestions have been
a.e made to account for the association, but
113 I the real reason is not known, and I must
. | leave it to my young readers to decide
' _ ! in this case which is the pilot, the crab
lfc or the anemone. It might be said that
j the position of the anemone was entirely
accidental were it not found on so many
ar individuals, and some experiments have
been made with another crab and anemone
which show that the attachment at
g least in this instance is on the side of the
^ crab. The one in question was found to
bear an anemone not on its back, but on
^ one of its big claws, so that when feeding
j0 and tearing its prey the anemone was
brought into the direct neighborhood of
the ford and obtained its share; in fact, g0
when the crab dined it was invariably
L present. A naturalist who made the
^ discovery thought that it was merely an
accidental occurrence, but neartj- all the jjj
| craDs wmcn ne iouau nuu men auemvue
j ! companions. One day-r;e took several vs
i crabs and carefully removed the anem- u.
'jj. ones, but leaving them all in the tank
33 ^ W(
iy PHTSALIA AND ITS PILOTS. l)(
?t - : T?T-1- "
together. Vi&itvng tnem a snore ume
m after, he found that in every case the D
ie crab had hunted around and replaced fc
t. J the anemone. Next an anemone was cut in m
w a number of pieces after being separated tb
B from the crab and placed with it in a lo
3[ tank, whereupon the crustacean collected or
lt the remnants of its companion and en- pi
j deavored to fasten them upon its claw tb
tg and was holding them fast-.when found, hi
if So it is evident in this case that while n*
>3 the anemone may be the pilot or lookout h<
e. the crab is the one that most desires the
10 association.
l(j In an entirely different part of the
a animal kingdom, among the birds, we
of And a most remarkable pilot whose habits
n- are so singular that for a long time the I
rtAnuo i-ninfori of enmp m.irrel lover: but I
so finally a traveler investigated the subject,
s- and it was shown that the bird had well
of earned its reputation.
!C- The story first told to travelers in
c- Africa regarding the indicator albiros?
tris, as the bird is callec, was that ages
iil? T?A
| ago an ancestor 01 tue uuu nau utru
stung to death by bees. Its descendants 1
had sworn revenge, and wherever they
discovered a bee's nest and honey they *
immediately flew away to the camp of a
native or white aud told him.
This would have beeu a marvelous
tale if true, but the actual facts are quite
wonderful enough. The bird is very
fond of honey, and being unable to get
it out of trees, flies to the natives aud
pilots them to the store. One of the first
recorded observations of the bird's
actions was made by Mr. E. E. Sandeman,
an English naturalist. He noticed
a small gray bird with a reddish beak
7~ fluttering about the wagon and was
" 5 astonished at seeing it dart almost into
e the faces of the meu, as if to attract at?e?
tentioQ. The natives explained that the
bird knew where was a nest of bees,
and wanted to pilot the men there so that
01 they would give it a share for its trouble,
lia Mr. Sandeman determined to test so re
is markable a story, and as soon a3 the
on camp had been made he took several j
th meu with pails aud hatchets and started
icc after the bird, which, now seeing that
ed it was being followed, flew to the next
as tree, and then to the next, uttering it3
or- singular cry all the while. For over a
les mile they followed the little pilot
;nt through the roughest kind of country,
;he over rocks and brambles, as the bird did
"ge not go by the paths and trails, and
ive were about giving up the chasc e,
:he when the pilot stopped and clung C(
ec- to the bark of a tree until they ar
at, came up, then flew to another aud back
es, again. The natives said that the honey tj.
;ds was near at hand, but hunt as carefully jn
nv as they would they could find no traces, eJ
2n- which seemed to exasperate the leathered ct
st. pilot that redoubled its cries, flapped its
wn wings violently, and finally alighted upon
id, a certain limb about which it had been
sat flying. The natives now began to ex- w
Qfr amine this limb, and beneath it socn A
[C? found a small hole plastered about with fi
mud. While they were looking out
came a bee, justifying the remarkable
patience and intelligence of the bird. A g
je few blows of the hatchet laid open a $
k .
rge cavity, in which was stored a quality
of honey. The Kaffirs placed a
irt of the comb on the ground, and
id down flew the pilot to enjoy the
a3t which it had earned by one of the
ost extraordinary exbibitioha on record
what we must term intelligence. I
ish I could say that the pilot always
.tries hunters to such acceptable things
honey, but the contrary is the case,
rummond, the African traveler, was
d to a large snake by one,and on another
:casicn he followed the pilot from tree
tree, over the brush and stubble, for
me distance, and finally when he bean
to look around for a snake, or, peraps,
a leopard, the bird stopped, and
le follower, peering around, saw neither
I these, but one of his own Kaffirs fast
deep beneath a tree.?Brooklyn Citizen.
Peaked-Headed People.
Dr. Junker, the African explorer, had
good opportunity for studying the
jicies of the Mangbattu in matters of
;rsonal adornment. They, like most
her tribes visited by him, made a
actice of tattooing the breast and belly
hile leaving the face untouched. The
:ecution of the chosen patterns is in
ch case a matter of many years, and
'ery individual design represents an inM
4-Vv a lifn rtf lUrt faf
viuuai pcnuu iu fug va uu? iaioed
person.
Men and women alike, in common
ith many other tribes south of the
relle, paint their bodies with the dark
ice of the gardenia and redwood pow;r
mingled with fat. The favorites of
ie princes employ most of their ;";?ure
a mangbattt7 dude.
covenng themselves from crown to
le with , the most varied and staring
of painted designs. A Mangittu
of especially fastidious tastes
iows his dudishnesa most remarkably in
s hairdress. ,
"With astounding care and the greatest
iriety," says Dr. Junker, "they build
) on their heads these wonderful strucres?most
tedious and elaborate bits of
Drk, to which, however, the vain
iung men of the better classes patiently
bmit. Everything that women of
rilized countries accomplished in this
xticular, is far behind the marvelous
rms of those hair phenomena." 4
The head band, and accompaniment
the style of elaborate headdress conits
of thin black cords wound tightly
ound the forehead from the base of
e nose to a line three or four inches
ove, and made fast to the back of the
ad. The head bands, as -well as the
address of a Maugbattu remains unsturbed
usually for weeks in succes)d.
ara rnf i-in fhp VlPftdfi llf
J. lio LUUU3 (UW j^/w? vu -.WW
lwcaned children, aad have a perptible
eCect on the development of
.e skull. Dr. Junker saw many Mangitta
children whose heads had thus
:en rendered peaked to the extent of
:treme deformity.
"Experience, shows, however," says
r. Junker, "that such artificial malrmations
of the skull do not effect the
ental facilities so long as the top of
e skull, and with it the brain, is alwed
to develop unhindered in some
le direction. The Mangbatiu tribes
ove the truth of this assertion, for
ley stand without doubt on a much
.gher plane of life than many other
itive people which do not use the
iad bands."
lie ingenious former aad the Out*
witted Bovine.
T?g< ? I
??' .1
,?The cow's tail of woe is too long.
ii.?Farmer Hoe has a plan.
in.?Which works like a charm.
A Military Norelty.
A vegetable cartridge shell, which is
ltirely consumed in firing, is now
>ming into general use iu the French
my. The cartridge has scarcely half
le weight of one with a metal shell;
le cost is considerable less, besides the
convenience of removing the shell after
ich shot is avoided. At present the
imposition of this military novelty is
ept a secret.?St. Louis Republic.
The ensuing term at Oxford, England,
ill, it is said, see a larger number of
merican students there than ever bc>re.
The amount spent annually for foot
ear in the United States is estimated at
45,000,000.
-V; Ar>-?i jws <?? ' ? " " v.f
;???????i???
HOUSEHOLD HATTEB&,
HOW TO SWEEP RIGHT.
The common and necessary operation!
of sweeping the floor of a schoolroom^
factory or other large apartment is gen^
erally carried out with great inconvenience
to the sweepers, and with ther
result that a large proportion of the dust)
removed from the ground is transferred!
, to every object in the room where it car*
find a resting place. The air, too, i#
contaminated for a long time afterward,
with floating particles, which are very
distressing to those who have to breatS
in it.
All this can be avoided by dispensing
with the common practice of sprinkling*
the floor with water previous to the ua?
of the broom, and by applying the
moisture in a different way. By laying,
a line of wet sawdust right across oneend
of the apartment, and by sweeping,
it foot by foot to the other end, it will
in its passage lick up every bit of dun
without raising any in the air. By adding
to the wet sawdust a small propertion
of any disinfectant it is obvious thatf
the cleaning will be still more effectual!
?JSew York Journal.
PEESEBVIiTQ FLO WE IIS A2TO FERNS.
Take very line sand, wash it perfectly
clean and when dry sift it through if
fine sieve into a pan. When the sand i*
deep enough to hold the flowers in as
upright position, take some more sifted
sand and carefully cover them. A spoonl '
is a good thing for this as it fills in every
chink and cranny without breaking oij
bending the leaves. When the pan s*
filled solidly, leave the flowers to dry for
several days. It is a good plan to warm;
the sand in the oven before using it, a*
the flowers will then dry more thorJ
ouehlv. In takinz the sand off. ureal
care must be taken not to break the
leaves, as they are now dry and brittle^
Pansies preserved in this way will keefi
their shape and brilliancy of color au
winter, and many other flowers can bd: ..Trj
equally successfully treated?anything!
in fact, where the full pressure of thq
sand comes on both sides of the leaf}
otherwise they will shrivel. To fill inflowers
with cuplike shapes it is better
to lay them on the sand and with a small
spoon fill in and around each flowerl
Ferns when preserved in this way hava
a more natural look than when pressed;!
and the maiden-hair fern looks almost
as well as when it is freshly gathered.-^
Brooklyn Citizen.
? ' %
DYEING FEATHERS.
To dye feathers proceed as follows foi *
the different colors:
Black?Immerse for two or three dayi
in a bath at first of hot logwood, cighix
parts, and copperas or acetate of ironj
one Dart.
Blue?In a vat of indigo.
Brown?Use any brown dye suitabli;
for silk or wool. i ;
Crimson?A mordant of alum, fol
lowed by a hot bath of Brazil wood, at
terward by a weak dye of cudbear.
Pink or rose?With safflower or lemoi'
juice.
Plum?With red dye, followed by ari
alkaline bath.
Red?A mordant of alum, iollowed
by a bath of Brazil wood.
Yellow?A mordant of alum, followed
bv a bath ot tumeric or weld.
Green?Take of verdigris and verditer,'
each one ounce; gum water, one pints
mix them well and mix the featherj- ;
(they having first been soaked in hoi
water) with the mixture.
Purple?Use lake and indigo.
Carnation?Vermilion and smalt. 4,
Thin gum of starch water should fat
used in dyeing feathers.?Detroit Fr%
Press.
GRAPES FOB WINTER USE.
Sweet Pickled Grapes?Take te?
pounds 01 grapes on tne seems, uou ?
quart of vinegar, and add six pounds oi
fiugar, flavor with spice, and pour ovej
the grapes boiling hot. Seal. <] .': Canned?Grapes?Select
fine ripe grapes!
pick from'the bunch, leaving the small
stems on. Make a syrup of sugar and (
water, drop the grapes in, let heat. H&tj
glass cans well heated, fill with tho froij
and seal.
Grape Catsup?Take six pounds oi
grapes und boil in a little water; strainj
add three pounds of sugar, pint oi
vinegar with a teaspoonful of cloves ana
cinnamon each, and half a teaspoonful of
salt; boil thick, and bottle.
Spiced Grapes?Pulp five pounds o(
ripe grapes, boil the skins until tenderj
cook the pulps and strain, add to th?
skins, make a syrup of a pint of vinegar^
four of sugar, and spices, boil; add th?
grapes, and cook thick. Put in jars and
Grape Preserves?Pick ripe grapej
from the stem, weigh, allowing a pounc
of sugar to a pound of fruit. Put in i
preserve kettle together, and cook slowlj
until the grapes are clear. Take up, ii
the Byrup is not thick, boil until low. ij
Grape Marmalade?Pick ripe grape*
from the stems, pulp and seed, put th*
pulp and juice in a porcelain kettle, witU '
half a pound of sugar to a pouna 01 irms,'
cook slowly until thick and smooth. Stir;
ring to prevent burning. Take up, put
in small glasses and cover. j
Grape Jam?Pulp the grapes; put the
skins in ODe pan and the pulps in an^
other until all are prepared. Then puj
the pulps into a porcelain kettle anc|
bring to a boil, strain through a colan-j
der, add the skins and measure; to every
pint allow half a pound of sugar; put
together in a kettle and boil twenty;
minutes, stirring to prevent sticking
when thick, take up and put iu glass,
jars.
Grape Syrup?Pick ripo grapes, mash
and stand in a warm place for three OJ
four days. Then put iu a jelly bag an<^
let drip slowly. Measure tue juice, and
to every pint allow two pounds of sugarMix
the juice and sugar together, placei
over the tire until the sugar dissolvesj
Take from the lire and stand aside to
cool. When cold put in small bottles,'
being careful to fill, cork tightly, sealy
and keep in a dark, cjoI place.
Grape Jeliy?Pick from the stem, put
in a jar, stand in a kettle of cold water/
cover the top and boil slowiv for one
hour. Strain through a jelly bagj
Measure the juice and allow a pound of
suuar to a pint of juice. Put the juice
in a preserve kettie and stand over the
fire. Heat the sugar in the oven. Boil
the juice twenty minutes and add the
sugar, stirring until dissolved. Put in
tumblers and cover with paper.? Courier?
Journal.
The Canadian Government, with the
approval of the imperial authorities, has
determined to permit the slaughtering o$
American, tattle within the Dominion*
A