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[tndcaltr Jnw »UKE. Edlttr mi f>abll«t»r. W. ILLINOIS. VOt MWOOLMABM'S SIOBTj ^ ' *T WO I.ST AX DIXBT. ' " -A froptv wan in the a'r*- ;' Hi.w-platnly 1 remember-- The briaht autumnal tiro* had piled* Wre hefe (U1<1 there an ember! 3hetkr looked hard, the bills were bar*, Agd IMr* were toko « everywhere 1 Thatit had come--November. I tooked the time-worn school-houso doOT, ' TOB vlllafre seat of lprnintr, Acrou the smooth, wHl-trodden path ' Mv homeward footsteps turning; . ; MjrJieart a tr.uib ed qu st'on bore, , 4 ' Alia In my mind, as oft before, . A vexmsr thought was burning. v^Whv is it up hill all the way?" ^Th us ran mv mod tat ions: . s Tic lesions had j/one wrong that aay, ; _And I had lost mv patience. t •% there no way to Foften c.irG, f JU>d make it easier to brar li fe's sorrows and vexations? • Aer-s> my pa'hwny, through the wood, A fallen t-re? wa» lyintr: On this there sat two little girls, i And one of them was crying. ' • I faearr) her sob: "And If I couli, ' , fvi pet my lessons awful good. But what's the use of trying?"- < - And then the little hooded hea-i / Bank on the mother's shoulder, • Pi little weeper sought the arm! . *' That opened' to enfold her. ; *v : Against the young heart, kind and true* She nestled close, a d neither knew r- That I was a beholder. : > A*d then I heard--ah: ne'er was known Suoli judgment without malica. Nor queeniier counsel ever heard . 1 - In senate, hous \ or palace !-- "iBhouid have-failed there, I f m sure. Uoi't be dis'.ourayed: try once more,« And 1 will help you, Al.ce." "And I will help you." This is how To soften care and grieving; Life is made easier to bear By helping and by giving. Here was 'he answer 1 had Bought, And I, the teacher, being taught Tne secret of true living. If 'I will he'p you" were the rule. How ehange.t beyond al measure Life wou id bee me! Each heavy load Woul i be a goMen treasure; Pain an i vexation be forgot; Hope wou'd preva 1 in every lot, .¥ And life !>e only pleasure. --Treasurr Trore. S "Well, my boy, Til try and tell you all about it from the beginning. Help yourself to a cigar first and pass the box to me. 1 knew you would want to hear the particulars, and I--I have been trying to put off the evil moment. I'm getting an old man now, Harry, and all this shook me a good deal at the time. "Come here. Trot, and sit on my knee. There, that's better. Seems odd, Harry, don't it, to see an old bach­ elor like me nursing a tiny bit of a girl like Trot? Four years old to-day, aren't you, Trot? How the time flies! "You see, my dear lad, you ought to have told Iter before you, went away. It might have saved her--who knows? "It must be nine years since your Uncle Wiil died and left Violet in my care. She was only 15 then. Don't you think Trot is very like her ? The same large brown eyes and long lashes, the same loving little ways. "She come to me one morning soon after you started for China, with a let­ ter in her hand. " 'Look here, uncle,' she said, kneel­ ing beside me, and holding the note •where I could read it; 'It's from the Gold's, and they invite me to go and stay with them at Ventnor. May I ac­ cept?' 'Do von want to go, Violet?' I asked. " 'Of 'course I do,' she answered, lsuging. 'We are so quiet here at home, and this would be such a delight­ ful change. Please let me, uncle. I'll write you long letters, and tell you about everything.' "I did not vaht to part with her even for a little time, for the three years she bad been with me then had made my life quite a different matter; but it seemed selfish to keep the bright, mer­ ry girl always shut up with a crusty old man. I gave her leave to go, and then, wl.en after a fortn'glit she wrote, begging to be allowed to stay longer, as her iriends wished, I had not the tie rt to refuse. She was there five weeks and then she came home. "The very day after her return he came--that contemptible scoundrel whom in those few weeks she had learned to regard as a hero. How he found out at first that she had a little fortune of her own I don't know. He asked for me, and told me that he wanted my permission to address my niece. "He was a good-looking young fel­ low, and had a frank, open manner, that was sure to win a girl's favor, but I thought of you, Harry, and deter­ mined to prevent the matter going fnrth< r if I could. I took a strong and apparently unreasonable dislike to him, and made many inquiries, hoping to find out something that would justify me in forbidding him the house, but entirely in vain. But I studied; observed every little act and word, until at last"was convinced that I knew him through, and that he was no fit husband for mj little Violet "By this lime it had become a kind Of tacit engagement, and I knew I should seem almost brutal for interfer- ^ conldu't be.ir the idea of giv- ing \ iolet into his care. I vowed to myself that nothing on earth should in­ duce me to do so, and I told him to dis­ continue his visits. "The result of that was that he came to a definite understanding with Violet, and she promised to marry him, with or without my consent. "Don't look at me BO reproachfully, Harry. It may be that I acted unwise­ ly all through; but if so I have been severely punished for my folly. You have let your cigar go out Here are the matches. "You want me to tell you all Bhe said and did--her very words, as well as I can remember. That's a hard matter, for my memory's not so good as it used to be. , "I was sitting here one evening, when Violet came in slowly, and sitting down where you are, looked at me very sadlv , lor some minutes. " 'Uncle, dear,' she said at last, "I can­ not understand you. I never believed that you could be so hard and cruel.' "I d d not speak. " 'It is not like you to be so unjust, so Arbitrary,'she went on. 'It seems to me, uncle, that in the matter of mar- riage a woman should choose for her­ self and not be influenced by anvone. X have made my choice and given my word; but oh! I should be so much liappier if you were not angry. Do Iprgive me a&d be your own kind self egain.' " "Yes, when yon yield to my wishes, I answered, coldly. 'You are a mere girl, Yiolet, and have had no experience of Ben. If you were ten years older I should leave you to take the conse­ quences of your rashness, but as it is--' " 'AM it is--what .then? Oh! uncle.' «Bd she slipped from her chair and kneeled here on the rug at my feet, 'pray--pray be yoar old self again. Yon were never angry with me before, and it seems so strange and unnatural to see you turn your head away from me without atmila Do you love me only if I have no vo.'ce, no will of my own ?' "'Listen to me, child,' I said, looking her in the face. 'I have striven to be a father to you since I brought you here; I have loved yon, heaven only knows how dearly 1 In return I only ask you to let me prevent your making a com­ plete wreck of your life. I want to save you from a sad fate, and you think me a tyrant.' "She took my hand in both hers, and pressed her face on it, then looked up with a smile. " 'I wish Harry wa=» here,' she said. 'He would help me to convince you. jHe always took my side.' " 'I ought not to have told you that, imy dear boy, but it was so fresh in my imind, as it struck me forcibly at the time, knowing as I d d your love for her. Forgive me my want of tact. " She was not given to shedding tears like some women or she would have scried then. Her cheeks were hot and iburning as they touched my hand, While her eyes were feverishly bright. She used every argument sho could lind to induce me to consent to her en­ gagement, and as I remained silent she (drew nearer and gazed up eagerly In my face. 'You relent, uncle?' she whispered in an agitated way. 'You will let me be happy ?' "'In that way, never,' I told her, fcadly and sternly, and 1 tried to draw away my fingers; but she clug to them tightly, while her lips quivered. 'Don't say that, uncle!' she cried, hoarsely. 'Dear uncle, oh, what can I say--what can I say to move you ?' "You think I wai very hard, Harry, I see; but I thought it best. " 'Hush, chicd,' I said. 'Nothing will influence me. I am resolved.' " 'And so am I,' she said, sorrowfully, dropping my hand and raising to her Ifeet 'I should always have wished to tlease you; but now that you are harsh nd unjust, and will not listen to aea- ' eon, what can I do?' "She waited for me to speak, but I ad no words at hand. I was too hurt and angry. She went toward the door, then came back and stood behind me, resting her hands lightly on my shoul­ ders. " 'Try and forgive me, uncle. I love lfim so--I love his faults that make you despise him, and his virtues that you do not know. Won't YOU kiss me, un­ cle?' "I was half inclined to take her in my arms and tell her she should do what she would; but I did not. After a few minutes of dead silence I heard her catch her breath in a half sob, and then the door closed upon her, and I was alone. "The next day she did not come down before I went to the city, and when I came home she was gone. I have forgiven her now, Harry; but it was a cruel blow. After all my love and care I did not think she would leave me like that! "Why, Trot, you look quite fright­ ened! I'm not cross, my pet. "Yes, yes, my boy, I'm going on; but you are so impatient. Well, some time after--a year, or two years per­ haps, I can't remember exactly--I was coming home at dusk--in the Strand I think it was, I met a woman in a shab­ by black dress, with a child on her arm; our eyes met, and then somehow or other we were the center of a crpwd, and I was raising Violet's head from the hard pavement. She had fainted on seeing me, and I had just ccntrived to save her and the little one from a severe fall. "I brought her home in a cab, end my housekeeper helped her into bed. Harry, she was next door to starvation, when that accidental meeting gave her back to me--for only three days. I was too late to save her. " 'You have forgiven me ?' she asked that evening, as I sat by her bed. '"I forgave you, my child, long since; but not him who has brought you to th's! Wher6 is he ?' " 'Dead,' said the poor girl, in a faint whiter. 'Don't speak ill of him. I can't bear it.' "I asked her why she had not let me know she was in distress--why she had not come home. " 'I was ashamed to come,' she said, 'I knew you would not turn from me; but I was too much ashamed.' "The next day but one the doctor told me--what to expect. I promised the poor child that Trot should take her place with me. I held the little one for her to kiss, and had it taken away; and then-- " 'Trot, my darling, run upstairs to nurse for awhile; 111 call you down again by-and-by.' "And then, as I said, Violet bade me good-bye. Her last words ? They were, 'Give my love to Harry.' A Poer flsy's Romance. X spent a day with great interest, feays Mrs. Sarah K. Bolton in the Congregationalist, jn visiting the worsted mill and warehouses at Saltaire, just out from Bradford, En­ gland. which covers about ten acres. The history of the proprietor, Sir Ti­ tus Salt, reads like a romance. A poor boy, a son of a plain Yorkshire man, at 19 in a loose blouse he was sorting and washing wool; a little later a good salesman, a faithful Christian worker, and the Superintendent of a Sunday- school. At 33, happening to be in Liverpool, he observed in the docks some huge pieces of dirty-looking alpaca wool. They had long lain in the warehouses, and, becoming a nuisance to the own­ ers, were soon to be reshipped to Peru. Young Salt took away a handful of the wool in his liandkerchiof, scoured and combed it. and was amazed at its at­ tractive appearance. His father and friends advised him strongly to have nothing to do with the dirty stuff, as he ^ould sell it to no one, and if he at­ tempted to make cloth from it himself, he ran a great risk of failure. Finally he said: "I am going into this alpaca affair right and left, and I'll cither muke myself a man or a mouse." Returning to Liverpool he bought the whole 300 bales for a small sum and toiled diligently till proper ma­ chinery was made for the new material. The romlt was a great success. In three years over two million pounds of alpaca wool were imported, and now four million pounds are brought to Bradford alone. Employment was soon furnished to thousands, laborers coming from all over Great Britain and Germany. Ten years later Mr. Salt was made Mayor of Bradford; ten years after this a member of Parlia­ ment, and ten years later still a baro­ net by Queen Victoria. A great change from the boy in his soiled, coarse blouse, but he deserved it all. He was a remarkable man in many ways. Even when worth his millions and giving lavishly on every hand, he would save blank leaves and scraps of paper for writing, and lay them aside for future use. He was an early riser, always at the works before the engine was start­ ed. It used to be said of him, "Titus Salt makes a thousand pounds before others are out of bed." He was punc­ tual to the minute, most exact, and un­ ostentatious. After he was knighted it was no uncommon thing for him to take a poor woman and her baby in the carriage beside him, or a tired work­ man, or scatter hundreds of tracts in a village where he happened to be. Once a gypsy, not knowing who he was, asked him to buy a broom. To her as­ tonishment, he bought all she was car­ rying. The best of his acts, one which he had thought out carefully, as he said, "to do good to his fellow men," was the building of Saltaire tor his four thou­ sand workmen. When awked once what he had been reading of late, he replied, "Alpaca. If you had four or five thousand people to provide for every day you would not have much time left for reading." Saltaire is a beautiful place on the banks of the River Aire, clean and restful. In the ceuter of the town stands the great Bix-story mill, well ventilated, lighted, and warmed, 545 feet long, of liglit- colered stone, costing over a half mil­ lion dollars. The four engines of 1,- 800 horse power consume fifteen thou­ sand tons of coal per year. The weav­ ing shed, covering two acres, holdsl 1,200 looms, which make eighteen miles of fabric per day. The houses of the work people are an honor to the capitalist They are of light stone like the mill, two stories high, each containing parlor, kitchen, pantry, and three bed-rooms or more, well-ventilated and tasteful. Flower beds are in every front yard, with a vegetable garden in the rear. No broken carts or rubbish are to be seen. "These incessant fogs have a very bad effect on my throat I can't talk for any length of time without getting like I did just now, so that I can't croak out a word. "There isn't much more to tell, fortu­ nately, for I'm getting as hoarse as a raven. "I was out, with Trot by my side, one day last autumn, when I came upon some-one I had thought had gone to join the majority. He was walking with a pretty, stylish-looking girl, chatting and laughing, but when he saw me his smile died on li s lips, and the blood flew to his face. "His gaze dwelt for an instant on the child whose hand I held. He knew those brown eyes and long lashes, and he saw the black frock. "There, that is all. Harry, I read your thoughts. You must not! Leave him to Heaven. Promise me; boy--for her sake. You promise? Your hand on that. Heaven help you my poor lad!"--Young Ladies' Journal. MEETING PRESIDENTS. The Topography of the Braiu. Abundant proof lias been adduced of the fact that the brain may be handled, irritated, or partially destroyed with­ out necessary danger to life. One of the latest developments of this method of investigation has been the discovery of those centers in the cortex which preside over voluntary motion, which have been, more especially by Prof. Ferrier, differentiated and localized with great precision. This important knowl- dge has been arrived at by an extended series of experimeuts con­ ducted on living animals, in which, by observing the several effects or destroy ing limited areas of their brains, the different lunctions of these special lo­ calities have been determined. A to­ pography of the cerebrum has thus been constructed, in which the various faculties have been mapped out--Na ture. IN character, in manners, in style, in sH things, the supreme excellence is simplicity. Montgomery's Last Meeting with His Wife. With such feelings of ardent devo­ tion did Montgomery give himself up to the cause of American liberty, that when called upon by Congress to quit the retirement of his farm in order to become one of the first eight brigadier- generals, he wrote to a friend "that the honor, though entirely unexpected and undeserved, he felt to be the wiil of an oppressed people, which must be obeyedand he accordingly went im­ mediately into active service. Mrs. Montgomery accompanied him on his way as far as Saratoga. In after years their parting was described as follows by his brother-in-law Edward Livingston, who was at the time a boy of 11: "It was just before General Montgomery left for Canada. We were only three in the room--he, my sister, and myself. He was sitting in a mus­ ing attitude between his wife, who, sad and silent, seemed to be reading the future, and myself, whose childish ad­ miration was divided between the glit­ tering uniform and the martial bearing of him who wore it Suddenly the silence was broken by Montgomery's deep voice, repeating the line, ' 'Tis a mad world, my masters.' 'I once thought so,' he continued; 'now I know it.' The tone, the words, the circum­ stances, overawed me, and I noiselessly retired. I have since reflected upon the bearing of this quotation, forcing itself upon the young soldier at that moment. Perhaps he might have been contrasting the sweet quiet of the life he held in his grasp with the tumults aud perils of the camp which he had resolved to seek without 6ne regretful plance at what he was leaving behind. These were the last words I heard from his lips, and I never saw him more."--Louise Livingston Hunt, in Haider's Magazine. The Practical Touifcfetone. The Selectmen of Middlebury, Con- neticut, propose that hereafter tomb­ stones shall be made valuable as public records. They have passed a resolu­ tion requiring that every tombstone to be erected in the West Middlebury Center cemetary shall contain, in ad­ dition to the name, age, and date of death of the person to whom it refers, the name of the disease which was the cause of death, the name of the phy sipians in attendance on thev deceased, and a brief description of hisvjbreatment of the case. "V A Little Chat with President Arthur--Bril­ liant Talk Altout the Weather. When President Arthur paid a visit to the great National Park several of tho prominent mon of Wyoming, including myself, went tip to Green liiver, where tho presidential party wonld leave the special train and, under an escort, cross overland to the park. There were half a dozen of us who felt as though tbe northeast corner of the na­ tional fabrio rested on our shoulders, and we felt that so long as the Presi­ dent was to visit for a .number of weeks within the borders of Wyoming we ought, as a matter of common polite­ ness, to go and give him the freedom of the park and the Shoshone reserva­ tion. In the party we had a member of the Supreme Court of the Territory, the United States marshal, the present Suveyor-general of the Territory and myself. When the President's train arrived, bearing, besides the President, General Sheridan, Senator Vest, Secretary of War Lincoln, Colonel Sheridan and others, we waited quite a while for the President to come out and see us, but he remained in his car. Thinking at last that perhaps the Presieent had not heard that we were there, we walked around the train a few times, so that he could seek us and call us in and con­ verse with us. But he made no over­ tures whatever, and we finally had to go into his car and introduce our­ selves. He may have been overjoyed to see us, and doubtless was, but he has remarkable control over himself that way. When tho President took my shapely hand in his and Colonel Sheridan told him who I was, he looked mo square in the faoe with a sort of rising inflection, as though he might be trying to re­ member who I was but could not At that moment I would have given $2 if I could have thought of the proper thing to say. The more he looked at me with those dark, sorrowful eyes of his and patiently waited for me to say something, the less I seemed to have my mind with me, and I wanted to tell him that in the hurry of starting oft I had left my thinker at home on the pi­ ano. At last I got desperate and said: "Mr. President, don't you think we are having rather a backward spring ?" That was nearly two years ago, and he has never, officially or otherwise, gratified my morbid curiosity. He still looked at me in dumb wonder and surprise. Perhaps he felt oppressed with the pomp and glitter of my good clothes. Marshal Schnitger and Surveyor General Meldrum dropped into an easy conversation with General Sheridan, and fought their battles over again. Just then Judge Blair was presented to the President, and I fell into the hands of Secretary Lincoln. Probably the Secretary still wakes up nights and thinks with pleasure, of that little chat we had together at Green river. He looked at me in an attentive and interested way that .flat­ tered mo at the time very much, but when I saw him a half hour afterwards looking at a young cinnamon bear in the same way I was no longer proud. Casually I looked up at Judge Blair and the President to see how they were coming on. The President had nailed the Judge with the same earnest expectant look, and the Judge was feeling of his head to see if it were there, and at the same time was trying to think of a hard wtffrl. Just then the President seemed to think of something that he bad left in the other car. He rose; and with a firm, dignified step, walked away, and I have nevor seen him since. Neither has he seen me since. It Is years since 1; st we met. And we may i ever meet agwin;. I have striiffff'cd to forget. But the 8,ru{we was n vain. Soon afterward we all hastily with­ drew. We thought it would be better for us to withdraw before the rest of the party did. It would bo more etiquette and bonhomie. Take it all around, we had a very pleasant call on the party, and every­ thing passed off smoothly. Still, I made one resolution on that occasion which I have rigidly adhered to. When I call on another President of the United States it will be when he sends a double-barreled quo warrauto after me, or when I have business with him of an important nature. I shall never call ou the President of the United States again just to kill time. The desire to rub up against greatness has been fully glutted in me. The wild yearning to shed a happy tear on the President, who is a total stranger to me, lias been thoroughly satiated. Should one of my own family be chosen to that great office and insist on my coming to Washington to run his ad­ ministration through the holidays, I might do so, otherwise I warn the future Presidents of this Republic that I will never, never darken their doors.-- Bill Nye. respects are probably the most astute business race in the whole world. Such is the strange power of a grovel­ ing superstition 1--The' British Qutir- teriy Review. Coin Standards of the United States* Tbe coinage law of 1792 provided for three gold coins, the eagle, half-eagle, and quarter eagle. It provided for the silver dollar as above mentioned,which was to weigh 416 grains, and be "the unit of Federal money." In 1837 a code of mint laws, drawn by Mr. R. M. Patterson, the director of the mint, and adopted by Congress, reducing the weight of the silver dollar to 412| grains, and the smaller silver coins in proportion, and for both metals the standard of fineness used in the mint of France was adopted. The gold dol­ lar was first coined under the act of Congress passed March 3, 1840. By an act of February 21, 1853, an im- partant change was made in our coin- dfee. By the laws (previously existing both the gold and silver except the 3- cent pieces) were a legal tender to any amount. At the ratio of silver to gold of 16 to 1, silver was of less value in the United States tUan in Europe, and our silver coins were exported in large quantities. To prevent this the act mentioned placed a seignorage, or mint tax upon silver, reduced the half- dollar and smaller coins in weight, and took from the subsidiary silver coins their legal tender quality excepting in small amounts. The silver dollar of 4V2i grains was not included in this change. The mint was no longer to coin silver for individuals, but to pur­ chase the metal at its market price and manufacture coins on government account. The effect of this change was to give to the silver coin of this coun­ try a current value sufficiently. above its market price as bullion to prevent its exportation, and at the same time to make silver money subsidiary to gold. The silver dollar, however, being still legal tender to any amount, and being heavier than a dollar's worth of small coins, stood at a premium of from 103 to 105. By the coinage act of 1873, prepared under the direction of John J. Knox, Comptroller of the Currency, the coinage of the silver dollar of 412+ grains was dropped, and in its place was substituted the dollar of 420 grains, called the "trade dollar," since it was intended only for the convenience of our trade with Mexico and the Central American States, China, and Japan,and was never much used in this country excepting on the Pacific coast. The act ot' 1875 also provided that silver money should only be a "legal tender at its nominal valuo for any amount not exceeding $5 in any one payment." This restriction, together with the omission of the old silver dollars from the list of authorized coins, resulted in the demonetization of silver," of which so much was said when its effects be- gaif to be understood. By the "silver bill" of 1877 the dollar of 4121 grains was restored to the coinage and again made lei^al tender. In using the word "standard" in the article to which our querist above refers wo had reference simply to the lact that gold, having the highest bullion value of the two met­ als. would naturally regulate the value of silver a.s bullion. As coin, silver and gold are of equal value, $1 in gold being exchangeable for $1 in silver at any time--or either of them for $1 in paper--as legal tender of the United States.--Inter Ocean. *' mm He Knew What He Meant. A Senatorial candidate dictated a telegram to a member of the Legisla­ ture: "If ypu vote for me I will not forget the obligation." "How mnny words is that?" "Eleven," said the private secretary. "Well, you know what I mean. Boil it down to ten words." The private secretary struck ont the word "not"--Chim^o News. Drawing Drafts of tbe Future# A man in China endowed with much forethought can make some provision for his own future comfort. The priests have considerately organized a bank for the spirit world. To this the provident may remit large sums during their lifetime, and cau draw on the bank as soon as they reach the dark country. The priests periodically an­ nounce their intention of remitting money on a certain day, and invite all who have any to deposit to bring it All who feel doubtful of the generosity of their next heirs accordingly come and buy from the priests as much as they can afford among the spirits. It is an excellent investment, as for a handful of brass cash, altogether worth about one penny, they will receive tyeee, L e., the boat-sliaped blocks of silver looking tinfoil, bearing a spirit­ ual value of $30. Paper houses, furni­ ture, and clothes may in like manner be purchased and stored beforehand in the happy security that neither moth nor rust shall corrupt them, neither shall thieves break through and steal. Wlien tho depositor (probably a poor coolly or aged beggarj has invested his little savings in this precious rubbish in the ecclesiastical bazaar he delivers it to the priests, together with a sum of real money as commission. For this the priests give a written receipt All this din is thrown into a large boat. It is a framework of reeds with bamboo mast, and its sails and planking are of paper. When all the depositors have made their payments, the priests walk several times around the boat, chanting some incantation, then simul­ taneously set lire to both ends, and the paper fabric vanishes in a flash of flame. The priests bid the depositors keep their certificates with all care, and gives them to some trustworthy person to burn after their decease, whereupon the said certificates will reach them safely in the dark world, and they can draw their money as required. All NATUBAIJSTS have discovered a milk- giving animal, or one belonging to the same great class of animals as the . ...«•• »«wi. uivuoj •<, ivt|uucu. ah horse, that lays eggs after .tihm fashion I this seems to be implicitly believed by of a reptile. ' a whole great nation, who in all oilier A Swedish tiodiva. # The 2d of Februaryi7in Sweden is considered the midwinter day. , In the era of paganism it was a great festival in honor of the heroine Goa or Goja, deified under the naihe of Disa, to whom the whole month was conseorated besides. The legend of ^Goa is very curious. It states that at one time when the country was visited by a frightful fam­ ine, the Thing, or national assembly, decided that, in order to alleviate the general distress, it would be necessary to put to death a part of the popula­ tion, especially the old and infirm. G oa alone dareel to. protest loudly; and claimed to be able to propose a means of remedying the dearth, which would prove more efficacious as well as more humane. The King ordered the execu­ tion of the decree to be postponed; but in the interim, desiring to test the sa­ gacity of the young girl, and to con­ found her audacity, he sent her word he would only receive her on condition that she would come to his dwelling neither on foot nor in a vehicle; neith­ er dressed nor undressed; neither in the course of a year nor during any particular month; neither by day nor by night. Goa solved the enigma. She came to the King's, house on a sledge drawn by a goat, holding on to the side of the sledge, with one leg resting Dn the pole of the sledge, the other on the goat She wore a Ashing net only in lieu of garments; and she came exactly at the epoch of the solstiSe, when the month is still undetermined, at the time of a full moon, but while it was yet twilight. Being permitted to speak, she advised that the old and infirm, in lieu of being exterminated, should he merely sent to the still unpeopled parts of the coun­ try where they would be able to obtain the means of existence without being any burden to the community. Tho King liked the advice; and as the ad­ viser had charmed him by her beauty and her wit, he took her for his wife.-- Translated from Le Figaro. * i Mrs. lieeclier's Speaking of opals ren/inds us of Mrs. Eeeclier's superstitionYabout precious stones. On one of their marriage an­ niversaries Mr. Beeclier ] presented his wife with a set of opalsjwilh which she seldom adorned liersellr A short time before Henry Ward's grievous trouble with Tilton she opened^ the casket in­ tending to wear her jewels, but noticed they had a dim appearance, as though covered by steam. She tried to polish them but they refused to be brightened, so she closed the casket and returned them to their hiding place with her heart full of forebodings. When their trouble was the darkest, she bethought her of the opals, and took out again the precious gems, which had lost their en- tiro brilliancy. When the sunshine be­ gan to break through the clouds, and there was a prospect of her husband'* vindication, she consulted the opals as a sibyl interrogates tho cards, and found them olearer, and when he had gained the entire victory the opals were restored to their natural hues, but have never since been worn by tho owner. Said one of the ladies to whom the story was being related: "TLe lan­ guage of opal is hope, and if any one hoped for a justification of Mr. Beecher it was his devoted wife, who sat w.tli him day after day listening to the evi­ dence for and against the man she Iris always loved, and in whose virtue and honor she firmly believes."--Cor. Chi­ cago Inter-Ocean. To DISCUSS an opinion with a fool is like carrying a lantern befor* a blind »nnn.--De Gaston. Parisian Marriage. A writer in the Le Figaro has recent­ ly taken upon himself the task of teach­ ing people' how to live in grand style. In a recent article he has explained the correct ceremonial of a French mar­ riage and its preliminaries. First of all, the match-makers, parents, and friends, hold all kinds of meetings and confabulations at balls, at the theater, at the races, in all the fashionable meeting places. If all the information obtained by the two parties is satis­ factory, an interview is arranged. Mid­ dle-class people arrange this first meet­ ing at the Opera Comique, the most correct and decorous of all Parisian theaters. The aristocrats prefer the churches of Saint Clotilde or Thomas d'Aquin. The young man is told that the young lady will Avear such and such a hat, and, concealed furtively behind a pillar, he examines her and decides whether she pleases him or not If her parents are less severe, the first meet­ ing may take place at a friendly house, at a picture exhibition, at a flower show, or what not, and the parties are allowed not only to see each other, but to exchange a few words. The follow­ ing day a reply has to be given. If it is negative on the part of the young woman, her father writes to the young man, thanking him for the honor of his demand, and regretting, for some reason or other, not to be able to re­ ceive it favorably. If it is in tbe affirmative, the mother writes and in­ vites the young man to call upon her in the afternoon. The young man then sends a white bouquet to the young woman, whom he may consider to be his fiancee, and until the marriage is celebrated he must continue to send a bouquet every morning of roses camellias, gardenias, or violets. Two or three days after his accept­ ance the contract 13 signed, the engage­ ment ring offered--a sapphire, a pearl, or a ruby, never a diamond--and the young man is invited to dine in the family of his future wife every night. The marriage is celebrated six weeks or two months after the engagement, that is to say, just time enough is left to buy the corbeille and trousseau. The corbeille consists of diamonds and lace, shawls, cashmere wraps, twoopera ofcoaks, four ball dresses, zibeline furs, a scent-bottle, a watch, a purse full of golden pieces, a card case, a pearl neck­ lace, and a dress of Alencon point lace. The fiancee sends these articles to the bride on the day of the signature of the marriage contract, a ceremony to which all friends and acquaintances are in­ vited. The bride wears a rose-colored dress on this occasion; the wedding presents are exhibited with the names of the givers, the corbeille is shown on a separate table, and all the guests, after signing their names at the foot of the contract, walk around and examine the presents. The civil marriage before the mayor is a pure formality, at which nobody is present except the parties concerned and the necessary witnesses. The fol­ lowing day the religious marriage is celebrated with as much pomp as you please. The bride wears a white satin dress, with lace veil over her hair, and a wreath of orange blossoms. The face is uncovered and the dress highnecked. The rest of the ceremony does, not differ from that practiced in England and America. There is a wedding breakfast and a honey-moon trip, and very often the couple so married do not Jive happily ever afterward. New York as it Used to Be. An.advertisement in the New York -Gazette in 1750 offered for sale "a like­ ly, stout Spanish negro fellow, about six or seven and twenty years of age, and understands the baking business well." This news was in the paper: Last week a quantity of fresh butter in three-pound rolls, was seized and sent to the poorhouse for being nearly a half pound in each roll too light. Among other notices are the lollow- ing: A likely negro boy about 14 years, country born, can speak Dutch and English, to be sold. Inquire of the printer. Last week arrived here a company of commedians from Philadelphia, who, wg hear, have taken a convenient room lor their purpose in one of the buildings formerly belonging to tho Hon. Rip Van Dam, Esq., deceased, in Nassau street, where they intend to perform as long as the Reason lasts. By his Excellency's permission, at the theater in Nassau street, on Mon­ day, the 5th day of March next, will be presented the historical tragedy of "King Richard III.," wrote originally by Shakspeare, and - altered by Colly Cibber, Esq. Wanted, a negro man that under­ stands farming--to hire or to buy. In­ quire of the printer. To be let on ground rent, for a term of years, four lots of land in the City of New York, fronting John street and William street, called the Horse and Cart. This is to give notice that his Majes­ ty's ship Hector, Captain Samuel Mais- terson, will sail from New York for Great Britain on the 15th day of May next. This is to give notice that on Thurs* day last was brought to Cornelius Van- horne, Esq., a negro man who calls himself Bristow; was taken up at or about King's Bridge, and says he be­ longs to Thomas Freeman of Whip- panjf. ^Tlie owner by applying may ve hin^ on demand, by paying charg­ es. A strong, active negro man, anew ne­ gro fellow, and five young girl* to bo sold. Enquire at Mrs.Elizabeth Carlton in^Broad St., or of the printer hereof. Johu Brown hereby gives notice to his friends and well-wishers that hav­ ing tried in many different ways to sup­ port himself and family, though with the utmost honesty and care, yet not being attended with desired success* has now, with the assistance of some merchants, opened a shop in Crown street This is to acquaint the public that there is lately arrived from London the wonder of the world, an honest barber and peruke maker. A Shifting Science. Medicine is a shifting science, and the bane of one age is the antidote of the next. Port wine used to be cursed as the cause of their misfortune by all jolly old boys with gouty toes, and now it is prescribed as a remedy for that very same rich man's evil- _ There will be fewer faces made over it than most doctor's stuff. DH. B. W. RICHARDSON, an English physician of eminence, declares that the mental phenomena of typhoid fever ;tre full of suggestions, anil that typhus is ma ked by short, delirious dreams, remittent fevers by long, dolorous and painful dreams, and scarlet fever by realistic dreams. A WIDE, rich heaven hangs above you, bnt it hangs high; a wide, rough warld is around you, and it lies very low. IKN PITH AMI PBIKT. A Rotx.EB-SKA.TEK is known by bik blimps. WHEN a stovepipe is ont at the «lbd>W; the soot begins to play ont " A MTERABY lion may be Iamb-Ilk# himself, bnt he often sets society in roar. "OCT on a fowl," said a fly as h# alighted on a duck's neck and was oar^ ried across the pond. .. 3s WHEN you wish to convey the ide* that a friend is married, just say, "HI - buys bonnets, now." LADIES are not supposed to sweat but they have often been known t% "darn" things.--Carl PrelzeVs WeekhA, BEBGH says he never could under* stand why a man should beat his wif<S':> It is generally because he daren't tack* le anybody else.--Detroit Free Presit, "WHAT will be the drink in the fu­ ture?" asks Mr. Moody. .There will: doubtless be many drinks among whicfp whisky will loom up prominently.-^ Arkansatv Traveler. SOME ingenious chap has invented it chin holder. Now married men nee$ no longer be at a loss as to what kin^L of a birthday present to make theip mother-in-law.--St. Paul Day. GEN>WASHINGTON was inaugurate^ in a suit of homespun clothes, and h|f was the only president thus apparelled^ But then, of course, no other presidenpT could ever get even that near to beinji like Washington.-- Texas Sittings. J A HOUSEHOLD item remarks thajl bride's cakes are now made in layer* Pullets are maiden layers too, bu|ftv though they hold in solution some o|f the elements of bride's cakes, they arji" quite dissimilar.--Yonker's Gazette. "DEAR litt'e man with the S'.eader legs, Man with the long, lonjr hnir. Why do you dance on .vour Blonder pegs? Why do you rant and rare.' Why do you howl and mutter so? Whjrdo you clench your fist?" "Silly chatterer, don't you know? I am an «i-o-uu-t.on-isc." --Texas Siftings. DD. DKCIIAMPS says that scarlet fe­ ver microbes are shaped like hairs, with a swelling at one end. What have always been supposed to be hairs in butter, then, were scarlet fever mi­ crobes, were they? No more butterine ours.--Peck's Sun. THE Philadelphia Call gives a recipe for "brick and mortar pudding." Sclioppenstedt says he doesn't know much about cooking, but he rememberjl a pudding his wife made the first weelc after they were married which tasted like that.--Oil City Blizzard. "WAS Rome founded by Romeo?" inquired a pupil of the teacher. "No, my son," replied the wise man; "it waa Juliet who was found dead by Romeo." The pupil said nothing, but immediate­ ly wrote to Joliet, Illinois, for particu­ lars. --New York Morning Journal. AN editor's wife writing to a friend,- invited her to come and visit them last summer; said fliey had just rented a real cosy cottage with a nice lawn at­ tached. An editor is so accustomed to having something attached every few days that he can't keep house without it.-- Whiteside Herald. SNAILS grow unusually large in In­ dia, and a company has been organ­ ized in New York for the purpose of shipping them to this country. We do not know how they expect to utilizi them, but suppose they are to be sub­ stituted for messenger boys in order, til secure quicker delivery of telegrams.-- Newman Independent. "Sis SAYS she can't come down to­ night; she has a severe headachy That's what she says; bat C holly don't give it away, she's lyin' like a housa afire. She hurt her bunion so tryia' to wear number two shoes on a number four foot, that she can't walk," was thb Way a Fourth street 8-year-old excusei| - his sister when her beau called. Brooklyn Times. ON State occasions King Tofa, of Porto Novo, South Africa, "adorns him­ self in a large flannel shirt and mounts his royal throne, where he sits sur­ rounded by his 1,000 wives, listening to the grievances of his subjects." W® should think a . king who has 1,000 wives should have more grievances 1» make than any of his subjects--especi­ ally about the time the bills for his wives' spring millinery come in.--Nor- ristown Herald. \ COMMON PEOPLE. "Common peop'e I d jspiso,'? Mrs. Shoddy said, And con empt. was in hcreJteS As eho tossed her hea i. "What are 'common' people, j rsjrf" I naked with a smile, For I know hpr weakness lay In attempting "style." "OJ the lower classes, sir," Answered she so perk, » ; "Butchers, grocers, bakers,;!#!1-!*, All who have to work " -? * Hang the bell. "Tbe butcher, main," Hawledtheservantshr.il, "Sen no mate he'll lave yez, mum. Till yez pay tin bill." "Tell him ho mnsl lsive lt. Jane, And I'll call around-- » r O! a butcher I disdain-- He's so low," she l'rown'd. Banff the bi ll. "The jrrocer, mum, "Sez he wants his pay." "What ill breed in.?--'Tell him come, Jane, some other day." "Hero's the washerwoman, mum, And the baker st ̂ ut " "Wjw>n thoo * torrid creatures come, Jane^gay-Fftm out." T "Faith! yotid not l.e in at alt » If 1 touId thnt l'e-- , *i:,, Folks as live by cliatln'small" , Shouldn't perch so high;" Thert the reason I 'itvised Why j oor Mr8. S. •'Common pcop c" so de?pl3ed-- 'Twasn't na;-d to jruess. --II. C. Dodge, in Chicago Sun. , ^ i ^3 i Eliminated Drudgery. The truth is, or should be, that a man takes the most solid comfort in that work which interests his whohi family, and about which all tho mem­ bers can unite in study and ejoymeuk The farmer who pursues a system of mixed iiusbandry, has in the diversity of employment, breadth of. study and thought, everything that will stimulate a healthy activity of mind and body. In the pursuit of financial success, he has problems to solve and question to decide which may form subjects for most interesting family conversation. There may be drudgery in farm li% but there need be no more of it there, than in the details of the highest art* The best way in the world to embellish this drudgery, is to find questions con­ nected .with it that shall quicken thought and stimulate inquiry in every member of the household.--C. m Gat,jield, in Vick's Magazine. A Sly Joker. A victim of street car pickpockets determined to get even with them, so he put into his pocket a pocket-book containing only a slip of paper on which was written the words: "This time, you rascal, you've lost the reward of your labor!" He got into the car and waited, resolved to have the pick­ pocket that meddled with him arreste<|> Twenty minutes passed and nothing happened, and, tired of wait^g, he got out, having first assured himselt that his pocket-book was safe. He opened it* and in the place of the white pieoe of paper there was a blue one, which he nnfolded and read as follows: "What a sly joker you are 1"--ArgonanL •- a . . . . . • „ , , J . . -- - . ?• , L ' . . ._ ... f. . _