THE LOST LETTEB.
Jacob Carter ft nil Albert Harrison were
merchants living in adjoining towns,
The strong friendship existing between
(hem in boyhood had tot declined in
manhood. Each possessed sterling traits
of character, though the two men were
unlike
jlr. Carter was much beloved for his
rentle nature and kindly qualities. The
.imrt comings of his fellow-men were
always viewed by him with a charitable
eje, wr. uarrison, on mo contrary,
though an honest, true man, was harsh
and inflexible, and quick to condemn
any deviation in others from the code of
rectitude lam uuwu lur iiiwseu,
One bright morning he said to his son,
s he sealed a lotter he bad just written:
"Paul, I want you to carry this letter
to the Post i Oilico. Don't stop on the
nay. It must go out in the next mail
Paul took it, put on his hat, and went
whistling down the street. On his way
he hod to pass tne nome oi Caleb Parker,
liia most intimate friend.
"Halloo!" called Caleb from the
niazza. "I've just had a streak of luck.
t'uele Roger has given me a splendid
Newfoundland dog.
"Oh, that's jolly I" returned Paul,
eagerly.
"Corao in and see him," nrged Caleb,
Paul glanced at tho clock on the
church-steeple. It lacked a full half
honrto mail-time. Thoughtless of the
disobedience he was committing, he
Tickled to the temptation before him.
A few minutes could be easily spared
He hurried with Culeb to iho shed
where Hover was tied, and spent five
minutes admiring and praising the
"splendid puppy.
then he continued his walk. Hut on
reaching the Post Oilico, he found, to
his great dismay, that tho letter
missing!
He was sure he had carefully put it in
his pocket. What should he do? He
remembered pulling out hishandker
chief while talking to Caleb, and think
ing it probably fell out then, he quickly
retracod his steps to Air. x'arkor s House
He told Calob his trouble, and the two
made a thorough search. But tho lotter
could not bo found. Paul was in great
agony.
"I'd about as soon be killed as to g
home and toll father. Ho told mo not
to stop by the way, and he'll whip mo
Hn lull J
"I)o you know what was in the letter?"
inquired Caleb, after thinking a little.
"X'es. Father wrote to Mr. Carter to
send him twenty barrels of flour, to last
till he gets a supply from the West.'
"Then save yourself a whipping by
holding your tonguy. Don t say a word
to your father about it. Come to my
room and write another letter, and sign
your father's name to it. 'Twout do any
harm and 'twill bring the flour all the
same. Only keep whist.
Paul hesitated. He knew Caleb was
a wrong counsellor ; that a frank and
sraightfoi irard course was the only right
ono.
Put he had been twice severely pun
ished for small acts of thoughtless diso
bedience, and the pain of the blows was
fresh in his memory.
"Well, on the whole, Caleb, I guess I
will follow your advice. I can't see what
hurt it can do.
They went into the hvuse. Paul took
the offered pen and ink, and quickly
wrote thus :
Mef.ritown, May 9 .
Mr. Carter Dear Sir: I wish to pur
chose of you twenty barrels of good
flour, to be sent immediately.
A. Harrison, per P. H
Paul had seen his father's clerk write
lotters on business, and sign them
that wav.
Ten minutes later he deposited the lot
ter in tho postoflice and went home.
"Did you get my letter in before the
mail wont?" asked Mr. Harrison, as Paul
entered the parlor.
"The letter was there in time,' was the
evasive reply.
A growing uneasiness now took pos-
session of the boy's heart, and ho really
felt sorry he hod not braved his father's
displeasure, and owned the truth. He
had been guilty of crooked dealing, and
his act (as such acts always do) left
something to dread. It was too late now,
he reasoned, to retrieve tho mistake; but
what might come of it, ho could not tell.
Three days afterwards. Mr. Harrison re
ceived twenty barrels of flour from the
wholesale house of Mr. Carter.
It was a trreat relief to Paul's mind.
The letter substituted had apparently
sued its purpose as well as if it had been
the original.
A week went by. One morning Ms.
Harrison said to his wife at the breakfast
tablo
"I sent a check of one hundred ond
fifty dollars to Mr. Carter. Don't sc(
why it hasn't been acknowledged."
Terror ond dismay instantly over
spread Paul's face, and be quickly left
the table. It had not before occurred to
him that the lost letter held achsck,
which was lost too. The thought ap
palled him, and terrible forebodings tor
tured his soul.
Late in the afternoon of that day, as
1 aul sat alone in the library, the door
bell mnr and a mompnt after, he heard
his father cordially greet Mr. Carter and
Mr rai-tur and
invite him into the parlor,
They' had a low, earnest conversation
together. Mr. Carter seemed to be giv
ing some important information which
astonished Mr. Harrison.
The door was closed, but occasionally
part of a sentence camo distinctly to
Pauls ears. He heard the words,
"check;", "stolen from a letter;" "State
prison - offense;" "young for such a
crime."
He looked out of the widow into the
street, and a strong impulse seized him
to flee from the house, but his limbs
ere powerless to act.
Suddenly Mr. Harrison opened the
door.
1'ani, come here, ce sam. -ur.
Carter wishes to talk with you."
The boy went into the parlor, nervous
and trembling. One glance at the weary,
serious expression of Mr. Carter's face
seemed to assure him of his coming
doom. Faintly, and with a palpitating
heart, he returned the good man's saluta
tion. "I want to ask yon a few questions,"
began Mr. Carter. "Can you tell me
hy, how you shake! What's the
matter?"
"Nothing yes I I don't know,"
stammered Paul.
"I want you to tell me all you know I
about'
t - interrupted Paul, quickly,
I never told you a lie! nerer, kkih
..it V 1 'ou u believe me now!"
Believe vhal. niT mn?"
"That -that I didn't steal the chock!
I I lost your letter butbut-I didn't
&uuw u iiem
teeth.
check!" with chattering
"Lost my letter! what lotter?
with the truth!" commanded Mr
Out
Har
rison.
lhe ono rou wrnt tn t, r.
You gave it to me to curry to the Post
Ulhco. 1 here was i)lontv nf ti IDA lwtfnM
wm uiiui closed, and I stopped a few min
I ' 1 I . " v
mes to look at Caleb'i uew dog. The
letter was dropped somewhere, and I
couldn't find it and and I thought it
was only an ordor for flour, flllil T wrnta
another and signed your name to it. I
know 'twould bring the flour all the
some, and it did."
Paul began to crv.
"I received that L
the Hour at once," put in Mr. Carter
uo on, Paul. So you have forged a
lor me. what olse havo
you
done.' askod Mr. Harrison, in
tone.
severe
"Ihats all I have to tnll nnllnnir
else' sobbed the boy.
jour lathers letter, with a check of
ono hundred aud fifty dollars, eauie to
mo. I had two lotters. one a fow dnvs
after the other," said Mr. Carter. "The
lost letter had been picked up and for
warded according to its written direc
tion. A look of mingled relief and sur
prise suddenly came over Paul s face
"Why did you susiiect me of Btonlinir
the check, then?" he asked, drying his
tears.
"Don't see what led you to think I did
suspect you. What did?" questioned Mr.
cartor
"Bocause I heard father and you talk
ing about a check that was stolen from a
letter, and just after that you mentioned
my name.
Mr. Carter burst into a hearty laugh.
and even the knitting brows of Mr. Har
rison relaxed. Paul's faced flushed
crimson.
You wero more frightened than hurt,
my boy, said Mr. Carter, laying his
hand on Paul's aliouldor. "Your conrso
was not right, and guilt is a loud accu
our, and is easily alarmed, inn no one
had suspected you of stealing, Paul. I
was only telling your father that Abbo
rimlips, the son of one of our friends,
has lately forged ou a stolen check, and
is likely to go to prison
"But something was certainly said
about me."
"les, i asked to see you to inquire
about your schoolmate, Ned Leo, w ho
wants a place in my store.
1'aul gave Air. carter all the lnforma
tion he wanted about his schoolmate,
while Mr. Harrison sat thinking. He was
not quite ready to change the subject.
"Paul," said he, sternly, "how comes it
you are so late in owning that you lost
my letter?
Paul hung his head
" Twasn't right. I know, father. I
hated to hide it, but I thought 'twould
twould save mo from a beating
Paul left the room, and the merchants
were again alone.
"Albert, said Mr. Carter, earnestly,
''we have been friends from boyhood.
and I hope you won't take offense at my
plain speaking. Don't you see you are
helping your son to make a rogue r
"A roaue I W hat do you mean ?
"That's what the end will be. Paul is
a little thoughtless and impetuous, but a
good boy in the main. It was dread of
punishment, you sec, that forced him to
act underhanded in this thing. Encour
age frankness in him by keeping him less
under fear. He has taken his first les
son in ortiilce. God grant it may bo his
last
Half an hour later, Mr. Carter went
away, and Mr. Harrison sat long absorbed
in thought
A revelation had boen made to film,
and he arose and went to Paul s room
Well. Paul," said he, "you have paid
a heavier penalty for concealment than if
the truth had been told at first.
"Indeed I have, father; I never had
anything worry mo half so much in my
life."
"Always be true rud onen, Paul, and
von need have no fear of mo.
- . . ...... .
l ather and son had both learned on
important lesson. Youth's Companion
An Actor Hero. Tony Denier, man
ager of the "Original Humpty-Dunipty
Combination," has been distinguishing
himself as a hero. Sunday noon a fire
occurred in tho hotel at Y inona, where
he and his company wero. One of the
ladies of tho company has a young baby.
She started out of her room in terror,
and fell. Mr. Denier, who stepped from
his room into the hall, saw her, and car
ried her down stairs. She revived from
the swoon on reaching the outer air, and
began screaming for her child. Mr.
Denier turnod back into the building,
through dense smoke, and explored his
. .i . . . IT. 1..L if-
way to tne lady s room, ne took me
child and started down stairs, but was
driven back by tho flames. He ran to
the window, shouted to those below to
"look out." and turned a forward sum
mersault from the window ledge. Hap-
pily he landod on his feet and escaped
iniurv. his experience as a clown prov-
1 . mi 1 M 1 A 'A-
ing valuable, ine cmiu was given 10 us
mother, and then the people swarmed
about Tony, several men lifting him upon
flieir shoulders, and he was Iwrne to a
saloon, where wine was liberally poured
out in his honor. The company lost
nothing, and modest louey gainea con
siderable.
Saviso bt the Svez Canal. That if
wheat can be carried by steam through
the Suez canal from Calcutta to Liver
pool for 7s. Gd., or even at 10s. per ton,
and if rice, why not wheat, and East In
dians, who have now more acreage in
wheat than the United States, take it
into their sagacious heads to work for the
Knronean market, then good-bye to all
our prosperity that comes from wheat
' i 1 i i i.
growing. our juriucro biiuuiu iuv miv
this canal business more than they have,
and let their representatives in Congress
know their views.
A father gave onto his son (1.000, and
the latter went to Chicago to enter busi
ness. In six days he returned without
a cent. "You found the Chicago people
pretty smart, didn't you, Peter?' said
the old gentleman. "Yes," replied the
son, Dui wnat you can tmin m m
cago, we call mighty mean here."
Cold Bedrooms,
It is always a matter of great moment
to maintain an equable temperature in
the bedroom. A bedroom the air of
which is subject to great and frequent
cnanges of temperature is always a trap
for danger. To persons who are in the
prime of lifo, and who are in robust
health, this dangor is loss pronounced
out to the young and the feeble it is
most serious danger. It is specially
uangerous to agon people to sloop in
room that is easily lowered in warmth
Whon the great w aves of cold come in
the winter season, old people begin to
drop off with a rapidity that is perfectly
startling. Wo take up tho list of deaths
during these seasons, and the most mark
ed of facts is the numberof deceased aged
persons, it is like an cpidomio of death
by old ago. Tho public mind accepts
this record as iiulicativo of a goneral
chango of external couditious, aud of a
mortality, therefore, that is necessary as
a result of that change. I would not
myself disputo that thero is a line of
truth and sound common sense aud com
mon observation in this view, but when
we descond from tho general to the par
tirular we find that much of tho mortal
ity seen in such excess amongst the aged
is induced by mistakes on tho Bubject of
warmth in tho bedroom.
The fatal event comes about somewhat
in this way : Tho room in which tho en
feebled person has been sitting beforo
going to bod has boen warmed probably
up to summer heat; a light moal has been
taken before retiring to rest, and then
tho bedroom is entered. The bedroom
wrohance has no lire in it, or if a tire be
lighted, provision is not made to keep it
alight for more than an hour ortwo. Tho
result is that iu the early part of tho
morning, from 3 to 4 o'clock, when tho
tempcraturo of the air in all parts is
lowest, the glow from the fire or stovo
which should warm the room has ceased,
and tho room is cold to an extreme do
gree. In country houses the water will
often bo found frozen in tho hand-basins
or ewers under these conditions,
Meamvhilo the sleeper lies unconscious
of the great change which is taking place
in the air around him. alowly and
surely there is a decline of temperature
to tho extent, it may bo, of thirty or
forty degrees on tho Fahrenheit scale;
and though ho may be fairly covered
with bed-clothes, ho is receiving into his
lungs this cold air, by which the circula
tion through tho lungs is materially
modified.
The condition of tho body itself is at
this very time unfavorable for mooting
any emergency. In tho period botwoen
midnight and six in the morning the am
mal vital processes are at their lowest
ebb. It is in these times that those who
ore enfeebled from any cause most fro
quently die. Physicians often consider
those hours as critical, aud forewarn
anxious friends iu respect to them. From
time immemorial those who have beon
accustomed to wait and attend on the
sick havo noted these hours most
anxiously, so that they have been called
by one of our old writers "tho hours of
fate." In this space of time the influence
of the life-giving sun has boen longest
withdrawn from man, and the hearts
that are even tho strongest beat then
with subdued tone, bleep is heaviest,
ond death is nearest to us all, in "the
hours of fate."
Tho safest method is to have the air of
the room, a short timo before it is occu
pied, brought up to a uniform temper
ature of from OU to 05 degrees Fahr. It
should never fall five degrees below GU,
and never riso above 05 degrees under
ordinary circumstances. In cases where
tho occupant of tho room is extromely
enfeebled, it may be necessary to raise
the temperature to a highor point, but I
am thinking this moment of sleepers
who ar6 in fair health, and for whom no
special provision is required.
A mistuke ib sometimes miulo in ob
serving) tho temperature. The reading
of the thermometer .is taken in one
part of tho room only, perhaps in
the warmost part, that is to say, over the
fireplace or from tho mantol-sholf. This
is not a fair observation, for a room at
that part may be very warm, while it is
very cold in "other parts. The tempera
ture should, properly, be taken at tho
bed's head, about two feet above the pil
low, and that is tho best position in
which to keep the thermometer, with
which every bedroom ought to be fur
nished. An ordinary thermometer suf
fices as a goneral index, but a registering
instrument is most advantageous when
particular care is demanded in observa
tion. . The Whistling Tree.
In Nubia and tho Soudan groves a
species of acacia are described as exist
ing, whose scientific appellation, as well
as their popular name, is derived from a
peculiar sound emitted by the branches
when swayed by the wind. Tho Arabic
name is the "soflar," or pipe; and the
specifio nome of fMuta, also meaning a
pipe, has been given to it for the same
mason which nromnted the natives to
give it its local designation. The tree is
infected with insects whose eggs are de
posited in the young shoots and extremi
ties of tho branches. A sort of gall-like
excrescence about an inch in diameter is
produced at the base of these shoots
and when the larva has
emerged
from this nidus, it leaves a
small circular hole, the action of the
wind in which causes it to produce a
whistling sound like that produced by a
flute or by blowing into any hollow pipe.
When the wind is violent, the noise
caused by thousands of theso natural
flutes in a grove of acacias is most re
markable. The description given by
Dr. Schweinfurth of these bladder-like
galls leaves it uncertain whether they
are truo gall-nuts or whether they are
the secretion of a species of lao insects.
The valuable Indian loo insect thrives
on two or three species of acacia, while
one variety (the A. Arabica) also pro
duces a pod or gall-nut, which is use
ful for tanning. In either case, these
natural "whistles" of the whistling tree
would form a valuable article of com
merce if they could be easily and reg
ularly collected and exported.
A genuine incident: Dr. L called
npon a lady acquaintance the other day
and was met at the door by the lady's lit
tle girl. He asked her to tell her mamma
that Dr. L had called. The child
went up stairs and presently returned.
"Did you tell your mamma 7 asked the
doctor. "Yes." "And what did she
say?" "She said, 'Opshawf"
rctriQed nolle Alive.
"One of tho most heart-rending cases
that ever came under my notice," said
well-known Lonisvillo physician, "was
that of a man whona death could not
affect bis relations, bocauso ho had none;
but the niuuncr of bin dying was so
awful that it was a call upon common
humanity for sorrow. He was a young
fellow who at the breaking out of the
war, w hen be was 20 vears old. enlisted
and fought with courage under confed
erate banners. In tho terrible warfare
about Nashville he was exposed to tho
rains aud colds, ami contracted in
flammatory rheumatism from which
he never recovered, and
which caused bis resignation.
He returned to his homo a mis
erable creuture, anil never was af
terward alio to walk. For fifteen long
years lio was dying us slowly and suro
Jy, and with as much torturo, as the
most refined cruelties of human inven
tion might have produced. Opiates?
Of Courso oniates were administered.
but what of the moments when tho in
fluence had waned, and when, rushing
upon mm liko wolves of torture, made
ravonous by hunger, tbo pains broke
through tho veil of insensibility and
tugged at his frame with teeth of cru
elty? The very immunity which opium
gave added another horror when it was
withdrawn. He was kept under its in
fluence as much as possible Iu nino
years bo bad lost every power of mus
cular effort, and sat iu his chair a liv
ing corpse, only to bo moved to his
bed, where ho became a mummy with
the spark of lifo still glowing. Tho
time shortly camo when ho no lougor
lay in bis bed, but sitting in his in
valid chair becamo tho enthronod em
bodimont of a soul too miserable for
lifo, too sacred to bo feared by othor
hands. Bo ho sat, year after year,
with his muscles fixed in iron, his eyes
looking upon a world as dreary as misery
could paint it; bis voice sinking in his
throat, only to bo expelled by hunted
nature in w ild and piteous cnos whon
tho pain rockod into hopeless cowardice
the strong heart that had led his men up
to tho dreadful caverns of cannons'
months without a flinch. Fixed aud
rigid, tho poor boy was a sphinx, en
dowod with lifo and deprived of movo
meut. Evory joint iu liis body became
ossified by the chalky deposits, and not
even a movement that provoked death
less agony became possible. Even tho
joints of tho neck becamo rigid, tho fin
gors stiff, and tho limbs potrillod. Ho
was a stono frame, with a covering of
flesh and tho soul of a living man. The
mnsoloB of tho eyo even failed, and the
lids falling upon the weary balls shut
in forovor the darkness that was about
him liko the gloom of the gravo. Then
came, with tho BOine stop of measured
eternity, the ossification of tiie joints of
tho law, and ho was fed hotwoou the rigid
teeth. How slowly death movod cannot
be described, but when tho lnllanimation
ad seized tho heart iu that last pro
longed spasm, nature no longor could
give warning oi its ngoncy. what
tortures took place Under the drawn cur
tain of that human mystory can no nioro
bo told than the secrets of thoso horrors
in tho lowest dungeons of the inquisi
tion. Death came, but it was liko the
fading of the mist-line into tho clouds,
and as we stood about that chair no one
dared to utter his thought no one could
tell whothor the soul still lurked in the
prison, or whether death was life or life
was death. When ho was buried his
fixed limbs wero broken with hammers,
in order that ho might bo placed in
coffin."
Baseball.
Tho town that cannot support rival
baseball clubs is too small to fie named
on the map, white tho pluco with no club
at all is beneath tho notice of any spirited
youth who has hvod more than ten years.
ouio games are of the nature of diseases
that become epidemic, but baseball is on
annual complaint that breaks out every
spring with tho first daisy, succumbs
ltb reluctance to tho first heavy snow
storm and has countless gorms which are
tenderly nursed through every winter,
Why it should have becomo the
national game nobody knows; it is not
the best development of ball playing; it
does not afford every willing man a
chance; it cannot bo played without a
crowd, and one or two mon falling ill
may ruin tho anticipations of a day or a
season; it gives very littlo exercise to the
hour: it is productive oi nioro physical
accidents than all othor field sports com
bined, and yot ball clubs outnumber
clubs of boating mon, archers, bicy
clists ond athletes gonorally a hundred to
ono. stranger sun, me very poopio who
grumble most at the game give it their
hearty support; deacons who pronounce
demoralizing will snnscribo to tho
traveling expenses of their town club,
which goes a hundred milos away to
take tho conceit out of some othor club;
physicians who say it is a fruitful source
of physical disabilities will put off a
patient in order to attend a game;
tbo mothers who protest against
their darling boys taking part in
anything that insures black eyes, flat
tened noses and broken fingers will neg
lect a Uunday dinner to see that their
sons' club uniforms fit to a nicety, and
the preachers who think the game dis
tracts youthful thoughts from hotter
things will be careful to so order their
pastoral visits that they will pass the club
grounds while a gamo is in progress.
Against such a muss of pnblio opinion it
is useless to protest ; indeed, it would
be shameful, for a host of manly quali
ties are aroused and strengthened by the
game that has become national in its
range. A few physical casnalitis are a
small price to par for the benefits de
rived from a sport that coaxes almost all
of Young America out of doors and
keeps them there.
Womam'b Strknoth. Woman's true
strength lies in her quietness. The
noisy, blustering, arrogant, self -asserting
of the sex make the air hot with their
voices, and trouble the world with their
superabnndent activities. But this is
not real strength it is more generally
just a sham and a show, w hich breaks
down under the pressure of personal and
private trial; while the true power of
those who, as wives, Influence the pres
ent, and as mothers, mold the future,
lies hidden from the public, all the more
valuable because of its reserve.
A ton of gold makes ft
half-million of dollars.
fraction over a
Feeding to Live and Living to Feed.
The notion that Appetite is a low de
gree of hunger, and hunger an intensfled
form of apiwtite, does not seem to bo
borne out by facts. The two desires or
longings aro different in thoir nature
Apetite is the craving of the apparatus
of taste, and sometimes of the digostivo
organs; while hunger is tho demand of
the organism as a whole or somo of its
parts of food. Use the word appetite
and hunger how we may, there are actu
ally two needs to bo oxprossod, and much
mischief arises from confounding tlieui
The one cry for food which wo call ap
petite is an aihair of habit or caprice,
and may, for a time at least, be stimu
lated by appealing to tho sense
of taste, or promoted by eor-
tain cordials and stimulant : but
looking at tho matter from a physiological-
point of view, it is diffi
cult to see what wo gain by exciting the
organs of digestion to toko food unless
the system is in a condition to roccive it,
Tho rat ion id mode of proceduro would
socm to bo to wait the expression of 'a
need in tho system in short, to look to
hunger rather than appotito as an in
centive to tho act of feeding, instead of
exciting the palate and sense organs to
tuke tood when wo have no organic
reason to suppose that there is an inner
uced of it.
There aro cortain evil consoqnoneos of
tuo civilized mode of feeding by appotito
on tho basis of habit, which it may bo
useful to point out. First, separating
appetite from hunger, and developing it
as on independent sonse or function,
there naturally springs up a fashion of
life which maybe described as "living to
lood. lhe purveyor of food trades on
the tastes and cultivated longings
of the consumer, and the con
sideration what to eat and what
to drink comes to oconpy a place in tho
self-oonsciousness which it was probably
not intended to fill, and in so far as this
is the caso man is nioro animal, and less
spiritual and intellectual, than ho ought
to bo; although it may be conceded that
tho refined taste of cultivated naturo is
less offensive than tho simple voracity of
tho savage. 'Ihere aro some who con
tend that man 'is tho trainer by tho de
velopment of his appetite. If this be so,
the gain is a good not unmixed with
evil. Another drawback is that by sever
ing appetite from hunger wo lose tho in
dication of quantity which naturo givos
with her orders for food. The man who
cats a regulated numbor of mealB daily,
with a duly stimulated and organizod
habit, probably eats much moro in the
twenty four hours than his system ro
quires, or tho organism as a whole is con
stituted to deal with. f Lancet.
A Drunken Man's Safety. A man
sent out to repair telegraph wiros on tho
17th began by gotting drunk. Ho had
on his climbing hooks, and catching
sight of the procession at a point near
the crossing of tho Boston and Albany
Kailway and Columbia avonue ho forth
with shinnod up a telogranh uolo. From
this porch ho beheld the sight, and got
ting both legs over one of tho cross-burs
and both arms around the polo, he foil
asleep, meditating, vory likely, upon the
forward strides made by our city within
the last half century. While thus1
roclining, twenty-flvo foot from tho
ground, ho was ospiod by a
kind-hearted individual, who pointed
out the porilous situation of the man to
a Polico Sorgoant of the Fifth Division,
romarkiug that ho (the Sergeant) must
get him down or ho would fall and kill
himself.
"How am I to get up there?" askod tho
Sorgoant.
"Can't say," replied tho kind-hoorted
mon; "but something ought to be done.
"The feller hoint in no dangor," breaks
in a man with a rod nose and a squeak in
his voice, who has lust oome up aud ta
ken a critical, sidelong squint at tho man
on the polo.
"Why isn't he?" sharply domands tho
kind-hearted man.
"Don't ye soo." roturns the squeaky
voico, "tho follor s up there so tight that
he in't full no how. 'Boston Journal.
A Good One rou Hayes. Thore is a
good story told of tho President, says
the Washington Star, in connection with
tho recent appointments in ado to fill
vacancies in the United States army. A
gontloman who is distinguished in social
lifo was extromely anxious to havo the
son of a warm friend designated for ono
of tho vacancies. He callod upon the
Presidont and mado known Ins reouost.
"You see, Mr. President," said he, in
advocating the young man's claim, "his
father is a distinguished ox-army oOlcor.
His great-grandfather was a gallant sol
dier of tho army, and his great great
grandfather was an officer in the navy
during the Revolutionary war," Theso
points were pressed with force upon the
attention of the President. All of a sud
den the Presidont said: "And this young
mans lather, great-grandfather, and
even a more remote grandfather have all
been officers of tho United States?"
"Yes," came the reply. "Woll." ropliod
the President with a merry chucklo,
"don't you think it about time that some
one In that family earnod a living for
himself?
Stars and Xenuut. Prof. E. C. Picker
ing, Director of the Harvard Observatory,
lately made a discovery which is re
garded, says The Hcientilio American, as
one or the most important of tho century
in stellar pnysics. in the ordinary tele
Vina a ofur a rtnao rat ma a tntinf rf ttrkf
brighter, but not larger than when looked
at with the naked eve. 1'rofessrr Pick
ering finds that on placing a prism be
tween the object glass and the eye-piece
of his telescope, the light of a star is
drawn out into a continuous band. When
however the telescope with the prism is
directed to the planetary nebulae, the
lltflit is collected into a star-like point,
without any band, enabling the astrono
mer to distinguish 'immediately between
a star ana a planetary nebula. This prin
ciple has already enabled Professor Pick
ering to discover several planetary nefiu
lae. On Thursday evening-, August 20th,
an object was observed which presented
the appearance of two star-like points
within the band in the modified tele
scope. It is different from anything
beretomre observed in the telescope, and
is regarded as an important subject for
investigation.
Bather too Hard on Him. (Overheard
at the ourang-outang cage at the Boyal
Aquarium). Tom (who is not overbur
dened with brains) : "I say, Liz, what do
they mean by the 'musing una? Lai:
"Well, I should define it as an animal i
half-way between the ape and myself."
The Soup-StoiielB Old Trick.
A lady on the outskirts of Donvor was
the victim the other day of a tramp's
practical ioke. Even in those vagabonds
there is an occasional vein of humor
whioh is worth preserving. The inci
dent happened in this wise : About the
middle of tho afternoon the tramp nut
in an appearance aud askod politely if ha
could be permitted to cook for himself ft
plate of soup.
"1 have the ingredients with mo" he
said, displaying a cobblestone about the
size of an applo.
Iho lady very naturally looked at him
in surprise.
' lou can t niako soup out of that rock.
can yon ?" she inquired, in surprise.
"Oh, yos, niadauio. This is what we
call a soup-stone."
"Well. I should liko to see yon do it;"
and she forthwith mode up a firo in tho
stovo, and tho tramn commenced opera
tions. He illlod tho stove-pan with wa
ter, and, after it commouced to boil, very
carefully deposited the stuio in a pan of
water.
"I shall havo to trouble vou for ft lit
tle seasoning," ho said, and the lady has
tened to get him an ouion, a pieco of
meat, and a tomato. Theso wore
carefully cut up and put in to
boil, along with tho stone. In ft
short time a delicious plate of soup
was prepared. The lady tasted it and
was delighted with tho flavor. The fel
low sot down and ate, and his hostess
immediately added what was necessary
to niako a substantial moal. When he
left he said that he could got plenty of
soup-stones on his way, and thai ho
would leave that ono with hor as an evi
dence of how sincorely ho appreciated
hor kindnoss. She was firmly convinced
that she hud como into possession of
treasure That night she told hor hus
band of tho circumstance He listenod
to the recitid and then inquirod inno-
contly:
'Don t you think the moat and the
onion and the tomato would have made
a very good plate of soup without tho
rock?"
Gradually tho trick began ' to dawn
upon hor, and if you want to make that
ludv mud vou have only to ask her for
the loan of hor soup-stone.
A House or Hold Bricks.
Thore is a cortain honno in Choyonno,
not a thousand miles from the Lviuior
office, which is almost worth its weight
in gold. The bricks in its walls are at
least impregnated with the precious
metal to a valuablo extent. Tho discov
ery was made accidentally by gentle
man who has an oilico near by. lie fre
quently noticed shining yellow particles
in the bricks, aud imagining that the
colors wore gold, he took out a brick
from the wall for the purpose of ascer
taining tho fact. This brick he first pul
verized and thou "panned out" the col
ors. He could not get rid of all the dirt,
and coucludod to send the residuum to
an assayor in Donvor. In a fow days the
assay certificate arrived, and showed that
thoro woro 1)8 cents' worth of go'.a '
in the brick. The igentlomar; '. u- wok
out two other brioks in different ports
of tho building, and pulverized, ond
panned them as he did the first. The
sauio assoycr gavo his cortmcate aa fol
lows: Sample No. 1, gold, 47 cents;
samplo No. 2, gold, 24 cents. With re
markablo secrecy the gontloman pro
ceeded to learn whonce came these
bricks. After considerable inquiry it
was loomed that the bricks wore matte in
a yard that was iormoriy situated on
Crow creek, near Choyonno, but whioh
is now obliterated. Further investiga
tion among old residents, divulgod the
fact that placor mining was at one time
carried on along Crow creek, but the
minors thought that the pay wasn't big
enough, and they therefore abandoned
their claims. It was near those claims
that tho brick-yard meutionod above was
started, and that explains now gold dust
got into the brioks. f Cheyonne Leader.
How Water Enters Drains. Whon
wet land is drainod. the wator enters
through the joints of tho drain-tiles all
along thoir course; It is not necessary
to provide inlets for tho water. It must
l)e romemborod that if drain -tiles were
laid three feet bolow the surface the
pressure of the water above them is con
siderable, and will force a large quantity
through a vory small spaco. The tiles
may bo laid so close that a knife-blade
cannot be inserted botwoen them, and yet
the entering water will be sufficient to
keep an inch and a half tile (30 rods long
full in wot woather. The cost of drain
ing laud depends on soveral conditions,
such as the character of the soil, tho dis
tanoe of the drains apart, the depth of
the drains; the size of tile depending
upon the wetness of tho land; all those
may vary the oost from about $30 to $50 '
an acre.
rtANEon k Toultrt Houhb. Small
houses and large runs aro most in favor.
The Wentern Rural gives the dimensions
of one to accommodate a dozen fowls; if
a larger one is required the same general
features may be retainod to its construc
tion: Ground dimensions five feet by
so von feet; three and one-half foet from
ground to peak of roof; door at ono side
of one end, two feet wide; nests on
ground at the other side, running length
wise of the house; platform just above
nests; roosts four inches above platform;
holes for ventilation in front and rear
peaks; roof of dried boards pressed
tightly together, and cracks battened;
sides same. Covor the whole with water
lime paint. Brackets con be placed on
the four corners, and poles passed
through so that the house can be moved
to now ground.
It was Alfonso. A well dressed younir
man entered a Madrid lnn n fw jy9
ago, and after walking uneasily about for
a time, asked: "Have you any watches
with india-rubber cases?" The aston
ished shop-keeper answered in the nega
tive. The youth shambled np and down
the floor a few times and again said:
"You haven't any rattle boxes with dia
mond handles, I suppose?" "No sir,"
said the shop-keeper. "How young doea
a child begin to use a velocipede ?" asked
the youth. "It depends ft good deal on
the Kid," was the answer; "some begin
young, some don't." Would you sell me
a two wheel one and change it for a three
wheeled one if it was a girl ?" "Couldat
do It," came the curt response. The
youth went out and the shop-keeper re
poses in the lowest dungeon of the castle.
It was the King of Spain.