Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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te"'o TRI-WEEKLY EDITION. WINNSBORO, S. C., JUNE 23, 1881. ESTABLISHED 185 A DAY OF PROMISE. Look forth, beloved, from thy mansion high, - By soft airs fhuned, And see the summer with its bluest siy Burpriie the land I See how the bare hills bak in purp'e bliss Along ti e south; On the brown dqath of winter falls a kiss From summer's mouth I From plnes that wave ar. ong the vanished trees Their phantom bowers A murmur eomes, as sought the ghosts of bees The ghosts of flowers, Though yet no blood may fill the willow rind No grass-blade start, A dream of blossoms fills the yearning mind, Of love my heart. * Look forth, beloved, through the tender air, And let thine eyes The violets be it finds not anywhere And see'ntless dies, Look I and thy trembling looks of plenteous gold The day shall see And searob no more whore first on yonder wold The o wslips be. Look and the wandering summer not forlorn Shall turn aside, Content to leave her million flowers unborn, e or song untried, Drowsywifh life.and not with sleep or death . I dream of thee, Proathe forth thy being in one answerIng breaths na Coin.to me I Come forth, eloted I Love's exultant sign isin the sky, And lot me lay my panting heart to thine And diol Irs. McW11iiams' Fright. Well, sijy-centinued. Mr. McWilliams, for this was not the beginimng of his talk the fer of lightbing is dne of the nost dis tressig' intln0ities a human being can be afflicted with. It is- mobtly confined to women;- ut- now aid then you will find it Ito f ltle dog, and sometimes in a man. It is a particularly distressing infirmity, for the reason-that it takes the sand out of a perso' to. an extent which no other fear can, afid chn't be reasoned with, and neither cfn it lie shaned out of a person. A woman who could'face the very-devil hhn self-oC a mouse-loses her grip and goes all to pieces in front of a flash of lightning. fler.fright is something pitiful to see. Well, as 1 was telling you, I woke up, with that smothered and unlocatable cry of "Mortimer I lfortimer " wailing in my ears, and as soon as I could scrape my faculties together I reached over in the dark, and then said: "Evangeline, is that you calling f What is the matter? Where are you?" "$hut up in the boot-closet. You ought to be ashamed to lie there and sleep s3, and such an awful storm going on.' "Why, how can one be ashamed when he ts asleep I It Is unreasonable; a man can't be asnamed when he is asleep, Evan gelne." "You never try, Mortimer-you know very well you never try." I caught the sound of muffled sobs. That sound smote dead the sharp speech that was on my lips, and I changed it to "I'm soiTy, dear-I'm truly sorry. I never meant to act so. Come back and-" "Mortimer I" "Heavens I what is the matter, my love 1" "Do you mean to say that you are in that bed yet ?" "Why, of course." "Come out of it instantly. I should think you would take some little care of your life, for my sake and the children's, if you will not for your own." "But, my love-" "Don't talk to me, Mortiner. You know there is no place so dangerous as a bed, in such a thunder-storm as this-all the books say that; yet, there you will lie and deliberately throw away your life-for goodness knows what, unles for the sake of arguing, and arguing, and-", "But, confound it, Evangeline, I'm not in bed now. I'm-" (8entence interrupted by a sudden glare of lightning, 'followed by a terrified little scream from Mrs. McWilliams, and a tre mendoui blast of thunder.]I '-There I You see the result? Oh, Mortimer, how can you be so profligate as to swear at such a time as this I" "I didn't swear. And that wasn't a re sult of it anyhow. It would have come, just the same. if I. hadn't said a word, and you know, Evangeilne-at least you ought to knew-that when the atmosphere is charged with electricity-" "Oh, yes, now argue it, and argue it, and argue it I- I don't see how you can act so, when'you know there is not a lightning rod on the place, and your poor wife and children are absolutely at the mercy of Providence. What are you doing ? Light ing a match at such a time as this I Are you stark mad ?" "Hang it, woman, where's the harmi TFhe place is as dark as the inside of an in fidel; and-" "Put it out I put it out mnstantly I Are you determined to saciffice us all? You know there's nothing attracts hghitning like a light. [Fzt-crash/-boorn 6oloom-boom-boorn/] Oh, just hear it I ;NoW you see what you've' stone 1" ''No, I doniseei what I've done. - A match may attract lightning,for all I know, but it don't cause lightmng--I'll go odds ton that. And it didn't attract worth a cent this time; for if that shot was leveled at my matcha it was blessed p~oor narkman uhip-abopt an average ot none out of a *possibl'd ijtilien I should say. Why, at Dollymodot," bieh markmanship as that-" "For ame, Mortuner I Ia ro we~ are stamc1bg in tfl very prOo eel ' 31eath, and yet in? so solei n a mioin'ent y~uare capable of uslguch languag pthat. If you "Didi 'u say youi rayers to-night ?" "I--I-mf'4to, but I got to trying to ohp outs - .tuch twegv times thirteen tberoomn~~&oo4n' >tm bl---umbeJang BMAsi 1] '%?l5~welost, beyod al h~elplL1,ow con u lecqt suel )11gat' such a timi h "Btut it wasn't spcoh a time as, this." slip like that f And I don't think it's just It fair for you to make so much out of it any ni way, seeing it happens so seldom; I al haven't missed before since I brought on that earthquake, four years ago." "Mortimer I How y ' talk I Have you II forgotten the yellow fevts" ti "My dear, you are always throwing up n this yellow fever to me, and I think it is perfectly unreasonable. You can't even el send a telegraphic message as far as Mem- ni phis without relays, so how is a little do- di votional slip of time going to carry so far. at I'll stand the earthquake because it was in the neighborhood; but i'll be hanged if bi I'm going to be responsible for every- i blamed-' (Fzt!-noom beroom-boom I boom I BANI] S "Oh, dear, dear, dear I I know it struck p something, Mortimer. We never shall see the light of another day: and if it will do po you any good to remember, when we are gone, that your dreadful language-Morti- is mer I " sc "Well I What now I" L "Your voice sounds as if-Mortimer,are B you actually standing in front of that open ti fireplace?" t11 "That is the very crime I am commit ting." pi "Get away from it this moment. You sii do seem determined to bring destruction on it us all. Don't you know that there is no th better conductor for lightning than an open zt chimney I . Now where have you got to?" gt "I'm here by the window." a "O, for pity's sake, have you lost your th mind I Clear out from here this moment. The very children in arms know that it is w fatal to stand near a window im a thunder In storm. . Dear, dear, I know I shall never he see the light of another day. Mortimer ?" sa "Yes." to "What is that rustling?" "It's me" ou "What are you doing ?" a "Trying to find the upper end of my ne pantaloons." fo "Quick I throw them things away I I do believe yon would deliberately put on ch those clothes at such a time as this; yet se you know woolen stuffs attract lightmut. su Oh, dear, dear, it lsn't suflic-it that one's br life must be in peril from natural causes, at but you must do everything you can pos- qu sibly think of to augment the danger. Oh, don't sing I What can you be thinking of ?" an "Now, where's the harm in it." wi "Mortimer, if I have told you once I ao have told you a hundred tines, that sing ing causes vibrations in the atmosphere th< which interrupt the flow of the electric fluid, and- What on earth are you open- on ing that door for V' th "Goodnecs gracious, woman, is there th any harm in that ?" "Harm? Ther'es death in it. Anybody M that has given this subject any attention It knows that to create a draught is to invite be the lightning. You haven't half shut it; shut it tight--and do hurry, or we are all co destroyed. Oh, it is an awful tLing to be shut up with a lunatic at such a time as tir this. Mortimer, what are you doing ?" thi "Nothing. Just turning on the water. he This room is smothering hot and close. I want to bathe my face and hands." on "You have certainly parted with the di remnant of your mind I Where lightning bli strikes substance ' once, it strikes water hil fifty times. Do turn it off. Oh, dear, I am sure that nothing in this world can save tel us. It does seem to me chat-Mortimer what was that?" ni 'It was a do-it was a picture. Knocked it down." be "Then you are close to the wall I I ru never heard of such imprudence! Don't nii you know that there is no better conduc- th, tor of lightning than a wall ? Come away th from there I And you came as near as any- to thing to swearing, too. Oh, how can you be so desperately wicked, and your family un in such peril? iMortimier, did you order are feather bed, as I asked you to do p?"e "No. Forgot it." "Forgot it!i It may coat you your life. If you had a feather bed, now, and could spread it in the middle of the room and lieth on it, you would he perfectly safe. Come sci in here-come quick, before you have a pri chance to conmmitt any moi'e frantic inadie- tir cretions." .T'i I1 tried, but the little closet would not g hold us both with the door shut, unless we could be content to smother. I gasped en awhile, then forced my way out. My mi wife called out- , "Mortimier, something must he done for li your preservation. Give me that German sh< book that is on the end of the mantle piece ftc and a candle; but don't light it; give me a lon match; I will light it in here. That book TpI has some directions in it. "a ag I got the book-at the cost of of avase andi hui sonmc other brittle things; and the madam thi shut herself up with her candle. I had a mo- ne ment's peace; then she called out- cre "Mortimer, what was tbat ?" ce "Nothing but the cat." to "The cat!i Oh, destruction I Catch hier, fir and shut her up in the wash stand. Do be .an qu ick, love; cats are full of electricity. I P1 just know my hair will turn white with Ei this night's awful perIls." wi I heard the muffled sobbings again. But bc for that 1 should not have moved hand or yr foot in such a wild enterprise in the clark. 141 However, I 'went at my task over to chairs and against all sorts of obstructions, Li all of them hard one, too, and most of yt them with sharp edges-and at last I got kitty cooped up in the commode, at an ex- m pense of over four hundred dollars in aa broken furniture and shins. Then these i& nmflkcd words came from the closet : 11 "It ansys the safest thing is to stand on a eni chair in the midtdle of the room, Mortimer; hi and the legs of the chair must he insulated 81 withi non-concductors, That is, you must ag set the legs of the chair mi glass tumblers. im i FzeI - boom!-bang t-amas ! ] Oh I cc hear that. Do hurry, Mortimer, before wv you arc struck." hi I muansgedc to find and secure the turn- e, blers. I got the last four-broke all the mi rest I insulated the chair-legs, and called ,Ihi for further instructions. . .-fe "Mortimcer,'" it says, "Wahrend eines. i' Gewitters ontferno manm Metalle, wie a B , em Rlinge, Uhren, Schlussel, etc., von sich tc unid halte sich auci nich an solchen Stellen ni auf, wo viele' Metalle bei cinder legen, lo ord4i mit andern Koerpere verbunden shnd, rc wie an Ilerdeen, Ofen,Eisengitter-n u. dg!. c4 What does that meani, Mortimeri Does hi it mean that you must keep metals about a you, or keep them away from you ?" mi "Welt, I hardly know., It appears to hi bo a little mixed. All German advice is in mpro or les mixed. Hcowever, I think ai: thaM sentehe is iiiostly in the native ease, hi *ith adentle. nntiva and aeconsative sifted di hero and there, for luck, so I reckon it cans that you must keep some metals lout you.' "Yes; that must be it. It stauds to rea 'n that it is. They are in the nature of ;htning rods, you know. Put on your eman's helmet, Mortimer; that is mostly etal." I got it and put it on-a very heavy and umsy and uncomlortable thing on a hot ght in a close room. Even my night ess seemed to be more clothing than I rictly needed. "Mortimer,I think your middle ought to protected. Won't you buckle on your iiitia sabre, please I" I complied. "Now, Mortuner, you ought to have me way to protect your feet. Do, please, it on your spurs." I did it-in silence-and kept my tem lr as well as I could. "Mortimer, it says, 'Das Gewitter .lauten sehr gefaliaheb, well die Glockq selbst, wie der dorch das Lauten veraulasste aftzug und die Hohe des Thurmes den itz auziehen konnten." Mortimer, does at mean that it is dangerous not to ring e church bells during a thunderstorm?" "Yes; It seems to me that-if that Is the st participle of the nominative case igulav, and I reckon it is. Yes; I think ineans that on account of the height of o church tower and the absence of Luft g, it would be very dangerous (8cr fahrlich) not to ring the bells in time of storm; and, moreover, don't you see, a very wording-" "Never mind that, Mortimer; don't iste the precious time in talk. Get the go dinner bell; it Is right there in the 11. Quick,Mortlnier, dear; we are almost re. Oh, dear, I do believe we are going be saved at last!" Our little summer establishment stands top of aphigh range of hills, over looking valley. Several farm houses are in our ighborhood, the nearest some three or uir hundred yards away. When 1, mounted on a chair, had been iging that dreadful bell a matter of ren or eight minutes, our shutters were Idenly torn open from without and a Iliant bull's eye lantern was thrust in the window, followea by a hoarse in iry: 'What in the nation is the matter here?" rhe windows were full of men's heads, d the heads were full of eyes that stared idly at my night dress and my warlike youtrements. I dropped the bell, skipped down from chair in confusion, and said "There is nothing the matter friends ly a little discomfort on account of the inderstorm. I was trying to keep off - lightning." "Thunder storm I Lightning ? Why, . McWillhams, have you lost your mind? is a beautiful starlight night; there has en no storm." I looked out, and was so astonished I uld not speak for awhile. Then I said: "I do not not understand this, We die ctly saw the glow and the flashes rough the curtains and shutters, and ird the thunder." One after another those people lay down the ground to laugh, and two of them d. One of the survivors remariaed: Pity you dindn't think to open your nds and look over to the top of the high I yonder. What you heard was a cannon; lat you saw was the flash. You see, the egraph brought some news, just at mid cht: Jones' nomination and that's what's 3 matterI" Yes, Mr. Twain, as I was saying in the ginning (said Mr. McWilliams), the es for preserving people against light ig are so 'excellent and so innumerable it the most incomprehensible thing in ) world to me is how anybody manages get struck. Bo saying he gathered up his satchel and ibrella, and departed; for the train hiad Lched his town. How Long Man May Live. It was Prof. Ilufeland's opinion that lImit of possible human life might be at 200 years. TIs is on the general nciple that the life of a creature Is eight es the years of Its period of growth. at which Is quickly formed quickly rishes, and the earlier complete develop unt is reached the sooner bodily decay rues. More women reach old age than un, but more men attain remarkable Dgevity than woimen. Some animals w to be very old. Horned animals live rter lives than those without horns, rce longer than timid, and amphibious iger than those wIch inhabit the air. te voracious pike exists, It is said, to an a of 150 years; the turtle is good for a ndred years or more; and among birds golden eagle is known to have lived arny 200 years, while the sly and somber w reaches the venerable, age of a itury. Passing up In the scale of life man and skipping the patriarchs, we d many recorded instances of longevity rong the classic Greeks and Romans. iny notes that in the reign of the nperor Vespasian, In the year '16, there 3re 124 men living In the limited area tween the Aprinnines and the Po of 100 ars and upward, three of whom were 0 and four over 185. Cicero's wife livedt the age of 103,and the Roman actress iceja played in public as late as her 112th an. Coingr down to more recent times the eat notable authentic instance of great e is that of Hlenry Jenkins, of Yorkshire, ig., who (lied in 1070, 189 years old. e was a fisherman, and at the age of 100 ally swam across rapid rivers. Another storic case is that of Thomas Parr, of rop~shire, a day-laborer, who lived to the e of 152 years. When more than 120 lie arried his second wife, and till 180 lie uldl swing tihe scythe and wield the flati tlr the best of his fellow laborers. In s 15:8d year Parr went up to London to hilbit himself to the King. It proved an luecy visit, for violating the abstemious ~bit of a century and a half the old man ristedi so freely on tho royal victuals that .2oon (died merely of a plethora. On ~aminatioe his internal organs thie.y lroved be In excellent condition, and there was reason why lie shioiAl not have lived 'uich nger save for this uniartnra ~ ite of yal hospitality. Prof. Hiufela Ooil of ntenariabs includes many niore 7 'rka e cases, among them that of 1L aitedt, Prussian soldier, who serven ( years ider both Frederic~ks, fighthb,, I many ttles and endurIng much hard campagh g, and who afteor all this marrIed cessively three wIves, the last when was 110, only two years before his at~h "A Gobliburned Fool" And it came to pass recently, that as a wealthy and benevolent citizen of Noo Or leenz opened the door of his dwelling, in order that he might. proceed, as he was wont, unto his place of businesq, he did be hol a poor tramp reclining upon the steps before the door. And the tramp was exceedingly lean and ill-favored. His raiment it was dirty, and his eyes they did have in them the sad and far-away look of a half- starved dog. And the old gentleman hove nigh untc him and spake unto bbn, saying, "Look ve-what want ye heret" And the tramp lifted up his voice and said; "Wilt thou give me to eat? Even thirteen days have flown by since feed hath passed my lips." And the heart of the 0. Q. was moved with compassion-even unto the bursting of his suspenders. And he called unto his naid-servant and commanded her, saying: "Give thou unto this poor traveler food and drink, of which lie tandeth sore in need. Verily, I know how it is myself. Bee that thou lettest him eat his fill, for it Is written; "It is more blessed to give than to receive." But hark yo, sirrahl Verily, the wood pile lieth nigh and unto It the ax adjacent,and when thou hast partaken of thy fill, siee to it that ye repay me. even unto the hewing of wood. What sayest thou, fellow? Wilt thou do this thing?' Art thou of mind to work?" And the tramp lifted up his voice and spake unto him with tears and said: "Yes, that will 11 Ye bet thy socks I will I Even as thou commandedest will I obey, I will tackle the festive wood and how it even unto the blistering of my hands." And the old man went his way. And the tramp doubled the tracks of the imaid-servant unto the dining hall and sate down and did eat of the food which she sat before him. And he ate heartily as though he was possessed of the stomach of Doctor Tanncr-him who fasted forty davs of old and afterwards brought a grievous famine upon the people. And when he had risen lie did basely stow the spoons and forks in his pockets. And he wunk unto himself and said, 'These will fetch cash.' For he meditated not on the baseness of the act. And he wil:ed off his chin and pulled down his vest and betook himself unto the woodpile aforesaid. And when he concentrated his vision upon the wood, and had seen that it was tough even unto hickory, his heart failed him, and he leaped the fence and did ex claim: "Blamed if I'll chop it." And he went his way and was seen no more in that place torever. Now when the even had come, the wealthy and benevolent old gent returned home and hied him straightway unto the woodpile, that he might feast his eyes upon the wood which; in his simplicity, he be lieved the tramp had hewn. But when he had drawn nigh unto it, beholdi it was as he had left It on the morn-untouched by the hand of mant And he marveled greatly as one who sees a thing he can't exactly get the rights of. And when he had discovered how that the tramp had played him false, even unto the pulling of the wool over his eyes, he tore his hair and beat his breast and kickqd himself in divers places; and gave himself up to sore lamentation, crying out at the top of his voice, 1'l be blarsted if I'll ever be such a goahburned fool again." & Forgotten story. In a diary kept by an early colonist dur lug the years 1787 to 1746, and preserved by his descendants, occur the outlines of a remarkable story whhh may be of interest to our readers. The passions and temptations of men are the same in all ages, but the half-barbarous condition of the country la those early days, and the remoteness of nations from each other, govo t'o hman tragedies a more sombre and dramiatic background. Stripped of w~ordy description, the inci dents are briefly as follows : Trwo young men, members of wealthy mercantile familica in London, immigrated to Pennsylvania about the year 1700, and went into business, one as a physician, the other as a merchant. In a year or two the former, Doctor Whiting (as we shall call him, though that was not his real name), was betrothed to a beautiful young girl im Delaware. The marriage was sot for June in the coming year. Ini the meantiime he resolved to return to London and look after the little patrimony which had fallen to his share, and after tome difliculty ho persuaded his friend Truefelt, the merchant, to sccompany him. A voyage across the Atlantic was then a matteir of months, not to be undertaken save for important cause, and we find it set down as proof of the frivolity of the two young men that, without any real ne cessity, Truofelt consented thus to endan ger, a it was thought, his life. While in London, Dr. Whiting was led into dissipation. H~e drank heavily, and gambled away much of the money which lie had received, Or this, Truefelt was cognizant. The men sailed for home together on the barkentinie Judith. Vessels never ventured alone at that time across the mighty deep. There were storms and hurricanes to face, andi worse than all, the pirates, who were said, truly or not, to infest the southern coast ; a coast peopledi, according to popu lar belief, by cannmbals. Thue barkeutme, was one of a fleet of ships which loft port at one time, and kept together for mutual protection. Dr. Whitimg and his friend quarrelled (luring tho greater part of the voyage. Truefeit used the knowledge lie had ac quiired of the dloctor's misdeeds in London as a rod to control him. Finally, in a fit of pabs!or', lie declared his intention of making known the whole matter to Whiting's be trothedl. From that moment, as the physician afterwards decclaredl, lie held TIrudfelt in (lire hate aiid dread. "1 felt that by sonme means I must be rid of him, else I was undone.'' Chance put the means inalhia way. The fleet anchored to take in water at an un known island, The passengers landed, and the two companions strolled up into the tropical forest in company. Truefelt, over poweied by the heat, lay down and fell asleep, charging Whiting to summon him v.'i"n it was time to return to the vessel. '.Thein I thought within myself, I can now be clear of taimi man, and ro I left him sleeping there, and returned to the vessel, seaying that he had fallen Into the sea from the rocks to the southward, and was drowned. They would have made search for his body, but the other vessels had set sail, and the captain was forced in great distress of mind, unwillingly to weigh anchor." We can imagine the flash of guilty joy and relief that, at first, filled Whiting's breast at thus being rid of his enemy. Then, as the ship sailed out into- the ocoan, he remembered that this man was his friend, and that he was left there forever. There was no possibility that lie could ever es cape. The island was a savage wilderness, out of the usual track of vessels. It was murder-murder by starvation. "Then I was beset by a great terror.and agony, he says. "1 also thought that I saw a dark figure on the shore holding out his hands to the vessel. 1 would have asked the captain to return, but dared not, know ing that it was impossible for him to do so."' There is no i eord of Truefelt's condition after he awoke and found himself deserted on this rock in the midst of the sea. Ile sustained life, we ate told, by meana of the fruit and roots which grew abutufantly on the island. There are one or two notes only that the diary gives of Truefelt's ex perience during his solitary life, which lasted for nearly a year. "His great fear was that he should lose the power of speech, and he was used to practice himself therein, singing and talk ing, in different voices as it were, so that one might suppose, to hear him, that lie had many companions." And again: "Fmndine a cat which had escaped. probably, from some ship, lie trained it and made it his constant comoan ion. And lie was wont to think over the many hundreds of his friends and acquain tances; their wit, their excellent parts, their virtues, and the affection they bore him, and to reproach imself in that he had not been more grateful, saying, 'Out of the full world of living things, there is left to me only the hairy limbs and dumb tongue of t'.iis poor little beast." Truefelt must have possessed a womanly, gentle nature. le does not appear to have cherished any bitterness or plan of revenge against Whiting; his sole feeling seemed to be intense self-pity. Dr. Whiting, returning home, married, and lived in luxury. But his health failed He grew to be the mere skeleton of his for ier self. lie gave lip his connection with the church, neglected his patients, and be came a prey to an intractable gloom. At last he announced to his wite that lie must make a sea-voyage; that lie was about to die, and God had given him a work to do before death. As soon as she conse-nted to this (she thinking him to be insane), lie partially regained his former energy, and vigorously set on foot preparations for his voyage. Now here is the strange part of the story. The night before the ship was to sail, Dr. Whiting, returning home, was compelled to pass through a lonely part of the town, where the streets abutted on the forest. Within the borders of the wood lie saw a man, apparently unarmed, beset by two ruitans. Highwaymen were common in those days in the larger colonial towns. Dr. Whiting at once attacked the thieves, and laid about him with a sword-cane which he carried. The ruffians fled. but not before they had stabbed him through the breast. As he fell, the traveler whom lie had defended caught him and supported him until the tardy watch came. The stranger was Truefelt I Dr. Whiting, insensible from loss of blood, did not rec ognizo him. Truefelt's emotions would be a strange study as he stood there holding n hits arms the man who had tried to mur der him, and now had saved his life. Ile did not make himself known until lie had helped the watch to carry Whiting to the stoop of his own house. Then he said, "You have risked your life to save mine. You kno w what you owed me. I think we can go scot-free of each other." And endimg this singular homily with a laugh, withdrew. Truefelt, it appears, had been rescued by some vessel, and brought to a Northern port, fromi which lie had found his way home. Whiting gave up his voyage, lie recovered his health andl with it his spirits. After a year or two, the men renewed their old intimacy, but, they were known as inor.e sober, honest, God fearing citizens than. they had been formierly. Thle truth of the strange story was sever revealed until both were dead. A Mighty 5sbruaglo. Y oung men, what are you living fori Have you an object aear to you as life.and without the attainment of which you feel that your life will have been a wide, shore less waste of shadow peopledi by the spectres of dead ambitionsi You caun take your choice in the great battle of life, whether you will bristle up and win a deathless name and owe almost everybody, or be satisfied with scabs and mediocrity. Many of those who now stand at the head of the nation as statesmen and logicians were once unknown,unhonored and unsung. Now they saw the air in the halls of Con gress, and their names are plastered on the temple of fame. You can win some laurels, too, if you will brace up and secure them wheni they are ripe. Daniel Webster, and President Garfield and Dr. Tannuer, and George Ek~lot were all, at one time, poor boys. Trhey hiad to start at the foot of the ladder and toll upward. They struggled against pov erty and public opinion bravely on till they won a name in the annals of history, and secured to their loved ones palatial homes, with lightning rods and mnortgages on them. So may you if you will make the effort. All these things are within your reach. Live temperately on $9 per month. That's the way we got our start. Burn the nmidnighat oil if necessamy. Get some true noble minded young lady of your acquaintance t> assist you. Tell her of your tr.>ubles and she will toll you what to do, Sho will gladly advise you. Then you can marry her, and she will advise you some more. After that she will la~y aside her work any time to advise you. You needn't be out of advice at all unless you want to. She, too, will tell you when you have made a mistake. She will come to you frankly and acknowledge that you have made a jackcass of yourself. As she gets more ac qumainted with you she will be more can did with you, and in her unstudied, girlish way, she will point out your errors, and gradually convineo you, with an old chair leg and other srgument., that you wore wrong, and your past life will come up be fore you like a panorama, and you will tell her so, and she will let you up again. Life is Indeed a mighty struggle. The Weeping Winow. You have seen and admired the weeping willow tree-the Salix Babyloica-upon which the captive Ihebrews hung their harps when they sat down by the rivers of Babylon and " wept when they remember. ed Zion." It Is a native of the Garden of Eden, and not of America, and I will tell you how it immigrated to this country. More than 150 years ago a merchant lost his fortune. He went to Smyrna, a seaside city in Asia Minor, to recover it. Alexander Pope, one of the great poets of England, was the merchant's warm friend, and sympathized with him in his nis fortunes. Soon after the merchant arrived in Smyrna he sent to Pope, as a present, a box of dried figs. At that time the poet had built a beautiful villa at Twickenham, on the bank of the River Thames, and was adorning it with trees, shrubbery, and flowering plants. On opening the box of figs Pope die covered in it a small twig of the tree. It was a stranger to him. As it came from the East, he planted the twig in the ground near the edge of the river, close by his villa. The spot accidentally chosen for the planting was favorable to its growth, for the twig was from the weeping willow tree-possibly from the bank of one of " the rivers of Babylon "-which flourishes best along the borders of water cnurge. This little twig grew vigorously, and in a few years it became a large tree, spread ing wide its branches, and drooping, grace ful sprays, and winning the inspiration of the poem's friend as well as strangers. It became the ancestor of all the weeping willows in England. There was a rebellion in the English American colonies in 1775. Britiah troops were sent to Boston to put down the in surrection. Their leaders expected to end it in a few weeks after their arrival. Some young officers brought fishing-tackle with them to enable them to enjoy sport after hic brief war. Others came to settle on the conilscated linds of the "rebels." Among the latter was a young officer on the staff of Gen. Lowe. Ile brought with him, wrapped in oiled 6l1k, a twig, from 'ope's weeping-willow at Twickenham, which lie intended to plant on some stream watering his American estate. Washington commanded an army before Boston which kept the British imprisoned in that city a long time against their will. On his staff was his stepson, John Parke Custis, who frequently went to the British headquarters, under the protection of a flag, with dispatches for Gen. Howe. He became acquainted with the young officer who had the willow twig, and they became friends. Instead of "crushing the rebellion in six weeks," the British army at Boston, at the end of an imprisonment of nine months, was glad to fly by sea, for life and liberty, to Halifax. Long before that flight the British subaltern, satistled that he should never have an estate in America to adorn, gave his carefully preserved willow twig to young Custle, who planted it at Abing don, his estate in Virginia, where it grew and flourished, and became the parent of all the weeping willows in the United States. Bometime after the war, Gen. Horatio Gates, of the Revolution, settled on the " Rose Hill Farm," on New York Island, and at the entrance to a lane which led from a country road to his house he planted a twig from the vigorous willow at Abing don, which lie had brought with him. That country road is now Third avenue, and the lane is Twenty-second street. Gates' mansion, built of wood, and two stories in hight, stood near the corner of Twenty-seventh street and Second avenue, where I saw it consumed by fire in 1815. The tree which grew from the twig planted at the entrance to Gates' lane remained until comparatively a fewv years ago. It stoodi on the north-east corner of Third avenue and Trwenty-second street. It was a direct descendant, in the third genera tion, of Pope's willow, planted at Twick onham about 1722. _ Singing ihirds. The steamers are bringing to tis coun try large importations of singing birds, par ticularly the German ones, and the dlemand ia equal to the supply. 'The bull-flndh~ is the p~opular song-bird, and strangely enough having no natural song, must receive musi cal training. They will readily catch an air, and if educated in Glerimany are giveni to the sentimeni al music of Abt and Schu bert; but an American bird will pipe Pin afore and P'olly PerkIns. TIhe ease which they are tramned makes thenm a favorite birdh with ladhies, whlo can give to thoem any fav orite song. Their song, moreover, is less shrill than that of the canary. The canary is at present most valued for its color. The most expensive colors are the or ange melt ing into lemon and gray, with a blending of tints otherwise unapproachable. Such birds are valued as high as twenty-five dollars. A beautiful bird is the golden. finch mule-half canary, half goldfinch whose orange body has the reddish head of the goldfinch. Another desirable hybrid is the goldfinch bullfinch. Among other birds that having pleasing short songs are the dainty, whitorcapped nuns, one of the loveliest birds of the aviary, and the tiny strawberry fluches. 'he best talkers among parrots are the gray parrots. At a bir i store in Sixth av., New York, is one called Ned with decided conversational powers. One of his dialogues Is, "Will you dance this ovu ning?" "Not this evening" "Good evening." More than two hundred of these birds have just arrived here from Africa, with edhucations yet to be finished in Eng 1ish.. An even better talker, it is said, is the Indian minor. TIhese birds have woni derful conversational ability beside whilst flng and singing songs. Here, also, is a beautiful magpie and a starling, both of which may be classed among the compan ionable birds. The white blackbird is here matched by a white robin, a curiosity of his kind, and a feathered Albino, with pink eyes. Among other curious birds is the crossb~ill, concerning which there is a le gand that lia bill was twisted In endeavor to pull out the nails from the cross. Leadbetter's cockatoo, who, as he addroeses you, raises his topknot like- the feathers of a Zulu ehuef, and the rosellas, two beauti ful Australian birds with blue-gray breasts. -Florida eranges have been put into the Bi ltish market and are pi onounedn finer in qv a ity tihan tho~se of Spain or Portugal. --Among the Eiaster charities of the Pope were the gift of 100 beds to the poorest families in Rorne, and presents to 600 families of at leat ten franos anh, BRIEFS. -Bosto .'s area has increased from 778 to 23,661 aorts. -The salary of the Emperor of Russia Is $10,000,000. -Victor Hugo has a $380,000 inter est in a Brussels bank. -Locusts have devoured the rice and corn crops of Bolivia. -Fishes have been taught to come when called by their names. -A female spider will suffer death before she will forsake her eggs. -Illinois reports an increased acre age and a damage of 22 per cent. -It cost$ the United States $80,000 per annum to print its postage stamps. -The Pope Monument Fund now amounts to about five thousand dol lars. -The inhabitants of the globe pro.. fess more than 1,000 different relig. ions. -Sixty tons of steel are annually consumed in the manufacture of steel pens. --'The King of Portugal has made $25,000 out of his trandlation of Shake.. speare. -The governor oft New York has Issued a proclamaation forbidding lat tories. -The total number of languages and (lialcetij spoken in tile world amounts to 3,004. -Thle lower house of the Michigan legislature defeated a woman suffrage resol ution. --An elephant does not attain its full growth until he is sixteen or eigh teen years old. -A few Florida farmers who have planted arrowroot make as muoh as $1,000 on an acre. --Judge Lamubert Tree, who is worth $4,000,000, Is said to be Chicago's wealhiest man. -The largest orange ever raised in Florida is said to have measured five Inches in diameter, -Missouiri and Kansas report a large Increase in acreage and much less dam. age than was expected. -Over 1,000 printing presses have been shipped from Philadelphia to Franee since the Centennial. -A 50,000 acre tract of land on the Northern Pacilie has been bought for a colony from Belfast, Ireland. -It is estimated that this year's i . ternal Revenue receipts will exce j those of last year by $10,000,000. -According to the bureau of a tis ties, this country consumes, an ally about 324,000,000 pounds of co10. -English farming lands ave de preciated within a few year In rental value at least $5 per acre pe annnm. -The riobest man In the navy Is Commodore Baldwin, who has speou lated in real estate in San Francisco. -Lord Beaconsileld died with one hand in that of two peers whom he had created. No relative was in the 'oom. -The. number of deatlis from starva tion and of deaths acoeleratdi by pri vation, in London, during 1880, was 101. -Indiana reports the same acreage in winter wheat this season as last, and a damage to the crop of 22 per cent. -England raises about 150,000,000 pounds of wool per year, and imports upwards o; 450,006,000 pounds per annum. -Michigan 's last apportionment of fiids for the primary schools amounts to $533,234 49, which gives $1,00 to each child. -Two Boston Hotels, which last summer paid $6 a ton for their ice, have this year contracted for their supply at $2.25 p'er toni. -Thue Indiani Commissioners con tracted in Now York the other day for 20,000,000 pounds of beef for Indians at $3.41 per cwt. -General Sherman's only son, Thomas. was recently admitted to the Catholic priesthood by Archbishop Gibbons, of Balimore. -Montpeller, thie home of President James Madison, in Orange county, Virginia, is advertised to be sold at auction in July next. -Trhe twenty-fourth birthday of Beatrice Mary Victoria Feodore, the youngest (laughter of Queen Viotoria, has just been celebrated. -Out of 2,000 railroads in the coun try to which blank reports have been sent from the cansus Bureau, over 400 failed to make any return. -Th'le new capital at Albany, N. Y., requires at least $2,100,000 to put the finishing touches upon it, and it will then have cost at least $16.000,9'00. -It is said that Queen Victoria wili visit Italy In June, accompanied by her son Leopold, with a view of re crumting the health or the Prince. -One of the four known copies of the first complete edition of Moliere's works-7 volumes 12 m., 1673--was sold at P'aris a few days ago for $1,920. -Queen Victoria is so convinced that Prince Albert caught the cold which caused his death at Einrburg, that she has stopped only one night at Hlolyrood since that event, -Prince Bismarek Is said to have re cently purcbased several estates Im mediately adjoining the old homestead, Schoonhausen. thereby increasing its present area to 1,000 acres. -Theli Unmted States government has presented two gold medals to' the Chiefs of the Indian tribes, on Van couver island who succored the crow of a Wrecked A merican vessel last sum mer. -The United Sta'ei has more miles . of telegraph lines than any other coun try in the world-170,103, cmprising about 300,000 miles of wire-3ot in cluding lines used exclusively for rail road business. -In proportion to population the taxation ls higher in France than in England. In France it is $0.25 per head ; in Englanid, $4.35. Tfie interest on the French debt now exceeds that of the English debt. .-.G. Phillips Boyan estimates the grand total of gold produced during the historic ages to be ?3 17,093,500 and that of silver 2,826,2 0,000 mak ing the produce of bot'h precious metal' tP % 9'v".h ,848,48,500.