OVERWORKED.
i n with the birds in tk early morning
Tbe dow-dnP glows like a precious gera;
Bftutiful tints In the skies are dawning.
Dut she's never a niomeul to look at them.
The men ars nting lheir breakfast early;
She must not linger, she mtut not wiitj
r words tbat are (barp, and looks tbat are
surly
Art what tba men giyo when lha meals are
lata.
Ob glorious onion the cloudi are turning,-
If ib J would but look over bills and trees;
But here are the diihet, and here la tbe churn
ing Those thing alwaTi muit Weld to tbeee.
Tbe "orli ' tl"eJ w'ln tba wine uf Dftut7
If the could but pauie and drink it in;
nut pleasure the says muit wait lor duty
jfeglected work if committed tin.
The day ' anu" ner nan(1" 8 werJi
Ob, lor an hour to enol her bead,
Out with tbe bird and winds to cheery!
But the must get dinner and make ber bread.
The busy men are in the bar-field working,
If they saw ber lilting with idle band,
Would think her lazy, and call it shirking,
And she never could make them understand.
They do not know tbat the heart within ber
Hungers lor beauty nd things sublime,
They only know thattbey wanted their dinner,
plenty of it, and just "on time."
And after the sweeping, and churning and
. baking,
' And the dinner dishes are all put by,
She sit and sews though ber bead is aching,
Till time for supper and "chores" draw nigh.
Her boys at school must look like others,
She says, m she patches tbeir frocks and hoec,
For tbe world is quick to censure mothers
For the least neglect of their children's clothes.
Her husband comes from the field of labor;
He gives no praise to bis weary wife;
She has done no more tban bas ber neighbor;
'lis tbe lot of all in country life.
But after the strife and weary tusscl,
With life is done, and she lies at rest;
The nation's brain and heart and muscle,
Her suns and daughters shall call her blest,
And I think the sweetest joy of heaven,
The rarest bliss of eternal life,
And tbe tairest crovn of all will be given
I'nto the way-worn farmer's wife.
ANIOHHTl.
Our party numbered seven or eight,
and as all of ns bad bad tbe honor of hav
ing been more or less robbed, sacked,
mined and broken up by tbe Prussians,
to amuse ourselves after dinner we enu
merated our pianos which had disap
peared and our clocks which had taken
unto themselves wings.
"And I, also," said our friend Paul
Rivet, "have lost pianos and clocks, but
I can buy more pianos and I can buy
more clocks, while my camellias, my
poor camellias ! Twenty . years of toil,
patience, ease and adoration all tbat
lost, destroyed, annihilated! And do
you know what I found in the middle of
my greenhouse, in the plaoe of that de
licious little marble figure which I
brought from Naples? Do you know
what I found? Oh! do not try to guess
you will never succeed 1"
"My wife, after Sedan, had Bhown a
great deal of character. 'My love,' said
she to me, 'we must stay here; we must
defend our hou3e.' I added: 'And our
cumellias.'
"On the 17th day of September, at
eight o'clock in the morning, one of my
farmers arrived, out of breath and wild
with fear. ' "The Uhlans, Monsieur 1' he
cried; 'tbev are at Coibeil, and will be
here in an hour?' My wife was seized
with terror. She cried: 'Let us go away,
my dearl I don't want to see those Uh
lans. Let us go away at onoe. Take
me, take me, no matter where'1 The
horses were immediately harnessed to
the calech and we departed.
"We left at the chateau seven or eight
servants, one of whom, a little 'femme
de chambre,' Antoinette, a Parisienne,
very pretty, very intelligent, very shrewd
and very bold, said to me as we started:
'Have no fear, Monsieur, I will receive
the Prussians. I know how to talk to
hem, and they shall not carry off even a
match.'
"The next day we reached Trouville;
my wife fell seriously ill, and for a
couple of weeks I was very uneasy.
"I constantly received letters from An
toinette, 'Monsieur need not be dis
turbed, she ' wrote. 'Everything is go
ing on splendidly -here. We have had
tho good lnok Jo full into the hands of
an excellent Prussian ' Colonel and ex
ceedingly amiaUle officers. Through
the kindness ( these gentlemen I am
able to send the letters to Monsieur.'
"And the gardener wrote to me: 'Mon
sieur ought to So very grateful to An
toinette. By rfhappy idea she had saved
everything. I flare not say more to Mon
sieur, becausethe Prussians might read
my letter? Uut nevertheless the Prus
sians, thanko Antoinette, do not treat
us badly.' i -
"About tfe 20th of October, my wife
being completely restored to health, I
packed my carpet bag and, above all I
wanted to know what was Antoinette's
happy idea which had saved everything,
I will spare you tbe details of my jour
ney. It was original, however. It took
me a week to go from Trouville to Cor
beil; I was arrested three times as a
Prussian spy by the French, and four
times as French spy by the Prussians.
At last I reached my house, greatly agi
tated. I saw my broad avenue of chest
nut trees, and at tbe end of the avenue
my iron gate. I crossed my court-yard,
which was full of horses, army wagons,
cannons, Prussians, dragoons and artil
eriBts. I mounted my front steps. I
as at home in my own vestibnle.
The furniture,' the piotures, the hang
ings, all were in tbeir places. Delighted,
Perplexed, I stood motionless like a don
key, my carpet-bag in my hands, in the
midst of five or six Prussian dragoons
ho were curiously examining me. One
of these dragoons, a sub-officer he had
gold lac on the collar of his tunic
came up to me and said:
"What do you want? What are you
Join here?"
"What was I doing in my own house!
I replied that I desired to speak with
tbe Colonel.
"'He is busy. He is at breakfast
Who are you?'
"'MonDienl I am tbe proprietor of
thismansionT
'"Ah! the proprietor. Wait a bit. I
ill notify the Oolonel.'
"A few seconds afterwards a door, one
of my doors, opened, and I saw advan
cing toward me a tail Prussian, booted,
spurred, with long.grayish side-whiskers,
who, with both hands extended, ex
claimed in excellent French:
.'"Monsieur Rivet! Is it you, Mon
sieur Rivet?
'"Yes, it is L'
"'Ah, jou have done well to come.
How hsppj I am to see your
"And those two Prnfuiiana' hinili mm
still extended toward me, but I patriot
cally held my two French hands at a
distanoe, as far off as possible behind my
back.
'"Ah! you are prejudiced,' said the
Colonel, bursting into a beastly and
heavy laugh, I see how it is you are
prejudiced. Very well; you will got
over your prejudices. But oome along;
come quickly. We are table.
" 'But I don't want anything to eat.
"'You don't want to breakfast with
us. Moro prejudices! But yon must
come along, nevertheless, forthebarouno
is at table with us and would be en
chanted to see you.'
" 'The baronne! A baronne enchanted
to see me!'
"But without listening to me, without
answering me, the Colonel grasped me
by the arm and pushing me before him,
made me cross my salon; then, opening
the door of my dining-room, he cried:
"Madame la baronne, here is your un
cle; here is Monsieur Rivet!'
"And then I saw, seated at my table,
eight or ten Prussian offloers, and in the
midst of these officers, Antoinette An
toinette, who had on one of my wife's
velvet dresses. My wife's diamond ear
rings were in her ears, all my wife's rings
on her fingers. My wife's necklace of
black pearls was about ber neck, and all
my wifo's braoelets wore clasped around
her wrists. Rubies sparkled in her hair.
and sapphires shone upon her corsage.
Antoinette was no longer Antoinette
she was the show window of a jewelry
shop!
"Antoinette, on seeing me enter, arose
quickly, tnrned very red, and let this
ry escape ner: 'Monsieur, it is Mon
sieur!' Then, quitting the taSle imme
diately, she ran to me, threw herself vio
lently upon my neck, and began to kiss
me furiously, exclaiming: . 'Ah, how
happy I am to see you!' Then she re
newed her kisses, whispering in my ear:
'Kiss me, kiss me very tenderly!' Of
oourse I complied with her request, and
she showered another flood of kisses
upon me, the while continuing to whis
per to me : 'Seem more affectionate than
that! I am your neioe; speak tome lov
ingly ah! that's better it is to save
madame's diamonds.' We went on kiss
ing before all the Prussians. The oper
ation, however was not in the least disa
greeable, Antoinette being a charming
little person. All the officers starad at
me, and had the air of saying to them
selves: ' 'How delightful it is to bo able to
kiss that pretty girl as much as you want
to.'
"And naturally this excited me.
But after two or three minutes conse
crated to this kissing business, mingled
with revelations and explanations, An
toinette took me by the hand, led me
around the table and obliged me to seat
myself beside her, then, with muoh grace
and self-possession, she presented me in
turn to all my Prussian guests:
" 'Monsiour the Colonel so and so of
the Second Dragoons; Monsieur the so
and so of tbe Third Hussars,' etc. As
for me I was like one intoxicated, and I
assure you that I must be pardoned for
having remained thus seated for an hour
at that table, amid all those dragoons
and all those hussars. I no longer knew
either where I was or what was taking
place around me, but, nevertheless, I
have presorved a very clear recollection
of the extraordinary conversation which
ensued; and in which, despite myself, I
was compelled to participate.
" 'Well, Monsier Rivet,' said the Col
onel, 'I hope you will bring Madame
Rivet back immediately. We lead a
charming life hero as your niece will tell
you. We are not at all the savages your
beastly journals call us.'
"And then the Colonel gave vent to a
burst of the same heavy laughter which
a little while bofore had shaken my
nerves. Instantly all the officers in con
cert, as if obeying a command, aban
doned themselves to violent hilarity.
There is a lively and light gayety, which
is French gayety, and there is another
gayety, lumbering and brutal, which is
Prussian gayety.
" 'No, we are not savages," continued
the Colonel, 'and you cannot condemn
Madame Rivet to pass the whole winter
in a hovel at tbe seaside -for we shall re
main here the whole winter. Not on ao
count of the siege of Paris oh, no!
Paris will be taken in five or six days
the first of November at the latest. But
there will be, perhaps, certain difficulties
about the re-establishment 'of the Em
peror.' " 'The re-establishment of the Em
peror.' " 'Certainly; you ean readily see that,
for your own interests, we shall be
obliged to disembarrass you of your ab
surd republic. Besides the Emperor has
received a good lesson; he has become
reasonable; he will no more disturb the
peace of Europe, while with your repub
lio one could be sure of nothing. Yes,
we will restore you your Emperor, de
spite all the bawling of your beastly
journals!'
"At the conclusion of this speech came
another burst of laughter from the Col
ou3, followed by another general explo
sion. It must be admitted that admir
able discipline reigned in the German
army. All those men laughed in a mili
tary fashion, in the Prussian way, as if
on drill. As lung as the Colonel shook
his sides, so long the officers, with re
markable unanimity twisted their sides;
but all the bursts of laughter stopped
short with the last burst of laughter from
the Colonel, as stops the roll of the drums
when the drum-major lowers his staff.
There were eight or ten of these rough
fits of laugter while the Colonel, speak
ing with German enthusiasm, recon
structed the map of Europe, took pro
vinces from Austria, invaded England,
etc, but the hilarity grew absolutely
furious when he began a series of jokes
about the Bavarians, evidently habitual
with him. . . .
" 'Ah! you are fortunate,' said ha to
mo, 'in having to deal with Prussians
real Prussians for we are real Prussians.
Now, if yon had Bavarians! What ugly
things your beastly journals could say in
regard to the Bavarians. Our King is too
kind to permit Bavarians to fight beside
us Prussians. The Bavarians should be
authorized to serve only as musicians in
the Prussian army. King Louis should
be field-marshal of all tbe German music,
etc.
"This odious breakfast at last came to
an end. The Colonel arose, dismissed
ku nfflnon. and. aDDroaching me, said:
'Now, I wish to conduct you myself to
your greenuouse; i wisu w J"
your camellias r
" 'My camellias!'
"'Yes, yes; I know your passion.
Madame la baronne had the gooonoss to
inform me tint you adore your camel
lias; therefore I sent for your gardener
and explained to him tbat he would be
shot, in front of the greenhouse, if La
allowed a single camellia to die! That
was a joke, of course. I would not have
had him shot, for we are a oivilizod peo
ple, but I should not have hesitated to
order him tied to a tree for twenty-four
hours, without anything to eat or drink.
Tbat, however, has 'not been necessary.
Your camollLis are in perfect health.
Come and see them.'
"We went out all three the Colonel,
Antoinette and myself. The Prussian
did me the honors of my park. I was
cheking with rage. Ten times I was on
the point of bursting out, but Antoinette
had put her arm in mine, and she made
me such droll little supplicating grim
aoes, and was, besides, so pretty beneath
the trees in the noon sunlight, with her
assortment of diamonds and jewels, that
I restrained myself and bridled my
tongue.
We entered the greenhouse. It was
balmy, gay and blooming. My camel
lias had boon petted, pampered and made
much of. Tbey were wrapped up in
cotton.
" 'Well, "said the Colonel tome, tri
umphantly, 'you see that we are not van
dals! Now, au revoir. I will leave you
to talk over your family matters. Of
course, you will dine with ns.'
"He invited me to dine at my own
house! I could not find a single word
with 'which to reply to him. He took
his departure; that was all I desired. I
was alone with Antoinette, and she.with
out waiting for my questions, cried out,
as soon as the Colonel had gone:
" 'Oh! Monsieur, did you notioe how
he looked at me as he went away? It is
horrible, Monsier; it is horrible! Tbat
Prussian is in love with me! You must
not scold me, Monsieur. You must pity
and thank me. I devoted myself to sav
ing your house, and that's tbe whole of
it. When the Colonel arrived, on tbe
18th, he flew into a wild rage on learn
ing tbat the' proprietors had departed;
cried out: "Ah! that's the way it is, it
it? Ah! tbev take us for barbarians!
W '11, I'll see what I can do with this
barracks! I will stable my horses in the
salon!' Then, Monsieur, as I had
crouohed away in a corner and as tbe
Colonel had not seen me, I shot up tho
stairs four steps at a time, slipped on one
of Madame's dresses, hastened down
again and said I was Monsieur's nieoe,
Madame la Baronne de Barneville, a
high-sounding name whioh I thought
would have due effect. You must ac
knowledge that I have not boen awk
ward, as for more than a month I have
led the Colonel, by the tip of the nose,
and that, too, without it costing me any
thing. I assure yon I am too good a
Fienohwoman to allow myself to be
touched with tbe end of a finger of such
a cresture! Besides, there are a thousand
dragoons and hussars here whom I rule
like a despot. I have saved your silver
ware, your horses, your carriages and
your camellias. As to Madame's dia
monds, if I wear them all, it is not for
tbe pleasure of looking like a jewel-case,
but because they are safer on my person
than in the drawers. I know not wbat
the Bavarians amount to, but tbe real
Prussians do not amount to much, I can
tell you! And now.Monsieur.if you want
tojdo me a favor, you will leave this
pluce, immediately, for, in such a little
game as I am playing, men are absolute
ly good for nothing. During breakfast
I was obliged to tread on your toes two
or three times to prevent you from burst
ing out, and a "femme de chambre"
ought not to tread on ber master's toes
under tbe table! I will get you a good
Prussian pass, and you oan take witli you
all Madame's diamonds. I will put tbem
in a little box and Pierre will drive you
away in the break. As for me, I will re
main on guard. After all it amuses mo
greatly to doceive these Prussians, and
make them believe I am a woman of
rank.'
"Antoinette spoko her little speeoh
with so muoh energy and conviction that
I could not help admiring her.
" 'You are a brave girl, Antoinette,'
I said, 'a brave girl and a girl of spirit.
I want you to give me something, and
then I will as you depart.' "
"'What is it, Monsieur?'
4 "Permission to kiss you.'
"'As niece or as femme de chambre?'
" 'As femme de chambre, Antoinette.'
" 'Well, go ahead, Monsieur, go
ahead r
"I gave her a rousing smack, and then
said:
'"Now, get ready the little box,
Antoinette, but do not put that bracelet
in it. Have the kindness to keep tbat for
yourself.'
" 'With pleasure, Monsieur. Wait for
me here; I will be back in fifteen
minutes; but do not oommit any im
prudence, do not quarrel with the Prus
sians.' "She ran lightly away. No sooner
was she Cut of sight than I recollected
that my daughter hod requested me to
bring her two photographs which were
upon the manttepieoe on little easels. I
returned to the chateau. I mounted the
stairway, and near the door stopped in
great surprise. Someone was playing
tbe piano in my daughter's chamber! I
knocked very modestly. 'Come in.' I
went in. One of tbe officers of dragoons,
a tall, blonde young man, with an eye
glass in. his eye, was playing one of
Ohopin's waltzes upon my daughter's
piano!
" 'Ah! it is you.' said he. 'Monsieur,
the proprietor. Make yourself at home,
I beg of you!'
" 'I came to look for something in this
chamber.'
" 'Look for whatever you want, Mon
; look for whatever you want!'
"Ha resumed his interrupted waltz. I
went to the maotlepioce, and on tbe two
traits, a photogrsph of King William,
and a photograph of Monsieur de Bis
mark instead of the portrait of my wife!
The blood rushed to my head, and chok
ing with anger, I said to the Prussian
officer:
" 'Monsieur, there were two portraits
here. I would like to know who
authorized you to replace those portraits
with the photegraphs of thoM two
acoundrelsr
'What did you say, Monsieur?'
" 'I said those two scoundrels I
"And snatching tbe photographs, I
tore them np; then, with great calmness,
I threw the fragments in tbe fire. Tbe
officer arose. Ha was very pale. He
approached me. The question was now
who sbould receive tbe first blow, snd I
am quite sure I would not have been tha
person. At this critical instant Antoinette
rushed into tbe chamber.
" 'Well, what is tbe mutter?' demand
ed she.
" 'This gentleman has taken tbe lilierty
of removing from Miese frames two
photographs which I came to look for.'
" 'So you did that did you, Monsieur?'
said she, addressing tbe Prussian. 'And
pray, where are those photographs?'
" 'In that drawer,' be roplied.
" 'Give them to me.'
"Were thoyare.'
"And tbe Prussian officer, submissive
If brought tbe two photographs to
Antoinette, who handed them to mo, say
ing as sho did so:
" 'Are these the portraits you want?'
" 'Yes.'
" 'Como away then.'
"She led me out of the room. The
Prussian had cooled down immediately
on Antoinotto's appearance. I was
utter amazed. Antoinette bad played
the whole of this little scene with tho
coolness and self-possession of a great
actress.
"'You seem astonished!' said sho to
me. as we were going down the stairs.
" 'I am astonished.'
" 'There is, howover, no reason t) be.
Ah! the Colonel is not tho only one in
love with me here!'
"I returned to Troutville. A whole
month paasod and not a single letter
came from Antoinette. I began to be
very uneasy, and, despite all the difficul
ties of tbe undertaking, I was preparing
to risk anothor journey, when one morn
ingit was toward the oloso of Novem
ber my wife suddenly opened the door
of my chamber and said to me:
" 'Antoinette, my love; Antoinette is
here; but what a state tbe poor child is
in!
"I saw enter a pale, thin and ragged
girl, who socmod to have been devoured
by fever, to have been worn out by
fatigue and sickness.
'"It is I, Monsieur,' said Antoinette,
'and I briug you bad news. You re
member all the Colonel's Jokes about tho
Bavarians, do you not? Well, to be just,
that Prussisn was not a bad man, and he
was not wrong in regard to the Bavarians.
There were movements of troops. Tbey
took our Prussians from us; they sent us
a detaohment of Bavarian infantry,
which had suffered greatly in tho vioinity
of the Coire and which came to us for a
little recuperation. Pillage commenced
at once. It must bo admitted that it was
very well organized, for tbat matter.
There was a strong oolnmn of camp fol
lowers in tbe train of this Bavarian
regiment; they threw themselves upon
the chateau like a flock of crows, and or
gan to make a kind of inventory. I went
resolutely to find tbe Major it was a
Major who commanded this detaohment
a fat, little red-faoed man, who spoke
a frightful jargon, half Frenoh, half
German. He commenced to utter some
thing like orios of joy as soon as he put
eyes on me, and, without giving me time
to (peak a word, criod out: "Ah! Ah!
here is that paronne who, as servant,
tbat sorvant who is a paronne! The
BrusBians are not bad, but the Bavarians
are the devil! You can catch tho
Pavarians as you caught the Brussians.
I have spies, I have good spies! An
refoir, servant, refoir! He said I know
not what, in German to an offioer; two
soldiers roughly seizod me, and I was
taken on foot, Monsieur, on foot, to
Rheims, being passed by Prussian
gendarmes. At Rueinis I was thrown
into prison, I remained there for a week,
upon the straw, subsisting upon bread
and water. At the end of the week I was
taken before an officer of the Saxon
cavalry, a tall, blonde young man, who
had not a too wicked air. "I am about
to set you, at liberty," said he, "but do
not attempt to return home. There is at
the chateau a stupid report made by a
Bavarian Major. Those Bavarians are
brutes! All this would not have happen
ed to you if you had to deal with Saxons!
I was free, snd I have suooeodod in drag
ging myself here. But Monsieur, your
poor chateau is iu bad hands. I fear
yoa will not find muoh there whou you
return!"
"I found nothing at all there when I
returned' on the 10th of February, dur
ing the armistioe! No; I am wrong in
saying I found nothing ..t all. In my
greonhouse in my poor greenhouse
on the spot formerly occupied by my
delioious little marble figure from Naplos
and my adorned camellios were five
Bavarian tombs, ornamented with poetic
inscriptions like tbe following:
" 'Here reposes Hartmann, the young
and heroio Bavarian chasseur, cut down
in the bloom of youth I"
rTby He Married Her.
In the forthcoming fascinating bio
graphy of the heroio Lord Lawrence
there is, among many anecdotes, one
eminently characteristic of tbe man, who
was as strong in his affoction as in his
will. He was one evening sitting in his
drawing-room at Southgate, with his
sister and other members of the family.
All were engaged in roading. Looking
up from his book, in whioh he bad been
engrossed, he discovered tbat his wife
had left the room.
"Where's mother?" said he to one of
his daughters.
"She's upstairs." replied the girl.
He returned to his book, and, looking
up again a few minutes later, put the
same question to his daughter and re
ceived the same answer. Once moro he
returned to bis roading and once more
be looked up with the same question.
His sister broke in:
"Why, really, John, it would seem as
if you could not get on for five minutes
without your wife."
"That's why I married her," here
plied. One snltry Sunday a minister was
th?'1"r!P2 e7 a! cu croTsy congre
gation, the" majority of which would go
to sleep in spite of all his efforts. At
last be shouted: "Wake np here! There
is a man preaching to you who has only
half a shirt on his backl" It woke them
tremendously. Tbe next day a delega
tion of ladies visited tbe parsonage and
presented tbe preacher with a package
containing some very nice shirts, saying
"tbat it was a shame tbat be sbould be
reduced to half a shirt to his back." He
replied, after accepting the shirts with
thanks, "that he 'was not literally re
duced to a hall shirt, although be wore
only a half on bis back: he wort the
other half ia front of him." Rosas
Sentinel,
Brood Hen.
Although the batching and rearing of
some extent by breeders of high-claw
poultry, and proprietors of patent auto
matic incubator, the great majority of
peoplo must depend upou the old time
apparatus, mother hen, to do this work
for them. She is admirably fitted by
nature for tbiit important duty, and if
not absolntely self-regoluting, she is en
dowed with an instinct that is well on
the way toward this moat desirable qual
ification. Many a bun, and more partic
ularly of the old-fashioned kind, will
sat herself and bring up a clutch of
chioks that are a c rod it to bur, if not to
her anoestors. Her thoughts, if she has
any, seem to bo centered upon tbe work
in band, and uo matter what occurs, she
will bo found faithfully serving at her
post. She bas Iwen largely socustomod
to look out for herself, and instead of
hanging around the hack door waiting to
be fed, alio will be off hunting bugs and
scratching for worms with a diligonoe
that might put to blush many a pampered
prise bird of high pedigree. Always on
tho alort against danger, and nomean an
tagonist when tbe piuch comes, she is a
paragon of mothers in those locations
that are suited to her, that is, iu the
country, where she has plenty of range
and very little looking after; but together
with other landmarks the old-fashioned
bon is giving place to the more showy
and pretentious, if not always the more
profitable, breeds. Along with bor good
qualities in supporting and protecting
her brood, with little expense or caro to
ber owner, she bas othor qualities or
drawbacks that rondor bor less dosirable,
if not altogether unsuitable, under othor
circumstances. If flower bods or vegeta
ble gardous aro dangerously near and un-
Erotocted, she will often call down upon
ersolf the wrathv execration of her own
er, or maybe her owner's neighbor.
Still, ttere are persons so old fogy iu
their way of thinking that tboy keep
some of these old time hens to do tbe
maternal in tboir poultry-yard; and some
of these hens are so highly prized for
their good motherly qualities that they
are kept long after they have ceased to
be valuable for any other purpose. I
have often hoad the heavy bodied Asi
atic fowls reoommendod as mothors, on
aooount of their gentleness, heavy fluff,
and ample supply of heat. This is all good
in its way, but Joonaider it more than
counterbalanced by their olumiiness and
carelessness. I have soon mothers of
this kind stop on their own chick and
stand looking around with a sweot un
consciousness that tboy wera doing any
thing out of the way, and utterly deaf to
the cries of the little onos nndor foot.
Such bons should be branded and ent
about some other work. Ministering to
their own greed seoms to be a stronger
passion tban tbat of oaring for their
young, and the littlo chicks miss many a
tidbit and much needful exercise through
the indolence of their mothor. For ob
vious reasons the non-sotting broods do
not make good mothers; but crossed with
Asiatics tbey often make very desirable
ones. Tbe Plymouth rocks, to my think
ing, make as good mothors as any;
whether this comes from tbe plebian
blood that runB in their veins, I am una
ble to state. The successful rearing of
broods will largely depend upon the
kind of mothers chosen for the purpose.
Gontlonoss is of much importance where
one expects to have a hand in the rearing
process. Then, oarefulness in looking
after their young and keepiag them out
of harm's way, and thougbtfulness in
providing lor their wants and teaching
them to do likewise are tbe desirablo
qua'itios. Experience is needful to ena
ble to choose good mothers; Dut, wnen
such are ohoseu ; one may safely trust
their rearing the brood with little fear of
the final result.
The Strength of Timber.
Timber from the hoart of a troe is
tirTnr than tha nan-wood: that from trees
of average ago than from old troes; well-
seasoned timber than that ol green, and
generally the stiffness inoreases with tbe
wnicht. or rather the soeoiflo gravity.
The same rules apply to the strength of
the timber. II tne quantity 01 umoer uo
the same, the stiffness of a beam will in
crease with its depth, but csre must be
taken not to make it so narrow as to in
cur the danger of tipping it over. Hence,
to determine the sizo of a beam to be
fixed at both ends, a series of rnles are
given, one of whioh will serve as an ex
ample. Rule. When the breadth, length and
wniffl.t la be sustained are given, to find
the depth Multiply tbe square of tha
lenglU IU loot UJ WI noigui iu jiuuuao,
and this product by a number varying
onnnnimo tn thu kind of timber fin tbe
case of good white pine, it would be
about .025) . Divide tbe product by the
breadth in iuches and the cubo root of
the quotient will be the breadth in
inches. Rule for finding the breaking
weight of a piece of timber: Multiply
tbe breodth in inches by the square of
the doptb in incnos. umue me protiuo
by the length in feet, and the quotient,
multiplied by a "constant," depending
upon tho kind of wood, for white pine
about 650), will be tho weight in pounds.
iir be suiiDortod at one end
onlv. but one fourtu of this weight
would be required to break it. If the
weight be uniformly distributed over the
W if -ill rannirn twlUA as much tO
break it ss if the load is colleotod at the
middle. .,,
A force tonding to compress a pillar or
it,A. nian . nf timher mav operate in
several ways according to the bight and
thickness of the timber. If its big it be
great in proportion to its diameter, it
will bend, and if the weight be sufficient,
break at the middle. This will be the
if tha liicrht be croater than 30 times
tho diameter. If. however, the pillar be
short, it will be crushed. As concerns
its power of resistance to crushing, the
seasoning of wood makes a great differ
ence, as wet wood has little more than
half the strength of dry. For strength
in this particular, good oak is recom
n.n.u pftor that nine. The strength
f . inns t.iIUf ia about three times as
great, if the ends are flat, as if they are
n;inrr nillare a bulge at the
middle ' somewhat increases their
strength. Of course, short pillars aro
.(,tnir.F than lone ones. A col-
lection of pine H inches high and 14
inches square, has been known to sup
port a weight of nearly 1000 tons,
if mnaA ha ntrained lengthwise, ita
power of resistance will vary directly as
the area of its cross section and inversely
as the length of tbe piece and tbe foroe
employed. This holds trne as long ss
the elasticity is uninjured, but after tbat
is impaired, tbe strength of tbe timber is
materially less. The weight required to
overcomo the cohesion of pieces of oak
abont a foot in length with a cross sec
tion of one square inch varied between
19,000 and 20,000 pounds. A similar
piece of pine was pullod apart bv aforce
of about 13,000 pounds. Wood "Worker.
Miould Contutnptirfi ilo to Florida.
It is not necessary to oite authorities
to show tbat tbe prime need of a con
sumptive is that he shall be a great deal
out-of-doors, that he shall breathe pure
air, that he shall exercise, that his entire
physical organization shall be invigor
ated. Is tbe climate of Florida fitted to
do this? I answer, No! Tbe climate is
simply and dolightfully soothing. Being
so being moist and relaxing it will
cause tuberculous deposits to disinteg
rate rapidly, expectoration will be in
creased, and there will be no rally of the
system to oppose tnis new call upon his
strength. Instead of exercising freely
and expanding his lungs as he should,
tho consumptive invalid will sit listlessly
on tbe piazzas of the hotels, awaiting his .
fate. Hundreds are seen, whore ver you
go, so doing. Seldom do you see one
attempting to exercise, and, if one is
seen, be is moving in that sluggish and
apatbetio manner so characteristic of
every one living there.
It is unfortunate that, of the thou
sands of oonsumptives who go to Flor
ida, we can got no reliablo statistics of
tbe result. Tbe people of Florida, the
owners or tne sou, the railroad and
steamboat owners and agents, the hotel
keepers, the physicians residing thore,
ara all so muoh interested personally in
tlie prosperity of tne state, wulou, since
the olose of the war, has beon opened np
like a new-discoverod oountrv, tbat it is
well nigu impossible lor them to give
unprejudiced statements concerning the
hoaltbfuluess of the stato, its adaptation
to the euro of diaoaso, or any othor sub
ject, whioh even remotely touobos tbeir
personal interest. A prism is placed be
fore your eyes, and you are caused to
see everything covered with tbe colors of
the rainbow.
However, I snatched one fragment
from the page of fact. During the last
six months of 1881 there were thirteen
doaths in Jacksonville (population 8000)
from consumption, these deaths being of .
residents only, and excluding all non
residents or visiting invalids. This is a
mortality of 1 02 per 1000, being a
greater mortality tban occurred in Cin
cinnati during tho same time, which was
3 21 in a population of 280,000, or 1 61
per 1000. Those figures do not establish
the rate of mortality, from this disease,
in the city of Jacksonville, for in so
small a plane a series extendieg over a
number of years would be necessary.
But, when faots are so difficult to find,
we must oontont ourselves even with a
straw. It is muoh mora satisfactory to
thus have an indication from a populous
center, than the rate from sparsely pop-
- 1 - 1 . 1 ...L L i
Uiaioxi country uisinoia, wuiou, as in
well known, are comparatively immune
everywhere. It may be stated, in tins
connection, that natives of Florida taken
with consumption frequently seek other
places and climates as a means of cure.
Popular Soienae Monthly.
AGRICULTURAL NOTES.
Tho hyacinth delights in a rioh, light,
sandy soil. The Dutoh incorporate free
ly with their naturally light soil a com
post consisting of one-third coarse sea or
river sand, one-third rotten oow-dung
without litter, and one-third leaf mold.
Earth worms in pots will generally
suooumb under liberal doses of lime
water or tobacco water. A florist also
uses successfully ten drops of oarbolio
aoid in a pint of water. Poured upon
tbe earth, the worms are killed and the
plants improved.
Sweet 'peas require very rioh soil.
They should be sown at least an inch
apart in the row and five inohes in depth.
To keep np the bloom from early sum
mer until frost, tne seed pods must ds
promptly removed, as the growth and
ripening of the seeds exhausts the
strength of tbe plant.
A new sagebrush exterminator is being
tried at Marker's ranob, near Looklock's,
Nev. It consists of two bars of railroad
irons bolted together. They are about
25 feet long and are provided with ohains
attaohed about four foet from each end.
and about 15 feet long. The drag is
pulled over the ground by eight horses,
and takes out everything before it by
tbe roots, It clears ten acres per day.
Prof. H. W. Wiley says of sorghum
seed, tbat all starch eating animals will
eat it with avidity, but that the full nu
tritive value can be gotten only by
grindiug or by boiling. He thinks an
estimute of ten bushols of seed will be
nearer the truth; and says that, while)
tbo blades of sorghum make a valuablo
fodder, it is dbubtful whethor they repay
tbe labor of gathering tbem.
At a reoent meoting of the Western
Now York Horticultural society at Roch
ester, tbo reason for tbe failure of tbe
apple crop of 1882 was summarized to be
tbe bad weather in the spring, the apple
curoulio, tbe drouth of tbe previous t
year and tbe severe wind and hail storm
which blighted the blossoms in some
sections. Where these conditions did
not pfevail a large crop was secured.
Thb Steam Plow. A correspondent
of the Stockton Independent gives this
succinct report: I saw the steam plow
work yesterday. nginos, two; aistanoe
apart, G0 yards; width of land plowed
at each passage, four feet; number of
plows used, eight; four used at a time;
there should be five, making ten in all,
but two are being tamnarM ; tjma nf aijt
ting a furrow, from four to five minutes;
power of engines, each 40 horse; charac
ter of land, tough, blaok sod, salt grass
growing; depth of. farrow, six inches;
every part of the machinery working
well, coat of fuel, five dollars a day for
both engines; capacity, from 40 to 60
acres per day in sandy soil. The writer
is of the opinion thst, with very few al
terations on the plows, tbe machine will
prove an immense success, and will sup
ply a long-needed want for plowing land
in California. Land plowed by this ma
chine will produce at least one-fourth
more crop for a period of six or seven
years tban by tba ordinary plowing ia
use ia this state.