Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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TRI-WEEKLY -EDITIONO WINNSBORO, S. C., JUNE 5, 1880.VO I-N - ------------ - - THR; LOSTL10 _Mid. Aye, happy are the nodding A6f's That tasseled hang from y6jKder t.e 6s Their livsal behtiy,/*ar theij gold In summer crowns of purity. But man, O man, what costly tears t.1 Bedew thy oracyp, as Wy grave ; What griefs ene'eam thy"xeduid' of years And break the rest we ,vainly r,ve'. I fain would be the notdiiglioer Which one bright sa4Umer i6ork airays. Than in a wintry-n66n of life Sit down to count the lost, I6ut;da.% I Pause, listen to that singing bird, He trill. not for a vague applause; lie but obeys hia Mato, God, And stngs ia oadeuoe!with His Ms. I I ae the PkttRr lie,s of. art, Melodious freu4q that Ails our cars ; The servile oIhool wired men are taught To mtjlVa. 4 I fain W_.R4 With fearless throat, his honest lay, Nor heeds nor kiow6 to-racer6*'e dawn, Nor yet regrets the lost, lost Uays. Aye. happ are t ting buds, Aye, h'b I. Irds b1l86'ji, F0 Ti. only'i.' hdleoantIgt' Disturbs the earth with railing tongue. He mouras for childhood's artless Joys, And youth's and manhood's vision'@ fled't While by the embers of old age. He mumbles only of the dead. Whence is it that frail man alone Should fill thd earth wWh iiovous lys, Always a story of regret, And wasted lit, the lost, lost days I A Duel to the Death. One of o rr e c fo , ed letu, sky, had agiihr I'dM~ In.ti tPleS vice, who was an especial favorite of mine. lie was. na of slugular lntellige;ce, btj - I never a ma full o yal 1 perfectio Ill had idbeed 11hn a spdles borj 41e kne a w ness'and - W atura efeots, arcfully. avoided all efforts and all gymnastic exer cises, leading the life of the utmost precau tion. On horseback he was a terribly comic spectacle, aid ,wnenever we arranged a riding party he Jnvarial)ly chose the oldest and least spirited of the horses. lie had ulso a defect in his pronunciation, which obliged him to speak v6ry slowly in order to keep from stuttering. - You may iia gine what a figure this unhappy man made, with his ailments and his precautions, aniong a. band of vigorous young men, who never looked before they leaped. Vetsky was nevertheless a good compan ion. Weall were fondof him, but weniadeno allowance for the infirmities of his consti tution, his akwardue3s, and his excessive prudence, that bordered on cowardice. Velsky took all our jokes In good part, sDme times joining in the laugh against himself. Nevertheless, it frequently occurred that when sonic suddez i railery attacked him he lound himself at .a uloss for a -reply. -it seemed as if Lie faculties of his mind, like those of nia body, suftered occasion para lysis. He was one of those men whtom-it was easy to uns~eat wl.th a word, add liot have not the pover of inune,diately egln.. I ing the saddle. In cases like this, Vetsky evidently suffered very much, however -trongly lie forced himself to conceal it tin der a cold and calm exterior. Every one ooulI see that he made every effort to re main master of himself, because, as hd would say witi a forced smile, "To get angry would be to injure my health." 'I had observed since a certain epoch that my brother was one of the moit pitiless persecutors of poor Vetsky; but we had all fallen into the habit of laughing at "our petit maitre," as we called him, and made this jocularity so munch a regular ipastine, that I paid no attention to his chlildih way wardno.s. it seemed to.us so perfectly natural. All thiiurs, howecrr, had a sec. ret cause; and the secret of this was, that my brother was d6spel'ately in love 'with a lady who, by a singular cap)rice, gave a marked p)reference over the elegant Vet cheslaff to the distorted Vetsky. When olcers are newly appointed, it Is the custom among us liussians to exp)ect them to "baptize their epaulettes," as we say. As we had some new-comners in the~ regiment, days were fixed when we should dine successively -Witiu ea6h of thend. You have some idea of the style of what our fete8 used to be. Yod have bee'n ten years absent, and in Russia ten years is an ago. The time has gohe by for those wiIl, fren sled revels that you kniew once. Nowv young men are very rational,.even-over4heo bott'e, and good taste reigns in their orgies. Their wives might p)reside over thern with Out blushing. 411 is sqa that wine is want ing. -Thley dlofo drink :at p)resenlt, It is true, until they lire under the table; but t,bey drink enough, to become gay aind qiarrlsome,. jm.i Ioolish;somnetimes,* mnd to say things In their cups that they 'regret in sober moinents. We dinied one (lay ini a little country house (it.waj ,e prio .qvhuen the.troop - were ehqin%mi i fe 4urbgAf $t,,i'et. ersbur% or nerauvio, an o host was liberal of his champagne. 'iihe dinner lasted a conailderaible time, and all of us, including even Vetsky, were, to use a imilitary phrase, charged ump to the imz zie. 11, was t wo o'clock ini the morning. Thelu room was pls pnd .1 Iit as If I wis suffocating; so 1 foit (he house to wandeir -through the fields and fresh air. I remconi 'her it still. T[he skies were pure, time coun try silent. A faint morning breeze was arising, and I hailed it with voluptuous.de.. light. T[he field, bathed in the p)urp)le rays oi the rising nmorninig, miade a delicious picture. No a soumi was auidile, except in the diretion.of the'cot,tage whero we dinfedi, through (whose open' ylddows' frag meonts of laughter and snatches of song tioated. bidenly song andl laughter ceased. This uncxp)ectedl change from niois,tor profound.silence alarmed .ie, and i shivered involuntarily. My heart beat as if I had just learneAI QVIl news. i)y an Jn voi,nitary movemient' I returned to the cot tage. At the inoment' of crossing 'the t,hreshm6ld I met Vetse(y comig out .with his hat In lisa hiand. Hfe did:niot speak to me; but, his:face was white as a sheet, mfhd . he sought to dissenible somec agitation be nehth a smile. My presentimnents wero veritiedi *, . -Sg * 3My companions related all that had oc cuirred (luring ,rmy brief absence. It was a boyish freaz<, but one that I feared would * lead to bloodshed. S3ome of them had opened a wmndow that looked out, on a court-yard, and one young fehmow, in a fit of gayety, leaped from it. 'Ie % scognd' followed, then a third. The vinddw wadra considerable height from the ;roun'd, and whoever was unfortunate mough to'miss his footing would certainly >a hurn. Thq laughter provoked by the alis that some.recloved, -and the danger of he jump, excited i all the young men )resent t reckless ehiulation. Each tried f h4'dciild not brieak lils neck in this fool "Now, what are you going to do?" said ny brotoer to Vetsky, when all had tried he peril, Ni.h a ,loud laugh. ..,tI 11 not leap," answered Vetsky, :oldly "No lut you must leap!" 'PI haie told you that I do not wish to eap." "You don't wish to leap," answered any rother, in the heat of wiie, "because you re coward." "I Advise you iiot to repeat that," said X3y1tool of a brother knew not what lie aid or did. "I'll not only repeat it," said he, putting its arms akimbo, "but I will tell it to the Jountess A-- [the lady that both were 'y q g l i j _# kyO. ' A j W I t t o t e r , ft4orkt-WfAl, wal ,, W wilvi1you tltI wil not el i?" Vetsky, in spite of all lia 8angfroil, .ould no longer contain himself. ie ;auglit iug brother by the throat. "You fooll" he cried, "if you dare-" A blow on the face was the only reply. What remained.to be done? For a mo ment I- thought'of reconciling the adver aries, but how to accomplish itt To force umy brother to apologize was impossible; ror his officer's uniform had brought with t the most exalted idea of personal dignity. Re felt that lie was wrong, but to corn ,ence his military. arjer with what might be caled an act of cowardice, to recede r, ,his posItipn-no powder under heaven MU1dMfe-iMatie him consent to it. As to ie, I had not the courage to face such an idea; 4 my only.c)imqe ..was .tg.attack Vets , h6sb..:PruAldfitImnidity, instruc UO i' d rqtiI, aild gieral good- sense gat e Ooome-' hopd.. 1. .ny selfslmtss I hougWiat,Inordr.4tQ save my brother, 'hils man would, as I would, rccoil from iothing, not even public contempt. Stifling iny pride, I proceeded to Yetsky's house. When I entered the room, L fqund him meated at a writing-table, t1ranquilly smok ing a cigar. Ilis calmness disturbed me. "I wished1," said I, "to have an inter iew with you'rather than your second. You are a man, and certainly must look ipon my brother's conduct as nothing but he rudeness of a boy, entirely unworthy >f your attention." Vetsky looked surprised, and siled. "Sir," lie said, "you do not think what lou say. Be frank with me. Whit is the natter?" These few words gave me a new idea. [ would endeavor to touch llls feelings. [ pictured our situation, my mother's feeble tate of health, her fare*ell to us, and the romise she had exacted of me. I d,id not pare poor Vetchedlair. .1 called him aftol md a sea Ap. I bdlieve that I even mut ered the word "pardon." "A mionient," said Vetsky, with the ,.old smile that - had never, foy aii instant (hit(ed his fa6e. '$is it on yopr brother's bihalf, 6y ri-your own,,that you apolo ;ize?" I knew not what to answer. lie fixed a >enctrating look upon me, and continued: "I umderstana your position perfectly. [ understand that your brother will never tpologize-he can not. I pity you as much is him. I am not a fire-eater, mid duels ire not in my line. 1 have always laid lown as a rule for niyself to avoid every bing that might conduct to ne; but," he tdded earnestly, "not to recede a step when L rencounter became iievitable. Put your ielf in my place. How many times have I lot been forced to turn off in a joke words hat, if addressed to anoher, would have yrovoked twenty duels with your brother? took pity on his youth, and, I acknowl 3dge, pity on myself also. Life is alreadly iad and short enough, without sacrificing it itill further for a folly. But this afIair is nost serious. Whbat would the world which already finds me l.>o prudent--say if me If I were to lot this affair pass as uomethiing niot meriting attention? You (ngW whait.prejudlices exist. I would not, wnow where to hide my head. Every fin for wouIld lbe pointedi at me|I I would have iothing left but tn blow my brains out; mzd that, you know, would not, be p)rudient n a man of so much prudence." These' words were delivered coldlly and liedainfully, lbut I felt that I could not re "I t'i&d b&di," I cried, angrily, "it s with me, sir, that you wvill have to set "If It Is agreel4e to y6ci," Saidl Vetsky, shaking thic ashes froan lisa cIgar; but nor 3efore your brother and(l myself have finish.. id. Besides, I amin certain that your brotheOr would not listen td any other ar rangemient. I have now to apologize to you-but I have somne letters to write." '"le bowed coldly, and I leit the house with a dOllpairjjg hieaft'~. One hmeil4 remaIned to mf9. Vetsky was Sbad shdi. L, woulds natimaalbbe my brother's second-it was a natural duty that I owed him. Wishing, therefore, to give my brothecr all the adlvantages p)osible, I proposed that they should be placed at Iwenty p)aces, each advancing tea paces ifter the wordI was giveni, and tiring at disi 3retion. I countedl on Vetcheslahl's quick seas and correctness of eye. Vetsky's zecondl accepted these terms. We had scarcely fInmshed this bloody ,ompact when Vetcheslaff enteredl. Books soundled before him, barking with joy. MIy brother triedl to put a brave face on the satter, ai;d played withi the dog; but one ~ounk see that lhe could scarcely rest;ralii the ntcrior 'mot Ion that agitatedh him. Poor oung fellow! Life was, perhaps, never o attractive to him as at that mioment. who would blame himi if lie grievedI at the yh'aice~ of quitting it?i When I saw his rair young~ face, my heart bled. In the few 'iours tha4t preceded the duel .1 grewv twenty years Oler.. lat a few minutes after this we were on hez ground. Thelu thought that it was I who 10(1 my brother to take his stand be rore a pistol, deprived mc of the faculty of ither thinking or acting. In vnin I forced nyself to exhibit the sang /froid~ necessary uider agchi okcumgjpnces; but I was no Onger myself. Vetsky's iccond had to Eulil my (dutles. The fatal mioment had irrived. I gathered all my strength, and 3xamiined my brother's pistols ; they were n excellent order. Vetsky was cold as ce. An ahnost imperceptible smile wan Jarod oer his oompr.nad Hnps.iOna wulsd have thought that he was merely warming his back at his drawIng-rooin fireplace. I looked at Vetchesidif, ani saw with terror that his hand trembled. The signal was giveii. The antagonists approached each other slowly. The sight of the danger had driven from Vetcheslafl's memory all the instructions that I had given lihn. He fired precipatately, and Vetsky staggered; but did not fall. The bullot had broken his left shoulder. Controlling his agony, lie made a sign to his antagonist to advance to the fixed limits. My brother obeyed, with a convulsive and involuntary movement. I felt as If petrlfied. A cold sweat bathed my body. I saw Vetsky advance, step by step, plistol in hand; I saw his cold, piti. less eye. He was only two paces distant fron my brother. Then I thought o- my mother-her last words-my oath. I felt as If I were going mad. A mist swam be fore my eyes; I forgot everything-honor, reasop, the regulation of the duello. One sentence only rang in my cars: "Your brother is being murdered before your eyes I" I could no longer support this agony. I sprang before ny brother, and making a rampart of my body, cried out to Vetsky: "Firel" Velsky lowered his p0tol. "Is this: according to the rules of the duello?" he asked, turning calmly to his second. A cry of disapprobation came from every mouth. Some of the by-standers dragged me away from my brother. The next instant a pistol-shot was heard, and Vetcheslaff fell-dead. New Designs in Furniture. The traditional parlor set is rarely seen nowadays. Instead are a sofa and two large arm- chairs to match, covered, say with Perisian raw silk, while the rest of the room is tilled with odd pieces-and 8 chair, an embroidered chair or two, an eastern divan, a Moorish pouf, which is merely four cush ions piled in a slender frame, and as many fancy chairs of gilt or ebony as may be needed. The nantel lambrequin,.the cur tains, and portiere match the sofa and arm chairs, unless they are specimens of artistic embroidery, in which caso the foundation must match the prevailing tint of the room. Fancy tables, with standards of gilt or eb ony, have the tops upholstered with plusl or raw silk either to matcli sets or as odd pieces. These sane tables, covered with cretonne or mummy cloth, are much liked for bed-rooms. indeed,o cretonne and mummy cloth in cretonne deIgns play an important part in hctise firuishing. A favorite idea is to furnish bed-rooms through out with these, having the the whole furni ture-bed, chairs, dressing table, and small table-covered with cretonne, the curtains and mantel lainbrequin being of cretonne also, the carpet suiting in tone, and the very paper of tie roo.n manufactured in the design and color of the cretonne select ed for the purpose. It is an easy matter to convert any old chAir, which Is strong enough to hold together, into a availab,e seat t)y cushioning it and furnishing it, with a cover of cretonne. Mummy cloth in cretonne designs is much handsomer, as well as m6re durable th-m the ordinary cretonne, inasmuch as it a heavier fabric. The new designs ar., in Persian patterns and in Japanese figure3, as well as lin the myriad floral designs which have always been and always will be liked for chamber draperies. Thie new eretonne curtains are made with dado and frieze of konic con trasting pattern, and an especially pretty style has a drapery to match the frieze fes tooued just below it across the curtain. Bands of the trimung fabric h3ld back the curtain on cac side. Solid colored mum my cloth is H.ked for library and sitting room curta.ns, the borders being of velvet, or not unfrequently of plush, held on with cmbroidery stitches in gayly colored silks. Xiectrleai Jeweliry, An invetioni is now used in Europe which is curious and iinterest,ing. It Is ap plied to jewelry. TakO, first of all,a breast pin, c.onsisting of a death's-head,enamcled, withi movable eyes of diamonds or rubies, ar.d thme lower jaw articulated. At the pleasure of the wearer, by the means to be dlicribed p)resenitly, it can he madie to roll its myes and chatter its gumless teeth. An.. other pin is surniouinted by a small golden drumi, on which is seated on its tail a little rabbit, hiolding in its fore -paws two dIrumn sticks, with whicen it beats a tattoo wvhen the electric current Is applied. A third is an ornament for a lady's hair, consisting of a bira covered all over with diamond points, which, on comp)letinig the circuit, flutters its wings, and produces a curious effect. One of these was made for the Princess (1e Metternichi. But the curious part of the invention is the battery by which these ob jects are pht in motion. Each of them Is attached to an invisible wire, easily con cealedi in the garments or the hair, the othier endi of which is connected with a minute battdry. This apparatus is not bigger than a pencil-case, andl can be easily carried tun seen in the waistcoat p)ocket. It consists of a tube hermetically sealed, containing in the upper half a p)ile composed of zinc and carbon inclosedl In a case of hardened indlia-rub)ber (ebonilte). The zinc and1 the carbon only occupy the upper portion of the tube, the lower containing the exciting liquid. So long as the tube is kept in a perpendicular position, tIme pile Is not reached by the liquid, and consequently no action takes place; but the momiont It is p)laced horizontally, the acid acts cii the pile, aind a circuit is established which sets the amovuble parts in action. Thins the wearer lins only to vary the position of the tube to prodluce the motion. A Tomb In a Tree A startling surprise, after thme fashion of the story of Gilnevra, was experienced not long ago by a party of Styrlan wvoo4&cutters in thme forest of Dronmmling. Th'ley began to fell a venerable oak, which they soon (discovered to be quite hollow. Being half decayed it speedily caime to the grounmd with a crash, disclosing a skeleton in ex cellenit preservation. Even the boots, w~hichi camne above the knee, were almost perfect. By its sIde was a powdier horn, a porcelain p!po bowl, and a ailver watch on which was engraved the name "HI. Von KCrackowitz, 1812."'1'The teeth were per feet. It wouild seem to be the skeleton of a man between, thirty and forty years of age. It is conijectured that, while engaged in hunting, ho climbed the tree for some purpo, and slipped incautiously into the hollow trunk, from which there was no release, and he probably died of starvatio. Make Housekeepers of Girls. Among the matters affecting our well-be ing, the better fitting-of our girls for their wi1 enutance into the social and family world, wih is of serious importance. Of course, each bel girl must be educated as thoroughly as bol circumstances will permit. But when she Ila, has became profficient in the usual femi. sill nine accomplishments, Is thiLt all the edu- boi cation necessary to make hep a useful and 0le happy woman? She desires a home of her dali own, and although her mother is loth to na lose herfromi the home nest, she cannot nu deny heI the privilege of following her an< mate, as the mother did before her. In- wil deed, it is considered an undesirable thing fi by most mothers to have a house full of lint "old maids." But it is a fact, in spite of bri this feeling, that many mothers do not pro- an pare their daughters for happy marriages. str] They neglect to teach them the commonest an< duties of a housekeeper, under the inistak- Tic en idea, which they hold of love and tender- are ness, that they do not want their daughters by to have so hard a life as they have. So P they ignore the truth that no one can place 80, herself at the head of a household without 801 taking on cares for which, if she has not -ha, been properly educated, her lot will be all tal the harder. Many young girls begin this fal now home-life without even the first ele- ap] ments of essential knowledge of what Is re- wil quired of them. I could tell of a newly cla made bride, past thirty, tho gh blooming gr as a girl, who a thorough and popular of teacher in the city schools, takes a higher an place in society, excels in fancy work, and bo is a good seamstress; "jut who has no more Fil Idea how a meal ef victualA is prepared sig than a bird of the air. This may be all 'to well enough while she "boards," but the en< time will come when she will wish her good fal mother had taught her how to cook a beef- Sol steak and make a pudding. The young fri woman needs, too, to know how to fashion rile and make garments for ordinary wear, for wI we rarely find an average family in our thil country communities that is able to hire all I the necessary cutting, fitting and sewing, wi without seriously olipping its resources for erc other needs. One need not, in order to be po thrifty and economical always be her dress- Cc maker or her good man's tailor; for there thi is often real economy in getting these heavy wi jobs off one's hands, thus leaving the wife in readier and stronger for the many duties ret constantly arising, wh.ch no one else cau gr< do so well. But the plain sewing can be bha most neatly and saviugly done at home, un- cr< der the careful, instructive eye of the ba, "nouse-mother," evtu though she has a Pal good sewing machine, and can afford a en, competent person to run it. an -a I Eli Perkins en the Man Who was Bass- ce Sawed. or Uncle George had a controvesy with a po buzz-saw, the other morning. It seems that ku my uncle got the wort of the argument. ph Ie was resting. "Uncle George" said I, "I hear you were buzz-sawed this morning I" "I was I I was buzz-sawed sure !" said Uncle Girge, holding up a bunch of white rags at the end of his arm. at "Did it hurt you much ?" I continued, fr< sitting down on the bed. m "Two fingers and a thumb." to, "Have you got them tied up " "No : I have the place where they were ke tied uap." tih "Then they are off V' gh "Yes, a good ways off." im "flow did It happen ?" . va "I pushed my hand against the saw )al while running a narrow strip through." ha "Did you keep it there long ?" "No.'" thll "Did you take it right away i" "Yes." I "Did you take it all away ?" saI "All but two fingers and a thumb." nl "What did you do with them ?I" "I left them on the other side of the yo saw." - ho "Did you say anything at the time ?" bhi "I did; but It won't do to publishi' "Do you think the buzz-saw Ma to ith blame ?" "..... bic A'Ohieniy." sat 'Hwdid it feel ?" "A good deal like shaking hands wvith a do streak of lightning." bri "Did the buzz-saw say anything?" br< "It said 'Zip I' aind then buzzed on." the "Do you think you would put your hand be there If you had it to do over ?" "Hardly." "Do you think it would be a good thing ont if a bazz-saw could be invented that would nm< saw without moving?" on ''Undoubtedly." If "Do you know anything more about a sea buzz-saw than anybody else does 7" "Yes-'.w "'What ?" , "Dona't you ever get within a mile of a li buzz-sawv when it is in motion." hn "'Why 7"ti "Your curiosity might get the bettoi- of your judgment, and you would be tempted lie to experiment until your fngers were all l heft where mine are. Good afternoon." ml ' * wi They Mlot and P'arted,i.g "Now then," said tramp No. 1 to No. 2 hai as they turned inro Montcalmn street from Woodward avenmue, Detroit the other day, rea "here's the gamie, you walk down the "'I street and ring the bell of some house, W when the lady answvers you tell her that WC you haven't had anything to eat for three days. If she says she don't care tell her you are desperate and ready to commit any crine. If she starts to slam the door on you hold'it open with your foot amt roll so, your eyes and look savage. I'll arrive just dra about then, and I'il take you by the neack, nlu sluAm you around and pitc a you out of the de yard. I'm the lady's protector and the th hero of the hour you see. -ll be very modest and claw off, but i'll tell her .i'm a rei stranger and need a quarter to buy food, ma She'll hand it over, and ll join yog arouind Mihe corner and divide. See ?" thi "Magnmficentl" said 190o. 2. "You ought to be in the United States Senatel Well, cas here I go." of Hfe passed down a Street and selected a W hioause, and the programme was cam efully -m< followed out until lie reached, the point kn where ho said he was desperate. At that lastanat the hall door was pulled wide open, andi a six-foot husband shiot out with his on right hand and knocked No. 2 clear off thme an lower step. No. 1 was just rushing in, so< and sit-footer thought he might kill two th birds with one stone, so lie gave him one an on the jaw, and when tired of walking hi around on their prostrate bodies ho flung theam over the fence. The tramps limped um down to the corner, looked at each other foi in deep disgust and then sporated for- als *v. UouRe Decorations. Very pretty table covers are of satin, h velvet borders, at the corners of icl are squares of plush, the borders ng worked in point Russo stitches on h edges in colored' silks. Felt and mil table covers are embroidered in Le or crowels, either as a border or a dor and centre piece, and one very gant, cover Is powdered all over with sles and wild roses, embroldered in the ural colors. Other table covers are do with borders of Persian raw silks, I others yet are of the raw silk Itself, I or without a border of silk plush. A hion of dressing up chairs is coming s favor as a means of utilizing bric-a c. Thus over one chair may be thrown ancient piece of tapestry, on another a ped India shawl, over another afur rug, 1 yet on another a piece of Turkish silk. lies have ceased to be called such and chair-backs, a name which they merit their size. Some of then are costly rMan embroideries on silk or plush; ue are of lace and hand-painted satin; no of lace alone, and others of flue cloth idsomely enbroidered. Indeed, they :e rank with table covers in fashionable icy work. Some of the newest are in plique, such as cream satin abordered 1h brown velvet; on the satin single asic figure, maie or female, swathed in iceful drapery, produced by an applique flesh-colored, slate and brownish red I dark green satin, the features and the dering of the raiment embroidered. i1 plush or satin is worked with the as of the Zodiac. The satin cloth is w sold the right width ami fringed at the Is. Old golt, olive and blue are the ,orite tones; the patterns are drawn netimes straight accoss. ApIl iuos of Lit are newer then flowers, such as cher s and leaves, grapes and oranges, secured th chain-stitch and then buttonholed, is throwing themi out in bold relief. ,rk blue velvet chair backs are powered Lit an apdlique of oranges and embroid id orange blossoms and dark green with negranates and leaves. On the tolle Iburt Assyrian figures are outlined, and a same material is worked in arrasene th picotees, lobelias and often a spider its web in the inidst of flowers. Brick in fancy eilk sheeting often forms the iundwork for green foliage and white omis, worked either in arrasene or ,wels. At the present monient chair rks are used to give certain desirable Wches of color. Maany of the Oriental btroideries on muslin and satin are litied LI bordered with velvet of artistic tones, )and of the same often going down the itro with fringe at each end, and on the Ivet there are occasionally soft wool balls sometimes a loosely worked daisy. Im rted tidies are shown, worked on Tur h toweling, with birds In their natural inage. Caught in a Trap. At Baden Baden a French nobleman sat the gambling table, and in a mirror in int of him saw that a tall, dark-faced in was making a suspicious movement var(s his head. The Count did not start nor Rtare; but he pt an outlook upon the movements of tman behind him. Soon lie saw the am of a knife-blade, and on the next tant lie felt the hand that cut away a luable gem that adorned his hair. He d down another card-thoi looked at his nd-and then "I have left my budget at the desk of a sentinell" Tien he arose, and seeing the man just >ving away from behind his chair, lie d to hun, blandly and most win igly: "Ah, Monsieur, will you be so kind, sit u In my place just one moment, and Id my cards, while I Correct a great mdter. I will be very quick." The thief could not refuse. He had not ic to think-only to do as lhe luad been iden, and lhe took the Count's cards, andl , own in his chair. The nobleman then did what lhe had to very quickly. Hie drew from the mat-pocket of his vest a keen, sharp, >adl-bladed Spanish dagger, and seizing 3 thief's right car, lie said, in tones not to mistaken': "If you move. I shall cut! The blunder vould correct is that by wich you cut my diamond. Give me back that dia mud, take it from your pocket, and lay it the table, and I will give you your ear. you do not, off comes your ear in ten :ondsI I swear it!" The rascal was caught in a tntrp from dclh he could not escape. Hie knew that ihnghe movement of resistance wvould cost nu his ear. He was powerless to 1he11 nself. Hie felt the thumb and, finger hiten, and, in the mirror, lhe could ace sharp blade terribly near. And then took the diamond from his pocket, and d it upon the table. He looked in the rror, and saw the knife lowered-then, tim a heap) that overthrew the chair, -aug fromi beneath the Frenchman's mnd, and made for the door. "Mforblcu/" said thme nobleman, as he umed his seat, and picked up the gem, 'his diamond has cost a marvelous price! hat does a man count his oar worth, I inder 1" Too Mnola Pressure. Ho stood at the marble counter of the la fountain and quaffed the cooling mnght, occasionally gathering time super eus froth from his mustache wIth his uin r lip, and enjoying the throat journey of aliquid. "We have a strong pressure on to-clay," narked the clerk as lie sp)onged off the urble. "Pressure? -Do you have pressure on mse things?" "Oh yes, it gives life to the drink; and e>onmc acid gas is healthful and the more it you get into your systemi the better. e have got ninety-five pounds on this >rning. if :lle should blow up, I don't owv where we'd go to." "D)o they ever blow uip?". "Occasionally. We hand one go off ce-"Just then one of the valves loosened d a sizzling noise followed b)y a stream of :ln water spattering on time marble caused drinker to put down his glass, turn p)aie d slide out of the door and up street in a rry. "It is well," said the proprietor, "to wait Ill a customer has paid for lis sodha, bo re treating him to a lecture on the explo re qumalities of gas," and the clerk tight .d tha valva in saem. NEWS IN ILEF. -Until 1770 cottoun tpining was per formod by the hand isinning-wheel. -Moasure 209 feet on each side and you have a square acre, within an Inch. -Mil w aukee packed 340,783 hogs last winter, a losi of 103,438 lor the season. -Paris annually consumies abont six naillion of crayllsh, at a cost ot $70,000. -The total n'umber of G -rman Iimt grants to this couutry In 1879 was 30, 808. -The first steam engine on this con tinent was brought from Englaug li 1753. -In the stimmer of 1770, Daniel Boone was the oily white man iI Ken tucky. -Over 03,000,000 pounds of oleomar garine Is sold in the Uuited States yearly. -DAlrynple, the great farmer of Dakota, will seed 26,000 acres in wheat in 1880. -The Marquis of Iuntly has sold the best shooting property in Scotland.for $1,106-,000. -Mrs. Nellie Grant Sartoris is to leave England next July for a visit to this country. -Pennsylvania has 3,402 postofflces, New York, 2.931; District of Columbia, 6, and Alaska, 2. -Senator E.imunds' daughter will soon publish a book. She is an artist as well as a writer. -Queen Victoria was married to Pritico Albert, of Saxe Coburg, on the tenth of February, in the year 1840. -Tho number of new works issued in Germ:my in 1879 amiou-ited to 14,179, as agaist 13,012 in the previous year. -Last winter there were killqd in France 5,328 wild b6ars, b,020 badge s, 6,771 foxes, and 557 wolves and young wolves. -There are twin -boys litig iin Lowell who were born Jtkly 4, and christened Fred Declaration and FAnk Independence. -T'here are 60,000 locomotives In*he United 1tates, and each coitain's*800 different pieces, requiring 'fede*al every ten or. twelve years... , -According to the latest returns, Copetihageni ha pooulatibn of 235,000. in 1850 It contained 129.000; 1.1 1860, -156-000,ahd in 18F0,u811,000. oi e. '-The whole number ,f egigtered voters in England Is.,459,9R%,a.a popu lation of 22 T64,30), or a litl e more than 'olie voter'to ten inifabitin&. . i * .LThe Roinan' etb,6 f114tt6'bed oysters and fatten, then 'byiRrtfidial feeting. It rVquires. about three yegrs for an oy iter,to get Its growth. -The cuciiinber is' knowi to have been cultivated for a period of 'over three tbou'safid years, and Was a oom non vegetable in Egypt at earliest his t)rIo dates. -At a weddIng in Switzerland three hundred peopld lost their livesthrough drinking. At4f16ast-in St. Pe611esbug, In:1779, five hundred died fromthe same 0aUsq. --A Statue in bronze of heroig size, representling the late. udge Asa Packer, will soon be bilaced b6tor1 Packer: Itall In the grounds of Lelill Utiversity at' south "etilehmija.,. -Parls has Q02 palnters In, oil, 193 inhilatul e paipters, 507 pastel and fan paIntbfs, 107 sculptors and -751 mould ers,'hot hointing the many photograph ers,,decorators, colorists, &a. -The cost of maintaining the Zoo logical Garden in Cwitral Pjark for the year 1879 was $15,00J. There are now 1,200 atiimals in the menageria, of which numbeo 663 are additions ac qUired during the year. -The French vital statistics for 1878, just published, show a continual falling off' in the rate of' Increase of population. TPhe births numbered 937,211 and the deaths 839,030, leaving a gala of nopu lation from natural causes of 98,176. The gain was 112,662 in 1877 and 139, 6)08 in 1876. -Of' the metals, the following are the degrees of tempeorature required for melting: T1in, 421 ; lead, 591 ; zinc, 740; antimony, 950; silver. 1250 ; brass,. 1900; steel, 2500i; copper, 2543; gold, 2500; platinum, 3080; iron, cast, 3479 ; iron, wrought, 3980. -Fail River, Massachusetts, contaius 33 incorporated compnies for the man uf'acture of cotton goods, whose coin bined capital is $14,090,000, and who own 45 mills contaiuiug 1,304,119 spin (lies and 32,821 looms. -.SIr Hutgh Alien, the large Montreal shitpownear. Is sevent-y years age. He started in life as a dry-goods 0cerk, with a capital of $100. Hie has become a merchant ptrinco, with accumulated wealth repu ed to amount to $10,000,000 or $15,000,000. -During the course of some excava tions and levellinags whIch have been carried out within the historic lines of Pievina by the Bulgarian Government, 16 cannon and 10.000 mauskets have been' found, which Odmnan Pasha caused to be buried before he surrezdered to the Russians. -Eastern people who have a general idea of the size of C>.)oratio m-aay yet be surprised by the statement of the Den ver News that it is the fourth State In the Union in this respect, and is larger than Ne4mw lamnpihire, Vermont, Mass achusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Yor'k, Newv Jersey, Deiaware and Maryland combined. -Workmen on the Buchanan and Clif ton Fo'rge Rtallroadl in Virginia have discovereti an I nehain gruivey ard, and about, 20e skeletons have been dug in making the road, some of thema in a gootd state of preservation. The skel etons were not more than two feet be low the surface of the ground. , -Two of the Trustees of Univer,ity of Vermiont anil State Ageicutaa (college have given $150 to 66 off'eret in - prizes to boys37 who r&isd thoe'largest 6ropa of corn, or potatoes on ta Oet1ai amoun,of anAd, and ,tIg Unlyersjty ofers o th e hsghest prizamsAn on gc of' the lists a -free dellalkrkhl , bot trati'AbIe41, in either the teied3Ihic or ,the:solentelilc dcertu)ent,.*~ :-T4he young Princess Stephanip. is he yuokifigdon,ofHua on Keiluently-Prine fludol ph hafs afedd his father, thu Emnperor, to select an in stru.otor for her. The fortunate pro fessor is Dr'. Dez ao, a M[ungarian cler. gynman Wtho has been for manyyar professOr of kIagyar at thle'thaerdsia num. at Vienua,. Reducing the Average. An excitable lIttWFrenchman was coim pialuing about1ils bad luck as a stock speculator.' * 1cdn not at all get zee re wQtest insight Into zee business. Long timo ago one friend say to me zat Lady Bryan is good speculation. I buy feefty share of ze Lady for $1 zoo share. She go down to feefty cent. I say to my friend: ".Now what shall I dol You see zee Lady have advanced backward-like zee what you call craw-fish." My Mrbend bald to me: "You must re duco your averag3." '-How is zat zing about reduce the average,' "'say I to him, for I no under stand what he mean by 'rqduco the aver age.' "Ile say: 'You see, to reduce your aver age you must go buy feefty shares more at feefty cent, then your stock not stand in you so much money., "I go buy feefty share more-i reduce zeo average, you see." My friend say to me: "'Now you all righ to take advantage of zoo market; you have your average reduce.' " "Well, pretty soon, what you zik? Zee Lady she crawfish to twenty-five cent. I go to my friend and say to him: 'You see how it is wiz zeo Lady, she have tum ble!' " "I see," said my friend; "lit is bad, but zoo only way to get even is to again 're duce zoo average.' Thba you will be in one fine position to take advantage of zee market." "iablel' says 1; "but you see, my friend, zee narket all time take advantage of me. But i go get two hundred shares more of zoo Lady at twenty-five cent." "Pretty soon bang she go down to zee ten cent zoo share." I go to my triend. "What shall I now do I" say I. "Zee only sing to get even zat is possi ble to do is to again 'reduce zee average.'" "1Hang zee averagel" I remark, for you see I am begin to become inflame against ze average. But my friend persuade me It Is zoo only way to get into position to take advantage of zee market wz zee Lady. So I buy me four hundred more share at ten per cent., and say now I am ready for zoo rize of zee market. "Just now, what you zink ?" One absess ment of feefty cent is level. I rush. away to my friend and say: "What now imus' I do?'' - . . "It is bad,".he say. - "I am afraidrwo have pay too much attention to zer plan of 'reducing the -average.'. We have leave the assessment out of- zee account." "I cannot pay him, so I let him go.: Lose all zoo Lady what I have .produe to,,re duce the average.' Pretty soon zoo minq. Is salt and zee Lady boom to four tollar. Zen I say, 'Why have I not pay the assess ment ' Zee diable take zee stock specu lationl Between zee 'reduce zee average' and assessmenti zero is one conflict z4t no man can have zoo foresight to reconcile. Is it not so?" r An Irlah Farm. Imagine a.level country, with a few trees and no forests, cut up into very small irregular fields by stone wallai . It is of such land.that Irish farms are - composed. In most countries there Is a great.deal of boggy, swampy. land,; from-; wjhch - the farmers cut peat, which serves thepi ;as fuel. An Irish farmda generally pbout e4, large as an ordinary village green of New York or New England, say from five to ff tep acres. In some districts q farm of ten acres is considered rather large, .and it is often the sole support of an - Immense family-father, mother, ten children, and, perhaps, 4n old grandm3ther. Boston Common contains forty-eight acres of land.. At wo.uld make six good-sized Irish farms,vvrhich would maintain fifty or sixty human beings, half a dozen cows, a horse or two, ppme denkeys and many poigs, be side paying about $300 hundred a year to the landlord, and something to tihe priest. In good seasons all this teeming and swarmiing life can just be maintained. Bunt suppose a crop failsi Suppose the peat cannot be dried! Then what?i Why, hunger and starvation, of course. And re member there are no factories or other bus iness to fall back up)on. If tihe crops faill all sails. If tile crops of New England should be as poor this year as they wvero in Ireland last year it would be a great ca lamity, but very few persons would go hmungry on thlat account. The fisheries, the shops, tile factories, commerce andl time saving banks would go on about as us nal, and thle people would buy their food from other 8tstes. Irish farms do not all lie along a hligh road, as withl us. Farms are behind farms; and a great number of thlem can only be reached by a donkey pathl thlree or four feet wide. Tihe fields are dug, plowed, and many farmers have. no iuplements but a spade, a hoe and a turf-cutter, and no vehicle except a small donkey-cart. The farm-house is generally one story high, and very often consists of a single large roOnI, with, perhlaps, a recess for a 1)ed. It is commonly built of stone, withi a roof of thatch, but many of the houses are made of earth, with a hmard floor of home-made cement. In tis one room the dairy work is done and all the family live, tile pig coming in anad going out,.as hcG pleages. Are the peopie then mis erable anld degraded ? By no means. When the harvest is good gnd the rent reasonable they are ameng the most eheerful people in Europe, and in all the world thlere is not a land where the women are more modest and pure. The children ~are ruddy and robust. The houses are generally clean and neat. The people enjoy life so much upon thlose little black, boggy farms that, wvhen they emIigrate to America or Aus tralia, thley sometimes almost die of home sicknmess. In many instances a poor Irish girl among us never goes to bed for six months, after leaving home, without cry inIg a little for the old house of mud and thmatchl andl tIhe 01(1 folks withlin it. The Sea MKouse. Thie sea mouse is one of the prettiest creatures that live, under tihe waters. It sp)arkles like a fiamond, and is mAdiant; with all thme colord of the rainibov,'alhough it lives in the mud at the b&ttom of tile oean. It should not had been called a mouse, for it is larger thain ajat.a It is covered withl scales thlat move up and down as it breathes, aullttrle i 1ining through a flocky down, t'dmWh.l flune silky bristles wave, that constantly caDge from ono brilliant tinfl into another, so that, as Cuvier, the gresdt naturalist says, the plumage of the humming bird 1e not more beautiful. Sea mice are sometinies thrown up en the bea by storms, *