Auolher Siae of It.
"Now, Miu Gray, we have missed our
car, and huve a lung walk before as,
clear to Lincoln Turk, so I am going to
take the opportunity to toll you tL story
I spoke of before, for don't wunt you
to think thut No. 21 i haunted only by
ghostly ineuiorios. Well, to begin with,
one dreary, rainy night, there wan a ring
at the boll after everybody had gone to
bed, so I threw on my wrapper and went
down myself, thinking it in list' lie a telo
gram. But when I opened the door
there stood tne queerest looking man,
tull and big, and uiy, oh, my! what great
hands and feet ho did have, and hiicIi a
shock of sandy, bristling hair; a freckled
faco, and the most comical nose I ever
saw, And you would liavo laughod to
hear his voieo such a funny one. His
only baggage was a thin old cariHit-sucli
and a cotton umbrella.
''Well, how d'ye do?' said ho. 'Bo
you the landlady V "
" 'Wal,' says he, 'I did put up at tho
tavern, and was gettin' ready to roost,
when thoy said they'd ehargo 3 a day,
and I jest thought, 'fore I'd pay it for
them gimcracks and statters and dishes,
that yer grandmother couldn't tell what's
made of, I'd sot on the fence all night,
though thoy mostly bo made with pints
on top in thoso parts. Xaow, can you
give mo pork and beans and scumble
grub for a fair price?'
"I think so; anywhore from $4 to 88 a
week, according to accommodations,"
say I.
"That'll-do," says ho; "Lets squint
around."
No. HI happenod to be the only vacant
room, so I showod him that, and told
him it was the highest-priced room iu
the house, but ho said it would do, and
sat down in tho best chair, and soakod it
through from his rain-dripping clothes,
ruining it in five minutes. lie lookod so
suspicious that I mado him pay in ad
vance, and then I saw him open the lean
carpet-bag and tako out a wooden boot
jack, then I left him olono ia his glory.
Next morning he appeared at the tablo
with tl at irresistible hair tiorcer than
evor, now that it was dry, and tho
amount ho ato would have run a steam
boat. I saw tho young gents smilo at each
othor, and tho older ones looked amusod,
and I trembled for tho poor fellow. Tho
only lady boardor I had was a Miss
Birch a seamstress on tho fourth floor
ami vitlinut mnaninir her anv harm. I
must say she was the homeliest creaturo
that evor offended my two eyes, and as
crnnil na rIio van llfflv. And tho UCW
boarder Barnabas Capstack, his name
was no sooner saw ner man ue secmou
to fall in lovo with her. Why, that very
first day, whon he "reckoned ho'd walk
down to tho cross roads a spell," ho
bought her Ave conts worth oi poanuts,
and from that timo on his attentions were
untiring. He was always bringing her
things, candy, illustrated papers, fruit,
ribbons, cheap jowelry.and oneo a yellow
dress pattern. Ho asked her to go to
every entertainment that ho hoard of and
she always rcfusod, but that made no
difference. On tho 14th of February ho
omit, lmr tliirtivm valentines, all directed
ia tho same hand. And really I think it
was on her account solely mat ne stayeu
so long, as the other boarders made it so
unpleasant for him. There's no stopping
young gonts when they get started with
their jokes. There wore tho two in 24 y, ,
one in 25, those up in 30, and sonic from
the fourth floor, and spent their winter
in tormenting poor Mr. Capstack.
They would till his pitcher with kero
sene, and ho would wash his faco in it,
and then come to me and any that the gas
was certainly leaking in his room, it
smelt so strong. They cut white horse
hairs over his bed in flue littlo bits, and
these sting like 20,000 mosquitos, if you
don't know it. Then the poor fellow
would como down in the morning with
little sores over his faco, and, I suppose,
tho rest of him, where he'd scratched the
skin off. They would sew up his clothes
and exchange his pantaloons for a pair
that wouldn't reach down to his blue
socks, but ho'd tie them down and remark,
like the Brother Jonathan thot ho
was, that "that air goods kinder
shrinks." And they even played
the old snipo trick on him took him out
to Burnhoui woods and left him holding
a candle till thev should drive up the
game. And he held up the candle until
it burnod down to some powder in the
end and exploded; and the way ho came
galloping down Eagle street about 4
' o'clock in the morning suggested that he
was scared, to say the least.
But, my! ho took it all so patiently,
and was so good humored, and was so
faithful to his true love, and he paid his
board so very prompt, thot I could not
help liking the follow.
He never gave much account of him
self. He said that he had got tired of
farming, and he could And something to
do in the city, and was employed in a
big wholesale house down on Broad
street. So he lived on with na for a num
ber of years, bearing all the jokes pa
tiently, drinking castor oil in his glass of
milk, salt in his coffee, soap in his pie,
and I suppose, a thousand other things
that I never kuew of, and grew more
and more devoted to Miss Birch the more
sho snubbed him until one day she came
to my room, and I knew she had some
thing to say by hor looks, so I let her
talk on, and finally she says:
"Mrs. Compton, I do believe 1 11 have
to marry that fellow to got nd of him.
"Well " says I, "that's a sensible way,
for its a sure one. Just marry him, and
he 11 trouble yon but litUe after that, I
warrant." But bless you, how she flew
up!
"Mrs. Crompton," says she, "I didn't
tKvcct to 1 insulted by you. ion
know as well as I do that Barnabas is
.Love the common run. He's so faithful
and true. Whv, he asked me to marry
him four times-last week, and fire times
th and last night he sent up the love
5 note along with a quart of oysters
and a pair of shoes, and now if you think
S is (Sng to neglect me like other men,
jou?reery much mistaken!" and then
she bounced out of the room, and
wouldn't come back for a week, and I
Wed, my dear, not to take a woman at
OnTni'gtt. a few months later, in
came Barnabas, bristles up, and flaming
necktie, and he seemed to have some
Cg tosay. He wiggled and squirmed
in his chair, cleared his throat, sured at
the pictures and the ceiling, upset srvase
of Voters on the fcble (by the way, be
Was the most destructive creature I ever
aw, always, spilling, tearing, breaking
tilings) ( and this evening he did more
duuiuge thau usual. When tho hours
bitd passed until after 11, and still he
sat, I told him I never sat up very late.
I guessed I should have to ask him to
leave. But he only fidgeted the more
and at lust I thought ho was choking;
his face got fairly imrplo.
. VMiss Compton, he says, "the Bible,
says, ye know, and I thought being as
how ye was once thar yeself, that maybe
it wouldn't bo too much to ask yer to Iks
so kiud as to stop down. It's at tho
brown church of a Tuesday morning, ye
know, and if you'll bo there 'bout 'J
o'clock we'll bo much pleased," and with
that he bolted through tho door ami was
gone.
Of course, it got out through the
houe, and Monday night presents from
tho boardeis begun to arrive, Such
louds and loads of things. I went np
and there stood Burnubus and his brido
in tho midst uuspeaking. There wore
brooms, rcrub-brusb.es, curry-combs,
bed-bug poison, mouse-traps, boot-jacks,
soap enough for a century, a canned cut,
a rolling pin and poker tied together
with ribbon and labeled, "Firearms
dangerous," a barrel of beans, hair oil,
and goodness knows w hat elso.
Miss Birch was offended, aud Barnabas
said:
"Never mind. Nunna, them things is
all uso'ul articles, ami will come mighty
hundy iu our shanty. And Miss Coni
ton. if yon will kindly say to iho board-hi-s
that we have got a shanty down ou
Ihu cross-roads quite a step from here,
and we'll be haiipy to see them thar to
morrow uight, I'll be obliged to ye. I'll
send up a wagon to tuke 'em down,
sec in' they've been so huudsomo."
Noxt morning I went down to seo them
married, and now when Barnabas had his
hair oiled down to his head and his new
suit on, ho was quite a gentloman in ap
pearance, though one of tho 42s did suy
something about flour baps when ho saw
his white gloves. And Miss Birch was
as trim and neat as a pin, as alio always
was, and mado a very good nppoarance.
When tho ceremony was over they
went out and got into a carriage, and
wore driven away. That night wo were
all ready.and I saw that the young gents
were in for some fun, when a row of car
riages nice ones drew np at tho door,
and tho driver gave me a queer note
from Barnabas ami Mrs. Capstack. "Ho
is going io bo extravagant forevor," I
thought, but I knew his turn aud wasn't
surprised.
But when he drew up at tho beautiful
gray stone house on the finest part of
State street, I was amazed. I knew
there must bo some mistake; so I ran up
the steps and into tho vestibule, where I
could seo a vista of lovely rooms opening
togethor.with rich soft carpets and beau
tiful furniture, looking through tho
glass door. But thoro was Barnabas,
sure enough, smashing over the loveliest
Apollo Belvidoro in his haste, coming to
open tho door himself. Ami wo filed in
and sat down, but we hadn't a word to
sky. And to think of the elegant supper
from Murray's, and the musio and
lights, and poor Mr. Capstack rushing
around and cracking his shins against the
furniture in his efforts to entertain us.
It was too much for gravity.
And don't you think all this time he'd
beon a partner in tho wholesale house,
and some of thoso very gents are his
clerks now, thot abused liim so! And he
is the most devoted husbaud, and Mrs.
Capstack manages her house as nicoly as
if she'd been born in it.
But, my dear, never trust appearances;
it is a deceitful world.
Japanese Farming.
Milton S. Vail, a missionary in Japan,
rives, in the Methodist, the following ac
count of Japanese farming: "The farm
ers in Jupan seem to operate on a smau
mnla All tlifl land belongs to the Gov-
OtUIWI - O
ernment, and all have to pay a ground
rent. Wheat, Parley, rye, anu oiies
wheat are grown in rows, the. weeds be
ing ke)t out by hoeing. It seems
strange to see all their grain growing in
rows, but no doubt good crops are thus
produced. Bice is tho chief product of
Japan. Tho earth nearly everywhere is
black, and the black soil of the valloys,
when well cultivated and mado to hold
the water from the neighboring hills,
makes good rice fiolds. The soil is
hrntoTi liv iimniiiil labor. Men no into
tho mud up to their knees, and with a
long-bhuled hoe turn ino earin over.
Horses are used to harrow it down,
and when ready ihe rice plants
are sot out by hand. Iho rico of
.Tonnn iu vprv fine, and tho Jananeso
know how to cook it. With them it is
the principal article of feed a littlo rice
with pickles and tea, often constitute the
meal. Tho people do not know how to
make bread, but seem to be very fend of
if nimn tliev enn -act it of foreigners.
They have flour, which they use in
. . it I I. 1 - M
various ways in me simplest muu oi
jtAAlraw T nnfipA.l in nnmintr in this
vuunij m, i.ui" r
place (ilakono, a mountain town forty-
DV6 miiea irom iukuuuluu; ujui i buuju
ui iiio Aiiaa in.nvim v r ' " o -'J
ftave us a drink mado of pounded wheat.
i'otatoes, sweot potatoes, eggpiuuis,
corn, melons, cabbages, onions and tur
nips are also grown, and other vege
tables, the names of which I do not
know and nover saw in America. I
think all the vegetables grown in New
York can be cultivated here. Of fruits
we have peaches, plums, oranges, straw
berries, pears and persimmons, also figs.
Waoneb the Iconoclast. The path
of Richard Wagner is litterea with the
traces of almost ferocious onslaughts
upon those of his fellow artists whom the
world holds dear. He has visited church
yards and wreaked spite upon tho tombs
of the dead. One after another, great
and cherished reputations have felt the
sting of his keen and acrid pen. He has
mocked at Meyerbeer, treutod Mendel
ssohn with disdain, struck fiercely at
poor gentloSchuman, laughed at Berlioz,
patronized Mozart, and, so to speak,
made a post-mortem examination of
Beethoven to lecture upon his disease.
What he thinks of the living Branms, we
shall, it is said, soon know more fully,
and then perforce this truculent master
must rest until some one else is guilty of
eminences. All this may be the result of
extreme fervor, of that "noble rage"
which makes a man spurn even the re
straints of decency for the sake of the
cause he champions.
"What plan" said one actor to another,
"shall I adopt to fill the house at my
benefit?" "Invite your creditors," was
the surly reply.
THE LEAKIER E.IK.
-
There is always a horrible mystery
about the inside passongers to a conch,
if one could only find it all out. '
Fred, Ringwood hod a hand-bag con
taining a fresh collar and a spotted silk
neckerchief, a few rather gtxulj cigars,
and a small bottlo of Santa Cruz rum.
He was on his way to Evonden to rpond
a day and cat a Thanksgiving dinner
with a gentleman whom ho knew merely
in a business way.
Beggcrly clerks are not often asked out
through letter by tho senior partner's
brother to a Thanksgiving dinner, and so
young Ringwood, being exceptionally
fond of turkey aud pumpkin pio, hud set
out thut afternoon with tho liveliest anti
cipations of enjoyment. Tho holiday out
of town was uu 'immense thing, not to
speak of a day and nk'ht in a country
house and twenty miles of coach and
country road.
A very singular looking female, in tho
proverbial nubia and courso black gown,
sat bolt upright in one corner opposite
Fred, while tho middle scut was occupied
by a gentleman of 50 yurs, perhaps, in
a dark surtout, u black stock, which ho
wore uncommonly high, and a red flan
nel buudogo around his head and face,
covering his oars. During a relayof horses
at Bangcoko, Fred undid his luggage and
applied himself to tho rum sparingly.
"A littlo spirit cheers tho heart and
elovates tho soul," said tho man with tho
bandage.
"Have some?" said Fred in duty bound,
extending tho flask.
Untying tho baudago tho stranger, re
duced the quantity in tho bottle to a
mere gill at a gulp.
"Poison poison," said he sententi
ously. Now there was a peculiarity about this
man which gavo Fred a cold chill and
mado him Hit further away, and whon
the coach rattled off ho got such a jerk as
gave the back of his bead a lump as large
as on egg. The man who did not object to
poison calmly replaced tho red flunnel.
Ho hud a curious deep rod scar across
his right cheok, extending from his tem
ple to his chin, and his right ear was
dono up in black morocco. Instantly
Fred felt for his pocket-book, and sud
denly remembered that ho hud none.
Ho carried a handful of looso coin in his
trouser pockets, and mighty lucky was
ho in tho middle of tho week to bo able
to jinglo the bit of silver he carriod with
him to Evenden.
Tho man in tho middlo got out at Ster
ling's, where the coach took a header,
aud Fred actuolly felt relieved, as no
doubt did the lady in the black gown,
although henceforth she kopt her eye
mainly on F'red, who, iu truth, had a
rather rakish rir, but so littlo egotism
that ho folt only moderately flattered
by tho lady's attention, and rather
concoived the idea that sho enter
tained lively doubts as to his respecta
bility. " 'That man, madauio," remarked
Fred with great noucholenoe, after tho
stranger had scramblod out of the coach
looving it to Ringwood and the lady in
the b. g., "that man is one of tho great
est rascals of his day."
"Good gracious!" exclaimed the lady,
with a nervous spasm; "you don't say so.
What does ho do mostly?"
'Oh, as to that, it is easier telling
what he does not do. He dosn't do any
thing elderly and nioo, but everything of
tho Dick - Turpin - Sixteon -String-Jack
sort, you understand? It's a wonder that
our heads are on our own shoulders."
"Why didn't you Bay so before?" snap
pod the lady with asperity.
"Woll, I should have protected you,
you know, had he dared any of his high
jacks in here. As for me, I would defy
uny robber to find my monoy."
"You don't say so," remarked a very
cold blooded voice at the window. The
coach had como to a dead stop at a point
on tho road completely shrouded by dark
evorgreons, on which the first few
feathory flukos lay liko rivulots of sood
pearls.
Fred's heart galloped up into his
throat, and came neur going down the
barrel of a carbine which the gentleman
in the flannel bandage rested at full
cock on the sill. ,
"Come, you know; this is devilish
mean in a chap who has just drank my
liquor down at a mouthful," remon
strated Fred, hie hands trembling too
much to find the way to his pockets.
"It was all your fault," shrieked tho
lady in tho nubia; "you enticed him to
get drunk and bo bold."
"Perhaps you will intimate noxt,
madamo, that I am his aide-de-camp,"
said poor Fred, in tho last stagos of de
spair, talking wilder to gain timo. "Do
1 look like a robber's apprentice?"
"Yes you do."
At this tho highwayman laughed up
roariously, so much so that the bandago
slipped off and rovealod that horriblo
leather ear again, which gavo him so sin
ster a look that Fred fairly recoiled to
the other side of the coach.
"Come, come; I've no time to waste
here. Unless vou wish to drive mo to
extreme measures, you'll hand over your
valuables directly. Mudurao, 1 ve taken
a fancy to that gold snuff-box and wateh
seal."
"Wretch! I'll dio first. My poor dead
Tobias gave mo these beforo he went to
heaven sixteen years ago.".
Fred had but two treasures in tho
world. Ono was the heart of a wonder
fully pretty girl, the other was her
picture in miniature dono up quaintly
with a gold back, surrounded by insig
nificant little pearls. Priceless in Fred's
eyes, though it was but a shabby little
trinket.
- He had given tip all hope of ever pos
sessing Emily, who was his senior part
ner's niece, a girl whose visits to that
dull old iron houtse had left each time a
broad band of sunlight in his dull, hard
life. She had goim back home now,
somewhere very far awoy thousands of
miles, he thought, and in giving tho
miniature had whispered three words:
"Good-bye hope wait."
"What have you there?" said the rob
ber, sternly, as Fred endeavored to con
ceal the locket np his coat cuff. "No
tricks, sir; be quick! Out with it! Is it
valuable?"
"Yes; it is the picture of tho woman I
love and never Lope to see again, and
death only will rob me of it. You can
kill me if you will, bnt illute this
token you shall not!"
Under excitement Fred was coming
out manfully. He was a fine, muscular
young fellow, and when his blood was
np carried very little for threats or fire
arms.
"You uisy keep '.hat bundle, Mr. Ring
wood," said the highwayman, scornfully,
as familiar with Fred as if ho hud stood
godfather to him twenty years before.
"My real object is not to tako trifles frmn
you, but an 'important bit of informa
tion. Yon are tho rather poorly paid, but
confidential clerk of Giles, Lcudhoitor A'
Keid.of C imberwell Road and Harrow
ditch. 1 must know who deposits tho
funds in 'tho safe, how lato it remains,
there, uitd who will bo on watch thoro to
night at 12."
The lady in tho block gown seemed
truustpied' with horror. All this going
on un&r her very uoso.
Frfl gave a last thought to Emily
Giles, and buttoned her lockot over his
heart. '
"Why, yon villain," said ho, folding
his arms toudorly over it. "Betray iny
employers -the meu who befriended mo,
an outcast and foundling, and trust mo
us they trust no ono else? Yon are wel
como to blow my body full of hides, if
that will gratify yon, but uevora word
will I spook of their affairs while I have
a drop of worm blaod iu my body."
Tho rob iter mado a motion toward
Fred very dii'.lcult to understand, while
the lady m tho black gown threw her fat
arms around his neck much to his dio
dismay. "Dear fellow," hhc murmured.
Here there was a siiHiiheivd cry out
side, a seiitllo of a moment's duration mi
the frozen eround. and thediiver cracked
his whip. The horses plunged forward
tit a mad gallop, und iu au hour's time
were drawn up before a superb avenue
of chestunts leading to a magnificent old
red brick country house with window
casements.
This was Evenden, aud Fred, fooling
stiff and sore, full of knocks aud bangs,
his hair terribly tousolod, handed his
bug to a vulet, who came to meet him,
with tho nir of a young D'Orsay, and
was soon standing iu a splendid old
drawing room, shaking hands with an
..l.l,vlu Tiif1.iiiiiinl v Hum with Dromi-
nent cheek bones and mild blue eyes,
w hoso oico reunuueii him consianuy oi
soiiio ono elso.
Dinner awaited -such a thanksgiving
.llntini na mm llllVllt. nXlUH't to Cut ill SlH'll
a manor, but whut was Fred's surpriso to
!;iUis .l.lvntim'nrv tn mni't liim
-1Mi a iirnttv ilnvn.nolnreil COWU which
exactly matched her eyes, while Leonard
Uiles, tuo senior punuora uruiuui,
ni.iil.i.l mi in nmirnvnl find a stollt
elderly ludy in bluck gown, Btood hold
ing a gold snun-oox in nor umiouuu
hand, lookod at him beuignantly.
"No adveuturo coming down, Mr.
Ringwood," asked tho senior partner's
brother, after tho dessert hud como on,
aud Frod was growing dolirionsly happy
eating philoponos with Emily, across
corners.
"No robbers no stoppago, nor any
thing of that sort. We fanciod you were
a littlo late, Mrs. Waggoner and I."
Mrs. Waggoner was Emily's moro than
mothor.
"Nothing worth mentioning," answered
Fred, turning a triflo red iu tho faco as
ho remembered the rum which was plen
tifully diluted with water and anuisseod.
"Froderio, yon are a good fellow, and
full of the right stuff. Emily, I don't
mind telling you. my dear, that you havo
mado an excellent choico of a husband.
From to night, Mr. Ringwood, you enter
my brother s business as an interested
clerk, with a partnership in view, while
I've no doubt that wo can make all things
satisfactory to you at Evenden."
Emily and Frod go down every year to
eat Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners
at Evonden.
Smugglers Building Tunnels and Rail
roads. A romarkablo case of sniuggliog, a
correspondent at Romo writes, has re;
centlv como to light hero. F'or some
timo past it has boon obsorvod thut large
quantities of goods, especially sugar,
arrived by rail in Romo, and wore de
clared "in transit," thus lwing froe of
the octroi duties. Goods Uius declared
are warehoused outsido the city walls,
and thonce are eithor carried to tho vil
lages round Romo or brought into town
in small quantities, paying duty as they
come in, so that there would have boon
nothing romarkublo in tho business ex
coptthe magnitudo of tho operations,
and this excited suspicion. A watch was
sot and it was found that tho goods were
all storod in a small warohouse outside
tho Torta Angelica, tho gate undor the
Vatican, and that thoy apparently nover
came out again either in largo or small
quantities. Tho sharpness of a revenue
officer, or brobably a traitor in tho camp,
suggested that thoro must bo an undor
ground passage into tho town, and spe
cial watch was kept on tho houses inside
the city walls. On Doc. 28, thirty-four
casks of sugar arrived as usual, "in
transit," and wero taken to the suspected
store, and next morning two empty
carts were observed to enter the court
yard of a house justinsldo tho wall which
was under Burveillunco. After setting
watchers on tho houso outside, the police
entered tho one inside the walls, and
thero found tho thirty-four casks of
sugar loaded on tho carts which had en
tered empHy, and a further search reveal
ed a hole in tho ground coverod with
boards and loose earth. Entering
this bv a short ladder, the po
lice found themselves in a tunnel
about six feet high and three feet wide,
running underueuth the town-wall and
ditch straight to the warohouse outside;
rails were laid down on tho ground, and
in tho worehouso was found a littlo truck
to run on them. The tunnel was nearly
one hundred yards long, and some notion
may be formed of how protttublo a busi
ness smuggling is when successful, when
it is considered that it could puy those
who carried it on to construct a tunnel of
such dimensions. St. James Gazette.
A CoLoitED Man's CntncisM. Dur
ing the performance of tho Masquo of
Pandora, at tho Boston Theater, a down
town gentloman gave one of his colored
help a ticket to see the play, jokingly re
marking that ho should like to know how
he liked it, and what he thought of Mr.
Longfellow as an actor. The next day
our colored friend reported "that he
i; Aa nlar vArv much, and Mr. Long
fellow was a very nice base singer;" but
i. o,i.ii "T fnn't like dose kind of
plays where the talking is all done by
SinglCg UOSlon uommuwoim.
in nrrwlnoe a smile on the
face of Nature is to plant it with seeds of
flowers. Tickle mature in wan way, ion
i she will laugh wita Diotsomi.
The Koltn'i Forerunner.
Mrs. Keith call! In the morning, and
judging by hor nervous, restless manner,
we concluded that hor errands wasn't al
together pleasant, to tell at least, but wo
tried to help tho littlo woman by being
more chatty and jolly thau usual. After
sho had conquered her timidity suffi
ciently, sho said:
"1 called to ask a favor of you. Hetty,
but I'm afraid vou wou't thank ino after
I tell you something."
"Hilva ha fours, but lull us about this
something,' 'sho replied, quickly.
"Well, it has boon sevoral weeks that
we havo heard a noiso in our ell cham
ber that wo cannot account for. e nave
liut.mi..! nn.l lutarehed to 110 purpose. I
tell you this bocauso I wanted you to
Btoy nights with tho rmiiiren i i
n hilii luislisnd and I co to Riverside
They wouldn't object to staying nlouo i
u,iuh't for I u mvKierious noiso. x
liopo wo shall understand about it, somo
timo, for it makos the children so timid.
"What is it liko?" I asked.
"A loud knocking, then dying away
gradually; mothor Keith, says something
terrible is going to happen, and these re
peated warnings are to prepare us."
Worrying then, thought I, is what 1ms
mado the littlo woman jo thin and palo
tho last few weeks, and sho wants to visit
! cr folks before tho I'somothing terrible"
happens.
"Como! Of courso I will, and 1 11 tell
vou all about tho noiso when jou re
turn," I replied Htoutly.
"I hope yon win, sigiun mu m
woman, "but 1 don l Know, uuauuuu nu
I havo failed.". .... ,
W..1I T .Wt intend to: if husband
and I have fuilod," I laughed.
'Just liko you. Hetty; mil oi cur-
no " 1...H i.l Mm. noun. luuaiiiK
brighter aud more cheerful than sho had
for a month. "1 can ueponn on jou,
then."
nt nnnrwi." I renliod. "I should bo
delighted to ferret out the socret."
Hithorto tho Keiths naa visitou ivivur
valo during tho lull of form work after
hav and crain wero housed, bnt tho fear
of that impending something had
changed tno tune to iui'i-piuin""H-
Although I hud tho reputation for
conraire aud persistent energy, I didn t
. .. . i ffnjtlm
relisll tne JOO 01 lerreung uui m
fni-orimnnr! but I had promisod and was
too proud to recant; besides, wo wero
neighbors and rrionds.
Tim liim-ni'llt? tlmv Hhirtod I wont over
to holn them off, knowing that there are
. . . 1 ,11 Atiitn
many last things to say umi , "
l v Tho crootl-bves bo-
niiuu noiumnvm.ji o
twoen parouts aud children wero really
i i . ........ ,.i.l. Annul 1 1 II t.
tOUClllllg, Mill lO BU v'nmwij
od person from myself, tho scono might
havo beon affoctiug, but I langhod, threw
old shoes for good luck, and promisod to
superintend tho sending of a postal duilv,
.Now, iteny, n you wuuu iu, .
.1 ntjiv with vou during tho
day," I said, after tho Koith's wore out
"No, thanii you; it w umuw
want vou. Como at sunsot, if you can,
she replied. , , ,
"All right," I responded, lauginug w
niysolf at the credulity of human nature.
Tho influence of my defiant manner
was to restore chcerfulnoss to that house;
bo we spent a very jolly evoning.
. . -a- ii 1 aV. .... 4.. IirtI nnl
At iu, l saiu now
1istnrl)od. iust consider mo
t..: rJ Vniv.linr.r.iid." Tho first
and second night woall slept beautifully.
and I bocan a goou-naiiiron riuiumu
ilm Keiths' fororunnor. in which tho chil-1
dron joined heartily.
The third day it rumen, uui imu
Peggy's rainy day that begins at noon,
for this bogan at midnight and did faith
ful work for twouty-four hours. Then
throo ovonts occurred, almost simultane
ously. Tho wiud soughed from tho
northwest through tho old oiniB, uiivhir
tho dead tree branohes against tho houso
roof , rattling tho roof shingles, chip
boards and blinds with such forco that
nnn mifflit think that all tho runnors in
Brookhill hail mot at tho Keiths' for a
gonuino "lark" thoro wus such a rucKot,
tho old tinio-pioeo baugod out midnight,
aud tho real Koith forerunner bogan
operations in earnost. i or hall an nour
I listened, tho perspiration bursting
from ovory pore. At last I sprang from
the hod.
"That knocking is mado by the wind,
I said loudly, to reassure tho children,
who wore awako and asking all sorts of
questions iu a whisper.
"Do vou believe it, Hotty?" asked
Frank who was crouching trembling
just autsido tho room door.
"Uoliove ltl UI course x lh.-iiuj .
Thoro was no knocking til) the wind
rose. Now hoar it. us ruyium uuu
molody, if it has any, is made uy me
northwest wind," I said, quickly, for my
teoth wore chattering and my whole
framo quivering with reaction, wen
light a lamp and investigate."
"Oh, don't, Botty. don't! I'm afraid
it's something awful,"moauod Frank and
liotty. , .
riiKwu nnft Awful thinirs conorally
oomo to a head or die; but this, by your
accounts, does neither," I replied,
laughing, and holding the lamp at arm s
length, as 1 stepneu across mu uuum uo
tweon tho main liouso and opon chain
bor. The knocking ceased, but I Btood poor-
ing into the darknos i.
"It stopped just so wuon iaiuorBu;i'i"i
in bore, and mothor pulled him buck,
sho was eo scared.
I took another i-tep. Tho sound ugun
agaiu. Tuon I set tno lamp on tuo nour,
a draft from tho direction that I had
stepped fanned the lluino. I reached out
my hand and lounu a sirona uiwt
coming from a tutod uoaru upuu
which tho wind had piayou tue nuwu
ing melody. I rapped it sharply, pro
i.innticni runs of the forerun
ner that had sent tho Koiths to Riyervale
two months before thoir usual visit, y e
.11 im,,i until our nerves wore auiot.
and then retired and slout until sun up.
Tho next postal, witu rue ioiiowm8
written upon it, was dispatched to tho
Koiths: . ,
Dcar Pabests: Wo know ail aoout
Taint nothing. We
set out to mail it, bnt clnded to wait and
let you seo it. Ueity i a regular uiu.
She'd beat a General anywhere. Id
like to vote for her to be President, for
she wonldn't scare or act spoony about
anything. Your affectionate Sun.
"So you fixed it. Hetty," said the
Keiths, before they alighted from their
carriage. . , .
"Yes, just come and seo it, said tne
children, leading the way.
"Well, well, how easy ft i ti bi
fooled, especially when it's dar!i, and
most all scares hapjieu iu tho dark," sail
Mr. Keith.
Evor after that I was tho poisouifica
tion of evorjthintf that mado living a
success to tho Koiths. Gulden Rule.
AMD SETTIJIENT.
A spirit photograph A photograph t f
a distillery.
Funny items uro mado by adroit turns
of the humor-wrist.
Citiinibal are captive 'ating creatures.
SUtubenvillo Herald.
A derrick is a bivalve, bocauso it is a
hoisicr.
Why is a sneeze liko Niagara? Be
cause its a catarrh-act.
Tiwi ni'iii tvlni has Fathered a Li.T ico
if I criii wants to keep it shady.
What is fanio? F.ini i ths result of
being civil to newspaper men. .
Telegrams, aocording to tho New
Haven Register, are to bo consolidated
into Jaygouldigrauis.
Captain Ends' ship railroad is no new
idea. Didn't Charon pull a boat over
Styx?
When a 'Now York young man pops
tho question ho now says, "Lot's consoli
date."
Eggs are Lighor in Now York than
vnu avnr ltnnwn Imforo. and consumers
are imputiont to throw off tho yolk.
Getting np in tho morning is like get
ting up in tho world. , You cannot do
ither without more or loss Bolf-Jenial.
"Ho got his just deserts," remarked
Brown. "Aud mino, too," ejaculated
Strong, as ho snrvoyod tho table and saw
the after-dinner luxuries all gone.
"You must rocolloct that all I am toll
ing you happened ono thousand oight
hnudrod and sevonty years ago." Sally:
"Lor, miss, how tho time do slip
away!
Tt ia nuiil tl ml noi-k fed on Cincinnati
whisky is novor cflected with trichinosis.
When tho parasites got a wuiu oi w
whisky they take puy on iub pi uuu
leavo.
A nnrtlmrn nnwanannr clttilUS that an
Aldormun has boon injured by tho acci-
m ffM. -a
dental discharge oi U!s uuiy. xueso uu
cideuts aro very rare.
An Irish soldier callod out to his
companion: "Hullo! Pat, I have tukon
a pnsonor. "iiiing mm aion, vuuu,
bring him along!" "He won't come."
"Then como yourself."
"Do yon favor my suit?" said Claude
to Angelina, the other day. "Yos," was
the crushing reply, "I look with moro
favor ou tho new clothos than I do on
thoir owner."
A New York Lodgor story writer diod
tho othor day, and they wrote him this
epitaph: "Tho chapter of this world is
ended to bo continued in tuo next.
An oditor, tho day after experiencing
religion, wrote: "The storm last Tues
day caused great d ago in II ertown,
Pa. A man namod G dfrcy was dan
gorously iujurod." Puck.
An Italian has invented a device for
instantaneously dotachiug a horse from
a wogon. Tho Boston Transcript be
lioves tli is is an infringement on the
rights of Toxas horse thieves.
After four mouths of a sovero winter
newspaper editors will be apt to treat the
Bpring poets with a greater amount of
respect than usual win an icam rou
fow linos of their contributions beforo
consigning thorn totho wasto basket.
Norristown Herald.
Tho story is told that some one once
askod tho lato Dr. S. H. Cox, whoso wit,
was irroproprossiblo, how it happened
that out of his largo family, half had left
the Presbyterian church. "Oh!" ho ro
pliod, "it is a case of tho virgins of the
Scriptures five wore wiso and fivo wore
Episcopalians."
Mr. John Boll, an English owner of a
private gallory, which had cost $1,000,000,
triod to will his pictures to tho City of
Glascow, but he unfortunately wrote his
will in pencil. Undor British law, he
might as woll have written it in water.
His pictures havo been sold fortho.bene
fit of his hoirs, and his good intentions
follow him.
"I don't like a eottago-bnilt man,"
said yonng Sweeps to his rich unole,
who was tolling tho story of his early
trials for the hundredth time. "What
iln von moan bv a cottuso-built man?"
askod his undo. "A man with only one
story, answorod young bwoens. mat
settled it. Young Sweeps was left out o
his undo s will.
HliMiflv anrnnstic was tho clorSTVman
who paused and addressed a man coming
l.i nl.i.ynli nftnp B. flAfllinn llflll VlOCUn.
with the remark, "Glad to seo you, sir;
. . -.1-1 A. - . 1 . l.AHA
oomo in; always giuu v iu"o
late who cau't oomo early." And do-
cidedly solf-possossed was the man thus
addressed in the presence of an aston
ished congregation, as ho responded:
"Thank you; would you favor mo with
tho text?'' A .
Mb. Edmunds on Biennial Sessions.
Sonator Edmunds, of Vermont, has
lately witton a tetter to a Massachusetts
inquirer in which he says: "I do not
think the change from annual to biennial
sessions of tho Legislature iu Vermont
has dono good, bnt the reverse. I am
satisfied that it has resulted, in con
nection with tho one term idea which
came in with it, in having a smallor pro
portion of the members of former ex
perience, aud, in respect of the re-elected
members, has left them in a condition of
loss memory of, and less acquaintance
with, previous legislations, etc., than
they had under tho annual system. I
believe, also, that, even in onr little
State, the general value of annual
sessions, compared with biennial, is
great in respoct of keeping up personal
acquaintanceship, oommunion.and inter
change of Idoas upon all topics, from tho
simplest agricultural and school district
affairs to the broadest ones of finance and
politics, among the citizens who thus as
semble. Again.even in as simple a com
munity as ours, tho freqnent critical ob
servation and overhauling of every de
partment of administration is, I think,
of immense value as a preventive as well
as a corrective of bad or negligent ad
ministration. In all these respects, and
many others that may be mentioned, I
think the annual meetings of the repre
sentative men of a commonwealth aro
worth a hundred times what they cost."