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About The Eugene City guard. (Eugene City, Or.) 1870-1899 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 1880)
ro. "W hat au odd little name fur a young lady-Pen!" aaid Boy Delbert, to Miss Dane, who Lad been speaking of her co 11 in. "A diminutive," replied Dahlia Dane suppressing a yawn behind her fan, ai if tired of Die aubject. Site was named reuelopa for an aunt of onra who left her little income enough to buy ribboni and glovea witli Heigho ! what a very hot Jay it in!" And Miss Dane looked down the road, as if aha would liko to behold a chariot and aii horses coming to bear her from tho sufferings of that anltry afternoon. But Boy continuod to gaze down tho garden, wliero a young girl waa busily culling noiiotrope ana carnations, Sh hod not a pretty face, but it waa a singularly interesting one, with dark eye, gontle, tender, and framed by nat ural waroa and curia of dark Drown hair. The profusion of hair waa knotted back by a cherry ribbon, the only bit of color about Ten, while Dahlia wore a rich, ailken robe of mingled purple and acarlet. Snch rich tiuts suited the stately, handsome girl. Boy often told her so, and wished to put her in a picture as Cleopatra, but Aiwa Dane dccliued. If it hail been for another kind of charac ter! But Roy Dalbort was not that sort of man to care three straws for a Cleo patra. And here he was looking bin cyea out after a girl who might have aat for Miranda or an Ophelia, while the blue Dane blood was coursing through that stately body with a tumult and rapidity which (teemed impossible to one who only know Dahlia Dane aa aho appeared hue seldom soomod moved by any emotion, bue was stately, graceful, cor rect in doportment, and striking for hor superb health and habit of wearing rich colors, Roy had known her for a year, and had never asked himself the question if he could love her. It waa a pity, perhaps, for Dahlia Dane loved him with all tho force of a strong and repressed na ture. Imperious and resolute, a certain in dolcnue and voluptuousness of tempera mont made her seem far gentlor than sho was. Roy hod often reforred to her boauty, to his artist friends in the city so freely as to make it impossible that he should bo in love with her such are the anbtlutios of love! Miss Dane rose, picked a book and crimson scurf from a piazza chair. 'U'aiiiA intA tlii ilin!ni.AAm 'Come into tho dining-room, and will order an ice for you, she said. U1UIUK I IfVUI, "Excuse me for one moment," Roy re plied, and ran down the piazza steps. In an instant he had come quickly bo hind the little white-robed figure. "Miss Fay, you are losing your sweet est flowors! Over Ton's simple dress of snowy cam- brio was tied an apron of white linen, ono corner of which having slipped from her hand as she reached among the vinos, cutting here and there a blossom. her fragrant treasures were falling fust upon the gravel path. ' She turned hurriedlv. and stood a iic ture of momentary dismay, while Roy bent at her feet and promptly repaired the accident. "Thank you!" she said, when the List spray of pale heliotrope waa restored to the white apron, " now very stupid i must have looked to you and Dahlia, losing my flowors as fast aa I gathered thorn!" He did not 8eak; but the sparkling glance resting on her face did not seem to imply the fault of stupidity. But Miss Dane was waiting, and he went back to the piazza. When he hod taken orange slierbert in tho dining room, he asked Dahlia to show him the swaus. But the young lady doclinod, having for the timo a de cided aversion to the garden. "It is fur too hot to walk on the ter races this afternoon. Thia evening when the air is cool, or any other day, with pleasure." Roy, disappointed, shortly put on his hat and wont to his hotel. Ho hod meant to stop at the arbor, whore he saw Ten making bouquets, and ask hor to join them on the terraces where the swans came to be fed. But it was always so; his innocent plots of this kind always fell through; lie could not toll why, but it made him decidedly out of humor. He vowod he would not go to Thrushlands again for a month and was there the next day. This time he was more fortunate. In stead of asking for Miss Dane, he askod for the ladies, and the new servant showed him into the niusio room, whore Ten was practicing. She rose. "If you will take a seat in the parlor, I will call Dahlia," she said. "I had rather stay hore, if you will al low me," he replied, coolly seating him self; and was rewarded for this bit of au dacity by Ben's readily consenting to play and' sing for him. It was only a brief half-hour he had before Dahlia discovered the situation, and came down, but as, with that sweet face smiling upon him, he could not do otherwise than make the best possiblo use of hia time, Pen's young heart, throbbing with a startled sweetness which showed itself in parted lips and flushed cheeks Dahlia discovered that her cause was a lost one. But for the proud beauty to sunender was an utter impossibility. "My father wants you to do some copying for him, I believe Ten," sho said coldly. Pen disappeared from the scene. But a rose she had d rop pod and the memory of hor sweet eyes stayed with lioy lMioert lor days and weeks. He did not see her strain in that time It waa not strange, f ov Pen was proud, too, in her way. "I did not know you were so fond of gentlomen's society as to intercept my Visitors," Dahlia had said, aneeringly, that day, after Roy had gone. Pen. stung to the quick by all the in sult implied, after one silent, indignant glance, afterward absented borself from the very house whenever Roy entered it. It was only a little way f rom her re treat in the woods, back of Thrnshlands' bright grounds, that Roy walked with Dahlia and gave ber his confidence, but it was so far among the oaks and chost nuU that she heard never a word, though she could plainly see his figure and tie c. .a.u uiiu Uiucii uf L)kiU4 dross hi r. elf undiscovered. "Mihs Dune-Dahlia," he said "I waiit to tell you something which I have long kept secret, because it is very precious 10 me. 111 you near it 7 lie did not observe the quick blood muutle her smooth cheek; he only saw inai sue consented, readily to sit on the nioHsy rock to which he handed her, and listen. This earnestness and tender courtesy wuui uiu u mean uui luai ne was nors, alter aur "I want you to be kind to me." he aaid, slowly. "I am going to confoss to you that I love your cousin Pen, and ask her to give you thirtetter. Ho hold the letter before her, but sho could not see it for the red cloud of pas sion tu at swept Deiore uer eyes. "I have tried to sav awkward! enough probably what is in my heart, But if sho is what I believe her to be. bub win i wouer oi nncu suoriconimgs. ..l. - I i - . i i . Say, Dahlia, you have known her long- la sho not as geutlo, sweet and truthful i a little girl can be? Though you do not love Dahlia Dane. reader, you might have pitied her then, the enthusiasm of those handsome, upraised eyes sent such a stab to hor ueart. "She has a very nice disposition, and ill appreciate this, no doubt," taking in lntbr. the letter. 'It will be safe in your hands, and you will give it to her soon?" were Roy's words as he assisted her to rise; and they waued on. When Dahlia Dane was alone that night, she lockod her door, tore open the letter and read its every word. It was a noble and manly letter one she would havo given her great fortune in Iiava lifiil f&jlilrDHjuwl tn 1iorulf liv ltnv Dalbort. I do not know what prevented ber destroying it, for she ; b meant that it shouldncver reach her cousin's hand. But this she did not do. She slipped the sheet again into the envelope, and placed the letter in a Japanese writing-desk, where it lay undisturbed a whole year. The next morning Pen was sent up into Now Hampshire to curse au invalid aunt. When, on the evening of the second day, Roy rodo over to Thrushlands, Dahlia said: "Of oourse, I delivered your lettor at once, and with pleasure; but my cousin has leen called from home by the illness of one of the family. She promised to write to you soon. Roy was not suspicious. If ho had been, he miobt have made some in quiries of others, and learned that tho illness reforred to was but the ohronio complaints of old age, and that Miss Chaity Dane had a rotinue of servants at nor dock and can, aud did not heed Pen at all. in truth, au unemployed, she was wandoring about the rich house, looking wistiuiiy irom every window, and try ing, with the worst success possible, to forget lioy Ualbert. She had been sb many years alopo, was so utterly unloved, that it was cruel that one little taste of sweetness, so quickly withdrawn. "But iaMia shall never say with truth that I aonghthim," she murmured. even with the tears dashing down her lace. Dahlia bad calculated rightly that the Dalbert pride would not permit Roy to write again, lie waited first with hope. then with anxiety, at last in the cruelest suspense for an answer to his letter. Be ing certain that she had received it, he could finally come to no decision but that he had been deceived in her.' The sweet light of those eyes was but a will-o'-the-wisp, with no substance. His own delusion had made her tender and true impossible to be unkind to the meanest thing that loved her. He had offered her an honest mans best affection at least sho need not have scorned it, he aaid, bitterly. He would not talk of the matter even with Dahlia, but, still pursuing the downward path, she sought, in every way possiblo, to strengthen his resent ment against Pen. and destroy his faith in her. One day. when she was riding with her groom, she was thrown from her horse. She did not seem much injured at first; a slight wound oulv had been made upon her breast. But it did not heal. Weeks and months went br. The physician came, and came again, and shook his head. "It could not be he said, to Dahlia's parents; "Miss Dane was too young for such a developemont, whioh is almost in variably confined to persons of mature years. Dahlia was but twontv-five years old. but tho time had como for her to die. There was no denying that the hopoloss gap in that white flesh was a cancer of the most malignant and unyielding kind. When too weak to walk about tho house; she lay in hor chamber thinking about it. Rov Dalbert sho had not seen for mouths, but when she heard one day that he was on the eve of starting for Europe, she bade them call Pen home. 1'en had never loved Dohhu. but when she saw how she had changed, she sob bed. "Hush, child! Don't err for mo cry for your own wrongs. Can I not see that you have already almost wept yourself blind up there among the hills? Take that lotter from the desk. See, it is direoted to you. Roy Dalbert loves you!" It was tho last conscious hour Dahlia Duno ever knew, though she lived many weeks. Pen, alone with the clue to his tang la in ber bands, was brave. She wroA to Roy Dalbort. V uld not permit myself to write to na t that you believe I have done ;ll and sP" wrong, hd as 1 beg you to rtTwaa in New York city on the eve of his departure; but he lot the steamer de part without him, and came aa fast as possible to Thrushlands. "I could not write it," said Pen, drooping in his arms; "but I love you dearly!" An American onoo captured Carlyle, who had refused to see bin, by writing some flattering verses on a card, and the two corresponded until the American died. The poor old man, grieving be cause ha has not strength to work, sits with the fires still ameuldenng within him and waits for the time when he must go. "Uproot error," he aaya to uiose wnout no admits to bis room. From indications strange things are happening within the bosom of old bed luui earth whioh may rosult in our being shaken up at a lively rate. On the 3d day of November last old Mount Hood astonished the natives by pulling im mense volumes of smoke and steam into the air, donoting activity far down hor fiery throat. But a short time after that the "pack-saddle" disappeared from Mount Ranier, it having in all probabil ity fallen into the crater, which choked it up so effectually as to produce the re cent shock op eakthqiIkh At Taooma. Two doys after Mount Hood indulged in her quiet smoke Mauna Los on the sandwich islands, and the qucs tion arises whether or not there exists a sympathy between theso mighty moun . -r . .1 . i . i tains, auniiar to thut between Mount Uecla in Iceland and Mount Etna in Sicily. Surely theso events indicate such sympathy and suggests the idea that we are treading on dangerous ground, in fact a crust of earth over eternal con sumiug fires. Let's eniigrato. While speaking of volcanoes, the hidden fires, and the earthquakes which shake old bedlam earth, levelin moss-gkown eling tall spires and PYRAMIDS, It will lie of interest to read a description of tho grand sights being witnessed around Mauna Loa, of Hawaii, on the Sandwich islands, which is in active operation at the present time. A writer gives the following grnphio account written at Waimea, November 11th We pitched our tent under the lee of the hill and alongside of some fine Mumani trees, whero we could sco the whole s'Pe Uauna i.oa. but not I the whole Pla,n- -'u and log had now en veloped the whole plain and mountain, and not a light could we sec. We climbed tho hill-side, however, and sat down under the leo of some bushes and awaited the clearinz up of the fog and clouds. It was not Jong before old Manna Loa lifted its bald head above the tops of the snowy clouds and A BRILLIANT LIGHT Burst on our viow from the summit. In a few minutes we could see the wholo line of fire along the summit, down to tho terminal crater, whero an intense bright light showed us that old Pele was true to herself and was preparing a sight for ull, seldom to bo seen. As tho fog gradually cleared from off the sides of the mountain, we saw a tremendous river of fire pouring down the steep sides. we could see it distinctly down tho slope, till it rn into the fog bank, which hud settled like a huge snow bod all over the lowlands. Tho tire was an intense white light and was running furiously downward. After waiting till eleven o'clock, and the fog not clearing off the plain we went back down to the camp aid watched the magnificent show. About half past twelve the fog lifting, two of us went up the side of the hill to wards Puna to see the sight, and what a sight it was. Almost under our feet lay the end of the flow slowly pushing its way along through the scrub mamani. The whole stream lay before us. Soon the moon set, and still ' it was light enough to see to read. Away abve us iu the heavens shone TOE BBILLIAXT FOUNTAIN READ, And thence to the end was a continu ous stream of liquid lava, brighter by far thanybr, as we could see how pale a nre looked in comparison whenever a bush took fire and burnt np alongside. There lay a river of fire before us at least thirty miles loDg every inch of which was one bright rolling tide of fire. There was not a single break in the w hole length. It divided about a mile from the top and ran down, forming a parallelogram, joined again and ran five miles below. The w hole front edge being about three fourths of a mile wide was a most intensely brilliant light, and as it slowly advancod and rolled over the small trees and scrub, bright - flames would flash up and die out along its wholo edgo. As we sat there in tho cool still night watching it, every now and then a report as if a cannon broke on the stillness, all along the line of fire, caused I supposo by the heating of air under the new lava iu the OLD LAVA CAVEBS9 And bursting up through the crust.' Then too occasionally a deep, but loud rumbling noise would almost start us from our Beats, evidently coming from the deep recosses of the old mountain, as if it was spouting forth its fiery flood. The cannonade was very froqnent, now right close to us, aud agaiu coming from a distance away up the side of the mountain. 1 could compare the whole view with nothing, but like a streak of chaiu lightning frozen in its tracks, as the fire seemed to come out of the heav ens, it was so far above us. As we sat there watching it, all at once huge dome of molteu lava was thrown up about hnlf way up tho mountain side. and continued to flow over like an iui menso fountain as long as we watched it. We also saw another stream of lava start from the fountain head and run right along tho top ridgo of the mountain for about two miles, and then apparently stop. There was no fountain throwing up lava op the topof the mountaiu.only a STEADY HCSHINO 8TKEAM. About half-past two we descended to camp and turned in for a few hours sleep. The next day after breakfast we made a futile attempt to reach the flow directly opposite Kalaeeha, but as the fog and mist was very thick, gave it up. On my return I again mado the ascent to where we viewed the nre tne night be fore to determine tho position of the whole flow. Before I reached tho place he mists cleared off and I had a splendid- view. I found that tho fire had origin ally broken out awsy up the mountain side, hud flowed along the mountain to whore the now of 18oo-b had broked out, and at the same place again startea down and running over the old flow a half mile or so hud turned off on the north side of it until it reached what is called the middle ground, and flowing over the old "aa" flow on the north aide of the middle ground. I then returned to the others and reported what I had seen. We agaiu mounted our horses and in one and one-half hours reached THJS NEW FLOW. We took the track from Kalaeeha to Kip- nkaahina and then followed down the Hilo road from the old Bullock's Head to where it turns down into the big Kipuka above Halealoha at the foot of I the descent (not far from whero we find il. .rnwHAil ilia lilt) UUU1UH lU tlilU. v. vi.wi. old flow for about 1000 fort and then stood on the vffry edgo of that flowing river of rock. Oh, what a sight that was! Not twentv foot from us was this lm .-A . .... W.I. tliitf l.ll" mouse bed of rock slowly moving for ward with irresistible force, bearing on its kurface huge rocks and immense bowlders of tons weight, as water would carry a toy boat. Tho whole front edge was one bright rod mass of solid rock in cessantly breaking off from the towering mass and rolling down to tne loot oi it, to be again covered up by anothor ava lanche of white-hot rocks and sand. The whole mass was at its front edge from 12 to 30 feet in height. Along tho whole line of its advance it was one crash of rolling, sliding, tumbling red-hot rock. We could see no fire or liquid lava at all, but the w holo advance line of red-hot stones nnd scorhe. Tho latter would frequently run down the slope like water, only all separate in rod-hot grains, ihero were no explosions wnue we were near the flow, only A TREMENDOUS IIOARINO Like ten thousand blast furnaces all at work at once. Tho flow here was only aa, and was so as far as we could sco it. What a tremendous heat arose from its surface. The wholo mass was, on top whero no red-hot rock could be seen, a dull brick color. Its advance was very slow, but sure. I do not think it will get over on to the nut where that koa grove is, neur where we turn to go to Kipukauhina, for at least four days. After that it will run much foster down the Kipuka above Halealoha. Well after we got through looking at it for while and setting our sticks on fire, we started back for Kalaeeha and Waimea, where wo arrived the next Wednesday morning, in time, for breakfast, having seen a sight which is seldom seen. Thero will not be much danger of the fldw ever reaching Hilo if it should keep on running the way it is now, as it will have that immense valley to nil up be low Puu Oio and Wsiluku Swamp. But I am afraid that the Pahoohoe flow will start out on the south side of the "aa' and then it will of course follow the 1855-ti flow to Hilo and go quick too. So there is STILL OBEAT DANGER For our beautiful town. Tho two aa flows, this one, and the one of '55-6 run side by sido for miles and if the 1856 one prevents the pahohoo flow from running out on that side and press it out on the north sido of the new aa flow Hilo will be safe, I think. There in no diminu tion of the fire, and the smoke is getting thicker, showing that the flow has got into the large Koa forest at tho end of the "middle ground." If the flow had not been hemmed in 09 the "middle ground," but had followed the old flow of 1856 down, it would probably have been now within 15 miles of Hilo, It is now about 21 miles from there. I ex pect it will gobble up Halealoha if it keeps on, but it is not probable that it will run down the Kipukaahiua flat. I feel anxious for Hilo and shall watch further developements very anxiously. New Story or Hesby Clay. In the chapter devoted to his lifo in college, Dr. Bobert Tomes relates the following ancedote of Henry Clay, which, we be lieve, has never before been told in print: "We had occasional visits at the college from the Presidents and other great men in their periodical tours over the country. Henry Clay was received by tho whole body of the students, headed by the college Presidont and Professors, and, being addressed by ono of them, responded in a speech, t can not recall what he said on that occasion; but during the same visit, when I heard him address the citizens of Hartford, I can remember the conclusion of his speech, which was singularly inappro priate, I thought, to his sober-sided New England audience: 'I did not,' he said. 'come here to be treated with any form or ceremony, but to see you as friends; in a word, to take a drink and a chew of tobacco with you!' This might have boen a welcome peroration to a throng of his jolly constituents assembled about a Western tavern, where the deed would, no doubt, have quickly-followed upon the word; but it was like a sudden dash of cold water into the faces of his Puri tanical friends of the East, after the soul stirring orator had first warmed them into sympathy with his genial eloquence." The Persistence of an Impression. A remarkable instance of the persis tence of an impression, unquiekened by repetition through more than forty years, is that of a gentleman, living in New York. On December 16, 1835, occurred the great fire which swept the First ward east of Broadway and below Wall street, and destroyed property worth 18,000, 000. At that time the guardians of the city's peace were not policemen clad in uniform, but constables lressod like common citizens and distinguished from them only by carrying long staves with which to admonish the dis orderly characters. The subject of the story, then a boy ten years of age, was present at the fire, and there saw a young, black-haired constable strike with his staff a man who was rais ing a disturbance. A few days ago, while crossing the river in a ferryboat tho gentleman saw a gray haired old policeman, and it instantly occurred to him thvt this was the officer whom he had seen strike the man forty five years OiTA it n a t l- a tit litt nn v It anhiAAi lie spoke to him ftn.l fonn.l tint hU .wnlloM inn waa on. tireiy correct, the oflicer having beon at the fire and remembering the occurrence perfectly; he gave, moreover, details which showed there was no mistake of identity in the matter. The case is remarkable enough to find its way into the text-books, as the account is perfectly authentic fN. Y. World. Sweetly sings a nineteenth century poet: "What will heal my bleeding heart ?" Lint, man, lint; put on a plen ty of lint. Or hold a cold door-key to the back of your neck, press small roll of paper under the end of your lip, and hold np your left arm. This last remedy is to be used only in case your heart bleeds at the nose. After the death of Conrad Seitx, at Monroe, Ala., this telegram waa received from Llla Dorsey, his aflUnced wife: "Delay funeral two days. I will be ready for burial with him." Sha kept her worl by committing suicide. Unqualified Retraction. "1 want to see tiie ooss liar who runs this libelous sheet, roared a musoular looking young man of the base ball sno cies, walking into the office of tho I'ott last Monday morning. "The managing editor is out," said the office boy, hastily getting behind the high counter. "Blast the editor!" growlod the Strang or rapping on the counter with the big end of his four-foot club. "I want to see tho head pirato the proprietor the fel low that your paper aaya wants to be held responsible for those infornal lies about the Carnival people in Saturday'a Font," Through the open door of the inner office came a subdued, rustling sound as though a terrier was chasing rut iuto a holo, followed by a silence that might have boon cut with knife, "He's out, too," repliod the boy. "Ool dern the luck!" said tho muscu t 1 1, iar pony, mucu annoyed, "l came arouud on purposo to batter him with this hero club. "He will bo sorry to have missed you," said the boy, soothingly. "Isn't your paper leu roguiariyr 'Taper be everlasting t blanked to blanknution!". thundened the visitor. "My sister is tho (jueon of Sheba. "Queen of whut-ba?" "Of Sheba, idiot; don't you under stand." . "Once more for tho beer!" said the" office boy, leuning forward. "Why, the Queen of Shoba; up at the Carnival, I mean. She was brought home from the matinee day before yes terday in a hack and fits. This is what did it;" and the aggrieved brother drew out a copy of our superior family jour nal (only fifteen cents a week by carrior) and pointed to the following paragraph: " v e would rather nnd a thousand dol lar bill, lost by a poor washerwoman, than say anything unkindly personal in this article; but, all the sumo, we mean to overhaul sacrod history the first chance we got and ascertain whether there is any definite Scripture for sup posing that the Queen of Sheba hod ac cess to unlimited quantities- of L1111 burger cheese.. Unless we find that fact fully substantiated we shall be reluct antly forced to conclude the counterfeit presentation- of that potentate np at Mission nnd Eighth to bo an atmos pheric fraud and miasmatic mockery. "Must be some mistako," softly sug gested tho boy. "Mistake be blowed, said the Utioon s brother, brandishing his club to the extreme- discomfort of the cashier's nose. "It's an infernal, miserable lie. My sis ter never eats cheese; and, besides, she chows cardamon seeds and things. Never ate Limburger in her life." "1 do, said the office boy, in a con soling way. So I see, said tho outraged party, pushing the boy's nose around with the end of his club. "The minute I road that cowardly slander I just went out to the woodpiie and picked out the knotti est stick I could find. I whittled it down at this cud for a square grip. When will the old vampire be in? Ill wait for him." A couplo of gentle taps came from within. "He'll bo gone two months," answered the boy. The knocks were repeated more vigor ously. "I mean two years," continued the youth, hastily. "He's away off up on a ranch somewuoro building a new stable-one for mules. Ten to ono he never gets back at all." "Just my infernal hard luck, mut tered the athelete. "Is there anybody here who would like to step out and represent him a few minutes?" But there was nobody who could Bpare the time." "All right," said the representative of the Scriptural ruler. "I will now go and have a lot of base ball spikes screwed into this club, and if there isn't an un conditional retraction in next Saturday's paper I'll drop in again. Unconditional, mind," and after savagely kicking a news boy off the door step he shouldered his redwood and triumphantly marched off. As he disappeared in the mazes of Montgomery the proprietor emerged from beneath the table and, clasping the intelligent office boy to his breast raised his salary two dollars a year. Scotalxd Burning, A Scottish pro fessor, Mr. McGregor, observed at the recent Social Science Congress in Edin burgh, that "there were 30,000 English men who had been in graves at Bannock burn for the last 500 years because they could not stay at home and mind their affairs. Tho Scottish nation would not allow the English to dictate to them, and he hoped the English would not try it." The remark created some excitement, but things went on well until the profes sor, having risen again, he was ordered to "resume bis' soat." The President of the Congress then ventured, incidentally, to point out how absurd it was "that the Bishop of tho Church of England should be able to go in the forenoon to his club, and have his glass of cherry aud enjoy himself over his paper," when it was sought to shut the poor man out of the public house. "Does the Bishop of the Church of England do that on the Lord's day?" demanded the astonished philoso pher. "Yes," said the philosophical President, "I have seen him myself." As the philosophers rose to go, the Pres ident said they might congratulate them selves that they had not had blows. An English bachelor saw a handsomely dressed young lady on a. Boston street and was told thai she was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. He became ac quained, and the girl knowing the wo man who watched the interests of an elegant house whose owners were at tho seashore, was permitted by her to re ceive him there. She also gave him din ners there, hiring waiters. She told him that her parents were in Europe. He proposed to her, was accepted, and found that the wife he had won was a shop girl. George Elliot thinks that her best novel is "The Mill on the Floss," from which and from "Adam Bode" her publishers have made more money than they have made from her other works. Prince Leopold called on George Elliot and said he had read "Middlemarch" nine times. George Elliot (now Mrs. Gosse) appears to be in excellent health. She and her husband have been visiting Eng lish country house, including her own in Surrey. . She will now take up tier resida ti at Chelsea, London. ' V Duration or Arctic Wlntr. Lioutonant Schwatka also read . .1 paper on tho duration of the Arrti. tor. Tho generally rec Tv.i " aid he, that the Arctic winter J''B. in the higher latitude. T. 1'; one of perfect opaime durtn. lV ,rearT strictly correct. In latitude Ha ,1. J 60 not 20 minutes 20 sennml. v .i?yB point ever reached h, m8M four hours an.l fnvtT. ' . 6 H twilight on DocomW 22d the X! J day in the year in the Nor iX In latitude 82 degrees 27 Z the highest noim ,i. J? n" men have wintered, tWe are six C and two minutes in the shortest day latitude 84 degrees 32 minutes 17, nearer the North remi 1 Ail n. geographical miles from that point n, yet be attained before the tnfe iBg zono or that ono in whioh there i, n twilight whatsoever, even upon UieLn est day of the year, 'can I. laid To hZ beon entered bv man. Of ... vtt? the beginning and ending of this twiliX it is very foob o- and easily extinguigl by even the -slightest misu, but never theless it exists, and in nnit ' ..T ble on clear, cole I days-or nigh 'JS erlv speaking The North Pole iuE only shrouded in perfect blackness from Isovomber 13th to Jammr omi. . period of seventy-seven davs. Sun. posing that tho sun has set ("supposinj acircumpolarsea or body of water limited to vision) on 8ei)tcml?r iitk i to rise until March 18th, for that pavticn lur point, giving a period of about fifty days of uniformly varying twilight, tli Polo haa about 188 days of contiuuom doybght, 100 days of and 77 of perfect inky darkness mi when tho moon has a northern ilopiin.. tion) in the period of a typical vcar. Tin.. ing the period of a littlo over four days the sun shines continuouslv on Imtii North and South Poles at the same time owing to refraction parallax, semi-diamel tor and dip of the horizon. Proceed ings National Academy of Sciences. Dohson as a Roof lumber. A few days ago Dobson's wife dntr. mined that as winter was coming on, it would bo necessary to covor the roof with a coating of fire-proof paiut. D0iu son agreed that the protection of the family against the fire fiond was the first law pf nature. Would Dobson be so kind as to go up and measure the super ficial area of the roof? Certainly, the head of the house was of the opinion that nothing would be oasier than to climb up to tho roof and measure it, that the amount of paint needed might be determined. He put a two-foot rule in his pocket and clambered np on the rear of the house byway of the trollis work. He measured the end of the gable, and then crawled along on the ridge-pole on his hands and knees, measuring as he went and tearing hit pants on the nails. Then a gust of wind took him off tho ridge-pole, but by falling into a space between two extensions of the house he saved hit neck. His profanity and antics brought crowd of boys to the spot, who began to evince great interest in tno proceed ings. When ho gathered himself np he had forgotten how mauy feet the ridge pole measured and so he was obliged to go ovor it again. Ho measured all the separate conformations of the roof and figured up tho square feet on a shingle. Thon he started down over the trellis ork. He got dovjn bringing with him 20 worth of trellis work, snoiling a suit of clothes, and dislocating his leg. "What are the figures ?" asked his wife as she brushed her lord off. "They are up on the east end of the roof," roared Dobson, "and if you have any more curiosity than I, climb njj and got 'em. When I struck the last time they seemed to get jolted out of my head." An intelligent carpenter was immedi ately given the contract. He in five minutes got at the proposition by measuring the ground floor. It is well known that a commis. sion embracing some of tho first scholars in England and America, havo been engaged for a long lime in revising tho bible. Already it i announced that tho work of revising the new testament is about com pletod, and it is announced that the corrected edition will appear in Feb ruary next. Tho old testament will not bo ready for two or threo ycart yet. It is said that a large number of errors havo been corrected, and many changes mado in tho transla tions of the original texts. We doubt very much whether the reli gious world will take kindly to tbi revision. It is a virtual admission of fallibility in what they have been taught (o regard as . tho infallible word of God, which can hardly lad to add to the growing skepticism ot tho world. Many will insist that the true word should never need re vising. A very slight declivity suffices to give the running motion to water. Three inches per mile in a smooth, straigW channel gives a velocity of obout three miles an hour. Tho Ganges, whica gathers tho waters of the Himalays Mountains, the loftiest in the world, is. at 100 miles from its mouth, only w feet above the level of the sea, and to lft" 300 feet in its long course the wal(!I quires moro than a month. The grew river Magdalena, in South America, run ning for 1000 miles between two rwg of the Andes, falls only 500 feet in iu that distance; above the distance of iw" miles it is seen descending in rapids ana cataracts from the mountains. The gi gantic Rio de la PlaU has so gentle a de scent to the ocean that in Paraguay, miles from its month, large ships seen which have sailed against the cur rent all the way by the force of the wiw alone that is, to say, which, on u beautiful inclinod plane of the stream, have been gradually lifted by the son wind, and even against the current, to elevation greater than our loftiest spire- It was a'Vassar girl just grduated wb inquired: "Is the crack of the rifle tw place they put the powder m ? other watching the operation of a . e Art engine, remarked in wonder to nw companion: "Who would have thong" that such a diminutive looking app1" could hold so much water?'' t