T-n.ts:'! wt ti -tbt
COLL. VAN CLKVE.
ALBA.XT,
OREGON.
' AW AT bOWJt KART."
; Y. IDOCX1 J. BALL.
Away down East whare mountain rills ...
Ar thrn the hollers flowin' ;
Where cattle browse upon the hills.
When summer winds ar blowin' ;
Whare in the moonlight winter nights
The world puts on sich splendor,
When young folks go tu singm' school
An' git so kind o' tender ;
Whare village gossips hear an' tell
- TWr kind o harmless slander;
Tbare lived blue-eyed Mehetabel, ;
An' honest young Philander.
If ehetabet wts just as sweet
An' fair as summer weather.
She bed the cutest leetle feet
That ever trod in leather.
An' then those mild soft eyes o' her'n
Wy! cider wertit no clearer; -
They made Philander's visage burn.
Whenever he sot near her.
Philander, he was tall an Uun,
A kind o' slender feller; i 'jirt
He hed a sort o' goelin' chin.
His hair was long an' yeller. t '
Drest in his go-tu-meeon' clothes,
A etandin' collar sportin' ;
He went down cross-lots Sunday nights,
To Deacon Spencer's conrftn'.
There down he sot afore the Are, '
A ttunkin' an' a lookin':
He praised the deacon's sheep nn cows.
He praised her mother's cookin'.
He talked all round the tender pint
But somehow, couldn't du it,
His words got kind o' out e'j'i'ni, "'- -
Afore he could git thru it. k . . '
Twin twelve o'clock one Sunday night ;
A blazm' nre was roarin'r
. The old folks hed gone off tu bed ;
The Deacon he was snorin.
Around the time-worn room the light
Fell kind o' soft an' rosy, - .. .
The old pine settee it was drawn, . , .
Up by the fireplace, cozy.
MrhV tabic sot on one end,
- Philander he sot by he. ''
An' with thfe old tongs in his hand.
Kept pokin' at the fire. '
He tried to tell her how he felt; ' '
It sot him in a flutter.
The sweat, it jest rolled down his face
Like drops o' m:lted butter.
"So thare they sot an' talked about '
The moonshine an' the westaer,
An' kept a kind o' hitchin' up
Until they hitched together.
The deacon snored away in bed ;
. Philander he got bolder ;
He slid his arm around her head
An' laid it on his shoulder.
An' when she lifted up her eyes,
An' looked up intn his'n,
It seemed as if Philander's heart
Intu his mouth hed ris'n.
He sotan' trembled for a while,
She looked so mighty clever.
noma spirit wueperea in nis
Jut du it note or never."
Says he" 31 y dear Mehetabel,
My house an' home ar' waitin',
An' aint it gittin' tu be time
That you an' I were matin' 7"
An' then, aez she, Jest loud enuff
For him tu understand her
If yoa kin be content with me,
I guess it is, Philander."
The Deacon woke up from his dreams.
Hex he : " Ther's snthin' brewin'.
He peeked out thrn the bed-room door,
To see what they were dodn'.
An when he saw 'em isiton' thare, '
' Like leetle lambs in clover,
He almost snickered right out load,
It tickled him all over, '
He nudged his wife and told her tn,
sAn' my ! now it did please her, .
An' then they talked themselves to sleep,'
An' snored away hkeOeaser. - "
Philander sot there all nightlong, ' 1 -
Hs didnt think o gain';
Till when the day began tu dawn,
- He heerd the roosts rs crow in'. - -
An' when he started over home,
Alone acrost the holler.
He kept taikin' tu himself ,
- An' fumblin' with his collar, . i
Sea he t "Ther' never was a chap, n
That did the bizness slicker ..
An' then, he gin' hknself a slsp, : t
An' my ! how hs did snicker.
An' now blue-eyed Mehetabel
Is mtrried to Philander,.
An' village gossips idly ten - -
That ne'er was weddin' grander.
Those peaoefnl moonlight winter nlghta
Have not yit lost the'r splendor.
The young folks go to singnV school, .
An still git kind o" tender. . . .
Away down East, whare mountain rills, .
Ar' thru the hollers flowin' ;
Whare -cattle browse upon the hills.
When summer winds ar1 blowm'.
THE POMFKET SKELETON
i When I first saw South Clvde I dto-
xionnced it the prettiest .village I had ever
aeen.. Xt was eertaintly picturesque,
jniet, and ' lovely. I 'was driving out oi
' the town with a friend. - ! t : 1
, t.. This is, June piotTireT".said I. t i
, "There is Pomfret's house, "remarked
xay friend. ' J';:fV.t'V'; ' " " . ,j
Whiehrpiie?,!'H' '"i
"The large one on the hill yonder,
with terraces and fountains."
" And who is Pomfret ?" I asked. .
" He was the great man of the place.
"Within a year, he has died abroad.' -
aw?" ,.: - ,i , . J
., " I do not know." . , ' ,
. The next day I was shut up in my oon-arnltmg-rocin
in the town; ' and South
vijun snmuKi iuuj sums ucauiiutu nucrtr
copic : view instead of a reality. ; I had
een it tmdex its loveliest auspices. was
. fated to it under, others. . i J .
. IXj life was dragging Very wearily just
-Shea;, but one day something' remarkable
bappened to me, calling me out of my-
- One morning, a r. handsome, barouche
, stopped at my door, the footman leap,
ing to tie ground, and appearing the
xtext moment before me -with a note.
ile merely left the note in my hands, and
ieparted. -r , .
I turned my attention to the note'. ! It
-was as follows : . ' , !
Dkab Dootob:' ' ' t-'i-'
J. am fn great need of 'your profes-
eional skilL Please come to my house
,t Uie eorriage for you. ' This being a mat
tea' requiring great tact and caution, take
the cue from me, when we meet, and &p-
-: cw uuvd auusu uw au XUlluOUWlien
you studied in the hospitals there. You
. rpcrbaps comprehend already what the
vkeleton is that' abides in' my house
Use your eyes and -proceed with caution.
'iund X wiil enlighten you further at iny
-Erst opportunity. ,,. - Vl
"RAira-PonsBKr, of South Clyde." -.
,A firj'rular enonsrh enistle. - but X had
. -cccs" oji ally received , more incoherent
cues l.'C-ra anxious friends. r
. Bt Uoni called out of 'towni i I
,i j , '.- tha bfeautiiul' Pomfret olace.
SrJon. j Clyde, and I spprehendetl, that
ILi:' I was to jrro. xut l was at a loss
Vv: mere to anocipata. '
PTived. The coachman shut rhe
ta,A.i-l we wiilrlt X swifiiy 'away. ' I re
. T.tPv -' -s '".cvt the dim evening sky was
i ( . - i, and I enjoyed the luxury oi
fia :'. Zi ''exSxeweOj.'f 'W;!'y"W! i; t :
. -rea" springing hoofs strock a
I'' I r Lire, and then we passed a gate,
a by a man, ana x aivmeu uua
i entered the Pomfret gronnds. At
-'tsess j
ength we emerged near .the honee, which
was certainly very handsome. I had voly
time for a rapid purvey f the .piojses,
when a gentleman earns harriedltf toward
the carriao as I descended. Sand crasned-f
" Doctor, van are?.verv welcome. I
feared something would happen to pre
"9n T eJ oniiw I was sxiiMihafc it
should be vcu who visited s now."
Mr. Pomfret?" I aaid. sliakincr his
hand, which stUl held mine nerybuslj,
'" Yes, I am- the present resident here?
with my sister," in a low tone.-; f
We were walking toward the house.
My companion was a young man -of
about twenty-four, very handsome, with
a pale face, of remarkable sweetness.
'Ve must era in directly," he said.
X Cannot, ston to talk with vrm Iirta.
My sister may be- obserring us from Vt
window Understand, you are not a
physician, but Mi Richmond. Here, we
are; be quite at your ease now." t
He had TD receded me into the hall, and
flinging open a door, ushered me; into a
quiet, elecrant room, where a ladv sat at
work."'" She was vetite and irMceiril. with
very sweet and gracious manner. She
dropped her work, and came forward a
little anxiously, I thought. . .
-juy sister, Miss Fomfret, Mr. Rich
mond. " Emma, please order tea im
mediately. " ' ; - ,.
"Yes, she answered and ''passed
quietly from the room. . . .
"You have seen her: now," said Mr.
Pomfret, immediately that she was gone.
" What is your first impression ?"
'She is a very lovely young lady, and
appears quite well,' X answered, a little
bewildered. ... ,;r ' ;
r " Observe her closely," he whispered;
for her light step was on the threshold
again. ' -:.i .. ".'''
She was followed by a servant who
placed a light in the globe -of alabaster,
swinging from the ceiling, and retired,
"Tea will , be served immediately, Jtal.
We- have had a very warm day, Mr.
Richmond," she said, crossing the room
to araw a cuxtarn near me. i t
," The July heat has been oppressive
in the town," I said, . ?' but you can know
little of the severe weather nere."
"Is the fever still prevalent in ; the
town ?" she asked. '
-" I believe there have been no aiew
cases within a few days," I stammered ;
and to change the subject, rose and ex
amined the pictures, - and bo led the con
versation to other matters; but I was far
from being at ease in a false position,
and took advantage of the first opportu
nity to ask Mr. Pomfret if his sister sup
posed me to be recovering from a fever.
Yes, " he answered; "and as I thought
it might be necessary, I intimated the
possibility of your remaining with us for
a little time. Will it be possible?"
"I think not. I have patients in
town who require my dOy attendance,"
But I will have yoa taken in every
day by the carriage," he replied, eagerly.
The servant had brought, in tea, and
Miss Pomfret had been giving Kim some
directions; but now she glanced toward
us,- a little nervously, I thought, as she
announced tea. ..,'-: js .,s; :,n. ,
We seated ourselves at the table. Miss
Pomfret drank her tea composedly; her
brother ordered iced sherbet, and par
took of little else. J j
- The v hot : weather takes : away my
taste, and I dont' think it is good for
you to drink that hot tea, Emma," said
Pomfret. ' You ha 1 much better have
a glass of this;" and he passed her a gob
let of the sherbet. '.- - i - - ct . ;
As she took it I saw that her little
white hand trembled. -t A moment later
he observed that she did not drink it. '
"Isn't it aweet enough?" he asked.
Then, with, a merry, winning smile, he
held it to hex lips. " To please me!" he
murmured..
She smiled a little, and tasted it; but
I saw that she was trembling very much.
"Good child," he said, playfully;
then, suddenly, he rose from the : table,
and threw himself into another chair. , ,
"Are you ill, Ral?" asked Emma,
starting to her feet. : : s-3
" No, r but my head aches terribly,"
pressing bis hands to both sides of his
iorenead. - Then seeming to recover
himself, he added, " I hope you will ex
cuse me. I seemed to be losing my
senses. - If Mr.1 Richmond will excuse
me for a moment, I will retire to my J
TOOm." --.ftl '. 4 Ur ! "
" Let , me accompany , you I" I ex
claimed.' "It may be sunstroke !' i ' -
I forgot that I might be revealing: my
professional character, as I accompanied
him te a chamber, . and examined his
condition. .. . . j . t. . f ! .'
Miss Pomfret came in, bent oyer her
brother, and parted the- hair upon, his
forehead. -.:....-S .mui 'Mivhm j..s;,
Is he going to be till" ahe asked me,
" No, I think not" I answered, some
what at a loss for a moment, under her
ciettt tijeB. Jv-....J-'r..-'
As she sat there, caressing his fore
head, he fell into a deep sleep. -rr I
.. She closed the window beside the bed
softly, and we went down stairs, v
' Though I had not had a fever ' it is
true that I was not well, and I did not
entertain : the idea of returning home
that night.: When, Miss Pomfret ' asked
me if X would enter the library, I asked
to be shown to my room. ' Not biily was
I exhausted in body, but I shrank from
a tete-a-tete with her; my ; false position
was embarrassing; and, wasj not pre;
pared for my part. ,7 , . " s
' My rotoin was a' jjec I "boudoir' of
luxury, and I lay awake for a long time
watehing the moonlight shimmer on the
lace curtains. - At .last t jcrept.. up , to. a
picture upon the wall. t ; , , I
It was the portrait of a man.' I had
not noticed it at all before' X extin
guished mV light. - It seemed ' to ideam
out suddenly upon the wall as I cawight
sight of it). X sprang up.ou. my eioow to
lookatit.1 ' ?
A remarkably alert, nervous figure of
g-entleman, not Xnore than thirty) years
old with a pale, , delicate and , sweet
countenance. The eyes were very large
and melancholy ; and I thought I detected
in them a slight wildness' of expression.
There was something winning and fasci
nating in the f aoe It was -beautifully
fainted and seemed endowed with life,
ts eyes seemed fixed on "mine, 'and to
gaze down on mo with a bafiiing meaning
which thrilled me. As- I sack; back, .1
stjll felt them watshing me.-., - , , -.
, Still half -conscious, of , the portrait, I
fell into an uneasy slumber. -,,
I could not have slept long,' when I
was a awakened by a -slight noise near
me. , I half-opened, then closed my eyes,
for I saw that some' one was looking at
me. '' '''' " - -1 '
-' It was a woman. 5 She'' had' long fair
hair unbound, and a lighted taper in her
hand. I thought it was Miss Pomfret.
u She stood at the foot of tie bed, hold
ing back the curtains, and looking at rnei
"I had' no idea -what' it1' meant; Ili"
only : ' felt that; ! 'must otr , etir;
that: I .c nnstj .counterfeit sleep. It
must- have been for yearly five minutes
that she stood looking at me. 'Then 'she
turned softry away,' and &fte' glancing
ajxnit the room, looked up at the picture
on the wall. I 'opened. ,my ,eyes .and
watched her. Her face was too sad for
tears; she sighed heavily, and turned
slowly away. I saw, as aha went, that it
Ljava Miss Pomfret. "She closed the door
r .... ji 'i . -s., . .
soifciy; men au waHBuenx. - .a, xjiougnt
nasiiedlovef m&l Ifitd II lay. , The girl's
briaii was affeoted. : I "Kx
if cojddaiot.Sleepf afteihatJ was so
excited with my discovery.- Her case
was evjdently a rare one; its symptoms
almost too subtle fordiscovety. but now
lVhad "lue-1 could -sooaaadssoaiijaiaei
an opinion. It was plain that this was1
what the brother hinted, atr vhat he f
feared. I rememberea with . what . sus
picion 'she had regdedme$6r4m6ment!
the previous evening, tend how nervous
and anxious she had repeatedly appeared
later. Was she conscious' of her own
weakness, then? I wondered what her
motive j was . in coming , to . my room.1
resolving that if I remained at South
Clyde another night, I" would lock my
door.'- : ;!
Quite early, and ; not very much rel
freshed, I found my way to the breakfast-room
the next . morning. : Pomfret,
in a rich dressing-gown, was .walking to
and fro. He greeted me in a somewhat
subdued manner, and then commenced
to walk to and fro again in an absent and
preoccupied manner. .-. j.
, I .was silent, for ! ; felt the importance
of my subject, and unwilling to broach
it while the servant went in and out,
laying the cloth for breakfast. -At last
I said, "Shall we take a stroll in the
garden, Mr. Pomfret ?". ; , '
He lifted his eyes to mine with such a
look of intense pain, that I was startled.
v We Shall have time for a little chat, 1
1 11 WJ ...
snau we not, oetore Dieafciast r X asked.
" Yes oh, . yes," he, , answered, hur
riedly. . . ,
, He seemed so agitated that I pitied
him. He divined that I had made a dis
covery, and dreaded the revelation of it.
He took his hat in his hand, but did not
put it on ; as we went down the steps, I
saw that .there was a feverish color upon
his cheeks, and he seemed to court the
dewy - morning breeze, which ' was very
fresh,- and rather chilled me.
We walked the length of a long path
edged with pansies and pinks before the
silence was broken.
" I have made a discovery," I said, at
last.', -. ,-:.
- He flashed upon me an - inexpressible
look furtive, denant, fearful and some
thing more. . ,f;
" I am sorry, verv sorrv to rmin von."
I said," but you probably already an
ticipate what X believe I have divined
that your sister's mind is affected." ;
"He grew very pale ; and yet I thought
he breathed easier than he had done a
moment before.' But he was very much
agitated, and sat down upon a rustic
bench, crushing his hat with trembling
hands. .
" Before I proceed to any measures, I
would like you to tell me anything of
your family history, which bears upon
this matter," I said. . " JJ this disease is
hereditary " . , . . ..
" It is it is !" he interrupted, eagerlv.
" My father died insane my grandfath
er, alao."r : . : ,
f The tendency is on your father's side
of the family, then?"
" Yes. My mother was singularly
healthy in mind and body. Not robust,
but sound and even-tempered."
" She was a blonde?"
- "Yes.".
,rYour father was dark-complexioned
and of a nervous temperament?"
" He was."
"Is that a portrait of him which hangs
in the room I occupied last night ?" ; .
As I expected, he replied in1 the
affirmative. I had already . noticed the
resemblance in the whole appearance of
the young man. The same elegant, ac
tive figure ; the same brilliant, melan-r
choly face. ; .-
" It is a frightful malady to have in a
family," he said trembling. He! was
looking toward the house, and his glance
wandered to one of the upper windows.
.,; "That window is barred on the in
side," he said, in a low tone. . , -
" For what reason ?"
" My father died there, " her almost
whispered. , ; He trembled so that I re
seated him, and laid my hand upon his
shoulder. , ,. ; ;
' Hope for the best, Mr. Pomfret In
these days, insanity becomes more and
more under medical control.- You have
means to resort to any remedy, and your
sister is so vonnc and health w tlnt T nr..
; not at all despondent of the matter. "
Jily sister," lie murn.ured absently,
and sat lost, in thought, j : ,i ;
, , I looked around me, at the graceful
mansion, the garden, the avenues, stately
and luxuriant. The gardener came out
of a hot-house with ' a magnificent bou
quet which he took into the house. Pros
perity seemed to rest everywhere : and
L yet my eye came back to the drooping
ngnre oi tne master of this beautifully
adorned garden with a weight of com
paseiouuf - He looked very young and,
as I have said, there was something singu
larly winning about him. The fibres of
my frame were seasoned to the work of
livinsr, and 'the impulse to put mv ex-.
perience and strength to this young life's
Btappusb man warm wiului me. ..
" Mr. Pomfret,'? I said, " I am an older
man than you. Perhaps I may have
learned a little wisdom in ten years more
Of living.' w Here is the hand f a friend
as well as that of a physician.": :r " ?
He grasped it put the, other hand
upon, say shoulder,' and we stood breast
to breast. His eyes grew, moist and
oalnuifei'' . -5: ''..----f--t
" Grod bless you" he said. " Doctor,"
he added, " my need is beyond human
Jielp."., r ? .. . . , , t '
The breakfast-bell jingled ; and he
turned .quickly. ' ; '- - ; 4
" Let us go in. Emma will miss us."
s ilirw much-bw looksiike his-father,
I thought again, as he, seated himself, at
;tihe table.. fl,f-'-4 ,.r. : ,,, s.f ;:.. 1 -""
For the' delicate and brilliant smile
came back in bis sister's presence. ; His
manner, with 'its; singular attention for
her,, was a study.. I could .sot but ad
mire them both. Atlast , we rose from
the table. '. , . ," , .v
.Miss Pomfret : went to the window,
where she ' stood feeding a goldfinch,
between the bars of bis cage, with sugar ;
yet I felt that she heard every word her
brother said. ,. . t ; i
y I-will send you ia by trie, carriage,"
he said, in a low voice. , ", Ypu will not
craiet-
ly s possiDie., ,, ?t i
- ',' Emma," said the young gentleman,
' I shall be engaged in my chamber all
day I do not wish to be disturbed un
til our hour for dining. I have writing
to do. I shall probably finish it by six
o'clock, "looking at his watch., -t
, Shall I not send up luncheon ? " '
' No, do hot disturb me on any ao
sount." v.ii-M ,:-.(..- ,
' V " Ycry well," she answered. f - "
Hr voiea was; siegulariy. placid and
sweet, ("v I turned to. , look at her as I left
the room, fcine looked so small, so fairy
like, so' appealing lovely, that I involun
tarily paused. " Ker cheek was very pale;
I had observed: tiiat when she first came
down; j . Nowr I .thought she. looked into
my face with an expression, of sadness
and sorrowful appeal. It was very
strange, but there was nothing in her
appearance to warrant the strange episode
fail to re tarn with it at any hour you may
choose ?- It is at your disposal' -';
" I will return," I answered, as
of the night or the suspicion I , had re
garding her. - . , - s
" I am afraid you anticipate a lonely
day, Miss Pomfret ?' I said, s s j -
She shook jher head, with a faint smile.
" I am used to being alone,,- I., don't
mind it." rV,l
"Can I execnte anv commission for
you in town V' m.wwm wwi
No, thank you ; I. need nothing,"
she nsweredJ , .i M , i'
She sat down on a litfle lounge of rose
colored velvet lier white dress sweeping
the floor, and' a tiny Blenheim spaniel
leaping after the long tassels which de
pended therefrom. ' Her face was bent
down to him, but there was not smile
upon it. . : . - vs.;. :
. . " There are some sorrows which even
wealth cannot alleviate," I said to. my
self ; and went my way with an aching
heart. . .
;. She was so young, so lovable, it
seemed hard, indeed, for the brother to
bear. I thought, if she were my sister,
that it.would break my hart. I thought
of the blotter at its worst, and wondered
what he would do without her. , . ,
I could not decide yet what course it
was best for me. to take; but I was de
termined that no power of mine should
be spared to save the. happiness of this
young and lovely girl. ' I was so lost in
thought upon the subject, that the day's
duties were irksome to me; and when I
returned from my rounds, and found the
Pomfret carriage waiting at my door for
me, it was a relief, j All my interests
seemed synonymous with those of my
new acquaintances, and the demands of
others subordinate.;
"Drive fast,".I said, somewhat to the
eonchman's surprise; .but it was : six
o'clock before we. arrived at the mansion.'
It had rained hard during the day and
the roads were bad. ,, .-,
As I gave a servant my hat 'in the hall,
Miss Pomfret came down stairs.
' - "I hope you have not waited dinner
for me?" I said . . ; i
"We have not dined," she answered;
"my brother has not come down."! ;
She looked far from happy, I thought;
yet the serenity of her appearance I had
never yet seen entirely disturbed. There
was nothing remarkable about her but
her habitual silence, and the mournful
and absent expression of her eyes, which
I observed for the second time.
x went to my room to arrange my
dress. In less than half an hour, a ser
vant called me to dinner. . ,
I met Mr. and Miss Pomfret in the din
in groom. Theyoung man was deadly pale,
and yet appeared nervous and excited.
Pearing that something had happened to
distress him during my absence, I
I glanced narrowly at Miss Pomfret. I
was surprised at her heightened color,
and the nervousness with which She pre
sided at table. Other guests were pres
ent, several gentlemen and a lady, evi
dently persons of wealth and distinction;
yet I wondered that her high breeding
did not place her entirely at ease. She
was inattentive and nervous to a marked
extent.
Mr. Pomfret was at first silent, but en
tered into conversation at last; and spoke
animatedly indeed, with almost boister
ous mirth. Looking at his flushed brow,
I gave a sigh for the inward misery I
suspected. .
" More wine, Mr. Courtney I" he said
to one of the gentlemen. " Let us drink
freely drink to forgetfulness to obliv
ion of life I" ,
These were deprecating exclamations.
" What 1" exclaimed Pomfret, starting
to his feet; " do you wonder that I gave
that toast? You. think, then, I am a
happy man ?" , ;.,
He tossed off the wine,' motion
ing the others -' to do the Bame ; -but
we all sat motionless, looking at him.
His manner was excited almost fren
zied. "Ypu think so ? Ha, ha !" laughing
wildly. "Why, tho beggar at my door
is more to be envied than I, for there is
a curse upon me! A skeleton sits at my
daily board is here among us now 1 Do
you not see it?., No, no; you are blind !
Heavens! the air is full of invisible de
mons, dancing for joy! They gloat in
my misery!"
At that moment the truth flashed upon
me. I left my seat and drew nearer to
Pomfret, whispering a word to the but
ler, who was an intelligent and powerful
man. Pomfret stood gazing fixedly into
the air; the empty glass in his extended
hand."::;.-.... t::: s'f -.i Ml ;,..utrv;v
" Mr. Pomfret," I said, gently, trying
to catch the his eye, for mastery. ; " You
have forgotten yourself; you have taken
too much wine. Let me accompany you
to your room." ' "
' " Forget ! I cannot forget,' he said, in
pathetic despair. " My skeleton is ever
before me, There she sits my sister.
You see her fair hair, her blue eyes like
my mother's. She thinks she will escape
it so; but she never iwill--never', never T
The skeleton grins under her fair cheek,
looks out of her eyes, laughs on her lip.
You see it in her every motion. , God ! it
is coming upon me., I will fight to my
death." ":: - - - , J
Miss Pomfret had arisen, and was ap
proaching him. In her solicitude, she
did not fear him. I motioned her away,
but she did not obey, and as she came
nearer, he sprang upon her, bending her
back as if she Were a reed; her agonized
screams ran through the room. ; .-.;:- '
We sprang upon him, tore off his hold,
bound him hand and foot. Already had
the rabid howl broken from his lips. He
Waal frothing,' raging senseless:9 3 -,
- When he was taken from the room; and
all that , could be done for him adminis
tered in his chamber', when all the guests
had gone, and the frightened servants
were all at work under mf directions, I
heard an agonized weeping. n It cut' my
heart like a knife; I recognized the tones
of Emma Pomfret's voice. . . , V ,
It was midnight before I sought her
out. Her brother's raving was sub
dued by the ' influence of a powerful
narcotic, but it was only, a temporary
alleviation , . . ... .
She lay on the library sofa. ' The room
was perfectly still, but I could see the
shimmer of her dress in the dim light.
I bent over her, and saw the heavy lids
dart from, the fixed and mournful eyes.
I put my hand on her forehead; it , was
cold as marble.1 ' !,i
V Miss Pomfret," I said, "let me give
you a little care." .
... She murmured a few words expressive
of her indifference, and I saw that she
seemed unconscious of all I did. I ad
ministered wine'ordered a fire, and drew
the sofa before it; still the frigid misery
of her face did not soften. ; , ; ,..
. ! '.'You must not get ill," I said, watch
ing her with a great, secret anxiety. " I
shall want you to help me take care of
your brother." J - ' 1 - '
'"No help will .vaiL 5 she said apa
thetically. " Let me, too, die if I wilL"
The utter despair of her words forced
me to ' silence. Suddenly she : broke
into, tearless moaning, , repeating her
brother's name. - ' 1 " " ' ".-'
1 "Oh, Ral, my darling brother," she
sobbed; nofhinf more for you in life
but bars and -chains. - So good, so true,
so; tender to me, and you will never know
me again I Help for him I" turning to
me; '"did not my father die so, and his
father before him, and have I not long
known that there is no help for a Pom-
fret, when the curse of his family over
takes him : Vnn llMn An nr. .l T- A
L&rav; you had best leave us to our
;j AV - .... , M 1 gestdoiis concerning tree-planting:
k?ew ma?rUl?i but I hardly gavei? Ab the seasontor iwork has s
uubvca- a uiusgau nxea my eyes
earnestly upon her face, and said, " I
shall not leave yonrbecause I love vour
brother. I offered him my friendship f
wiore tnis anuction came, ana he shall
have it now. I shall tend him to the
last."
For the first time, she seemed to give
me her attention, r r
" Will you let rne be iour friend." T
said, after a pause, taking the little old
iiauu. j
"If yon will," she syllabled. .4
I could not persuade her to go to rest,
so I remained by her, talking.
"I knew who you were from the first, "
she said. "I have long known RaTs'
delusion, that I needed watching; he
struggled against it, poor boy, and still
it mastered him. When you came, I
was only suspicious who you might be ;
I thought I had seen you but a year pre
vious, in a railway carriage, asleep. I
knew you then to be a young physician,
late from London. After you came, I
could not rest until I was satisfied Who
you were; and, to do this, I could most
effectually convince myself by seeing
you in your sleep. With this motive in
view, I venturea into your chamber last
night. I satisfied myself."
I did not think it best to tell her then
that I knew of her visit. At dawn she
fell asleep, and slumbered until nearly
noon. ; ?
She came to my side then, collected,
firm and helpful. Together we watched
with poor Ral until he died, s He never
knew her, the darling sister -whom he
had loved even in his madness; but, for
her sake, I was thankful that he passed
away with less suffering than I had feared
for him. '
When all was over, she came to me
with a package of papers which she had
found in his private desk. " Her droop
ing little figure, which instantly wrung
my heart, I placed in an easy chair, and
then I opened the closely-folded ' sheets,
and read them aloud: , . ' V
"I have but little time in which to
act with reason; let . me take advantage
of it. First, Emma, forgive me for
the pain which I have repeatedly put
you to. My dear and only sister, vou
know the curse is upon me, but you do
not Know now long it Has worked within
me. I have struggled against fiendish
thoughts for months, returning- again to
reason and remorse, sick with terror at
what I have escaped. Sometimes I think
I have betrayed myself to you and others,
and you only allow me my libqsty 'on
sufferance. You cannot do that' long;
yesterday the third spasm overtook me ;
Emma, you witnessed the symptom, and
Know its meaning, x Know tnat at any
hour, now, I may go mad. Oh, God! so
young, so hopeful I have been, too. But
there is no hope for a Pomfret. Thank
heaven, I have no son to inherit the hor
ror of my blood !
" My precious sister, the time is draw
ing nigh when we must part. The gen
tleman whom you know as Mr. Rich
mond is a skillful physician named Leroy.
While under the influence of my malady.
I brought him here to detect in you the
signs of insanity. He is a gentleman
a man of fine feelin&rs. If he offers to
defend you when you are alone, my poor
jCimma, trust mm. xo mm x bequeath
my carriage and horses, my saddle horse
ana accouterments. Our home is yours,
you know, darling, by inheritance. My
moneys and real estate you will find be
queathed to you in my formal will made
a year ago.
"Little sister, good-bye. I know how
good you are, how you have suffered.
It is better that I should die. You will
miss me, I know; but the grass will grow
green on my grave at last, and the curse
of our race will have spent its power,
You will not transmit it to your children.
ion are our motner s cniia, ana your
blood is pure. You have nothing to
fear; you have only to be happy when
x am gone.
"If I am violently insane for years,
place me in an asylum at my expense.
I have arranged for this continsrencv.
But I have not great physical endurance;
x ao not tninK x snail suner long. And
then comes rest and peace. : Good-bye,
my aariing sister; maKe me, at last, a
peaceful grave, and come there,- some
times, remembering me not as a lunatic.
but as the brother you played with in
childhood, and who -loved you with his
last cairn tnougnt.
"Raxph Pomfbet."
The epistle was dated on the very day
nis ieanui maiaay overtook mm.
I took the weeping girl in my arms.
- Emma, he trusted met cannot you ?
w iu you let me try to maKe you nappy r
She clung to me with sobbing breaths.
but I felt that it was not physical- weak
ness or even desolation which made her
mine. I felt that she knew how I loved
her for her goodness and purity that
she recognized the integrity I had striven
to maintain, ana lovea me in return.
Bal's grave is peaceful. Willows shade
it, mignonette blooms upon it, bees buzz
above it, and the sunshine lingers longest
there upon the hill-tops. ' ' We love to go
there and think that suffering is past for
nun. .f. r v.- - ' -
My darling is happy. We have
children, and a bright and beautiful
home. The Pomfret skeleton has never
intruded amongst us. , :
V i Woman's Wages.
? " The eye of woman hath been fixed "
upon the Illinois Legislature, but with
out - avail the i Legislature has - not
blenched in, its' refusal to-. pay women
employed in State institutions the same
salaries as men holding similar positions.
abstractly mere is no justice, and in a
good many oases there is practically no
justice in such a refusal. ; But it must be
said that in more . than a good many
cases the lack of training and of power
for continuous work on the part of women
worKers, would ma fee an equality of
wages enforced by law a hardship upon
the employer. In one profession, how
ever the teacher's anything that would
bring sucn equality wouia be welcome,
Here women,- often better adapted by
nature to their work,' ' more thoroughly
prepared for it, and more successful in
it than the men Occupvmsr like positions.
are crowded far down the scale' below
them. It is not justice, and it is not even
sound economy. . . . . , . . ,
The Italian Woman. 1
A correspondent of the Newark Ad
vertieer writes : "I think an orang-ou
tang would have as much taste in the way
01 aress as tne average xtanan woman.
She gets herself' up in some ' most strik
ing combination of odors, with an inter
minable length of skirt and a proportion
ate outgrowth of shoulders ; parts her
hair on one side 'and combs it down' to
the bridge of her nose, builds up a tower,
of puffs and braids and twists and bows
and flowers on the top of the head, paints
her eyes, and feels herself triumphantly
complete. If the intended effect of her
head arrangements is to make her look as
much like a consummate 1 idiot as possi
ble, and the display of shoulders be
kindly offered as a study in anatomyji
she is a happy success."
V -- T?"
Suggestions as tolree Planting.
fTbomas Meelian. efiitorof the Oarden-
ejr's Monthly i gives fhe following sug-
now ar
rived we shall g into no extended de
tail, but offer the following brief sucrsres-
tions, which may aid the unpracticed
gardenert-'''-'' '-'- -w.wvwv.
XTepare eround for plantinc-. Soil
loosened two feet deep dries out less in
summer than soil one.foot . deep,. Rich
soil grows a tree larger in one year than
a poor soil will in three. Under-drained
soil is cooler in summer than soil not
under-drained. The feeding roots of
trees come near f the surface ; therefore
plant no-deeper than necessary to- keep
the tree in the soil. If there be danger
of its- blowing over; stake it, but don't
plant ,deep. One -stake set at an angle
is as good, ' as two : set 'perpendicular.
straw or mat, set around a tree keeps theJ
vw.k uuui luuuuti' uH)je OLOUtttt piaceu
around a transplanted tree are often bet
ter than a stake. They keep the soil
moist, admit the air, and encourage sur
face roots. , , Shorten the shoots at trans
planting. This produces growth, and
growth produces roots;: and 'with new
roots your tree is safe for another aeason.
Unpruned trees produce leaves, but lit
tle growth, and less roots. . " '.- i
- Place broad-leaved evergreens -where
they will get no Sun in winter; yet away
from where the roots of trees will make
the ground dry in summer. Deep soil,
but shallow planting, is all important for
them.; tin transplanting,.; take care of
the roots. ': Good roots are of more im
portance than good " balls." Balls of
earth are useful in keeping fibres moist;
but don't sacrifice the best fibres five or
six feet from the tree for the few fibres
in the ball at the base. When roots are
rather dry, after filling a portion of soil,
pour in water freely. After all has set
tled away, fill in lightly the balance of
the soil, and let it rest for a few days.
This is as a remedy, not a, ruki far wa
tering this way, cools the soil,' ultimately
hardens it, and in other respects 1 works
to the injury of the transplanted tree.
Unless inside of a round ring, or cir
cular walk, don't plant trees or shrubs
in formal clumps. They are abomina
tions in the eyes of persons of taste.
Meaningless irregularities form the op
posite extreme. Remember, " art is na
ture better understood."
The Perverse Stovepipe.
It is singular the influence a stope
pipe lias upon a married man. There is
nothing in this world he respects so
much. ; . A passing load of furniture may,
in its rigeneral appearance, be so gro
tesque as to call forth the merriment of
the thoughtless young, but if there is a
piece of stovepipe in it no larger than a
hat, he will not laugh. We don't care
who the man is, how he has been brought
up, what is his position, wealth or in
fluence, there is that about a length of
stovepipe which takes hold upon his very
soul with a force that he is helpless to
resist. And the married man who can
stand within reaching distance of a stove
pipe without feeling his heart throb, hisi
throat' grow dry' and' husky, is i an
anomaly which does not exist,' Stove
pipe has only one ingredient and that is
contrariness. It is the most perverse ar
ticle in existence. It has done more to
create heartaches, embitter lives, break
up homes and scrape off skin than all
other domestic articles together. The
domestic screw-driver pales its ineffectual
fires in the presence of a stovepipe, and
the family hammer just paws in the dust
and weeps. We don't care- how much
pains are taken to remember and keep
m order the links, they will not come to
gether as they came apart. This is not a
joke, this is not exaggeration ; it is simply
the solemn, heaven-born truth. If we
appear unduly excited in this matter we
are sorry for it, but we cannot help it
We cannot write- upon he subject at all
without feeling the blood tingle at our
very fingers' ends. Danbury JSfetvs.
,u , Happy Every Day. N.
Sidney Smith cut the following from a
newspaper and preserved it for himself.
" When you rise in the morning, 'form
the resolution to make the day a happy
one to a fellow creature. It is 'easily
done ; a left off garment to the man who
needs it ; a kind word to the sorrowful ;
an encouraging expression to the striv
ing trifles in themselves light as air
will do at least for the twenty-four hours.
And if you are young, depend on it it
will tell when you are old ; and if you
are old, rest assured it "will send you
gently and happily down the stream of
time to eternity..' By the most simple
arithmetical sum, look at the result. If
you send one person away happily
through the day, that is three hundred
and sixty-five in : the - course ; of' a year."
And suppose you, live forty years only
after you commence that course of medi
cine, you nave made 14,600 persons hap
py at all events for a time." :. .
" Cocoa v Butter. This is a ; curious
product obtained from the, nut from
which the well-known ' beverage is made.
It is about the consistence of .sper
maceti, with a slight vellow tin cm and an
I agreeable flavor. : It is used, both in
medicineMmd the toilet, being steemed
a remedy for throat and lung diseases,
etc Physicians now recommend its nm
pl in scarletnd other fevers as-pxodaoang
vuiuaug suiu xuuuag enect upon tne
patient, and emitting , an agreeable odor
in the sick chamber. On account of its
solid consistence it is more readily ap
plied than either fat or oil, and is more
easily absorbed .ythe skiB Further
more, it is thought to afford the system a
certain amount of nourishment In se
vere fevers it ia Very bensifieiL ,
UsefuziNess of CoAit. Comparatively,
few realize the power stored in coal for
man's use. , It -isJ stated W a scientific
fact, that in a boiler of fair construction,
a pound of coal will convert nine pounds
of watel! into steam Each pounds of
steam will represent art mniounfef ener
gy or capacity for performing work
equivalent to seven hundred and f orty
rucne thousand six 'hundred and sixty-six
foot pounds. In other words, one pound
of coal has done as much work in evapor
ating nine pounds, of water into nine
pounds of steam, as. would lift two
thousand two hundred, and a thirtV-two
tons ten feet high. I
Hkrb comes a Wisconsin girl, vouched
for by the Woman's Journal: " She is
a alight, rsleader girl, 17 years of age.
She is equally at home with the mower,
reaper, horse-rake, plow-handles, hoe, or
any other implement of farm work.! She
will shear as many sheep in a day as the
best of shearers. And when her day's
workris done in the field; hewill turn to
the cutting or making of the children's
drcsfieB, or in other.-wavs help her, moth
er about the house, Two years ago her
father had a young untamed horse. She
broke the horse to the saddle, irod..him
at a county fair, and took the first pre
mium oyer three Competitors." ; '
If you are in a driving storm, don
tempt to hold the rains.
at-
The History of Railroad Accidents.
From Charles Francis Adams, Jr.'s Leetnre.
It might sound brutal to say so, but i.
few ways were lives lost with such great,
immediate benefit to the world as in rail
road accidents. The wholeworld trav
eled thenceforth more safely for every
Hfe .Newmpjdiangea newprecau
tions, severer discipline followed every
accident; I During: the ifirst eleyfen years
of railroad experience almost no disas
trous accidents ccurred.The ttast ter
rible one was on the Versailles road in
France, in May, 1842, when an engine
broke down while running at full speed,,
and its cars piled up cm top; of it iThe.
doors of the cars were locked, they took
fire, and fifty-three persons were crushed,
or burned to death and . many injured..
The lecturer gave other instaiices of like
diArftnter. and nfirtwrAi? hnw iMmf im
provements in car construction obviated
the danger of such accidents. In New
England there have 1 been three terrible-
railroad accidon ts that at,the Norwalk
draw-bridge in May, 1853 ; "that at Valley
Falls, R. L, on - August A2, 1853, and .
that at Revere station' in' August, 1871.
Jacn" or tuese was- taKen mp, aesenbea .
and analyzed, and illustrated by the ex
perience of ' many other accidents of like,
character elsewhere. ' " All of them were
preventable, and there could lie no ex
cuse for their recurrence. JThe various
appliances which had , beonf, adopted in
consequence of these accidents were re
ferred to, and the opinion was expressed
that the Revere disaster had, reduced the
dangers incident to railroad traveling in .
Massachusetts by one-haUL j-.lt had
brought the train-brake and the " Mil
ler " platform-v-into general use; it had.
caused the increased adoption tf running-'
signals ana greatly improved discipline.
., ' The lecturer thn passed to accidents
which had not happened. 'Since tho Re
vere accident 120,000,000 of passengers,
had been carried by railroads within the
limits of Massachusetts.. How, many of
these, had been Jailed 'ly fai4teitj the
railroad companies and by accidents over"
which the passenger himself had 1x0 con
trol ? ' Just one.; ? This statement applied
only to passengers exercising due care;,
in all ways connected with the operation
of rftilrnflrfn nbnnt. 3HO rwnnla a run 1- m
killed or injured in the State; Another -question:
What is the length in Massa
chusetts of the average railroad journey,.
resulting in death? - The answei sounds,
absurd; it is 324,000,000 of miles. -That,
is, on an average!' 22.000.000 ' persons.
travel .fifteen .miles each, before any one.
of them is killed by a railroad accident.
So the average journey resulting in death
is 20,000,000 miles. If a person traveled
as a passenger on a Massachusetts railroad .
8UU miles a day, every day of his life, he
would, by a doctrine of chinces, be sev
enty years old before he would receive
an mjury in a railroad accident French,
statistics showed that stage-coach travel
ing was at least fifty times as dangerous,
as traveling by rail. The danger of be
ing murdered .in." Massachusetts was
greater by far than that of being killed
in a railroad accident. In 1873 the rail
roads carried 42,000,000 passengers with
out killing one; in the same year iu Bos
ton alone five persons were Id IW1 hv-
tumbling down stairs, seven by falling -put
Of j windows. s With, ,.70, 000, mfl.es of "
track,' full of curves," culverts -and.
bridges, with safety depending on every
thing, .from the state of the . atmosphere
to the strength of the rails with trains;
moving in every direction, at all times
agements of railroads are human. - That
they should happen so rarely is the true
wonderful human achievement than the-
combinations of speed and safety with
! which th mnvrtmpnfc rf mvlmi nviliT,.'
tion -is maintained through the unceasing;
human foresight
: - Fashion Notes. '
Some of the 1 handsomest' ' summer
sacques will be of black net, covered.
with figures cut from cashmere.
The narrowest striped ' .colored silks
sell at from sixty-five cents to one dollar
and twenty-five cents a yard.
Bows ? trHKD for ' trimming dresses
should be made of silk; "or of the same
material as the dress, and not of aibbon..
Thk approved, glove for' stareet-wear-has
three buttons, with simple stitching
on the back, of the same shade ls the
glove. : . . .4 , -
: Makt Parisian ladies are saidto-weax-their
walking skirts perfectly plain,,
simply draped at the back with .wide
''.DojcEsna gingham, ? at ;;!twej';five
cents a yard, will be very much used,
this summer. The Oxford stripe is con
sidered the most stylish. ;,-...;-, ;t ,
'- A pbevaxuno style is to have the sidos.
of the costume trimmed differently It.
is decidedly unique, but does not give a
A nbtw kind of goods, called the Mexi
caine, is thinner than grenadine, and it
will probably be in great demand t for-over-dresses
this summer. : -
Many of the new basques have trim
ming, down the backs, tapering . tovtho
Hoc shirrs. ' If the latter; it should be fin
ished at the. bottom with a bqw.,
' Thb earliest spring hats displayed no
feathers m their trimming; later, we find,
not only tips, but occasional long plumes,,
showing that these graceful ornaments
can hardly be discarded, 1 " " '
; -;.T ''SunsMne mni Sleeft. " "?
To!' sirup of poppies,4 tto tincture "of
opium, ' no powders of morphine, :an
compare in sleep-inducing power with.
sunBhinex Let sleepless people court the
BTm.. The "very, worst soporific m wtda-
rnum, and the very beet is sunshine.
Xxterefore, it is very plains tnae poor
sleepers should pass as many hours of
the day in sunshine, and as few as possi
ble in the shade. Many women are mar
tyrs, and do not know it They shut the
sunshine out of their houses and hearts,.
sney -wear vexis, tuwy tarij yaiunvm, wey
do -all that is possible to keep s off , the.
subtlest and yet most potent influence
whicluis intended to gi" tlienV8treigth
and beauty. and'Tfcheerfulnesa. Is it not
time to change-all this, and so get rose
and color in your' pale cheeks, strength,
in your backs, and courage in your, timid
souls t The women of America are pale
and delicate; they may be blooming arid
strong, and the sun-light will be a poten t
influence -in this transf ormatioa. -i-ir
Hall. tJ' t: ' -M i
Ax . a spellh-match m Tennessee ' a
young , man -was requested, ,to .epell
rhapsody. ssay it again,'' said he ; the
pronounoer hurled it at him again, and
the young man hurled i back, mangled,,
mutilated, ..bleeding, ;.,as ..follows:
',W-grpwrap, s-oso,d-ydy wrapsogy."
'.AritoGSTOn ergyman, ;i thff other
Sunday used in his sermon tha expres
kou, "It isn't wortti a dime," and as ho
hung fire on the d, half the congregatioa
looked around in a startled sort of wav.
manning he was going to say something;
JLinOa
i
It-