YEARS 15D YEARS.
1 .,-Urlwind of duBt, rushing sound,
J Sown my feet lay the. heavy box
i innUew letters and papers streamed
nJ Hnto the floor. I was standing on
ElSP iadder, "houso-clean ng
41,6 i i.t and now stood motionless,
JgSf daw-Pn th. wk I
ijjiniule. . , Lave done
it
Well. Juiw v - ,
lit " W old Janet, privileged sor
st"81: . , .. luxmn to scold me for
for
mo
pint thai sue "-o
DirSrmind,nursieHutholP
.' ..i noimnce: I soe a li
long
o" u . jui, mmninff out before me
0 , .one T clean daft! You
1 "... inr tn read all of those
fnstvold lettsFs?" for down I sat
JJ floor and gathered them up
. jlnet, you good old thing, iust g
... n.-iirA von t)leose. and don
S me hear a sight or sound till supper
..i,on1iirv was getting a littlo
mited I perceived, so I tossed off my
koloth and ashes, otherwise called
. Ltinv cap and apron, and leaning
gainst the despisod step-ladder, began
qf I could be allowed to speuk," sar
csstieally remarked Janet, "what shall
'Say say oh!" and I absently
.iwrd no the contents of the box, "you
nay say that I am digging up old
Bii'ir.af u-nj ton nniph for old nurso
Md with an indignant "Humph!" she
depart;
nil vfidrs fto these letters were
fresh and new; now, they were nearly all
yellow, musty, aim uuiuueu. iuot, u-u
-.i. i,nt. nuol to he (laintv blue ribbon.
were from dear, tried friends; loving
nf inflection anu piaviuinoss. xma
I'au rnse-nink. as brisrht as. the
jjyg were then, and ah! just as faded
mvself. I 'dare not
trust myself a sight of thoso rages,
though fifteen, almost twenty years have
passed since each arrival used to call up
the red flush to my face and make my
heart bound with joy. Put them aside
gently, it is all over now.
One little envolope raniains tiod with
wbite; ah! who does not know the shape
of wedding-cards? and there are en
twined initials, L. and M. I cannot
koin it, nld maid of almost forty that I
am, the hot tears are coming just as fast
is they used to in tno oiu, sail uays.
Not another lector will I look at. Cor
tainly I have found something now that
till not call up those old memories.
Nothing but a sheet of music, with one
little verse on the outside:
"I love my love, I love my love,
Beouuie I know my love loves me."
Back years and years, and I remember
mold, long, low parlor, with bright fire
light glancing over and up and down a
lmghing group of girls at the piano, and
i quiet figure by the fireplace.
"Sula will sing it; she's always ready
to sing that, and she brought it to-night
on purpose."
"Hush, yon provoking bell! when will
you ever know how to ring?"
A laughing, saucy face was raised to
mine, as I stood angry and embarrassed
at the unkind speech. It was my sworn
friend and ally, Rosamond Kivers, who
had thus spoken in my defence, and now
the other girls chimed in.
"Do, Sula. Belle Avery would give
her precious head, I believe, to bo able
losing as you do."
"Of course Sula will Bing it, now that
sho knows Mr. Meredith admires it," and
the girl walked scornfully away to the
table.
"That's enough, girls," and my usually
calm blood rose indignantly, "I certainly
shall not sing it now." ,
"Oh, that hateful little bell-clapper!"
whispered Rosamond, "I wish I could
tie it up. Jennie Andrews, do play that
enchanting waltz of yours, and by that
time my sultana's blood will have cooled
down," and giving my shoulder a gentle
little pat, she joined the girls who hail
gathered closely about the player.
"Sula, sweetheart," and a soft hand
caught my wrist, "what makes those
theeks flame so? I thought I was going
to hear my favorite song."
"Oh, auntie, it is nothing. I will sing
it if you want me to," and 1 kissed the
dear, pale face that all through my life
had taken the place of mother, sister,
friend, to me. Dear old father half the
time couldn't understand me, and auntie,
as half the neighborhood called her, had
taken me right into her heart and kept
me there.
She drew down my face now to hers,
and softly kissing me she told me "to be
agood child and run to the piano."
"Miss James, who is that very sweet
girl?" and the dark-haired, quiet man who
had never stirred from auntie's side all
that evening, leaned over to hear the
reply.
"That is my especial child Heart Les
ter, or 'Sulaas her friends call her; to
me she is 'Sweetheart' always. She is
very shy and proud, Mr. Meredith; per
hajs yon would not like her."
"Ah! perhaps not," and he smiled
Twely, and leaned back again.
I was greeted with shouts of triumph
I reached the piano. Rosamond gave
eher arm to conduct me to the seat,
dthe others very officiously offered to
I me in any way. Belle smiled bu
tnely from the sofa, and vouchsafed
J i word. It was only a simple song,
words by Tennyson, and I generally
git well, for it was auntie's favorite.
Encore!" shouted my audiencewhen
ul finished ; and Rosamond chanted
rme
"Because I know my love love me'
irg with a comical little sigh, "I
le did."
')L, girls, auntie has actually gone to
,leV I think it is high time we were
J01 lome," and Jennie Andrews came
o'n$ back from her tour of investiga
na she called it, in high glee.
-t little witch!" laughed auntie,
jynnst not think of going yet ;" but
Jfe sleigh was at the door, and
good-natured driver though he
"M rid not wait all the night. So
1(ktnd shawls, and bewitching little
?odsw5re donned, and the laughing
J? f'fded out into the porch.
Ohhen shall we Lave such another
J001 dear Auntie James? Your
"ia Palace Beautiful."
, -J"ctre, you slippery ones," seream-
Kosaiond, "this walk is glare ice."
laid
len, it was Belle who was be
I , - pviucmuig gare me pasu, iuu
ell doi the step on the little terrace,
Tna .V : - i. I
down, down. I oould not stop myself ;
it was only a step or two, but all snow
and ice, and the prancing, spirited hors
es were so close. A blind, frightened
ciuiening xor support, men a dull blow,
and it grew strangely dark and still.
I don't know how long I lay so, but I
opened my eyes on auntie's bright,
cheory room, and I heard her give one
little sob of thankfulness as sho sank
down by the side of the bed.
"Have I kept you all waitinir. irirls ? I
should think t it was time to go home,"
and my poor, bewildered brain tried
to take in the surroundings, and my
latner s paie, anxious (ace.
"Sula, you have been very sick, dar
ling," he said ; "sick for weeks, but you
are better now. Will von try not to talk
for a littlo whilo?" "
Sick? How very strange it seemed;
that was tho reason I was lying in auntie's
bed, ana everything was so stiil.
" Just tell me what was the matter,"
I murmured, "and I will be very good."
My father stroked the hair from my
face, as he said, "You fell under the
horses' feet that night that you were at
auntio's, and you havo been sick ever
since.
I tried to bear it all patiently the dull
headaches, and tho rustling, bewildering
feelings in my head, and finally auntie
said that I might go down to the little
sitting-room and look interesting on tho
sala.
"Now, auntie, I have a thousand ques
tions for your answer," for they had per
sistently refused to tell mo anything
about my accident.
" First, darling, you must toll me if
you can remember, now you toll Irom the
steps," and she looked at me intently
while I tried to gather up my scattered
wits.
"Why of course I do," I exclaimed at
last. "Belle Avery fell against me or
pushed me" here I stoppod, frightenod
at what that implied.
"Yes, dear," I thought so," said auntie,
sadly. "Belle has been here day after
day inquiring for you, and a more
wretched being, I never saw. She would
not tell me anything, but seomed nearly
wild with fear, lest you would never get
well."
"Oh, she was angry with mo that
night, auntie, but she didn't, she could
not mean to do it."
"Hush, hush, dear! Don't cry."
So I lay there quietly, day after day,
growing gradually stronger; kind friends
sent me fruit and flowers, and Rosa
mond's bright fuce and chatter made the
siok-room cheerful. Still I did not ask
the question that I longod to ask, and
that 1 turnod over and over in my mind
every minute.
"Who saved me from those dreadful
horses? Who saved me from being
crushed to death ?" I dreaded, and yet
hoped what the answer would be, and
longed for some ono to tell me.
" What a little humbug you are!" burst
out Rosamond one day; "you proud
heart, you would die before you would
ask, and I believe you are dying now to
know."
"What do yon mean? I stammored.
'You are very silly."
"Doesn't she want to know who sprang
the whole length of the steps and
snatched her from under the plunging
horses, and w ho carried her into tho par
lor, and who dashed off through tho
snow all thoso five long miles for the
doctor, and who has been hore day after
day to see how she is, and who brings all
these flowers and grapes ?"
"Why you do, don t you ?
"Oh. you littlo simpleton!" a d Rosa
laughed teazingly.
I lay quiet after that, trying to Jteep
back the joyful glad heart-throbs and
the crowds of happy thoughts.
I saw him every day after that, and al
most sighed when I grew well enough to
go home. But that didn't frighten him
away, and I grew to love more every
glance of his grey eyes, and every one of
his sometimes merry, somotimes sad
tones and words. At last, it was in the
summer, I sat in auntie's parlor again,
thinking how very happy the world had
grown, when my face was taken between
two hands and bent back till I gazed up
into the eyes so full of love I could not
bear it, and struggled for very shame to
free myself."
"Dear little neart, sweei nine neari
Lester, does sho belong to mo?"
Oh. it was more than I deserved, moro
than I could bear, and I -stole out of the
room by and by to wonder and think.
Dear auntie, how sho rejoiced, and Rosa
mond laughed and kissed me, and dear
old father was positively unhappy till I
told him I should take mm wnerever i
went. So I began tlie pretty, dainty
clothes that brides have, and dreamed all
day, and planned our little homo with
Rolert, for so I had learned to call him.
Just two weeks from the day, m.y day,
he had to go away, but he was coming
back two days before .the Thursday, the
fifth of June. Rosamond came to stay
with me, and take his place, as she said,
and the days Hew very quickly. The
nrpttv weddincr cards were out, and
Tuesday arrived. He is coming this
morning, ami I ran to the window time
and again. The day past; he will cer
tainly be here on 'W ednesday. Evening
came, and auntie and Rosa stayed with
me all night. Father went up to the city
to see if he was sick; and still they
didn't come.
. Thursday morning dawned so, bright
and sunny. I hastily threw on my dressing-gown
and ran to auntie's room.
"Did he come?" but she gently put her
arm around me and kissed me not one
word, only that kiss, and my heart sank
down like lead. Package after package
was brought to the door; lovely flowers,
presents, cake, and the last of my pretty
clothes came home, but auntie took them
all, and hurried them away. Rosa was
a kind angel to me then, comforting,
hopeful, keeping away intruding friends
and servants. Only old Janet came to
me, and she could but softly cry and say.
"Poor little child!"
Gradually night came on, and at last
I heard my lather's well-Known siep
sounding weary and slow on the path. I
could not wait a minute, but ran quickly
to him.
"Father, he is dead: you needn t tell
me. Yon will have to keep your little
girl always, now." Then they say I
fainted.
There is little more to tell. He was
last seen, my Robert, stepping into
European steamer just ready to sail, and
nobody knew anything further. The
steamer was watched and telegraphed,
but no one answering his description
M be found And that was eighteen
years ago. Heart do not always break.
and Heart Lester lived on; but no ono
calls her that now, nothing but "Miss
Ursula."
"Miss Ursula, are you asleep?" and
dear old Janet stood beside me. "I have
been knocking here for five minutes; it
is tea-time now, and there is somo one
down stairs asking for you."
"Who is it?" and I trot ni wearily.
"Gather theso all up, Janet, and throw
thorn away, I shall never care for them
agaiu," and mechanically I went down
stairs, regardless of my dusty, crazy ap
pearanco. It was a tall, foreign-looking
ngure tnat was standing by my piano,
turning over the looso music, and as I
entered lie came toward me hastily.
"Sula, ure you waiting for mo still,
my little Heart ?
And so I was rested at last,
eighteen years of waiting and
watching, and his arms were around
mo once moro. I did not ask how, then,
then it was enough to feel him near me.
At last Janet appeared at tho door, and 1
came back to every-day life, and to tho
realization of tea-time. Dear old Janet,
she knew him at once, and when she
came to call mo, was wondering how she
could break the glad news to me.
How ho laughed when he took that
roll of mnsio from my hand, which I had
beon grasping frantically all that long
afternoon, llien in the evening the long,
long story was told. How he went to
bid good-by to a sick friend, and in stay
ing to help and comfort him tho steamer
sailed before thoy know it. lhen tho
long, stormy passage, the arrival in Eng
land, the fever that attacked him there ;
the long, anxious waiting for lotters that
never came ; the disappointment, when
obliged to stay away month after month,
compelled by the doctor's stern decree.
Then the news of his darling's death
yes, he thought that I was dead ; was it
father's name that got so strangely twist
ed when it reached him? After that tho
reckless longing for change, change, any
thing to drown dear, past memories.
At last, when years had gone by, came
an intense desiro to see the old places,
and hear all that was possiblo of his old
friends.
Was it not a kind Provideuco that led
him hero first, and that Janet should see
him before strango voices had sent him
away carelessly? It is all strange and
happy to me, and once more I have
promised to be his wifo, and next Thurs
day is to be my wedding day.
Rosamond is with me now as I write,
and Bhe laughs as she points to her gray
hairs, and then to my own shining brown
braids, and I am glad for Robert's sake
that they are the same that ho loved years
and years ago.
" Pompcllii Relics.
There, in the museum, I sought the
exhumed proofs of the existence that was
choked so long ago as scarcely to have a
lineal connection with our world. I
found eight human bodies perfectly
petrified in their ashen sheaths; in theso
I read the encouraging lesson that
Cicero,. Pompey or Marcus Antoninus,
Glaucus or Clodins, were not men of
great physical stature than our present
poets, statesmen and orators. The
skeleton of a dog, a bird, a bone of roast
beef, a loaf of bread, a dish of barley,
a napkin (the warp still preserved)
bronze lamps, household luxuries, ear
rings, bracelets and necklaces, teach us
that the work of creation, the human
appetite, the preparation of food, the
the habits and carvings of women for
gewgaws, were the same in tho classic
ages as they are to-day. It is a cold,
stern fact that the life we found in tho
streets of Naples is very much the life
that was stilled in the streets of Tombs
eighteen centuries ago, where the front
and lower story of the palaces were let to
merchants, while theiedile supped in the
atrium with his lordly guests, upon
lampreys, pistachio, figs and Vesuvio
wine. We faw that the baths, the
theater, tho temple and tho forum were
the loadstairs of men and women then as
now. Luxurious as these Sabarites
lived in their houses, sparkling with all
the glory of fresco, mosaic, statuary ,rich
in their retinues of slaves, lulled by the
fall of fountains, charmed by tho beauty
of Greek female loveliness, still the most
opulent homes were comparatively
small, while vast spaces were devoted to
public buildings, where the populace
met to discuss statecraft in tho forum,
social scandal at the baths, to worship
the falso gods, and be duped by the
charlatanry of such false priests as
Arbaces in the temples, and, enjoy the
bestial sports of the amphitheater. Here
the masterpieces of Greek and Roman
princes of the chisel and tho brush were
exhibited; here the song of tho poet and
voice of the declaimer rang through
column and archway, from foundation to
capital; here the patricians felicitated in
transport of oil and aromatic ointment;
here the contrite matron and maid re
paired to solicit pardon for the old sin,
and Bign a contract with her absolver for
a now ono.
The streets are narrow, the carriage
way scarcely broad enough to admit of
one or two-wheeled vehicles of to-day,
sinking more than a foot below the side
walk, in the center of which are stepping-
stones, retaining the prints of torsos'
hoofs. The ruts of wheels and the worn
and rounded curbs are evidences of tho
superannuation of tho city before its.
destruction, or, as I have heard it
termed, its preservation. Would we
have Pompeii in so perfect a state of
converntion to-day had not the ashes
from Vesuvius embalmed it, and pro
tected it from decay and corruption of
es? The fountain -basins at the street
corners are worn into hollows by the
press of human hands upon the brim,
while the watei filled tho pail, or by lazy
indolent hands that lolled here while
their owners chatted the hours away.
The stone steps are worn into grooves by
the tramp of many feet, but the word of
welcome, mire or ctt ce canem (beware
of the dog) are still in perfect black and
white mosaic in the pavements. Shafts
are gone, columns broken, and altars de
filed, but the colors and forms of the
frescoes are marvelously unmarreu.
Walking the streets, we exclaimed at the
limited dimensions of the town. How
much still Bleeps under yonder hills of
pumice-stone?. W. Forney.
The conversation appeared to be dying
out, when a bilious man suddenly ob
served to a young lady on his right: "I
don't think they make pills as largo as
they used to." After this the conversa
tion went on.
How Far BelU May be Heard.
In a hilly locality, gay the Scientific
American, a bell may not be heard half
as fur as if the hunl wore level, or nearly
so. A bell will be heard a great deal
further lengthways of a valley than ovor
the hill sides. It is frequently the caso
that bell rooms are lower than the sur
rounding buildings and trees, and theso
obstructions break tho sound and pre
veut its passage to a distance. It is
frequently the case, too, that towers have
small windows or oponings, with tho
lower boards so close together as to
almost box up the sound. In cities the
noise of steam and horse caw, manu
facturing establishments, carriages and
carts rattling over the pavement, cto., is
so great that bells are not expocted to bo
heard at any considerable distaneo, and
this is tho reasou why, in all cities,
several belis are used for fire-alarm
purposes, it being impossible tor ono
bell, no matter how largo it may bo, to
bo heard above tho thousand and one
noises incident to every largo place. The
largest bell ever made in this country
weighed 22.0(H) pounds, and, before it
was fractured, hung in the city hall of
New York. On ono or two occasions this
boll was heard up tho Hudson river thir
teen miles, in the night, when the city
was comparatively quiet. Water is a
good conductor of sound, and aided ma
terially in making tho bell heard as above
mentioned. It is a great mistake to sup
poso that bells can lo heard in propor
tion to their weight; that is, to supposo
thut a bell of two thousand pounds can
bo heard twice as far as a bell of one
thousand pounds. This is not so, for tho
reason that tho larger bell does not pos
sess twice the resonant of the' smaller
ono. What is gaiuod and admired in the
larger bell, is the deep, majestic, digni
fied tono, which it is impossible to so
cure in the smaller ono, tho weight of
a bell invariably gov?rning its forco. A
bell of one hundred or- two hundred
pounds, in an open belfry, on a school
liouso or factory in tho country, is
frequently heard at a long distance out
of all proportion apparently, to ono of a
thousand pounds in a church tower near
by, and instances of this kind frequently
cause no littlo comment in the way of
comparison. The reason for this is, that
tho small bell has a sharp, shrill, pene
trating sound, that must, of necessity, bo
heard a great deal farther, in proportion
to its weight, than the low, mellow,
"church-going" sound of the church
bell. The same principle applies to tho
whistle of a locomotivo, and it is heard a
long distance simply because its tono is
shrill and penetrating. When hung
stationary and struck, or tolled, bells
will not be heard, as a rule, half as far as
when hung. The swinging motion
throws the mouth of tho bell up, and not
only carries the sound off. but imparts to
it a richness that is absent when tho bell
is at rest and struck. A great deal is to
be gainod by ringing a boll properly,
throwing the month well up, and not
lazily jingling it. It is not physical
strength that is required in ringing a
bell, so much as "getting the knack" of
catching the rope just right, particularly
on tho second "down pull." The win
dows in the tower should be us open as
possible, and tho towor should be ceiled
just above the windows.
How (ilrls go fo Sleep:
We had wandered out in the moonlit
larchos, and wo talkod and laughed at
nothing, in that silly, happy way young
people, have. We told riddles and sung
tho old college songs till finally sleep,
with his bright-colored mantle of
dreams, called us, and we finally retired
to what we fondly supposed would bo
repose. But if you have ever occupied
a room with six girls you will know that
sloep is not always to be obtained at
onco. Ono young lady was an hour and
a half by the clock in brushing and
braiding her hair, in putting up nor
crimps, and in polishing her finger
nails, in running a pieoe of silk floss bo
tween each pair of her thirty-two teoth,
in polishing each ono with a littlo stick
and some powder, in giving them a
vigorous brushing with some soap and
water, in washing her hands and in
applying glycerino to them, in putting
on a wash good for tho complexion, in
reading her Bible, in kissing everybody
good-night, and in getting into her
hanyuock, which everybody who has
ever tried it knows is a work of time.
Just as we thought we were almost
asleep she recollected that she bad not
taken her nux vomica, and she argued a
long time with another young lady to try
to cot her to tako nux vomica, quoting at
great length from Dr. Pulte and other
eminent homu'pathic physicians to prove
that she and everybody need nux vomica
occasionally. hen, to got peace, the
poor erirl swallowed tho globules, we
thought we had earned reposo, but when
another young woman remarked in a
cheerful tone that she was cold, and one
of tho windows must como down. This
occasioned what seemed to the ones an
endless controversy, as somebody else
was "burning up with heat" and wanted
another opened. This was finally
settled. Everything was quiet for at
least five minutes, aud we were all at
length given to "tired nature's sweet
restorer" when suddenly an awful sound
wus heare. A great weight fell violently
upon tho bare floor, the shriek of a
woman leaped upon tho midnight air,
quick questions and exchimutions were
heard. A light w as struck and it was
discovered, not that murderers and
robbers were upon us, but that some
body s hammock hud broken down, lhis
was leconstructed, and again we ad
dressed ourselves to persuading Mor
pheus to knit np our sleeve of care,
which by this time was very much
raveled indeed. Ten minutes of utter
quiet passed away; nothing was heard
out tho gentle breathing of the sleepers,
when one atlectionate girl, turning over,
called out: "Well, I'm going to sleep,
good-night everybody." LippincotCi
Father Hvacinthe is quoted as saying
the other day, in referring to his church,
which has now leen ojened twelve
months, that the collections at the ser
vices had amounted to COtX) francs, and
the remainder of the income had been
derived from voluntary contributions,
chiefly from his English and American
friet,ds. "Our foreign friends," he re
marked, "have their various national
and religious undertakings to attend to,
and, however grateful we may be, our
self re ect cannot allow the present
state of things to continue."
The Kussluu Cxar.
Tho threats made- by tho Nihilists
to burn St. Petersburg may simply
bo bravado, but tho iuct that hereto
fore they have mado tho most des-
porute efforts to carry out their
tromises, induces many people to
cliovo that tho effort at least will
bo mado to carry out the last ono.
Anything rolating to tho Emperor
just now is interesting, and tho fol
lowing from tho London Iruth, by
ono who evidently knows his subject,
will bo found worth reading.
Tho tooling which comes upper
most in tho mind of any ono who
sees tho Czar for the first tinio is
that of sincoro pity. Ho is tt largo,
ox-oyod man, evidently of good in
tentions, but with a look of sadness
and perplexity iu him. His voico is
as harsh as tho grinding of a coflbo
mill out of ordor, for an affection of
tho throat, under which ho has long
suffered, rendors speech painful to
him. lie would havo mado a very
amiable private gentleman, and
could havo got far moro ease and
amusement out of lifo if ho had
handed all tho bothcratiou of gov.
eminent over to his brother Cou
stuntino, who has a tnsto for that
sort of nonsense. Ho himself eouhl
hardly havo wanted to reign. It
wus tho Shouvalotl's, tho Lamberts,
tho Bariatiuskys, tho Alderbcrgs,
tho Dologourouks, and some others
who desired ho should bo a finn
ruler of men. Thoy wcro forever
goading and coaxing him by turns,
us beet is driven to market tor thoso
who wish to rcast it. They must
often havo had a dillicult task, for
his ponderous Majesty (good, easy
man) is slothful and heavy wittod
by uaturo. Ho must havo boon fre
quently unable to understand oven
what was wantod by him. Ho is
subject to molaucholy periods of
hypochondriasis, during 'which,
cxistonco seems but a dreary
blank to him. Ho is
hauntod by fears of sudden death,
and by tho dread of assassination.
At theso times ho movos about on ap
parently solitary walks with a largo
dog, but tlioro is always a policeman
handy to keep tho sacrilegious from
approaching him. Whon well, ho
devotes much of his timo to tailoring,
changing his costumo with much
stolid pcrsoveranco, and ho likes to
bo attondod by u humpbacked Privy
Councillor, who nuts as a foil to bis
fino figure, and sots it off, for bo is a
well-built man, tall and straight,
though rather too German in tho ro
tundity of certain of his curves.
His lather Nicholas, who was in
many respects n notable sovoroign,
hud him very carefully brought up,
and foreseeing that ho would want
support, perhaps devotion, in after
lito, to counteract his apathy, sur
rounded him with some select young
men, who could bo relied upon.
This littlo band of cronios havo hung
together over sinco ; they havo lived
with and on tlio Emperor without in
terruption from the timo of his acces
sion until now ho provides for thoir
wants ; they dip their tingors into
his pockets whenever they aro so
minded.
Ho is a loosely hung Emporor,
moro like tho good fellow of a frco.
and-casy than tho despotic master of
millions, when in tho midst of theso
his familiars. Ho has boon known to
sit in his shirt sleeves, astraddlo on a
chair, hobnobbing with thorn.
Tho lato Count StrogonofF, who
was a )reux chevalier,, and a very
high pacing person generally, onco
broke in upon tho party thus em
ployed. Tho Emperor looked at bim
with thoso unutterably mournful
eyes of his, and hold out a champugno
glass to bo refilled from a bottle which
stood by. Tho old soldier drew him
self up and answered sternly: ''Lot
those who Iovo you less than I do
perform that servico." Tho Czar
showed no sign of displeasure but
within a few months Strogonoff was
deprived of his ofliccs, though he was
noarly connected with tho Imperial
family, his son having married tho
Grand Duchess Mario.
Odd Dinner Customs In Sweden.
The Swedes have a queer way of loco
motion at their meals. Thoy often flit
about like flies, from' one table to an
other, and sometimes seem to turn the
menu topsy turvy when thoy order a ro
past. It is no rare thing to see them
begin with cheese and biscuit, next pro
coed to ham and salad, with a slice of
meat to follow, and then suddenly start
up in the middle of their dinner to
swallow, whilo thoy walk about, a plute
ful of pea soup. A habit which they
have of beginning each repast with what
they call a "smorgos," not merely leads
to much untidiness at meal-time, but
makes them seem contented to live on
bits and scraps. The Smorgos consists
of littl dishes, such as slices of smoked
reindeer, and caviar, and sardines, with
pickles, cheese, and other whets provo
cative of thirst. These are Jished out
with a fork of general utility, and laid
on thumb pieces of rye cake, thickly
smeared with butter, which serve by way
of plate. Then they are bitten into, re
gardless of the fragments which may fall
on other dainties (for your true smorgos
eater seldom sits to his repast) and they
are finally washed down with a glass or
two of spirits w hich stand handy by their
side. Such s prelude to a meal is not
merely uncleanly, but must vitiate the
1alate, and injure the digestion. Indeed,
! feel convinced that, were the smorgos
bord abolished, not merely would the
cookery in Sweden soon improve, but
very many of the people would be
gradually weaned from their weakness
for strong drink. All the Year Hound.
, No matter how honest an auctioneer
mar try to be, he cannot make a living
without knocking down.
A Financier and Ills Dogs.
Tho guardian of the sourco of
Englund's greatness is not only an
enthusiast in the causo of his human
friends, but in that of thoso dolight
ful animals specially described us the
frionds of man. Aftor descanting on
tho pleasures of his enforced periodi
cal visit to Paris to assist at a meet
ing ot tho Disectors of tbo Suoz
Canal, ho rogrcts that the mobile ex
istenco which deprives bim of any
flvnd hntiitiitinu hns reduced his
establishment of dogs. According to
his view, there is no comparison do
t wnnn n hulldo" and other doirs. not
only in courage, but sagacity and
tenderness. A bulldog is not gener
ally known as a water dog, yet lew
dogs known for their aquatic in
sUncts can swim with anvthintr ap
proaching his spood and power. Long
colobralod for his poculiar choice
strain of buljdogs, Mr. lovers-v nson
was originally ono of their most vio
lent opponents, and from his list of
ennino frionds excluded John Bull's
cherished companion. Perhaps an
intimate acquaintance with the
French languago and manners may
have beon responsible for tho abhor-
renco of tho bouledogue, but, bo this
ns it may, tho aversion oxistod. It
chanced, however, thnt an intimato
friend was a gicat brooder of bull
dogs, and beggod to present ono oi
his lavorito strain to Mr. Kivors-Wil-son.
Tho gift was refused, but the
luillilnir fancier, tilled with tho true
prosolyting spirit, would not bo do
med, and brougut ono uay a Binaii
ninkish. lined nuiinv out of his coat-
pockot. In that condition it could
hardly bo described as a thing of
terror. Its orthodox patches of
briudlo had not yet devolopod; its
under tin hardlv nnnoarod to protect:
it had not yet acquired tho almost
hairless look peculiar to ovory nign
brood. Finally, it was "a very littlo
ono. Tho auimai was introauooa
into tho family, and gradually grow
upon its members as they declare
only ft bulldog can grow. It in
creased in weight somo forty-five or
fifty pounds; but this rate of in
ernas'o was bIow coniparod with that
of tho favor it found in tho eyes of
. . . . i
bohoidors. It is true mo ncau grow
bii-trn. and tho u liner tin fell buck,
not exactly Uko an arc de Cupidon,
and tnat tno ioro legs ussumvu a
Chippondalo contour; but thoso
points soomod marks of boauty to tho
puppy's now owners. Tho animal
became tho darling of tho houso.and
tho ancostross ot u raco wnicu suou
lnat.rn on her OWOOrS. At d02 sllOW
after dog show, tho scions of this
eclobrated creaturo iook prizes uniu
her strain waxod famous in tho land,
tho suffrages of all truo
rmnnniHHilllill nf tllO CenuillO bulldoif.
Thinnod out at last by repeated gifts,
tho kennel was rouueeu w oue mum
ber, and tho ownor dotorminod that
his affection for this perfect dog
almnM remain untouchod bv rivalry;
and whon tho animal wont down,
full of yoars and honor, to tho grave,
gave up bulldogs forovor as a "fancy."
Now ho has a low fox-torriors, good
,mra nnd true as fur as thov L'O. but
not bulldogs. Speaking of his pros
ont konnol, ho confesses somowhat
sorrowfully that ho has "como down .
to fox-torriors," much as "old Bill
George" somo years ago, before the
brood was in fashion, declined to pro
euro a collio, on tho ground that ho
l.n.l tint ilr.nmn llnwn to hIiOOD dOL'B
UHU IIU. " " o
yet." London World, Nov. l'Jtk.
Princely Pennrlousuess.
Unmo f ilmun wVin nrnrA linnnrnrl bv an
invitation to meet the Priuco of Wales
fit TIiiD'linndnu have not scrupled to
affirm that thoir host is failing as much
. i t ' l
mentally as ho is known to uo puysicauy.
Lord Beacousflold is said to bo far from
tho man he was even a year ago, and lifo
at his country neat is describod as
"portentously slow and pompously
dull." The wittv mot aud sparkling
repartee woro conspicuous by their
absence, jjoru jjcaconsuuiu, n is wu,
spoke but seldom, and whon ho did
venturo to a remark it partook more of
... t i . i. l-
tho nature oi a tunny uisguiseu piauiuao
than of thoso brilliant epigrams which
used to drop spontaneously from his lips
whonover ho opened his mouth.
Taken all round Hnghondon visit was
rntlmr ft fnilnrH. If. R. If. is fond of
high play, and Lord Beaconsfield's face
is said to have grown mdocrousiy long
w lit: 11 uiQiujui guciu .... .
points at whist. A fondnoss for cards
prevails among tno royai iamuy, i am
tli1 but t)pv do not all loso their
money so gracefully as does their heir
apparent, Tho Duke of Edinburgh's
meanness has passed into a proverb,
and has done far more to mako liim un
popular than the fact of his marrying a
Itussian wile. tie gew so savago at .
lnsinfr that ho is the source of immense
fun to those with whom he plays.
I heard a good, weu-auuienueaieu
story apropos of this weak sido of the
Duke s character a yoar or iwc ago. juib
Iioyal Highness had accompanied some
ladles to tho theater or opera. If I re
mnmW ricrhtlv. it was the Criterion.
After the performance the party ad-
journed to supper. ine waiiera oi
KmruA rwncni(iil H. It. II.. and ex
pected a handsome gratuity. After the
refreshments had been partaken oi tne
Duke called for his bill. The half
dozen lackeys flew around moro ex-
. mi 1 1
peetant.'y than ever. ine wisneu-ior
document was produced, handed to the
Tlnlia in ft nilvpr ulavnr in the orthodox
fashion and found to amount to 9, 17s.
Gd. His lwyal Highness mrew ciown
a 10 "flimsy,' saying at the same time,
with the royal air of a man who is giving
away a small fortune, "Waitahs, keep
keep the change, ah," and the disgusted
waiters, who had looked for a half
aovereigh piece, had to content them
selves with the munificent sum of about
fifty centa among six of them Phila
delphia Telegraph.