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Treating a Cold. it Ws not a correct practice, atter a cold Is eaught, to inake the room a person sits in, much warmer than usual, to increase the quantity of bedclothes, wrap up in flannel, and drink a large quantity of hot tea, gruel, or other slops, because it will invariably increase the feverishness, and in the majority of instancs, prolong, rath er then lessen, the diration of the cold. It is well known that confining inoculated persons in warm rooms will make their smallpox more violent by augmenting the general heat and fever ; and it .is for the same reason that a similar prac',ce in the present complaint Is attended with ana. logous results, a cold being in reality a slight fever. In some parts of England, among the lower order of the people, a large glass of cold spring water, taken on going to bed, is found to be a successful remedy, and in fact, many medical prac titioners recommend a reduced atmosphere, and Irequent draiights of cold fluid, as the most efficacious remedy for a recent cold, particularly when the patient's habit is full and plethoric. It is generally supposed that it is the exposure to a cold or wet atmosphere which produces the effnet called cold, whereas it is returning to a warm temper. aturo after exposure, which is the real cause of the evil. When a person in the cold weathtr goes into the open air, every time he draws in his breath the cold air passes through his nostrils and windpipe. into the lungs, and consequently diminishes the heat of these parts. As long as a per son continues in the cold air, he feels no bad effects from it; but as soon as he re ,urns home, he approaches the fire to warm himself, and very often takes some warm and comfortable drink to keep out the cold, it is said. The inevitable conse quence Is, that he will find he has taken cold. lie feels a shivering which makes him diaw nearer the fire, but all to no purpose; the more he tries to heat him self, the more he chills. All the mischief is here caused by the violent action of the heat. To avoid this, when you cone out ot a very cold atmosphere, you should not at first go into a rooi that has fire im i, or, if you cannot avoid that, you shoulid keep tor a considerable limo at as great a dist ance as possible, and above aN, refrain from taking warni or strong liquors when wou are cold. Tliis rule is founded on the same principle as the treatment of any part of the body when frost bitten. If it were brought to the fire it would soon mor tity, whereas, it- rubbed with snow, no had vouse:tuences follow from it. Hence, if the following rule were strictly ob served-when the whole body, or an)' part of it is chilkd, bring it to its natural feeling and warmth by degrees-the fre quent colds we experience in winter would, in a gr(at measure. be prevented. Tne Vid. Seventy-four years ago Spain was barbarously bereft of a treasure that overy true Castilian prized far above rubies, During the French invasion certain Napoleonic legionarics broke open the tomb at Burgos containing the remains of Ruy Diaz do Uiver; the Cid Campeador, and of his wife, the Count less Xinmena, emptied the collins in search of valuables, and eventually loft the bones of' the illustrious dead scattereda about the floor of time vault mi which this sacrilegous act was com mitted. Prince Salm-Dyck, w,ho hap poned to be at Burgos at the time, and a French offieer named La Marttllet, careiully collected thme "disjecta mem bra," which the P'rineo subsequently deposited in a small sarcophagus ex actly copied, by3 his riirectiors. from thiat in which the collins lhar reposed for 706 years. During his life-time Prince Salm kept the 'secret of tidis sarcophagus, wh ich at ter his death came into the possessioni of Prince An toii von Houhenzollein, the King of Rocumantai'n father, b)y special request. The strangest episode in this romar'ka ble story is yet to come. One day last summer, as Dr. Lauser, a German art journalist, was going through the mag nicent colction of antiquities at Sig mnaringen atie, his attention was at tracted by a small but elaborately earved stone sarcophagus, bearing upon its lia the eligies of a lnlly armed knight and a richly-attired lady, Inaqiing into the history of this objeet, he was in formed that it contained some relics of the famous Cid Rodrigo. Through one of his Spanish acquaintanco, the acade. nioian Tubino, Lauser at once impart ed the wvhere-abouto of this repository andr its contents to King Alfonso, who -lost no lime in preferring an urgent re - quest to the Prince of Hiohenzollern - tor their restoration to Spain, It in scarcely necessary to add that his Roy al Highness readily aceceded to the Spanish monarch's wishes in a matter so deeply interesting to Spain iroin a national point of view. W~e h)ave noticed that plows last, on an average, about three years; wagons, eight to ten years; reapers, five to eight; dIrills, eight to ten. We think these figures Aire fully as large as the truth warrants. We know of many imlements that have not lasted so long, and of maniy which have lasted much longer. W e to-day can p)oint to wagons that have been mi constant and( hard use for twenty ye*ars,- reapers that have stoodl the wear and tear of hib. eral use for more than ilteen y'ears, drils that have been in use as long, aind other agricultural Iiplemients that have stood the wear of fully twice the average age of such Implements. These implemients were not miade of unusually good materials tier were they suftered to lie idle. They wve:e put to constant usne. What, then, Is the secret of their greater enduiranice? It is simply this--they were taken care of. When not in use they were put away, and( put away properly. These mplienients iiot only lasted longer, but while they were in use they very rarely failed. They were always [. ~readiy for work, T1he reapers did not break dIowa In the middle of harvest andl compel all hands to lie idle while some one went to the railway station to) get re p)airs; the dIrills d.d not fall jtust when the wheat ought to be sown; the wagons were not always breaking down and occasion ing delays and vexation. Another thing may b)e said in their favor, and that is that they alwa) s (lid good work. The reapers cut a smooth stubble and put the grain (town ini good condition; the plows did not refuse to scoar; the dril's put the wheat in just as a first-dlass drill would; and these implemnents did good work not only while they were new, butt till the las) year they were in use. * .--Out of nearly 27,000,000 of people in the United States above ton years of age, 5,000,000 are reported unable to read, and ovor 6,000,000 unable to write. God is gleiund not by our groans, but our thanksgivings; and all good thtgt n l go cin li a Laua iacwihgocer IUvStasaons AoeptMUCes and Rtegrets The engraving Of invitation cards has become the important function of more than one enterprising firm in every city, so that It seems very unnecessary to say more than that the most plain and simple style of engraving the necessary words is all that Is requisite. The English ambassador at Rome has a plain, stiff, unglazed card of a large size, on which is engraved, "Sir Augustus and Lady Paget request the honor of- com pany en Thursday evening, November 15, at 10 o'clock. The favor of an answer is requested." The name of the Invited guest is written in the blank space left before the word, "company." Many entertainers in Amer ica keep these blanks or half-engraved In-4 vitationq always on hand, and thus save themselves the trouble of writing. Many hostesses prefer, however, to write their own dinner Invitations, and the for mula should always be, "Mr. and Mrs. ienry Brown request the pleasure of bit. and Mrs. Jones' compaqy at dinner No vember 16, at 7 o'clock." These invitations should be immediately answered, and with a peremptory accept ance or a regret. Never enter into any discussion or prevision with a dinner in vitation. Never write saying "you will come if you do not have to leave town," or that you "will try to come." or that "one of us cannot come." Simply say, "Mr. and Airs. James Jones, accept with pleasure the polite invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Brown for dinner on Vovem ber 15 at 7 o'clock;" or, If there is any probability of your being unable to accept, regret in the same formal fashion. After having accepted a dinner invita tion, if illness or any other cause inter force with your going to dinner, send an immediate note to your hostess that ahe may fill your place. Never selfishly keep the place open for yourself if there is a doubt about your going It has often made or marred the pleasure of a dinner party, this hesitancy on the part of a guest to send her hostess in time her re grets, caused by the illness of a child, or the coming of & cold, or some other im pending calamity. Iemember always that a dinner is a most formal compliment; that it is the highest social distinction; that it is of great consequence t3 the host ess; that it must be therefore met in the same formal spirit. It precludes the ne cessity of a call on her part. Some young neophytes in society, having been asked to dinner, have asked if they should call itferward, as their hostess had not called on them. Of course they should, the in vitation to dinner is equivalent to many calls. It seems almost unnecessary to say so self evident a thing, but as we have heard the quebtion debated, we may as weil say, Answer the person who sends you the in vitation. A young lady once, on receiv ing an invitation to a wedding from Mrs. John Joucs, asked if she should answer Mrs. John Jones or the bride. Of course she had nothing to say to the bride; the answer was to be addreseed to Mrs. John Jones. Always carefully observe the formula of your invitation, and always answer it exactly. As to the card of the English awbassador, a gentleman would write, "Mr. Algernon Gracie will do himself the honor to accept the oistinguished invita tion of Sir Augustus and Lady Paget." in America lie would be less formial, say ing, "Mir. Algernon Gracle will have much pileaisure mn accpting Mi-. and Mirs. Henry Brown's pohite invitation." We notice the't on all foreigii cards the "IB. 8. V. P." ! is omittedi, and the plama English so ntence is written out or engraved, "The favor of an answeor Is requcstedi." In this country the invitations to a din iner are ailways in the name of both host and1( hostess, but the invitations to a ball and to an "at honie,'' a tea, or a garden party, tire invariably only in the name of the hostess. To a wveddiig the names of both host and hostess are given; and if a father who ls a widowver entertains for his daughter, his name and hers appear on the same card for doiners, recepti.ns, andl "at homes;" his alone for her wedding. and his antd hers together on all other cards. Mlany widowedl fathers with daughters issue tIheir invitations without the namcs of the young ladhies, however. It is never the cuistomi for very younr lauites to invite guests, especially gentle men, in their own bame. All notes should be written in the father's name. An el dlerly sister at the head of the house can istiue iinvilations in her owyn name. The word "bhall" is never used on a card. The words "At 1Home," with "Co tillion" yr "DIancing'' in one corner, and the hour andi date, are alone necessary. If it is to be a sniall informal dance, that should also be iicated in one corner Oficers, members of the hunt, bache. lors members of a club, heads oSf commit tees, etc., always request tric pleasure or honor of your company. It is not proper for a gentleman to (describe himiselt as "at home.'' 1e must ''request the pleasure." in sking ior an invitation to a ball for friends, ladies inust be cautious not to In tuiee too far, nor to feel offended if re fused. Often a hostess has a larger list than she'cai fill, and she is -~ 'utle to ask all whom she would . Phere fore a very great discret" ob served on the part of thos a - ch a favor. A lady may alwa. Al an invitatic,n for a distingiushed stranger, or for a yoiing (lancing man, if she can an swer for him in every way, but rarely for a married couple, and almost never for a' miarriedi couple living ini the same city. lnvitat ions to evening or (lay receptions are now gcnerally made(i on "at home'' cards. Tlhose to "teas'' oii the lady's own visiting cards. Th'le hour and the style of entertainment-as "Music," or, If in the afternoon, "Luwn Tennis," or "Garden Party"-are engraved In the left-hand corner, or written by the lady. As for weddling invitations, they are al most invariably sent out by the parents of the bride, engraved in small script, on note p)aper. The style can always be obtained of a fashionable engraver. Tnoy shoumd be sent out a fortnight before the wedding dlay, and are not, to be answered save by card unless the guests are requested to attend a sit- down breakftst, then the an swer must be explicit, as for a diniier. .Invitations to luncheon are generally written by the hostess on her own note paper, and are iitended to be Informial, as luncheon Is a somewhat Inconsequent In fornial meal. 80michow, however, lunch.. eon is so grandt and ceremonious that the invitations are engraved, and( must be-sent long before, and answered linnediately. No lady having accepted an inviuation to a sit-down lunch will absent herself care. lessly any more than she would fromt a dinner. There is a large stand-up luinch. however, f rom which a *person could be more readlily excusedl if obliged to disap point at the l st moment. Functualit In keeping those engage ments canno)t be too thoroughly insisted upon. In sending a "regret" he particu-, lar to word your note most respectfully. Never write the wordi "regrets ' on your card, unless you wish to insult your host ess. Send a card without any pencilling uipon It, or write a note thus; "Mrs. Brown regrets deeply that she is unable to accept airs. Jones' very kind Invitation," or "Mrs. Brow nn et tha a.p..vi.. engagement will deprive her of the very great pleasure of accepting the polite invi tation of Mrs. Jones." 4o one should, in the matter or accept. Ing or refusing an invitation, economise his politeness. It Is better to err on the other side. Your friend has done his very best In Inviting you. 'rho question often comes up, Should cards and invitations be sent to people in mourningl The answer Is, Yes, they should. Of course no one can be so heart less as to intrude a gay anyltation upon a person who has a death in the house under a month. But after that, although It is a more idle compliment, the compliment should be paid. As invitations are seat out generally written by a clerk or a hired amanuensis, a lady should carefully revise her ht, that no names of persons de ceased should be written on them, but the members of the family who remain and who have suffered a loss should be care. fully retained, and invitations sent to them, excepting, of course, dinner Invita tions. After a year of mourning the be. reaved family should send out cards marked in black to all who have thus re inembered them. The Indian Winter Game. The boys of the United States and Canada are indebted to the Indians for a number of their most interesting sports. But while many of their games are well known, the Indians still have others peculiar to themselves, and with which even their near neighbors are but slightly acquainted. Throwing the snow-anake is une of the lattWr. The "snow-snake," or ka-whan(, as it is called in the Onondaga dialect, is made on the principle of the sleigh-runner, and comsists of a long hickory pole or stck, with a slight upward curve and point at one end, while the other is pravided with a small notch. The under side is made flat and smooth, so as to slip easily over the snow or ice, upon which, when skillfully thrown, it will slide for a long distance. To make it glide still more easily, the under surface is waxed and rubbed with a piece of cloth until beautifully smooth and polished. The pointed end is furnished with a tip of lead or solder, sometimes of a very fancy design. The length and weight of the snow-snako varies in pro portion to the strength of the person for whose use it is intended. Those made for young boys are not more than four or five feet long, while for larger boys and young men they range from six to eight feet in length. They are made somewhat tapering, being largest near the curved end, where they are usually about an inch or an inch and a quarter in width; while they diminish gradually until, at the notched end, the width is not more than five-eighths or three-quar ters of an inch. In throwing, the ka-whant is held at the smaller end by the thumb and first and second flu gers. At the Indian Reservation in Onon daga County, New York, where the winterp are long and usually severe, the snow-snake is a great favorite, and a continuous source of amnement. As soon as the jingle of the bells is heard along the frozen highway, and the run ners of the heavy "bobs" and wood sleighs have furrowed the roads with deep, polished grooves, the lndian boys are out, following tihe sleigh-tracks in small parties, throwing the ka-u'hant in the dteep ruts, which it follows through every curve, skipping over the lumpa of ice and other inequalities, more like a hiving creature than a plain hickory stick, and suggesting at once the very' applropriate name of the "snow-sakae.' Although the beaten road-wvay is usually pref erred, the snow snake may be thrown in almost any sittuation where the snow in firm. The game, as generally played, is merely a trial of skill between the play ers. A ine being drawn to mark the starting-p)oint, the players step back a fe w paces. Each grasps his snow-snake, runs forward in his turnl to the mark, and, with a vigorous sweep of his arm, sends it sliding and dancing over the snow with the swiftness of an arrow. tech snow-snake bears its owner's mark (ian arrow, cross, or star), so that lhe readily recognizes it, and lie whose miasile is farthest in advance is declared the winner. In this way a regular champion is chosen. The distance that these contrivances are thrown is almost incredible, skilful players sometimes making casts of nearly a quarter of a mile. Should any of the readers of S-r. Nicaonas attempt his game, they must not be surprised or discouraged, if, at the first few trial, their snow-snakes stick their heads through the ernRt and disappear in the powdery snowv beneath, insteadl of sliding along the surface in the proper way. By digging along for a dibtance of from twenty to fifty feet, the sticks may usually be recovered, while the slight difliculties of the art can soon be overcome by a little practice and experience. Eniaraem,rent of the Hienrt. I was in Brooklyn the other (lay at a little supper party given at Hubel's, and conversation at the tale turned uipan the number of wveil-known citiaons wno have recently died in that' city. When the name of one of the deceased was mentioned a friend to my left enter ed into the conversation. "Have you heard the story that is going about as to the real cause of his death?" ho asked, giving the name of the departed citizen, "No," came from several mouths. "They say that the day he died. when lie was on the street after his luncheon, he met a poor woman who was boggring. She asked for a cent. Mr.--fumbled in his pookets and brought out one, which lie gave the beggar, lie died soon after." "WVhat has that got to do with the cause of his death?" I queried." "Well, those who know the old gen tleman best say he died of enlargement of the heart. Ho was never known to give away a cent before." Marange in Norway. As soon as a young man and young woman are engaged in Norway,no matter in what rank of life, betrotbal rings are exchanged. These rings are worn ever afterward by the men, as well as by the women. The consequence is that one can always tell a nmarried woman in1 England when she shows her hand. Gold rings are used by the rich, but siver, either solid or in filagree, by the poor. There is no married man in Nor way, no matter how humble he miay be, 'who does not bear thin outward mark of3 his submission to the matrimonial bond. But this is not all. As soon as a man is engaged he has calling-cards printed, with the name of his fiancee immediate below Mia own. croe. Crows have always had justice done to their mental capacity. This may have frequent)y been rendered them at the expense of their moral character. They have been called shreds of SatanL cinders from Tartards, smuts from hell, and what not;-but no fabulist, from the time of Esop or the old Buddhist sto ries, has ever ventured to trifle so far with the feeltngs of his readers as to represent the crow in a really foolish attitude. The tale of the fox and the crow, where the bird is triced into losing h* bit of cheese, is not a true Oas in point; for it does no more than reveal the crow as a vain bird, and Van ity is a frequent accompaniment of greatness. Besidee, it was intendel to contrast the relative craftiness of the most cunning of birds and the most cunning of beasts, and the obvious character of the story was allowe3 to prejudice the claims of the crow; for those who live upon the earth cannot be prevented from displaying their pique at creatures who have the power of soaring far above it at will. Never thelessr a feeling of compunction and tardy justice'leads to the immediato snubbing of the fox in the*fable of the sour grapes. The suprelacy of the crow is ontirely due to his mental characteristics. Barring his blackness, yhich, it Is con6eded, might just as well signify rever-end solemnity as dia bolical mischief, there is nothing in his personal appearance to single him out for especial prominence; and hence we recognize the fact of his brain-power when we hear the Burmese story that in the beginning of the world the crows and the owls (who also are burdened with an evil reputation as devilish characters) quarrelled as to who was to be king. The other birds saw their opportunity, and, with a double pro science, resolved to escape from the rule of "damned intellect,",and with the view of doing so established the Clo ture. They stopped the argument, rejected the claims of both owl and crow, and elected tne swan lord of the bird-world. The story has a true Oriental tinge about it. Western birds would never have chosen the swan for king. IEi fact, without any authority at all but their own restless activity and bullying capacity, they have the assurance to name tue eagle king of birds, just as confidently las if they had anoient precedent to it. The eagle does not lulil the Eastern notion of royalty at all. He is a great deal too fond of exerting himself, and withdraw ing into solitary confinement, from all the world as if he were a.hernit, which his murderous habits demonstate to be absurd. The swan, on the other hand, is a bird of exceeding presence. He does not choose to exert himself in a plebeian fashion. He can maltreat and bully his subjects with the best of the falcon kind. When lie chooses, he can fly as well as any of them, but he pre fers to lead an easy life, and his claim to physical Prowes is sufficiently proved by the fact that he can on occasion break a man's leg. The choice of the birds,' therefore, needs no defense, ex cept with those who have perverted ideas about the characteristics of roy alty. -The election, however, has per manently embittered the relations of owls and crows, and the crow has in the ceurse of time satisfactorily estab-. lished his auperiority. Hie liad made the daytime his own, and feeds then at his leisuro, vindicatively attacking and buffeting all owls he comes across; while the latter bird makes his meals at nmght only, at first from a desire not to meet the crow, the sight of whom he could not endure, and latterly because con stant habit has so far altered his con stitution that he cannot find his way about in the light of the sun. It may have been this early warring with the owl that has led to the fact that in hieroglyphics the crow is always made use of as the symbol of contention, dis cord, and strife, though it is well known that rooks-who to everybody but scientiaic people are the same thing as crows--hold regular Parliaments and Vehmgerichta and county assizes, in most othodox fashion, and so have a claim to superior civiiization; yet it cer tainly is against thenm that the victims of| the crow-moot are not hung on the gal lows. Electing A Great Mea clue. Rlecently the Indians on Raneho Chico, California, had Jively sport, in their "sweat-house." A large crowd of people from town witnessedi the dane. ing. Tlae Diggers kept up their horrid yells until late in the night. Thia "swest-house" is built in the shape of a hill, or mountd, an entrance being had from a hole in the top. It is built of heavy lumber and covered with dirt. The air inside is almost stifling, but the Indians stay in tbe house for several hours. Tihe occasion of the demon stration recently was the election of a medicine man, and the Indians were rigged out in their best dry goods. This election business with the Indians is conducted "on the square," the beat man, physically, taking the office. There is no chance tor casting illegal ballots, and they don't trifle with a great register.-- The twvo applicants take their places in the "sweat-honso," md at a given signal they commence lancing. It is -not a graceful, gliding wvaltz, but it Is something alter the style of the "Highland Fling," the [ndians jump)ing and kicking until a person would think they would jerk thieir limbs off. Thie man who can stand this work the longest is the best man, and is elected. Recently the fun 5ommenced in the forenoon, and was not finished until minight. 'The umpers gave out several times and had o. be rubbed and bathed by their ~riends, and finally one of the bucks4 luit, saying he had all he could stand. The Blaok Prance. Tlhe first English Duke was Edward the Black Prince, HIe was created Duke of Jornwall by his father, E.idwa: 111., inm n 1337. The title of Marquis was first c estowed by Ritchard II., on his favorite, r [Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford, created Mfarqms of Dublin In 1886. The Saxon t md DanIah titles of Ealderman, Earle, r md Tihano were changed io Earl and1 C 3aron by Wilam 1. The title of VIscount m stas long ini use m Prance before it was 'j >est"wed on any person in England. The Irst. person who held it was John Bleau. nont, created Yscount Beaumont and I jount of Bioulogne, in France, 1440. The 5 irder of Baronets was establbshed by z F ames I., in 1611, and exIsts only inl the 3ritish dominion. It is most true that a natural and ( ecret hated and averson toward society s mm any man, hath somewhat of the say- r ge beast. . CoID ana coing.iX1 There is in cirbulation a report to the effect that the now five-cent pieces, are being counterfeited, and when Colonel A. Louden Snowden, superintendent of A the Philadelphia mint, was asked wether any conterelts had been circulated he e replied that he did not think it possible, "The only kind that could have been I issued so soon would be a very poor im pression taken from a plaster of Paris T cast. It would not deceive anybody. To counterfeit it by the use of dies A would take considerable time. It is a A diicult operation, as the noise of a ma- T chine to strike off the coin would be- ,T tray the counterfeiter. The old five C and three-cent pieces have been coun terfelted, but not successfully." In reference to what had been said about the coin being a copy of designs A en a Spanish 20-real piece and a small bronze .ortugues coin of 1868, Colonel N Snowden did not think that the resom blanco beween the foreign coins and ours justified such an insinuation. The I two foreign coins were brought in. 'T "Look at them," said the Colonel. T 'The Vortuguese piece has a Roman nu- A moral but, as Roman numerals are not copyrighted, it seems to me no more a plagiarism to put a Roman numeral on a coin than it would be to put an Arabic cipher there. As far back as 1865 Ro man numerals were used on all our mi nor coins. The wreath on the Portu- NY guese piece is of oak and laurel leaves; h that on ours is of wheat, cotton and corn, not very similar surely. The head of Isabella on the Spansh .coin bears a very slight resemblance to the chaste outlines of the Liberty head on the r flive-cent coin. The two foreign coins are clumsy and heavy, contrasting strongly with the trim neatness of the 0 little American. There is not the slight est foundation for the report that the latter was about to be withdrawn from circulation. Thirty-five thousand dol Ias worth of them have been struck off and thirty thousand dollars worth have b been issued. A great quantity were sent to other cities and the people seem to be pleased with them. No coin was ever struck oi with as much ease. Though the Liberty head appears to stand out so strongly from its surface 0 the 'relief' is intinitesimal." The New York assay office holds near ly 500,000 ounoes of silver bullion, re. t ceived from depositors in payment of charges for treatment of bullion at that oilre. About 100,000 ounces have been a a] trausferred to the Philadelphia mint, a and the superintendent there has been 0 authorized to use it in the coinage of subsidiary silver, chiefly 10-cent pieces, The rest of the bullion at the New York t assay office will be chiefly coined into 9 imEs, as there is a scarcity of these coins now in the treasury and the de mand for them is increasming. The house committee on coinage, weights and measures decided on the 5th inst., by a vote of six to two, that b, it was inexpedient at present to suspend ti the coinage of silver. As the vaults a are now full of standard dollars, they I will recommend that additional vault tJ room be provided at such places in the h Mississippi valley as the secretary of W the treasury shall select. They also 1 advise that all coin in the treasury ex- e c3epting an amount not exceeding twenty- " live per cent, of the outstanding green back circulation as a redemption fund, 0 and excepting sums held for the re demption of comn, be used to pay inter- c est--bearing obligations -of the Govern. ii mient. The majority of the committee g are bi-merai-lists and greenbackers. On A the 7th Director of the Mint Blurehard c wras before the committee. He thought h it inexpedient to coin more silver until e; there shall be an international agree- a mient fixing the ratio between gold and p silver. iiis theory was that without an n international agreement as to tue rela. b tive values of the two coins a contin-. of coinage and circulation by the'United a States would tend to make this country a dunmping-ground for the silver of all j nations, whereas gold would find its way out of the country as fast as theimports t Came in. Counterfeiting has been on the wane for the last four or five years. the efiorts of the national government having al moat suppressed it. Every now and then, however, an insolated coin is re-n ported, but the dies are at on--c taken possession of and the counterfeiters. niustle~d off to the penitentiary almost before the news of his crime has become current. A few days ago a detective E captured a whole gang of counterfeiters operating in safety, as they thought, in a the wilds of West Virginia. Their C whole outfit was captured with them, g and several of themn have already been o0 senit to the penitentiary. The fact, '9 however, of the p.resence of a number of very dangerous silver coins Indicates di that some skilful men are at work at u some point, and very successfully. Then- ft operations in Venango county and in d Philadelphia have been on a large scele, g rhe coins range from a dime to a dollar. si The trade dollar of 1877 and the Bland oLclar of more recent issue have been al seen recently, while minor coins of base r< iuetal are plentiful. The coins are re narkably well made and bear ao close a n resemblance to the genuine that it would rs aike an expert to detect the difference, dj ludging from weight, color and general ii, iPpearance. The easiest and almost hj ~he.only way they may be known is by ~heir lack of the clear, silvery ring that .a so familiar in the genuine when letf irop on some sohl surface. By cutting n~ with a sharp instrument the fraud may be detected, for after penetrating the is >utside coating, which is very thin, the naide is composed of a different metal mnd is more easily whittled.L ste Penus in Germany, 1IM There is only one steel-pen manufac- , orp) in Germany, that being in Berin. L'here are many firms who describe if hemiselvesa, steel-pen makers, but they bi Lo not actually manufacture, simply ~ ~etting pens made to order. The Gecr- u sans seem inclined to be jealous of the re-eminence England has obtained In sa his line of business, especially as their 89 equirements are continually increasing. vi he iext to steel pens, gold pens hayc btained a considerable Importance as a so ierchantable commodity. This is owing mm ai their non-liability to rust, and as they iay be used for years. In consequence cr1 f their softness andl elasticity they do ot tire the hand a,s much as steel pens. Cr 'he German markets are supplied from b smerica, and consequently the Imported h. ens are very dear. To a clever gold. m< nith an extensive and profitable field I enterprise is open in Germany In the bi roduction of these instruments. The ch ifficulty In the manufacture lies In nisbing the points with Iridium, which w aetal has~ -.'d Itself beyond compa- it, sntebest for the purpose on accout de HALF-WAt. low is the painful as"et up to flil, aid few the feet that clamber to the height; St3 nbittious throngs press at the WountAWn'8 base, tiled with the love of glory; and the path 'hat shines above them in the morning light ag eams beautiful, ior diffioult to scale. Bel of ut further on, a little higher up, fin 'he easy slope grows broken, and so steep th 'hat careless feet slip back and lose their hold, nd diasy brains reel downward and are lost: mid those who press on to the pausing place, we little higher, stand with weary limbs evA ,ad aching hearts, just near enough to hear ag ho sneers and hisses of the crowd below- co] he angry.orowd that cannot climb at all, da r, h.aving climbed, has fallen back again. de alf way they stan upon the mountain side bli there bold winds blow and loose rocks crumWle he bown, La ad strange birds beat them with their wide, wild me wings, dis o longer of the hurrying throng beneath, wa ot yet of that Immortal few above, Val ow lonely and how all alone are they I tic 0 not afraid, 0 toilera up the height I faL be gods are very nonr, though out of sight I hai hey reah out helpful hands and say V come rel higher." rl 11 earnest souls must climb If they aspire. qu me wa DESCItOYNG A WILL. tw On the death of ol. Laking, no one co, 'as more surprised at his not having ma ft a will than Mr. Alfred Laking, his At ophew and heir-at-law. That gentle- un ian had the beat reasons for knowing, fat int his uncle was not well disposed te )wards him-in fact, the Uolonel had 3fused to have anything to do with him thi >r some year past. The truth was < iat Alfred Laking had once been guilty re, f an act of meanness, which his uncle pu ever forgave, and therefore the fortu- it ate heir had not expectect to benefit by * is uncle's death. But even outsiders, ad ,ho knew nothing of the cause of the k 3trangemeLt between the Colonel and k10 is nephew were amazed at the old n entleman dying inteetate. He had so I -equentLy expressed his determination 4 f preventing his nephew from succeed ig to his property and had made so Su lany wills at different times with that the bjeot that his intestacy caused univer- wis d1 astonishment. It vas generally sup- 6 osed that his somewhat sudden death rb ad frustrated his testamentary inten- vir ons, or else that, at the last moment, Oi e had realized the force of the old lago that blood is thicker than water, ad had been content to permit his sir ephew to inherit in the ordinay course be law. faO But while Mr. Alfred Laking received I d io congratulations of its friends with Ban jiuanimity, and apparently acquiesced I i the general opinion that ie was a very hal Iky individual, he did not by any fri keans feel secure of his inheritance, ear ta For the first few months after his st nele's death he was perpetually haunted y the dread that his elaborate preoau ons would be thrown away; but when ha year had passed he began to breathe the tore freely. The chances were, he shi iought, that, if a will existed, it would mg ave turned up by this time, or else it rel ould probably rot away in its hiding- du lace. Thus by degrees the phautom ant >njured wp by his pusillanimous imagi- 001 Ltioni became less appahing; until one 1r try his anxiety was revived by a very ninous mncident. A shabbily-dressed. middle-aged man for tiled upon him ai d 'iai' .he had an sht npoirtanit communication to make. He at ave the name of Crumber, and Alfred of raking then recollected that he was a erk in the ofUce of the solicitor whom e had employed to wind up his uncle's itate. Thius circumstance seemed rena iring, for Alfred Laking naturally sup- Mr' 1)sed the man had been sent with some rca nessage from his master relating to anc utsiness matters, to "I enm Mr. Baker asked you toh dl?'' he.said nervously. the "No, sir. The fact is I left Mr. be aker's offEce somne months ago. I na mu present in another situation," replied ber te mani. "What is your business then?" in taired Mr. Laking, with increased un - Ma tainess. m 'I suppose we are quite alone, sir, and i mn not be overheard?'' said the man, rat] tysteriously. "You can speak out, though I can not clea angina what you can have to say that I so imnportant," returned Mr. Laking, Lal lancing to see that the door was olosed, bol "\Vhen I left Mr. Baker's office I took a na situation with another solicitor," said in' rumber, lowering 'his voice. "The sou mntlemnhli I am now with is M,r Mayne, ' Lmncoln's inn-fields. I don't know uni hether you ever heard of him, sir," fact Alfred Laking stared, and turned a i 3adly pale, Bie happened to know his left icle had consulted tis gentleman pro- call ssionally at a comparatively recent meal ito, and he therefore instinctively ty messed the nature of the revelation in dea ore for him, "Not I never heard of Mr. Mayno frec id I dlon't believe my uncle did," hoa sur~ 'plied, almost fiercely. "Well, sir, you see your uncle did the >t always consault you about his af tou irs,"' returned Mr, Crumber, ratherto nrespectially. "At any rate, ho know ui~ r. Mayno, who propagred a will for Wat ni shortly before he died." od "How do you know?" demanded Al- hos ed Laking, Coo startle:l to conceal his hol staion, mu] "Because I've soon it, I've not only no en it, I ut I've read it. Your name upr nt mentioned in that will, Mr. Lak- rsa g," said the man, with a grin, re "A very fine story," said Alfred you iking, with a forced laugh, "i'ray, >w is it that Mr. Mayne has never Lah ~itten to inform me of the alleged to "Because, in the first p)lace, I doubt ' he is aware of the Colonel's death;lw it, if he is, has probably forgotten that e Colonel left his will, with him, forpa i memory isn't what it was," said Mr. ro umber. -fo "1 don't believe a word of what you ag y," ho cried suddenly rising from his '.t and confronting the unwelcome liter. "Your story is a tissue of fals9. D ods8." ber "I was afraid you might think so, sir ing ,,ventured to bring this will witl* shin; ," said the man slyly. erat< "Whati you have actually stolen it?" lng ed Alfred Laking. symni "I have it here, anyway," retnrnedoft timber, coolly, as he produced a doe- sla tent from his pocket. "I can put it ande 1k where I took it from within an the I r. Of course, it Is no earthly use to shoe ILet me sce It," said Alfred Laking dim a hoare voice, seating himself in his hello Ir. Urumber unfolded the document Ito I glanced at"'t, apparently refleeting oppo ether It would be wise to Part with no ft Bk, saafte a pause he laid It on the very <I'm treating yo, lik a gentema, ie You must promise to return it to Yes, yes," said lfred' Lrking. etching out his hand impatiently. ' 3ome' moments elapsed before the Uted gentleman could compose hii. Ssuffloiently tQ take in the oontent, the will. He first returned to the aI page, which bore the signature of testator and the attesting witnesses. 3o far a3 he could judge the signaturew re genuine, and 'the dobument had denfly been prepared several monthi ) the edges of the paper being, dis. ored, a t d the ink faded. It was bed a few weeks before Col. Laking's kth, and was, therefore, in all proba. ity the last .will he had made. Wheni came to read it carefully Alfrei king's lingeving hope that t1lo doou. nt might be 'a forgery was quickly polled. From internal evidence it s undoubtedly genuine, the names of Ious persons and places being men nod which no stranger coula have ricat:d. Th6 Colonel appeared to re left his property to some ditant Atives, subject to a few charitable be. Dasta. The nepliew's name was lot rtioned, and an old military friend s appointed executor. Ur. Alfred Laking read the will over s or three times, keeping his face icealed from Mr. Oruwber, who nifested a good deal of impatience. length he aroused himself from his pleasant rellections, folded up the al doument, and fixed a half-frigi. ed, half,defiant gaze upon his visitor. 'What do you propose to do with s?'" he inquired, ne rvously. 'Well, sir, that depends upon you," >lied Crumber. "If you advise me to t it back and remind the governor of well and good." But Alfred Laking did not hasten to else this strightforward course. Ht .t silent for a long time, fidgeting vously with the document he held his hand, and at length Orumber >ke. 'You see, air, nobody knows of the stence of the will but you and ime. pposing we were to throw it upon fire yonder, who would be theu er?" 'How dare you suggest such a thing?" !d Alfred Laking, with a show of buous miuIgnation. "It would be a ninal offense." 'I suppose you wouldn't split on me, if I was to do it," suggested Crum .,speaking almost in a whisper. "The t is, sir, I'm thinking of emigrating. on't mind the risk. Give me a thou d pounds and the trick is done.'' t was a sudden determination, taken f in desperation and half frcm sheer ,ht. The will was destroyed, and ly the next morning Mr. Orumber tted for America from Liverpool with 000 in gold in his pocket. Lfred Laking went and saw him off, ring, in fact, declined to hand over money until he was safely on board p. Upon his return to London, feel , in spite of his misgivings, more eved and ;ight-hearted than he had Le since his unclo's death, his exuber spirits received a sudden chek in sequence of the rocen>t of a Ilter n Mr. Mayne, which ran thus: IAINooLN's- INN -lTiRLnS. mu: I formerly ncted professionally your late uncle Col. Lakibg, and .11 be glad if you will give me a call four earliest convenience on a matter mportance. Yours faithfully, d NO. D. MAYNE. Lccordlingl.v lie presented'himiself at .Mayne's office t,he mornibag alter ing the letter, looking very pale nervous, though making every ehort appear at ease. I wrote to you, Mr. Laking," saidl old lawyer, when they had exchanged stings, "be.&use I have reason to~ eve that you have received a comn ication from a man named G0um No," murmured Alfred Lakinug. [is answer appeared to caun~e Mr. yne some surprise, for the 01k1 gentle stared at him through his spectae for a second or two, anud then said, icr sharply: Name of Crumnber. The man was a 'k in my office until recen)tly.", Certainly not," repeated Alfred ing. He intendod his rep)ly to be I and emphatic but the attempt was iserable failure. There was a quiver his voico, and his eyes instinctively ght the carp)et.. A-hem!" coughed Mr. Mayne, in ani 'loasantly sigmillcant manner. "The is," he resumed, "your unole made nil shortly before he died, which noe in my charge; but a few days later hei ed and revoked it. He gave as his on that he did not wish his animnosi against you to continue after lis You don't say that!" exclaimed Al Laking, with a start of genuine >rise. He revoked the will by tearing olf signatures on the last page," con ed the lawyer, still looking his visi mn the face. "and the mutilated doc mt being of couren, mere wastepaper, tied to the draft and put away mi an press. This man Crumber, whom I h arged a few weeks ago for din eaty, seems to have purloined the ilated dlboument, andl thinking that night meditate attempting to impose n you, I conceived it to my duty to n you. Hie might, for instance, have ored the last page by means of cry, and passed off the will uiponi as valid and subsisting," 'h einfernal scoundrel I "cried Alfred lng, violently, forgetting his can when ho thought of his thousand ia. hYes, I'm afraid he is that," said the rer dryly. "So you see, Mr. Laking, is kindness thrown away upon your to take the trouble to send him off a Liverpool yesterday. [ wish you1 od morning..sir." The, Oid Riubber' shoe. > you remember the old-fashioned rub hoe t Ah, that '-i a shco worth hav 10 was none or your fimsy, trIm, i abominations of the present doeden day , it was a great, clumsy, ill-look moccasIn, that had either fan nor netry, but It would wear out a dozen ir modern shoes. What an art was It it the thing on ' Turning it half In uiut, youj put your toe intO its interior, :hen, with a tug and a jerk you puiilled eel in place, ar di you were Inside a that cluing to you tighter titan a er I And what fun was it at school to Ie In the toe, place a spit-ball in the w, and then, with fingers Insile, to a ball with oatapultIc power smack ~he face of the stu'llouis scholar on the alte sido of the room I Alas I there is ui in the moctern rubber shoe, and bit little wear!i Joy and utility, have pilace to mere beauty of oitne anad la oei~r,at ,