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M ir-:« _,-i --rVr ~ ^ ^ -? < ^ *W £»- ' ^ TV " 1% n,t '••PH** • <> -_. ^ '̂ '"^* , , 'f^ 1 \^t ' |M!^,i#'!4f ii, • V , ;f«r V ik >{<• > H . , • • > -**».. fcuv. %U.v».".!i - " • : TOB TA€ AT14»K. cfcfldrtB, «vprw<n-n with can, ',S»WB, find «tottdre», grown *> W*T JpMi MAT thiKx to do and t*>ar, - - ^ fh«* shnost Mwhi tkt world WH c "^j«»U we go nut to play V they Mid, And then spake softly to each other, ! > 'Jfc If their hearts were comforted ; ,• t.v •" ̂ let us go and see onr n.ofhsri'*' *n. flfrw Aa harfh --"'iv*"" "-"" '•? «ffcwB mountain bine and shiniag rlveflj. 4J flraiu where coo! sbadowR lie in wait, .'And whore the snnbcimi dance and ijidW. ?(k««m home," she cries, " I tosse for -gm* '** ^With hands so full of gift and blessing, .,- > ..JBbat all about my path I stmpr \-V, fi' ™Whi»J king« art poor in not posaeaaing." • • < 1 : 4 ' Hhd when, wilh swift and eager feci, {These grown-up children sought and found her, 'flfce met them with a welcome sweet, " And blessed them as they gathered round her. tfcroogh lovely, '.onety woodland ways , tthe led them to her fields biyxiaa; Around them slept the golden i.nre, ;!;Above them flume flit* mount <>f V! «*It is enough," <lse children said, .;•••£* Otti* hearts with thanks are < Oka heaven be interpreted? The rest is surely past our knowing/' f . ^ : J up," the mother answered them, ;t t led the wa? through ' fclcuost touched the gament'o hexu^Js^.; t hinifciil th« pablin sn^Mi, of «BY Their road m A spell was on them deep and tender, ? >' ;> Vbe» upw*r<? still, »w*>% away, With strange new strength no toil could weary V< Wtt they heard the mother s«*y, : v*4 Behold your world that was so dreary." Tfcc utmost mountain heigkt was gained. Beyond the realm of outward '>eauty Muse higher law eternal reigned, . -M;:: tfiwiH mm Troth. w»vpre m D|ltT. | Hrt if the mother showed them there ; »...The secrets of her inner glory, Ipeartb, like Paradise, grew fair,. flThey never told the wondrous SKli$f»" . - ' ®fecy went their way with their hearts aflame, Husd only by their nobler living » We knew the benediction came. ,. vAml guessed the joy of their ^ksgirtag. MINNIE'S ALLOWANCE A Tlunki|iri)ig Story. ynst my twi Hoif, and I'll spank you. So spoke Mrs. Bolf to her eldest daugh­ ter, aged about 9 years--not thai Mrs. Bolf would have spanked h^r daughter; she never had done such a thing--never during the nine long winters and sum­ mers through which Minnie had marched or toddled her stage on the journey of life; but Mrs. Rolf was a widow, and poor and worried. She had four chil­ dren, aged respectively 9 years, 5 years, 4 years and 2 years; Minnie, a girl; Btmmie, a boy; Carrie, a girl; and Bob, • babv. » Tfaey were all talking turkey, conjur­ ing up visions of imaginary gobblers with pretematurally extensive develop- II# Ul WJLL1 Wr? llltSU KUil miiHiMiiHn 131* I jpsdity Coi' drawrngj whilst Btmmie, *h.e boy, beat a triumphal gastronomic march with a pair of succulent phantom drumsticks. But alas ! it was all a figment of tbe imagination; there « no material basis <rf bud for all their oleaginous creations; there was no turkey-- ?n.n no prospect of turkey--for the widow was not only poor, but very poor--ay, even, as a pro- lane butcher in the neighboring village bad said, deucedly poor. It was as much as she could do to keep the wolf from ber door. Mt is hard work with a thread and aeedle to keep away that frizzly, grizzly monster, with his great sharp teeth, who is ever waiting and watching to pounce on. little children's stomachs, and gnaw than and tear them, and then lick aQ the color off their cheeks and the luster out of their eyes. Yes, it is sad, sad work, and poor Mrs. Bolf found that wild beast of a wolf often too much for herself and her needle, and he would get many a snap at the -little ones, which made her poor heart *ache again. **Turkey, turkey, turkey!" exclaimed the angry "You may feel thank­ ful if you have dry bread to eat to-mor- xaw, and go down on your bended knees if there is a little butter to it How on «Srth am I to buy turkey f If I get that wOfk done--and it's a great IF, I tell you --it's fca cr?.r""s to one wnothp? the folks -rill pay me right a^ay when I take •it home---ten ehanees to one; and, if «*hey do-^-anotlier fo% sr--fh«*e won't hie -aooagh to buy a, turkey, let alone bread ssad butter, and potatoes, sad tea and coffee, and----" Here the Tridow broke down and com- meaced sobbing. 44But we was only talking, ma," said Ibnuie. 44 'Twas only fun; we don't want 1M> turkey. Do we, Bimmie?" 4<No ;M answered Bimmie, promptly, as Ihowgh he would fell to the eaitli any #tdiutor who should dare to question tbe statement; and he crept up to the shop where his mother was seated, and, trying to puthislittle right arm round her Moulders, said, " Don't cry mother ; I ^On't Jiiink turkey 'mounts to much auy- b®w." He spoke iu that peculiar dia- Ipct In icuciug to persons who live on flie Iwrders ot the state of infancy, sub­ stituting t for c, and 2 for th. But this •m will not imitate. " Don't cry, mother --there's a dear good mother;" and, as tf to help her along and take the job off be) hands, as it were, he started crying with birdi never to either of tbelftile fkite, so tbs poor cfaft&en were at ItMtspMN l̂BM^Mgs of c-TiTj hi tliftt w&y i but t&S gobblers did loom up a great souroe of terror to little 0*rrie» to whom thsir fe- rodotw gobbling ana rustling w«ce about equivalent to honHn» ft* V>1b«V <Uw «n^ she wore a tiny xed flannel jacket, which the tttrieyft'dol&fless ttMuk as a standing menace or gage of battle. Well, as they were passing one of the firms--that belonging to Uncle Ira Fleshwick--aud as Gariie was trotting on, some dozen yards Snead, she eane upon a caucus of ttulBSps, whose chair­ man, or president^ a bully boy with a red comforter, a very jfohn Morrisaej of a turkey, came fleneSy forward in the Usual style, scraping his wing-feathers along the ground, and made a personal assault on the young lady. At sight of this, Bimmie felt all the blood of the Rolfs tangling in nhis veins, and he toddled to the rescue, brandishing aloft in one hand the History of the Sand­ wich Islands, and in the other a hickory limb which he had hastily picked up in the road. Boldly thrusting himself between the gobbler end his victim, Bim made a pass at it with the tin impostor , which (being merely held by a nefarious spe­ cies of twin© made of brown paper, which broke, of course) flew out of his hand uuu fell to the ground ; tlicn on- sued a combat the like of which has never been seen since Thermopyls. The fighting weight of the com hat- atats was about equal, but the bird had the advantage of being an adult, whilst the human was an infant in law, and we may say almost in fact. " They fit and fit and fit." to quote a great writer. Now, Bimmie came down on his back, and now he came down on the gobbler's knob with his hickory-- now Bim was backed into a bramble- bush, and now he rushed forth, orna­ mented all over with thorns like a pin­ cushion, and made his enemy's feathers fly ! Whack! fizzle ! gobble! squash! cry! Hammer and tongs, at it they went, a regular rough-and-tumble fight. Bim had blood running from several cuts in his nose and cheeks (had he had six noses, each of them would have been bleeding, so often did the gobbler get in on his claret jug); his preposterous coat and ridiculous pantaloons were tore in several places; but he fought like a hero, with his stick, his hands, his ab­ surd little boots, his head, and his whole body. Fortunately it was only one to one. Had the rest of the turkeys aided their champion, Bimmie would have finished ; but the little incident at xne wgiunang of tile con­ test, which looked like a disaster, proved to be a most happy occurrence. When the lunch-box flew out of Bim's hand, it flew open, and the contents, spreading themselves on the ground, attracted the attention of the whole of the non-com­ batant turkeys, and so engrossed their faculties that they had no leisure to par­ ticipate in the affray. Neither did Car­ rie take any part ir the affray, but stood and looked on, with her littlo fists clenched, and her mouth and eyes wide open, in a nervous state of mingled ter­ ror and admiration. How long tbe fight lasted cannot be exactly told, as neither the turkey nor Bimmie nor Carrie had a watch about them. It seemed but a moment to Bim, to Carrie an age; but the end came at last, and, we are happy to record, with a favorable result for Bim. Giving a quick and vigorous swing of his hickory, he smote the gobbler on the neck, and the insolent bird, after gyrat­ ing, a frantic and confused mass of feathers and aquash, for a few seconds, toppled over on his side and gave up the ghost. The tight was over, and victory perched on the hickory of Bun. " You're a nice young wagabun, ain't you?" Bim heard thei?e awful words, and, looking up, beheld the head and shoul- dets of Uncle Fleshwick, leaning, like a Cornish Fee Fi-l'o Fum giant> over the top of tlic fence. Poor Bim I FaiTuer Fleshwick ".vas a Lu'ge and fierce man, with a large mouth and laige t-eth, 7.L0 looked big ^uough to eat him and turkey loth together, with Carrie thrown in as dressing. Poor Bim! He had just courage enough to run away, and away he ran as fast aa his absurd little boots would car­ ry him, up the hill, and over the lull, and out of sight, till he reached the school-house, and then he had to wait a few minutes till Ms sister, who was not far behind, came up, and then they both had to wait till they gained their breath, so what with the fighting and the waiting they were quite late, and received a prom­ ise of the usual punishment of being kept in after school lioura. Thus the two wee gladiators M a doleful Thanksgiving Eve of it. They had no luuch, the turkeys having eaten that; they had lost the iin fraud, the lunch-box, an inestimable treasure in their eyes; and they Bat in mortal terror all day, expecting every moment the farmer would come in upon them with some frightful lettrc-de-cachet from the "ame 1 pattiu8 that 1 village i&quire, and carry thetn off to b,»ried years of incarceration in a felon's cell. route throvftUJTamer JMAlMertt's pa* tore, akn* 8* outskirt of Hope's wood. tt^ujljirKifiMy's" orelMwd j[a tlelM spot^dofrn tbe hollow, ana so to the main roftd and home. Thqy accomplished the neater mrt of their joornej, and were just loojpng forward to the warm fireside when, for the second time on that ml4er£ble day uwru the s^rfu! rcicc of Fleshwick utter those blood-curdling words: " You're a nice young wagabun. ain't . . . » I . _ 1 « 1 " - U . 1 . } . jruu f wiu tuore «w iud wunawu loaauug over a stone wall, glaring at them, and showing all his gnat teeth in two double rows. *" You come here!" Th«y cocdd not redat--fligfet would be useless. "Do you know yon killed my turkay f" "No--o--0--0, sir. I didn't go for--r--r to doit." " Never mind; you come along with me. You're the Widow Bolf's boy, ain't you?" "Yes, sir." ? "Thatso!" arid the Xtmger, and he led the way to his own house. . . ... ilio door stood open, auii tite light of a fire painted it all red within. Thefe war. his wife, and a table covered with a nice supper, all painted red on the side to the fire, and everatMag looked bright aad warm aud, chewftil. Oh ? how hun­ gry thepe two weref and how unhappy! "Wife," said the farmer, "here are those two little" ones that fit, and killed our turkeys; leastways* one ©f 'em did, and t'other looked on. What shall we do to them?" * " Give 'em some snpper," responded the wife. "Well said--supperitis. Sit down, little folks, aud pile m. If you eat more than is there, why, there's plenty more where it came from." And they piled in. They did pile in. They--but words fail to express the jus­ tice those two young Rolfs did to the ham and eggs, an i to the fish-cakes, and to the apple sauce, and the bread and milk, and the molasses -cake. "Now, little folks, are yon all through f" said the farmer, sternly. " 'Cause, if you are, I want your opin­ ion on something." So saying, he pro­ duced from a closet a naked turkey, so large that, holding it by the legs, he could not lift its head from the ground. " There," he said, " what do you think of that ? That's the turkey yon lolled." Tbe boy trembled. • "Now, tell me, has your mother bought a turkey for your dinner to-mor- rer?" " No, sir,'*' replied Bim, scratching the heel of his right toot with the toe of his left ridiculous cowhide boot. " Thought as much," said the farmer. "Now, tell me, honest, what are yon going to have for dinner to-morrer?" " Bread," answered Bim. 48 And what?" " Mebbe butter, and mebbe potatoes/' " Well, that ain't high living, be it, mother!" appealing to his wife, in a husky voice, and blowing his nose." " Ilcwsomevcr, Ipolicc here, little liolf, see if you can cany that there," pointing to the turkey. Bim tried it, and managed to stagger across the room with Ms burden. " That'll do first-rate/' said Fleah- wick. "You're agoin' to take that home bime-by. It's already cleaned, and fixed full of the primest dressing ; HO'S all your mother's got to do is jest to put it in the oven ; but, she'll find that out. Fust of all, there's soroethfeg else fur you to look at;" and he turned to his wife, with little winks and twinkles playing all among the wrinkles of his eyes, and round tlie corners of his mouth. He Spoke nothing with his lips, but his eyes said, as plainly as a circus-bill: " Now, then, you know what we agreed upon. Fetch it out." So the good soul bustled out of the room, and in a few minutes she bustled back again with a big basket, which she placed on the floor. " There, now, Carrie, see if you can carry " Here she burst into a fit of laughter. " Well, I declare, if I ain't made a joke i Carrie carry, Ha! 1 1»»- • - ? • . but ft was too u of her face which was not buried er handkerchief with hi* little hand. . All the eliildreu soon collected round fte mother, unanimously repudiating a ftttkev, even scouting, scorning and re- ifliug it. __ 1" Wi-11, well 1" exclaimed the widow.! gereTlback appalled, iwg from her seat, and ' And when all this was over, they had the prospect of walking home and being waylaid by Farmer Fleshwick, with his big teeth and big bulldog, ready to do things from which the imagination stag- f 1 t U • , «Minaro>g, oulders, as if bracing herself for apatber bout with the wolt, " this will Wftmr do, in no shape, way or manner. It's time for you, Bimmie and Carrie, to be starting for school; so put on your tfeing, and I'll get your luncu ready to tike along with you." So Bimmie got into his absurd little ImrSiiilt; uoots and wneretkm of patches which did duty as tm overcoat, whilst Carrie went through • similar process with equally preposter­ ous garment adapted to her sex, and Huqr toddled off with their school-books in a varnished tin imposture resembling • book, labeled the " History of the Sand- wriah Islands," and called a lunch-box, ^nwtaining several shoes of bread, deli- tateij aaoanted with the last cubic inch j#f batter in the widow's larder. %• 1 The residence of Mrs, Rolf was on the of a Bietiiiaii-sised village, in the of Nomatter, and ^2dren *t- Indeed, when school was over, and their punishment was over, and the rest of the children had gone home to look at the turkeys hanging in the cel­ lars, and the mince-pies ready for the oven, they held a dismal little council of war over their best line of march to that home which knew no turkey, but where there was a soft mother's bosom 011 which to lay tneir troubled little beads and weep away their tiny tears. To go back by the road was a course fraught with too much danger. Uncle Im was certain to be there on the watch. How about cross lots ? There lay the whole world 1 open before them; to be sure, the world is chiefly made up of cross lots; but, then, there are often high fences and hedges, and brambles and bogs and streams, to be met with in cross lots; and there seemed to bo an unusually large number in that particu­ lar country, . So they resolved to circuitous m0i tric» ̂ oil oept Bob, the baby, who could not spring) at the astounding spectacle, and tuen stood in apeeohl-- --tonlsbment when the little ones t£*ew their bnrden on a ohair, and then soampexed out, only to oome staggering back with the big and bump it. on the floor. Then came a volley^ of questions 'fend answers, and an examination of tho con- twiito sif the uiiokf*, '""**>1 object eliciting exclamations of rapture. First of all, there was a soft brown- paper parcel, which proved to be sau- ; thfln a hard newspaper one, which proved to be a jar of cranberry-jelly; uien two unmistakable forms, which re­ vealed themselves as bottles of crab- apple cider; then two mince-pies, then a bag of doughnuts, then some tea and some sugar, and a whole lot of rosy ap­ ples and brown nuts, and a great round, crusty loaf of home-made bread, and I know not what else. Then they all stood round, clapped their hands, and laughed and kissed, and almost, became crazy. Then there was a pause, for the mother laia her hand on Bim's shoulder and said something in a low voice to the children round, which made them look grave and quiet. Then they all knelt down, and thanked the Almighty Giver of all good for this unoypocted blessing which had come to them. Outside the window were two figures, with heads bent find tearful eyes, who joined in the widow's prayer, thanking the same great Power for putting it into their hearts to befriend this small group of their fellow-creatures. There were not, in all these broad United States, any hstppier or truer Thanksgivings than those which were celebrated beneath the beams and rafters of the widow's and the farmer's home. ba! ha! Carrie made MI much. u'ji/tjs&tfci: a raSe/'said Farmer Fleshwick,, "We'll carry it down as far as their gate, and then the littlo ones can cach on 'em take holt of one side, and hist it in easy." So they started, Farmer Fleshwick Carrying the basket on one arm, with the turkey swung over Ms back, to keep the head from trailing on the ground. The little ones toddled one on either side of the wife, a small hand duped in each of hers. When they reached the widow's gar­ den-gate, the farmer unloaded, hanging the turkey on the fence and placing the basket on the ground. " Now, hold on," said he, in a whisper, you little ones wait here till me and wife gets a good place at the winder, and tben, when you see us all ready, you can first carry in the turkey, and then both of you can run back and tote in the basket atween you ; but, mind you don't say nothin' about me and wife being at the winder, or I'll never give you nothin' more, so long as you live. Promise ?" "Yeth, thir," promptly responded Bim. He would have promised almost anything at that moment, the full glory of the affair dawning on him in all its brightness. "Yeth, thir; I'll piomise." "God boy!" exclaimed the farmer. "Now!" and off he went, followed by his wife, to station themselves at the window. It was not a cheerful scene which met their view. There was little fire in the stove, no steam came from the spout of the tea-kettle, and a crooked lamp, with a broken shade, spread but a feeble light over the patched cloth and scanty supper. ^ The widow kept her eyes fixed anxious­ ly on the door. " We must send'em some coal," whis­ pered the farmer to his wife. . ^ "To-morrow»" whispered the wife back. ** And one of them large lamps.** " "To-night." * "There's no one in this'whole #i<fe God's world like you, wife!" and the farmer pressed his arm round the waist of his old spouse like a lover. Here they saw the door burst open, and Bim and Carrie- struggle in with the turkey between them, Bim holding it on his back bv the neck, and Carrie sup­ porting the legs behind. The Bolfs sprang to their feet (all ex- Thanksgiving. Our own severely practical age is not specially given to holidays or holy days-- to feasts or fasts, when these interfere materially with what we call business. We have reversed the order in our di­ vision of time, as established in the earlier ages of the world, by placing business first and pleasure afterward. The old Bomans divided their days into fesii and profesti, thus placing th© work of professional day after the feast in order of importance. Whether our rule or theirs is the best we do not care to discuss, only noting the fact and passing it with the remark that probably our plan brings in the best returns, and that if our feast days come less often, we may be better preparod to enjoy them. The American Thanksgiving Day, now observed each year throughout the coun­ try, dates back to the earliest days of Plymouth Colony. The summer of 1623 was one of pecular trial to the infant colony, owing to a long-continued drought, which threatened a total failure Uifr crops and consequent ctarvafaon. A day of humiliation and prayer waa ap ­ pointed, and observed carefully by the people that the calamity might be avert­ ed, and in answer to their pious prayers, abundant shsweas were sent to save the crops and the people. In grateful acknowledgment to God for these signal favors the first American Thanksgiving was appointed and cele- brated. The second Thanksgiving was celebra­ ted in- 1630; the third, probably, in 1651; the next in 1654, then 1676, 1680, 1686, 1688, 1689, 1690. The Plymouth record, for 1688, reads thus : " The court taking notice of the goodness of God to vs in the continuance of our civil and religious liberties, the general health we have enjoyed, and that it hath pleased God in some com­ fortable measure to blesee vs in the fruites of the earth, doe conceive that these and other favors doe call vpon vs for returnee of thankfulness to the Lord, who© might have justly dealt otherwise with vs---and therefore, that we may be joynt in this, our sacrifice, doe propose unto the several congregations of this gov'ment that the 25th day of November next, which will be the fourth day of the week, to be kept as a solemn day of thanksgiving with respect to His good­ ness in the p'ticulars abovementioued." After 1700 Thanksgiving Day was ob­ served annually m tho Hew England colonies. Congress in 1777 appointed a National Thanksgiving Day, also in 1779, on ac­ count of the surrender of Yorktown. Washington issued tho first Presiden­ tial proclamation for Thanksgiving for Thursday, November 26, 1789. priced fox furs whicb to val the marten «ad i««l ladies of Hmif " fox cost tram match is $6 a to w ftant 960 to $25, whfle a border "?lbe'*aa&is only $Tor $4 a yard. Lynx is« glosij Miek long fur that is very handsome for la­ dies in mourning; lynx borders for cloth SBcqnes cost from 01.50 to $3 tt yard. MOTE AND SBMZNIB. Tho demand for mink fnu bocrss more limited every season, yet the fine dark grades are still worn by those who? do not cap for changes of lishion, and consider instead durability and comfort. The prices range from $20 to $75 a set. Ermine, which was considered the most dressy fur, looks passee now that fox and chinchilla furs are used. It is, however, the most suitable for fur even­ ing, and will never lose its prestige en­ tirely. A set of muff and boa, such a$ formerly cost $50 or 960, oftn now be bought for $25 or $35. > ASTRAKHAN, STC. Astrakhan, Bussian lamb-skin, krim- mear, and other black furs, though no longer novelties, are still liked for their soft rich fur, and may be obtained at very reasonable prices. Cloaks of tiies* fura in long sacque shapes are chosen for traveling and for long sleigh-rides in cold neighborhoods. The sets are es­ pecially liked for mourning. .THE J^STOFFICE mfWFMEST. The Fashions in Furs. (From Harper's Bazar.] SABLE SETS. Notwithstanding all changes of fashion, the Crown Bussian sable re­ mains the choicest fur ; it is as high in price as ever, and becomes more clifBcult to obtain yearly. The set consists of a boa a yard and a half or two yards long, and a muff showing three dark stripes, made of well-matched skins. Fine sets cost $1,200, but desirable sets can be had from $700 down to $200. Hudson Bay sable is not used as extensively as formerly, but is chosen by these who want a handsome dark sable and cannot afford to buy the Bussian. The finest dark sets are $300. Lighter grades be­ gin as low as $75 for the muff and boa. SILVER-FOX. Perhaps the most dressy of all the fancy furs introduced lately is the sil­ ver-fox--a light blue-gray fur inter­ spersed with those "silver points" or white tips that are now thought to add so much to the beauty of any fur. The muff and boa cost from $75 to $200 ; a band of silver-fox trimming coals from $10 to $16 a yard. CHINCHILLA. Another fashionable gray fur for sets and also for trimming is the Arica chin­ chilla. This rich and velvet-like fur is beautifully shaded, and looks especially handsome when associated with velvet. The muff and boa cost from $60 to $75; the trimming is from one and a half to three inches wide, and costs from $8 to$ia FISHER-TAIL SKTS. The sets of fisher-tail fur that were so highly prized last season are very diffi­ cult to procure now. This is a dark* rich, warm-looking fur, costing from $75 to $150 a set. The trimming ranges from $12 to $18. BLACK-MAKTEN SBTS, ETC. Sets of the black-marten fur, some­ times called Alaska sable, remain the prevailing choice in low-priced furs. The long round boa and muff cost from $15 to $25 ; trimming costs from $1.50 to a yard. There are also various low- Annul Beport ot the Third Assistant Po«tmaster*-ftener»l. Mr. E. H. Barber, Third Assistant Postmaster-Seneral, has completed his annual report. It contains many facts of interest. The number of official let­ ters received in that bureau in the last fiscal year was 685,000. These were opened, classified, indexed, and distrib­ uted by four clerks. The figures show that the postal cards are very popular. During the year there was issued 107,- 616,000, of the value of $1,076,160. In the month of October last there were issued of the new cards, 20,138,000, which is one-fifth of the entire amount sold during the fiscal year. The esti­ mate of the number necessary for the next fiscal year is 154,967,000, The num­ ber of public or ordinary postal stamps issued to Postmasters during the fiscal year was 682,342,770, of a value of $18,- 271,479. The value of postage and peri­ odical stamps was $815f902„ The num­ ber of official stamps issued to the ex­ ecutive departments was 18,495,900 of a value of $834,970. The total number of stamps of all kinds issued was 973,275,- 025, of a value of $25,477,511. The in­ crease in the number of ordinary stamps is about 10 per cent. The increase, in­ cluding official stamps, is about 7 per cent. The postage stamps sent through the registered pouohes to Postmasters numbered 359,4(52. Of this entire amount there were lost but ten packages, of an aggregate value of $250. The statistics of the Dead-Letter Service are of a quite romantic interest;, The num­ ber of dead letters handled during the year was about 4,500,000. Of these 31,799 contained money aggregating $61,000; 14,225 letters contained drafts, notes, and bills of exchange, of a value ©f $2,987,847 ; 135.027 letters contained' samples of merchandise, postage stamps, ̂ bud miscellaneous articles; 3,740,00(1 contained nothing of value. There were mailed to foreign countries from the United States 12,500,000 letters. Of these 106,200 were returned unde­ livered. The number of letter^ -received from foreign countries wad 11,800,000, of which 219,100 were returned undelivered. These figures' show the advantage which this country will derive from the new postal treaty o| Berne. That treaty provides that each country shall retain the postage on all letters mailed in its own territory, and that no account shall be kept between the countries. The excess of letters mailed from this country over the num­ ber received from foreign countries is nearly 1,000,000, The net gain to the United States from the treaty, therefore, presuming all letters to be only single weight, is 5 cents on 1,000,0§0 letters, $56,000. The result of the operations of the new law, which requires prepayment of ncT73papcr postage, presents a curious paradox. While the segregate receipts from this source have not been as large as they were under tho old system, the net gain to the government is greater. The Postoffice Department estimated that the new law would yield $1,500,000 annually. This estimate was based upon the returns from 55 leading offices for a uniform period. But the Postmasters either erred or did not make truthful re* turns, for the receipts from this source are less than $1,000,000. The govern­ ments makes a gtiin, however, from the fact thr« this sum is mainly collected in advice at a few offices, where no com­ mission is allowed upon the sums col­ lected. The amount received under this new system is near $800,000--about the sum received under the old system in 1873. Of the entire amount collected, commissions, were paid upon oiily about $100,000. . ' Newspaper _ prepayment- stamps have been supplied to 3,400 offices--the total number of places in the United States where daily newspapers are published. The increase in the number of registered pouches during the year was 15 per cent. The system of registered through-pouches works satisfactorily. They have been used upon all the principal routes. Postman ters generally certify to their useful­ ness. , MTM BOBINSON, teacher of one of the lower grades in a Baltimore school, de­ serves at least "honorable mention." Fire broke out on one of the upper floors, and the pupils came rushing down in the wildest panic, when she ordered one of her assistant teachers to play a march, and, going from room to room, she had the children file out quietly, without breaking step--or limb. MB. JOHN SAKTOJW. of Montgomery, New York, went out hunting the other day, and had a $100 pointer with him. The first shot Mr. Sanford made at a quail he killed that $100 pointer, and now he considers himself the only man in the country precisely equal in skill and judgment to the Captain of a British iron-clad. ' DANBURY is a curious town. It covers a good deal of ground, but has only one street--Nelson--running through it or aroand it. ma^Kierriifa DAY woo®! lSnh(raM*efc>; m know*the Tbrtmgh. tfcs wfeite sad drifted girt Aa oyer the -•£ I nver Mia through U»iwoftd.""iT"%<r'r ' * 1 * To have * flm.nito m-c Over the river and through the wed. M Trot fast, my dapple-gray! Spring over th* ground Like a fcrintliig-hoaiid! . For thfe is Thankagiviiur D*v "Over the river sod throi And straight through 1 We seam to go Extremely slow ""4» tt is so hard to wait Vi Over the river and through the „ -14i> Now grandmother's cap I spy] % i Hturrah for the fun! IfJke pudding done? MUrran for the t»ijapkln-pte! Pith nnd Pzimt." . „ Evmti donkey that has a oold no '̂ days flatters himself that he is a horse. |P' ,-y PUBMO spirit--Beadineag to do anp' K thing which is likely to prove lucrative . WHAT is the difference between an auction and sea-sickness.? Th$. the sale of effects, and the other fects of a sail. v "MIKE, have you settled that affair; with Lewis ?" *e Yes, he kicked ne oat of the stoop last week, and since that he> has stopped bothering me." ip- . A idniiB girl in Ypsilanti, Mich., dp scribed the coming on of an ague nMjH by saying that " the cold streaks weftei playing tag down her back." A NEW HAVKN miss, now prosecuting, her musical studies at Freiburg, Ger­ many. writes to her parents as foliowlf " I have grown so fat I have two chintz with a prospect of a third.1' ^ Ax the Georgia State Fair the prettf>.~ est baby was awarded a cooking-stov*Lt, The real danger of giving a stove to a: baby is that some day when his mothitf is out he may put it in his mouth, tupd then he would have to swallow a t6§?f kettle before she conld get supper.^ JVew York Herald. ^ DtnuwG the recent excursion of Texait' editors, an intelligent compositor at' Chicago alluded to one of their number, whose paper is called the Marlin Moving Ball, as the conductor of the Mooing" Bull. The editor went round to the of-!' fice to ask the int. comp. to come oat and take a horn, but the int. comp. had ' taken down his coat and sold nis string within ten minutes after the paper ap­ peared. t.' A YOUNG Hartford merchant called on a young lady, s few evenings sinne, and was shewn into tho parlor to await her, appearance, when the lamps being unlit, he removed a large quid of tobacco from his moath and threw it out of the win­ dow, as he supposed. When tbe appeared with a light, the most proi nent object in the room was that young ' man staring in a very embarrassed way : at a big chunk of tobacco pinning tfeuft,-. lace curtain to the unopened window. "PRESS ON." . K ; f Press on! You're rusting while youstMd; Inaction will not do: " « Take life's snail bundle in yonr hand, And bridge it briskly through. , , "JumpoveraUthe 'ifs1 and 'buts;- ' '"Qiere's always some kind band To rat life's wagon o'er the ruts, J And poke away tho sand." ; ftn. LEIFO9ILB gave to a theologio^t * student the following rules for preaching: ' 44 Begin low, Go on slow; Kiee higher, And take fire; ' • When siiost impressed, Be self-possessed 5 : ' AV the end, wax warm, •=• , And sit down in a storm." ' - " FREE PRESS" MAN. Madagascar has a newspaper, and'its naked subscribers spread it out on the ocean beach and careftilly sit down on it to fish and look at the cuts. There are only two female cab-drivei* in New York, but to hear them yelling; "G'out the way there!" onewo«ldthink; . there was a hundred or more. A Georgia colored man has indulged in but twenty minutes' sleep per sight for the last five years, and the poultay •- in that neighborhood are in the same Hat. Sergeant Bates was kicked while mak­ ing his Canadian trip--yes, sir, actually kicked with a cow-hide Doot right where his coat-tails gracefully bob! bob! as he travels. Shall Canada be made to pay for this, or shall we pay Canada! Letfi have an understanding. Brant Geese, Mr. Hapgood gives, in Forest and Stream, an interesting artiole on brant geese, and concludes that they breed in the open polar sea north of 82 degrees. He quotes the observations of many Arctic explorers to show that they ream a high latitude and are seen moving on beyond even 82 degrees. That when kept as decoys in considerable numbers at Cape Cod, they have not been known to breed. Tho£ some years there are no young birds, in which case the season is supposed to be too short to sufficiently . mature the young for the long flight south, beginning in September. These geese are found in very grefct numbers, and yet'only one instance is mentioned of their eggs. They appear to breed | beyond haunts of men, and have been successfully domesticated. - The Speakership. A Washington correspondent graphs to a Western newspaper: "Mr. Weight, Chairman of tho "Democrat!® State Central Commission, of Pennsyl­ vania, and member of the Forty-fourth Congress, writes to this city that he is for Sam Bandall for Speaker, each and every time. Also, that the seventeen Democratic votes of the Pennsylvania delegation are pledged solid for Randall. The fact of bus own State delegation backing Bandall so strongly will give him a good tooting in the House; but will have to yield to Kerr, who is grow­ ing stronger and stronger every day. The Democrats already here feel that* in this selection, they must have a maw above reproach, and whose record ii clear. Kerr is the only available candi­ date who alls this demand." SBRGT. BATES is reported still becahrt* ed in Canada, stationary for want of money. The man who lends him any* thing, under these circumstances, will merit everlasting oblonuv from AmoA . ...