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

" J, TAW 8LY&E, Editor * PaMtslmr. ^ IFTLTENRY. ~ : T ILLINOIS TME CARELESS WO tw*a but a word, a careless wwccL, < * »> As thistledown it seemed as lighWH( | It paused a moment in the air, m » Then onward winced its flight. sf Another lip caught up the word, p ,. > # And breathed it with a hearty snMn * Itgathered weight as on it speed, That careless word, in its career.""' *"*• " Then rumor caught the flying wosj* And busy gossips gave it weight, «•? - - Until that little word became A vehicle of angry hate. And thentthe word was winged with fir§; . its mission was a thing of pain; For aoon it fell like lava drops Upon a wildly tortured bram. And then another pa^e of life , With burning, scalding tears was blnrred; A load of care was heavier made. It added weight, that ciureless word. That careless word, oh, how it scorched 5 A fainting, bleeding, quivering heart! 'Twas like a hungry lire, that searched - Through every tender, vital part. How wildly throbbed that aching heart! Deep agony its fountains stirred; It calmed, but bitter ashea mark The pathway of that careless wordi y --If. O. Morning Star. ft TMSATELINQ A. CIPHER. it' ' " Oziib--Nzvvg nv hzgfibwz mrtsg -tg 137 vriv hgiwg. Mvw. THERE it was, in italics, hall way n the "personal" column of the riWrf, conspicuous only for its singu­ lar an<r most aggravating combination of letters and figures, the sole clue to , the whereabouts o)f the gem I had been after for oter a week, scarcely resting, eating or sleeping in my anxiety to se­ cure the reward offered in a heavy burgl ary^ease--and something else. Tnat "something else." Ah! my heart sank within me as I flung aside thje enigmatical puzzle before me, and leaning back in my chair gave myself up to the gloomy reveries of tflfe past. Edna Dayton--how I loved her! How fair and beautiful as a^ummer's idyl • had been the week in which I had met her, had loved her and had been told that tuy affection was returned! How , Well I remember the bitter parting--a hopeless one it seemed to me--when I learned my fate from her father's lips and passed down the brown stone steps Jbf the Dayton mansion, wondering if ""the inclination of moneyed men toward stone residences was not caused by the existence of a similar hard material in --that part of the human anatomy known as the heart. ,1 was a poor man, he said, and the -profession of a detective was a preca­ rious one! His daughter loved me; he could not deny that, but she?Was his only child and her wealth and^osition " demanded a moioh with some social equal. He v. mid not break her heart by absolute -efusing to sanction our en^nor^v it if within a year I a fortune of $25,000 and a .> ,uive business, and Edna was still of th? same mind--well, he would con­ sider it. v jTwenty-five thousand dollars! I grew sick at the thought of the condition imposed, upon which I was to purchase my future happiness. In the reception of a meager Salary and utterly un­ known, where was I to raise this amount? And what business capacity had I, the son of parents who had given me every luxury and neglected a prac­ tical education, until a crash came that left us homeless and in penury? Day and night for over a moni brooded over my sorrows, andr^then one day I was aroused into renewed life by the reception of a formal but courteous note from Mr. Dayton, re­ questing my immediate attendance at the mansion. "My feet winged as I hastened to the house of my loved Edna. What did it . mean? Had he relented? Was Edna sick, or did business await me at the pleasure of my hard-hearted censor? X was ushered into the library, where I found the old gentleman in an intense state of excitement, pacing the floor, the window broken in, papers and box­ es soattered about the apartment, and a safe in the corner broken open. TI stared at him in amazement. You seem agitated, Mr. Dayton," I ventured to suggest. " Agitated! agitated, sir! I am wild. ' !|Late last night, or early this morning, burglars entered this apartment by means of yonder window and broke open the safe. When I came down this morning I found affairs as they are now, ~ and nearly $100,000 in money, bonds and jewelry gone." J I stared mutely. The immensity of 0 robbery petrified me. "No," he thundered, coming to a full stop. "I have no confidence in a police force which fails to protect a hpuse from such an audacieus burglary and expects one half of the booty for its return. Here is the room and } on- der is a list of the stolen property. I believe you are honest, and I leave the < entire affair in your own hands. Call upon me for whatever money you re- ' ><Juire in an attempt to recover the prop- • «rty or to detect the thieves. If you suc­ ceed within a month, I will pay you *80,000. If you fail, I will pay your ftxpeases for the month and place the case in other hands. Are you sat­ isfied?'1 1 gasped spasmodically. Thirty thou­ sand dollars! A fortune--more than the price of my happiness! And then the pride of my profession came to my aid, and I tola him that I should suc- • 4eed. 1 examined the apartment. The bur­ glary had been effected very simply, jnpparently. Edward, the footman--a " tall, lank specimen of humanity--had ikeard a noise in the night in the libra- try, but had paid no attention to it, as ^^4r. Dayton was in the habit of writing ;tery late, and he thought it was his Employer. k " What pulled me most was ]the ..'means of entrance and egress adopted %ry the burglar or burglars. The library was fully fifteen feet from the ground, u "had a bay-window, /and, except the 'broken pane of glass, there was not the ^lightest sign to show how the window , {'had been gained. A ladder would have . done it, but no marks of a ladder, no .signs of footsteps exhibited themselves in the damp ground, wet from recent rains. I was sorely puzzed. I examined the servants one by one, but could find no clew to justify the slightest suspicion of complicity in the afiair on their part. The work had evidently been done by scien tific burglars, and they had worked At their leisure. I inquired into the antecedents of Edward, the footman; but Mr. Dayton averred that he would allow no suspi­ cion to rest on so faithful a servant to the family. I resolved to inquire more about him, however; but I found noth­ ing against the man, and temporarily dismissed him from my mind as having no connection with the case. " You heard no noise on the night of the robbery?" I inquired of Mr. Dayton. " None. Islept unusually sound that night." I went away thoughtfully, for I had found in the library an empty bottle which, from the scent, I knew to have contained chloroform, and I had no­ ticed the marks of muddy boots lead­ ing from the apartment, while around the window none were to be seen. The glass, too, had been broken by a quick low, not cut out. • Altogether it was a most mysterious piece of business. I watched all dives frequented by the cracksmen of the city, and worked like a beaver. 1 could not obtain a clue to the perpetrators of the daring burglary, and, after three days of unremitting toil, I was considering if it would not be as well to call in professional as­ sistance, when the advertisement in the Herald, at the head of this story, at­ tracted my attention. Instinctively I divined some connection with the "crooked" business, and whether it referred to my case or not, I ^solved to ascertain its meaning. I went down to the Herald office that morning, and, introducing myself, at­ tempted to obtain some description of the person who had handed in.the ad­ vertisement. The clerk stated that it had been received by mail, in a letter inclosing the amount requisite for its insertion in the paper. "Gould I see the original copy?" He would see; and a message was sent to the compos­ ing soom. Luckily, the copy had been preserved. It was written in a dis- fuised hand on a little scrap of paper, asked leave to retain it, and, permis­ sion being granted to me, I returned to riiy room at once. I pored over the cipher for a long time, and, discouraged at my inability to make out one word of it, was finally about to abandon it, when I chanced to look a* the reverse side of the pa­ per. There were figures and words on it, and I read, " United States bonds, $10,000," and other memoranda, indi­ cating that it had been a loose wrapper for valuable papers. Then I knew that the advertisement bore an important relation to the rob­ bery. And so until the day upon which the story opens I was unable to make head or tail of the secret enigma. So wearied was 1 that I fell asleep with my head upon my desk, and I did not awaken until noon time. It is won­ derful how a brief repose will clear the mind. I took up the paper with re­ newed energy, and a bright idea flashed over me. Simple as it was, I had not thought of it before. The entire message was written on the substitution of letters, based on the reversal of the alphabet. Instead of a, z, the last letter, was sub­ stituted; instead of b, y was used; the alphabet reversed Was the key to the solution of the puzzle. € gave utterance to a shout of joy, for, following out the theory, it read: meet me Saturday night at 127 Fire street. NBD. And " Ned" or Edward was the name of Dayton's footman. I began to see a very large mice. But Fire street-- there was no such thoroughfare in the city, and I was " floored" again. Gradually, the thought occurred to me on the basis of reversal and oppo- sites adopted by the sender of the mes­ sage, wtfy should not "fire" mean " water," 3ts direct reverse? I dashed down the stairs, and, hail­ ing a cab (for I did not forget that it was Saturday, and that 0vening was the appointed time for the meeting of the two burglars, if such they were), I soon had reached Water street. r-* Vacant! Number 127 was an empty lot! I paused, disappointed, and dis­ missed the vehicle, again having re­ course to the puzzling enigma: So near the solution and vet doomed to be balked at the last, ana-- A sudden inspiration of renewed en­ ergy, and I had forged the last link in the chain of evidence! There had "been reversal in the order t>f numbers from one to tSn, as in the letters of the alphabet, and 127 meant 1084. x looked at my watch.--three o'clock. I went to the nearest telegraph office and sent the following dispatch to the Chief of Police: "Send to this office three efficient men in citizen's clothes." I signed my name, lit a cigar and "awaited the arrival of evening and my companion officers. It was dark when we reached the place for the meeting appointed by the two men. It was a vile groggery, kept by a woman, and a resort for the very lowest class of ruffians. 1 had put on a felt hat and a pair of false whiskersj sand I entered the bar-room, having first placed my men in advan­ tageous positions on the outside. * Within half an hour there entered an old woman, veiled, bearing some bulky object under her cloak. She made a sign to the woman behind the bar and went into the next room? I caught sight of her feet as she passed through the door; they were encased not in shoes, but in men's boots. I went quickly to the bar and made a sign to the woman. " Is Larry in there?" I inquired, in a loud voice, pointing to the other apartment. She looked at me sharply, and then replied in the affirmative. 'tXeep anybody that comes out," I said, significantly. " We are going to divide the swag." And 1 opened the door. There was no one in the first room, but in the second, by a table, on which lay a large tin box, was my game-- Larry, the burglar, and a tall, spare form in .female attire, with a veil thrown back and terrified face, and the footman, Edward. "You can drop qn that little dodge, gentlemen," I said, quietly whipping out a brace of revolvers. "The house is surrounded, and "any resistance will only make it worse for you. Larry, open that door."* He unbolted the rear door tinder the silent̂ persuasive eloquence of my re­ volver, and the three officers entered. Need I tell the rest? Edward, the footman, had admitted his accomplice into the house and had chloroformed his employer. He had kept the booty hid­ den in his room, not daring to go out to communicate with his pal, except as has been seen for fear he was watched. The property had not been disturbed, but J tice was cheated, fbr both the men iped before conviction, and were iil v er heard of again. As for me, I quietly handed $5,000 to the depart­ ment, resigned, engaged in business and married Ednv. --Keokuk tion. Constitt^ California's Sew Bonanza Craze* THE stock^ speculating craze of 1875 threatens to be revived in California, with all its unhealthy consequences to the business interests of the State. A few months since the mining market was all but dead. The two bonanza mines of Nevada, which were formerly the chief factors in speculation, were in special disrepute, and investors were shy of Comstock generally. The striking contrast between the flush days of a "booming market" and last July is illustrated by the prices of Con­ solidated Virginia and California, which, reaching over $150 at the top of their prosperity, fell as low as $8 and $9 at the later date. This state of affairs naturally did not suit the speculative mine manipulators, and a systematic effort has been made to cre­ ate an interest in their stocks and raise prices. This has now been at­ tained partly through actual discover­ ies of rich ore, no doubt, but more largely through cunning workers upon the popular imagination and creduli­ ty. The latent speculative enthusiasm, which inhabits every true Californian's breast, received its first fillip last sum­ mer in the sudden rich " panning out" of the "Bodie," a home mine, the shares of which from a merely nomi­ nal price leaped to nearly $50, tat fell later away back to less than $20, leavr ing many burnt fingers as the result of the fluctuation. This spurt in Bodie has since been magnificently distanced by a mine on the famous Comstock Lode. Last May the Sierra Nevada was worth less than $.'300,000; last week it was selling at an equivalent of over $26,000,000 lor the mine. In this mine rich ore has been discovered at the unparalleled depth of 2,200 feet, and the sensational stories concerning the find, along with a judi­ cious admixture of mystery, have pro­ duced the very happiest speculative re­ sults. The body of ore, however, is supposed to have only a beginning in the Sierra Nevada, but to extend wholly across two adjoining mifies and into a third. These mines liave got to be dug from 1,300 to 1,500 feet deeper to reach the metal, but meanwhile they are the shuttle-cocks of the wildest' antics of the market bulls and bears. " Slip­ pery" Jim Fair has got control of one of them, and doubtless looks compla­ cently forward to the profitable re- enactment of the bonanza drama of 1875. But he is not in this new venture neglecting the two parent bonanza mines themselves, the stocks of which, from some mysterious cause or other, h>ve lately gone up to double what they were a short while ago. The quashing of the $35,000,000- suit, which a dissatisfied shareholder brought against the management of the mines for credit-rnobilicrizing them, it has been suggested, may have something to do with it. The San Francisco Bulletin is very much disturbed about the present un­ wholesome state of affairs. It warns people that the values attached to even the most promMng mines are greatly inflated,, and that the man who ever got rich by mine dividends in Califor­ nia has yet Jp be found. A limited in­ side ring of mine managers, it says, are about the only ones to ultimately 'pfoiit in the game of speculation, and it traces very much of the business de­ pression of the State during the past three years to the stock gambling ex­ citement of 1874-5.--Springfield {Mass.) Bepublican. • -- Eruptions of YesnvHuk THIS remarkable volcano, which is now in a state of eruption, stands on the east shore of the Bay of Naples, and about ten miles from the city. It stands alone on the Plain of Cam pania upon a base of about thirty miles in circumference. In its upper portion it divides into two peaks, one of which, called the Somma, attains the height of 3,747 feet above the sea; and the other, known as Vesuvius, reaches an elevation of 3,949 feet, but varies both in height and shape in consequence of the eruptions of the volcano. Vesuvius is often mentioned by an­ cient Roman writers without allusion to its volcanic character. The first re­ corded eruption occurred in August, A. D. 79, and it was during this that the Cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried beneath the ashes. The materials ejected from the mountain were scoriae and ashes alone, the quan­ tities of which exceed its own bulk; and in the occasional eruptions which succeeded, these were the only volcanic products until the year 1066, when the first flow of lava occurred. The total number of its great eruptions, down to the present time, has been about sixty, and some of them have been remarka­ ble for the vast movements taking place in a short time. Between the years 1306 and 1651 no eruption oc­ curred, except a slight one in 1500. But throughout this period Etna was in a state of unusual activity, and this, perhaps, gave ventyggr elastic* vapors and lava that wbdw ^other^ise have found a passage through the craters of Vesuvius. The eruption in 1731 was accom­ panied with great currents of lava, which flowed over most of the villages at the base of the mountain, and at the same time torrents of boiling water | were sent forth. The eruption of 1779 is described as among the grandest and most terrible of these phenomena. White sulphurous smoke, like heaps of cotton, rose up four times as hign as the volcano, and spread about to a proportional extent. In June, 1794, occurred a terrible eruption, which de­ stroyed the Town of Torre del Greco. A single stream of lava was estimated by Breislak as containing more than 46,000,000 cubic feet. The eruption of 1822 broke up the whole-/top of the mountain ana formed an elliptical chasm about three miles in circumfer­ ence and supposed to be 2,000 feet deep. In May, 1855, the floods of lava destroyed the Village of Cercolo. An eruption of great violence oc­ curred in December, 1861. The dis­ turbances commenced on Sunday morn­ ing, the 8th, in tremblings of the ground. In the afternoon a large open­ ing was made in the ground a little above Torre del Greco, about half way up the mountain, whu^i was soon fol­ lowed by others, from all of which proceeded terrific explosions and jets of flame. Streains of lava poured forth, and on the* morning of the 9th were flowing in a current half a mile broad. The explosions, like the sound of heavy artillery, continued till to­ ward evening, and at night were suc­ ceeded by the most brilliant display of electric lights, forked lightning and columns of fire and smoke continually rising from the crater. The convul­ sions continued for several days, and even up to January 1, 1862, the trem­ bling of the earth had not ceased. The effect of this eruption was to mate­ rially alter the shape of Vesuvius, deep­ ening the old crater and forming several new ones.N The nature of the present eruption remains to be determined, but it is thought it will be one of considerable violence. The base of the new cone is now covered with lava, which is flow­ ing down tlie^ides of the mountain in a stream of considerable size. Much alaign is felt in the villages at the foot of the mountain, the inhabitants of which are prepared for flight at the first appearance of danger.--Pittsburgh Dispatch. A Jockeying at Fairs. THE fairs are about over-for the year, and as we cannot now interfere with any of the arrangements, we propose to make several suggestions for the regulation of future fairs. And the most serious objections are the delays and jockeyings on the track in the trials of speed. We have no objections to a correct and legiti­ mate test of speed apd endurance on the track. But we object, and all honest and punctual men do object, to the senseless and disgusting practice in starting in such tests. It is the worst feature of the race-course intro­ duced by jockeys to our industrial fairs, greatly to their disgrace and in­ jury. With the race-course and its rules we have nothing to do. They are for men of loose morals and idle hab­ its, beyond the reach of the pen or the pulpit. The riders and apparently the judges have been introduced from the race-course to the fair, until its prac­ tices and morals are somewhat similar. And it is time there was a reformation, or good men should insist that they be entirely abolished. A man of business, who wishes from his very nature to be prompt and punctual, sees announced in the programme fbr the day that a certain trial of speed will take place at 11:40 o'clock. He goes at the appoint­ ed time. The bell rings for the stock to be brought in. It is not ready --nor do the jockeys or riders appear to care anything about punctuality. The bell rings again, the judges having about as much idea of punctuality as the jockeys. • They smoke and talk horse for ten or fifteen minutes more. By this time probably some of the horses are being warmed up on the track. The others drop in as inclina­ tion dictates, without regard to time. The bell finally taps for a start. Some of the horses gather at the spot, but never come to a halt preparatory for a start. Then commence scenes which should drive all honest men from the track and the fair grounds. It is the jockeying to get the advantage--to get the fractious horses excited and unman­ ageable; to wear out the endurance of some others, and wear tho patience of and disgust all business men. The ag­ ricultural editor, for one, proposes never again to witness snch dishonest Youths' Department. A BOY'S SOLILOQUY. I WONDKB. if I ran away to sea or off to Like the fellows that I've read -about in stories brave and bold. If Sister Sue would only Bay, "Well, he's not here to vex us," Or if my folks would care ftlhe leal, though I were tired and odd. My fatherwell I cannot say Tin intimate with turn. He's at the office every day; and no one dam to stir When he somes home, for, if they do, they heara graft and grim Oommitndins voice: " Be silent there! My eye is on yon, sir! I like to listen to Alphonae, ay splendid, grand, big brother. Who's been way off to China, and India, and Bnthê Sways sends me kiting, and «»»« mesach a bother. I won't treat the boys so herridly, if ever Tm a man. My mother used to love me. ¥es, she loved me dearly, too, When I WM just a little chap, with ending, golden hair; But now I'm at the awkward age--I heard her telling Sue-- " Bo clumsy arta so rough, and she finds me snch a care. She hardly ever kisses me, or lays her IMMH ca­ reening Upon my tumbled, tangled head. Oh! howl wish she would. If she'd sometimes come and eali me her treas­ ure and her blessing, It would ho easier, I think, to be gentle, kind aud good. Well, 1 shall not ran away to Texas or to sea. And III burn the stdky-papen or pile them on the shelf; For, though nobody may cue so very mueh f« me, , There's something inside telle me to be noble for myself. --Margaret E. Sangtitr, in jr. T. Independent. "' And where have you been al|l these years? Has fortune favored you?*, "'Yes; beyond my largest hopes,, he answered. 'After my mother*!! death I went to her brother in Califor­ nia- I got on well, and at my uncle'f death inherited his property. Thes# papers, which prove your title to yotua land there, I received from him;' ahoT handing me a small package, he add* ed, 'It gives me pleasure to puss theni over to you in memory of your fifil case.' "I thanked him; and he dines wittls. us this evening, when he will tell yoit in his own way of my * ship at sea.' 'f" SHIPS AT SEA; procee* _ The only honest way for agricultural societies to do is to establish a standing start in all cases. Compel competitors to bring their horses' heads to the wire at the exact time proposed in the pro- gramme, and stand there till the bell* taps for a start, and then compel all to go or leave the inelosure. It may be objected that the horses will not start in that way. If that be a fact, it is time they were trained not only to start, but to sto]>. For useful horses these things are important, and while the dis­ gusting practice of jockeying would be abolished, other important qualities would be taught horses of speed and endurance. We are aware that horse-jockeys and professional racers will hoot at tins sug­ gestion. But these are the men we propose to exclude from our fairs. Let them enjoy their race-course in peace And let such go there who have time to thus spend and whose loose morals are suited to such scenes. But our fairs ought to be honest institutions, for hon­ est men and women to visit, and appro­ priate places to take their sons and daughters. And the trial of the speed and endurance of horses can as hon­ estly be tested as the weighing of our beeves or the deciding of the quality, of wools. The race-horse appears to be trained for no useful purpose, except recklessly dashing forward, without re­ gard to s^ety. It is time directors of agricultural societies should require horses to be thoroughly broke and sub­ dued to a reasonable tractability. And this is nothing new. Some societies have already required standing starts for all trials of speed. It has general­ ly caused a rebellion among gamblers and jockeys. But the sooner all this class are entirely driven out of our fairs the better for the prosperity of the fairs, better for the morality of the ris­ ing generation, and better for the char­ acter of the animals whose speed and endurance are tested.--Iowa State Beg- itier. ' • , • •»." "IT was real good of you to Walt for me, mamma. Brother John's pond is splendid, and we have had such a jolly time sailing our boats!" and Ned How­ ard put his ship carefully down on the gravel-walk, then fell on his knees be­ side it, little thinking of the white pan­ taloons Over which poor Bridget had wasted so many sighs while ironing. "Now, sister, ain't she a reg-er-lar beauty? Honor bright! she is the pret­ tiest craft in the town!" and Nea put his head on one side, and for the space of one minute was lost in admiration of his treasure. Then, looking up, he said, " Papa, could you stop reading for a few mo­ ments and tell me something? I might forget, you know." "Certainly, my boy!" replied Mr. Howard, closing his book. "Is it a question in Greek or Latin?" and a smile flitted over his face. " No, sir; deeper than that," Nedan- swered. " You see, in the first place, we were having a high time down at the pond, and my ' Lucy' beat Ned Thornton's 'Jane' all to bits;" and Ned's eyes sparkled with the memory of his victory. "Just as 1 had wound up all my string, one end of which was fastened to 'Lucy's' bow, Mr. Thornton came along. He looked at ' Lucy' and said, ' Well, Ned, my boy, I hope all your ships at sea may come in as safely, but we have to wait until we cross the river before we see many of them.' The he told of the fun he used to have when a boy. I declare, he is a minis­ ter I like; he's always so kind, and with a pleasant word for boys. What he says sticks, I tell you!" and in Ned's energetic admiration for Mr. Thornton, he gave the '1 Lucy" a n affectionate slap which endangered her beauty. " But what did Mr. Thornton mean by that about ' ships at sea?' " " Mr. Thornton was right, Ned. His idea was that we seldom see our ships in this life, though we send many out from port." v But how, papa?" and Ned's face woie a puzzled expression. » * We all send different cargoes," me father replied. " Some men's ships are laden with ambition, pride, the love of money,, envy or hatred; these have black sails. As life draws near to the end, we can easily distinguish them from the pure white sails of love, charity, faith and patience, with the motto, 'With God's help,' for the watchword. A kind word to some poor boy, or even a bone to a. starved dog, is a tiny craft which goes forth sailing into the great unknown, and may some day come back, as a long-forgotten sail came into my harbor a row days since. "You remember my saying I feared I must have a lawsuit with a Mr. Jones about some California land? Last Thursday Mr. Jones came to my office to show me his deeds. His face seemed very familiar, but I thought it must be a resemblance to some one I had known. Mr. Jones looked at me a moment, and then coming forward said very cordially, 'This must be Mr. ^Howard. I can never forget yon, for you once saved my honor when I was a hoy in your father's office.' " Then it came b»ck to me. like a long-forgotten dream, of a bright office boy for whom I had once done some­ thing, but what I could not remember. So I said, ' Oh yes, I know you; but as to the favor, the long years since then must be my excuse for forgetting.' "4 Ah! it was a small matter to you, but the turning-point in my life, for it made me trust that there was real kind­ ness in the world, and that a rich man's son could take the part of a poor boy and fight manfully for him.' "I replied, my curiosity fully atoused, ' Come! this is hardly fair, you must tell what I did.' " 'Do you remember John Haskins?' he answered. "' Indeed I do, and a great rascal he turned out. By the way, Jones, did you not have some trouble with him?' I said, for just at that moment he, too, seemed connected in my mind. " ' Now you have the missing link, Mr. Howard. Yes; John Haskms ac­ cused me of stealing, and, when on clear evidence your father discharged me, you begged I might remain a few days for further proof.' " •Ah! I remember , I laughed . ' That was my lirst case. I chared vou and convicted Haskins. How proud I was when my father said, " Ralph, mv boy, persevere; I have great hope of you!"' ^ " «No more p roud than when I went home to my sick mother, whom I sup­ ported, and told her I still held my position, and that my honesty was clear. That was a happy day,' Mr, Jones said, his voice trembling. 3^ I" Carrier Plgeoni* .. Do TOU remember what the Pro* fessor said about flying machines; how *'. hard people are trying to discover some way of making practical use oI/4r balloons for carrying passengers and mails? But they haven't succeededfc yet you know, and I want to tell yoif about a wonderful little bird that Mptef- succeeded--not in carrying passengers^ but in being a marvelous postmani,; Think of itl A postman with wings|" flying at the rate (sometimes) of 10$ miles an hour--twice as/rapidly as th<r fastest express train. M- ' .Way back, ever so far, in the histor#* « of the world, we run across accounts o|IH the carrier pigeon. *' } Some weeks ago, the Professor told, you about the Crusaders, who formecj great armies and marched against th# Turks in the Holy Land. Now, thesl Turks used to have carrier pigeons to take information from one city to another, or to fly between different di­ visions of their armies; but the Crusaders kept falcons which would chase and capture the pigeons in the air. Go further back than this, even, to the time when Anacreon, a famous Greek poet, lived in 560 B. C., and you Will find mention of the carrier pigeon. Let Us see what kind of birds they are, and how their training is accom- " plished. They are a variety of the do­ mestic pigeon, and have a wonderful instinct which causes them to fly to their homes when carried hundreds of miles away from it. They have been v taken far out of sight of the land, upoft ?• the ocean, and yet have found their way back to their own cotes again. l| you have ever been to sea, with nil land_ within sight, you must have no­ ticed that the water ail around yo|t. seemed to be inclosed by a circle ot horizon, and that your ship was al­ ways precisely in tho center of thiji circle. One direction looked justthft same as another to you, and yet thesflr b i rds , when l e t loose , wi l l f lyup in t f t the air from the deck to a great height* * sailing round and round as they go* and will then, without hesitation--if thjt day be a clear one--set off on their journey home. It is said that these birds select the direction by some in­ stinct so wonderful that people cannot find out what the theory is. The pigeons are taken when quite " young and trained to fly short distance* at first. These lengths of flights are gradually increased, and the birds have been known to fly over a thousand miles at a time. The letters or messages sent by the birds are often inclosed in a quill anil fastened to their legs, necks or wingi. Before the invention of telegraphy / pigeons were often used by capitalist* '. to carry the changes in the prices stocks and bonds. During the winter of 1870-71, whej| the City of Paris was besieged, the bap loons which were sent up always car­ ried a number of birds. The Prussian# could follow the balloons, and ofteft. captured them; but when the naviga­ tors escaped the birds could be carried^ almost any distance and be sent back - to Paris with valuable dispatches, flying far over the heads of the enemy lying at the gates, and out of reach of the most skillfully sent bullet. During , this war very long dispatches were micro-photographed and forwarded safely fastened beneath the pigeons* . , wings. In foggy weather, or whe* snow is on the ground, they have con#* siderable difficulty in finding their way. There used to be a regular line of - these birds flown from Halifax, N. S.v to Boston, Mass., and from Sandy Hook to New York with the news brought from Europe by vessels. But fast as these little creatures fly the tiny spark of the electric telegrapL flies faster yet, and as a postman and news agent the birds are nearly useless in our civilized countries; yet there will always be a tender spot in every heart warm with leve for the gently* eyed, soft breasted messengers--the carrier pigeons.- Christian Union?. Walking. PERHAPS it is not strange that the ay* " erage person will not b« persuaded tha^ taking it all together,* walking is the best exercise in which he can engage. is such a simple and natural feat in the ordinary business of life; it is per­ formed so automatically, and, as one might say, unconsciously, that he never thinks of ascribing to it those benefit® of which it is the potential cause. W% do not say that under peculiar circun** stances, in unique phases of certain, disease, other kinds of exercise may not be more efficacious, or may not be employed as very useful auxiliaries to walking. Reference is meant mainly to the average man in ordinary health* For him, walking at the proper time i* the proper manner and at the proper distances, has advantages of which ltfl does not dream. Horseback riding, whioh so many physicians recommend to patients wita broken-down constitutions, is doubtless very restorative; but first-class authori­ ties allege, and with reason, that excel- ., lent as tnis mode of exercise is, it ia inferior as a whole to walking. It sometimes seems, we admit, as thoagh an individual were born whose feet and legs were merely intended to carry him to stages, cars, steamboats, etc., and that none of his motion through life was meant by an inscrutable rrovi- denoe to be personal, active stnd volue* . tary. But these cases are not numer* ; •< ous. In most instances the will te walk alone is needed. All the rest may safely bo left to take care of itself.-- Chicago Commercial Advertiser. * ^ --True to the core--the §|>: