A CARBONIFEROUS CONCEIT.
Baek, my love. In the oim of time,
Kre man on iih (lnl dwell
In the dniuiiif eiirlmn'feroiis ollino,
J'orvhmive I loved thoe well.
The antf-same fiiellon I may liare asked
That now acts ynur cliii-ln as low.
When wo wrro mtur hiis and banked
In (bo uindiinit of long- aito. ,
Thn rich ttrecii fnrtm a a carxt spread
At thn fool of xtali'ly trees,
That la.Hr rustled over liesd
In the IuiikiikI tropical lircozo.
They knew our love, ami witnessed tha
truth
Of tho tiiirnlntr worts I told
To you when thn world m lirlt youth,
Jn luiiny day of old.
Dot thn minnyilav wan nlirlit al last.
Our former eidvea were clay;
Into thn uliadii of a vanished past
Our Jo was swept uvray.
Thn sharp, cold wind l blowing,
Driving lite fallen snow.
Dill the eonl In the unite Is plowing-,
And toll inn, love, do you know
Thn Arn-tlirht Hash Is ti lling
A tender tule and (rue,
Ilow with loin nur heurlHHm swc-llltiir,
A lovo thut Is old, yet ni'W
For thn gentle llt-lil Is thn sumo, lovo,
That kissed us In dm s of old.
And thouuh aires has helil the truth, lovo,
That onoo to tho trees we told.
Let the storm kltin ride In ley pride;
Heed not the wlml and snow;
Darlinir, aitalu I am at youraido,
In I lie kuiimIiIiih of lonir atrii.
Tlvimiu I'. t'lNiinf, In II iriier'i ll ixnr.
CHINESE FOLK LORE.
Firm Bollof of tho Celestials
Signs and Portduta.
in
Drnail of I'lilurkjr Words anil Charms
Amulets Many Installer of Nuper
slltiotis llnllefs and I'rartlrr
' llelated The Wind and
Water Diiifiiia.
Chlncso folk loro present a subje.ot
both rich and varied. Much of it il
connected with Idolatry, but in every
district aru found legends ami tradi
tion peculiar to tint plain, with habit
ami customs corresponding. 'J'lnsy have
great dreiid of unlucky words, and on
certain luy can not be induced to pro
nounce tho word for "monkey," ami
n ro careful to avoid all direct mention
of death. They will gay a man "has
passed from the body," or "ha passed
from t Jui world or "hut gone to
bcaven," but dislike to say plainly he is
dead. Thu proiier word for "collln" i
studiously avoiili'il, and the ciiplinnym
"longevity boards" used. You may
look in vain for a colli u n)io in pluiii
words, but places for thu manufacture
of "long life boards" are. numerous.
Tho wonts "hiing-shanu ' mean liter
ally "empty handed," but chair bearers
In calling to pedestrians to open the way
Invariably nay "kat-nhau," "lurky
hand," because the other expression
1h exactly tho name in sound us "mur
derer's liaiul." Hats are considered
omeiiH of happiness, because tho miiuo
in similar in sound to tho word for hap
piness, ineir ureau or iiniiu kv wonts
is sometimes utilized. A certain fam
ily were greatly auuoved by crowds of
Chinese men who would gather on an
elevated platform overlooking tlio'r In-
closiireandstiironl them, lieinonstrunoo
was useless. Ho ono of the irentleineii
bethought himself of this superstition
ami posted up an unlucky wont In a
conspicuous placn on tint side of his
house where it was Hiiro to meet their
eyes. The effect wan magical. Tho
men disappeared immediately and no
iiiriner annoyance occurred.
They are lain believers In signs and
portents, a comet presage war, and
as mrun is aiwavs going on in some
part of the broad empire they always
seo mis sign iiiiiuieii. helioses are
caused by a dragon devouring the sun
or moon, and gongs are beaten furiously
to drive him away. The breaking of a
mirror Indicates separation from one's
wife, and tho destruction of an oil jar
portends even worse evils. Ileforo sit
ting down they always fan the seat In
the belief that If yon sit down while It Is
Ntill warm you will fall out with tho
last sitter. Sudden sneezing Indicates
.L...1 ....... I . 1 1 Ml
unit, some one in talking ill ( Mill
Mirrors of a certain kind are said to
foreshadow the future, and jewels have
noon exhibited for a few cash in which
his future was depicted to each observer
in (lie shape of a oeggar, a mandarin, a
inercliant, or Home other character.
Charms and amulets are much used.
Large copper cash with lucky characters
inscribed are tiling around children s
necks. In tho court of the temple, of
the "Five (ienii" in Canton stands the
tower of the tabooed Ml. It was cast
about four hundred years ago, and a
prophecy foretold it would strike tho
doom of tho city; in consequence of
which it was carefully Isolated, and all
wore forbidden t itriko it. A rash
ollieinl, however, ordered it to bo struck,
and forthwith an epidemic, broke out
by which over a thousand voting chil
dren died. Since then bells are worn
by children as charms against disease.
When a child meets with an accident
or Is badly frightened the mother takes
him to tho spot where tho misfortuuo
occurred and presents offering to tho
spirit of tho place to secure bis recov
ery. Missionaries havo had froipiont
experience of peculiar custonu of this
sort On ono occasion, as two of them
were ascending a hill in tho interior to
obtain a view of tho surrounding coun
try, some rude lmvs from the village
noar-oy pursueu unit hooted at ttiem in
a most insulting manner. They drove
them back with some severe rebuke, and
thought no more of it. As they camo
down from tho hill-top, however, they
were met by a throng of pooido evi-
dently much excited. In the midst of
tho crowd was a woman holding a boy
by the hand. Sho accused them of
frightening him so that he was greatly
injured, and Insisted on their presenting
her with a piece from their suspenders,
with which to make nome tea to restore
the boy to Ills senses.
A more peculiar case occurred In my
own exMr.eneo. Having anchored my
boat near a lar, town, the village bova
camo out in largo numbers, hooting,
throwing stone and rendering them
selves generally offensive. l!u!uiguHin
them I aeixed one of theriugleadeisand
threatened to have him punished by tho
elders of Iho town if the d Miirbance did
not cease. Soon after I heard a great
clamor on tho bow of the boat and was
Inforined that the mother of the bovbad
come to seo me. Going out I found her
with the boy who, she said, was so
frightened that be had turned green,
and she demanded a handful of saliva
to restore him. Disgusted at the re
oui'st I turned and left her, but she
persisted, and all the peoplo joined
in support of her request, so that in
sheer self-dcfcnso 1 was compelled to
accede. Whether the remedy was efli-
cacious or not I never learned. An
other re iiieit of tno same kind came a
few days later from a long-rolied
scholar, who was very polite in making
his demand, but whoso little son had
ben greatly startled by my strange
appearance, and ho consequently was
very anxious to guard against any ill
elects.
A certain missionary had a largo black
dog that a-oompanied him in bis trav
els, and on one occasion created con
sternation anil fright among the half
cl.id urchins that swarmed about him.
Several were reduced to that alarming
state at which a pale green hue shows
through the yellow skin, and hair from
the dog's tail was demanded to make,
tea necessary for their recovery
Their belief in spirits is notorious,
and haunted houses are froiiuent Elves,
fairies, brownies, imps, ami other super
natural beings are said to abound. They
believe in spirit-rappings, planchctto,
iilclietiiv. mesmerism, divination of va
rious kinds bv bamboo slips, by images,
by somnambulism, chiromancy and
palmistry. Branches of certain plants
are hung over the doors to ward off evil
inlliiences, and cast swords are hung in
side their Ml curtains as protection
against nocturnal spirits. Their roads
are always crooked and abound in
sharp comers to obstruct the approach
of spirits, which delight in broad,
straight ways. The houses on a street
are never built in a line, but present a
'.ig.ag appearance, us some project and
others are set in. This is to check the
progress of the spirits.
Corner houses are avoided because
their position allbrls such facility for
tho evil spirits to sweep around them.
A sharp roof indicates thut onlv a bar
ber shop will prosper opposite. The en
trance to a house is never d'rect. A
screen in front necessitating a turn to
the rlglit or left, and the arrangement
of the open court inside, witli its llowers
and stands, shows a circuitous path to
tho inner upartments. Many accounts
of supernatural appearances are met
with, such as' tho storv of the Spirit of
tho Mmt-tho fairv who visited the Km
peror Lung, ami in reply to his question
whence site came, said: "1 live on the
terrace of the sun in the ciiehanti
ii ton ti t iii ii. In the morning I am a cloud
in the evening a shower of rain."
Ancestral worship universally prao-
Heed by tliot hineso is inseparably con
iiocled with geoinancy or "earth divina
tion," otherwise known as "FiingShtii,
thn "wind and water" doctrine, ono of
thn most gigantic systems of delusion
that ever gained prevalence among men
It Is lielleved that tliero is a subtle, In
tangible something, vaguely character
twit as "wind and water, that has
most powerful inlluenco upon the for
tunes and destinies of men. What tho
principles of this occult science are it
lias been impossible to determine. Its
power largely depends upon its i tit a n
gibitity. and In the hands of ilesignin
men, playing upon the superstitious
fears of tho poojtlo, and exaggerating
(lie ellects of the conjunction of certain
material inmifticcsupon out ward events,
tuts system of gcomancv has become
might v power, and has imposed a vok
of most galling bondage upon the pet)
pie. Thev havo associated it with
ancestral worship, so that the two
are interwoven and combine ( form the
strongest barrier to progress and en
lightenment of every kind. In cxplana
tillll it ltd lilltiiiittti,4 ttiil "fimir" U'itiil
Is said to be tho cold air w hicft Issues
from the earth, anil it Is In all cases de
sirable that there bo no hollow or do
jiresslon near a grave lest this evil wind
blow into it ami disturb tho collln or the
hones.
The "Sliui water" pertains to tho
couliguaration of the earth, which is
supposed tube caused by tho dragon
whose shape is discerned in the uneven
line of ruts along the horizon. Tho
homo of tho dragon is in the water, in
whose winding course he delights
Tracing the water to its source wo come
to tho meeting place of the dragon -
(lie fountain-head of the Inlliiences that
control human destiny ; hence over tho
gates of many villages may lie seen the
words "i t-i.ung, "meeting of drag
ous," indicating the propitious site of
the town. I lie dragon Is nil-Important
lie has power to give prosperity to tho
land, to bring glory to tho King and
honor to the sage, and Is tho symbol of
all superiority and micccss in social
political and moral a Hairs. Hence
it
appears that tho water courses, as the
as tli
haunts of
dragons, are of the lirst im
portance, tlioir source, direction, or
conjunction with each other, and
tho Inlliionces resulting, being de
termined bv tho geomancer'!
compass, if, for Instance, in
tho case of a grave tho water Hows past
a certain point 01 mo compass tno de
scendants will lie prosperous: if it passes
at another angle distress will overtake
them, litis compass, so necessary ii
determining every location, has twelve
cyclical diameters, analogous to the
twelve signs of tho nodiao. inscribed at
equal distances around the outer circle.
The first Is at tho northern extremity.
and is placed at tho back of tho tomb
which, unless for special reasons, al
ways faces south. The order in which
tho signs are read and calculations made
Is from east to west, according to the
diurnal motion, as it appears to them, of
tho sun and stars. If a bend in the wa
ter course is noted to tho north, it indi
cates thai the descendants, if poor, will
l thieves, or. if rich, that they will be
robbed. If tho same sign appears on
tho northeast, it shows that the tie
scemlants will die voting or be left wid
ows, or worse still, men without chil
dren. If lite Und in tho water course
occurs to tho east they will become vag
abonds. At tho next point disturbance
and rebellion are indicated. At the next
a snake, will grow of itself in tho tomb,
causing restlessness to the bones of tho
deceased, and, consequently, to tho for
tune of his posterity, bringing tho evil
wind oi unhappy destiuy with special
force to blast tlnnr prospect.
Tho water In front of a tomb nbould
never bo stagnant, but always running
in a stream. Riches and' rank are
supposed to flow capriciously from point
ta po'nt. Iier.ee so much d -ponds on tiif
course of tho water as it flows by tli'J
limb. Tho cutting of roads or 'tl.o
bu lding of bridge or dams may alter
the course of tho water and disturb the
natural inlliiences of tha place, and a
man may be rultioj in fortune by the
displacement of a hundred weight of
ear h behind the grave of his grand
father. In building houses, ancestral halls,
temples, anil laying the foundat'on of
villages, the service of the gcomancer
is absolutely necessary to secure the
proper conjunct'on of good inlliiences.
In front of a village, for instancs, a
straight roa I leading directly out of it,
with peoplo going and earning, or a
small stream (lowing in a straight
course from it, are said to dissipate the
good inlliiences. An open air allar, a
bamboo grove or groves in front, and to
have the left side low and the right
high, are all unlucky signs. The great
antidote for this system of gro-tsest
error is the spread of Christian science.
True knowledge of astronomy and
physical geography will do much to
break down this mass of superstition
which has covered the whole face of
nature with a mantle of Minister influ
ences and made a man's orional
virtue, us well as his outward pros
perity, depend upon the physical
surrounding of his home or the locution
of tho tomb of somo remote ancestor.
Ii. C. Henri, in i'a!iinrjton National
IlqiitUican.
DULL DAYS.
Why Nome Mrri-liantt are ao Nensitlre to
Klurtiiatlon of Trade..
"Why is it that merchants are so sen
sitive to tho fluctuations of trade? I
have liecn in two or three store to-day
and they all spoke of its being a re
markably dull day but little doing
and appeared quite blue. They have
bad a good trade right along, and I
should think they would rather relish a
quiet day, uow and then!"' interroga
tively spoke a citizen yesterday to a re
porter. The reporter replied: "Have
you evor thought of the peculiar situa
tion ol tno dry goods inercliant.-' no
pays a large rent, lie must havo a good
force of clerks, ho must burn gas freely
anil then goods are sold very low now.
His margins are very small and his sales
must be largo to raako his profits equal
his expenses. Every merchant knows
iust what his daily e.xpeuses are. Tho
largest retail dealer iu the city can toll
you just what his expenses ure per min
ute. When the merchant look at his
cash book and sees the money coming
in slowly, ho realizes that every moment
hois losing money, for his expenses
aro the same, trade or no trade. If his
expenses are J'.'tHJ or $300 per day, you
see lie may lose money rapidly and
there is no wonder that lie is sensitive,
for men don't like to see the cash ac
count run against them, even for a day.
Of course, somo aro more sensitive to
these wrong side accounts than others.
Somo scarcely notice a day's slackness
in trade, making their calculations on
longer time a week or a month and
compensate for to-day's light business
by saying that it will be all the more
active to-morrow. Ho Is, in many re
spects, a lucky man. Hope always
keeps him in good spirits, while the
merchant who broods over a day's dull
ness cast a gloom over the entire estab
lishment. I sometimes think It would
bo better if the merchant could only see
weekly or monthly statements of ac
counts, but of course thev want to
know where they stand each day, and
perluiis, as a rule, that is best, yet to
somo it may bo the causo of a certain
degroo of unliappiness. Toledo Tele
(ram. NIPPED IN THE
BUD.
Iy a Little
A Uncial Calamity Averted
KipUimtlon.
lie looked all around to see .if any
body was within hearing, and then
dropped his voice to a whisper and said:
"I loss, 1 reckon von km gin mo
lectio information. What does a pusson
do when lie elopes r
"Why, an elopement is when a man
and woman or boy and girl run away
together.
Wliar' do dey go to?"
"(). anywhere they decide upon
"Who pays do expenses?"
"Tho mail, of course."
"How long am dev gone?"
"Sometimes a week .sometimes for
ever.
"Who pays do cxponses back?"
"The man,"
What becomes of do woman's hus
band?"
"Well, ho generally urms himself with
a sliot-gun. and if ho overhauls the
couple ho shoots seven kind of day
light through the man and forgives his
wife and takes her homo."
"Fo' do Lawd! Shoot right at ye?"
"Yes."
"Fills vc right full o' shot?"
"Yes."
Doan' gin ve no time to run or re
pent, an can t bo bought off wid
silver watch ami f 2?"
"Xo, sir."
"Now! Say!"
"Well."
"I isn't gwine! Tie changed my
mind! (Jood day !" Detroit free I'resk
The Dress of Great Men.
Daniel Webster usually wore a suit of
snuff-brown color, with a largo soft
neck-tic. Martin Van Huron was very
fastidious aNiut his clothes, and always
appeared during tho summer in tiio
whitest of white linen duck. His clothes
were cut in tho latest style, and ho
wore very high stock neckties, out of
which peeiMHl his standing collar. An
drew Jackson also dressed well, though
ho did not make his clothes a groat
matter, llenrv Clay wore a swallow-
ail, and a standing collar extravagant-
high. James Huchanan was aiwavs
very precise in his clothes, always np-
oaring in full dress. Washin-jtun Vor.
tft-n tiMU l.oukr.
-The practice of vivisection is a form
of cruelty which should not lie prohib
ited. It is necessary in tho puisuit of
knowledge, not otherwise attainable.
intended to conserve tho life and health
not only of human beings who inflict it
but of the bruto creation who suffer.
lliil.idi-ljhiii lUcorJ.
9 m
-Horses that are not free driver will
require less urging if driven with a bri-
dlo with blind. I'hiUdelphi Vrtst.
FERDINAND WARD.
How He Pawee Ilia Tim In the I.udlow
street Jall-Koatlne of the Day How the
1'imout l-'lneaelrr Takee Ills linprlaon
niiint Ills Dath-Tuli, Cigars, and Hoard.
The air was cold and the light gray
in the corridors of the Ludlow Street
Jail this morning, when Ferdinand
Ward awoke. .It was half-past seven
by tho gold timepiece which hangs at
night over the head-rail of h's iron cot.
Outside his cell door was a pail of fresh
water, and in a moment he wa taking
the tub-bath he always begins tho day
with. The splashing of the watercould
l)e heard along tho entire tier. His
toilet is a careful one, and he does not
shave every day only because his beard
is lighter , than many of the boy1.
When ho went in to breakfast ho bowed
with grave courtesy to his fellow-
boarder. Thero aro only two of them
who can afford fifteen dollars a week
for table board. Becky Jones is a guest
of the arden s. ' H hat she eats will
hurt nobody," ho says.
After breukfast all the morning pa
ners aro sent ard, and he lights
ciirar before unfolding them. He find
tobacco a groat solace, and his friend
keep him well supplied. Hut ho uses
no ther wino nor fpirits. They don'
agnewith him, and besides he knows
they muddle tho brain and disturb the
c rculation. no is very careiui to Kect
Ins head clear and his system in good
order. I lie papers interest him im
mensely, and he follows with unflagging
interest the tliictuations of slocks, lie
read a!l tho theatrical criticisms and
sporting news and is a clo e student of
politic. 1 hen ho takes an ooservai on
of the weather, and if the sun sh'ncs on
tho bricks of the court-yard pavement
ho prepare fcr h s morning s walk
Before this tho ia l-cells have vomit
ed out their over-night contents. The
drowsy, ragged, draggled, ill-sinclling,
no-account mob has been shaken out
into the inclosure; has been stirred up
and ventilated; has been lot move about
and o-tle where the sun can soften the
Millon. cnmed faces and the cr sp a:
bathe and brighten the heavy eves; and
has been licked up again and swal
lowed in twilight caves and fastened
down with bolt. that even noxious gas
c and swelling savage curses can not
split. When Mr. Ward is ready for his
exercise the eourl-vard is clear again
ami Hushed with pure air.
Ho walks much both rooming and
afternoon, pacing back and forth across
tho t-eventv-nvo feeu or walled brick
with a brisk, cheerful gait. His boots
are neat and easv, his dark clothes of
fashionable cut, and tho dapper stick
he sometime. swings a graceful and
expensive plaything. Ho is fond of the
warm, bright spots, and when the sky
is clear often walks with his hands in
his pockets, gazing steadily upward
vv hen iiecky Jones comes out lor an
air.ng he takes off his hat, and greet
her am ably, lie adm res her at u dis
tance, however, for sho clearly disap
proves of h m. (Jaco, whon ha kindly
complimented her steadfast pluck, i-ho
snubbed him. She will ramble for
hours in a sort of halting dog-trot, and
Ward always leave her tho sunniest
places undisturbed. He says very l.t-
tlo to his other cha ice compan ons. al
though aiwavs at) able ai d obliging.
The keepers like h iu for his good na
ture, but he is not a lively prisoner.
Ho smile at jokes, but makes uono
himself. He is aiwavs cool, silent and
s df-possesu'd.
'lbs walk UMiallv comes to an end
with tho daily visit of his confident al
clerk, who stands bv him with adm.r-
ahlo loyalty and dis niore.it.'tlnoss.
This gentleman is of excellent family
an I Iho h ghost business antecedents,
lie is known widely and universally
respected a a capable accountant and
a s.ncere Christian. When Ward was
poor and ob.-curo this man, a friend of
tho clergyman, Ward s father, lent the
young man money and helped him
along iu other ways. After Ward bud
joined his fortune with his old school
mate, tho luckless Bucklirant, ho went
to this gentleman, then occupying
responsible and profitable posit on, mid
offered him a place a his confidential
clerk. Duped by Wanl's astonishing
operations, and beguiled bv hints of
unlimited fortune lor tho tlrm, that
gentleman accepted tho offer. And
now innocent of complicity in the young
mail s schemes, and remembering onlv
his lirst really sincere gratitude, ho is
devoting his best energies to unravel
the tangled affairs of Grant & Ward,
and bring tho cao into ourt a soon
i . . i , , ...
us possioic. a Knowieugo oi the cir
cunistanoos of his caso gains for this
confidential agcut tho confidence of all
parties to the suits.
Dinner turns Ward rcadv and wait-
ing. His appetite is unfailing, hi di
gestion sound, and though his face is
still drawn and pall d ho has gained
flesh. In tho early afternoon of three
days in tho week ho receives a long
visit from his wife. Sho is spending
the winter in Brooklyn with her
mother, Mrs. Green. Twice a week
ono of Ids lawyers pulls tho big brass
knob of tho lumbering jail door and is
iinnied ately admitted. His legal inter
est aro cared for by the lirm of Butler.
Stillman & Hubbard. When ho has no
visitor ho roads tho few books in his
oell until tho evening turners arrive
He aiwavs shows a great interest in any
iiiui'ti milium ii-iiniii iu iiiiuseu. n
is said that he Ins a scrap-book contain
ing all the comment that ho has seen
:..... I ...... ..... ...-.1 1.
on Ins case. Ho lias pasted a choice
collection f them on the walls of his
cell, otherwise unadorned, and add to
it from time to time suoh now pictures
a lake h s fancy.
Mr. Ward's solitude is uncheored bv
the visits of Iits old cronies. None of
tho (Jrant havo been near him. A a
patron of the drama and a lover of tho
gay and beautiful, Mr. James D. Fih
could easily enliven him with choice
anecdotes of the world of fashion as
well a finance; but Mr. Fish has sed
ulously kept away. Ho seem to have
no friends devoted enough to brave a
ride in the Grand Mreet cars and a fu
gitive hour in tho gloomy shadows of
the jail. Nor does ho go outside the
walls. Thero is reason to believe
storie to the contrary pure inven
tion. Ward is left alone with his
thoughts when he I. not busy over the
record of hi eccentricities. Of the-e
he never speaks to hi rtrison a.-cc
ato. Nobody about the jail has oo
heard him express an opinion as to h
fate or bis case. Indeed, he encourages
no confidence of any sort He looks
like one who is calmly waitingfor some
thing he has expected and proviueu ior.
Yet if he ha money lie carciuuy cou
cealslt Tobacco is his only luxury
and his surroundings are hard and un
lovely.
Thn last meal of his day Is always
hearty one, and he smokes and reads
til hi early bedtime. He
rests Ions', vet is not a sound sleeper.
At the dead of night wakeful prisoners
often hear him cry out in his sb-cp or
tossing' restlessly. Sometimes he
attends the night gliding up and down
the corridor, having goi penu:ssmu
Nobody is disturbed by his silent prom
enade. and he merely says ho is un
commonly wakeful xV. 1. Graphic
COASTING.
Hiimiosliloue Fun on Flluflap Hill In l'o
dunk.
Last night was a gala occasion at the
coast on Flipflap Hill. The smooth,
hard surface of this fashionable de
clivity glittered m tho romantic moon
light, a though its ermine bosom were
studded with an infinitesimal array of
diamonds, and the a'r was made musi-
cal by tho merry shouts of Lullnh!"
"Clear the track!" "Git out of the
way, darn yer!" and numerous other
manifestations of pleasure of the
throngs of iocund sliders who ruado
tho ocean on notable by tho r presence.
Prominent among the distinguished
coasters were Johnny Green, with his
brand-new sled "Ripsnorter;11 Sammy
Black, who bestrode h;s steel-clad cour
ser with a grace and dignity all his
own; Jim Sni.th, whose red mittens and
strinned linnet were tho envy and ad
miration of all who hud the good for
tune to witnes them; Lhurtey
Jones, whose elegant equipage
was graced by the lithe ioini
and rosy features of his cousin,
Jane Dash; Bill Somes, whose elegant
sliding o la belly-bumps was the delight
of every on-looker; Dick Robinson and
Jack Brown and F'red White, and scores
of others. Among the elegant turnouts
were the well-known sleds "Kacer,
"Deerhound," "Tiger.1' "Lion,"
"Metamora," "Pirate,1' "Sylph,
"Avalanche," and many mere too nu
merous to mention. 1 here were sleds
of solid frame and skeleton sleds, sleds
with long runners and sleds witli short
runners, single sleds, sleds big enough
for two persons, anil uouble-rppcrs.
Never, perhaps, was there seen such a
wealth of sledding paraphernalia, ut
least upon Fliplhip Hill.
And the coasters were quite us "re
cherehe" as tho sled they rodo upon
so gallantly adown the congealed
c urse, and which they so heroically
pulled back to the summit, whence
again they shot forth upon their down
ward, meteoric career. It is estimated
by a careful observer that the gentle
boys upon Flipllap Hill last night rep
resented a combined property of no
less than four hundred marbles, seventy-five
pegtops. thirty-nine bowkites
and live cigarette holders!
Iho costumes of the male coasters
were severely plain, in most cases, as
properly became the high posi
t ons occupied in society by thoir
wearer. There wore, however,
some noteworthy exceptions. For
example, Tom Harris' pantalo.ms
were adorned with two outre pat -lies
upon their broadest part; the sombre
outlines of the nether integuments of
Bill Jenkins were artistically rodeved
bv normittiny a sliffht show of ermine
J i o i-
underwear to protrude through slashes
in tho sumo local ty: and fringed el
bows and perforated knees and neglige
hats and porous shoo added to the
grand ensemble of picturesque grand
eur. Hut the brilliant effect of the male
garmcnttiro was wholly swallowed up
nml lost in tho rad ance of the clothing
uiiected bv the g rls. uii for. the pen
of a Milton to adequately portray the
multitudinous com linations and the
ravishing aggregate of thoir environ
ment! Tliero were white hoods
and red hoods and green howls
and hoods rollocting all tho
colors of tho rainbow; shawls,
grav, brown, black, parti-colored :
.1 rosso of inconccvablo variety of hue.
the richest product of tho mills of
Lowell and Lawrence; hosiery, homo
made and machine-made, darned and
undarned. It was indeed a resplendent
sight! It was a moving, living pano
rama of beauty, a kaleidoscope of
tint, a paint-shop of color informed
with life !
Toward midnight the sport grew fast
nnd furious. Sled followed sled down
tho slippery slide with reckless rapid
ity. Occasionally a rjder is unsledded,
and again a double-ripper overtakes
its predecessor, or run madly into tho
fenco alongside and scatters it aston
ished freight and their torn clothing
and fractured limbs broadcast upon the
chillv night. It was glorious!
There are few places like Flinilan
Hill, and no one who has had the
felicity of viewing tho beauty and the
grandeur, tho elegance and tho clite
ness which mark tho spot can wonder
that it should continuo to be the
rendezvous of the wealth and fortune
of Podunk. Uoston Transcript.
In a recent issuo of your paper.
writes a lady to the Boston Journal, I
noticed an account of an orange inside
of an orange raised in Mexico. In 1S.U
or 1S3.5, at the time "Honest John Da
vis,1' of Worcester, was Governor of
Massachusetts, ho boarded at a board
ingJiouse in Cambridge street, facing
Bowdo n street, kept by Mme. Wilson!
At a ball given in honor of the Gov-
ernor by Mine. Wilson, in making lem
onade for the occasion, ono lemon in-
uio of another wa found, and. as in
tho case of tho orange, tho inner lemon
was perfect and about one-third the
size of the outer one. I doubt if 1 have
ever cut a lemon since that I have not
thought of this freafc of nature, atufthe
uriui-e an I talk it occasioned at tho
ball, at which it was on exhibition.
When Dr. Bellows went to Abra
ham Lincoln to urge tho appointment
of Dr. Hammond a Sur2von-Generl.
Mr. Lincoln listened to him for half an
hour, and then, when Dr. Bellows w.-i
done, said w th a smile, "Well, I ap
pointed Dr. Hammond nine davs sen.
but I do like to listen to vouroratorv."
Dr. Bellows was really a great orator.
Abraham Lincoln was a pre it wit
Ckrisfian Advocate.
A COLD DAY.
lie Had Beanoii to Feel Ul.eourmfed and
Ilroken I'p.
The young man took the seat beside
me, and as the train rolled on he un
wound about twelve and a half yards of
bright red and green and yellow and
bluo knit comforter from around hu
neck. Then he took off his fur cap and
pulled off the knit cap which was
hauled down close over his ears. Then
he took off his big woolen mittens and
pa:r of gloves, and then lie drew oft
one pair cf arctics. It is not au fait
even in the land of the blizzard, to wear
more than one pair of arctics on the
train. Ho then chucked off his ulster
and unbuttoned his buflab) overcoat
The rest of his wraps he did not re
move, as ho was going to get off iu
about forty-five miles. His countenance,
when h's laco began to thaw out, woro
an express on of profound dejection.
"Stranger," he iaid, "do I look all
broke up?''
I told him that ho bore the appoar
ence of a man whoso entire system was
ono permeation of laminated fractures,
from wither t ) hock. I always talk
that way out West You see I want
these guileless children of tho "rowdy
West to understand that I am uow
residing in a land of superior culture,
where we look proud and talk through
our nose.
H i looked at me for a moment, and
then reached for his hip pocket As I
dropped under the seat and crept be
hind my valise he drew out ins tobacco
box anil I came to tho front again, re
marking that I was looking for my col
lar but.
"Oh, you kiu talk English, too?" he
said, in a tone of admiration. "I wisht
1 knowed moro'n one language. But
lcinine to 1 you. I don't look half as
broke uii as I fed 'r else you'd bj
askeered to set by me. You know how
all killin1 cold it was Saturday night?'1
I fo t mv frosted ear tenderly ana
nodded.
"Well, I got on a freight train and
rodo up to llubbleson's sidin", forty
threo mild that night, to ee my girl. I
allowed to visit with her folks all that
night and Sunday, an come home on
tho passenger Monday inornin'. She
lives six mild from tho station, an1 I
tramped out to the house in all that
blizzard, and got there long bout
Teven o'clock Saturday night. An' I'll
be tectally cow kicked by a biillrush if
theiewas a liven' soul to home! Old
folks, 't seems, had gone away to Lin
coln t' s'ay over Sunday, my girl had
went r. vn to Grier's Island to stay a
week, the hired man had taken tho only
hoi's' left on the place and gone down
to a dance on Berkeley's branch; cloven
mild away, an' there I was, left over
Sunday where I wouldn't know a souL
Went to Deacon Mumlcr's and told him
who my father was, an' ho kept mo.
Deacon's stone blind and has the asth
ma so bad he can't talk; his wife's so
deef sho can't hear it thunder, they
have no children nn' don't keep no
help, an1 don't cook anything Sundays.
I went to church three times thut day
and went to two funerals; the doacou
goes to bed at eight o'clock and so I
shivered on a straw bed under a cot
ton quilt in a north -room for thirteen
hours Now think of all that when a
feller M ben expect'n' a turkey dinner,
Bingin' 'Hold the Fort,1 bv a melodoou
all afternoon and hugiin1 tho ptirtiost
g'rl in till Nebrasky Irom sundown till
ono o'clock in tho inornin'. and tell mo
cf 1 ain't got more right to f -el broke
up than any man this side o' the king
dom? Say 'no' ai' I'll slam you on top
tho head w.th this overshot;!'"
I didn't say "no." HunlelU, in
Brooklyn Eagle.
RETRIBUTION.
he Sad Condition of the Man Who Pre
dicted an Open Winter.
Some would-bi) p-tsscngors woro wait
g at a station up in Wiscons'n for a
train which didn't arrive, becauso it
was tinned m the -now sixteen miles
away. A farmer came in, and, uftor
thawing himself out by the stove, in
quired of tho station agent:
"Am I yer road open yet?
Ho was" informed that tho road was
effectually closed to traffic for that day
at lo.ist. Next d ay ho came in again.
Tho passengers ha.l disperse!, but tho
agent was on duty.
"Am t sho open yet? he in purcd, a
soon us In; could pull the icicles awav
from the front of h s mouth.
"Closed up tighter than a mackerel.11
The third day ho reappeared, took off
his boots to siw if his foot were frozou,
and put a little sweet, o l on his frost
bitten uose before inquiring:
"Upon yet?
"Navv, and ain't likely to bo before
spring. "
Well, 1 11 bo doggoncd! exclaimed
ho iniiu'rcr, disgustedly: "bv the croat
horned spoon, but this is tough. It
sarves mo right though, sarves me
ght."
"How' that?"
"Wall, you see. it's a clear caso of
retribution. Thatfs what it is-retribu-
ion. My well is froze up. tho creek on
my place is closed solid, I can't cut
through tho he on tho lake, and my
stock i ftufferin1 for water. There's so
tarnal much snow 'round mv barn I
can't git tho doors open, and t have to
walk Tto town, soein s I can t get my
horc out Thev enu't keep the school
house warm and th it's closed up. Any
how, my children couldn't git out o1 the
house this weather. All the 'taters in
my cellar is gone, and those I buried
down in the patch aro under ton feet o'
saow. I'm out of terbacker, an' when
I went to the only placo in town where
I've got any credit that was closed up,
too. prob'ly because thero wa'nt no
trade. By gosh, everything seems to
bo closed up, even yer old railroad.
Am expectin' my wife on that train o'
your'n that snowed in down by Jono1
Crossing. It's retribution; that's what
it is.1'
"Retribution for what?'1
"Why, darn it all, stranger, I'm tha
man that predicted an open winter.11
Chicago herald.
The lifo of quadrupeds generally
reaches its extreme limit when the
molar teeth are worn down. Those of
the ehecp last about fifteen years, of the
ox twenty, of the horse forty, and of
tho elephant ono hundred. Many in
ferior species die as soon they have
laid their eggs, just as herbs perish as
soon a they have flowered.