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TRI-WEERLY EDITION. WINNSBORO, S. C., MAY 7, i881. ESTABLISHED 1865. THE VOIOE OF NIGHT. How beautIful the heavens look to-night I So calm, transparent: and the starry crowd, Those exquisite embodiments of light, Could ye not almost fancy they were proud Of their own loveliness PRhat they had blis In beaming forth on such a night at this P Forover and forever there is set Tn the enduring sky a seal and sign, A voloeless evIdenoeoof God I which yet. Unchanged shall live when this frail form of mine Hath mouldered from the bosom of the earth, Leaving no record of i's mortal birth. Tuo elements of which we are composed May perish, they are finite ; but the i-oul Bursts from the frame in which it laid inclosed Beyond the grasping reach of timo's con trol ? That spirit which within us swells and speaks, WhaI find the immortality it seeks ! 0 thou, Oreator, God! and can it be That man is heir to thine own glorious heavens, Ts so I the light which is sublimily. The essence which is thought by Theo were given I The fear and heaviness of doubt are o'er. I muse and feel, and tremble and adore I Au Unexpected Bequest. A bright fireside, with fender and fire I -on shining like igold,windows hung with drapery of Turhey red, walls of' crimson flock paper, starred over with gold, and a little walnut stand of booksopposite-Mrs. M ilford's parlor was a cabinet gem in its way. Not that the Milford's were rich; On the contrary, Merton Milford was a bank clerk, on a salary so small that it sometnimes became an almost insolvable problem to make both ends meet. Almost, we say, but never quite; for Lucy Milford had learned the lesson of household economy, and it was her pride to be able to say that they had never been in debt. Yet Lucy had a woman's taste and a woman's cravings after the beautiful and the costly;and on this special evening, as she sat by the fire leaning one cheek on her hand, her foot mechanically agitating Ihe rocker of her baby's cradle, she was thinking of the possible-the unattainable. 'If we were only rich.' thought Lucy as she gazed across the room, 'how I would like a Persian patterned carpet, instead of this staring red and green ingrain. And a little oil painting, or a bunch of water colored flowers over the table, where the map of the city hangs now. And then I could afford a Valenciennes cap for the baby, and a real ponson silk for myself, and I couid surprise Merton with half a dozen silk handkerchiefs, and 1 would send papa a new meerschatn, real sea-foam, with an amber mouth-piece and odd carv. Ings on the bowl, and mamma should hav u an Indian-bordered ahawl, and - Bang went the front door. Tramp, tramp, came a well-known footstep along the hall, with just enough pause to fling the hat carelessly on the little circlet of pegs, which in that unpretentious house hold took the place of marble-topped, Mirror-backed hall rack. 'It's Morton,'said Mrs. Milford, starting up; and Morton it was. 'Hallo, Puss,' said Merton, coming in, flushed and breathless. 'And how is the little kittent' 'Kitty is well,' said Mrs. Milford. 'Shiall I order tea, dear?' 'Yes.' SThe little maid-servant-Lucy Milford only kept one-bro'ught in the urn, and when she had tip-toed out again, Mrs. Milford lookedj her husband in the face. 'Merton,' said she, 'something has lisp pened. I can read it in yonr eyes. What Is it?' 'What a little fortune-teller you are, to be sure,' said he. 'Yes,, something has happened. P'vggot a telegram from F~ortley, and old uncle Jesse is dying. Uncle Jesse, the rich old miser. And Wirn informs ime that his last will,made in a fit of pique against the directors of the F"ortley Orphan Asylum,'leaves everything to is.' 'To us, Morton?' Lucy drew her breath with a little gasp) inlg souind. 'Why, it must be half a million of money!' 'That, at least, We shall be rich people, Puss.' 'Oh' Morton, it scarcely seemis possibid I It's like a dream.' 'It's a dream with a pretty solid vein of reality running through it, you'll find, my (dear,' said the huisbaud. 'And just before you came in, I was sitting hero and thinking what I would do, and how 1 would ornament mny home if only we were richi' cried Lucy, clapping he'r hands. Mr. Milford pinched her cheek, and laughed complacently. Evidently he was in the best or humor. 'Half a million, Lucyl' said lie. 'You shall h'uve a set of diamonds that will rival those of Mrs. Merriwell, t1e' banker's wife, and a real ea-hmere shawl. And Il ordler a pony phaeton for your own driving, and~ you-' 'But we shall buy a country place,shan't we, Merton?' wistfully asked Lucy, the soft carmine & hadows deepening over her cheek. 'A country place! What for?' saidl hierton, a little contemptuously. 'What on earth should we bury ourselves in the country for, when we can buy a place at the West End, and sut'routnd ourselveswith all the refinements of city life?'* A shade of disftppointmenit caime over Lucy'. face. a country house,' sighed she. 'With burglars and mildew and spli thrown in, eh? Nonsense, my dear, n sensel The city is the place to live in. 'And we can have papa and mnammi live with ts, can't wel' 'W-well, I don't know exactly a: that,' said Milford, thoughtfully strol his moustache; 1'111 buy 'ei a snug 11 place, ityou say so, my love; but I no did believe in fathers and mothers-m living with their children. - Every ho, hold is complete in itself. That's notion.' 'Oh1 Morton, how can you talk sol' c, Lucy in a pained voice. 'Oh, well, Lucy, there's no use in a timentalizing on these points,' retorted husband, a little brusquely. '1 don't care to be rich if I can't en the pleasure of my money,' said Mrs. A ford, pouting. '80 you may enjoy them if you only V be reasonable about it.' 'And I've always thought so much having mamma with me.' 'Better leave off thinking of it then,' s Milford, lighting a cigar anu leaning bi in a chair, the better to enjoy it. 'I suppose I can have as many serva as I please, now?' hazarded Mrs. Milfo wisely steering the conversational bar< iway from the shoals of dispute. 'Twenty, if you like, my dear,' repl Uerton. 'And a housekeeper, like Mrs. Miller '.Not a housekeeper,' said Mr. Milfo ihaking his head. '.No fine ladies for D lisquised as dependents. As many a Iants as you like, no one to dominecro hem-a proxy for yourself.' 'I will have a hQusekeeper,' said Lu 3xcitedly. 'No, you will not, my dear-not in louse.' 'And can we have a cottage at Bri 'Why do you say Brighton?' grav Inestioned Merton. 'To my mind, Pt Brighton is nothing more than a hot-1 )f folly and flippery. At Hasting's no 'I don't care for Hastings,' said Lui nooddy: 'the air never did agree i 1iC.' Lucy burst into tears. Mr. Milford got up and strode out of room. 'Merton, Mertonh' cried the wife, 'wh ire you going?' 'To the billiard .room at the corner, 's S1ilford, hotly. 'I can find friends enou here, I dare say, to give to me the s3 pathy my wife seems inclined to wi oldI.' Lucy cried bitterly. In all the brig years of their married life they never I any serious differences until now. Wa possible that riches were destined to br them only i mead of misery instead of expected rush of happiness ? Next ca a feeling of bitterness and resentment. E would show Merton that she was not t< treated like a child. le came home, Mr8. Milfoid feigned to be asleep. f lid not come down to breakfast ni iorning, making an excuse of a eli headache, the effect of last night's te ind Milford ate and drank alone. 'Humph!' commented lie, swallowing sotfee in a succession of dyspeptic-breed zulps. "A pretty sort of a life this.' For three days Lucy cried and Mer mlhked. At the end of that time lhe cx liomie with a curious expression on his ft 'Puss,' said he. Lucy looked up. her pensive face brig iming at the old, caressing pet-name. 'I've just had a second~ telegramn-Um Jesse is dead.' 'Poor old man,' said Lucy soberly. Tou know, Morton, 3. begin to de wvhether Uncle Jesse's money will do any good.' 'I don't think it will,' said Milfc 'because you see the old man rallied last, andl made a new will in favor of Refuge for Old Men.' Waite antt Abuse or Fl'owers,. Masses of flowers on a dinner (able an anomaly; there is something ahr offensive in the mingled odor of their i fume and the reek of the dishes and ligi At a ball they arc not out of place r keeping for cerrnin purposes. Roi liles, carnations, violets are natnral ado ments for a young woman, and a bunci them in her hand or on her breast is appropriate ornament, and the complenm of her evening dress; but where is the ness, the beauty, the sentinment, the c< mon sense, wheD she line six, a d'4en twenty? Are there twenty persons, t welve, or even six, at the same time sendi her flowers which mean more that they wore of wax or tissue paper,or wh have any more intrinsic value to her v carries them? Aro they witnesses of ho or even of admiiration? Hlow many sent merely to satisfy the demiands vanity? At every ball rival beauties ca' bouquets eent to each by the saime im Alany are seait by members of the lac family, which takes half the slgiicam from flowers sent by the same ainsfolk birthdays, or in awknmess, or at a tim( special joy or sorrow. And what is-to said of the bouquets sent as brIbes to won1 of fashion by men who wish to obtain ti goedl oflicces? And what, of those senit, a man to a woman whom ho admires, to give her pleasure, but precstigo-. gratify her vanity and rotlexly his o~ k'here is an instance, well-known, ia of our ownm great citida, of one aman so luig several bouquets for thie saine bail, consolqi her for a social slighmt;she appca to be unitiate.d as a great, bictt and he the belie's favorite cavalier. And what the bouquets stacked on the front cush of a prosceniumn box, in the blast of thie ft lights and1 flung, half faded, to a prih donna, to whom they are already a dr who perhaps is hurrying through her i> to leave town by t ho nexts treamn An Autumn Night'. Dream. lera on- The year was waning. The leaves 0 the chuichpuei trees hung red and yellow or dropped slowly to the ground. Th ivy on the church gables was in flower and the honeysuckle on the mossy church out yard had put forth its second blossoms Ing Chimney-swallows and house martins con ttle gregated In scores upon the lichene< ver church roof, warining their wings In thi nild Autumn sunshine for flight to glow law Ing lands beynnd the sea, anti starling, [se- mustered in hundreds upon the Downs tha my swelled around the churchyard in might, wavesof perfect calm. Icti But the birds had grone to sleep for thi night-all except the hooting brown owl as a travel-bronzed, travel-stainod mat on- walked over the downs, dragging his fec her wearily in spite of the springiness of th4 thy my turf, beneath a full moon whici joy made the shallow little chalk bottomei [1- sheep ponds lash with silvery radiance. I was a very still night. There was scarcm the faintest sight of a breeze to stir th< vill brambhle sprays. The hooting of the owl, and now and then the drowsy tinkle of t of sheep bell were the only sonids lioatlu over the great land sea of huge wave( peace; but there was no calm in tht aud traveler's breast. ick On lie plodded toward the churchyard. There, after all his wanderings, lie had uits come back to fin d, was his only home, it kindred make a home; but it was a homi r, in which lie could hear no hearty shout uC receive no clinging kiss of welcome, the lips of all his kindred were sealed in ever, jed lasting silence, if not crunbied Into dust. le entered the churchyard by the lych gate, laid his knapsack on the dewy grass, and sat down with his back against [ht rd, wall in front of the stone their was hif ie, family register. er- The churchyard was crowded wit]: ver graves, but lie had gone straight to tle ot of which lie was in search, because he re membered the corner where thei primrosei cy, and Lent-lilies grew in which his mothei had often wislied to be laid, and felt sur< ny since she had died before his fat'or, thal her wish had been gratified. There was the tall stone, inscribed with name after name, hers first upon the list. the latter entries crowded in smaller let. ely ters. SS. All his close kindred were buried in oii( ecd grave, before which he seated himself,and longed to be able to roll back the years, tc be again at home respected and beloverl,nL 'y, stain or shadow of future shame upon hiu ith naie,with an intensity that made his he irl literally as well as figuiatively ache. lII the could not weep. The fountain of his I car had long been dried up, and, deprived 0a that relief for his feelings, it seemed tc are him that he must go mad. He raised a wild cry that rang wearily over the still aid Downs. The startled birds whirled from their roosting places in the ivyand wheeled igh round the church in a black cloud. ni- Ere long, however, they settled again, th- and the way furor was aguiu staring at the moonlit headstone in hopeless stillness. Hour after hour the church clock rang lit out in a voice cracked 'vith ago, whilst the iad moonlight in quiet frolic marked fantastik it time upon the sun dial. The last stroke ol ing one had just died away, when the wand the erer started. 'rho headstone fell flat., th grave opened, and he was in his mother'* e arms. My son, my son,' she sobbed, 'aI he last, after these many weary, wear years. be And then from the grave rose brothers ant but sisters, some of whom greeted him bu 3he coldly; and last of ail his father, wi cxt frowned and turned aside without speak mng. lit But the weeping mother made peace be, irs, tweon the son and the father whom he hat disgraced, and the brothers and sister his whose portions lie had squandered. Th( years had been rolled back. Ile was f Ing young man once more, forgiven after som mad prank by his father, the idol of hi ton mother, the darling of his sisters, the mode me hero of his little brothers. c. The autumn moon went solemnly down but In its stead there rose the sun of spring Other graves gave up their dead. It wva lit- a May Sunday mornIng, and the countr sitde churchgoers, when they had come out cle stopped to chat with their neighbors In ti churchyard.. The wanderer saw faces heard tones, that h<. had not seen or heart Do for half a lifetime; but it seemed quitt ubt natural that lie should do so-the years hat us beeni rolled back. Instead of mustering for departure rd, swallows had come again from their winteo 'quarters. Blackbirds, thrushies, skylarks at woodlarks, titiarks, goldflnchies and greenI the flaches, wrens and robins, yellowhaimmer and whitcthroats, were singing; in th< hanger, sloping down to the pasture [uftet winh paigles, imore than one nighit-ingali might be hearh. The tuft of [he D~owmi was white-as if milk had ben spilt up. are on it-with the flowers of sandiwort and Ost rogation flower, fuize and bee hiauntec or- broom were out in all their glory, [lie Rmip its. Wood was pink anti white with [h nd blossoms of wild pear. trees, crabs, anc es, rowans. The oak, the becch, the miaple, rn- thie barberry, the horse chestnut were als< of in flower. Th., hly-of-the-valley and thie an wood- sorrel shook [heir soundless littl< ent fairy [eain bells in [lie warm breeze [hal fit- had stolen into their cool hiding places m1)- Forget-mie-nota, veronicas, anti brookilim< or matte earth hpok sky-like with their streaks or and specks, antd patches of brilliant blue ih to places moist andh dry. Buttercups ani if daisies were scattered over the green earth Ich broadcast. rho The strangely unitedl family came to [th< re, leafy lane, at [lie bottom of which sto >d fire thie old farm house, In the mitdst of a few of remnant ricks anti straw stacks, looking ou ry comnpiacently on [lie springinig crops it nex en. should garner. Tlhiere was the orchard y's with [lie apple trees and the old media Ice tree in blossom, and the walniut anti th< oni mulberry coing out in leaf; lilac am of laburnum, foxglove anti flags, cohuibin< be and peonies, were blooming in thie gartden, 1011 antI over [lie little moat huing guclder rose oir and elder flowere. The oldh dog got, up froni by his lounge on the warm step of the opem iot door, and wagged his stumip of a tail ti -to greet [lie wantderer, but onl'y as If lie had. nh been away foz' a couple of hours, instead a me some forty years. Tlhe leisurely, bette id- than ordinary Sunday dinner followed to with Its friendly, thoug~h sometimes een. 'edi sorious gossip auout the clergymnan and i as wife, mnd the dlress, demieanior, anid affair of in gt4seral of the other neIghbors that, ha on been n#ei at church. lot- Thlec camne the lolling about Sundla na af terno42, the farm-folk half picaned, hall Lii perplexo , by their spell of haainess; th< art wandering through the fields to criticist their owand thei, nataghor c...ops milking of tihe fows, the feeding of the bullocks and horses, the looking after the calves, sheep and poultry, with an enjoy ment not felt on other (lays, because to those who have few resources to wile away L leisure time the want of oocupation brings but little rea'. At night the father whom he had almost ruined, the mother whose heart he had broken, the brothers and sisters whose pros lpects he had blighted, knelt with the wanderer whilst the mother read their 9 simple evening prayers. He had not bent his knee in worship since he had left home, but it aill seemed quite natural- -the years had been rolled back. His mother had given him her gaod night kiss; he was about to shake hands with his father, when suddenly he saw in his face the frown which he so well remeni bered-the frown that had driven him from home. The faces of his brothers and sisters, so lately so affectionate, again grew cold; the sweet, pleading face of his mother faded from his sight. le shuddered-and awoke in a raw, autumn mist, with his lips pressed to damp, faded leaves. Alas that the dead can not return again to forgive and to be forgiven.', A No'ey Dpeposit, A tall man, With a squint in his left eye and a terrible lonr nose, which was beauti fully decorated with a red tip, entered a corner store and demanded of the bartender if the boss wats in. 'Nixie,' replied the bartender. 'At what time do you expect hin? 'Can't say; probably in one hour and probably not.' The tall mian looked mysteriously around, and then, in a low tone, asked: 'Can I trust you?' 'WVll, I guess so.' The tall man rubbed his hands convul sively together, and said: 'Ai,coniidence begets confidence. Then if I can trust you surely you can-ah I you can trust me for a drink until the boss comes in.' 'No trust,' was the laconic reply. '1 tell you I'm a friend of the boss.' '1 don't care if you're a friend of Alexan der i1i. No trust.' 'Do you doubt my veracity?' 'Have you got it with you?' 'Have I got what ith me?' 'Your veracity.' 'Yes.' 'Then take it with you and get out of here, or you'll not have nuch of it left when I get through with you.' 'But, sir I will leave a deposit,' and he offered to leave his coat, which looked as if it might have been a new one in days gone by; but now, alas! It possessed but one sleeve, and was half slit up the back. The bartender's heart was made of stone. le said lie had all the coats lie wanted. Then the tall fellow offered to leave his hat. It was a high hat, and looked as if it had descended from old Brian Born,aid had been worn by every Knight of St. Patrick that had ever paraded. '1 don't want your coat; I don't want your hat. You have but one thing that I would accept as a deposit," said the bar tender. 'And what is that?' eagerly asked the big fellow. 'Your nose.' 'Do you mean it?' 'Yes.' Can it be believed! He actually took it off and latti it on the counter. It was a wax one. He then explained lie had lost his 'good nose' in a rough-and-tumble fight, and lie hated to part with this one, but when necessity drives, needs must. The bartender made no reply, but placed a bottle and glass before him. The long fellow said: 'I always thought a good deal of th'at nose. We have been a good many years together, and I have learned to think as much of it as a brother. I hate to part with it, but 1 must satisfy tlhe inner man.' lie filled the the glass to the brim amad dIrank It at, a g~ulp). lIe took a second nip and was about to help himself the third, whein the bartender grabbled the bottle brushed the wax nose from the counter and told hinm to 'git.' lie picked up his nose brushed off the saw-diust, with the gentleness and grace that a mother mIght caress the head of lier child and adjusted it in its proper place. .tie had jtust got to the (door as the pro prietor entered. Hle stood for a moment, andi saidl: Any time you want any noses as a dteposit, you may call on me. At piresent I reside at the F~itth Av ie dodged just in time to escape the bng starter, which camne after him with lightning-hike rap idity. The bung is a homely dhevice, lacking altogether the symmetry of an obelisk and having little even of the grace wimck corks often possess. Iit Its uses are of a niost important kind, and wherever liquids are contaiined in casks andi barrels there must the bung be also, It is almost impossible to estimate thme ouantity of bungs made and used annually, but, thme number is well uip in tihe millionie. 'I hey are made of wood well seasonedt, and are cut by machmecry wiiichm is 'patented. In no counitry are so manny bunmgs made as'mn thme United States, for nowhmere else are thme woods whIch are uisedl so plentiful. Oak, hickory, spruce andi pine are among the varieties utilized, aind the biing factories are scattered about, thiecounmtry ini the neighborhood where time woods used are found. Uy cutting the bungs before shipping the cost of transport ing the waste niaterial is savedl. A great niany bungs for beer casks are sent hoth to Germauny andi England from this country, n mot, because they are better, but because they are cheaper than those made abroad. ~uangs are cut by peculiar and Ingenious machinery, which works against the grain of the wood, tapering tihe bung with the grain. In many cases the taper is made but slight in thme cutting, and' thon the bungs is submitted to a p~owerful comnpre 5 sion to inicrease the taper. Bungs of ale andi beer barrels are of a standard size, measuring 1I inches, while bungs for ol barrels are 2 inches. Whisky barrel buings are used over and over again. Beer andl ol barrel bungs are always pilcked out, be cause hianmmering thie staves to start the bungs is sure to inju-o the coating of th e barrels. IIt Is with yousa 'as with p'auts; from the irsi.iruits they bear we learn S w hat. may bha arntmd In uruea A lialloon A iventure. Mt. Allioth, the editor of the Jare du Littoral, Paris, gives an interesting ac count of his adventures In the balloon Gabriel, on Sunday the 6th of March, in company with Captain Jovis and Lieu tenant Vivier, The balloon, which started from ice in the morning, rapi'dly rose to a height of 6,000 feet. The view was at first magnificent. The Alps and a great part of Switzerland were distinctly visible aud the air was warm. But the clouds and a thick mist soon hid everything from view, and when by degrees, and in spite of every effort to prevent it, the balloon descended, the party found to their horror, that they were about nine miles out at eea, when they had al along believed them selves to be going steadily in a northeaster ly direction. Once or twice the Gabriel was induced to rise asain for a short time, but it soon returned to the water, and al though anchor, ballast, bags. boots and every article of any weight were thrown from the car, it remained obstinately wedded to its new element. At times the balloon scudded along at a great rate, though the lower portion of the car wais submerged, the water, winch had at fir-st only been ankle deep, finally rising suflici ently high to stop M. Allioth's watch in his waiscoat pocket, at thirty-five minutes past five in the afternoon. Night found the unfortunate travelers in eveni a worse plight, and to add to their difliculties, the car began to rockwitlh the waves, and al though numbed with the bitter cold, they were compelled to liold on tightly for bare life. At, intervals they shouted together, but it was labor lost, and no answer was returned. At last, to their grent. delight, they espied the sail of an Italian craft bearing dc.wn upon them. A boat was speedily launched, and they were soon on board, in (try clothes, and making a hearty supper. The ship proved to be the Morosim, bound from Naples to Cette. 'The captain had, it, appears, percei ved the balloon dur ing the afternoon and had actually gone out of his course for several hours in the hope of rescuing its passengers. But the balloon sped along much faster than lie, and Signor Penielli was obliged to give i) the chase. The meeting i the dark was thus pure accident. The balloon had drifted about, while the shi) had held to its course. The unlucky occupants of the Gabriel were picked up about half way between the mamiland and Corsica, and but for the timely appearance of the Morosni they must have inevitably been lost As it was M. M. Jovis and Allioth were terribly exhausted by all they had gone through. The party vere landed at Villa franca at half-past, nine on the following morning, anci their reappearance at Nice was tile signal for a general ovation, theIr friends having despaired of ever behohaing them again. As for tie balloon, as 0011 as they had quitted the car it soto once more into the air with lightning speed,and may be careering still, for all any one knows to the contrary. An Umbrolla R0omance. One (lay, during the summer of 1819,the Duc de Berry happened to be takinga walk in Paris with his wife, and they were re turning towards the Elysee, when a heavy rain-shower caie on. The two prome naders, being unprovided with umbrellas, took refuge under a p)Ort cocherc already teianted by at young man with the appear. ance of a ekrk, wlo had an umbrella. When tile storm had somewhat abated,the Duc de Berry stepped up to the young fellow, and asked whether lie would mind lending the umbrella to enable him (tile Duke) to take his wife home. The other was suspicious, and decidedly objected to parting with his property on any conditions. The Duke persisted, but finding that there was no hopes of obtaining a loan of the coveted object, he asked its owner whetlhcr, though not, having sufilcient confidence im him to lend it, lie would mimi offering the lady his arm as far as her resi (dence. Thle gallant young clerk willingly agreed to do so, and off the Duchess and1( hier escort, accordingly started. The latter individual very garrulous by by nature, soon opecf(d a conversation by the query as to whether his companion byv edl in the quarter they were then in. "Quite close to here," replied the Duich ess. ''It, Is a splendid quarter, madlame, plen ty of luxury and very com si faut. In fact, it is the grando dames' quarter,witu nothing but dluchlesses and~ marquises in It, with their dresses all worked ini gold. "'Quite so." "'1 dlon't, kniow wVhethier mfadlame has no. ticed the fact, but generally the less ele vated a person's gradle of nobility the high er' the Iloor lie or she occupies." " There is some truth it1 that," gravely resp~ondled the duchess. " For instance," pursued the thicoriser, ''you will usually find vicomitesses andl bar onessess on the fourth floor, anrd if madlame happened to be a Vicomitesse, I would wa ger that I know the floo~r on which she lives -thie fourth, that is-" "Not low enough, sir," said the lady. "'Ah, wvell then madame is very likely a comtessae." "Lower still, " observed his companion. '"Indeed; madame muist be a malrquise, then?" queried the astonished clerk. "M~y lloor is lower yet,'' replIed the (duch 0ss, who( hiad found~ It very difllcuilt to avoid laughIng outright. Just, at, this momient they arrived at the Elysce,the guard of couirse,presenting arms in (die form. 'The prFopJietor of the ium brelha felt inclined to shrink Into himself, and was beginning to stammer out some ox cuso, when the duchess cut him short by thanking him very heartily for the service he had done her,and statingthat she would not forget it. The young follow returnmedl to his em plcor, a'wealthy mani of b~usiess, and re counted his adlvenlture, not quite recovering from tile, to ham, umnexpetedl effect, of the society of a duchess for tihe remalinder of the (day. Before the expiration of a week hue reeived from his qu~onam acqualmit ancee of the Elysee an umbrella richly adlornedl with silver. MiedicaI At'1ec. Dr. Cutter states that, the inces" of nervous diseases, decaying teeth, proma tur', baldness, a'd general lack of muscular bone strength are greatly dug to the im poverishued quality of flour now in use, the fulroni beIng thrown .uway.ln ordier to make the flour white. ie urges the use of un bolted flour, and of eggs, mIlk and butter., lie denies that ish Is brain food, or that Agassia over said that It was, and claims that butter, being nearly all fat, Is a better kind of braIn food than any ot her, "Holti Your Bandn Up"' Catch a rat In a trap and he will fight. Trap a man, and-well, you can't rely on him. It is according to) the trap. In the heavy stage coach as we rolled out of Lead ville, says a frontier letter, are seven men. One is an army olicer who has a half-a dozen scars to prove his bravery. Cut off fron his command on the plauis last sum iner by a score of Indians, he entrenched hinself and fought the band off until help arrived. Two of the others are despera does, wh have killed their men. Three of the others -are stalwart miners, each arined with two revolvers, and they look as if they would prove uglyicustoiers in a light. The seventh man might do some shoot ing on a pinch, but lie hopes there will be no pinch. In the crowd are ten revolvers, two derringers, three repcating rifles, and four or live bowie-knives, and there is per, feet good feeling as the stage rolls along. It is tacitly understood that the army cap tain is to assume command in case the coach is attacked, and that all are to kc3p cool and fire to kill. It is 10 o'clock in the morning. The windows are down and the passengers are smoking and talking and trying to seek for comfortable positions. The coach ias just reached the top of a hill, when every horse is suddenly pulled u). "If it's a b'ar we'll have soniC fun," growled one of the miners, as he put his head out of the window. "If it's a robber, gin me the first vop a t at him,'" whispered one of the despera. does. No one could say what the trouble was when a wiry little chap, about five feet six inches tall, with black eyes and hair, clean face and thin lips, appeared at the left hand door with a cocked revolver in either hand, and said: (ents, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I've got to make a raise this morning. Please leave yoir shooters and climb down here, one at a time." It was sudden. It was so sudden that it took ten seconds to understand Lhe drift of his remarks. Then every eye turned to the right, hand door, and the two revolvers held by a second robber were seen at the open window It, was a trap. The rats were caught, and would they fight? "Glents, I'm growing a leetle impatient," continued the Iirst, robber, "and I want to see the procession begin to move." Let's see. Th1e captai Wias to lead us, and we were to be cool and lire to kill. u't the captain was growing whitte around the 1imuth, and nobody had a weapon in hand. The rats were not going to light. One of Ilie miners opened the door and descended and the other six humbly followed. The seven were drawn up in line across the road, and while the robber held his shooter on the line he coolly observed to his part ner: "'Now, William, you remove the weap ons Fron the coach, and then search these gentleien." As William obeyed, every victim was ordIered to ho'd his hiands above his head, and whatever plunder was taken from his pockets was dropped into William's hat. Four gold watches, two dianiontd pins, a telescope, a IUtmond rmi, a gold badge, an1d $1,20U ihi cash changed hands inl tell mintites. Not a nia had a word to say. The driver of the coach did not leave his sent, aid was not interfered witli. When the Iast man had been plundered the gen tell I)ick Turpin kindly observed; "Youi are the most decent set of men I everrobbed, and if times weren't so blasted hard, I'd make each of you a present of $10. Now, then, clim back to your places and the coach will go on." The crowd "clunib," and the vehicle re sumed its journey. Not a weapon or a time-piece or a dollar had been saved. Sevenl well-armned tacn had been cleaned out by two, and niot, a shot lfired or' a woutnd given. Each mnan took his seat without. a word. Mile after imile was passed in ei lence, and Ilhily the sevetnth man-the onte who might light on a pinchl, but didn't -laiinti vely suggested: "'Qa't somte oi y'ou gentlemen think of a few remarks which wvould be apropos to the occaistoni"' No (on0eduldI, anid the silenice was ue niewed. * (iiood Day, sitrt" It Is well for is peace of 11ind( that our local signiai corps observer at l3etroit is 1o cated about hailf a mille above the or'dinary walks of life. Were lie (dowl) on the fIrst floor he wouIld be shot at thiiee or four timtes p)e1 week until lie wats grtidutally killed and buried. Otte day during thie winter fur tnished a fair satmplle of thme way most peo ple would talk to him if they could get at him., lie was busy with the temlperature of the lower lake region wheni a citizeti, pullig htke a whale on a lee shore, gaitied the towver tand begant: "'it's snowitig."' "Yes," wasu the qjuiet reply. ''it's snowinig like Tlexasi' "Yes," again. "Y esterday we had dust two iniches deep and~ tiow we have sniow enioughi for sleigh ingl' we. ac' "I guess w ae' '"Anrd it's going to snow all (lay, I sup pose?" "I think so." ''And we'll have miud and slush and slosh for the nsext week(" "Veiry lIkely." "Very likehl Why, sir, I--I--why-i' lie was so mtad lie couldn't fInish except by p~ountding oni the table. '1 doti't miake the weather, you know," huimbly obseirved the signal imin. "Y'ou doni't, chd Then wile does!" ''Nature." "Where is she, or he, or whatever its blasted sex Is? Just tell mse who to lit. and I'll kniock hiim higher'n a kite?'' ''Well, don't blamie me." "I will! Young matn I feel like whack ing you?'' "'4Oh, don't." "Sniowl What business has It to snow tis tune o' yeaur?. Why, sIr, It's the big gest nonsense I ever heard ofil But let 'or snow, and hltl, and raIn, and slash, andi slop overh Ihang me, but I can stand It If the rest can, and Ill be dlarded If I don't stand Ii Yes, sir, I'll wade through your old slush and grow fat on hI ll sing-yes, I'll sIng as I wade through your Ilernal eniow, anid the sorer my throat Is the harder Ill sing! Glo right ahead with your old weather, sir-keep right on -...ood day, uril" Torturing by Electriotty. Park Benjamin. said recently the idea of torturing criminals by electricity Is not original with the iussians. It Is a British inventiou, and was first suggested about five yeafs ago by an English mechanical journal, in commenting upon the execution of criminals by electric shocks instead of by hanging. The i4nglish writer wanted to do away with the cat o' nine tails,which is adininstered in England togarroters and other criminals of certain classes, and use the electric battery, as he somewhat grim ly expressed it, so as to produce absolutely indescrilbable torture (unaccompanied by wounds or even bruises) thrilling through every fibre of such miscreants. There was on American inventor who load a design for Inflicting this species of punishment. lie fitted brackets of iron on the arms and thighs of the criminal, and placed in thom wet spongers. When connected with a current of electricity the shock would by this system pass thr ugh the legs and shoulders and avoid the vital parts of the body. "The torture inflicted by electricity is of two kinds-by contraction of the muscles at rapidly recurring intervals and by burn ing wih sparks. h'lc torturesof old days, when not done by fire or compression, were the straining and tearing asunder of the muscles. Of this kind were the rack, scavenger's daughter, and the cages of Louis XIV., in which a man could not stand up or lie down. The electric shock exactly reverses these conditions. It pro duces an enormously rapid contraction in the body of the muscles at very short inter - vals. The degree of pain produced isajout the saiie. The force ot the electricity fihs to be nicely graded, as a too lowerful shock would numb or kill a man. "rhe other method Is by condensing a nuiber of intermittent sparks on the flesh. This burns the skin, and at the same tinie produces contractions of the nuscles. If put to the side of the jaw it would make every tooth ache." A distinguished surgeon of whom ques tions were asked concerning the machine, said: "The best way to explain it in to give you actual experience; then you will know exactly how it feels. lcre Is a Faradic in. duction coil. I pull out this tube a little way. Now let ine place this electrode to your hand. There." SOl!" exclaimed the inquirer, as a ting ling, thrilling sensation ran through every finger, and his hand closed in an invd'un. tary grasp. "Does it hurt?" asked the doctor. "A little." "Well, we'll try again. 14ow, you see, I pull this tube further out. I again toutels it to your hand and-'" "Wiioopl" shouted the victim; "take it awayl" The feeling was as if' the hand was crushed in a vise. E very nerve ached and treibled with pain. "That hurt, did it? Why, that's noth ing. hiere's something of a very different sort." lie fastened to one wire a small wet sponge, andi lo the other wire something like a paint brush, with the brush part made of line wire. lie Put the sponge in the visitors hand, and then touched the back of tle hand with the wire brush. The pin was unbearable. The amiabu (& the skin was scorched and the muscles of the hand were Contracted in a violent ia ner. "That is called the electric scourge," said the doctor. "If it were dark you could see sparks fly frgm each wire. Imagine the effect if the electricity weie 10 tines more powerful." "Could any man bear that torture?" "I think not; any man would confess under it, but it is a question what coni. dence could be placC. !n such a confession. A man would confess anythijng to ese . the agony." "WVhat could you compar'e the pain t&' "It would be the same as burning ahiv. "Would it injure the man?" "~No-nost unless the pain drove him In. saine. If the battery was too powerful it would kill at once. Ajppied to sonic parts of the body the scoui'ge hsurts mere than on otner parts." Among the most Interesting of the cus tomns in country parts of italy, are those which relate to tao dead. As a general rule cottagers, before going to bed, rake together the embers on the hearth, and cover them uip with cinders. lBut on the eve of the Da~y of the Dead not a spark is allowed to r'emsain, lire being the symbol of life. in inmny places the remnainis of that nIght's supper are iiot clear'ed away, but are left to be distribuited as almas next morning, lBut a meal is served at night for the special uso of thme Dead. During the darkness the souls of t~me departed are suip. pocsed to flock to the table. In the morn. img the food is given to the poor. 8imilar banquets are still, It is said, offered to the (lead in liussia. But thicy are there ultima tely enjoyed by the living who have pro vided them. Th'le first person who enters the church at midnight, holding a tapor in his hand, is believed to obtain the privilege of freeing a soul from purgatory. Tao deadI are supp)Iosed'to reveal themselves in a basin of water flanked by two candles. The seer is generallhy an 0o(1 woman who holds a taper in her left hand and a linens cloth In her right, and who places her neck in the curve of a woodlen pitchfork the hansdle ot whichi rests on the ground. I'hus p~osed she sees the departed. '3 To Detect (ass in Milnes. An ingeniious instrumnent, termed a 'spark ttibe,' for indIcating tho presence of in. flammable gases Ina mines, was lately ex hibited anmd explained at the meeting of' the Manchester Geohogical 8>clety, by Dr. Angus nSmith. Tme desmin of thme instr'u ment Is taken from the 01(d compressioii syringe used for Igniting tinder, and the In strument Consists of a small brass tube wi h glass let in at thme bottom, which is closed up, and a piston and rod fittIng closely In the tube. The air to be tested is taken Into thme tube either from the top or by means of a stop-cock at the bottom, and then tho piston rapidly pressed down with the handm, the compression of the aIr thus elfectedl with time aid ot spongy platilnum causing the gases to explode inside the tube, the explosion beig visible through the glass let In at the bottom. Dr. tSmith stated that the presence of gas down to 2j dog. could be detected by the instrumens, and* as the explosion within the tun~e, was per. feotly harmless, ho thought the Instrunment mighmt allord a uisoful means for exploring . gea$@ls fltaeh,