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, i» there too many of we?" a« girl asked with a sigh, i yon wouldn't be tired, you J. few of your child* oould die," « f t \i*« » She *u only three years old--tho one Who spoke in that strange, sad way,; ,;t ;•>.*> -A* she »aw her mother's impatient frown At the children's boisterous play. *»*o© MAN* or WIC." Vhere were a half dozen who round her etood. And the mother was nick and poor, , • "" Worn out with the care of the noisy brodp • ,1,, And fight with tho wolf at the door. ^ ; $ War • smile or a kiss no time, no place; For th* little one, least of all; And the shadow that darkened the mother's ,: • face T>. * O'er the young life seemed to fall. More thoughtful than any, she felt morfe < And pondered in childish way Mtow to lighten the burden she could not dun, Growing heavier day by day. *! Only a week, and the little Claire In her tiny white trundle-l>ed ) jbay with the blue eyes closed, and the sunny hair Cut close from the golden head. •J>on't cry," she said--and the words w*n low, • "Feeling tears that shucould not see-- j *Kfou won't have to work and be tired so, v When there ain't so many of we." I ffot the dear little daughter who went away • v. From the home that for once was-stilled, :;s4H»owed the mother's heart, from that •• i day, - HVhat a place she had always filled. --Woman's World. A PAYING DEBTS. j'".: - • I. ) ' f f ' |F SATHI H. MOO^a. John Kamsay was working on his farm. Us careless, loose dress displaying to ad­ vantage his tall, muscular figure, and a l>road straw bat shaded a handsome face, with large dark eyes set beneath a fore­ head whose breadth and height indicated a powerful brain. The hauds that guided the plough were strong hands, bat whiter and more delicate than such pursuits usually allow. Daisy Hale sat watching him. Her dress Was print, but made with flounces ou the tfcirt, and ruffles on the waist. Her short golden hair was curled in a fringe care- rally over her forehead, and gathered in longer curls into a comb behind, above which was a very jaunty hat, covered with puffs of white muslin and bows of blue ribbon to match the spots upon her dress. The face under Daisy's hat was gloomv; MDt to say cross. A very pretty face, but llOt pleasant, Laving a pet Ad, spoiled- Child frown, and a brooding discontent in the large blue eyes. Presently the farmer drew near her, and i£king off his liat, fanned himself with it, flopping his horses while he leaned in­ dolently against the plow. "You look deliriously cool under this great tree," he said. ""And--hem!--very much dressed for 9 o'clock in the morn­ ing!" ... "In a 5-penny calico!" she said, con­ temptuously. "When are yon coming in?" "At noon, to dinner," "It is too absurd," she broke out, augry tears in her eyes, "for you to be plowing, •nd hoeing, and milking cows, and doing Che work of a laboring man! I thought when von came home from college yon would do something besides work on a Ibrm." • ~ "And let the farm go to ruin. That Would be a poor way to pay my debts." "Your debts!" she said, looking aston­ ished. "Do you ovfe debts?" "Certainly! You and I are both very hervily in debt, Daisy. I think when Annt Mary took as in, poor little orphans, I her nephew, you her second cousin--" "Third*cousin," she interrupted, "since you are so particular! I know what you mean, but 1 am very sure that Atrat Mary never intended as to dradge on her horrid old farm!" •> "Do yon know that all the money •tie saved in a life of hard work 'was spent upon oar education? Do yoa know that she has nothing now Imt the farm, and that to take her •way from it would probably shorten her apron, her dear old face showing no sign or heat or weariness, while Daisy, with added bloom and bare white aims, Was carrying in the dinner. "The new girl, at your service," she •aid, saucily, as she pulled down her sleeves. "Dinner is ready, sir." Hut her lips quivered as he bent over her and whispered, "God bless yoa, dear! Forgive me if I was too hasty this morn­ ing." It wns a merry meal. They made a play that was more than half earnest of Aunt Mary's being a great lady who was to be waited upon, and not allowed to rise from the table upon any consideration. Dinner over, John returned to his plowing, and Aunt Mary, firmly refusing to sit in idle­ ness, was allowed to wash caps and saucers, while Daisy made short work of pots and pans. John Siiid but little as the days wore on and still found Daisy at her post. It was not in the nature of things for Aunt Mary to sit with folded hands, but it became Daisy's task to inaugurate daily naps, to see that only the light work came to the older hands, to make daily work less of a toil and more of a pleasure. And the young girl herself was surprised to find how much *he enjoyed the life that had seemed to her a mere drudgery. With younger hands to carry on the do­ mestic affairs, they ceased to engross every hour of the day, and John encouraged Daisy in making nse of the stiff, shut-up parlor as a daily sitting-room. A pair of muslin curtains at each window w^te skil­ fully draped to keep out the flies, the center table resigned its gay vase of stiff artificial flowers and stand of wax fruit, to make room for two dainty work-baskets for "afternoon work," and the periodicals John took in. Over the shiny horse-hair sofa and chairs pretty bits of embroidery were draped, and fresh flowers were sup­ plied each day. Aunt Mary's caps, her collars, and aprons were adjusted to suit the new order of things, und the easiest of chairs stood ever ready for her iesting- tinie. And John, bringing to his task the same will and brains that had carried him through college, was inaugurating a new order of affairs on the farm, and ru|ade the work pay well. Once more came a June day, when Daisy sat in the fields, and John stood leaning against the fence beside her. Four years of earnest, loving work had left traces upon both young faces, en­ nobling them, and yet leaving to them all the glad content that rewards well-doing. Many hours of self-denial both had met bravely; many deprivations both had borne well. Daisy wore a black dress, and upon the hat in John's hand was a band of crape, but through a sadness in their •oices there yet rans a tone of happiness. "Yon love me, Daisy?" John had said to her. "When have 1 not loved yoa?" she an­ swered. "And yoa will be my wife? Darling, I have long loved yoa, bat after Aunt Mary was stricken down with paralysis I would not ask yon to take np new duties. Now she needs yoa no longer, and voa shall leave the farm whenever you wish." "Leave the farm! Oh, John, must we leave it? I thought it was yours now." "So it is." "And you have made it so beaatifnl, as well as profitable! Oh, John, why mast we leave it?" "Only because I thought it was your wish." "It would break my heart to go away. I lo*e my home." And John, taking the little figure into a close embrace, wondered if any city could produce a sweeter, daintier little lady than the one he held in his arms. "She always has taken care of -it fcer- aelf." ' Y M "Are yoa Mind thai you cannot see how fhe four years she has been alone here have aged her, how feeble she is? While we were living at ease at college and school •he has toiled for ns until she is wearied out." "But you oould send her money, if you •ere in the city in some gentlemanly occu­ pation. !f "Perhaps so; ten or twelve years from sow. To-day I propose to work this farm, and see how many bushels of corn I «&n raise on it." He took hold of the plow handles as he •poke, started the horses, and left her, her eyes full of angry tears. "He might as well have said what he •leant," she thought, springing down and •tarting for the hoase. "He thinks I ought to cook, and wash, and make butter, and work like a servant-girl, when I have Studied so hard and tried to make myself «lady, that he might not be askumed of •ne." And yet, in her heart, she knew that he Was ashamed of her, and that she de­ served it. Ashamed that she could sit in her room, selfishly engrossed in making Bretty articles of dress, or reading, while ner cousin, or, as she, too, called her, Aunt Mary, worked in the kitchen, the dairy, the poultry yard, from day's dawn #11 night. She was not all selfishness and heart- lessness, though there had grown a thick '•rust of both over her better nature. Her ideas of ladies and gentlemen depended largely upon clothing and pursuit, and jjhe had not yet quite realized how much ; jbore nearly John's standard reached the #esired point than her own. As she drew near the house the sting of jJohn's words penetrated more and more through the crust she had drawn over her keart, until a fresh stab had met her at the door. Looking in at the open door, she jaw a white head bowed in weeping, a slight figure shaken by sobs. Quickly through all the selfishness, self- .reproach struck at the girl's heart, and in a moment she was on her knees beside the |ow chair, her arms around the weeping woman. "Ob, Aufit Mary, what is it? Oh, please don't cry so! Oh. what has happened?" "Why, Daisy, dear"--through sobs that jy would not be checked at a moment's notice . --"don't mind me. I'm only tired, dearie-- only tired." . * Could she have struck deeper? Tired! At 70, housework does not become a ^weariness! At 70, it may seem as if ©ne ought to rest, while young hands and ife^*tjactive feet take up the burdens. She was r «yery tired, this patient, old woman, who , had given her life's work for others; first for her parents; then for an invalid brother, }jp<^rlastly, for the orphan children; with such . Innumerable acts of neighborly kindness as only the recording angel of good deeds •' knew. s' Well might she be tired! It was new to J? her to be caressed, to have tender hands " lead her to her room and loosen her dress, f'\ a tender voice coax her to lie down. ife-V- ' * "Now I will darken the window," Daisy ^ , said, "and you are to rest! Sleep, if you >£*•>, can, until dinner-time." "But, Daisy, you cannot make the [p -dinner." j i ' "I will try," was the quick reply; abd if.'- ' Aunt Mary submitted. 151; Washing the ^potatoes, shelling peas, Jif ? frying ham, making coffee, all allowed £* thought to be basy, and Daisy sighingly Ifer/ -put away some of her day-dreams over her ' homely tasks. & ; "I cannot be a lady," she thought, "and F> -John won't be a gentleman, but I will try ; 4o pay my share of the debts." |**t,' She had taken off her flounces and hat, ;fc •4 :and put on a plain dress and large check apkon befoie she began to work; and she « was rather astonished, as -her kitchen hf'j duties progressed, to find herself happier y than she had been since she returned IV *, , home. ig* When John came to dinner he was as- T' tonished to find Aunt Mary "quite t|## ; dressed up," an she blushingly said, •a « ehw* <yris* . white Costly Condolences. It is re}M>rted that it cost Mrs. Lo­ gan over $30 to pay the expenses of the telegrams of condolence sent to her. Her house is outside the city boundary, and the telegraph companies change 10 cents each, whether they were pre-paid or not, for delivering tliem. . She re­ ceived several hundred, and strange to say, many w«re sent "collect." It seeins odd that messages of condolence or congratulation should be sent "col­ lect, " but it often happens. Out of the thousands of telegrams of congratulation received by Mr. Gar­ field upon his nomination at Chicago in 1880, many were marked "collect." It is my recollection, however, that the telegraph company in that case can­ celed the charges. Most of these were sent by people who either did not know the amenities or did not care for them, but many were sent unthinkingly or through some inadvertence. It would make some people uneasy even yet to know that their fervent and effusive communications reached Mr. Garfield marked "collect" One noted gentleman in particular sent a very long and enthusiastic mes­ sage that bore the word "collec\" causing Mr. Garfield to smile as he glanced at it. Soon after the sender was a candidate for a high position under the President, and, as I jknew liim well and liked him, I took occasion to t9ll him about the telegram, feeling sure there was a mistake somewhere. He was as demoralized and disgusted a man as one could imagine. He explained at once to Mr. Garfield that he had sent the dispatch from a hotel in New York, and supposed it had been charged to him in his bill, as he directed. H£ was not appointed, though whether the "collect" dispatch had anything to do with his failure he never knew. Another "collect" dis­ patch to Mr. Garfield was from one of the most noted American actors, who was an intimate friend and great ad­ mirer of Garfield, and he would have been mortified -beyond expression had he known about the matter. Another of the "collect" telegrams was from a millionaire Senator, and anothef was from a great railroad and telegraph magnate and millionaire from : New York. That was the most singular one of all, and iir was suspected that' some of the high officials of the telegraph company did it as a joke upon the sender.--Washington letter. MAX1S0 FISH-HOOKS. How to Keep the Carriage Ife#. The preservation of a carriage de­ pends largely upon the way in which it is housed. The barn or shed should be airy and dry, with a moderate admission of light, otherwise the colors of paint­ ing and lining will be affected. Do not let the vehicle be rolled near a brick wall, as the dampness of the wall will hide colors and destroy the varnish. The coach house should not be con­ nected with the stable or next the ma­ nure pit, since the ammonia fumes rising from the manure will do more to crack and ruin vdrnish, and ruin colors of paint aud lining, than all pther causes put together. Do not allow mud to dry on a newly varnished carriage; spots and stainis will be the result if you do. Do not permit water to dry of itself op a varnished surface, but remove all moisture with a chamois leather onlv, after the soft sponge has been usecf. Do not let the leather top carriages lie long unused with the tops down, but raise occasion­ ally, taking off the strain on the leather and net-stay by slightly oasing the joints. Keep the motlis out of cushions and linings by- frequent brushing. Examine the axles often; keep well oiled and see that the washers are in good order. < THE boy who was kept out of school for orthography said he was spell­ bound. Only Two PIMM 1B America Where tbe Ltttta Barbed J') Are Made--An Inter- Interview. For many years Brooklyn was the only city in,America where fish-hooks were made. In fact, to-day there is only one other place in the country. Much curious information has been pre­ sented by different writers concerning fish-hooks, tracing their use to the times of the prophesies of Amos and to the still more remote writing of the book of Job, in both of which they are mentioned, and they cite their use by the apostles. In Bohn's late edition of "Walton's Complete Angler" are de­ scribed the nice differences of form and {ualities of the Kirby, Limeiick, Ken- < lall, and sneck-bend hooks, and long shanks are recommended for hooks that are to be dressed with long-bodied flies, as the dragon fly, the stone fly, and the spider fly, any superfluity in length being easily nipped off. The Kirby hook derived its name from an ancient family who had become famous in their manufacture. Charles Kirby, who lived in the time of Charles IL, ac­ quired from Prince Rupert the art of tempering, which remained in use in the family till 1760. A lineal descend- ent of that Charles was then making, Dear Aldersgate street, London, the hooks in best repute for shape and tem­ per. The first improvement in the construction of the fish-hook from the old conventional style was made about thirty years ago. Fish-hook making in the United States was first introduced in Brooklyn in 1854 by Job Johnson and was carried on extensively by him until the year 1867, when the business was turned over to John W. Court. Mr. Court says; "I came to this country from tlie vil­ lage of Redditoh in Worpestershire, En­ gland. In this town are many fish­ hook manufacturers, and while a mere boy I started out to learn the trade. When I had finished I came to Brook­ lyn and worked for Johnson for awhile and then I began for myself. I ham­ mered out fish-hooks by my hands in an humble little shop not far from here, and continued to do so until a few years ago, when my inventive genius forced me to experiment. My labors were rewarded by the successful inven- of a patent automatic fish-hook machine which makes eighty-five hooks, of any size, per minute, from the common Wire as fed from a reel. In olden times the hook had to be handled many times be­ fore completed. First the wire was cut to the right length for the size needed; then we cut the barb on, and the next thing was to anneal the hook, then forge it on a drop press, next shear it on the same press, then grind the point, shape it, and after that eye or flute it. Then the hook was ready for temper­ ing. These were all done with hand machines. I came to the conclusion that it was a slow process and invented the machine I have referred to above, which combines all of these hand ma­ chines into one. I am now at work upon a machine expressly for trout hooks, and when completed will turn out hooks at the rate of 150 per minute. At the present we make about 80,000 hooks per dam^rli total of 24,000,000 per year. ThpsaetHod of the automatic patent machine is about as follows: The wire is taken from the coil the same as received from the mill and run through a revolving straightening ma­ chine, composed of pieces of steel screwed in zigzag shape, which acts as a friction on the wire and straightens it. Then it is drawn on to a large wheel five feet in diameter (the process being the same as winding cotton on a spool) from the last end of the wire and is taken and put into the machine by an automatic feed by two rollers any length you want. Then it is sheared off, transferred and the eye is put on. It passes on and the barb cutter puts the barb on; then the forging dies take hold of it and flatten the point out; it still travels on and the chipping dies trim the blott off at an angle which leaves a ragged point, it still travels further ia the intricate machinery, when the rotary mills take the rough edge off the hook and then the other mills, made V shape, file on the sides. After that it is transferred to be shaped and then it is finished. The machine is the sim­ plest in construction of any in existenoe and the only one of its kind in the world. I make quite a specialty in shark hooks and have recently turned out the largest one ever known to be made. It was made out of five-eighths steel wire and is 2 feet in length--15 inches when shaped. The bend is 4i inches in diameter and the barb is 3f inches deep. I calculate that the hook is capably of holding four or five tons and can get away with a pretty good shark." Liquid Fuel in Bnssia. Liquid fuel has made during the last few days a fresh advance in European water, the sailing vessel Protektsia, fit­ ted with tanks, having arrived at Odessa with 300 tons of petroleum re­ fuse, which was at once purchased for various Russian factories there, hitherto using English coal, says Engineering. The consignment was from the 'Cau- caususport of Novorossisk, where petro­ leum refuse has been selling for some time past at about 18 shillings per ton. As, by means of the Russian furnaces in use, a ton of oil refuse goes as far as two tons of English coal, the latter is altogether out of the running at Odessa; and we may expect in consequence to see a considerable development of the new enterprise. We ourselves, in dis­ cussing the future of liquid fuel, have always expressed the aniion that its use would spread gradually from the Caspian to the Black Sea,' and thence to the Mediterranean and the East in advance of any sudden aud sweeping success at home prognosticated by en­ thusiastic inventors in this country. Up to now this view has been justified by events. , Liquid fuel has made very little headway in England, where it has to compete with cheap coal, while it has only been adopted by a number of vessels running between Baturn and Odessa, at both of which ports coal is dear, but at length has been adopted also by factories at Odessa. In all probability, now that a start has been made in conveying oil refuse in bulk in the Black Sea, the enterprise will ex­ tend, and before long successors to the Protektsia may be conveying it to the Mediterranean ports. The fact that the Russians should have made this start themselves shows that they are not de­ pendent upon English capital and en­ terprise in this matter. Novorssisk is the outlet of the Black Sea petroleum fields, and now that the railway through them is nearly finished, a copious sup­ ply of oil is becoming available for steamers. A telegram to the Kavkas states that of the two tunnels delaying the opening of the line, one is finished and the other will be completed by ApriL The railway will then be finished throughout, and English coal •piU experience a formidable rivalry ia the Bjlack Sea region. It is unneces sary to discuss here which will prove the better fuel. The fact remains that the Russiana prefer petroleum fuel to Enlish ooal, and that the use of liquid fuel is making rapid headway in South­ east Europe. > The Country Store. > ... • All elderly woman, with gray eyes looking sharply through steel- bowed spectacles, enters and casually examines several bolts of lawn lying on the counter. "Ah, good day, Mrs. H says the proprietor, coming briskly forward, anticipating a sale, "looking for lawtos?" "No, I dono asi I was," says the pos­ sible customer, guardedly; "I was just noticin' these." "They're pretty pattern. I just got them in." "They're all so light" "Light colors are all the rage this summer. But here's a black-and-white piece that's just the thing for you. Now isn't that neat?" "Yes, ruther; but it ain't just what I like. ^ How much is it?" "Fifteen cents a yard." "Ain't that dreadful high for lawns?" "Not for lawns of that quality. Just see how fine it is." "Yes, but they're selling lawns every mite and grain as good as that in the city for 8 and 9 cents." "Impossible, Mrs. !" "Indeed, they are! And one of mv neighbors got a good piece for 7 cents.' "They ate not such goods as this." "It's pretty nigh the very same thing. I hadn't calculated on giving more than 10 cents." "Why, Mrs. H , this cost more than that at wholesale!" "Oh, I guess not. Anyhow, I can't, give but 10 cents a yard." , " "I can't take ifc." "I won't give any more. " "Well, just examine that lawn closely, now." "It looks well enough, but I ain't at all sure that it won't fade." \ "I'll warrant it not 'to fade. Vit's a standard make and fast colors." "Well, how many yards are there in the piece?" "Thirtren; just enough for a full pat­ tern." "Eleven would be a great plenty for me." Now, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll let you have the piece for 14 cents a yard, seeing as it's all .I've got left.?' "Can't you say an even 12 cents to an old customer like me ?" "No, really, I couldn't." "Fourteen cents is too much for lawn that's selling ev'rywhere for 10 cents." "Oh, I think you're mistaken." "Well,« see here, I'll give you 12^ cents a yard for it." "No, I couldn't go below 13 cents and wouldn't let anybody but you have it for that." Well, I'll give you 13 cents if youll call it twelve yards." "But there's full thirteen yards in the piece." "Well, call it twelve and Til take if "Can't do it." "I reckon you'll throw in thread and buttons and waist-linings?" "Couldn't do it for that money." "Well, say thread and buttons, then ?" "I'll throw in a spool of thread." "And a card of hooks and eyes?" "Well, I don't know; yes, I will." "Now, why can't you say buttons, too?" "I really cannot. I'm losing money now." ^ ,v. "And you cannot mike it 12i centB a yard?" "No." "Well; I guess I won't take it; I ain't lictim or CireiiBtStMCiAl Erl- deace. V - > No matter how strong may be every link in a chain of circumstantial evi­ dence there is always a doubt, a lack of certainty, that should weaken it and cause us to distrust it. I remember a story my grandfather used to tell of a case in which an innocent life was sac­ rificed for a guilty person. A boy on a farm, for some misdemeanor, was sen­ tenced by his father, a stern man,1 with an eye to saving a half-price ticket, to be deprive^ of his annual circus privi­ lege, and, inv addition, he was to hoe so many rows of corn while the rest of tlrj family took in the lady's pad act, the bareback riding of Jack Robinson, the club that killed Captain Cook, and other attractions of the great moral sliaw. The boy watched the wagon drive away, with tears in his eyes, and then he went at his corn rows with a deter­ mination to make a short crop, if it could be' worked without detection. But he grew hungry after awile and went into the house and investigated the pantry. There were seven pies--it was an American household--seven blackberry pies, baked for Sunday. The boy, who was not feeling very well himself, soon placed his person anterior to six of the pies, but passed thought­ fully, and with keen regret, midway on the seventh. "One-half of that he left. He then caught the family cat,' thrust her nose and feet into the remains of the pie and dropped her on the clean, white, sanded floor of the pantry that she might track around on it. Then he went back to his corn rows. Evening brought the family home. The l>oy saw them climb joyously out of the big wagon. He noted how the over-ripe apples fell from the trees when his sister jumped over the side and lighted flat- footed on the ground. He saw his father let himself down over the double­ trees and get himself kicked twice by the roan colt. He saw his mother waiting patiently until somebody had time and inclination to take the baby. He saw his grandmother perch herself on the hub of the hind wheel on one foot, while she made vague, circumfer­ ential, wandering excursions for the wide, wide world with the other. He saw his. brothers let themselves down* over the tailgate and sneak away to avoid doing any work. At last the wagon was empty, and there were visi­ ble signs of excitement about the house. "The raitl is discovered," said the boy, cutting the roots of a healthy stalk of corn and carefully hilling up a vigorous lance weed. Presently he saw his father come out of the house with a gun over his shoulder and the cat under hib arm. "The culprit is arrested," calmly re­ marked the young Jobber, as he leaned thoughtfully upon his lioe, and watched his father disappear behind the barn.' The sharp report of a gun rang out upon the quiet of the sun-set hour. "There," said the boy, with the confi­ dent expression of one who knows what he is talking about, "there goes another victim to circumstantial evidence."-- Burdette. needing a lawn dress this summer^ any­ how?" --Youth's Companion% \ Origin of Familiar PhrasMMi "Bag and baggage* is doubtless an old proverbial expression in regard to the movement of an army. Touchstone says in "As You Like It": "Come, shepherd, let us make and honorable retreat; though not with bag and bag­ gage, yet with serin and scrippage," The way in whic* ' -- shows that it is the joke turns col Bel a door-nail" is parison which! "Hit or miss" phrase, "Hitoi "Love is blind" deduction froml be one of in the la blind, but Italian proverb] sounds like a where the clo\ Ends Well" s{ a goodly mano^ looks like a ne loose" is not The phrase trick employee fairs. "To pltf to play this ga ends of a strir ened, the jugg away. "West a Shakspeareaj mon phrase in of a drama by r Webster, Shal and "Eastward drama by Chapman, State prosecu^ contempt" is form of it isu temptumparitJ bed-fellows" proverb: "Mi strange bed- feather flock --Xochester H{ The hand- after making seems about but what thel viceable; for' have been extl but because an extravagaf be only salt bottles. One< that the grenades is it other ingredi* Salt water ha' efficient extinj! '•> A citizen aginative, quet. When?1 , hour in the iL describe the "In the cen "there were t "What be asked his wifi to its full wi»' IBRE80LUT which offer and inconsta* the greatest nesa.^jtdde* M ® . hrase is jpw#, wn ,Jhe, and "Dead as rbial com- repeated. ;> proverbial ow's heel." he obvious I and must r expressions '/• "Love is , is an old f for a song tlirase; but Well That an that "sold the thing 'Fast and in origin, i juggler's at county loose" was after both v irely fast- p? dipped it bably not yas a com- ^ the title and John jporaries; ame of the " -ston, and authors a H rity breeds ; the Latin iliaritas con- ikes strange sion of the men with Birds of a Id proverb. hinguisher, i fortunes, oax. Not are ser­ vient fires eir use; i paying ems to glass glares hand- itever ntain. an The Origin of Cattle. Professor Boyd Dawkins, as the re­ sult of his investigations as to the origin of British breeds of cattle, be­ lieves the two principal stocks from which all the breeds are descended are undoubtedly (1) the Urus, an animal wild in the forests of Europe later than the days of Charles the Great, and which is believed to have been extinct in the British Isles; (2) the Bos Ioni- frons, or "small Celtic shorthorn," an animal which never was aboriginally wild in Europe. Both were probably domesticated in Asia, and both made their appearance together in the Neo­ lithic age, in the possession of those who lived on the wooden platforms and artificial islands in the Swiss lakes. The remains of the latter are, he Bays, to be found all over Europe in refuse heaps belonging to various periods from the Neolithic age down to well within the historical period. It is the only domestic ox which he has met with in the large number of refuse heaps in the British Isles, ranging from yjiJtgalithie age down to the time of TOe £dglisfrftN^K^,1111(1 is represented by the present HigiiJjand cattle, small Welsh and small Irish cattkv . The first, or the Urus stocCj^pwjr, served in Great Britain almost in its aboriginal purity in the so-called wild cattle of Chillingham, he has been un­ able to trace further back than the in­ vasion of Britain by the English, and of Ireland by the Scandinavians. As the evidence stands, it was unknown in these islands as a domesticated animal before this time. The present breeds are, in the opinion of Prof. Dawkins, descended from the two stocks, and are the result of cross­ ing and selection. The polled cattle are considered to be the result of selec­ tion, in which advantage has been of a tendency to revert to an ancestral horn­ less type, probably as far back as the Miocene age. He would expect to meet with them from time to time in every breed, just as from time to time a horse is born with three toes, which have been derived from his remote Miocene ancestor, the Anchiterium. On this point it is interesting to note the polled skull of the Bos etruscus in the Florence museum, belonging to a fossil species, usually horned, living along with extinct elephants and rhinoceroses and other animals in the plains of Lombardy, in the Nal d'Arno. Lord Selkirk's letter to Prof. Dawkins shows how the horns were bred out of the Galloways, and his version is confirmed by the independent evidence collected by Youatt. The Galloway, however, he says, were not the only polled cattle in Britain, although they were the an­ cestors of the Norfolk and Suffolk breeds. The Gisburne cattle, now ex­ tinct, but of which there is a specimen in the museum at Owens College, where polled, being in other respects identical with the Chillingham. It is. however, smaller. The Gisburne polled cattle became extinct in 1859, and the skull of the last bull is in the museum, as. stated. The Finest Sapphire in the World. The most magnificent sapphire in the world is the property of a noble Rus­ sian family. It is over two inches in length and is an inch and a half wide, its color being a rich azure. It is per­ fect in form and in water. This peer­ less gem was in the keeping of a Paris­ ian jeweler some years ago, when the sum of one million and a half of francs was offered for it by one of the Roths­ childs, but the offer was refused. It is M 1 -it' k,y|mounted as a brooch and is surrounded | J! J i^by large diamonds, a smaller sapphire, if* j, J W Similarly mounted, being suspended 'utforvrom it as a pendant. Stone That Looks Like Beeswax. A peculiar substance has been found in Georgia, a yellow material, very much like beeswax, which, when shaved off with a knife, rolls up like that article. It is a kind of rock, and, while there is nothing about it that burns, it beoomes as hard as flint when heated. res9. es of life tr choice, hem, are uhappi . Theatrical fiialsonces. The principal reason why there is such a large attendance at the theaters, is that on the stage villany is punished and virtue is adequately rewarded, which is seldom the case in real life. Most people are lovers of justice, and are willing to pay money to see it car­ ried out, even if it is only on the stage. Being desirous of seeing a villain punished, I went early to the theater, and got a very nice seat in the orches­ tra. I had an unobstructed view of the stage. Then the orchestra, like a can­ didate on election day, began gradually to fill up. Then my trouble began, and, as is usually the case, there was a woman at the bottom of it. My trouble was a big tall hat, the ostrich feather on the top of which seemed to tickle the the big chandelier. There was a wo­ man at the boltom of this hat, and she sat right in front of me and obstructed my view of the middle of the stage where tho villian, as a general thing, gives up the ghost. I was congratulating myself with the hope that the villain might possibly perish miserably on the side of the stage, and I'd have a chance to gloat over ^ him, when another female came in and sat alongside of the one mentioned. She had on a hat that had a flowing-garden on the roof; it closed out entirely the view on the left. Unless the villain was kind enough to perish on the extreme right, my chances of seeing him draw his last breath were very slim. I saw very little of what was happen­ ing during the first act. There was a man sitting next to me. I think he was from the West. When the curtain went down, he went out, suffering with rage, the hats having obstructed his view too. He must have been a me­ dium, for he had a spirit call between each act. As he passed out, he almost knocked the tall woman's hat off with his elbow, and he trod on my toes be­ sides. When he came back, lie almost knocked the other hat off, anil walked about some more on my corns. The ladies looked around at him but he never quailed ;• such is the stimulating effect of a clove. He was in a talkative mood, and turn­ ing to me, he said, in a whisky-laden whisper, "I wish the men in the theaters would put on their tall hats, just to see how the women would like it." "I have read," I replied, "that some genius has invented a theater hat that shuts up, the same to be worn by la­ dies." "A tall ladies' theater hat that shuts down would answer the purpose better," said he. "I was reading a piece in the paper the other day that in Corea wo­ men Wear hats, in and out of doors, which vary in height from three to six feet, and that there has not been a theatrical performance in Corea.for the last four years. I don't wonder at it," continued the inebriate, wiuking at me. I 'think the ladies in front of us must have overheard our conversation, for one said to the other, evidently talking at us: "It's a pity some genius can't invent something that will hold a man in his seat between the acts." "Yes," replied the other lady; "but instead of a hat that can be shut up in the theater, a man who oould be shut up would be very desirable." The inebriate winced a little, and said to me: "An eminent scientist at­ tributes the extraordinary longevity of a woman who died in Boston at the age of 114 to the fact that she never wore a high hat in a theater." One of the tall hats bobbed about in­ dignantly as the owner remarked: "The vigorous health of a Philadelphia man, now in his one-hundredth year, is due to the fact that he never went out between the acts to make astro­ nomical observations through a glass, and came back with a breath strong enough to draw a full house. "J "There is a consolation," remarked the man from the West, "in case there is a fire; the woman with a big hat will have it jammed down over her eyes, and she will never get out alive." The woman with the flower-garden on the dome of her hat was silent for a moment, and then she said, ""The man who keeps his mouth shut never lets the public know what an ignoramus he is." She had the last word, for the West­ ern man had temporarily exhausted liis ammunition. He made no reply. There were several people in our immediate vicinity who made uncomplimentary re­ marks about other people who talk too much in the theater. One suggested that some people who brought their mouths with them to the theater should be compelled to leave them outside and get a check for them, as is done with umbrellas at the art gallery. I left the theater before the per­ formance was over. I didn't get to see the stage at all. I was dazed by the conversation of the Western man, and I limp yet from the injuries my toes sustained by his walking about on them. Is there no way to suppress the three great theatrical nuisances, viz., tall hats, irrelevant conversation, and going out between the acts?--Alex Sweet, in Harper's Weekly. A Miner Millionaire. A miner in Leadville, Col., who can neither read nor write, is worth to-day, at least, $3,000,000. Four years ago he hadn't a penny, except what he earned from day to day as a miner. His name is John L. Morrissey. He is a young man, not more than 32 or 33. The Crown Point mine, like Tom Bowen's Golconda, was just about paying ex­ penses: Her owners offered to sell her for $40,000. Morrissey went to Chicago and interested Diamond Joe Reynolds in the matter. Reynolds knew that Morrissey was an authority on mining, even if he couldn't write his own name. He finally purchased the Crown Point, agreeing to give Morrissey a half in­ terest after the original sum was repaid. Within thirty days they struck a vein ol high-class ore that lias yielded them a monthly income of $18,000 apiece ever since. There is said to be $5,000,000 worth of ore in sight. Morrissey cannot eiven tell the time of day. It is a stock joke among the boys, if you ask Mor­ rissey what o'clock it is, for him to pull from his fob a $500 watch, and, with a condescending air, tell you to "luk for yerself and then ye'll know I am no$ lying to yez."--Salt Lake Tribune. Wrowth of the Licorice Plant. The Department of State has received and published a series of consular re­ ports on "The Licorice Plant and Its Cultivation in Various Countries." The plant is cultivated for its roots in Eng­ land, grows wild in Spain, and is also gathered in Turkey, Greece, Italy. Sicily, and elsewhere. In England it flourishes best in sandy, loamy soil, being planted deep enough to insure good long roots. The plant matures in three and a half years. When it is once well rooted it is almost impossible to eradicate it, though great care is ex­ ercised in harvesting not to harm the plmt.^GMoago Tribun& PITH AITD POINT. THE Czar of Russia is not as sarcas­ tic as he might be, considering that hisj,*t:Z very mouth is a.Czar-chasm. THE dog is not much of a pedestrian *' ^ but he can make an unliiqited number ^ of laps in a very short time, • A BOOT and shoe shop hangs out thd . sign, "Cast-ironlasts;" Weal! know ife^ j- does, but we don't 'want any boots made . • of it. DAUGHTER--Ma, why does Unelej ; John say "er-- er" so much when hd :"f;[ talks? Mother--To err is. humaq, my child. THE difference between a buzz-saw -* j*1' ^ and a bull»dog is that wlien the> former is most dangerous it never shows its. . teeth. THE difference between a church organ and an infuriated bull is that one -- has stops and bellows, and the Other bellows and stops. *1 HAVE a. theory about the dead languages/' remarked the last l»oy in the class. "I think they were killed by, 3 S being studied too hard." AN esteemed contemporary speaks of . a person being "buffeted by a thorn in the flesh." We shall next hear of some -s one being pricked by the blow, ' club. • / -• ' A PITTSBURGH girl who has been vis­ iting here has returned to her natiyetT.l city; she sayq the atmosphere of Bos-'" ' ton does not soot her.--rBosttOn Qom-i m e r c i a l B u l l e t i n . . . . . j BOOK AGENT--NOW, then, here is.- *,-< "Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.* Aunt. Susan--No, ear, I'se got two bunion^^!?'4 already and dey's never been no help to- - / dis yer pilgrim's progress .--Life. A MAGAZINE asks: "What is true "* r » joy?" True joy is what a woman feels' ; when a committee at a country fair de« „ , ^ clares that her crazy-quilt is prettieif than all the assembled crazy-quilts of • - her neighbors. ^ . FOND Mamma (to young miss)--Did X J I not forbid yoU to go to the park with* , out a protector? Young Miss-^But I had a protector. Fond Mamma--You mean to tell me Young Miss-- ^ Yes, I went to the druggist and bought a chest-protector. - "WHAT a frivolous girl Miss De Puys* ter is," exclaimed a New Yorker, • « "Have you found her so?" "I slumlct * say I had. She can't talk base-ball 4, little bit. She is fell the time wanting to waste her time discussing 'Th®,, Whiohness of the Is.' " ' "TIMES have changed greatly since ,4| Shakespeare's day," remarked Sprig* . gins. "Yes, just so," replied Fitzgob* ble. "Now, Shakespeare said, 'Tho ^ *;1 apparel oft proclaims., the man.'" "Well, what does it proclaim now.?,f!j£Jl "The dude, generally." » V "Was your husband on the stand yes­ terday?" asked a lawyer of a woman, in a case in which husband and wife were witnesses. "No," she answered, with a snap, "He wasn't on the stands He was on the set. That'tf the kind of 1 a man he is, whenever there is any* ' thing to get on, from a satin sofa to the - * top rail of a worm fence." ., A BARRISTER, noticing that the Couri- had gone to sleep, stopped short in tho middle of his speech. The suddeif> «t silence awoke the judges, and the law? - yer gravely resumed: "As I remarked . *3 yesterday, my lords" The puzzlecjjl judges stared at each other, as thougl| t « | they half believed that they had beei|.;'"•>.(! asleep since the previous day. LAYS OF LONELY BARDS. i He's old and bent and feeble, and lmporfeot' is his Bight. A pair of gold-rimmed spectacles are perched "r upon his nose; He leans upon a trusty staff--his step's n& . * longer light, . His fase ia sadly wrinkled, and his cheek's * withered rose. He smiles upon the children as they flock abouf" / 'his knee ' ' Like merry birds in summer-time about ai| , oiden tree; ' . But you must just look out for him if he wants to borrow a V. --Puek. I . » O'Flaherty and Sadleftr. A correspondent of the New Yorb Times directs attention to the following interesting passage in the "Roundabout Papers" of Thackeray, referring to Edmund O'Flaherty (William Stuart): Two years since I had the good for- tune to partake of some admirable dinf*% ^ ners in Tyburnia--magnificent dinners indeed; but rendered doubly interest* ing from the fact that the house waa that occupied by the late Mr. Sadleir. One night the late Mr. Sadleir took tea in that dining-room and to the surprise of his butler, went out, having put into his pocket his own cream-jug. The next morning, you know, he was found dead on Hampstead Heath, with the cream-jug lying by him, into which lie had poured the .poison bv which he died. The idea of the ghost of the late gentleman flitting about the room gave a strange interest to the banquet. I neither knew this unhappy man nor his countryman--Laertes let us call him--who is at present in exile, having been compelled to fly from remorseless areditors. Laertes fled to America, where he earned his bread by his pen. I own to having a kindly feeling to­ wards this scapegrace^ because, though an exile, he did not abuse the country whence he fled. I have heard that lie went away taking no spoil with him, penniless almost; and on his voyage he made acquaintance with a certain Jew; and when he fell sick at New York, this Jew befriended him and gave him help and money out of his own store, which was but small. Now, after they had been a while in the strange city it happened that the poor Jew spent all his little money, and he, too, fell ill and was in great penury. And now it was Laertes who befriended that Hebrew Jew. He feed doctors; he fed and tended the sick and hungry. Go to, Laertes! I know thee not. It may be thou art justly exul patriae. But the Jew shall intercede for thee, thou not, let us trust, hopeless Christian sinner. In Safe Hands. "In cleaning your coat," he. said, as he halted a gentleman on the steps of the post-office, "I found these two let­ ters in the lining. When your wife called for the garment I thought it best not to say anything about the letters." The gentleman received them, flushed up and then turned pale, and as he put them in one pocket and drew a silver dollar from the other he remarked: "You did exactly right. These are a couple of letters my wife wrote to me when we were sparking, and I wouldn't have lost them for a hundred dollar bill." "Quite right, sir, and I'm m obliged. If she writes you any m and I find 'em you can depend upon my discretion."--Detroit Free Press. Salutation. ; Not long since I overheard two Ten- nessee negroes who had met each other: "Howdy do, sir?" "Porely, porely; I'se got a mighty misery in my back. How's yoa making "Me? Oh! I'se kicking, but not high; fluttering, hut I can't fly."--De* troit Fret Ptm» hi "jl ' ' , , -• -• -• •" J**** *:T