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About The Eugene City guard. (Eugene City, Or.) 1870-1899 | View Entire Issue (June 9, 1883)
DiASt MOTHER'' GBOWJKO OLD. WW A " ' onc" ' U ,,,gM l)Jr mod""' stowing old. nor rnffpifih" 1ot h3lr glory, . Iie U Muh of morn: at, twiw uo A .wo tut nwd to blc The hrt when larrow worn. , when I mark her ileo hat Wubiir.yntom e and bold, mother' e'J"l "'J- Turn bark the yean, 0 Father! nl make hr your, on more. .,. a my oii romsmbj her lu happy dHy of yoro Whriifti birdmrlKfllrt full nlfc.iiie'" 'H unfold. Aod I, a lltllecMM, drained not Ixar mother would grow old. BnTond f hew hniira ao flellntr, I'rti.nd ear h'i loll" and tatn. In thai w;t Uud I hope to gala Heyond taw-e inorial yean, Sr ililng thall waote ber pure life, Hul beauty nwillold. k lib bappliH shall crown brlot, Aud inother ll uc'er grow old. THE SEW MINISTER. Scragg EqiI suddenly docided that instead of ocoaBional preaching by the p0Bknpawket minister, it was entitled to a "stated supply." No longer would it go without the "regular gospel priv- 'AJoniram Hewott, whose father had bot'D a doiicon, was deputed to mako application to tho proper authorities in that dunotnination to which Soragg End almost universally belonged for a minis ter to supply the Scraag End pulpit, or rather tho school desk until a church should be built. Adoniram Hewitt roceived an encour aging answer to his application. A very earnest and talented young preacher, lately graduated from a theological sem inary, would at once be cent to Scrogg Tho minister was to board at Adoni ram Hewitt's, tho Howitts being well-to-do beyond tho majority of Soragg End peoplo.and being regarded as possessing booHoarning.which qualification would make them congenial companions for a minister. Adoniram Hewitt a house presented a holiday oppoaranoe on that summer afternoon when Lysander drove over to Ponkapawkot station to bring back the minister. As night dame on Lysander drove up with only a girl beside him. What conldbe tho reason that the minister had not come? The young lady was a stranger. She had probably eome to visit some one at Soragg End, and as thoro was no ono to meet her at the sta tion, Lysander had brought her over. But be was helping her out at their own gate. She was walking up the path. Mrs. Hewitt adjusted her glasses, and satisfied herself that the face was unfa miliar. She was a grave and dignified young woman, with a self-possossed manner, but with a bright flash on her face. Why didn't Lysander come up and introduce her, instead of attending to the horse. , ' "I suppose yon wcro expecting me, said the younc lady, extending her hand in a friendly way. "I am the new minister-Miss Barton." As Mrs. Hewitt afterward declared, "You could have knocked me down with a feather." And her overwhelming as tonishment was so plainly shown that the new ministor bocanio very much em barrassed. "Ofcouso you know certainly you ought to have been told that that I was . a woman." "We didn't know. Why, we nevor thought of such a thing. They didn't say a word about it," exclaimed Mrs. Hewitt, and in Lor astonishment and dis may she utterly ignored the outstretched hand. , , , The young lady had a strong ana res olute face, but Mrs. Hewitt suddenly became aware that tho oorners of her mouth were drooping, and there was a hurt as well as a weary look in her face, and all her mother compassion was roused. ,.. "But it don't make any difference, child I moan ma'am. I have no doubt yon can preach as well as half the men. We know what is going on in the world, if we do live a good ways out of it, only there never happened to be a woman preacher any whero about here.so it took me by surprise. Webeliovein giving women a fair chance herein ScraggEnd, loan tell you. "I was afraid you might have objec tions," said the young lady, a smile chasing the weariness out of her face. "Oh, we shall think everything of you, I've no doubt after a while. You don't know what it is to be without regular preaching as long as we have. Come right in and get rested, and have a enp of tea, for I expect you've had a bard journey." Before escorting her guest to hor room Mrs. Hewitt managed to slip upstairs and slyly abstract Lysander's new shav ing seYfrom tho toilette tablo, where she had placed it for the convenience of tho new minister. It is undeniable that at the first receipt of the news a general dismay overspread Scragg E'd. Tho older people were disposed to consider that a trick had been playod upon them, and were angry accordiugly, some oven going so far as to wish to have Miss Barton told that her services could be dispensed with. But nobody seemed willing to toll her, and there was a great curiosity to hear her preach. There were a few courageous spirits ho openly avowed that they saw no reason why a woman should not preach, and were glad to have one for a minis ter. Many complained of Miss Barton's youth, but acknowledged that they would not have objected on that score to young man of twenty-six or twenty seven, which was her ago. ' There were b Dmo who thought she was too handsome for a minister, and others who thought that since she was going to set horself up for everybody to look at.it was a pity that she was not handsomer; some who thought women ought not to preach at all, and others who thought some women might be allowed to, bat a woman minister as a stated supply was Hot what was wanted. But in two Sundays Miss Barton con quered Scragg End, except a fow of the most prejudiced, who would never own themselves conquered. She was so sim ple, so earnest, o sympathetic. There were no long words, no far-fetched analogies, such as Mr. Erieson used; there was no rattling of the dry bones of thoology; she touched the chorda that vibrated iu their every day life." "She comes right home to you, that's a faot," said Joshua King, "8ho's scrip tooral, too, and she makes as feeling a prayer as ever I heard. I don't like to see a woman in the pulpit, aud I ain't a going to say I do, but she's edifyin', and no mistake." "I never went to nioolin' boforo whon I didn't have terrible hard work to keep from noddiu', but somehow hnr talk is kind of plain and sensible, and keeps me awake," said Luke Pottiugill, who was woat to disburb the congregation by audible breathing. Peoplo flocked to Scragg End from far and near to hear tho new minister, at first with much tho same curiosity that thoy would have shown to see a wbito olephant, but soon for tho sake of tho preaching. Nobody could quite ex plain Miss Barton's popularity. Perhaps old Mrs, Simmons camo as near to the truth as anybody when she sid "she wasn't any smarter than anybody else, but someway she seemed just like own folks. And she kuevr just bow folks felt without boing told." Ponkapawket wasscandalizdd. It was a disgrace to tho whole town to have a woman preacher holding forth every Sunday, and drawing such crowds drawing half tho congregation away from tlie Ponkapawket ohurch, tool The deacons requested Mr. Erioson to preach a sormon from tho text: "Lot your women keep silence in the churches." Mr. Erieson was known to hold the Woman's Rights movement in ooutempt; but he had been twice to hoar Miss Bar ton preach, when thero were no services in bis own church, and he had also called upon her sevoral times, and when the deaoons conferred with him about preaching that sormon they found it im possible to obtain any satisfaction; ho wus very polite, and he did not say that he would not, but "ho bmiling put tho question by.-' One day ho surprised Miss Barton by inviting her to nn exchango of pulpits for the following Sunday; but that was in harvest-time, and she hod come to Scragg End in June. Even Ponkapaw kot had become accustomed to the idea of a woman preacher, if it did not ap provo of it. He had found hor sitting on the piazza on a warm afternoon in lute September. She had a large basketful of stockings besido her, and was darning them dili gently. Some were her own, some were Adoniram Hewitt's and Lysandor's, for Boxy had gone away on a visit, and Mrs. Hewitt's hands wore more than full. She looked as housewifely as if she bad never aimed at any wider Bphere. The shadow of a smilo thickered about Mr. Eriosou's mouth as he observed her employment. Although Miss Barton looked up only as much as politonoss re quired, she saw the smile, and it brought a flush to her cheek. Though she lcoked so strong and resolute, it was evident thut Miss Barton was keenly sensitive. He sat down beside hor, and immedi ately proffered his request, perhaps us an antidote to the smile. "Your people would be shocked. They don't approve of me," said Miss Barton. "I never suspected you of any want of courage," said Mr. Erieson. "I am a dreadful coward. I don't think I fully realized it whon I began. If I had boon sent anywhere but to Scragg End, I don't know what I Bhould have done. Hero they are humble minded people, without strong preju dices, and I do seem to havo found the way to their hearts. But I am afraid I should nevor dare to enter anothor pul pitcertainly not yours at Ponkapaw kot." "Yon would soon conquer thoro as you havo conquered here, said Mr. Erioson. "I couldn't endure their unfriendly gaze. I should display all my woman ishness. I should blush, I should trem ble, I might faiut. I should be a stum-bling-blook to the women who are fol lowing in tho same pathway. I don't mean to be that. My work in Scragg End sulllccs me, and I am bo thankful for it." "I am sorry you feel so about Ponka pawket, because I have a proposition in my mind much more audacious than the one that I made," said Mr. Erioson. . Miss Barton raised ber eyes inquir ingly, and dropped them again instantly under the minister's gaze. "I thought we might unite the churohes." Mr. Ericson's voice trembled a little, as if he were afrcid. "I don't see how it could be done," said Miss Barton, frigidly. "Of course there is but ono way," said Mr. Erieson, quietly. "I dared not ark you to be my wife without suggesting to you the fact that your work need not be given up." The girl rose tj hor feet. Lysander's stocking fell from her hand, and was blown away by tho wind, unheeded. "I don't know what I havo done to deserve this this insult. I thought that at least you respected me, and I thought my calling made mo sacred from such such attacks altogether." "1 om sorry that you should think it an insult. I tan hardly see how a man oould give you a better proof of his re spoct than to ask you to bocome his wife. And as for your calling making you sacred, we don't believe in the celibacy of the clergy, you know." In spite of his evidcut mortification and distress, there was a sly twinkle in Mr. Ericson'b eye as he said that. "Butl--I am a woman," said Miss Barton, sitting down again, and covering her face with ber bands. "The more reason why you should bo married," said Mr. Erieson, calmly. "Yon need a protector." "I am perfectly sufficient for myself. And I shall nevor care for anybody anvthing but my work." Mr. Erieson arose. "I am sorry to have troubled you," he said gently. "I love you, and I have never known what U was to love a woman before; that is all my rxcuse." Miss Barton watched him as he went down the road, with the yellow leaves falling upon him. She observed, as she never had done before, how finely his bead was set opon his broad shoulders, what a monly grace there was about his strong, well-knit figure. "But he baa no business to love me, she said, drawing her brows into a tight Then suddenly she remembered Ly sander's stocking, and went down in the grass to look for it. It bad blown over the fonce into the field. She itrotohod her arm botweon tho sluts and drew it back. As she did so she caught sight of Lysander. Ho was gathering squaHhoa and pumpkins on the little south bill; she aw hi Ugure in eilhonotto against the bky. Ho started to come toward the houso, and she waited for him waitod until a sudden thought sent a fl.iuio of color over her faoo. "It can't be" sho said, half aloud, inquiringly. "I will keep that out of my life. I won't bo a failure! I won't be!" And she rushed up to her room aud locked herself in. She camo down as calm aud grave as ever whon tho tea-bell rung, and after tea she and Lysander read their daily quantity of Greek, for Lysander was pursuing his studios with renowed avid ity sinoe he bad a companion to help him, and had not yet given up bis long oherishod hopo of studying for tho min istry, though thero seemed no prospect of his being ablo to leave, the farm. After that day Miss Barton dovood herself more zealously thai ever to her work. She darned no moro stockings. When she was not writing hor scrmous, she was visiting tho sick aud the poor, and making, or suggesting and inducing others to make, improvements, sanitary and moral as well as roligious. "She was practical and eilk'ient as if she was not a woman," many people said,' and old Jeremy Grimes, who had wished to tell her when sho came that they did not want a woman preacher, said: "Thoy couldn't havo had such women in St. Paul's timo, or be never would have written what he did." But Mrs. Hewitt had a grievance. Miss Burton didn't seem to make herself one of the family as she used to. She was shut up in her own room almost all the time now, and she and Ly sander didn't seem to get along together as they used to. Sho never came into the kitchen and wantod to holp make cako now, or sat with them around the fire in the evening whilo Lysander read aloud. Sho "didn't seem to have any thing against them, but she wasn't free and sociable any more." Lysander was teaching school this win tor and attending to the farm work in his leisure time. His habit of studying witti Miss Barton had gradually died out. To his mother's persistent questionings Lysander repliod that neither of them had any time for it now. Mrs. Hewitt could not make it out. "Pa," who prided himself on being long headed, hinted that he oould, but bo would not say outright what he thought, and his wifo regarded hints with lofty scorn. One afternoon, after school hours, Ly eandor went down to the woods back of the house to superintend the operations of some men who were outting timber. Just at dusk Miss Bartou, coming home from a visit to a sick parishioner, en countered four men carrying on an im provised stretcher Lysander's apparently lifeless body. He was lying white and rigid, and there were scarlet spots upon tho ground all the way that he had come. Down on ber knees in the snow full Miss Barton, and threw her arms around him. "Oh, my love! my Jove! haveyou gone so far awoy that you cauuot hoar me say I do lovo you?" she criod. "I was cold and hard because I thought it was mv duty, but if you could only come back" And then they bad to raise Miss Bur ton nnd carry her into the houso, for sho had fainted. "That's just what I could have told you a good while ago if I had hail a mind to," said "Pa," as ho rehearsed the scene to bis wifo nn hour afterward. "Sho's a terrible Bight like a woman if she is a minister. And Lysander well, I calou lato ho wou't complaiu of having bis foot out, if it does lay him up for a whilo. I can't say whether she'll lot him do the preaching, or whether they'll both do it, but you'll see them married before sum mer." "I don.t want anybody to think it's be cause I'm a woman," said Miss Barton, rather inconsequently, when Lysander led ber, blushing and tearful, to his mother's arms. "But I didn't seem able to help it. And Lysander says I needn't give up my work." Harpor's Bazar, The Power of Suppressing Pain. There are cases which I doubt not are very familiar to you, in which we can withdraw ourselves, as it wore, from even severe physical pain by determin edly fining our attention upon some thing elso, either external objects or in ternal trains of thought. A very admir able example of that kind was presented not long since by a well-known physician of this city, Dr. Edward H. Clarke, with whoso case I have become acquainted through my friend Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, who wrote a charming little no tice of bim affixed to the work on "Visions," which has been published since bis death. The fatal malady from which he suffered during the latter months of his life produced the most agonizing pain; and yet be could deter minately withdraw his consciousness, so to spoak.from that pain by fixing it upon another object, that object being the working out of his own neutral train of thought in the composition of this book. This is well known to have been the case also with regard to Sir Walter Scott, who, during u very severe and painful illnsss, dictated the "Bride of Lummer moor." And the most remarkable fact about its composition was that, after his reoovery, he entirely forgot all that he bad done, the book on its publication coming to him as on entirely new work with which he had bad nothing -whatever to do. He only remembered the general outline of the story upon which be bad composed his novel; this he hud heard in early life, and it remained with him; but of the working up of this story into the novel, while he lay on bis sofa contending with paroxysms of agony, he had no recollection. Thus, in the case of Walter Scott, as in that of Dr. E. II. Clarke, we see the effect of determined fixation of the attention npon a train of ideas in mastering physical pain. And I shall give you another most remarkable example of the same thing in the case of Robert Hall, one of the most celebrated preachers of my early years, of whom, I suppose, most of you have heard. Ho used to go into the pulpit suffering tho most agonizing pain, which was found after his death to have resulted from a large calculus in his kidney, with pro jecting points, the terrible suffering pro duced by which every medical man will at once appreciate; and was obliged ha bitually to take some of the largest doses of opium that wero ever administered in order to keop this under at all. But from tho moment ho begun his extempore sor mou (tbo introductory service having been performed by bis colleague) be scorned utterly nncomciou of it. During the latter portion of his life, which was pusod ut Bristol, I was often bis hearer, and, liko everyone olno, was most doeply interested in bis discourses, whilo at times qnito carried away by tho torrout of bis eloquouce. I was assured by eyo witiiosses that whon ho went down into tho vestry he would sometimes roll on tho floor in agony, though during bis pulpit address he had ceased altogether to fool pain. Dr. Curnentor in Medical Journal. Freaks uf Forgetfuliieiis. Of all the ills to which flesh is hoir forgctfulnosj is tho ono thut furnishes tho groatest numbor of luughablo epi sodes; and while many of them are very annoying, the mirthful featuro which is their invariable companion affords a cer tain degree of compensation. Near one of our Atlantic sea-ports there resides an old whaling captaiu oommonly known as Undo (lurdon. To keep from getting rusty, ho made his homo on the river bonk, whero bo could keep a boat, fish and paddle about as ho liked. The plaeo was about five miles from tho city, and, as occasion required. Uncle Qurdon would jouruoy townward for tho purpose of shopping. Reaching tho city, tho horse and wagon would be loft at the watering trough on the Pa rade, cud each would go in different di rections, carrying their bundles to this oommon receptacle, tho first through waiting for tho other. On one of these shipping excursions Uncle Ourdonmade several trips to the wagon, finding that each time additions had been made to his stock of bundles a sign that his wifo was busy. Having completed bis purchases, he unhitched his.horso, and the ferry boat having arrived, climbed into the wapou. and drove on board. While crossing tho river one of bis ac quaintances steppod up and asked how he was getting on. "Well, I'm getting on nicely, but I'm bothered just now." "Why, is anything going wrong?" "No, nothing special; but I came down to do some shopping, and I have forgotten a package I was to get," and the old gentleman scratched his head iu a perplexed manner. "Well, I wouldn't worry. You will think of it next time," said tho neighbor; and the boat having reached the landing, Uncle Ourdon drove ashore and went on oward home. When nearly half-way thero he me, anothor friond, who stopped to have a chat. "How do yon do to day, Uuole Our don?" be asked. "Oh, nicely; though I'm a lit worried just now." "Worried? what about?" continued tho neighbor. " Well, yon see, I've been to town shopping and thore's a pareol of some kind that I've forgotten. I can't think what it is, and it bothers me." "Oh, never mind it! Yon will recol lect what it is beforo you go again. By-the-way, Uncla Ourdon, how is your wife?" "Jerusalem!" criod Undo Gordon, slapping his knee with great energy. "It is my wifo that I've fornotton! She went to town with me to do some shop ping, ami I was to wait for lior. And Uncle Gurdon turned around and went baok to the ferry for the par cel ho bad loft bohind. Harpor's Muga zino. Sew Way of Marrying Tor Money. The proverb which warns us that it is possible to have too much of a good thing reoeived a probably uniquo illus tration in tho recent conduot of a French couple of the name of Chctoo, who aro at present occupying cells in two of tho prisons of Paris. Thoro exists, it seems, a religious society in the French ' capital callod the society of St. Francois Regis, the object of which is to encourage oouples bolongingto the poorer classes to supplement the civil marringo before the Mayor, which is deemod sufficient ii a great many oases, with the religious rite in tho churoh; and small prizes are given to stimuluto the bettor foolings of the lukewarm. It occurred to Cheton and his wifo, who wore regularly mar ried last December, both by priest and Mayor, that they oould make a few francs by representing to the society tbat they had not invoked the blossing of tho church on their union, and offer ing to do so for a consideration. Tho society then mado them a grant of five francB, and tho religious ceremony was duly solemnized iu the church not tho saras as that iu which they wero first married and at the time appointed. Unfortunatoly for this ingenious oouple, their fraud was disoovorod. They were proseoutod for obtaiuing money under fulso pretenses, and they have just been sentenced, tho husband to eight, tho wifo to six mouths' imprisonmont. St, James Gazette. For tho KIcIi JlanV Amusement This, I take it, is tho worst and dark est count in tho wholo indictment against professional scribblers that they aro Loribblinj? not for tho odvaocemont of tho world as a whole, not for the enlight enment of tho struggling macsea, not even for the more innocent am'isoniont of the peoplo who feed and clotho them, but simply and solely for the gratifica tion of a class who have probably no rea son wbateve to exist, and whom the sea green incorruptible, if ever he comes, will educate out of existence with all convenient expedition. Gun a scribbler be considered as sinning against light if he deliberately goes on scribbling for the classes iu point after bo has onco clearly arrived at this fundamautal eth ical judgment? When one begins to apply the rulo, it becomes obviou, I think, that it cuts quite too widely for practical guidunce. For, after all, in the world o now con stituted, with the majority of tho wealth concentrated in the handsof useless, idle and s lfisb people, (which, in fact, we all admit in our sober moments,) it is difficult to see what else the proletariate can do but just silently perforni the tasks which wealth demands of it. Con sider, for example, tbat it is not only the pcribblers who are included in this con demnation, but wholo thousands and millions of laboring men who spend their lives in making expensive article of useless luxury for the very wealthy. Indeed, it is but a relatively small por tion of tho world's population that is em ployed in providingor distributing really useful things -bread, meat, clothing, aoionco, pootry. Tho remainder aro oliirily occupiod in turning out mother of pearl card-cases, maluchito boxes, ivory handled brushes, crests and mono grams, or papior-roaoho ruountrofiilioi; in preserving game, breeding bull dogs, inauufucturinp; lawn-tonnis bats, or dress ing young ladies' hair; in growing cham pagne, bunting sealskins, diving for pearls, grubbing for diamonds, ihooting humming-birds, or pulling ostrich feath ers all the world over. II wo ro iuto a big houso, inhabito I by ono of Mr. Ar nold's greater barbarians, wo see nothing around us on every side but intinito pro ducts of wasted and misdireotod human labor, for the most part not evon beauti ful, but owing tlioir wholo valuo nnd wUatevor paltry mtorest they may hop- pon to possess to tho amount cf time ami paius that has boon unhappily ex pended on proonrinRtbem. The obioois are mostly of what wo call precious ma terials; that is to say, matoriuls for tho obtaining of which many individual mon havo backod their luck against tho pauc ity of supply, and havo wasted their days in an ineffectual Bcareh, only ono out of a hundred ever getting a fair roturn for ins timo and labor as in diamond mm iug. The wholo pluco reeks of gold, sil ver, ivory, jade, agato, onyx, piuphyry and tortoise Bholl; it slides and glistens with polished granite, marble hud lao quor; it dazzles us with mosaic, buhl, velvet, Russia leather, porcelain, breeze and ormolu. If we tuko n turn round ono of our greut mauufuoturing towns, we find it wholly given ovr to tho mak ing littlo electro pluto bhrinrs for tho goddess of fashion, to tho inunufucturo of jewelry, bloom of Ninon, opera-glasses, artificial flowers, photographic albums, or blue satin covorings for chairs with gilt legs and plaster mouldings. If we drop canally upon nuy distant colony or dopoudency, we find black mou and brown men shootiug birds of paradise, hunting for rubies, extracting elephant tusks, growiupr dios, cutting down ma hogany, or fishing coral, all for the sup ply of the groedy, lazy, gr&Hping.tributo exacting European market. I don't say that all theno trades are necessarily bad in themselves, but I do say they are not a whit bettor than thetradoof a scribbler who writes sooiul loaders for the daily press. Coruhill Magazine. Leap In tho Dark. "You are actually going to get mar ried! You! Alreadyl And you expeot me to congratulate you, or perhaps not. I admire the judiciousness of that 'per haps not.' Frankly, I wish you all hap piness in tho new life that is opening to you, and you aro marrying under good auspices, as your father approves of the marriagos. But congratulations on such occasions seems to me tempting Provi dence. The triumphal procession air whioh in our mannors and customs is given to marriage at the outset that singing of "Te Doum" boforo the battlo has begun has, ever since tho rellou tiou camo to mo, struok mo as somewhat whut senseless and somewhat im- pius. If over one is to pray, if evor ono is to feel grave and anxious if over ono is to shrink from vain show and vain babble, surely it is jut on tho occasion of two human beings binding themselves to ono a tother, for better and for worse, till Ucotli part tliem, just on that oeca sion which is customary to oelebrato only with congratulations and rejoicings aud trousseaux and white ribbon. Good God!" "Will yon think me mad whon I tell you that whon I read your word, 'I am going to be marriod,' 1 almost scroamod? Positively it almost took my broatu as if 1 saw you tuko a leap into infinite space. You bad looked to me suoh a happy, happy littlo girl I lour futuor s only daughter, and ho so fond of you as bo evidently was. After ho bad walked out of our bouse that night, and I had got to my room, I sat down in tho dark thero and took 'a good cry." You had reminded me so vividly of my own youth, when I was an only daughtor, an only child, bad a father as fond of me, as proud of me. I wonderod if you knew your own nappi ness." Mrs. Carlyle's Letters. There's So Use Bucking Against Solid. facts. A farmer oamo into a grooery store the othe day and exhibited to the eyes of an admiring crowd an enormous egg, about six iucheB long, whioh he avowed to have been laid by one of bis own liens. HO had it packed in cotton and wouldn't al low anyono to handle it for fear of break ing the phenomenon. The groceryman examined it with the rest, and, intend ing to chaff the countryman, said: "Pshaw! I've got something in tho egg line that will beat that." "I'll bet you five dollars you bavn't!" saw I the couutryman, petting exeneu. "Tako it up." replied tho grooorymun, and going bohind tho counter bo brought out, a wire egg-beator. "Thore is Hoiuotblnein tho eoi? line that will beat it, I guess," said ho, reaching out for tho stakes. "Hold on thero," said the farmer;"lot'i see vou beat it." and ho haudod it to the grocer. The latter hold out his hand for it, bat dropped it in Burprise on tho counter, where it broke two soup plates and a pluttor. It wasol solid iron, painted white. "Some folks think they're darnation cuto," murmured the farmor as be pock eted the stakes and lit out, "but tain't no use buckin' against tho solid lacts. Detroit Chaff. Siagara Revisited. All TPnArrn of "Their Weddinir Jour ney" will keenly relish the sequel to that episode entitled "Niagara Revisited," twelve years later, in ma iiay miaono, Mr. Howell's opening paragraph show ing how Basil and Isabel had got on in t!,,. (wnlvn vcars. mav be o noted: "Lfe bad not used them ill in this timo, and the fairish treatment they had received was not wholly unmerited. The twelve years past bad mado them oldor, as the years must in passing. Basil was nnw i'l and liix moustache was well sprinkled with gray. Isabel was 39, and the parting oi ner uair uau minnou ana rptrnatad : but she'manacred to (rive it the i .(T.f nf vnntlifnl ftbnndunce bv combiner it low down npon her forehead, and roughing it there with a wet brush. By gaslight she was still very pretty; aha believed that she lookod moro Interest ing, and she thought Basil's gray mous taoko distinguished. Ho had grown ktouter; be filled nis doubie-breastod frock ooat compactly, and from time to timo he had tho buttons sot forward; his bands wore rounded on the backs.and ha no louger wears his old number of glovea by two sizes; no amount of powder or manipulation from the young lady in tho shop would indaco thorn to go on. But this did not matter much now, for ho seldom wore gloves at all. lis waa glad that the fusbion suffered him to snare in that direction, for lo was. obliged to look somewhat circf nlly after tue outgoes, me insurance business was not what it had been, and thouzh Basil hud comfortably established him self in it, ho had not mado money. He somotimcs thought that he might have done quite as well if he had cone into literature, but it was now too late. They had not a very largo family; they bad only a boy of eleven, who "took aftor" his fathor, and a girl of nine, who took artor the boy; but with the Araorioan feoliug that their children must have the best of everything, thoy mado it an ex pensive family, aud thoy spent noarly all iusii carnod. The Effect of Age on tho Eye. It is found on an average of observa tions, that at 10 years of age the crystal lino lens in the eyo may bo rendered so convex as to give a clear tmae of an object throo mohos away. At 21 it will accommodate itself to an objeot four and a half inches from the oyo. Anything nearer will be obsoure, becauso the Ions will not assumo a form sufficiently con vox to rofraot to a fooas on the retina rays of light so divorgent as any nearer objeot will radiato. At 40 years of ago the "near point" hairoachod to a distance of nine inohes, and at 00 to thirteen inches. At 00 yoars of aire tho Ions has so far lost its flexibility, and therefore its power of responding to the musclo, that it caandt ordinarily give a clear objeot less than twonty six inchos from the eye. At 75 tho powor of accommodation is wnolly los',; light still passes turongb the eyo, aud is focused on the retina, but only when it comes iu parallel rays. Parallel rays can oonverogo on the re tina, but divorgent rays roqnire that ex tra refractive power whioh the aged eyo has lost by the hardening of the lens. Hot as a matter of disease, thou, but in the ordinary oourse of yoars, and in every eye aliko, is the bodily sight woanod from the soruples of near ob jects around, and pormittod to turn a oloar vision upon things far off. Cham bers' Journal. Let Them do, Ho had livod six months in Europe and met iu tho street car. Sho, too, had been abroad. The oar was orowdod, and be held on a strap while he leanod for ward cracofullv and talkod to ner. Tuey did not mind that all in tho car hoard them. They rathar enjoyed that. She said sho was so anxious to cross again. Ho said bo was he. bhe said it waa just horrid bore, uud ho agree J. "There is nothing ut all for a follow to do," and he wont on, "nothing for him to see, nothing for him to buy. I put fifty dollars iu my pocket a. week ago aud I have it thero yut. J. actually couldn't spond it." It was not pnlito, but tho oar roared. I think even tho horses smiled for the front door was opon it was a Bpring liko day aud tho words of the idiot must liuvo reached them. Thore was a look of unutterable oontompt upon the faces of the man and woman, but thoy spoke uo moro. Likely thoy dotost thoir country and their country poople more than over. Tno mission of Henry James, Jr., is not yet fulfilled. A Royal Same fur a Common Drug. At Croton common drugs aro sold at all tho stores. Rocontly an Irish woman entered one of them and said to a new olork: "Would yeos be after putting up for mo a pound of Queen Annie's powdor?" Tho olork took down a package of bak ing powdor and was doing it up when sho exclaimed: "Not at all, at all; mo Patrick is siok wid the African favor." "What fever?" inquired the clerk. "The faver 'nagur,' replied the woman. "And yoes should soe poor Patrick shake. He hasn't a tooth loft, and but for the ohaponcss of shad we would not be ablo to kapo his oiothes on." The woman got the quinine which she wanted. It is a fact vouched for by tho oldest inhabitants that during the shad season many of the people cannot ohunge their clothes; not from tho arduousncss of the work, but becauso of the number of fish bones that puncture the skin. A Philadelphia woman invited sales girls from tho stores to joiu her class in Sunday school, and a number of them did to. At tho closo of the regular services tho supoiintsndont announced that a season of prayer would follow. "Tho young ladies' mooting will be held as usual in tho ante room on tho loft," he said, "and that of tho shop girls on the right." Tho woman lost her now pupils immediately. First dude, with an embarrassed smile: "Soy, Augustus, I really believe I've broken a corset lacing. Have you an extra one with you?" Second dude, with an expresMOU of horror: "Really! why, Algernon, where eonld you fix it if you had one? The gynrla aro all looking at us, you know." Bcrthold Oebhardt, a German, was found dead in tho parlor of the Fremont house, Oakland, May 81st. He waa very wealthy, nnd owned the premises on whioh he died, aud also owned soma property iu San Francieoo. His aggre gated wealth is about 8 100 .000. Tho world is soon to see the first col ored tragedienne Henrietta Vinton Da vis of Washington who is said to pos sess special talent for the stage. She ia very fine looking, a mulatto, and has a good voico. Jefferson Davis is growing oranges on bis Mississippi plantation, and believes the conditions there more favorable than in Florida. In New York 10,000 children attended At.. I),,'..! waawlv'mAAlitifT fi Rail j tist Sunday icbooU recently.