Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, September 20, 1893, Image 1

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lewis m. (rrist, proprietor. 1 2ht Jndcpendent ^amilij Jfjeicspaper: jifoi; the promotion of the folitical, Social, Jtgrjraltural and d[oimnercial interests of the ^onth. |terms?$2.00 a year in advance. VOL. 39. YORKVILLE, S. C., WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1893. NO. 38. ?hc Horn ?rUrr. ! ? I The Crime ol Edmund Cballoner. I i By JAMES KNAPP REEVE. [Copyright, 1803, by American Press Association.] When the steamer Pelican set sail from j the port of Vera Cruz for Havana on the ! afternoon of Jan. 28,188?, it had before it as fair prospect for fair voyage as ever ' did ship that put to sea. The passengers, mostly tourists who had come down the long rail route through Mexico or across from that ocean which is misnamed the Pacific, lounged contentedly about the decks and congratulated themselves that their lines I had fallen in pleasant places. The voyage was begun upon Saturday, i Sunday morning dawned clear and bright. The sea was without a ripple, j except as the sharp prow of the ship cut through it. The water lay like a mass of molten silver, and the hot sun beat upon it and was reflected back as from a shield. The captain ordered awnings stretched upon the decks, and beneath their shade | the passengers lounged and read novels and sipped ices which the steward brought and dozed. Just before nightfall a little cloud came up out of the south. J:c was the forerunner of one of those storms which j sweep the southern seas so swiftly and \ so terribly. By the time the sun was fairly below the horizon the storm was upon them. The passengers, who had hurried below, could hear the rain dashing upon the decks, feel the wind and waves sweeping against the ship and see at intervals the wild and vivid play of the lightning. The calm sea was churned into a mass j of angry foam that seethed and leaped about the ship, but the beating of the great engines never ceased, and the ship held steadily upon its course. Except when the lightning revealed I the tossing sea it was but sailing forward into the ocean of inky and impenetrable blackness. Such a night demands 1 confidence in your captain and your i compass. The captain himself lield the wheel and took a sailor's grim delight in { watching how nobly his vessel withstood the buffeting of the storm. A single passenger, for whom the contention of the elements seemed to have , ? ~ oforul o liffln tViAoViolf^r UU V4.V w?v.?v. of the pilothouse. When the lightning j played, the man at the wheel looked j down and observed him curiously. "My friend, you seem to like this sort of thing," ho said. "Yes, it is a divekMon," the other answered briefly. The storm had awakened the social element that usually lay dormant beneath the captain's gruff exterior. He Beemed disposed toward conversation. "Come, I like that," he said, then added questioningly, "you are not a seafar- | ing man?" "No." The wind was driving the ship so : fiercely that the wheel for a time demand- ! ed the captain's whole attention. When the lightning revealed the passenger again, he stood with head bent down, like one who listens. In an instant all was black again, but ! out from the darkness the captain heavd the Btranger's voice asking quietly: "Are you Bure of your course, sir?" "Sure," said the officer firmly; "I have j been over it too often to make any mis- ' take. I can read this sea like a book in | a blacker night than this." "Nevertheless," replied the other quite ' as firmly, "I have just heard a whistling I buoy, and that would be impossible upon i your true course." "Tut! You are crazy!' said the cap- j tain sharply. "There is no whistling buoy nearer than Captiva island inlet, and j that is a good 20 miles away. You must have sharp ears." "It was the Captiva buoy that 1 ! heard." The captain muttered an oath. "Who are you?" he cried. "They call me the king of Captiva," i said the other. Even as he spoke there ! came to both, distinctly in the pauses of the storm, the melancholy soughing note of the whistling buoy so close and so ' distinct that there was no chance for question even had there been time. But simultaneously there came a shock that ' made the Bhip tremble from stem to stern. The captain signaled to reverse the engines, but before the order could be obeyed the waves had lifted the ship, carried it forward and let it fall again with an awful crash and breaking and straining of timbers. "We are on the reef!" cried the captain, and a moment later: "We are breaking in two! To the boats! To the boats!" "Stand back, you cowards!" he shouted. There was little need of the order. The crew, realizing their peril, were at the davits and working to lower away. I The passengers excitedly thronged the deck and hampered the crew and officers in their effoi ts. So many swarmed into the first boat lowered that it swamped before leaving the vessel's side. The J crew, with some of the male passengers, were about to take possession of the second boat when the stranger who had warned the captain sprang to the rail. Vifon/1 vr>ti nAwov/lat" Ka aV-ir*nfori I K/wwiu t/uva| jvu vvnaiugi uy ouvuvyu* "No man shall enter that boat until the women have been taken off!" The lightning showed him standing beside the davits, a pistol raised in either j hand. For a moment he held the men at bay. Then one hulking fellow spoke. "They can't go without some one to handle the boat, master." "It will need men and not cowards for that." The sailor stood irresolute for an instant, and then sprang forward, thinking to catch the other off his guard. There was tho flash of a pistol, and the big body dropped like a log and rolled over into the sea. "There will be no more trouble now," said tho stranger, "but we have no time to lose. Hand the women forward." Close beside him stood an old man and a young woman, evidently his daughter. These two hung back, and the young man touched the older one impatiently ui>on tho arm. "Come, sir," he said, "the ship is breaking up. Let us get the lady into the boat." The girl threw herself upon her fa- ! ther's bosom. "Oh, 1 cannot go uutil you do," she cried. "If wo must die, let 11 a Aia "No, Helen, be brave. Go, ami 1 will take my chance with the others." The boat was filling rapidly. . "You are too late now," said the stranger. "Perhaps it is just as well The boat is too full to last in such a i sea." As each succeeding boat was filled the father and daughter still drew back because they could not secure places with- j out becoming separated. As the last ' one was lowered the young man seized ] the girl bodily and swung her safely in- ! to it, then, giving his hand to her father, j assisted him to a place beside her. Others followed rapidly, and when the boat was ready to pull away only himself and the captain remained upon the ship. "Shall we go?" asked the latter of his companion. "What is the use! She may get away as it is, although I think she has more now than she can carry. But with two , more"?he finished with a suggestive 6hake of his head. The young girl, perceiving his determination, started to her feet. "Father! We must not go," she cried "Don't you see he has given his chance j to us?" But her protest was of no avail, as the oarsmen were already pulling away from j the dangerous proximity of the ship. When the boat was fairly away, the two men faced each other questioningly. "We have yet one chance." said tho i captain.. "Yes, a raft, if we have time." respond a/1 tha ntVior "It Is a boat," said the captain. It required but a few moments to splice some planks together and launch them into the sea, but the task was completed none too soon. The waves had carried them only a little way off when the ship broke in two where it hung | upon the rock and went down amid a gurgle and swirl of black waters that sucked into its maelstrom every floating particle that swam within its reach. The two men with difficulty maintained their hold upon the slender mean9 that lay between themselves and death. Through the long night they were tossed to and fro, the wash of the waves all the time carrying them* further seaward. When morning came, they scanned the horizon anxiously for any sign of land or of their missing companions. Far away to the east lay the white line of breakers that marked the reef where the j ship struck. "Beyond that lies Captiva," said the , young man. "It might as well be a thousand miles," j replied the captain. "We can never reach it." As the light grew stronger they made i out a faint, black speck upon the water { a long way off, yet nearer than the reef and between themselves and it. Both I men watched it a long time in silence. j "It is a boat," said the captain, "and } bottom up. Some of the poor souls have , gone, but only by a little shorter route j than we shall." "It is drifting this way," safel the other, "but more slowly than we, bocause it lies deeper in the water. If we could paddle toward it or even hold our- i Belves here" The men looked down upon the bare , planks of the raft, then, moved by a ! common impulse, threw themselves i prostrate upon it and began to paddle 1 with their hands against the beating waves. It was slow and exhausting work, but for an hour they continued their effort steadily. At the end of that time th">* were perceptibly nearer the boat. The sun was now hot and fierce, and unprotected from its scorching rays, aud without food or drink, the men were beoinnintr to erive wav under the strain. Still they toiled desperately on. They I became dizzy from tjie glare of light upon the water, yet kept their eyes fixed steadily toward the boat. It was high noon before they were near enough to feel safe in resting. Then the captain. 1 after a long and steady look toward the boat, uttered a sudden exclamation. "There is some cue clinging to it," he j aaid. Then added, painfully, after a brief pause, "There are two." His mouth was parched and cracked so that ho i lould hardly utter the words. "It is a man and a woman," answered his companion; "we must reach them." Then they fell to work again. An hour more and the raft and the boat touched. The throats of the men had become so dry that they could not hail, and the two upon the boat were so nearly exhausted that they had not observed the approach of the raft. Getting close alongside, the occupants of the raft drew first the woman and then the man to a place of greater security and then attempted to right the boat. This, which would not have been a great task for such experienced seamen under ordinary circumstances, was now, owing to their exhausted condition, only accomplished after a long effort. At last they were able to place their rescued companions in the boat, to clamber in themselves and to make the raft fast against possible future needs. Then nature would stand no more, and the four slept and drifted. A sudden passing rain, u shower falling from a clear sky, came upon the faces of the sleepers and wakened them. It was a rain of the tropics, sudden, heavy and brief. The four lay with upturned faces and let it fall into their mouths. They caught it in their hands and moistened their parched throats. When it had passed, they were refreshed and hopeful. The one who had called himself the king of Captiva began taking tho raft to pieces. He pulled the smaller planks into the boat and sent tho balance adrift. "We must use these for paddles," he said. "Captiva island lies behind that reef. 1 know the inlet .well. Before nightfall we shall bo safe." It required the last vestige of strength which they possessed to make this promise good, but by tho time the stars began to come out the keel of tho boat touched upon a sloping sandy beach. "Here wo are at least safe," said their guide as with the captain he helped the others from the boat, "and a second time we are indebted to you for our lives," said the girl, who was none other than the one whom the stranger had put into the last boat that left the ship. "I think we are the only ones who are saved." She shuddered as she looked out upon tho sea. A little way up from tho beach they came upon a cabin?a mere thatched hut of the most primitive construction set in the midst of a grove of palms. "This is my house," said the stranger. "To it and tho little I have hero I mako you welcome." Ho hastily arranged a couch of palm leaves for the old man, who seemed weaker than his daughter from the exposure of the shipwreck, and brought out some rugs and some of his own clothing for him. Then motioning tho captain to follow he led the way to a small shed which served tho purges of kitchen and storehouse. Hero a fire was soon started, some coffee put on and some meal cakes stirred together. Then some plantains were stripped from the trees close by and thrust into the fire to roast. Going a little farther away, tho strauger returned with an armful of ripe oranges. When tho plantains and cakes were done, the two bore tho repast to the cabin in triumph. As they ate and became strengthened they began to talk together. "This is quite as wonderful us any of our past experiences," said tho old man to their host. "I beg that you will tell us who you are and how you chance to have here such provision for our sudden need." ' "As for names, it does not much matter," was tho answer, "but if you wish one you may call me Abbott. Our friend the captain has heard of me, I think, as the king of Captiva.- This is- i land is my kingdom; right of possession | my only title to sovereignty; I have 110 1 subjects." "We would be glad to know more," j said the old man courteously as Abbott paused, "unless, indeed," he added, "wo ' seem unwarrantably curious." Tho king ! of Captiva looked so long and steadily at his guest before he answered that tho latter shifted uneasily. "Perhaps you have a right to know," ! he said at last, "so long as you are forced to be my guests." He paused again and j looked around upon tho little circle: "I j am a fugitive from justice." ILltJ (JUJJUUii JjttVO C* 01V40 CI v mv j speaker and drew a quick breath, as if this but confirmed his suspicions. The girl involuntarily shrank nearer her fa- | ther. "Twelve years ago," continued Abbott, speaking slowly and watching the j effect upon his hearers, "I was accused of a crime. It does not matter now j what or if I was guilty or innocent, tho only safety from a long imprisonment j lay in flight. After a timo I reached Mo- ' bile and found that tho officers were close behind me. Tired of being haunt- j ed on land, I determined to take to tho i water. Having money, I bought a small 1 sloop, one that I could handle by myself, being something of a sailor, and laid in stores which would answer for a long cruise if it became necessary. For three ; days and nights I ran due south, going ! most of the time before a strong wind, i On the morning of the fourth day the wind changed and began to drive me toward the cast. Before night the wind had changed iuto a gale, and it was raining. The night came on black and ugly. I made everything tight and waited for what might come. About midnight 1 was driven on the rocks just off yonder." He paused, and with a slow gesture motioned toward the sea. It lay a dead black mass, except where the swelling waves caught and sent back the scintillating reflection of the stars that gleamed j brilliantly from the southern sky. Be- \ yond a streak of silver showed against the black, where the sea beat unceasingly upon the reef. "Aye," continued Abbott as he followed the thought of his hearers, "it 1 looks pretty and gentle enough now, and j it makes pleasant music. But you have | seen it when it was angry. It is without mercy then., "It was so that night. Wild and dark as it was, I knew what was coming. I could hear the roar of the breakers and see the white line they made upon the rocks. I grasped the tiller firmly with both hands to keep her head straight for it and braced myself for the shock. That was the last I knew. The next wave must have carried the sloop off again and carried me to a safe point upon the rocks. When I came to myself, the sun was shining, and I could see this island across the calm bit of water. I found j some debris upon the rocks, and putting j it together for a raft made my way across." As Abbott stopped in his recital the j. i :i? 611CI1CO SUl ueu? uy ujiuw IUU (jiuuji. "Twelve years," said the old man at last, "is u long time. One may repent and expiate much wrong in that time." "Twelve years of exile and loneliness," i said Abbott thoughtfully. "It would be a hard thing to look forward to, but it is not much to look back upon. I was a man of few wants; these I made less and learned to satisfy them myself. I have lived almost independent of the world. This was the first time that 1 have gone out into it. and I think it will | be the last." "That may be all very well," inter- I rupted the captain impatiently, "but i perhaps we do not all care to become Crusoes. How are we ever to get away 1 from this blessed island? No ship will I ever come inside that reef, and otherwise { we cannot be seen." "There are two ways," said Abbott. 1 "Perhaps twice a year a Spanish lugger j lays to outside and sends in a boat to : supply me with some small necessaries ! and to buy my oranges and cocoanuts. You may wait for that or do as I did? j go outside the reef and lay until somo passing vessel spies you." "How long did yon wait?" "Four days. I had taken food atid water to last a week. A schooner came and took me to Vera Cruz." Abbott and the captain went out and slept beneath the palm trees and the stars, leaving the cabin to the old man and his daughter. The following day and the next they rested and began to recuperate from the j fatigue and exposure to which they had I been subjected. On the third day the captain announced his intention of leaving them. It wus arranged that he and Abbott should take the boat and layoutside the reef and wait for some vessel. If they met a schooner or trading vessel, they were to persuade it to lay to while they came l ack for the others. If a steamer, then the captain was to proceed to the nearest port and dispatch a vessel for them. It was of course out of the question for the old man and the girl to take the chance of spending some days in the open boat. Abbott and the captain went out upon the highway of the sea until the reef and the island were far behind and their little boat the only visible speck upon the whole waters, and then they waited one day, two days, until the evening of the third. Then a steamer bound for New Orleans bore down upon them, hove to and took the captain on board, and releasing Abbott from his weary office permitted his return to Captiva. When the captain arrived at New Orleans, he first made out and forwarded to the owners a full account of the loss of the Pelican. Then he called at the office of the chief of police. His conference with that official was long and animat ed. Before its conclusion two of the oldest detectives upon the force were brought into the consultation. "There can be no question as to who your man is." said the chief finally. "The record is very straight. Twelve years ago the Bunker Ilill bank of Boston lost the sum of $50,000. The money was taken from the vault after the bank had been closed for the night. But two men had access to the vault?Frederick Nelson, the cashier, and Edmund Challoner. the presideut." "Edmund Challoner!" exclaimed the captain. "Edmund Challoner! That name was upon the passenger list of the Pelican. I cannot remember" "A mere coincidence of names," said the chief. "This Challoner was a man of the highest type of irreproachable character. It was said that he had the greatest confidence in Nelson, so much so that when the loss was discovered he demanded that the accusation bo made equally against them both, as they each had the same opportunity to take the money. But before any arrests were made Nelson had fled, and the crime was fixed. Tho man Nelson," continued the chief, "was traced to Mobile, where he disappeared. The bank offered a reward of $10,000 for his capture. The reward is still pending." The captain got up and mopped his face with his handkerchief. Ten thousand dollars was a goodly sum for a man who had just lost his ship. And it was almost within his grasp. Tho chief's office seemed very close. What a fool ho had been to come away and leave tin man there with every opportunity for escape. He began to doubt if Abbott had ever gone back to the island. "See here," he exclaimed finally, turning to the chief, "we have no time to lose. The man is bagged safely enough, if he doesn't take the alarm, but we bad better move spry. So give 1110 two of jour best men for this business, and I will show you where ho is, and we will , divide the reward." Under sUCli a spur the "law's delays" are easily brushed aside. A few hours sufficed to put a good boat under way for Captiva, with three inen in her determined upon vindicating the majesty of the law and securing the reward of $10,000. Meanwhile life went smoothly with the three upon the island. The girl was constantly surprised and delighted by new discoveries, which showed how aptly Abbott had adapted himself to the hermit life. The conditions were such as forced them into much free intimacy, and it was not in nature that, she should fail to become more than ordinarily interested in Abbott's personality. Her father held aloof and seemed dis Li UdLLUl VL AUUUH, CWUUIW lie oaiu JAWVUAUg to influence or prejudice her. This she attributed to the fact that Abbott had confessed himself suspected of a crime, while not even asserting his innocence, and that her father could not forget this, even though the man had saved their lives. One night the three sat long together beneath the skies talking in a desultory way. Abbott, drawn on by the girl's questionings, had been telling of his life 011 the island, how it had been so lonely at first; then how he had grown to love it and willing to remain there always; then how the desire had grown to clear his name from the shadow of tho crime which rested upon it and of the journey back into the world which he had essayed for that purpose; then how at Vera Cruz he had veered suddenly about. "Why did you not go on?" demanded the girl. "Because 1 chanced to see there the only man living who knew whether I was innorent or guilty." "Yes?" She breathed tho question softly, waiting for him to finish. "And I saw that it was better for one to suffer than for many." .She reached out her hand in the dark and touched his in quiet sympathy. "Where is he now?" fI ^ ^ " Whrrr. Is hr iioir!"' "He, too, was a passenger on the Pelican." Tiie girl glanced out shudderingly upon the sea. "And now it is too late," she said. The old man, who had l>een listening to them, arose and walked down the beach. "It is time that fellow was back," ho said petulantly. "Does ho mean to keep us hero forever?" Abbott, with n more accustomed ear than tho others, beard just then a plashing of oars. "Thero is some one within tho inlet now," he said. "It-could hardly bo any one but tho captain." They watched, and gradually tho form of a boat drew out from tho further darkness and made toward tho beach. As it touched the shore three men sprang out and came toward tho group waiting to receive them. The captain was in tho lead, and he came close and scanned their faces eagerly. Laying his hand upon Abbott's arm, he turned to the men with him. "This is the one, my lads. Make sure of liim." Abbott made 110 resistance of the men who seized him. "Now." said the captain briskly, "we won't waste any time. We have a good sloop lying outside, and we will get aboard as quickly as possible. We shall put into New Orleans very shortly, and then wo can attend to this gentlemnn here, who will be apt to get ins deserts at last." There was 110 opportunity for Abbott's companions to utter any remonstrance They were at once embarked for the sloop, where he was placed apart from the others. Tho run to New Orleans, which should have been made in a few days, had because of contrary winds lengthened into a week, and yet no land was in sight. Tho voyage, which was monotonous to the girl from the start, became almost unendurable. Her father was ill and kept to his own cabin most of tho time. Her aversion for tho captain was so great that she could hardly speak to him. But she finally overcame this in her anxiety to know what was in store for Abbott. Finding him alone upon tho deck one morning, she put the question to him. He replied with unfeigned surprise: "I thought you knew. You heard him confess that he was a fugitive from justice. Well, I found out what ho had done. He stole $."50,000 from the Bunker Hill bank of Boston." "The Bunker Hill bank!" exclaimed the girl. "Does my father know this?" "Why, I had supposed so. Somehow I took it for granted that you both did. But now that you ask me I see that it hasn't been mentioned." Tho girl began to speak again, but checked herself, turned and going to her father's cabin knocked impetuously upon the door. After some delay it was opened, and she was startled to see how ill and worn her father appeared. He had been writing, as she could see from an open portfolio. It required but few words to tell him why she had come. When she hud finished, he took some papers from tho portjlio and gave them to her with shaking humls. "I have tried to tell you," lie said, "but had noi the courage. But I have prepared this, which you must read and then give to the man Abbott." Ho placed the paper in her hand and gently urged her from him. With a heart filled with misgivings the girl went to her own stateroom before daring to glance at tho document. It was headed, "Tho Confession of Edmund Challoner." In tho briefest and clearest phrase it stated that the writer, Edmund Challoner, president of the Bunker Hill bank of Boston, becoming involved in speculation, did, in the year ly?, abstract from the vaults of said bank the sum of !j?U,00U. Furthermore, he had intended to use this but temporarily and to replaco it before the loss should become known. Failing to do this, tho loss was discovered. Challoner then intended to confess the whole matter. But delaying in this, suspicion fell upon the cashier, Frederick Nelson, who gave color to it by his immediate flight. Then, as tho need of saving an innocent man from imprisonment had passed, Challoner kept silence rather than tarnish his good name and destroy tho happiness of his family. Then there were a few wp.ilr words to testify how he had Buffered mentally fur this double crime, and a pathetic prayer to his daughter not to judge him too harshly, as he had done it for her sake. When Miss Challoner had linishedher reading, she was very pale, but composed. Going at once in search of Abbott, whom she found sitting idly near the rail in the forward part of the vessel, she placed the paper in his hands. "Do you know who I am?" she asked, and as ho nodded slightly in answer she continued: "Yes. 1 am Helen Challoner. It i> for us that you have suffered all thcso years. But, believes me, I never knew until now." Abbott read the paper through slowly. "What do you want nie to do with this?" ho asked finally. "Why, you must use it. Make yourself free. Clear your name of suspicion." "Have you thought what that menus'/" ' She looked {it him with sudden fear in i her wide eyes. "My father" | Abbott had been twisting the paper ; i tightly in his hands. Now with a sudden movement ho attempted to fling it from him into the sea. But Miss Challoner, as suddenly divining his purpose, grasped his arm and wrenched the paper ' i from him. ; 1 i "No," she cried, "justice must be done ! { you at last." She turned and saw the 1 captain near them. "This is for you," ; | she said, giving him the paper. The , 1 captain read, it through with a lowering 1 face and handed it without comment 1 I frv fKn ftt'A dAfppfivPR Tchn Vin#1 SrtitiA/1 t him. "Well, this does not matter much to us," one of them said; "we shall only j have to take the other one, the real thief, and let this one go." He made as if he were going at once to the cabin oc- , copied by Mr. Challoner. ! "Stop," said Abbott, springing before i him. "That will profit you nothing. ! The reward is offered 'for the arrest and ; conviction of Frederick Nelson.' I re- j I member the wording well. I am Fred- j I erick Nelson, and, ns you see, I am inno- j j cent, and there is no reward offered for j any one else." ! "We are beaten," said the man, "and as : there is no money in it I don't care how tho job is settled. I for ono shall not j trouble the old man." Tho balance of tho run into port wus ! uneventful, except for a talk between i Abbott, Miss Challoner and her father, i The latter was weak and childish and I begged Abbott's forgiveness. "I shall go homo and make restitution j to tho bank and take whatever pujiishj ment they see fit to give me," he said. | But Abbott, noting his weak condition. ! thought otherwise. i "He can never stand the journey to ' Boston," ho felt bound to tell Helen. , "We must make him as comfortable as wo can in New Orleans and wait for the end." The end came very soon, and they put him to rest in the beautiful Metairc cemetery. As they turned away from the tomb Helen said to Abbott: "You will go now and clear your name?" ! "And smirch your father's? No. Let i the dead past remain dead. But you?" : "I do not know. I am alone in the j world." i "Helen," said Abbott gently, "could you be content to be queen of Captiva i and of my heart?" "Oh," she said, "if you will share your kingdom with me I will be very glad." j , And so they returned to Captiva, but i , it is no longer a place of exile. I was ; j there last summer and had from Nelson j 1 himself something more of this story. j I "Stop," said Abbott, springing before j ? him. [ j By employing a confidential agent ho I : was able to close np Mr. Challoner's af- , < fairs and reimburse the bank so quietly j s that there was no scandal about the j t j matter. The reward for his own appro- ( 1 J hension was withdrawn, and it was an- r nounced by the bank that he had been ' t unjustly accused. But Helen was bo j 1 charmed with Captiva that she did ! t not care for any other home. So the j t little cabin gave way to a roomy low I r roofed nfansion. Gardens and groves : j sprang up, and the island became t a little earthly paradise. The inlet ha- j j | been deepened, and now when storms t blow ships find safe refuge behind the u ( reef. And the fame of the king and ! 1 I queen of Captiva has gone so far abroad ! \ that many a pleasure yacht puts in for , t ! the purpose of enjoying their generous j ( hospitality. And the men who come I ( away say of Helen Challoner that she is ! r a queen among women, and tho women ' ( say of her husband that he is every inch t a king. ; j The Word 'Well?" t Frequently there is nothing a man ( ; more dreads than his wife's inquiring p "Well?" when he goes home. Strong a hearted men have sometimes to nerve ?. themselves for this on the way. A man f bought a country house. The weather . c was hot, and the women of the family ! [ made haste to move. There was, how- : fi ever, some delay about the title, and tho ' ^ man refused to taker possession until j j this was made clear. Each side held off, 'j j and day after day passed. . c Every night when the man went home ? four women met him at the door, and ^ each said, "Well?" The carpets were j up; the curtains were down; tho clothes, ! _ books and crockery were packed. The s sun woke him at unearthly hours; his ^ foot gave hollow echo on the bare floors; \ , all his dearest possessions were inacces- ! sible in baskets and boxes. For three ^ weeks he went through all these peculiar t discomforts, miseries and privations that j men suffer while women revel in house- , j cleaning raids. But these were nothing to the nervousness he suffered each day . when called upon to meet at the door of i . his house the "Well?" of his wife and 1 daughters.?Chicago Times. * Wonderful Fall In a Biblical Itlver. V The river Jordan in Palestine has the o most remarkable fall or descent of any " short river in the world. The name of t the river is from the Hebrew word jar- t den, meaning the descender, and that it s j is well named may be judged from the I following figures concerning its fall: At its source near Hasbaye the stream has an elevation of 1,700 feet above the level of the Mediterranean sea, and at the t place where it empties into the Dead sea y ! it is 1,5100 feet below the level of the r Mediterranean, making a total fall of t) about even 51,000 feet. s The distance from Hasbaye springs | to the Dead sea is 120 miles, and the to- j, tal length of the river, counting the ? windings of the channel, 200 miles. 1 s From this we must subtract 20 miles for s the lake and morass of Hooleh and the sea of Galilee, leaving but 180 miles of ' j ! river proper, which gives the river an i average fall of 17 feet to the mile * throughout its entire course. Few riv- ? ers have such a fall, and fewer still de- i r scend as the Jordan does, without either cascades or waterfalls.?St. Louis Re- ^ public. * Good Temper In Traveling. ? We hear of a good many requisites for t traveling in comfort, but none of them v surpasses good teini>er, especially in liot, j dusty weather. To be indifferent to the c crying of cross and tired babies, to draw ^ a shawl or a wrap over the shoulders when some fresh air fiend persists in a sending a current of cold wind from an s oj>en window, or equally to bo patient , when you want the window open and somebody else wants it shut, to bo ready ' to accept delays without grumbling and j to be as sweet at a journey's end its at its 1 t beginning, this is to be indeed good tem' l?ered. If one travels easily and is not made faint and ill by the rapid motion of the ) train or seasick by the roll of the steamor, there is little credit in keeping amiable. But many women suffer fearfully 1 from jolting and jarring. Their heads i c ache, their stomachs rebel, their nerves j ^ are on edge. It is nothing short of saint- ; s 1*r 4-r\ nlimannf. in tliown ^ 1J I.W uv , but some people Achieve it, and they aro i 1 held in pleasant memory by their fellow j h i travelers.? Hjirper's Bazar. I |UtSffHanrous grading. SIZE OF Til K SKA. L'oni|)urisoiiH Which Will Ho Found Holh Novel ami Instinctive. There are not many people who, if hey were to he naked the question, tould tell the size of the salt waters )f the earth. The figures are so great hat they could only say, with Dominie sampson: "Prodigious!" And yet some llustrations may be given and eom"inrisons made as to the size of the sea, vhich will be found both novel and incresting. ine wnoie sea is composed 01 me Vtlantic and Pacilic, the Indian ocean, : he Arctic and Antarctic seas, and I rurious smaller bodies of water. It las an area of 140,000,000 square miles, ! ind would forma circle of 13,360 miles n diameter. The relative size of the areas of the [ vhole surface of the earth, of the whole ! ;ca, of the Pacific and of the Atlantic, I inn he represented by a silver dollar for he surface of the earth, a half a dollar or the surface of the whole sea, a twen.y-live cent piece for the surface of the , Pacific, and a silver half half dime for j lie surface of the Atlantic. The number of gallons of water in lie Pacific* is 200,000,000,000,000, an j imount which would take 1,000,000 I ( ears to pass over the Falls at Niagara, { ind yet, if it was put into a sphere, the vhole of the Pacific would only meas- ; ire 720 miles across. The number of cubic feet in the Atantic is 117, followed by seventeen i nphers, a number that, counting one 'oot at a time, would be ticked oil" by ; 1,000,000 clocks in 370,000 years. The Pacific could contain the Atuntic bodily nearly three times. If! he Atlantic were made to fill a eircuar pipe reaching from the earth to the j sun, the diameter of the pipe would rnve to be a little over a mile, while | hat of a pipe of similar length to con- j ain the Pacific, would have to be alnost two miles. Incidentally it may be said that the j listance to the sun is so great, if a : jhild was born with an arm long enough 0 reach the sun, it would not live ong enough to know it had touched it, or sensation passes along the nerves at he rate of 100 feet a second. At that ate, the sense of feeling would take [HO years to travel from the sun to he earth, and that is an unlikely age or one to live nowadays. If the whole sea were formed into I 1 round column reaching to the sun, he diameter of the column would be learly 2j miles, while the Pacific would 'orm ">3,000,000 miles of its total length >f 93,000,000, and the Atlantic 18,000,)00 miles. If the column was of ice, and the mtire heat of the sun could be concenrated upon it, it would all be melted n one second and converted into steam n eight seconds. These figures enable us to arrive at ionic stupendous results in discussing j lot only the size of the sea, but the ?? -f ti.? t?n..?? It'Ut UI U1U 9UU. UUlUUi O. I TOMB OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT. In an out-of-the-way nook in the \ British Museum the sight-seer is con- j routed by a dust-covered object, which ' it first sight would be taken for a gi- j ,antic millstone. But it is not a corn- ' jrinder, neither is it a cast of an Eski- j no's hut, nor of "Montezuma's watch." }n the contrary, it is one of the most I sacred Oriental relics in existence?the 1 omb of Alexander the (treat. The , eader who takes an interest in the cu- 1 ious points of history, will remember hat it has been said of Alexander that ! le was "born in Europe, died in Asia, ; iml is buried in Africa." lie was born it Bella, Macedonia, (which is in Eu- j , ope, of course), died near Babylon, ! Vsia, and was finally buried at Alex- ' indria, Egypt. Preparatory to removng the remains from Babylon to Alexmdria, a solid gold cotlin was provided ind filled with honey. In this costly eeeptacle the body of the Conqueror vas tenderly laid and conveyed across he deserts to Alexandria, a distance ; >f over a thousand miles. This curi- j >us funeral pageant, led by 04 white j nules drawing the immense funeral i :ar, is said to have been composed of >ver 7,000 persons, including some 1,000 slaves. At Alexandria the golden coffin was leposited in a circular (or as Dr. ; Marke's account says, a "cistern- j ihaped") sarcophagus of green stone md enshrined at the great mosque of tt. Athanasius. It is hardly to the ; , redit of the British Museum officials, | ir to the English people, that this ( omb is now on exhibition at their | ;reat repository of curious relics, espe:inlly when we consider the manner of neans used to obtain possession of it. rhe tomb was first violated by Selen:us Cibyofaetes, who carried away the cold collin and left the Conqueror's tones in a badlv iumbled mass at the >ottom of the tomb. Finally the renains were "religiously cared for by ome of the worshipers at the shrine/' ; >ut no one knows to this day where , hey were deposited. The empty ! j greenstone tomb was long an object of feneration, even down to 1804, the . ime when I)r. Clarke obtained posses- j ion of it and shipped it to Kngland. t will be remembered that that was he year of the French invasion of Ogypt. Mcnon, the French general, , lad promised and guaranteed to the , doslems the inviolable possession of i heir sanctuaries, but as soon as they j i ver'e in possession of the city of Alex- ( mdria, they despoiled St. Athanasius ( ind took charge of the Conqueror's onil). When the British heard this < hey wrested it from the French and i cut it to Kngland and put it on exhi- , ] >ition in their great London Museum. i - ' 1 TH GRAFT ARMS. It is said that Theodore Lee, a well- i o-do, though armless man, of Tacomn, .Vash., is encouraged to hope that his nissing members may be replaced by irms, not wooden, or cork, or rubber -I ubstitutes, but real arms of flesh and ' ilood and bone. He has been going I ibout among the surgeons of the east, < md they think that if he can persuade ' ome criminal condemned to death to i ell him a pair of healthy arms, they | : night succeed in grafting them to him. i Cs to the method of grafting an arm, dr. Lee has been informed that the 1 plice would have to be made just i ibove the elbow joint, where there arc I (radically only two muscles, one main i irtcry, and only one nerve. When ? dr. Lee has found a person who will < ubmit to the operation, they will have i o be brought together in such a posi- I ion as to permit of the arms of both, i vhich are to be operated upon, being I daeed in plaster casts, so that they I annot be moved. Then it is proposed i o cut the back part of both the arms, 1 ilso cutting through the bone. The i irm that is to be grafted to Mr. Lee's i tump, or that portion of it that is cut 1 iway at the first operation, is to be t djlisted and fastened to the stump and ( illowed to remain until it heals, and i here is evidence of circulation between i he stump and the part that is grafted i m. The second operation will be the utting of the remainder of the inside tortion of the arm, together with the s rtery and the nerve. This operation, 1 J lowever, is not to be undertaken until j he surgeons are satisfied that the cir- i t .1 1. ?1.? ,1,? illation iiinm^u inu [mii ui uik uiui ;rafted on is sullicient to nourish and f upport the forearm. This would l>e ' i scertained by placing a ligament on i he arm of the person who was eontrib- ^ iting the new member, above the elbow, i ml shutting oil' the blood which was j t flowing through the artery into his own arm through that portion that was not already cut ofT. Mr. Lee is now looking for somebody with a healthy pair of arms to sell.?New Orleans Picayune. INCONSISTENT MAN. A man can take his life in his hand and go boldly into the trackless prairie to meet a herd of savage buffalo, or he can traverse the horrors of an African jungle without a shudder in his body, says the Chicago Dispatch. Hut he can not enter a fancy wool shop to match a special hue without breaking into a violent perspiration and finally rushing away without fulfilling his task. A man can suffer the amputation of a limb in a heroic manner, but he cannot endure a mustard plaster on his chest without shrieking aloud for mercy. A man can stand the deprivation of his wealth with the calmness of a stoic, but he cannot lose his collar stud on the bed room lloor without a violent outburst of temper. A man can endure the pangs of hunger on a desert island with a brave spirit, but he cannot eat his bride's first pudding without a smothered ejaculation. A man can smile grimly under the tortures of the rack, but he cannot tread on a tin tack with his bare feet without a bitter howl. A man can walk forty miles a day and arrive fresh and bright at the end of his journey, but he cannot nurse a baby half an hour without complaining that he is utterly worn out. A man can calculate to the uttermost farthing the cost of the Sue/canal, but he cannot estimate the price of a woman's bonnet without egregious errors. A man can possess the physical strength of a Samson, but he cannot help take down the pictures for the annual spring cleaning without feeling completely exhausted with his labors. A man can beard the savage tiger in his lair without a quiver of his muscle, but he cannot bring an unexpected friend to dinner on a washing day without trembling in every limb. A man can suffer death at the stake with the dignity of a martyr, but he cannot chase after his hat in a public road without looking ridiculous. A man can wait many years in proud silence for the public appreciation of his work, but at a domestic crisis he cannot get up and light the fire every day for a week without feeling that he is lit for immediate canonization. "HELD I P." "I have traveled through the States of Washington and Oregon, and parts of California, Idaho and Montana, for eigniecn years, sum a aouinwesiera slioe drummer. "Ten years of that time I traveled by stage, horseback, steamboat and canal, and my life has been fuller of adventures than that of most traveling men. It has been my misfortune to have been twice held up by stage robbers. In both instances my hands went up as quickly as those of my fellow-passengers. I have no patience with those people who tell what they would do if they met robbers. I know what they would do. They would fall into line with the rest of the passengers, and reserve their expressions of indignation until later in the day. There is no use of talking, the stage robber has killed and he will kill ugain, and a man never realizes how dear Ids life is until it is in actual peril. "One day, in October, 1877, I was staging it in northern California. There were six of us in the coach. We were talking about stage robbers. Suddenly there was a halt, and one of the party said, 'Speak of the devil and he will appear.' Well, we ull got out and stood in a line, and gave up our purses and watches. The driver had thrown off the mail-bag and the Wells-Targo safe. There were two robbers, neither of them masked. They were not polite, like the knights of the road in romance, but s vore continuously, and without artistic effect. One of the bandits could not get oaths enough between words, so he interjected a few choice specimens of profanity between the syllables, and greatly shocked a professor from the Smithsonian Institution by the coining of such words as hesitdamnation,' meaning hesitation. "The job was done in about five minutes, and the robbers told the driver to go ahead. We did so for a half mile or so, when one of the passengers, a silent man, whom I had taken for j\ commercial man, said to the driver, 'Go slowly, and wait for me at the ford.' He then produced a Winchester from the coach, and started back over the road alone. 'Who is lie?' we asked of the driver. 'Wells Fargo man, I guess; never saw him before, but I guess he knows his business. If he conies back, he will have got them; if lie don't, they'll have got him.' Twenty minutes later we heard some rapid firing. We stopped at the ford. "Nearly an hour passed, and then the man who had gone back appeared on tbc trail. He walked slowly, as if in pain, and a bloody handkerchief was tied ubout his head. 'Drive back and get the box,' he said to the driver. 'Did you get 'em ?' asked the driver. 'Doth of 'em.' he replied. We drove back. In the middle of the road where we had been held up, both men lay dead. The Wells-Fargo detective, calculating that they would stop to rifle the mail-bag and the strong box, divide the plunder, and then separate, had quietly walked back. One of them he dropped with his Winchester, before he was suspected; the other got in one shot before he fell, and that had struck the brave man a glancing blow on the bead. Our property was all restored to us. We helped bury the robbers by the roadside. The brave officer refused to accept the purse we hastily raised for him, saying, 'The company will pay me, gentlemen.' " Thk Disk ok a Do v.?This boy goes to business, and at his business begins by simply doing the things he is told to do and doing them in a common and ordinary way. If he stops here, he remains all his lifelong a drudge. Dut if he begins to see that business lias a significance : that his life is not merely sweeping the store, not merely writing letters, not merely selling goods; if lie begins to see the higher life involved 11 business; if he begins to see that business is a, greater instrument of beneficence tlian what we call benefiienre ; that trade is clothing thousands )f men where charity clothes ten ; that igricultural and milling industries are feeding thousands of men where charty feeds ten ; if he begins to see how [he whole history of the world is linked together, and is (lod's way of building ;ip humanity, and serving humanity, as :ie gets this larger view and enters nto it. life is enriched and becomes tself the minister whereby love is enarged and conscience is strengthened, he school wherein he is educated out )f the lower into the higher, lie has low risen, or is rising, from that which s mortal into that which is immortal uid eternal.?Dr. Lyman Abbott. (1 uowixu Xkw Eyks.?A remark iblc story is told of John lialiler, of llattle Creek, Mich. Thirty-two years igo he became totally blind. As his iseless eyeballs became diseased they iverc removed ; for ten years he wore jlass eyes, but finally discarded them, uid covered his sightless sockets with i pair of smoked glass goggles. A ,'ear ago, as he was sitting with his kViic one evening, ne suuueuiy inuugiu hat lie perceived a light, and asked his wife what was that, pointing in the direction where he seemed to see something. She replied that it was , a lamp. On examination it was found that small eyeballs were growing on , the ends of the optic nerves that were left exposed when his eyes were removed. Since that time his sight has ' gradually improved, and from being i able to catch a sensation of light, he 1 is able in a good light to distinguish I strong colors. It is said that he has been examined by physicians, who de- | i clare that there is no doubt about the j formation of new eyeballs, but they : say tney never heard ol such another case. Bahler, who is a devout Adventist, thinks that his siglit is returning as a direct answer to prayer.?Picayune. ! TWO KINDS OK KVIDENCK. Writers in the law periodicals are j advocating all sorts of strange doe| trines at present. One correspondent thinks that circumstantial evidence ; should have scarcely any weight. His j i argument is that when direct evidence , is given there is only the perjury of the I witness to he guarded against, while ! in circumstantial evidence there arc both the possibility of perjury and the i i liability to a wrong inference from the circumstances. The strength of circum- 1 stantial evidence, according to most j writers, however, is that there is little ' probability of perjury, as the circum- J stances are frequently slight in themselves, and not likely to be distorted by the witnesses who do not know of their full effect. The New York Tribune thinks it is probable that many more unjust convictions have I taken place from perjured direct'evi- 1 dence than from mistaken inferences from circumstances. Artemus Stewart, in "The American j I Law Register," belittles the value of , expert evidence to an even greater ex- > teibt than most previous writers. Kng- J 1 j- lisn lawyers, writing to the London : papers, have advocated to some extent ! a strange plan for doing away with all , oaths in legal proceedings, on the ground that perjury is so common that : simple declarations to which the same j penalties for incorrect statements [ might attach, would he just as valua- ( hie as testimony given under the present form. Another new theory which has found its advocates is that in crim- \ inal trials, except for treason, the defence, as well as the prosecution, shall ! he conducted by public officials. This , ; suggestion is rather more startling than ; : any of the others, and is even more ; unlikely than they of adoption. It may be that in the abundance of law periodicals, writers find it easier to invent a theory than to make some val- j liable contributions to legal literature. Going to Bed Hungry.?Dr. \V. j T. Cathell has entered a strong pro : test against tne oiu-msnioneu laeainat i people should go to bed comparatively I hungry. He is of the opinion that , I fasting during the long interval be- ' ; tween supper and breakfast, and esj pecially complete emptiness of the ' stomach during sleep, add greatly to j the emaciation, sleeplessness and gen1 eral weakness so often met with. It j is well known that in the body there , ! is a perpetual disintegration of tissue, . ! sleeping or waking; it is, therefore, j uatural to believe that the supply of ; nourishment should be somewhat con- j tinuous, especially in those whom the : vitality is lowered. As bodily exer- ! I cise is suspended during sleep, with I J wear and tear correspondingly dimin- ; j ished, while digestion, assimilation and ! nutritive activity continue as usual, the food furnished during this period adds more than is destroyed, and in! creased general vigor is the result. ; All animals except man eat before ; sleep, and there is no reason why man should be an exception to the rule. Dr. Cathell is satisfied that were the j j weakly, the emaciated and the sleepless, nightly to take a light meal of ! simple, nutritious food before going to i bed for a prolonged-period, nine in ten of them would be thereby raised to i a better standard of health. He has found that after digesting a bowl of j bread and milk * * * or a saucer ! I of oatmeal or cream before going to j bed, for a few months, a surprising in; crease in weight, strength and general j j tone has resulted. Persons who are too : stout and plethoric are recommended to j follow the opposite cgurse.?Philadel| phia Press. What Oleomargarine is Made I Of.?Since we assume that most peoj pie who speak about oleomargarine do ; not either know the method of its mani ufacture nor the materials of which it is composed, we wish to say that oleomargarine is composed of butter, but! ter oil, neutral lard, and oleo oil. ; Elgiu creamery butter and butter : made at the factory daily are the products used in oleomargarine. Butter oil is made by pressing the oil from American cotton seed. It is a pure nutritious vegetable oil, which is j used in small quantities to soften the | texture of oleomargarine. Neutral lard is pure, chilled leaf. i lard, cooked at a low temperature, and ; is then put into a bath of pure cold ! water for about forty-eight hours, which removes all flavor, leaving a perfectly neutral material. ] Oleo oil is made from the choicest j fat of beef cattle, chilled in ice water, then melted at a temperature of 140? | Fahrenheit. From this is pressed a perfectly soluble oil known as oleo oil, which is the only beef product used in . oleomargarine. , The above named ingredients, when 1 properly combined, salted, and worked the same as butter, form what is known j as oleomargarine, which is one of the , most wholesome articles of food in ; general use. the manufacture of which ' should not be prohibited.?National ' I Provisioned ! 1 teaT"''(iath" reports to the Chicago j ! Tribune a recent conversation with | Mr. (ieorge Pullman, of the Pullman .? - ? \t.. i11 ? *?i.i far company. ?ur. i unman iuiu m, teresting thing* of the company's business. lie said : "We have 1 i>,000 employees. of whom S.000 or 9,000 are mechanics and mechanical operatives. We serve 4,">00,000 meals over the land, between the St. Lawrence and Texas, and every one of these meals has to have a voucher in this ollice. We have built over 400 cars for the World's Fair alone, at a cost of $5,500,i 000, and we own of palace cars between 2,200 and 2,.'500, and carried last year more than *,00t),000 passengers: our mileage in this country is five s times the circumference of the globe. ' liesides, we are car-builders for any- ' body, and manufactured $10,000,000 I j worth of cars last year. At the town i n..u i , ui I m1111illij wiiiBiuc ui v.iiiingu, hi. i pay $.'{,000,000 a year in wages. Our \ savings bank has over $">00,000 in it." t j ? , i Thk Nava.ioks.?It is the opinion of . men familiar with the character of the . Navajo Indians, that a war with them f will prove to be a serious business for j the government. The tribe numbers about 30,000, of whom 9,000 are fight- < ing warriors. The reservation where j ! they are intrenched is rough and difli- 1 i cult, and contains many passes, where ; : according to one authority, "two In- t dianscan hold their ground against the ( entire United States army." The > Xavajoes have trained their ponies to < I go without water for two days, if nee- 1 essary. The whole tribe is armed ( with the most approved repeating ri fles, ( and the bucks have been storing amu- ( nition for years in anticipation of trou- ; Die. i ne iMivujoes mive ;i j>ei itn i system of signals and scouts, and are j \ ' always informed hours in advance of i 1 j the movements of troops sent against j t j them. j t MARINE HAND'S IH'TIKS. The Famous Organization K at Hit* l)i?po?al of tin* I'rt'slilcnl. The Marino band is considered in a manner to belong to the president of the United States. According to the Washington Star it is always at his disposal, so that the finest music is at his command whenever he cares to listen to it. At White Kou.se receptions it is on hand with its most melodious strains. Every member of it must enlist in the ordinary way and serve five years as a private at $13 a month, after which lie may be promoted through the grade of first, second and third class musicians. A first-class musician gets $35 a month; a second-class, $21 a month, and a third-class, $17 a month. The leader draws $90 a month. There are thirty musicians and ten privates in the baud. Every man of them gets $48 a year extra for playing in summer at the grounds of the eapitol and the executive mansion. At the first glance it seems astonishing that firstrate musicians should be willing to serve for such small pay. The fact is that, as a rule, the men enlist for the sake of the prestige which they obtain from five years' service in the Marine band. After serving out this term they have become attached to the organization and commonly remain with it. They enjoy many privileges which go far to make up for the small renumeration which they receive. They are permitted to earn money outside by concerts and otherwise, in this way making a great many dollars. One source of income to them recently has been tooting into huge brass funnels for making phonograph record cylinders. Thousands of these cylinders have been sent out all over the country, gratifying millions of listeners with music of the Marine band at second hand. Most people who have heard this music by phonograph have noticed without surprise the applause which follows the rendition of each piece. The signs of approval are actually made by the members of the I 1 *1. ...Un ,t on/1 n UUIiU IIICIUSCIVW) ? UU OIIUUV Ull\i V iujr as soon as they have finished delivering a selection into the funnels aforesaid. This is part of the business for which they are hired, but it is very funny to them applauding their own performance. 5lr. Sousa, who made his reputation as a leader of this musical orchestra, was himself a child of the Marine band. His father was a member of it, and he himself was trained to it as a small boy. Twenty-five drummers and buglers, temporarily attached to the band, are always in training at the barracks here. They are boys enlisted at the ages of fourteen to sixteen, and tlipy serve by enlistment up to twenty-one, when they are assigned to ships. It is their duty in the service to sound the calls to quarters in the morning, for hoisting and pulling down the Hag, etc., whether on shore or on board. OLD TWO-SEED BAPTISTS. A sect with a strange name is that known as the Old-Two-Seed-in-theSpirit Predestinarian Baptists, particulars of which are given in a Census Bulletin. It is a very conservative body, and is not in sympathy with the Kegular or Missionary, the Primitive or any other body of Baptists. They ar.e strongly C'alvinistic, holding firmly to the doctrine of predestination. The phrase "Two Seed" is understood to indicate their belief that there are two seeds, one of death aud one of life. The former became implanted in man when he fell from the state of holiness in which he was created originally ; it brings torth the fruitage of eternal death. The seed of life is communicated by the Holy Spirit to those who are called and regenerated ; it springs up into eternal life. Many of the TwoSeed Baptists are strongly opposed to a paid ministry. They hold that the calling of the ministry is "to comfort Zion, feed the Hock, and contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints." They are Antinomians, and do not believe that the help of a minister is needed by the Saviour to reach and save sinners. Sunday schools, theological seminaries, Bible and missionary societies, are regarded with marked disfavor, as among the Primitive Baptists. The census enumerates forty-four associations, with four hundred and fifteen organizations, three hundred and thirty-three church edifices, valued at one hundred and thirty-five thousand two hundred and thirty dollars, and ninety-nine hundred and thirty-two communicants, scattered over twenty-three States, and most numerous in Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Formiki: a Habit.?No effort is required to form a bad habit. It forms itself by mere repetition. Unpleasant habits arc usually the result of thoughtlessness in the beginning. It is so with slang phrases, forms of speech, and disagreeable mannerisms. Any habit of word or manner once acquired is only broken by most persistent effort. In things comparatively small and frequently practiced, we lose conciousness of what is done, hence it is nigh impossible to break away from their habitual use. The safe way is to commence right, and the only sure method is to think about what is saiu or done. If speech is golden we cannot afford to let counterfeit words become current. In accepting change we look carefully at the five cent pieces and dimes, as well as the larger coins. Words are the currency of communication, and they should he fitly chosen as well as "fitly spoken.'' (food manneis do not always insure uprightness, but when assumed by a villain they are garments stolen from the wardrobe of true gentility. First of all the heart should be right; then proper habit of speech and manner should be the outward expression of the true gentility of the >oul.?Young Men's Kra. Stars in* thk Fi.ag.?It is often remarked as singular, and possibly an ndication of lack of patriotism, that :he average American, always exceptng school children, cannot tell oflland how many stars there now are 11 his country's flag. If any reader of :his desires to try the question on ten )f his friends lie will probably find that mly three or four can give the correct lumber even after a minute of bard :bought. The ordinary reply will range from thirty-eight to forty-two stars, instead of the correct forty-four, riie admission within four years of S'ortli Dakota, South Dakota, Moilana, Washington,Idaho and Wyomng has brought the list up to the last mentioned number. The shape of the inion has been changed from a square .0 a rectangle, and the stars are arranged in six straight lines, the upper uid lower ones containing eight stars uul the remaining four having seven stars. Thk (?rkat Tkiumvihatk.?Ucf;rce Murphy, of the San Angelo Standin!, voices a true sentiment in the folowing: "A preacher recently saiil that i newspaper that told the truth, and lie whole truth, couldn't he a pe uniary success. The minister who >vill at all times and under any eir uinstances tell the whole truth about lis members, alive or dead, might not iceiinv the nulnit more than one Sun lay, and in some cases might find it convenient to leave town. The press uul the pulpit go hniul in hand with he whitewash brush and pleasant vords, magnifying little virtues into >ig ones. The pulpit, the press and he gravestone are the saint-making riumvirate."