Highland Park Public Library Local Newspapers Site

McHenry Plaindealer (McHenry, IL), 15 May 1878, p. 3

The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

J. TAH SLIK^ttw* JlcHENRT. : -*S UNNUMBERED rwhita, when,lBaii mm oar Bone loved aM sleefea, life*« toil lad labor _ done. Jnt there m gnn* Above whoae •tamb'rinu Th<i» »™ H» »«»«• <J«»n d*?*rat within our ^Pf»^WMUWOfMUtl7y«UB, .Boned from ^Asonly can ba made by Mood and taan. Someearlj tow that crowned oa in onryovth, And iSon* chernriiMi peomiee, robbed of itniigth truth. Crashed in the moraine of ite aew-bocn power. Here is the spot where memory baa engravm! Theform and face of one we called a friend, -Bat One for whose -slfsrs we would e'en have farfemd Q®mw and beartaohe to the bitter end. Bat tWM not wiaely done, and ao we draw Before toe tt*tob«iy of fcbt amilinc«;«a •AJhmty veil. The cold world, if it saw*. ,: - W o u l d p r o f f e r p i t y i n a t b o o a a n d l i e s . - < fti?9-1"t>?* ******** fa* * ) meu _ ntneofi We learn to smile before the ami ling throng. Although the adder's fangs be deeply ae$; d join, porhapa, oar voices in the waif, 'o soothe the pain we never c».n forget. And ttawwe learit to envy the oala net • " tbeaOentaod; Oftiangswe4o<«d«invliefari And in the lapse of years we leant to atay "" " " calknelL The fretful chant their fonsral I l«ound wUftSfe'a chains, we know 'tis IfcttSdoOr hfMte and pass beneath the rod. -And when we seAaome mourners heavy clad In robes of black, haggard, with t#Ar-dimmed ' e y e , • • • • « ' • '"We know their liver would b more bright and glad Could thev but reason--it ia life to die. IMiourn not the alutthering dead, but rather say. Blessed are the sleepers. Yean may oome and go; Heads that are brows and gold may turn to Bat they are done with earth and team and woe. - •Somewhere, we know, beyond the world of stars, They will at last have found sweet Lethe's stream, <U3omc time we'll meet them at God's judgment bar. Where lifelalove, and love one long sweet dream. --Ogdea (Utah) Freeman. ROBERT B R AM LEIGH'S WILL. IT had been a busy day with me. I thad been working hard getting up evi- 'dence in a railway accident case, and wap putting up my papers with a sigh •of relief. Another forty minutes and 1 should be at home. I could almost -smell the boiled capon and oyster sauce which I knew were being prepared for me. "There's many a slip 'twixt the •cup and the lip," savs the proverb; and in my case it proved only too true; for . just as I was tying up the last bundle •of papers, the office boy put his head in • at the door and dispelled the tempting -vision. " A woman to see you, if you please, sir. She won't give no name. Says -she's a stranger." 44 A stranger!" I repeated. " What lis she like? " Is she a common person?" "Not exactly, sir," replied the lad. "A lady P" tasked.. &;• no, sir." -Ct fit HWhat is she, fthefel?'; ->m. A-i Arthur was a droll lad. I had brought him to London from the 'Country, to oblige an old college friend. I am afraid that he was not of much *use in the office, but he used to keep the •other clerks in good temper by his -amusing ways and dry remarks. Arthur paused, as if considering, and then, with a look of intelligence, as tmuch as to say that he had hit the nail on the htfad this time, he answered 44 Well, sir, she's a sort of betwixt and 'between." "Not a bad definition, Arthur. Ask 4he 4 betwixt and between1 up-stairs." A tall, middle-aged woman entered •and took the seat i placed for her. My visitor removed her gloves and, •carefully smoothing them, placed them •on the table beside her. She then pro­ duced from her pocket a large foolscap •envelop, from which she drew a piece -of paper folded longways. This she handed to me, explaining, in a hard, •monotonous voice, that she had been •sent to me by her master, Mr. Robert .Brainleigh, of Coleman street, who -was -dangerously ill--in fact, was not ex­ pected to live many hours. The paper, she said, had been written by hisdirec- tion, and signed by him for his will that afternoon. Fearing lest it should dot be in a proper form, he had desired her to take it to the nearest lawyer and Jhave one prepared according t© the Jaw. I infolded tfaib paper and read as fol­ lows: In the name of God, Amen. 1 leave my body to the scound and mj soul to Almighty God who - Ave it. Now this is the will ot ,me, Robert Bramleigh, of 660 Coleman street 1 give and leave all my houses, lands, money and everything that 1 have, to Hannah Chorion, ray house­ keeper, v a reward tor her Ions and faithful «eervices. Signed b^r aw on Tuesday .Dec. 12,1868. Witnesses JHMW Burn, I examined the writing carefully. 'The signature •" Robert Bramleigh," -was weak and shaky. The will itself "was 9written in a masculine-looking hand of singular decision and bold­ ness. The characters were large and •well formed. , , fhe will had-avideativ been prepared by some one who had had but an Im­ perfect knowledge of the form to be meed for such a purpose. The solemn appeal to the Deity and the bequest of -the testator's body and soul was an old form, much in vogue with our grand­ fathers, who generally headed a will •with one or two pious phrases. The document shown to me was, however, sufficient to give Hannah •Churton all Mr. Bramleigh's property. There were the requisite number of ^witnesses, and the Principal Registry •of Her Majesty's Court of Probate would have granted letters of adminis- •"(ration with the will annexed (the ap­ pointment of an executor having been -omitted the ordinary probate could not Lave been-obtained), on one of the at­ testing witnesses making an affidavit 'that the will had been executed by the ^testator in the presence of himself and Tthe other attesting witness, and that they had at the same time and in the presence of each other subscribed their vames thereto as witnesses. Now, I am always very particular about wills; r think they are too serious Wbe sattied i&.a hurry. I never will allow a client to execute one until I am convinced that its purport is perfectly understood. - ..Y "You are Mrs. Churton, t ffrte- sume?" I asked,-, "I am," she replied, lookfc ̂me un­ flinchingly in the face. Sfftnehow I felt suspicious that things were not so fair as they should be. 1 questioned her rather closely; but the only admis­ sion 1 obtained from her was that she had written the will, but that ft wis at her master's dictation. I offered to prepare a more formal document; but before doing so, 1 declared that it was necessary 1 should see Mr. Bramleigh. I named the omission of the wpqigft- meat of an exeeutor. This seemed rather to nonplus her. She asked whether she oould not be named as ex­ ecutrix. DenoN sferrim ike showed t» my seeing her master the more con­ vinced I felt that something was wrong; and, seeing that I was not- to he moted from my purpose, she at last gave in; proposing, however, that I should ac- coupany her back, as , she greatly feared it would be too late if left till the morning. A cab soon took us to Mo. Mi Cole­ man street. It was a large, gloomy, old-fashioned house, with a spacious entrance-hall. I was taken into the dining-rodm and asked to wait while Mr. Bramleigh was being prepared for my visit. The furniture in the room was old and very massive. Some handsome oil paintings graced the walls. I am very fond of pictures, so, raising the lamp, I walked round the room slowly inspecting them. On the right of the fireplace I came upon a picture with its race turned toward the wall. I turned the picture, it was the portrait in oil of a younjj and very beautiful girl in a dark riding-habit. Hearing footsteps outside the door, I restored the picture to the position in which I had found it, and as I did so I saw written at the bottom of the frame " Magdalen Bramleigh." The footsteps I heard were those of the housemaid, who had come to an­ nounce that Mr. Bramleigh was ready to see me. I followed her up-stairs, and was ushered into a large comforta- ble-looking bedroom. A cheerful fire burned in the grate. Facing it was a large four-post bedstead hung with white curtains, and at the head of the bed Mrs. Churton was standing, with a small table i? front of her, on which were placed an inkstand and some pa- Fer. She pulled back the curtain and saw an old man propped up by pil­ lows, his face drawn and the eyes very much sunk. I almost feared that he was too far gone to make a will; but after speaking with him for a little time I felt satisfied that the intellect was quite clear. Turning to Mrs. Churton I told her that she need not wait; I would ring if I wanted anything. "Yes, go--go, Hannah!" cried the sick man; and I fancied that I could detect an eagerness in his voice as if he desired her absence rather than her presence. As Mrs. Churton left the room I caught sight of the reflection of her face in the glass over the chimney piece, but 1 do not think she would nave scowled quite as much had she known that 1 was looking. I began by asking Mr. Bramleigh what were his wishes with regard to his will. In low tones he told me that he desired to leave everything to Hannah Churton, his housekeeper, as a reward for her long and faithful services. I spoke gravely to the old man, al­ though without much hopes of success, but at last I got him to confess that he had had no intention of making his housekeeper his sole heiress until she had herself broached the subject to him. She certainly must have had freat power over the old man to in-uce him to agree to such a scheme. I proposed to Mr, Bramleigh that he should leave his property to some one on whom he could rely, in trust for his daughter. I also volunteered although I have an aversion to the trouble and responsibility of a trusteeship, my services as trustee for tikis purpose. My argum ents prevailed. He assented, and I prepared a will accordingly, the old man requesting that his iacdieai man, Dr. Ramsey, should be nominated as my co-trustee", and that an annuity of £50 should be paid to Hann?.h Chur­ ton for life. I read the will to him very carcfully, explaining, as I did so, its full effect. When 1 had finished, lie muttered: " Quite right--quite right; but I am afraid Hannah will not be pleased." I counseled him not to mention it to her; and my advice seemed to satisfy him. Ringing the bell. I requested Mrs. Churton to summon James Burn and Margaret Sims, the two servants who had witnessed the first will. As soon as they were In the room, I gave Mr. Bramleigh a pen, and placing the doc­ ument before him, I said distinctly, so that all might hear: " This which I have just read to you is your final will, and you request James Burn and Mar- Saret Sims to witness your execution of " It is--I do," he solemnly said, as with feeble fingers he wrote his name. The two awe-stricken domes­ tics then added theirs, and I think their hands shook more than the testator's. Hannah Churton was a silent spectator of the whole of this; but I could not see her face, as she stood in the back­ ground, out of the light of the lamp. Before allowing any one to leave the room, I placed the will in a large en­ velop. Fastening it with wax, I im­ pressed li with Bft. Bramleigh's mono­ gram and crest by means of a seal that was oh the tray of the inkstand. The old man watched me closely, and when I had finished, he said: "Keep it--till it is wanted;" thus relieving me of a great deal of embarrassment, for I did not like leaving it in the power of Han­ nah Churton, lest she should tamper ^ith it. On our way down stairs Dr. Ramsey told me that his patient was rapidly sinking, and that he doubted whether he would live another twenty-four hours. Taking him into the dining-room and shutting the door, I told him my sus­ picions of the housekeeper, and that I felt afraid of leaving Mr. Bramleigh alone with her all night. He agreed with me, and promised to send his as­ sistant to watch till the morning,when, if Mr. Bramleigh should still be living, he would on his own responsibility place a trustworthy nurse in charge. The ns out. ffcispil let* in the face ;h% Map. Churton," I raa- m »• doctor wished her 'Ifin onite satisfied sow. 44 had you not better let your master's friends know of the dan­ ger he is in? Dr. Ramsey says he does not think km will last much longer." She momhled something ^ reply, but I oould not catch whatit was. I stayed talking upon indifferent sub­ jects, to while away the time until the arrival of Dr. Ramsey's assistant. Mrs. fDhurton, however, was, unlike her sex, remarkably reticent; I could only get the shortest replies from her. She seemed very much astonished and rath- erdispleased when Dr. Ramaey returned with nls assistant. He explained to her that, although there was no chance of saving his patient's life, yet his last moments might be alleviated by skilled attendance; and therefore, as he him­ self could not stay all night, he had brought his assistant for that purpose. In one's experience of mankind we find that it is possible to be sometimes too clever. Mrs. Hannah Churton was very clever, but she committed two great mistakes. The first was in con­ sulting a lawyer. The will drawn by her-- for so it really had been--might have been upset on the ground of un­ due influence. I say "might have been," for there is nothing so hard to prove as undue influence. The great point agai ust her was the oosiing of a child in favor of a stranger. Mistake number two was as follows: The doctor had gone up-stairs to install his assistant, leaving me standing in the hall with tne housekeeper. Fum­ bling in her pocket she pulled out a roll of bank notes, thrusting these into my hands, she told me that it was her master's wish that I should take them for my trouble. I unrolled them, and found two for ten, and one for five pounds. Twenty-five pounds! A long legal experience has taught me that in all dealings with doubtful people one's safety lies in having a good witness. I waited till the doctor came down-stairs, occupying myself by entering the numbers of the notes in my pocket book. "Look, doctor," I cried, as he ap- Ssared, shoeing him the notes. " Mr. ramleigh is a liberal paymaster." Turning to Mrs. Churton, I said: •' This will amply repay me." Retaining tne note for five pounds, I returned her the other two. She took them from me without saying a word, but a black look came over her face. I think she began to suspect me. I got home very late that night. The eapon was more than done, and so was the oyster sauce! Mr. Bramleigh died the next morning at ten o'clock. Soon after I had left he became unconscious, In which state he remained till shortly before his death, when there was a rally. Opening his eyes with an eager look, as if he missed something, he threw one arm outside the coverlet, and crying, 44 Magdalen, Magdalen!" he obeyed the summons which bade him thole his assize--yea, in that dread Court where 44 Not prov­ en" is unknown. Guilty or not guilty? Who shall savP The funeral took place on Saturday, but an engagement prevented me from following. Mrs. Churton had written, requesting that I would attend with the will, which still remained in my pos­ session with the one drawn by her. I arrived at the house a little after one o'clock and was at once taken into the diniLGr room, where I found Dr. Ramsey, Mr. Robson (a brother prac­ titioner), and a handsome young fel- lew, who was introduced to, me as Lieut. Maitland, the late Mr. Bram­ leigh's son-in-law. The door opened, and a young lady entered. It did not require any intro­ duction to tell me that she was the original of the portrait, still with its front turned toward the wall. Her face was very beautiful, notwithstanding its extreme paleness and the tear-swollen eyelids. She seated herself bv the fire, her husband standing behind her, loaning his arms on tho back of the chair. Mrs. ChurtOii had clcscly followed Magdalen Maitland into the room.. She was dressed in deep mourning and wore a black crape cap, thus offering a marked contrast to Mrs. Maitland, who was wearing a gray dress rather travel- soiled. Apparently she had had no time to prepare her mourning. Dr. Ramsey politely pulled forward a chair for the housekeeper. Taking it from him with a cold 44 Thank you," she placed it at the end of the table, directly facing me. Very stern and forbidding she looked in her black gar­ ments--her features immovable, ner hands resting on her knees. I was about to unseal the envelop containing the will, when Lieut. Mait­ land interrupted me. 44 One moment, if you please," he said, placing his hand on my arm. 44 Before this will is read, I wish to say a few words. Mrs. Churton tells me that Mr. Bramleigh has left her every­ thing unconditionally. I simply wish to express uiy firm belief that Mr. Bram­ leigh could only have been induced to make such a will by unfair and foul means. Although I have been the cause of an estrangement between fath­ er and daughter, I cannot think that he could so far forget his love for her as to strip her of everything. It is my intention, for her sake, to contest this will; and it is with this view that I have requested my old friend, Mr. Rob- son, to be present to-day as my legal adviser." His frank, manly face was flushed with honest excitement as, leaning over the back of his wife's chair, he took her face between his hands and kissed it. 44 For your sake--not mine, dearest," I heard him whisper. 1 read the will slowly and distinctly. It was very short. Save the annuity of £50 to Hannah Churton for life, every­ thing was left to Dr. Ramsey and my­ self in trust for Magdalen itaitland, to be settled on her as we in our discretion should think fit. Astonishment is a mild word to ex­ press the feelings of those present, nor will I attempt to do so. My tale lies with Hannah Churton. Starting to her feet, she pushed the chair from her, and stretching out one arm, gave utter­ ance to a fierce torrent of invective. The veil was lifted, and the native coarseness of the woman's nature stood revealed. It was as I had feared. Un­ mindful of the bounty of hot too gener- <*• * master, she heaped oMkNpy on ms memory, and fearlessly asserted that sh« had wasted the best years of her life in his service! Magdalen Maitland covered her ears with ner hands, to shut out the hard words. Her husband led her toward the door; but Hannah Churton intercepted them. Tearing her cap from her head, she threw it on the ground before the frightened girl. "Trample on ItP she cried, in a frenzied voice. 44 Your father's victim has no right to wear it!" I must admit that she looked trrandlv •««« ».« ah« declaimed these Heroe words. I felt half sorry for the poor defeated creat­ ure. Nine years have passed since then, and Mrs. Maitland declares that there are 44 silver threads among the gold." The cares of a young family have some­ what marred her good looks, but they will live again in my little god-daughter Magdalea. who promises to rival her another In beauty.--Chamber*' Journal. Youths' Departments WHY9 MTO'S whtb. £**A. why i* it that the Shiue* only in the day ? IBVDOMTEDSIIEAO^CE ' W h a a h e ' s a o hi away? and < k it that each year »m*t die ̂ buraatbeir n- Tirlish Lent. FINDING myself at Constantinople in the month of Ramazan. which Is the ninth month of the Turkish year, in which falls the Mussulman season of Lent, I witnessed every evening a com­ edy which is worth description. During the whole of Lent it is prohibited to the Turks to eat, drink or smoke, from the rising of the sun to the setting. Almost all, consequently, spend the night in eating and drinking; but as long asgghe sun is above the horizon almost alfre- spect the religious precept, and no one dares to transgress it publicly. One morning my friend and I went to visit an acquaintance, one of the Sultan's aid-de-?amps, an unprejudiced young officer, and we found nim in a room on the ground floor of the Imperial palace, with a cup of coffee in his hand. 44 What!" exclaimed Yank, 44 do you dare to take coffee after sunrise?" The officer shrugged his shoulders and replied that he laughed at Ramazan and fasting; but just at that moment a door opened suddenly, and he made so rapid a movement to hide his cup that he overturned it and spilt it on his boot. It may be understood from this how rigorous is the abstinence imposed upon those who are all day long under the eyes of others; the boatmen, for in­ stance. It is amusing to plant one's self upon the bridge of the Sultan Yalide a few minutes before the sun goes down. About a thousand boat­ men majr be seen at this point, far and near, going and coming, or sitting still. They nave every one been fasting since dawn, are wild with hunger and have their little suppers ready in the caique, and their eyes continually move from the food to the sun, from the sun to the food, while there is a general agitation and restlessness among them, as in a menagerie when the animals are about to be fed. The disappearance of the sun is announced by a gun. Before that longed-for moment no one puts a crust of bread or a drop of water into his mouth. Sometimes in a .corner of the Golden Horn we tried to bribe our boatmen to eat before the lawful mo­ ment, but they always answered, Iok! Iok! Iok! no! no! no! pointing to the sun with a timorous gesture. When the sun is half hidden, they begin to take the food in their hands; when there is nothing but a thin luminous arch, then those who are motionless, and those who are rowing, those who are crossing the Golden Horn and those who are skimming over the Bosphorus, those who are sailing in the Sea of Marmora, and those who are resting in the most solitary bays of the Asiatic shore, all with one accord turn toward the west and stand fixed, with their eyes on the sun, mouths open, bread in hand and joy in the visage. When nothing is visible but one small fiery point, ana at last the fiery point vanishes, the cannon thunders, ana in that very instant 82,- 000 teeth bite off enourmous morsels from 1,000 pieces of bread; but what am I saying? A thousand! In every house, in every cafe, in every tavern the same thing is happening at the same moment; and for a few minutes the Turkish city is nothing but a mon­ ster with 100,000 mouths tnat eats and drinks.--Amids1 Book on Constantinople. burai when 1 aak you , w do you ay, 44 wiL namraa, wtat it raina, **J52WL5??SSU Tim w»% reason whgr. Mv - i 4~' \'i 5 ' ^ auiou a wm why ia it little boya --i never walk down «*ainpft- "^hy will they walk upon their knee# f -.And make rach dmadfui holes? \ Why do their hands ao often look K* v ' ' *r Andatonee and iron rings? • • Why ia it their delight to nee e chain fectooned with atrinci? are their facta aeldom dean? eir clothe* oft stewied with dirt 4l|ad ca& JOB toll me why it ia ;*Riat kiaaea cure a hurl? , ̂ „ Why are small hands ao mhmhfarwwL -f ; I * 2 3 « « ywrigf aapMaiifa^.? _ •f laying witfi match** or with fire, ^Or picking at the pie. W: tyhy do they never abut the dffbfe ̂ fsOr hang op coat or hat? Why » it when mamma is ill They make unusual noise? * it whj . in spite of naughty tricks, . MammM love little boys? Mr*, a. B, Allen, in CkrUUan P#Nf» Jfhe Lioness and the Terrier*. Mystery Solved*. JAMES MCNASTER wore a thoughtful look as he sauntered into position be­ fore the desk. He scratched his ear like one looking into a hole in the ground to see where a flash of lightning went to, and when he came to view his surroundings he exclaimed: 4 4Am I in a palace car, hotel, Post- office or what?" 411 think you are," replied His Hon­ or. 44 You are also in a box, as the boys say." 44 Is this South America or Canady?" continued James, as he looked out of the window upon Bijah's farm. 44 You seem turned around, prisoner. Has anything happened youP*' 44 This seems to be a court," mused James, 44 and yet why am I hereP There is an awful mystery surrounding this case. What is the charge?" •4 Stone blind, James--took four men to get your legs united and sort the fence pickets out of your hair." 441 must have got. hold <4, whisky, your Honor." . „•>*>..: wv . ••I think so." ^ . *' And how did I get that staff down meP" 44 Can't tell." James spent a long minute in solemn reflection. At length his face brighten­ ed, and he gave his leg a hearty slap as he cried out: 44 I'll bet two to one that I drank the stuff right down! The mystery seems to be solved at last!" 44 That's the key, Iguess," replied the Court. 44 Will you take two sentences of fifteen days each, or one of thirty?" One sentence was enough. The pris­ oner sat down on the corridor stove- hearth and shed tears, and when he tried to bite into a raw peanut his chin quivered so that he missed the nut and bit his thumb.--Detroit Free Press. --The thud of the slap-jack no longer rewuî throu^h the IN Dublin, which, you know, is one of the great cities of Ireland, there are gardens where all kinds of wild ani­ mals are kept for show. These are called Zoological Gardens. Our word zo-ology comes from the Greek words, zo-on, an animal, and lo-gos, discourse; so that zo-ology means that part of natural history which treats ot_ ani­ mals. In these Dublin Gardens there was a lioness that went by the name of Old Girl. She was born in the Gardens in 1859, and died there at the age of six­ teen years (a pretty old age for a lioness), after having reared fifty cubs. She was a lioness of very high spirit, though quite gentle; and good judges said she was tne handsomest one they had ever seen. These flesh-eating beasts, when in health, have no objection to the pres­ ence of rats in their cages; on the con­ trary, thev rather welcome them as a relief to tnat sameness of life which is the chief trial of a wild animal in con­ finement. But in illness the case is different, for the ungrateful rats, not contented with sharing the lion's food, then begin to nibble the toes of the helpless lord of the forest, and add much to his discomfort. To save Old Girl from this vexation, the keepers placed in her cage a fine little terrier. He was at first received with a sulky growl from Old Girl; but when the first rat appeared, and she saw the little terrier toss him into the air and catch him across the loins with a snap when he came down, she began to understand what the terrier was For. Her whole manner was changed. She coaxed the little dog to her side, and folded her paw around him, as if to thank him for saving her from her terrible enemies, the rats. Every night after that, the little terrier slept at the breast of the lioness, enfolded with her paws, and on the watch for enemies. You may be sure, that during the six weeks that Old Girl lived after this, the rata had a bad time.--Nursery. , m T %' J K Where Honey is il ilaw THERE are bnt three cities in all the Union where money is actually made; that is, where metals are coined. The principal mint of the United States is in Philadelphia. Here are made all the copper and nickel coins--one, two and five-cent pieces--and a laige part of the gold and silver coins used in the country. There are also branch mints at San Francisco and Carson City. And at these placcs gold and silver coins of every value are coincd in great quanti­ ties. Those of you who have been in Phil­ adelphia will remember, on the north side of Chestnut street, near Broad, a Grecian building of white marble, somewhat gray from age, with a tall chimney rising from the center, and the United States flag flying from the roof. This Is th© mint. Let us climb the long flight of steps and enter the building. On the door is a placard: 44 Visitors admitted from nine to twelve." The door opens into a circu­ lar entrance hall, with seats around the wall. In a moment a polite usher, who has grown gray in the service of the in­ stitution, comes to show us all that visitors are allowed to see. 44 When the gold has been weighed," says our guide, 44 it is locked upln iron boxes, and carried to the melting-room, where it is melted and poured into molds." A small pieoe is then cut off, and its fineness ascertained by a long and deli­ cate process called assaying. This de­ cides the value of the lot. The depos­ itor is then paid, and the metal is handed over to the melter and refiner, to be entirely freed from its impurities and made fit for coinage. And a hard tinB it has of it, to be sure. Nothing but pure gold and sil­ ver could ever stand such treatment It is melted again, dissolved in nitric acid, squeezed under immense pressure, baked in a hot cellar, and finally car­ ried to this dingy-looking room, at the left of the court-yard, where we have stood all this time. The metal is per­ fectly pure now, but before the final melting one-tenth of its weighty in cop­ per is added to it, to make it hard enough to bear the rough usage which it will meet with in traveling about the world. The room would be dark but for the fiery glow of the furnaces which line one end of the place. On these are a number of small pots, filled with red- hot liquid metal; and while we look, a workman lifts one after another, with a pair of long tongs, and pours the glowing gold in streams into iron molds. We Wjotold gladly remain peering in at the glowing fires swarthv figures of the our guide is already half .. oourt, and we reluctantly ping aside to make room lor a man with his burden of direr hnn ̂ which he is carrying to undergo th# rolling process. The rollers ghr» tta# metal the form of ribbons, from which another machine punches the planchetit̂ / which are the coins before they «re ̂ milled and stamped.--SI. NuAold$ for Jfoy. • 5? H«w They Trent BaUta. ^ WHEN the Lord Jesus came down toll earth as the Babe of Bethlehem, Hiall. mother, the Virgin Mary, wrapped Him ia 44 swaddling clothes" or linen banda?* ̂ , f wound tightly round His little body, aa ' i the custom was among those Jewish ̂ * I people. In the present time, the bahfosr0 ,: of the Dutch and German peasantry are laced tightly to a pillow, whloh oneef *? , would think must be even worse thaa^li to have their little limbs confined i%r;. swaddling bands; however, it is saiiO / that being kept, thus still and moMon-lf less in infancy h-a a good deal to doip *'v with forming the slow, quiet nature and(-% " habits of the German and Dutch men W and women. , In the South of Italy, the babies are v • bound tip, too. something after the . fashion of Egyptian mummies; they,'!"v'""- . are fastened to aboard, and are allowed^; - . to use their arms and hands as theyf hang up to a tree or wall. If we werefcL to travel in Hindostan, we should finc^. i the Europeans who dwell there protect i - ing their babies from the troublesome . I " mosquitos, by putting them while the# sleep under a frame covered with greei|§? # gauze. Very much like 'a wire meal* '; guard, is it notP but then if it givor, poor baby quiet rest, that does not matĵ • ter. ' The different tribes of East Indian|-Y mostly carry their babies on their hlps|4 1 the Egyptians hold them on theiff shoulders; but in all these lands w#>-: see the mother's love and mother'#' «• f core which God has implanted in th^f ^' hearts of these women for their helples# ̂®: offspring. But what do you think of the Sa-§^ moan fatherP He gives his baby awaji;ii-; to one of his relations, from whom h^;-'^ receives some gift in return which hC ̂ likes better.* * The poor Sioux mother straps he£- ' baby to a board, puts a canopy over it$ • head to screen it from the sun, and ff .: toy in its small hands, and she carried it on her back till it is seven month# old, when it is thought old enough t<| lie in the folds of a blanket. But if th#\ little thing dies during those firs| months of life, its place is filled witi| ' black quills and feathers, and the moth* er still bears this burden about as care!? fully as if her child was there, and oon| tinues doing so for twelve months, Poor woman! 1 suppose it comfort! , her to fancy the little baby is there, foir she has not learned to think of it in th(t arms of the Savior, who carries thi?- lambs in His bosom.--N. T. Ob$ervm%:> * i rfV'. FACTS AND FITTUBES. BOSTON has 3,237 places licensed sell liquor. SOME twenty odd thousand Indian# , < are to be removed from Colorado tCv. New Mexico. THE population of Manitoba is inf^ ' creasing at the rate of about one thoni ^ sand per week. . RUSSIA'S war expenses are estimated^ at 860,000,W0 rubles, a sum whioh wilfY, increase the National debt by one-halfs, ,. THE latest official enumeration give| i the total number of Federal office* f holders of all kinds and degrees as 85,#^ 880. *4* PORTO RICO is getting its share of thiifp- insect scourge. A sugar-cane disease produced by a worm has spread so rapi idly that a royal order has been issued ' for an investigation into its cause an#'-" means of prevention. THERE were reported in NewY®rl|t City during the month of April seventy#!# "" tlirca failuros, in which the liabilities •amounted to $7,668,726, and assets,, •12,752,658. The total number Is twelv$v - less than for th<* pi'e«&di}ig tnonth, but the aggregate liabilities remain at about the same figures. ^:.v" A SUGGESTION of the beef-pFoducin# "r resources of the Argentine Eepubli#4r and Uruguay, is given in the casual news item of a London newspaper--1|§ that 60,000 ox-tongues constituted ^ part of the cargo brought by the steamy er Mondego from the River Plata t<|^ Southampton, the other day. Th|fi hides, it seems, also largely cross th|p.', Atlantic from the Rio de la' Platag^ * while the chief part of the flesh is sohfiif in Brazil. THE list of Chicago bankrupts grows appallingly large. The number of pe­ titions filed in January was forty-two in February, forty-six; in March, thir^* ty-eighfc, while in April 270 petitions^# were filed, only five of which were in- ; voluntary. It would be very unfair toP take this as giving any idea of the con-P - + dition of business men generally in this*.., city, and this great increase of bank-< ruptcies in the month of April has noU* *' * been peculiar to Chicago. In all thefe' ̂ other cities have like processions of in->*f . solvents wended their way into the"^ - United States courts and asked for dis- * charge from their debts.--Chicago Trib-0 tine. . THE Cincinnati Enquirer publishes* -vi m ; I** *" mm. r -6 reports which represent the greater ,̂ portion of the States of Ohio, Indiana,̂ Michigan and Kentucky, and whichl show that the present prospect for heavy yield of fruit this season is veryf ? flattering. While the peach crop on|£i' low lands is reported damaged to anZS" extent of probably 60 per cent., applesjl cherries, etc., with but few exceptions, ' are reported to be in an excellent con­ dition. The reports show a large in­ crease in orchard acreage within the past five years. The total acreage of Ohio being over 400,000, being an in-,.., crease within the time specified of^, nearly 20 per cent. Grapes, although t not far enough advanced to allow ftn(||jpj accurate estimate of future prospects, r- are said to be in fair condition, and &• """ large yield is promised. The entire l fruit crop, like all other vegetation, is. fully three weeks advanced in develop- 'p ment orer formeraeaMW. w » m a

Powered by / Alimenté par VITA Toolkit
Privacy Policy