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THE SPIEIT OF THE PDJE. OhriBtm.-vB Dreams on Chriatinaa ICve. The winter winds bluatered through the Siae wouda. The soft anow fell ou the krk-green foliage, and all but covered it. Throni^h the oloada the moon peeped down on the Bueue and caat a silver sheen over the white-topped kings of the woods and their smaller companiona, making a fairy scene far away in those distant States designated as " down East." It was hearty Chrisinias time. The spirits of the pines were abroad, and whispered together in the wind. At once a voice, loud and im- perative, broke in upon their murmuring. It was the spirit of the oldest and most weather-beaten of the group, which thus addressed the others : " Harken, O my sisters ! The frost, the snow, the piercing wind, all tell us that the time of the holy Christ- child is about to eome. I, your king, bid you be ready, if a missitn to mortals be given you. The fatal Hxe will fell some of you ; the sap which tills your limbs will be stopjied for- ever in its course, but back here, O ye spirits, ye will come ! If to mortals you have duue all in your power to brighten the feast of the holy Christ-child, I, your king, will give a new lease of life to you. With spring's first breath you will begin a new life, and aid your sisters in beautifying the landscape once more." The great voice paused ; in soft, low, quavering accents, a small beqt tree at its feet broke the silence which followed. " What could 1 do, O king, if I am taken from you, mibshapen, small, as I am?" " Your best ! your best I" sang out the spirit of the great tree, and the other trees, joining in, sent forth on the wings of the wind a repetition of theirgreat kiug'scom- mand, " Do your beat ! Do your best I" throngh the long, endless beauties of the New Jerusalem. A little, smiling face was always there ; the face of him who once on earth was neglected, cold and starving â€" Jim, the street Arab. » * * • " Dear me ! I mast have been asleep ; and >uch a dream as I've had ! All about the fragrant pine. You see, I fell asleep with the pine cushion that your mother seut me under my head. What strange fancies our surroundings cause. Pick up my specs and hand me my knitting, there is a dear grandchild. The Spirit of the Pines ! Ah me ! It is a lesson to all to do the best they can for evtry one this merry Christmas time." F. H. Hoix-VND. The horse, the stir of a great city. To- wards one of the large markets a country cart is being drawn by a stout pair of horses. Many people as they hurry along pause to look at the pretty sight â€" the sight of a cart load uf green in the dark, dingy streets. How many thoughts it conjures up in the minds of the onlookers. Christmas is coming, is all but here. Visions of pleasure and festivity fill the minds of some ; others, too poor, too wretched to be affected by anything, scarce glance at the load as it passes Its way market-ward. A jam in the roadway. Ah ! A small bent ?iece of green has fallen oS. t would be crushed under foot but for the little street Arab, who, almost at risk of hia life, plucks it from under the horse's feet and hurries away with his prize. Christmas Kve ! What a world of joy and happiness thoiie words imply t â€" to some, but not to all. Alas ! Little Jim, the street Arab, who lived no one knew how, crawled up the ladder to his wretched quarters, on that blessed night, as cold and aa hungry as usual. He had made no money fur more than two days. No one had called him from his usual post ou the sunny side of the street, by the high church railing, to bold a horse or run a message He was literally starving to death, and his teeth chattered as, arrived in the cold attic where he spent his nights, he covered him- self as best he could with the few thin, tat- tered pieces of carpet which, with a scant supply of straw, formed his bed. From among these uninviting bed-clothes he carefully extracted a long branch of pine. Then, hunting in hia pocket, he produced a match and a small end of candle, such as are used on Chrittmas trees. Feeling about him ho found a wide crack in the tloor. into which be stuck the green bough, and producing a pin from his ragged coat he carefully fastened the caudle ou to tlie bough. Now came the business of the evening. How carefully, poor lad, he struck the one match ; it flickeredâ€" the attic was very draughty. Was it out? No! Theoandle was lighted, burning beautifully. Jim alapi>ed his little wasted hands in eostacy. '• Ijy gum ! don't he burn nice, though," he said aloud. Then sinking back ou the wretched apology (or a bed, he watched the little candle spluUer and burn with de- lighted eyes. Soon, with hunger and cold, the poor little urchin fell asleep. The candle burnt on for a while, then, after a few flickering efforts, went out. A lovely presence L.Jed the lonely attic room. It bent over the little sleeping boy, and laid a soft, shadowy hand on his head. It was the spirit of the pineâ€" of the bent, misshapen pine, which had been told to do its best in the mission to mortals on the Christ-child's holy night. What dreams the poor, neglected, lonely child had, to be sure. Such dreams ! The thiu, drawn lips shaped themselves into a smile ; he even laughed aloud ; and by his side stayed the gentle spirit and watched him with loving eyes. The sweet odor of the pine [wnetrated the room, no doubt the child's dreams were leading him among the lovely forest trees, by babbling brooks in summer time, strange scenes which ha had never even imagined, having never seen. Uis short, pitiful life bad been spent in the by-ways and alleys of a great city ; his master want, his teacher neglect. The ni^ht, the Christ-child's Eve, wore on. Kre dawn a chill presence filled the attic room. It was Amaranth, an angel of Death. Softly she gathered the sleeping child to her bosom. The spirit of the pine fell at her feet, awed at the dread presence. A. uaranth pointed to the pale face of the little sleeper. " He smiles,'' she said softly. ' Ho smiles, and it is thy doing. Hence- forth, O ! Spirit, be thy. mission one of healing. Sweet fragrance slialt thou distill, thou and thy fellows. Thou hast woven dreams to oheer the poor outcast, to his face thou hast brought a smile with which he will enterthe presence of Ood! Adieu I" Amaranth was gone ! Joyously through the wintry air flew the spirit of the pine, ilistilling sweetest fragrance as she went. Many others joined her, their bister, in her flight. Their several missions done, they hastened back to their forest home to report their various happenings to their lyng. And the spirit of the misshapen, small tree had done her beat and received a reward above all the others ; the reward of perpetual fragrance above her species. And long Men Who DiHtrlbuta Bloney by the Car- luatl Once a Slouth. The paymasters of the several railroads running into the city are getting ready for their regular monthly trip over the lines. The Pennsylvania Railroad and the Pennsyl- vania Company have the largest number of men on their pay-rolls. The latter com- pany have m the neighborhood of 11,000, who draw over 9500,000 monthly. The men are paid in cash - generally gold. The car, after paying all the employees in Pittsburg and Alleghany, goes out upon the road about the 11th of each month. They reach Chicago about the 21st. The men along the road are given notice that the car is coming by the train preceding it carrying blue flags on the engine. On the flags are the letters " P. 3J.," meaning paymaster. To guard against attacks of robbers at night very little money is kept in the car. Before the paymaster starts out he telegraphs to banks at different points along the line that he will be there at a certain hour on a certain day with chetjues to be cashed. The oheiiue is just for about the amount that is to be paid that day. The first point che<iues are given is at Salem, Ohio, where very often the amount is SGO.OOO. A represent- ative of the bank meets the car at the station and exchanges the money for the che(iue. There are always three or four men besides the train crew on the car. The paymaster and his assistants go heavily armed, and it would be a hard matter for anybody to rob the car. The car stops at all stations along the line, and the em- ployees in the immediate vicinity are sap- posed to be on hand to receive their money. The paymaster counts the money out be- fore them and they sign the roll in his presence. J. H. Fredericks, one of the oldest employees of the Pennsylvania Com- pany, is the paymaster. The Pennsyl- vania Railroad have about 10,000 men on the three divisions between Pittsburg and Philadelphia. .\ll the employees in this city are paid in checks on the Merchants and Manufacturers' Bank. The chetjnes are received by mail and dis- tributed by the officials of the various departments. Those out on the road get their che<|ues from the pay cars. There is one car for each division. They pay out about 9000,000 monthly. If the employee wishes to get his money, for good cause, before the regular time, he is paid out of the contingency fund. The Baltimore A Gaio road pay about '2,500 men between Pittsburg and Cumberland. The officers and others iu this city receive che({uea and the employees on the road are paid in cash. About $200,000 is paid out. The Pittsburg & Lake Erie has about 1,500 men on their rolls who are paid about S75.000 in cash. Each man's money is put in an envelope with his name, number of days he worked ami amount of money he is entitled to. It takes two and one half days to pay them. The Panhandle railroad car disburses about 911)0.000 between this city and Columbia. It also pays the Cleveland A Pittsburg employees. â€"fitlthurg Ldmrntrcial UaifAte. OLD '(VOBU) GOSSIP BV UAIL ' From England. Mr. Jo*"! Walker, farmer, Heanor Gate Farm, Heanor, has just gathered a fine crop of Swede turnips on his land. Three turnips tilled a large wheelbarrow. One of the turnips weighed '25 ll;s. As some men were puling down an old shop at St. Mary Cray, recently, they dis- covered a very large number of Bank of England notes of a generation ago. Their disappointment was great on discovering that all the notes were cancelled a short time ago. The Lord Mayor of London is said to have singled out two days of next year for his grand efforts. He will make them re- nowned in civic annals. They are the Jubilee Day on the Queen's coronation, and the day on which the Prince and the Princees of Wales will celebrate their silver wedding. A man got into a London theatre the other night in a curious way. He had gone out between the acts, but having lost his check, the attendants who c^id uot remem- ber his face, would not readmit him, so he asked them to look at his coat-tails. The paint on his seat had adhered to them. The attendants were convinced, and passed him in. One morning recently a little boy, aged 3 years, and his sister, aged 5 years, the children of a beerhouse- keeper named Eastenby, at Blackburn, went into the kitchen in their night-dresses. The buy lighted a piece of paper and set fire to his sister, who was so shockingly burned that she died in Blackburn Infirmary the same day. From Ireland. The Duke of Abercorn has been invited to accept the office of President of the Royal Agricultural Society of Ireland for next year. An old woman named Lyons was found dead one day recently at her cottage in a lane out of Lower Leeaon atreet, Dublin. Her skull was fractured, and there was a quantity of blood in the room. She was supposed to possess money, but except some trifling articles nothing seems to have been stolen. At a Dublin Police Court one day re- cently a man named Wafsh svas charged with drunkenness. The evidence showed that when he was arrested his 4-year-old son was lying iead drunk beside him in the street. The father had taken the child around to a number of taverns and given him liquor to drink. By means of a stomach pump the child's life was saved and the father was fined ten shillings. Fruui Scotland. The epidemic of measles is still raging in the island of Eriskay. There have been eleven deaths from measles in the island within abuut two .nonths. One afternoon recently when the inspec- tor of the Port Glasgow Waterworks ex- amined the filters at Parkhill he found tne supply from Auchendores almost com- pletely stopped. Un further examination at the valve he found the pipe choked with a large eel 3 feet 2 inches in length, and weighing 1^ lbs. Most of the suburban barghs of Glasgow aro showing much activity on l«ie Bound- aries question. They have united in stat- ing a general case in opposition to the ela- borate annexation scheme. The Secretary for Scotland has appointed the Earl of Elgin and Mr. CruLi, of Thornliebank, additional members of the commission. Pollokshields has voted in favor of annexa- tion to Glasgow. ORIGIM OF OLD PHRASES. " CutttoK a Dido," " Catching a Tartar,' and "He has an Axe to Grind." Dido, Queen of Tyre, about seven cen- turies before Christ, after her husband had been put to death by her brother, fled from that city and established a colony ou the north coast of Africa, Having bargained with the natives for as much land as could be surrounded with a bull's hide, she cut the hide into narrow strips, tied them to- gether and claimed the land that could be surrounded with the line thus made. She was allowed to have her way, and now, when one plays a sharp trick he is said to "cut a dido." A tailor of Bamarcand, Asia, who lived on a street leading to the burying ground, kept near his shop an earthen pot, in which he was accustomed to deposit a pebble whenever a body was carried to its final resting place. Finally the tailor died, and, seeing the shop deserted, a person in- ((uired what had become of its former occupant. " He has gone to pot himself, was the reply by one of the deceased's neighbors. During a battle between the Jlussians and Tartars a private soldier of the former cried out : " Captain, I've caught a Tar- tar." " Bring him along," said the officer. " He won't let me," was the response. In- vestigation proved that the captive had the captor by the arm and would not allow him to move. So 'â-  catching a Tartar" is applicable to one who has found an antagonist too powerful for him. While lying on the ground over a slow tire St. Lawrence â€" in whose honor the Escurial was built by Philip II., said to the Emperor who was watching his sufferings: "Assatus ess, jam versa et manduca; " which one translator, not quite literally, but appreciatively of the same grim humor chara<;teri2iug the original, rendered : Tills sidu 0Duuf4h is roasU'd. Theu turn uio. tyrant, and eat; And Bvo wiiuther raw or ruasted 1 am ilu' iK^tiir luuaC. Hence, " Done to a turn." Formerly in London when a small dealer bouKht bread of the baker, for every do^^en loaves purchased he was given an e.xtra loaf as his profit, from which circumstances " a baker's dozen " signifies thirteen. Various origins have been assigned the phrase, but the above is the only one based on a sure foundation. In a work, " Essays from the Desk of Poor Robert the Scribe," published in 1815, the author, U. Miner, tells the story of a boy w ho, by the offer of a liberal com- peusation, was induced to turn the grind- stone for a man who desired to sharpen his axe. The promised compensation was never paid, and of one who disguises his own selfish aims under an appearance of gener- osity 6r disinterestedness it is remarked : He has an axe to grind." â€" Chrittian Union. ObJect«<l to Her Photofcrupli. A case which created some interest was adjudicated upon at the Woolwich C'ounty Court by Mr. Powell. Messrs. Long A Faulkner, photographers, Woolwich, sued Mrs. Pearson, wife of an arsenal employee, for i'2 Gs. lid. for portraits supplied to her order. Plaintiffs staled that when the photographs were complete Mrs. Pearson called with her husband and saw them, promising to call again and pay for them. No complaints were made, and as she did not call the likenesses were sent home, and subsequently returned with some frivolous complaints. An action was then brought against the husband, but it fell through the wife asserting that she had a separate income. Two photographers now and expressed an opinion that the nesses were correct, but admitted that the negative had been " touched up " to meet a common requirement of customers to look their best. Mrs. Pearson said she did not wish to bo " flattered and tittivated up." In trying to make her look younger they had almost wholly lost the likeness. They had made her hair waved, whereas it was not so. Plaintiff, in reply to the judge, said it was uot within the photo- graphic art to make hair which had been photographed plain appear to be waved. The judge said the photograph certainly made the lady look younger than she now appeared to be. She did not give the photographer any specilio orders to make her appear " juHt as she was," and the ordinary course of procedure â€" vi/,., to make the customers look their bestâ€" was followed. He considered that they were reasonable likenesses, and ordered the payment of the amount sued for. A Roniarkable Ferry Steamer. There will soon bo launched at Detroit a vessel which, aside from her size, is one of the most remarkable ever built on the lakes. It is a car ferry boat for the Mac- kinac Transportation Company, and when completed is to ply on the Straits of Mac- kinac between Mackinac and Point St. Ignace. She is 235 feet in length, 52 in breadth, and 25 in depth, and is to carry ten freight or eight passenger cars. But it People who Never Eat Meat. There is no abstemiousness in the world, and no thrift, like the thrift and abstemi- ousness of the average native of India. Almost alone among the workingmenof the world he has raised himself nearly above wants, has stripped himself of all the im- pediment of luxury. Millions of men in India, especially on the richer soils tuid in the «ji^er deltas, live, marry and rear ap- parently healthy children upon an income which, even when the wife works, is rarely above 28. a week, and frequently sinks to lyd., says the London Spectator. The Ii.. dian is enabled to do this, not so much by the cheapness of food â€" for, though it is cheap, a European who ate the same food would want live times the money merely to feed himselfâ€" as by a habit of living which makes him independent of the ordi- nary oares of mankind. He goes nearly without clothes, ^ivi a his children none, ' and dresses his wife in a long piece of the most wretched muslin. Neither he nor his I wife pay tailor or milliner one shilling dur- | ing their ei.liro lives, nor do they ever pur- I chase needles or thread, which, indeed, it is contrary to a semi- religious eti(|uettc over to ase. The poorest peasant inhabits a hut con- taining a single covered room of the small- GUARDlIfO RUSSIA'S CZAR. He is CouHtantly Surrounded by Swaraa* of Soldiers and Deteetlves. A few nights ago I attended the illuihina- tions at Peterhoff in honor of the Czarina's birthday. The Czar's palace is on a peninsula and the grounds and buildinf{g occupy almost a mile siiuareâ€" the most superb structures, fuuutaius, and miles ot the finest parking and drives in the world. Scores of buildings and fountains, hundreds of trees and great crowns, crosses and figures, besides miles of hiyh walls, were covered with colored lamps. There were millions of lights, and it required a regi- ment of soldiera and handreds of civiliana weeks to put them iu place. All was paid for from the public treasury, or rather » . Czar's treasury repleted by the people. .\t a time in the evening when the foun- * tains and lights glistened most, the bands , played iheloudest, and the pyrotechnics and cannon from the men-of-war in the gulf glared and roared best, the royal family gave the assembled multitude a rare treat. It showed itself. Seldom it is that people - in Russia see their Emperor, their Czar, because he suspects them of designs. I was making my way between two of the great blazing walls of colored hghts, through one of the drives, when a detach- ment of Cossacks came dashing along» slashing their sabres and driving the people out of the way. In iheir wake came sol- diers on toot and great detachnoents of men in citizen's clothing. The latter stationed themselves in front of the lines of the masses. A din of voices â€" lusty cheer- ing is heard in the distance, li comes nearer, then nearer. More Cossacks, more soldiers, more men in citizens' clothing, and farther back we are crowded. The tier of oflicious citizens is laenforced in our front and many linger in the driveway. Finally the caravan comes in view. More Cossacks, soldiers, citizt^ns. Eight white horses, each one on the left bearing a liveryman, are next seen; then the royal equipage, an im- mense, guld-mounted chariot. The Czar, a great burly fellow, with full beard, crown and uniform, is on the left seat in front. The brother, the Crown I'riuce, the Czarina aud grand dukes, etc., make up the load. Ou ever' hand of the carriage, four deep, are Cossacks, while the drive- way in front and rear is blocked with soldiery, making a perfect shield against violent attack. The "citizens" who were so very plenti- ful and officious were the most experienced detective and body-guards in the empire. There were thousands of them. It would have been impossible for one to raise his or her hand against the Czar or any member gf his family. It is the boast of the Rus- sian authorities that their detectives have eyes in every portion of their heads and bodies. The whole service of protecting the Crown and members uf the family, and suppressing all thoughts of dissatisfaction with the present form of government, is in full charge of Gresser, chief of the soore* service. The authority of this ofliuer ie appalling. He can order into exile or J e.\ecution yard any une suspuc^ lawful or disrespeotji He attends r to run all p| displeased ' and there i«^ is as an ice breaker Uiat the new boat is ' est size, with an earthen platform or two expected to bo remarkable. Everything ' outside it, and as he constructs or repairs that modern shipbuilding, practice and his own dwelling, he virtually pays no rent experience can suggest to make her sue- ; except for the culturable land. He never cessful has been done. She has fine lines, i touches alcohol or any substitute for it. bow and stern being nearly the same form, , There is an idea in England tnat he eats and it will bo an impossibility for the soft opium or hemp, but he as a rule swallows ice, which so often hinders the passage of ueitherâ€" firstly, because he regards them ordinary ferry boats, to cling to her sides. : with as much moral antipathy as any I'-ng- Uer bow, on the inside, is a mass of tram- , liah gentleman, and secondly, because ho 4 could not by any possibility pay for articles dia, as everywhere else, are ex- pensive, ilo eats absolutely side with steel plates one-quarter of an inch no meat nor any animal fat, nor any ex- in thickness, which will efleotually prevent , pensive grain like good wheat, but lives on the ice from scoring her sides. millet or small rice, a little milk, with the * butter from milk, and the vegetables he grows. Even of these he oats more spar- ingly than the poorest Tuscan. Once a A .'Wo .•V very remarkable story is tolJnU'lSew York boarding school circles about Miss Nellie .\rtliur, the daughter of the late ex- President. She was at Mrs. Lockwood'B school, and had been there a year wljen one day she was missed by her little chums, who crowded around the Principal after the opening exercises to ask where she had gone. " Where's Noll? " they said. "Why, don't you know ? " said the lady. " Her father. Gen. Arthur, died last night." " Was her father Gen. Arthur ? " all asked as with one voice ; " was she the President's daughter?" Miss Nellie had never hinted at what most girls would have told before anything else. ", I rier oow, on tne insiuc, is a mass oi iram- , "=" s=""«"'" ^fP*'', ® i ing as strong almost as solid timber, and , could not by i ,,'®"'[^'* the outside planking is six inches thick. : which in Ind: "'® f ,!?â-  Besides this, the hull is to be sheathed out- ceedingly exp FuttinK UN Foot In It. She â€" " And do you still 8<|ueeze up the ladies' feet in your country ?" He â€" " On the contrary, madam ! That is a Chinese custom. We in Japan always allow the ladies' feet to grow to quite their full size. Not that any would ever rival yours, madam ! " (Is delighted with his neat little compliment !)• â€" I'unch. A Philadelphia grocer who had three hams stolen from his store wrote and pasted up a paper which read as follows : " I know who stole the three hams from the front of my store. They are worth- less to any one but myself. If returned in twenty-four hours no arrest." When the clerk opened the store the next the hams hung morning the hams hung outsido. They after, as she raised her graceful head above . were made of sawdust and only for show. her fellows and looked up hard to the sky, " You cannot," said the schoolmaster, tho-spirit of that fragrant pine was given a place a, the singular article, before plural vision, in the stillness of the night, of the nouns. No one can say a cows, a women." ..beautiful green pastures far away above '• Why not?" said the good boy. "When 'the shy, where the little children play we go to ohnrob we say a-men I" â€" Jiidy. Terrible Ruvage* of Dtplitheriit, Reference was made the other day to the sad aflliction of a family living on Met- calfe street that recently moved to town^ the members of which were all down with diphtheria. Three of a family of six have already succumbed and the others are in a dangerous condition. The two who died yesterday were the two eldest of the family, aged 17 and 14 years respectively. The family, whose name is Smith, removed hero from Burford. â€" Woothlock Hentinel-lleview. Cumforliiblu All Round. " You want something to buy mamma a Christmas present, do you?" said papa; "and want to buy it yourselves, hey? Well, well, that is right, my children. You shall have it. She has been a goml mother to yeu all these years. If you could only find something," continued papa, as his blue eyes filled with tears, " that would keep your mamma's feet warm this winter I wouldn't begrudge 850. "â€" '.'/n'caj/o Trilmne Tliose Good Old Times. Wife (on Christmas Eve) â€" " Whewl What a lot of money it costs to get Christ- mas presents for all these children !" Husband â€" " Yes, it's a pity wo didn't live in the days of Henry the Kighth." •â-  Why so ? Because it was not until after his reign [uarter, perhaps, he eats enough, during that stockings btcame fashionable. Christ- some festival, but, as a rule, he knows mas didn't bankrupt a man in those days.' accurately what will sustain him, and would be enraged with the wife who cooks for him if she prepared more. He is assisted in this economy b) a religious rule which wo have never seen a Hindoo break, and which is undoubtedly, liko the rule against killing oxen, a survival from a mili- tary law or custom of the most remote antiquity. An Accomplished Wife. Well, Nellie, does your husband still Brought Hln Han Down, Rogers used to tell this story : An Englishman and a Frenchman fought a duel in a darkened room. The English- man, unwilling to take his antagonist's life, generously fired up the chimney and jugj/ested to you?" brought down the Frenchman. " When I tell pm whisky iu his coffee ?" ' this story in France." pleasantly added the , jij i,e say ?" " Ho said I I story relator, " chimney. I make the Englishman go up the A DlHKUlsed Stuteitinan. H(in. William Elviu, of Hftinilton, Out., is a guoBt at the HMâ€"Moutreal Stur. Now, who is the " Hon. William 7" Hamilton has not many " Hons.," but the crop seems to be larger than the directory makes out. Cotton Mill Shut Down. drink?" " Yes, mother, and it's worrying the hfe out of me." " Did you try the plan of breaking him of the habit that I Yes." " Did you Yes." "What say i' " " lie saia i was the only A Hidden Sling. A little three- year- old Rocklander went into market last week, and, helping herself to a green popper, tried to eat it. After she had failed the marketmau asked her what the matter was with the fruit, and she replied, between sobs, " Vere was a bumble bee in it '"â€" M iddleboro News. woman he who knew be made.' had seen since his mother died how to make coffee as it should' The Kingston cotton mill has closed for because it makes the parlor look bo stylish.' three weeks in accordance with an agree- â€"Texas Si/tiiigK ment between the mill owners in Canada to prevent over-production. Comiuerclal Item. " Pa,'' asked a bright-faced boy of his parent, " what is reciprocity that I hear you talk about so much ?" " Reciprocity, my son, is the very life of tradeâ€" espociaily the Christmas gift trade." _ A RelUlous Man. li'irst Citizen â€" What makes you think your neighbor, Towson, isa religious man? Second Citizen â€" He always sifts his ashes on a still doy. _ The study of Volapuk, the new universal language, is obligatory upon the students ot the Royal Gymnasia of Munich. In Russia it is permitted to be used in tele- graphic transmission. 1 am going to gel her a piano I Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson, the philan- thropist, never goes to the theatre, and hag read but two novels, "Jane Eyre" and the " Scarlet Lettcyr." Her tastes are perfectly Chrlstman PreferenceH. simple. She has a great liking for bread. Tailors prefer a Christmas turkey ; they milk and apples. It is doubtful if sooiety have a goose all the year round.- Toronto ever heard of her. But she ia the only Wo'ld. I wcman who has the freedom of the floor of A Stylish Clirlatinna Prenent. " What are you going to buy your wife for a Christmas present?" " I am thinking of getting her a piano."' " Can she play ? " " Of course not. Do you suppose I'd be such a fool as to buy her a piano it she could play Emperor William, according to a ' prophecy based on his handwriting, is to ive to be 100 years old. I The engaged voung man has a similar | the House of Uepresentativos, at Washina- A clam weighing a pound and five ounces preference ; his" general "table fair " is. ton, a right which even the President'g was dug up at Plymouth, Mass. ' duck. IB ton, a ' wife does not have. *-!^t