Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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TRI-W EEKLY EDITION. WINNSBORO, S C., SEPTEMBER 1, 18. THE WfDS. t The south wind sings of happy springs, And summers hastening on their way; 'The south winds smells of cowslip bells, And blossom spangled meads of May; But sweeter is her red, red mouth Than all the kisses of the south. The west wind breathes of russet heaths, And yellow pride of woods grown old ] ''ie west wind Mes from autumn skies, And sun clouds overlaid with gold; nut the bright locks I love the best Outshine the glories of the west. t The north wind sweeps from crystal deeps, The Aretlo halls of endless night; The north wind blows o'er drifted snows, And mountains robed In virgin white; But purer far her maiden's soul Than all the snows that shroud the ploe. The east wind shrills o'er desert hills And dreary coasts of barren sand; a The east wind moans of sea blanched bones And ships that sink in sight of land; But the cold east may rave and moan, For her warm heart is all my own. - 1____________-i HIS LEAP YEAU. '' It's a very pretty parish," said the a Rev. Mr. Racquet, ' Iand a very pleasant a people. The elderly ladies are steady, 0 consistent workers; the younger, active a1 and enthusiastic. I don't think, if I al had possessed the privilege of selecting for myself, I could have found a more t] delightful position." d Mr. Roderie Racquet was six-and- ti twenlty, with a straight nose, pleasant y blue eyes, and a general talent for being fit satisfied with everything and everybody. ci Ho was located in his first parish, a pic- if turesque little knot of houses, over hanging a brisk cataract, which made q work for mills and factories, and so far he was one of those exceptions in life, o a perfectly satisfied man. 'Ali," said his friend, Mr. Alton, who d was a misanthrope. "The ladies, eli ?" c: "Yes," said Mr. Racquet, quietly ; s for of course, much of the prosperity of a country parish depends upon its g female membors." i " Yes " observed Mr. Alton, dryly. You are an unmarried man, I believe." I "I am an unmarried man-yes, cer tainly." "And this is-Leap Year." l "Nonsense !" cried the parson, brisk.. ly. ri "I hope you may find it, nonsense," said Mr. Alton, pursing up his lips ; g " but I am told that there are a good mar.V single ladies this year who are si driven desperate by the prospect of t< spinsterhood-" "Nonsense I" again exclaimed Mr. o: Racque. "My dear Alton, this is a little too much of a burlesque. You ji don't seriously believe in this-this ab- v surdity ?" Mr. Alton only shook his head, as lie I rose and reached for his hat. it "II'll get my book, Racquet," said lie as lie look'd lugubriously around the ti room, " and go out for a stroll in these til pine-scented woods. My doctor says vi that pine sap is very healthy for lungs that are consumptively inclined." 0i "Very well,"' said the Rev. Mr. Rac- ir quet, with a glance at the scattering h1 sheets of the half composed sermon that w lay on his desk ; " and I will join you h after a little." He took up his pen1, dipped it deter- b minedly in the inkstand, and went reso lutely to writing ; but, the words of his ~ inconoclastic friend rang persistently in his cars. I "If there should be any foundation for Alton's absurd idea I" lie pondered, with his pen suspended above the par-d - . tially written sheet. " But of course there can't be ; but if such a possibility a did exist-a married man is really a d better member of society than a singlet one. I never did adhere to the doctrine ~ that ceorgymen should be celibates 1" ~ And all. the wvhile Rosa Appleton's cherry cheeks and yellow hair were dancing q~ human wvill-o'-wisp before the horizon of his mind's eye. "She's young," lie said to himself ; " and perhaps a trifle inclined to 1)0 giddy, but she's cert ainly very charm-c ing. And, since the Appleton's ha'~ve h failed, and the mother has openeid a boarding house, and Lucilla has gone to teaching, I do not think I could do bet ter than marry-"I " Rose Appleton, sir, if you~ pl?.ase." It was a timid little voice that broke iln upon his reflection, and Rosa herself stood before him, coloring like a pink carnation, with a basket of late peaches in her hand. "'I've called oni business, sir," said Rosan. Th'le Royv. Roderic m~oved~ forwvard a chair. "rray be seated, Miss Appleton'" said he, not without somie confuisioin on his own part. Miss Appleton sat dowvn, p~ulling necr vously at the fingers of her threadI gloves. "' It's about our Lucilla," said she. "Indeed ?" said Mr. Racquet. ''We want to get her well settled in life," said Rosa, app~ealingly. "But I thought she wass teaching 1" cried Mr. Racquet. '' She doesn't like teaching," con fessed Rose ; "or, rather, to be candid with you, the trustees don't like her. She isn't very young, you knowv, and has some odd, formal little ways and only one eye ; and the children make fun of her, and the trustees say she has no dig nity." "Very unfortunate," said Mr. Rae quet, bending a pearl paper cutter back and forth, with the sublime indifl'erence t ich1 we are all apt to display toward ( he tribulations of others. "If there vas anything I could do " "Oh, but there is I" said Rosa. "Eh ?" ejaculated Rev. Roderick. "She thinks, and mamma thinks-" "Well?" "That she might come here," said tosa, with her blue eyes fixed on the 'oung clergyzman's face. Click I click I and the two pieces of lie paper cutter flew into opposite cor ers of the room. " Here I" cried Mr. Racquet-" to the >arsonage?" "Yes," innocently assented Rosa. 'She isn't pretty to look at, to be Lire, but as you yourself said in your ddress to the Sunday school last week, cauty is only a mere nothing; and you rill find her very intelligent." "Indeed I" said Mr. Racquet, frig ily. "She has been highly educated," ,ent on Rosa, gaining confidence; "but k. the same time' she would not despise esconding to monial duties foi the sake f one she loves and knows as well as io does you. And so, Mr. Racquet, tio wants to know if you'll have her." A cold perspiration broke out around io Reverend Racquet's mouth. He rew back in his bhair with an instinc ve movement of self defense. Leap ear was upon him in very truth and Lct. Alton was right, and he should be )orced into matrimony -before he knew "I-I'd rather not!" said Mr. Rae not, decidedly. Rosa looked at hini, half amazed, half Ifended. "Rather-not ?" she repeated. "I on't think Lucilla expected that de ision. Perhaps she'd better come and -o you herself." "No, nol She needn't do that," asped Mr. Racquet. " My decision is -revocable." And hurriedly gathering his paper, he urriedly caught his pen and feigned reat assiduity. " I see you are busy," said Rosa, soft r, after an instant of hesitation. "Yes," said Mr. Racquet, "I am tier busy." "Then perhaps I had better bid you ood morning," said Rosa. "Good morning, Miss Appleton," tid the clergyman, with his eyes glued the paper. " What I" lie cried, after the fashion r the soliloquising heroes of the stage; Marry that wrinkled, one-eyed hag, ist because she wants some one to pro [de for her, and it is leap year! And, orst and cruelest of all, to think that osa herself shonld come to propose Just th'en Rosa's voice, soft and plain vo, talking to the old housekeeper in ie kitchen, chimed upon his ear. In )luntarily lie listened. "I know it is very foolish in me to y, Mrs. Megson," faltered Rosa, " but kdeed, I can't- help it. You see, wo eard you were going away, and Lucilla as so anxious to obtain the situation of iusekeeper. She's so middle-aged and eady-going, you know, that it would a the best place for her." "Certainly, certainly, Miss Rosa l" iid good natured Mrs. Megson. " And hat objection did the master poessibly ave to it ?" "-I don't know," said Rosa, " but lhe as so stern and short with mc. He idn't seem a bit like himself. And oh [rs. Megson, please to give me a glass Fwater, for I feel all in a flutter, I idn't even have a chance to tell him iat Lucilla was willing to come without ages for the first month, for the sake flearning the ways, and-" But Roderick Racquet heard no more. eattering the sermon sheets right and ift he seized his hat and rushed down 10 back garden to a certain walk, by 'hich Rosa Appleton must return to her wni home ; and when the light figure ime, moving softly along like a shadow, e stepp~ed out and stood directly in -ont of her. Ahe started like a fright icd fawn. ''Rosa," lhe said, " do not 1)e afraid. -do not think we quite understand one nother. Your sister wanted to take ie position which old Megson is aboub > vacate of housekeeper. "Yes, sir," said Rosa, with dowvncasC yes " But I should prefer another house eeper, Rosa," boldly spoke out the arson. "I should prefer you as my 'ife, darline-mny owvn life-treasure I" "I never thought of such a thing," lid Rosa, beginning to color andl trem 1e. " Think of it now," went on Mr. Rae uet. "Lucilla and your mother can ye with us, if you like, but you must e the little housekeeper, my Rosa." And after a singularly short period of eliberation, Rosa Appleton decided to ocept, the situation. When Mr. Altoni camne in from his reditations among the p~ino groves, toderiok met him with a radiant coun ananige. "Old fellow," said lie, " I'm safe I lo moie of your leap year intimidation tcr me. " I'm engaged I" "She has asked you, ehi?" groaned rir. Altoni. "No," said the parson. "I asked Ler I" Be just and fear not ; let all the ends lhon aim'st at be thy country's, thy le1's and1 truth's. A Snake Charmer's Feats. Mr. Howo, of Camden, New Jersey, is a snake charmer. Behind the counter of his liquor and billiard room, corner of Arch and Fifth streets, Camden, stands a pine box with a glass front, and in this, recently, a visitor found a six. feet pine-snake, which at a (iRtance of three or four feet, closely resembled a rattlesnake. Mr. linwe thrust an arm into the box and lifting the squirm ing reptile by the neck tossed him on a billiard table to the consternation of a man who was reaching across for a ball. "That's the only one I have at present," said Mr. Howe, as lie stroked the crea ture's back, "But I expect to get more soon. This fellow I caught about three months age, near Chemung Station, New Jersey, and lie has turned out one of the nicest pets I have had. He was pretty ugly at first, but by gentle handling I have made a decentsuakeout of him. Why, he wouldn't eat for three weeks after he was caught, but I got him reconciled to his fate at last He now cats regularly and is quite lively. I fed him on sparrows, mice eggs and milk. I put the birds in alive, and I sometimes feel sorry for the poor things, they do take on so. He kills them and then swallows thcm whole, feathers and all. He swal lows an egg without breaking the shell. That sounds like a pretty stiff snake story, but the throat of a snake is capable of won derful distension. I feed him three and four times a week. After a ineal he will lie for four or five hours without stirring a muscle. - "The rattlesnake," the 'snake laIncer continued, "rarely feeds more than three times a week. le is much moi'e vicious than the pine-suake, and it requires imuch more skill and patience to subdue him. It is the same way with the b!acksnake. The 'rattler' has the nature of a bulldog to a great extent ; the only way in which any. thing can be done witi liliin at first is by brute force. I have to wbip a rattler into subjection. Hew's that I Ob, the whip ping? Well, sir, I find that a snake has about as much intelligence as almnost. any animal, and wIen it -strikes at you it knows It has done wrong and understands why the whipping is administered. I take a snmall switch and whip the snake over the head. Rattlers are stubborn at first, but they can be conquered tinnally by the whip, and then taey give little trouble. When a rattler gives in and queials then I know I have conquered him. If I should take a switch and whip that suke there on the head it would cry like a hurt child. That's strange, isn't it? But it Is tiue. There ie no need of whipping a snake more than two or three times, lor after that it fears you, and if you go lit it :n the right way it will soon learn to love you the same as a dog or a cat. Before I tasued this one it jumpet clear out of the box one day in an endeavor to strike the clcrk. It never made a single pass at me, and it probably never will, because I treat it kindly. Would you like to see it climb a tree? Well, then, come out here." The snake-owntr carried the reptile to a tree in trout ot lie store and hung it over the first limb. In a few moments it climb ed to the very top of the tree and swung to and fro in the summer breeze. There was a commotion among the birds and loud and angry protests were made against the intrusion. Mr. Howe and the reporter sat down under the tree and talked of snakes and lizards and all manner of creep ing thimgs, the former discoursing volubly on his preference for snakes as pets and play things. le claims to have owned and handled all sorts of siall anmals, includ ing birds, rats, mice, squirrels, opossums, raccoons, ground-hogs, foxes and other creatures common to this country. lie pre fers snakes to anything he has yet owned, arguing that as much confidence c.n be placed in them as in a dog. While lie was giving an interesting experience a iman stepped under the tree and became an at tentive listener. He was a nuddled-aged man, upon whose features ruin had placed .its mark. He was evidently no stranger to delirium, his mindi was cloudly and hIs speech incoherent. As lhe s.. listenling the snake, tired of the tree, dropped from time lower limb across his 5 ioulders and instant. ly coiled itself about his neck. "Merciful God I ''lhe shouted, springing to his feet and clutchiing wildly at his throat, his face the p~icture of terror. "Take it off ; t ake it off I Oh, horrors I Take it off, for I~eaven's sake!" *Got, 'em again I " saidl fowe, as lie re lieved tihe man of the cold clainmmy colis. ''Jim-jams sure, this tiime. Uo- home and go to bed." "But--but--wasn't that a snake-that dropped on me ?? fairly gasped the man. "You've got 'em again, I say. llow would a snake be inl that tree, I'd like to know? " "Boo I ugh I Yes, I've got, 'emi again '' and lie started off at an unsteady though fast pace down the street, convinced that, delirium tremens was uport hunii with all its terrors. "if that fellow haldn't got rid of the snake it would hiavechoked himn to death," said Howe, as he tucked the reptile uinder his coat. "It has a powerful back bone, and its r queezing ability is somecthinmg re markable." In the Weost Indin. Strange as it may seem at first sight, everyb~ody ini the Wost indies eats very large meals. The climate is so hot that you take food freely to make up for Na turo's lossos, and the appetite has to be stimulated by a groat variety of dishies, as welhl as b~y the copious use of those very insidious capsicums, and the still more dolicious little rod and yollow bird peppers. A few of these tempting fruits are placed ini the salt-collar at every meal, and, with the bright tropical flowers which invariably garnish the ta ble0 ini pretty specimen vases, they give a general air of lonsanftt esthetic refine inent to the whole arrangements. Break fast is a really solid and~ substantial re past, usually put oftf till half-past ten o'clock, the pangs of pressing hunger being stilled boefore the early morning canter by a cup of coffee in the bedroom. With it someotimes comes a eassava-cake, one of the best Jamaican institutions, made by the negro villagers from the roughly-scraped meal of the arrowvroot plant. This meal is rolled into a thin paste and then baked hard and dry into round cakes about the thiknobs of a Scotch oatmeal bannock, but much more delicate ini taste. At the Wite -1louse. In the cosy family dining-room the President's seat is midway the length of the table on its west side, and Mrs. Gar field sits opposite, with Harry,hor eldest a decided "mother-boy," as near her as the presence of almost constant guests will permit, while Jimmie sits corres pondingly near his father, where also "Grandma" Garfield has an honored place. She is alwhys waited on first, whoever else may be. present. Mollie sits at the north end of the table, and the two younger boys are disposed a lit tle promiscuously, according to the exi gencies of the case. Harry is 18, tall and graceful, with the regular foatures of his mother. The down of manhood appoars on his cheeks. Jimmie, 16 years old, is ne'arly or quite as tall as his brother and broader shouldered, with the Saxon hair and large features of his father, whom he bids fair to resemble strongly in per son and intellect. Mollie, aged 14, has the dark brown hair of her mother and the lineaments of her father not unhand somely reproduced. When womanhood has softened the charms of her face she will be very fine looking. Since the trouble came I notice that the news paper writers speak of her caressingly as "little" Mollio, but she is already as largo as her mother and of the "bounc ing" typo of girl. She is a great pot with her father. Irwin, aged 11, and Abram, aged 9, you already know through descriptions, especially the for mer, who is the eccentric one, possibly the gOnius of them all. He is named for General McDowell; and Insists that his name nyst be always written, not Irwin M.., but Irwin McD. Meal time i- almost the only time the President has lately had with his chil dron, and he devotes himself in great part to them at that time, after asking questions on some interesting point of Harry or James or Mollie, to draw them out, and then explaining it at considera blo length, instruoting by the Socratic method, as it were. Tis is a pleasant relic of- his schoolmaster days, of which also a gleam appeared, you will remem ber, on the very evening of the tragedy, when he asked a messenger if many tel ograms had been received. "A great many,sir,expressing sympathy for you," was the reply. "Sympathy with, not for, you should say," replied the Presf dent, plcasaittly. "You must be care f ul of your grammar." The food on the White House table ik scrupulously well prepared and well served, Mrs. Garfield insisting more strongly on this than did Mrs. Hayes, who was tolerably punctilious, but did not make so much a fine art, a consecra tion, of the table rites as des Mrs. Gar field. An Alderney cow, from the Mon tor home,-furnishes dolicious milk and oream; the tea and coffeo are triumph antly good; there is abundant fruit at breakfast and dinner, and there is deli cious soup always at lunch, followed by choice cold meats-beef, fowl and other game. This is a refinement on the "codfish and prunes" of the Hayes lunches, which, however, were perhaps maligned. Flowers from thio ample con sorvatories adorn the table at every meal. When guests are formally present there is little need of change in the menu, there is simply a substitution of a larger and finor set of dinner service. Steward William Crump, who was Col Hayes's orderly, and came in with him to the White House, remains in that capacity still, and is now the President's special nurse, lifting him in his stout arms as no other can. Thore was a change of cooks when Mrs. Garfield came in. The rosy health and strength of her husband and family is due no doubt in a groat monsure to this lady's thorough belief in the gospel of good food. Conscientious, loving supervision of these matters in the past is one of the ways in which her strong though quiet nature has expressed itsolf to thm.m In time of health she sits cheerful, but silent, rather than otherivise, at table, a listener to her hums band anid her boys. She dresses neatly, but very plainly, at breakfast and lunch, but makes a more elaborate toilet for dinner, usually in rich black silk. Theli after dinner hour the President has adopted for recreation, going down stairs to the billiard-room usually for a game with his boys or his friends. It is a favorite game with him; Colonel Rock well or General Swaims, who are more than frequent guests at his table, often join him at this diversion. Mrs. Hayes whose devotion to flowers was a specialty, con verted the billiard-room of the Grant regime, which adjoined thme state dining room, into an additional conservatory there were only eleven previously-mak ing a fine artistic effect with the foliage disclosed to view from the dining-room through the long wvindows. Whon President Garfield came in lie re-c'stablished a billiard-room, for which his predecessor had no occasion, but placed it in the basement, in the room that Fannie and Scott Hayes and the two or three little companions who shared their studies had for a school room, their governnmess being an accom plished young Virginia lady. It was a subject of frequent quoery why,with that large house at their disposal, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, who so delighted in their children and in the sunny side of life, should have fitted up abasement school room. Gen, Garfleld, believing devout ly in plenty of light and air, promptly tranmsferred the shrine of the scholastic deiti'es in his new home to the ohocerful northeamst chamber in thme business part of the mansion, where the morning sun could shine upon the bright young heads of his sturdy boys. Don Rockwell, the son of Col, Rock wvell, studlied with his own- sons. Their lessons for the day have ended at 1 o'clock. Hoe holds their tor in high esteem and pleasanmt perso~ relation to himself, andh made the selection with scrup~ulous care, calling him awvay from a lucrative medical practice in H elena, Montana, because of what lie had ben told of his rare gift for training boys, af developed in four years teaching al Phillips Academy (Andlover) and else where. During the present dark day* at the White House the studies of th< sons are naturally suspended, but D~r, Hlawkes is on duty day and evening al the mansion, rendering quiet skillei m-rvice in many ways. Wolves and Coyotes. The coyote is much smaller than his gray brother. The latter is nearly as large as a Newfoundland dog, the former about twice the size of a cat. The co yote fancies a camp fire, and sits on a hillock within sight of its place, barking for hours. The gray wolf bays the moon like a dog. Graham s'ys he has soon them sitting on the highest rocks gazing at the bright orb with their heads thrown back uttering unearthly howls. The wolf scorns the coyote. When the largo wolves drag down an old buffalo bull the coyotes huddle in the vicinity, lick ing their chops and barking, as though begging a share of the prey. Should these venture too near, the big fellows utter ominous growls, and the coyotes slink away, tails between their legs and heads turned. over their shoulders. The coyoto quickly determines the status of a hunter. If he finds him killing wolves lie keeps at a respectful distance; but if he is only hunting bears, antelope or buffalo, the little foliow becomes quite social. While a bear hunter was butch oring game coyotes patiently watched his operation, and a gray wolf loped hungrily on an outer circle. The trap per threw a piece of imcat to the small follows, who ran off and were waylaid by the big wolf. They dropped the moat and returned, but seemed to learn nothing by experience, for they fed the robber as long as the hunter chucked them the meat. Many coyotes pick up their supplies in the prairie-dog colonies. If one is lurking in the streets and- sees a dog away from his holo, and lie steals upon him with the utmost secrecy, striving to cut off his retreat. An old dog, how ever, is rarely caught napping. Some of the fraternity aro sure to espy the wolf, and a warning bark sends the dog into his hole, with a tantalizing shake of the tail. The coyote despondently peers into the hole, takes away the dirt with a paw, and sniffs at the lost meal. He gets his eye on another dog, and crawls toward the hole like a cat upon a mouse. The warning bark is again heard, and a second meal disappcars. Infuriated by his disappointment, the wolf frequently turns upon the little sentry, and for a few seconds makes the sand fly from the entrance of his residence. Worn out by his futile efforts, lie flattens himself upon the sand behind the hole, and, motionless as a statue, watches it for hnurs. If the dog pops out his head he is gone. The wolf springs upon him, the jaws come together like the snap of a trap, and the helpless little canine is turned into a succulent supper. Ono Meler, a well-known buffalo hunter, was riding across a dog town some years ago, when he saw what he supposed to be a dead coyote stretched out at one of the holes. He dismounted and lifted it by the tail, intonding to take the body to camp and skin it. The coyote made a snap at his leg, wriggled from his grasp and slied over the prairie more surprised than the trapper. le was in a sound sleep when caught. But the coyote's greater harvest is in the spring of the year, when they fatten themselves at the expense of the inexperienlced young dogs caught wandering from home. Whole families enjoying the cool evening breeze on the mountains above their burrows are taken unawares, and the tenider young snapped up before their parents can force them under the ground. Palestine Exploratlin. First in interest, p~erhiaps, comes Prof. Sayco's commentary onl the newly found inscrip~tion at the Pool of SiloanT. A text which dates from the time of Solo muon is, indeed, a rare monument. There is next a discovery made by Lieut. Condor, which may prove of even greater interest. He has found, close to the sp)ot where lhe places tihe site of the Crucifixion, which is still called the Place of Stoning, a Jewish tomb) of Herodian period, standing alone, cut in the rock. "Can this be," he asks, "the 'new Sepulchre in the Garden ?' "A di'awing and plan of the tomb have been made for the Society. Another drawing has been made of the real mouth of Ja.~ cob's well, recently discovered by the Rev. C. L. B~ardsley. The well mouthm is much worn b~y the friction of ropes. It was formerly covered over by a Christian church, and if, as is p)ossible, this church dates back to the second or third century, the stone should be no other than the very stone on which our Lord conversed with thme woman of Samaria. Another discovery, only in directly connected with the bible, is that of the ancient Hittite city of Ka desh, on the Oronte's. Not thle least surprising about this are the facts that Lieutenant Condor found it from an Egyptian record written three thousand years ago, and that the old name, though it has disappeared from history since the thirteenth century before Christ, is still attached to it. Another paper? in the same number of the journal clears up a curious mystery attached te Ain Gadis, the p~robable site of Kadeshi Barnea. It was visited and described in glowing terms by Mr. Rowland, forty years ago. No one has since been able to reconcile his statements with those of other travelers. Mr. Trumbull,. ol Philadelphia, has now, however, disco vered that no other travelers have seer the real fountain since Rowland, havinf all been taken to another spring ten miles distant from the real Ain Gadis. It is a most remarkable spring-it issues a full-grown stream from the rock ; it forms an oasis in which there is abun dance of grass, with great trees, even in the arid desert of the Tih; it runs away and loses itself in the sand. The place may or may not be Kadesh Barnea, but those who believe that it is will hence forth read the history of the events which took place there with far greater interest and fuller understanding. At all events, it is quite clear that there is plenty of water, and to spare, and even for large numbers who encamped at Ka desh. Not Generally Known. Keys were originally made of wood, and the earliest form was a simple crook similax to the common picklock. The ancient keys are mostly of bronze, and of remarkable shape, the shaft termina ting on one side by the wards, on the other by a ring. Keys of this descrip tion were presented by husbands to wives, and were returned again upon di vorce or separation. Hats were first made by a Swiss at Paris, 1404 A. D. They are mentioned in history at the period when Charles VII made his triumphal entry into Rouen, in 1449,. He wore a hat lined with red velvet, and surmounted with a rich plume of feathers. It is from this reign that hats and caps are dated, which henceforth began to take place of the chaperoons and hoods that had been worn before in France. Previous to the year 1510 the men and women of England wore close-knit woolen caps. The custom %f crowning the poets originated among the Greeks, and was adopted by the Romp-s during the Em pire. It was revived in the twelfth cen tury by the emperor of Germany, who invented the title of poet-laureate. The French had royal poets, but no laure ates. The title existed in Spain, but little is known of those who bore it. The tradition concerning the laureate in England is that of Edward III, in 1367, emulating the crowning of Petrarcli, at Rome, in 1341, granted the office to Chaucer, with a yearly pension. In 1630 the laureate was made a patent office. From that time there has been a regular succession of laureates. Until the close of the eighteenth cen tury the finest muslins in use were ih ported from India. The earliest mention of cotton among the classic nations of antiquity is by - Herodotus, who speaks it by the name of tree-wool, which name it still bears in German and several other continental languages. Cotton was not known in Egypt until about 500 years before Christ. Then it appears probable that it was imported, for all the cloths found enveloping the mum mies of earlier ages have proved on ex amination to be linen. Cotton cloths are mentioned as baving been imported into London in 1596, the knowledge of both the culture and manufacture hav ing probably been conveyed there by the Moors and other Mohammedan iia tions. The former were the means of first bringing this manufacture into Europe. Toads Among Plants. In the matter of feeding the toad is not very particular, either as to qualitLy or quantity. Anything that creeps or erawls will do for him-wood lice, bee tIes, spiders, slugs, worms, even enails with their shells, are put out of sight as if by magic, for lhe has a peculiar way of catching his prey. He watches the moving insect for a second or two; then suddenly darting out his tongue at a distance of one or two inches, the insect is snatched upl and swallowed instantly. One evening a gentleman gave one a wasp and a bumble bee. Both were snatched up directly, and they com menced to move, apparently without' causing the toad the slightest discom fort, though they must have reached his| stomach in a tolerably active condition. In plant houses, especially forcing houses, where insects increase their numbers so rapidly at all seasons, the toad's services are especially valuable; and if a suitable ladder, made of narrow board with bits of lath tacked on it two inches apart, be set in a corner, slanting f'rom the door to the stage, lie will climb it, and thus be enabled to make himself still more useful. But perhaps the most remarkable fact concerning the toad is, that though he can, and does, eat a great deal, he can exist a long time without eating anything. Years ago lhe buried one for a month in the earth, as an ex periment, and when dug up it was ap) parently as well as ever. More recently, having been bothered with myriads of wood lice in an early cucumber house, and not being able to find toads in Feb ruary, he, later on, when they became plentiful, buried three in a nine-inch pot, with a slate on top, eighteen inches under the ground, that lie might have them handy for the next early forcing season. But that season lie did not re quire them, so they remained buried until the following one, and were then, on being taken up, apparently not much the worse for their eighteen months' fast, though they did not have any e water or alcoholic baths. The best prayers are those which you try to answer yourself after you have utteed them. NEWS IN BRIEF. -Fifty-ihree million forest trees have been planted in Nebraska. -Pure silver is the best conductor of heat and elootricity known. -The first phairniaopooia was pub lished in Nuromburg in 1542. -There were no horses on this conti nent at the time of its discovQry. -The floating population of Now York city is estimated at 200,000. -The oldest note in the possossion of the Bank of Englahd is dated 1698. -Rhododendrons have been planted in St. Paul's Churchyard, London. -Among the Gauls, cutting off the hair was inflicted as a punishment. -Photography was known to Leonar do do Vinci in the fifteenth century. --The recent prosecution of ritualista cost the English Government $21,000. -Coal gas, for the purpose of light ing, was known ages ago to the Chinese. --The idea of fertilizing land with salt was conceived by John Napier in 1598. -Australia has produced during the past twenty years, $1,855,000,000 in gold. -Sinco 1851 there have emigrated altogether from Ireland-2,637,137 per sons. Blind persons are admitted free to musical performances at the Boston Theatre. -The estimated valuo of railroad property In the United States is $4, 416,510,847. -The money owed in shape of foreign loans in default to England amounts to $10,050,000,000. -The last two steamers from China to San Francisco brought nearly a thou sand Chinese each. -Mr. Henry Irving has been elected President of the Shakespeare and Burns Society of London. -Building is active in Baltimoro, over 1000 permits having been granted since the 1st of January. -One hundred and thirty-three' stu dents have passed the entrance exami nation at Princeton. -Oregon's oldest pioneer, Andra La shapello, who recently died at 100 years of ago, was a Canadian. -The Miss Blood whon Lord Colin Campbell did not marry is named "Zulu" not "Gertrude," -There is a chestnut tree in Ogle thorpo County, Ga., which is nine feet in diameter at the base. -Smith College, at Northampton,has received a gift of $25,000 fot the estab lishment of an art gallery. -The Newfoundland cod fisheries promise to be mere prolific this year than for the past thirty years. -It is said Miss Dorothy Dix, the great hearted nurse of the late war, is slowly dying at Washington. -Contracts have been made in Eng land to carry sixty thousand Swedes and Norwegians to the United States. -The annual expenses of the British Government are more than one-third larger than those of the United States. -The number of deaths from starva tionl, and of deaths accelerated by pri vation in London, during 1880, was 101. -In 1855 the planet Neptune was dis covered, by which the solar system was extended 2,000 miles beyond its former limita. -Mrs. Van Pelt, of Nannet,Iookland county, N. Y., has just presented her husband with a sixth pair of twins in succession. -Silk first came from China, and the Chinese still have mauny important sedrets connected with it unknown to Europeans. -Another monster wvar ironclad has had its keel laid at Naples. The Italians say that the Mediterranean must be un der their sup~remacy. -In Nevada, within a few weeks, an Indian woman has been sacrificed on the grave of a man whom she was charged with having bewitched. --During the last six months there wore, according to the ofi1lal statistics, 68 murders and 533 robberies in the beautiful island of Sicily. --During the glacial p~eriod, the ico in America, latitude 44 N., is supp~osed, from evidences known to scientists, to have becen 6,000 fee-t dcelp. -Louise, Victoria and Mand, the three little daughters of the Prince of Wales, had a narrow escape) from serious injury while driving out recently. -T1he young men of Milw~aukee, W .,are actively interesting themselves in the proposed erection of a monument to the late Senator Matt. H1. Carpenter. -The increase in the gross earnings of thirty-seven railroads during the month of March, is statedl by the Finan cial Chronicle at $1,154,612, or nearly 9 per cent. -The number of converts made in San Francisco by Moody and Sankey during twenty weeks of revivalism is p)laced at 23,000, and the churches are greatly quickened in vitality. -Notwithstanding the unp~rcedented immigration of the present year, it is said, at Castle Garden, that the demand for laborers cannot be met and that 1,000 maon are now wanted. .-.Mr. W. W. Corcoran, of Wshing ton, has purchased the Dinwiddie and Washington )Ipper sold in Lonudonm this nmonthi, and has presented them to the Virginia Historical Society. -A little daughter of Mr. Win. H. Seward was baptized last wveek at Au burn, N, Y., with water which was brought from the River Jordan by Sec retary Seward many years ago. -In Oregon no man is allowed to take a drink at a p~ublic bar without taking out a $5 license, and the newspapers p~ublish interesting lista fromt time to time of the men who have obtained 11 censes. -One of the choicest fains in the world is one that belonged to Mine. Pompadour. It is made of lace, was ninio years in making and cost $80,000. The ivory fant that was presented by the city of Dieppe to Marie Antoinette, on the occasion of the birth of the Dauphin s stil11 in existennen.