HALF-WAY DOIX'3.
Bclubld fellow-trabelers: In holdin' forth to
day, I doesu't quote no 'f pecial verse for what I has
to say.
Ttt sermon will be berry short, nd dii here am
do tcx':
put half-war doin's ain't do count fur dia worl'
or da oex'.
piiworl'dat we'i a-lilbin In ia like a cotton
row. Whar ebery cullud gentleman baa got hia line to
hoe;
And ebery time a buy niRer atopa to take a nap
Do gnus keix on a growin' for to smuddor up
hia crap.
When Motes led de Jews acrosl do waters ob do
sea,
Pe bad to keep a-goin' jes at fa' as fas' could be;
Do you 'snose dut dey could eber hub succeeded
in deir wish,
And reached de I'romiso Land at last if dey
bad stopped to fish f
.My frien's, dar was a garden once, whar Adam
libbed wid Eve,
Wid no one 'round to bodder dem, no neighbors
for to thieve,
And obery day was Christmas, and dey got deir
rations freo,
And cberyting belonged to dem except an apple
tree.
You all know 'bout de story how de snake come
snoopin' roun'
A stump-tail, rusty moccasin, a crawlin' on do
groun'
How Eve and Adam ate de fruit, and went and
hid deir luce,
Till de angel oberacor ho como and drove 'em o(T
de place,
Kow 'snoso dnt man and 'ooman hadn't 'tempted
for to shirk,
But had gone about deir gardenin' and 'tended
to deir work,
ry wouldu't hab boon loa'm' whar dey had no
business- to,
And de debbil nebbcr'd had a chance to tell 'em
what to do.
So half-way doin'i, bredren I It'll nebbcr do, I
aay 1
Go at your task and finish it, and den's de timo
to play
Forcben ifdocrapisgood.de rain 'ill spilo do
bolls,
Unless you keeps a-pickin' in do garden ob your
souls.
Keep aplowin' and a-hoein' and a-scrapin ob do
rows,
Aud when de ginning'a ober you can pay up
what you owes;
But if you quits a workin ebery time doaunla
hot,
De sberifTa gwine lebby upon eberyling you'a
got.
Wbatebcr 'tis you'a dribin at, bo shore and dribo
it through,
And don't lot nuihV stop you, but do what you'a
gwine to uo;
For when you sees a nigjar foolin', den, as
shore's you're born,
You's gwine to see him cumin' out de email oend
od ue noru.
I thanks you for do- 'tention you has gib dis afternoon-
Sister Williams will, oblige us by a-raisin' ob a
turn
I see dnt ftruddor Jounson's 'bout to pass aroun'
de bat,
And don't let's hab no half-way donin's when
it comes to dot 1
A FURY UODMOTIIER.
Madame Dupont, wrapped in a loose
robe of some soft Cray material, a faded
cashmere shawl partly covering her, lay
on the lounge before the bay window
that formed almost the entire front of
her tiny cottage. Her largo black eyes,
their brightness somowhat dimmed by
ber long sickness, dwelt with dreamy
pleasure on the landscape spread before
ber.
It was a very common landscape, such
as can be seen in any country place on
anv summer day only a broad Held,
white with daisies, among which two or
three brown cows patiently sought for
tender blndes of grass, with one tail,
fctout tree standing midway, solitary and
alone, and a backcroumVof denso tan
gled brushwood. To careless eyes, scarce
worth a careless glance; but to ners, so
long shut out from sight of earth and
sky, a scene most beautiful. The elon
. der white wrinkled hands folded upon
her breast were yet too weak to hold
even one of her beloved books, and the
small feet still lacked sufficient strength
to sustain the frail body. ' But, thank
heaven! the cruel pain had gone, and in
its stead had come a blissful rest.
All through the fickle months of
spring, taking no heed whether they
smiled or wept, she had never raised her
weary head from the pillow.
And the snowdrops and croonses and
Rfillmo and hvaoinths and tulips had
grown and budded and bloomed in her
little garden, and she, who had hoped to
watch them prow from the first green
leaf to the perfect blossom, had only
seen the few viola nod piucnea ana
brought to her bedside, where, seen
through a clcud of suffering, a shadow
had fallen noon their beauty.
And now it was the heart of June and
the roses, cav in overy shade of pink,
climbing about the window, looked in;
and entreated her to como out. But no;
she could not hone to walk among the
flowers until the roses had faded and the
lilies had begun to reign. And perhaps
even this hope would not have been hers
had it not been for the love and care and
cheerino- words of Viola, the eldest
daughter of the big farmhouse. Kate,
the strong, rongh Irish servant maid.was
kind and faithful in her way, but hers
was money service, and left to it alone,
she might have died; but Viola served
for love (she had loved the pretty old
madame since first they met), and love
brings faith and hope and patienco and
manr other beautiful things.
For weeks the young girl came morn,
noon and eve. to star an hour each time,
and her visits were tho only gleam of
brightness that lightened the darkened
room. And manv the wee loaf of
whitest bread, and golden pat of butter,
and drink of rich sweet milk, and a fresh
laid, pink tinted egg. she brought to
tempt the languid appetite; and many
the song she sang, soft and low, to woo
lor the sick woman the angel oi sleep.
And vet not only were they neither
kith nor kin. but she knew naught
of Madame Dnnont save that she had
built the four-room cottage the preced
ing spring, and had lived there since the
last July in the hn r blest way.
There was a large family at the farm
house, and much work to be done hard.
unlovely work, the verv thought of
which often made the young girl, wak
iog in the gray morning from pleasant
dreams, clasp her hands and cry out:
"Is this to be my life forever?" And had
it not been for the glimpse of beanty she
caught about her home -the far-off river
gleaming in the sunlight or moonlight,
the orchard trees white with blossoms in
fiiig, ail hdea with fruit ia summer,
and autumn, tho shady woods where
countless shy wild flowers Lid from
the glare of the world, the songs of the
happy birds, and the grand sunsota bo
hind the distant hills she would have
been heart-weary indeed. For she loved
evtrything beautiful. And especially
did sbajove musio with all the tondor
ness of a creator, as madamo discovered
one day the day thev first saw each
other; in fact, when Viola, coming on
somo errand to the cottage, stopped, en
tranced on the threshold of the door to
listen to the plaintive inolody in a minor
key, foebly but beautifully played on tho
old-fashioned upright piano.
"You love music?" said madame, turn
ing slowly and confronting her.
"With nlj my heart," answered the
girl, the vivid flush that was ever ready
to nppear iiusinng me lair young lace.
"loupiayy
"A little a very little; but I have hnd
no piano for three years sinoe mv own
mother, died."
Liot me hear you.
"Oh, madame, I daro not try after
yon."
But tho old lady rose and gently led
her to tho instrument. There were two
or three keys entirely dumb, and tho rest
wore not in perfect tunc, but the spirit
of music so guided the long slender fin
gers that they reproduced the minor mel
ody madame had played so daintily en
wrapped in bird-like trills and rtppling
runs, that she, in turn, stood entranced.
"After me, indeed" shoBaul, as the
girl struck the last chord. "I had to
learn, but you it is part of you. And
you have no piano? Ah, that is sad.
Could I give you mine, it should be
yours. But it belonged to my dear hus
band, who died twenty years ago, and I
could not bear to part with it. He was a
Frenchman, and a professor of musio. I
was an American girl, and one of his
pupils. When I married him I holpod
him to teach others, and so came to bo
called 'madame.' We loved each other
very much. But I shall be glad, my
dear very glad to have you como here
and play as often as you will.'
"Could I come as often as 1 would,
said the girl, with a bright smile, "I am
afraid I should soon tire you. But I
will come as often as I can. And, oh,
madame" suddenly kissing the soft,
wrinkled cheek "I cannot toll you how
much I think of you!"
But the often proved very seldom, for
some of the summer boarders staid until
the end of October, and the butter had
to be churned and the fruit canned, and
the young sisters to be prepared each day
for school, and the twin boys nothing
to speak of in pointof years, but porfect
Methusolahs in mischief to bo looked
after from morning until night, aud win
ter wardrobes to be made, and a thousand
and one other things to be dono.
And then madame fell sick,nnd all the
time Viola could spare she spent at her
bedside. "Time that had much better,
bo spent at homo," scolded her step
mother, "for there's a servant there;
and one servant is enough to take care
of two such houses as that and their mis
tresses, too: sick or well. I have no
servant!''
"You have mo." Viola could havo re
plied, "and no servant ever worked
harder or for less wages," but she set hor
lips firmly together and said nothing.
But she rose earlier than ever thereafter,
that she might not leave undone the
slightest of her tasks, and thus merit no
reproach for tho few hours each day she
gave her dear old mend.
Aud now madamo was getting well and
with the strength of her strong servant-
maid, could go from room to room; but
she was best satisfied as yet to be in the
wee parlor on the loungo before the big
window.
And hero Viola made her appearance
the day the roses were beckoning, with a
merry greeting, and a dish of luscious
strawberries Bniothered in cream; but in
spite of the merry greeting there was a
hint of a shadow on her bonny face that
did not escape madame's keen black
eyes.
"Toll me about it, dear," she said, in
her sweet, trembling voice.
Viola knelt beside her.
"You must bo a fairy, madame," she
said, "for none but a fairy could have
guessed that I was a little sorry to-day.
And for such a trilling causo I'm ashamed
to speak of it." But tho old lady insist
ing with gentle persistance, she began:
It is a ball I would like to go to, but
cannot. I have never been to a ball, and
this one you remember tho young lady
who boarded at our house last summer
with her father and sister"
"And brother," suggested madame.
"And her brother," repeated Viola,
never lowering her frank blue eyes, but
blushing from the tip of her round chin
to the curls shading her fair brow.
"Well, she and I were good frionds then,
but I never dreamed she would remem
ber me after she went away, for ho she
I mean is rich, and I am poor, and our
ways in life lie very, very far apart. But
she has not forgotten me. See, madamo,
here is an invitation to a ball to be given
on her nineteenth birthday at hor aunt's
house, only a few miles away. And
and her brother signs it too. He
writes a handsome hand, does ho not,
madame?"
"A strong, handsome hand, my dear,
and he is a strong, manly fellow. I do
not forget the messages he used to bring
me from you, and deliver with such
courtly grace. You must go to the
bU" ... y
"Oh, madame, it is impossible. I
could not go if it were to be the simplest
of parties, and it is to be a fancy dress.
I have nothing to wear. You know tho
crops failed last year on account of the
drought. Bat what folly for me to let so
slight a thing distress mo for a moment,
when all at home have health and
strength, and you are fast getting well?"
"For which we should be and no
doubt we are devoutly thankful," said
the old lady, "and all the more reasons
why you should go to the ball. You said
just now I must be a fairy. I will prove
my right to the title by being a fairy
godmother. You did not know that my
name was Violet. Take the key you will
find under the clock on the mantle, and
open the ottoman that stands yonder."
"Open the ottoman, madame?"
"Yes; it is a simply a cbestin disguise
and in it lies your ball dress."
The lid of the disguised chest was
raised, a long box was lifted out and
opened. An exclamation of delight
burst from Viola's lips. There is a satin
dress of dreamy whiteness. It unfolded
into a miracle of old-fashioned loveli
ness. Purple violets were scattered here
and there upon tho acant skirt, as though
dropped from some careless hand, and
the puffed tdeeves and short waist wero
made of a wreath of amber-lined luce.
And then rnmn a lartra nnnint fan of
sandal wood and peacock feathers, a ;
nocklaco of pearls, a high tortoise-shell
comu, and a pair or satin shoes with low
nut heels and quefr pointei toes.
"But you never mean that I should
wear these, madamo," said Viola.
"That do I, most surely," said
madame, gayly. "I wore them, child,
many years ago. And now another Violet
needs them. There is fato in it. And I
will put a spell upon them, and who
kuows? thoy may help you to win a
true lover as thoy did me."
"But the shoos, madame they aro too
small, I'm sure."
"Try them, my doar."
Viola slipped one on. "It binds across
the instep, " raid she.
"Tako tho scissors and cut it, then."
"Oh, ninderne, it would spoil it then."
"Do as I bid you. Fairy godmother
must be obeyed. Now tuko the rosettes
still remaining in the box, and fasten
one over each shoo to hide to dnmago
dono."
And nith tho beautiful rosettosof satin
and lace, with a "V" encircled in seed
pearl in the center of each, hiding tho
gaps tho scissors had rnado, the ioilet
was complete.
And so Viola went to the bill not ia a
fino carriago drawn by prancing steeds,
but in hor father's covered wagou.bohind
the old farm horse. But whon she ap
peared in Jho brilliantly lighted room it
was rather late.for the old horse traveled
slowly the creamy white satin dress
clinging to her slight graceful figure,
and pearls clustering around her smooth
throat, her golden hair wound about the
tortoise shell comb, her dimpled arms
and shoulders just showing tbrongn the
ancient lace, hor innooent blue eyes
looking shyly over the quaint fan, and
her feet clad in the queer pointed shoes,
half hidden by tho great rosotoes the
gay crowd felt, somo of them (the fair
maidens these) with bitter onvy, that an
unknown Frincoss of Beauty was among
thorn.
And the Prince of the reigning houso
quickly followed his sister to welcomo
her, loaviug a Knight with diamonds
stars to epr.vLle for some faithful wor
shipper. And again and again he aud
the unknown Priucess danced togother
until nearly daybreak, when, a servant
summoning her hastily for tho farmer
futher was tired of waiting sho flew to
the dressing-room and one of the rosettes
bursting from its fastenings on the way,
away went the shoe it had helped to
hold in place, down, down through tho
woll of the winding staircase, to regions
far below.
And Viola, having the enchantment of
the night still upon her, nover missed it,
but hastily drawing on hor stout boots,
ran to the old wagon, jumped in, and
drove away in tho dim first light of the
morning from tho 1'riuce and i nirylaud.
But when she awoko from the deep
sleep into which she sank as soon as sho
reached hor noma tho sun was on its
westward way she disoovered the loss,
and while she was bewailing it the Prince
rang at tho door.
"I have a slipper, or shoe, or somo
thing of tho kind," he said, taking it from
the breast pocket of his fur-trimmed coat,
"and as it will not fit either of my sis
tors, or my cousins, or any of tho lady
friends who with them bido, I thought it
might fit vou."
"It does not, really," said truthful
Viola, with her lovely blush, "I could
not havo worn it had it not been cut
open in the instep I havo not an aristo
cratic foot and that is how tho stitches
that hold the friendly rosetto giving woy
I camo it lose it.
"That I, thank fortune! might find it,
And now, Viola, dearest"
But what need of saving more? You
can all end the story for yoursolves, I
am sure, even to guessing that madame
lved to be a hundred years old, and
never was fairy godmothor so loved and
petted as sho.
Famous Trees on Long Island.
A white mulberry tree on the farm of
Thomas Hallock ni Mattituck is 12 feet in
circumference at the butt.
Two pear trees near Southold are moro
than 150 years old, aud eaoh is as largo
near the ground as a barrol.
In Aanebogue stands a black walnut
tree 12 feet in ciroumforence and 100
feet aoross the top. It still boars fruit,
and belongs to Daniel Corwin.
A weeping willow on tho premises of
Mary . Havell, in Riverhead, is now
more than a century old, and is thirteen
feet in ciroumfcrence noar the ground.
A black walnut on tho farm of the late
William Cullen Bryant is 25 feet in cir
cumference IV, feet from the ground, and
120 feet across the top. It bears abund
antly.
Islip boasts of a pear troo whose fruit
the oldest resident of tho town, who is
now 80 years of age, ate when he was a
bov. He says it was then a large fruit
bearing tree. Last season it yielded its
full oomplemont of fruit.
There is a weeping beech in the old
Parsons Nursery in Flushing which is 40
feet high aud about the samo distance
across the top. The limbs droop to the
earth all around, but leave several open
ings resembling Oothio doors, through
which one may pass to tho interior.
Intelligent farmers overywhoro realize
that a proper mixture of grain foods is
more economical tnan to ieea exclusively
of one or two kinds. A Connecticut
farmer who makes farming pay feeds his
cows two quarts daily from a mixture of
1200 pounds oi coarse wneat bran, iiw
pounds of corn meal and 500 pounds of
cottonseed. This is mixed by being
thoroughly shoveled over on a tight
barn floor. Tho same farmer thinks It
pays to feed coarse bran to hogs occa
sionally, when meal is fed regularly, as
it keeps them in good condition.
It is said that th "average yield of
wheat in all parts of the Union ia put at
thirteen bushels per acre, which is two
bushels over the census average or ten
years ago. Still, as the cost of growing
wheat has increased in equal proportion
by the necessity of using phosphate, it
. -. ... . , -., i .
is doubiiui wneiuer any locreuoeu ruui
is made on the irreater average yield.
Now, however, all the profit is gained by
the few who manure thoroughly and
grow an average crop of twenty to thirty
bushels per acre.
A guarantee of good faith Giving a
church $10,000.
Hurled Alii
In tho year 1 100 Qinovra do Aniieri, a
Florentine beauty, murried under pater
nal prcsnire a inun who had failed to win
hor heart, which she had given to An
touio Kuuilimlli. Soon afterward the
plague broke out in Florence: Oiuovra
fell ill, apparently succumbed to tho
malady, aud, being prououuood dead,
was tho same day consigned to the fam
ily tomb. Some one, however, had
blundered in thematter.forin tho middle
of the night tho entombed bride woke
out of her trance, and. badly as her
living rolatives had behaved, found hor
dead onos still less to hor liking, and lost
no timo in quilting tho silent company
upon whoso quietude she had unwillingly
iutruded. Speeding through tho sloop-
wrapped streets as swiftly as her clinging
cerements allowed, (ilnevra sought tho
uome from which she bad so lately been
bornoa snpposod corpse. Roused from
his slumbers by a knocking at tho door,
tho disconsolate widower of a day
cautiously opened an upper window ,nnd,
scoing a shrouded figure waiting below
in whoso upturned fuco he rocognized Hie
liueamouts of tho departed, ho cried in
alarm.
"Oo iu peace, blessed spirit." aud
shut the window precipitately.
With sickened heart and slackened
stop the repulsed wife made hor way to
hor fathor's door, to rocoivo a like beni
son from her dismayed paront. Then sho
crawled to an unelo's houso, w hero tho
door was indeed openod, only to bo
slammed in her face by the frightened
man, n ho in his hurry forgot even to
bless his ghostly caller.
Tho cool night air penetrating the un
dress of the hapless wanderer mado her
tremble and shiver, as she thought she
had wukod to Jife only to dio again in tho
cruel streets.
"Ah I' she sighed, "Antonio would
not havo proved so unkind."
This thought naturally suggested that
it was her duty to test his courage and
love; it would be time enough to dio if
he proved like tho rest. Tho way was
long, but hope renervod hor limbs,
and soon Ginevra was knocking timidly
at Rondinolli'a door. He opened it
himself, and, although startled by tho
ghastly vision, calmly inquired what tho
spirit wanted with him. Throwing her
shroud away from her faco, Ginevra ox
olairccd:
"I am no spirit. Antonio; I am that
Ginevra you ouoo loved, who was buried
yesterday buried alivel" and foil sense
ess into the welcoming arras of hor as
tonished and delighted lovor.wboso cries
for help soon brought down his sympa
thizing family to hear the wondrous
story, and to bear its heroine to bed, to
bo tenderly nursod until sho had recov
ered from tho shock, and was as beauti
ful as ever again.
Then came the dillicnlty. as Ui
nevra to return to the man who had buriod
her and shut his door against her.or give
herself to the man who had saved her
from the second death? With mich pow
f ul spcoiul pleaders as love and gratitude
on his side, of courso Rondinolli won tho
day. and a privato marriage mado tuo
lovers amends for previous disappoint
ment. They, however, had no intontion
of keopicg in hiding, but tho very first
Sunday aftor they became man and wife
appeared in public together at tho
cathedral, to the confusion and wonder
of Ginevra's friends. An explanation
ensued, which satisfied overy body ex
ccpt the lady's first husband, who insistod
that nothing but her dying in genuiuo
earnest could dissolvo the original mat
rinioui.il bond. Tho case was reforrod
to tho bishop, who, having no precedent
to curb his decision, rose superior to
technicalities, and declared that tho first
husband had forfeited air right to
Ginevra, and must pay over to Rondi
nolli tho dowry he had received with hor;
a decroe at which, we may rest assured,
all truo lovers in Uorenee heartily re
joiced.
Fixing tho Door.
There was a crack under the kitchen
door a crevice large enough for one to
put a hand under and early in IN o vein
ber Mrs. Cripso began saying:
"Now, Cripso, don't lot this day pass
without nailing down a cloat to stop that
crevico. It will let in more cold this
winter than two tons of coal can drive
out."
And Cripso began replying:
"Certainly, my doar certainly. That
crevico shall bo stopped this very day.
On fifteen different occasions in No
vember sho rominded him of the fact
that he had forgotton that crevico. In
December the number of occasions was
twonty. During tho month of January
she spoke of it twonty-two times. In
February she began referring to the
matter at each meal, and the other day
bIio nailed him down with the remark:
"Cripso, I am going down town, and
I'll stop on my way and ask a carpenter
to come up and hi that door.
Til fix it."
"No you won't! You just lot it alone.
I ll have a carpenter hero borore night,
and that door will be fixed."
"I say I'll fix it mysolf right away
now," and in five minutes he had saw and
hammer and cleat, ami was at tho job.f
Mrs. Cripso went off chuckling over
her victory, and upon her return her
husband said:
"Well, the old crevice is shut up."
"You fixod it. eh?"
"Fixed it better than any carpenter
you conld have sent up, and in ten min
utes, too. (Jome and soe.
She took one look at hia work, and then
sat down and whispered:
"Cripso, you have just missed it by a
hair s breadth.
"What?"
"Being born a fool! You have nailed
the cleat to the floor inside the door!"
So!he had. Ue had shut the crevice
and door. too. and when he camo to reul
izel it he walked bIowIt out into the
back yard and tried to saw his bead off
on the clothes line.
Cent Per Cent.
The yearning after wealth is confined
to no clans or condition of mankind. In
some cases, however, the longing is of
abnormal development, instances are
noted where it has become a disease, and
yesterday a reporter came In contact
with three in which the symptoms were
so pronounced as to call for comment.
Tha renortar aa in trouble and needed
money to meet pressing obligations. Ha
bad seen an advertisement oi a concern
on Dearborn street which offered to loan
him "any amount " on furnituro, pianos
and other securities "at low rates. Ho
accordingly made application.
"les, nr. we loan money. How much
do you want?"
"Ono hundred dollars1
"For what time?"
"Three months."
"What security?"
"Furniture."
"What is the furniture worth?"
"About 8 1000."
"It wilt cost you five per cent a
month."
"That would b3 fifteen dollars for three
months?".
"Yos, and yon would havo to pay for
tho acknowledging and recording."
" hat is the extra cost for acknowl
edgment and record?"
"We charco 00 cents for acknowledg
ing aud SI for recording. Ono hundred
dollars for thrco months will cost you
S1U.&0."
At another effico on the same street
tho scribo wanted 8200 for thrco months.
and was informed that the total charge
for the accommodation would be
lhe philanthropist added:
"We chargo fc5 for examining tho fur
nituro, making on', tho papers and re
cording the chattel mortgage."
Un Madison street tho rcportor con
sulted a man who advertised to make
"confidential loanB." Ho was told that
tho use of $150 for threo months would
cost him 829.50.
"Isn't that pretty steep?"
"Oh, no; somo brokers will oharge
you six and seven per cent a month and
take out tho first month's interest wliou
thoy advance tho money."
"What rato do you cliargo?"
"Fivo per cent per month."
"How do yon make out 829.50?"
"I chargo 87 for making ont tho
papers.
iho roportor concluded that seventy-
eight per ccut a year was a peg beyond
I - . l h-. it ..i i .
ma auiuiy ami ne wunurew, congratulat
ing tho confidential loanor upon the evo
lutions of a system by which he was
yearly receiving 8118 for tho use of
8150. Chicago Tribune.
SELECTED MISCELLANY.
Tho nature of bad news affects tho
teller. Shakspore.
From tho lowest depth thore is a path
to tho loftiest height.
If thero is any person to whom you
feel a dislike, that is tho porson of whom
you should never speak..
Tho affeotions are like lightning; you
cannot tell where they will striko till
thoy havo fallen.
It is hard to personate and aot a part
long, for w hero truth is not at the bot
tom, naturo will peep out and betray
herself one time or other.
Advorsity has ovor boon considered as
tho Btato in which a man most easily bo
comes acquainted with himself parti
cularly, being freo from flatterers.
Consider how much moro you ofton
suffer from your anger and grief, than
for thoso very things for which you are
angry and grieved.
What man is thero whom oontact with
a groat soul will not exalt? A drop of
water upon tho potal of a lotus glistons
with the splondouro of tho poarl.
Nothing so inoroases roveronoo for
others hs a great sorrow to ono s sou. It
teaches one the depths of human nature
In happiness we are shallow and doom
others so.
Tho nowspapor Is a mirror, into which
pooplo look to see something of them
selves rofiocted. If in that mirror thoir
follies and errors are made to soem wis
dom and virtue, thon hurin is dono. If,
on tho other hand, they aro shown their
montal and moral images without favor
or prejudico, the effect is liolpful
Fidelity if still the tost of the glass.
Prof. S. Semstrom, of the Finnish Ob
scrvatory at Sodankyla, rocontly placed
a galvanio battory ou a hill with oonduo
tors covering an area of 000 square me
ters. Aftor a short time a curious phe
nomenon was disoovorod. The oone was
found to bo surrounded with a halor; this
eOulgonco was of a yollow-white color,
and it gave faintly, but porfeotly, tho
spectrum of tho aurora boroalis. t ur
ther experiments confirm the aecuraoy of
the first observation. The result wss not
due to local or incidental oiroumstances.
America Always Ahead.
W. Sandy, M. A., D. D., Profossor of
tho Exegesis of tho Holy Scripturos at
Oxford, is graciously pleased to speak
well of certain American accomplish
ments. "Clearness and exactitude," he
says, "aro qualities that seem to bo fast
becoming national characteristics (in
America), as our burly Knghsh stock is
toned down and refined by other climatio
and social influences. The flue precis
ion of American mechanism has long
been acknowledged Soiontifio transac
tions and observations (those in astron
omy for instanco) are published not only
at lavish expense that may be taken as
a matter of courso but with a delicate
accuracy which surpasses the best
European workmanship. Again, in clas
sical philology it appears that we are go
ing to America for our best grammars
and dictionaries. And I can appeal to
even a wider circle to corroborate me
whon I refer to the finish and delicacy of
Amoricnn ongraving. Amorioan tliool
oev is a rising school; and it is being
condncted, as I cannot but think, on
lines that promise woll for the future."
Simple Cure fur Cold Feet.
The following remedy for col 1 foot is
recommended by the Fireman's Journal
for sedentary sufferers, as well as police
men, car drivers, and othera who are ex
posed to tho cold: All that is necessary
is to stand erect and very gradually to
lift one's self up upon the tips of the
toes, so as to put all the tendons of the
foot at full strain. This is not to hop or
jump up and down, but simply to rise
the slower the better upon tiptoe, and
to remain standing on the point of the
toes as long, as posiible, then gradually
coming to the natural position. Repeat
this several times, and, by the amount of
work the tips of the toca are made to do
in sustaining the body a weight, a sum
cient and lively circulation is set up. A
heavy pair of woolon stockings drawn
over thin cotton ones is also a recommen
dation for keepiog the feet warm, and at
the same time preventing their brooming
tender and sore.
AGRICULTURE.
Keen vonr fowls under as even a tem
perature as possible
The trees in moat oroharda in nlnntmt
(oo olosoly.and the treo roots interlaco so
ai to rob each other of what fertility each
should have.
Market gardenit. is a rennmoralive
business when a mun understands it, but
is far from beiug an easy road to weulth
for thoso who havo all tho dotails to
loaru.
It is said that tho American is superior
to tho European teasel, and thut tho
ultivation of this plant can bo engaged
in profitably by the farmers of this country.
Brooders of Houdun fowls would do
well to put themsolves in communication
with Mrs. L. P. Smith, Mountain Creek,
Chilton county, Ala. Sho "would prefer
somo ono who makes a spooialty of rais
ing uoudans.
Tho Courier-Journal has a corro-
spondont at Snowdown, Alabama, who
is in search of Osngo orange soed. Ho
also wants some one to toll him all about
how Osngo hedges are made, especially,
"bow long it takes to make a good
hodgo."
Langstroth. on "Tho Honey Bee." ia
the best authority for a begionor to go
1 1- .1 . 1 a nt
uy in mis nuo mat we Knew oi. rue
price of Langstroth's book is 82. Orders
for it addrossod to the Courier Journal
and accompanied by this sum will be
filled.
If cabbages are set out ono yard oaoli
way, nearly 5000 can be grown on one
aero. Such being the case, it is a profit
able orop whon succosssully grown, but
on account of us keeping qualities,
affords green food in winter for animals
and poultry, to say nothing of the family.
Tho Irish harvest for 1882 is 830.000.-
000 less than that of 1881. The failure
of tho potato crop is tho chief cause of
tho uulloionoy. A yoar ago large quan
tities of Irish potatoes wero shipped to
this country. Now many thousand
peoplo are suffering from lack of nocos
sary food.
Potatoes intonded for planting should
be spread out thinly in tho light, and
this for tho reason that "whon a potato
is thus exposed in a collar, the eyes
nearly all start a good healthy groon
sprout; but if in a pilo, or in darkness,
only tho strongest eyes grow long.whito,
wortuioss sprouts.
Prof. Sholton, of the Kansas Stato
Agricultural Collego, holds that the cul
tivation of such crops as broom corn.
iiomp, liax, aud, perhaps, oistor beans,
which furnish but little, if any. Btock
foed, will ultimately lead to serious con
sequences in the loss of fortility sus
tained in the lands so cultivated.
In transplanting trees all the roots
which may havo beoomo brnisod or
broken in tho process of lifting should
bo cut clean away behind the broken
part, as they thon more steadily striko
out new roots from the cnt parts. In all
such cases the cut should be a clean
sloping one, and mado in an upward and
outward direction.
It is important for farmers and garden
ers to romembor that "if seeds are to be
kept over a yoar. they should bo placed
in a cool pluco and exposed to light and
air. Kooping them in the dark woukena
vitality, perhaps from tho tendency to
grow which darkness incites, but unac
companied by moistnro enough to put
forth leaf and root." .
How shall I get a good herd of cows?
is the question among many young
farmers. Thoroughbred cows cost too
much, but you can get a full blooded
bull from good milking stock, broed to
good native cows, and raise the calvos.
The calves take more from the male than
the fonialo. In a few years you will
have a good herd of cows for milk,
iTave Fitch, of Collego Hill, Arkansas,
grew last season 1005 pounds of ginnod
ootton on an aoro. Owing to rains and
cold weathor, he replanted four times,
the last planting being tho first of June.
The cotton bofore the seod was taken out
weighed 2821 pounds.and the total value
of cotton and seod was something more
than $100 nor acre. The cotton was of
the upland variety.
The report is that "the Stato Chemist of
Georgia hasfound by analysis that one
bushel of tweet potatoes oontains halt as
much nutrition as a bushel of corn, two
bushels of potatoes equaling one bushel
of corn for fat-producing purposes. If
this is oorreot it is important, sinco there
ia much land In tho south which, unable
to yiold ovor forty burhols of corn per
acre, will produce from 100 to 150 bush
els of sweet potatoes."
The observation is that "in sotting an
orchard it is woll to gut it on upland, not
only on account of bettor drainage, but
also because trees sot on alluvial soil
make a growth of leaves and wood rathor
than of fruit. On low ground the fruit
will often bo largo, but . not so well col
orod or highly flavored as on uplund,
whero tho wood growth is smaller and
both loaves nd fruit have a fuller ex
posure to the sun's rays."
Every flock ownor should improve hia
Hook year by year, by the use of good
bucks, and keeping the best ewe lambs
and disposing of the oldest sheep in the
flock. It is very poor economy, indoed,
to soil off tho lambs every yoar and keep
the old sheep until they are ten or twelve
years old, because the flock by thia
method will not yiold as much profit aa
by a judicious system of weeding out
annually.
It is said that "however fertile a soil
may be, not morepperhaps, than one per
cent of its substance is at any moment,
in a fit condition for nourishing the
crops. The great bulk of this fertility is
unavailable to the plant at any one time,
and is only slowly liberated by the ac
tion of air, of moisture, of heat and of
manure. It is npon the rate at which
the liberation of plant-food takes place
that the natural fertility of tb soil mar
be aaid, in a great moasure, to depend.
In associated dairying, where the milk
or cream of a township ia oolleoted or
worked up in one depot and where the
returns so greatly depend upon a contin
uously equal quality of the product, ex
periments in feeding cannot be allowed,
and all doubtful food should be tabooed
for the general good. The men who be
liove they can feed cabbages and turnips
without affecting the milk and not be
discovered, and who now and then do i
to find out, are not the proper compant
ions in associated dairying,