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About The new Northwest. (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 1877)
MBS. A. S. DC.WWAT, Editor nni Proprietor. OFFICE-Co e. Fkoxt fc Washington Streets A Journal for the People. Devoted to the Interests of Humanity. Independent In Politics and Rellgiorj. Alive to all Live- Issues, and Thoroughly Radical In Opposing and Exposing the 'Wrong TEUMS, IN ADVANCE: ot the Mosses. One year. Six months Three months.......... -S3 00 1 75 -.100 Correspondents writing over assumed signa tures must make known their names to the VOLUME VI. TPCXRHTuAJSCD, OKEGON, xTKIDjYY, JANUARY , 1876. NTOIBER VT. Editor, or no attention will bo given to tbelr communications. Free Speech, Free Press, Free People. ADVERTISEMENTS Inserted on Reasonable Terms. EDNA AND JOHN: A Romance or Idaho Flat. B V Mes. A. J. DUXIWAY, AUTHOR OF "JUDITH REID," "ELLEN DOWB," "AMIE AND 1IENRT LEE," "THE HAPPY HOME," "ONE WOXAN'S SPHERE," "MADGE MORRISON," ETC., ETC..-ETC. Entered, according to Act of Congress, In the year 187G,by Jlrs. A. J. Dunlway, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington City. Woman's degraded, helpless position Is the weak point of our Institutions to-day a dis turbing lorce everywhere, severing family ties, filling our asylums with the deal, the dumb, the blind, our prisons with criminals, our cit ies with drunkenness and prostitution, our homes with disease and death. Notional Cen tennial Equal Rights Protest. CHAPTER X. Edna bad so thoroughly disciplined her mind to the idea that she must be lieve in her husband under all circum stances that it was long before she took real alarm from his idle habits. John was not at heart a vicious mau, and when half tipsy he was always su premely good uatured. Edna's con tempt for him in no way diminished as she saw him regularly appropriate her hard earnings to his own individual in digencies, but she only strove the harder to supply the fuel for the con stant drain upou their resources, till at last she fell sick, and then the trouble came in earnest. Aunt Judy, with whom the change iu climate and surroundings had gone hard, was excessively rheumatic, and became utterly unable to .supply the market with pastry, after Edna fell ill, and the family exchequer grew alarm ingly empty. "John," said Edna, one day, after a vain eflort to arise from her bed to at tend to the demands of her business had resulted in a relapse, "couldu't you learn to make the pies and doughnuts, and carry on the business till I get well again ?" "Do you take me for'a woman?" John replied, with a maudlin laugh. "Then what are we to do, John ? I've Trorn out my strength in your service, anrl am tin InnirAi ,hla tn pnrrtf nn t.lio '""fa1-" ' TVprk. Do you intend to let us starve?" John could not comprehend the situa tion. So lone as there was a meal ahead he was as happy as the day. "We'll be compelled to sell theteain,i said Aunt Judy, at last, though this conclusion was arrived at through many tears and misgIvings,for the teamwas her only possession, and while she retained it she was not without hope that when the spring should come and the roads be again passable, she might get away from the mountain fastnesses and reach the settlements with Edna and the child. Iu her own mind John had been given up as lost from the first hour that his drinking habits became apparent. "John," and Aunt Judy tried hard to speak cheerfully, "there was a miner here to-day who intends to engage ex tensively in flume making iu the spring. I agreed to sell him our wagon and oxen. It will be a great trial, for while we had the team we had the means of getting out of this, you know. But we'll starve unless we do something, Edna Is like to be down for all time, for what I know thanks to your kindly care for her comfort! I'm rheumatic and used up, and with the snow all around us, the mines frozen up for the winter, aud the only able-bodied mem ber of the firm so dignified that he isn't willing to work at making pies because he's of the sex that's able to plume Itself upon dignity,. I'll be compelled to close the bargain and part with the oxen right away. Isow, I want you to go down to -the bottom and get 'em up. Pour hundred dollars will keep the wolf from the door till spring, if I have tba handling of the cash." But John did not go for the cattle that day, nor the next. He was always ready with some trivial excuse, aud al ways promising to go to-morrow: but to-morrow never came, and at last the last loaf of bread was gone and the last mouthful of food of any description had disappeared. John was not hungry. He was- toler ably clever at draw poker, aud the free lunches of the low groggery where he spent bis hours of leisure, and they were not limited, seeing he was wholly with out occupation, were regularly forth coming; so, blunted as he was in his sensibilities by drink, he was incapable of an adequate conception of the real needs of his household. If there is one .place superior to all others in genuine liberality, that place is a mining camp. The little Idaho, the only child in the diggings, was an ob ject of positive adoration among the bronzed and bearded men who had wan dered far from the abodes of their loved ones, with whom was an ever-abiding and tender memory. Many of these men had left their homes to woo the fickle god of fortune, expecting soon to return: but with hopes long deferred by constant failure to secure tbo much coveted wealth they had come in quest of, they yet lingered in Idaho Flat, eat ing and drinking, through the long winters necessarily spent in Idleness in the mountains, the proceeds of every summer's toil Aunt Judy aiHn had bad a fear ful quarrel. Ato seasonu of im portamty, in good woman had vainly plead with her idle ward to fetch the cattle that they might be sold to save the household from starvation, he said, one day, with provoking cool ness, J'l don't see why you need to worry. The miners won't see the wom en and children suffer." "And, is it possible, John Smith, that you are so far dead to all sense of inde pendent honor that you would willingly depend upou the efforts and charity of strangers for your family's support?" John left the cabin, slamming the ponderous puncheon door with a clamor aud baug that sent a thrill of nervous agony through poor Edna's temples and almost threw ber into spasms. "Aunt Judy," said she, speaking from a sudden Impulse which a moment's re flection would have caused her to forego, "I'm afraid John has sold the team al ready." "And what, pray, would he have done with the money?" cried Aunt Judy, the sudden start of surprise throwing her into a fresh tremor of rheumatic twinges. "I don't know, auntie. Please forget that I said it. God knows I would not misjudge John. I have chosen my fate, and it is as little as I can do to honor it. This is your own teaching, you know." "Yes, poorcbild ! But I little thought, when I counseled you to make the best of a bad and foolish bargain, by stick ing the closer to it, that you would ever be the means of bringing us all to the verge of both starvation aud disgrace!" It was a cruel taunt. Poor Edna, weak and helpless, and so full of her own miserable contempt for the weak lingwho was dragging himself and fam ily to the lowest depths by drunkenuess and profligacy that she was paying the forfeit of her disgust by a lingering- aud painful illness, could only answer by si lent tears. Little by little the whole truth leaked out. John bad sold the team and squan dered the proceeds of the sale at the gambling board. At first he was peni tent, but a consultation with his friends at the groggery put a new phase upon his affairs, and be became insolent and abusive. There was little law, except of the Lynch order, iu Idaho Flat. Men were bound to each other by a code of un written honor, which the most of them instinctively respected, and .woe to the transgressor who disregarded it. But, if they knew bow to deal with each other as men, they were signally at fault when differences of opinion concerning property rights grew up be tween husband aud wife, hence they could not interfere with the rights of Edna aud John, or even of John aud Aunt Judy in property matters. Could Aunt Judy have proved that the property in question was hers, instead of John's, or, rather, John's wife's, it would have aroused the indig nation of every miner to its highest pitch to bave known that be bad thus appropriated it; but the accepted idea that a mau cannot wrong a woman in person or property, if that woman be his wife, was orthodox law in Idaho Flat, as it is in too many other localities in America where men are the sole arbiters of financial destiny. "The team wasn't yours, but Edna's, and you needn't be putting on airs about it, Aunt Jude !" said John. 'I should like to know how you make that out!" was the old lady's helpless reply. "I'm not always asleep when I'm sup posed to be napping," continued John. I heard j ou and old Mrs. Rutherford talking these tilings over together be fore wo left the States, and I know that you're infringing on my rights every time you interfere in my family af fairs!" This was a blow to Aunt Judy's pride, but how was she to help herself? She was absolutely without proof that she was other than a pensioner upon the bounty of John. It was not customary for women to own property in their own right when there was a man at hand to claim it. How was it that she had been so blind? But it is useless to follow the misera ble family through the sickening or deals of that terrible wiuter. Over the humiliation of Edna, the wrath of Aunt Judy, aud the dissipation of John, let us, in mercy to the reader, draw a veil. Partly upon the charity of the miners, partly upou the prucarlous earnings of John's gambliug, but chiefly upon such slight income as Edna was able to com mand by her pastry cooking on such days as she was able to creep around the cabin, the family subsisted. Spriug came at length, bringing balmy sunshine aud gentle breezes to allay the rigorous cold that had held carnival through the long months pre ceding her mucb-desired advent. Work was resumed in the diggings as soon as the melting snows made water abundant, aud soon the mines were lit erally black with searchers for the hid den ore. With (be return of pleasant weather name better health for Aunt Judy, whose rheumatic winges gave way uu der the genial rays of the springtime sunshine. The baby Idaho, or Ida, as the miners loved to call her, was the pet of the set tlement, and .her young life was a con stant ovation iu spite of her untoward surroundings. Edna idolized the child "She came to me when I hadnotbing else," was ber excuse to Auut Judy for ber deep attachment to the little waif, which was never allowed to be out of her sight for a moment, lest some barm might befall her. But John, poor de moralized and maudlin fellow, became an object of such utter inward loathing that her whole life was a hypocritical farce. Things were in this unsettled condi tion when one day an old gentleman with white hair and venerable mien ap proached the cabin, leading, and half bearing in his arms, the drunken head of the family, who, with silly smiles and voluble utterance, ordered Aunt Judy to prepare some food for the stranger. The old lady was in (lie flour to her elbows, and so busy with the pastry cooking which Edua had long been un able to do that she was iu no very amia ble mood. "I must say that I look like cooking food for strangers, don't I, now?" she asked, abruptly. , The stranger looked at l er with a glance of surprise, aud then, controlling hir emotions with an eflort of his will, said, pleasantly, "I beg your pardon, madam. I have no desire to intrude if my visit is not opportune. This mau informed me that you accommodated travelers with food." Where had Aunt Judy heard that voice? Had she-ever heard it, except in her dreams? She turued deathly pale. "O, sir," she faltered, "it's no trouble at all to get you a dinner." And then, in spite of her ru filed tem per, tiie good woman smiled like a sun beam, as she flitted hither and thither about her work, and soon placed before him, ou a snowy tablecloth, made of the bleached linen sacking of the Hour used in the mines, carefully overseamed in the middle aud as carefully fringed at the edges, one of the most savory meals ever gotten up from almost nothing, whether in the mines or out of them. "Sir, will you be so kind as to tell mo your name, and whence you are come?" The question was an abrupt oue, and Auut Judy was surprised at herself for having uttered it. "I am known as 'The Stranger,' " was the abstract answer, "and I sometimes wonder if I am not the Waudering Jew." "I like that," said Edna, from her In valid's seat in the corner, formed of a dry goods box covered with gunny sacks, her head restiug against the rough, unhewn .til of tiie cabin, and her feet ensconced upon a sack of beans, which a miner had given to Aunt Judy in exchange for a stipulated number of doughnuts and pies. 'And why do you like my title, if I may be pardoned for the question?" asked the stranger, turning from the re past before bim and looking inquiringly into the eyes of the invalid, who re garded him with an interest bordering on fascination. "I like ibecause there is mystery and excitement about it. I like anything better than this ploddiug, humdrum life that brings nothing with it but toil, pain, weakness, weariness, aud disgust." You see, Mr. Stranger, that my wife's imbibed ever so many foolish no tions," said John. "She's concluded that she's smarter than I am, that she lowered her dignity by marrying me, aud ail that. Just as if I'm not giving her as good a home as any poor man gives a wife in these diggings! She's been laid up for three mouths, too, and I have supported her through it ail." "Yes, John, you arc a most exemplary husband ! Anybody can see that !" thought Edna, turning her face toward the unhewn wall to hide the tears that would start iu spite of ber effort to sub due them. "Never mind trouble," said the stranger. "When you've seen as much of life as I have, and have learned that in spite of the busks you get when de pending on others for happiness that there is u perennial fouutaiu within yotircelf, from which you can driuk copious draughts of pure contentment, you will have found, not the philoso pher's stone, but the still waters of a quiet life. One must live oue lifetime before lie learns the art of living at all." "And how, pray, can you learn to de pend wholly upon yourself, aud live for no one except yourself, when you have others depending upon you aud hamper ing your life continually ?" "You do not understand me, madam Husband and children are parts of your very self." "Under some circumstances they are!' thought Edna. Tbeu, aloud : "I dou't believe at all in living for one's self aloue. I believe that the purest life is that which is given wholly for others; and of all selfish and un happy mortals that I have ever met, the man or woman who has no domestic ob ligations is the most miserable." "Then why are you unhappy madam?" "Because I an sick." "And why are you sick ?" "Because of a good many things that do not suit me.' "Sir," said AJunt Judy, "you will find my poor cl'iargJe to be the most incon sistent of raorfnls. She never talks in the same striiiu for two consecutive minutes." I "That is because she lives one life and' dreams anotiier," was the stranger's re ply. "To b true to one's own inner consciousness '3 tbe secret way to tb living walei of which I bave spoken." The stranger departed, leaving Edna in a maze of bewilderment. "True to one's own inner conscious ness!" she murmured, "ah, me!" Annt Judy sat down upon the pack- saddle just vacated by the stranger and closed her eyes in a dreamy reverie. "But for you, my baby Ida, I would curse God andjlie !" cried Edna, in her bitterness of spirit. Edna, you blaspheme! You make me shuddor!" said AuutJudy. "ou must conquer such ,a spirit as that or you will bave no rest here or hereafter." Auntie, did you ever see that man before ?" , "Edna, what a question ! Are you crazy?" I believe I am ! AVould to God I knew I were an idiot!" Idiots have very little sense of either pain or pleasure," said Auut Judy. "It is very wrong of you to make such wishes. We are not always to live like this. ' If it were not for the legal bold John has upon you, which takes away our opportunity to control your own earnings, and renders me helpless also, we'd get along well enough. The trou ble is not alone or chiefly that John is dissipated and improvident. The worst of it all is that the law, recognizing the husbaud and wife as oue, and as that one the husband, you are not allowed to be the arbiter of your own destiny." There, auntie, you've said euough ! When I take a notion to mouopolize John's pantaloons, I'll let you know it." "Poor child, if you could mouopolize your own own petticoats, I'd have a lit tle more iuterest in life," was the sad reply. iro oe cominueu.j A Plea forShort Skirts. A "Dress Reformer" makes the fol lowing plea for short skirts, in an East ern paper: I am not a .strong-minded woman, and if I had a "Lord of creation" who ruled wisely in my kiugdom, I should never seek the public to complain. I have no such tyranny to combat, but a far worse one tiie tyranny of woman's dress. I do not wish to cast off skirts aud take to the masculine garb, but I do think women will never get their rights good health, free motion, good digestion, or true beauty aud grace un til they cease to carry around after them a bedraggled, muddy skirt. You may say no one denies us the right to wear our skirts as short as we please, that women themselves made aud cling to the dirty fashion; well, if so, women never care for a fashion when tbo gentlemen dislike it. L lie fashion of longskirls must have originated with some lady who had extremely longfe.-t; but all tne gins, no matter now pretty, go trailing their dresses around iu the mud of "the horrible street." Is a woman any stronger than a man that when she is battliug against the storm she should have several pounds of wet clothing clinging around ber feet, while he calmly tucks up his pants and goes scathless through it all ? As for hokliug up the dress, that is worse than all, a really modest girl can not walk along the street facing all the corner loungers, aud hold up her dress high enough to keep it clean, and put ting modesty aside it requires at least four bauds to hold up a fashionable dress. I submit these few thoughts to you, hoping that they may tiring the tliougnts ot some sensible women, if all sensible people are not out of fashion, to tne subiect ot snort dresses. If tbev cannot be universally worn, they could at least be worn on the street. My dear sisters, these dresses can be made to look very beautiful, and if vou have pretty feet you will enjoy it. But if you consider your feet ugly, wliy just squeeze them into pretty boots; never mind the pain: it is a less evil than to sweep tne dirty street with a silk dress, All feet, leit as God made them, un cramped by tight shoes, haven beauty of their own, no matter if they are "number nines." Domestic Life op the Presidents, Washington was married out Had no children. Adams was married aud had oue son, whom he lived to see President. Jefferson was a widower; his wife, died tweniy years ociore lus election. They nan six cuiuiren, ail daughters, of whom only two survived infancy. Madison was married but bad no children. His wife was the most elegant woman that ever adorned the Presidential mansion. .she survived mm. and was for manv years pride of Washington society, hav ing lived to listen to Henry Ulay's fare well speech iu the Senate. Monroe was married, and so was John Quincy Adams. Jackson was a widower, aud so was van iluren and Harrison. Ty ler was a widower when lie entered of fice, but soon after married the heiress, miss (jammer, ot uiuciuiiati. He was the only President that married during his term of office. Polk was a married man, and his wife survived him a num ber of years. Gen. Taylor was a wid ower. Pierce was a married man, but Buchanan was a bachelor. The social condition of such men as. Lincoln, John son and Grant needs no reference, except to add that Grant is the first President who had a daughter married while in office. Ciiieimiatt uazettc. The President of Michigan University says of women students in his recent an nual report: "These are distributed as follows: Medicine, thirty-seven; law two: homeopathy, two; literature, sixty. The experience of the last year confirms tiie opinion we have been led to form by the experience of previous years, that women who come here iu good health are able to complete our collegiate or professional courses of study without detriment to their health." The widow of Daniel Webster, who is now reported as an octogenarian aud living at New York City, and, after ten years withdrawal from outer life, at tending church regularly on Sundays, was Caroline Bayard .Leroy, the daugh terof an.eminent New York merchant, Mr. Webster's first wife, the mother of his four children, was urace F letcher, of Mopuinton, JS. a... and died in 1823, and Mr. Webster married Miss Leroy tn is-U 0BSERVATI0NS0F A WORKER. The following communication addressed to the Yamhill County Woman Suffrage Associa tion at Its recent meeting by Mrs. J. DeVore Johnson, of Oregon City,shouid haveappeared several weeks ago, but was unfortunately mis. lald.-ED. I have only at this late date found myself honored by your communica tion of the 28th ult., which has followed my various addresses duriuga prolonged absence from home. I confess myself flattered by your invitation to aid our common cause, and consider myself bound to respond, though tbe measure of my help must necessarily be small. I am prevented from being with you at your meeting chiefly by a prior and important engagement to meet tbe Board of Managers of tbe Oregon State Agricultural Society at Salem. Idoubt not that you rejoice to note that tbe of ficers of that society begin to value the services of women. From this time henceforward the. ladies of Oregon will play an important part In the conduct of the State Fair an institution which may be so managed as to conduce to great public benefit. Allow me to call your attention to Article III. of the constitution of the above- named society. It provides In Sec tion I. that "any person resident of this State, of the age of fifteen years," shall be eligible for membership. This provision ought to admit women to the society. Several officers of tbe society have urged me to join, though whether advisedly or not, I am unable to say. I shall test the matter in the meeting just at hand. If I am accepted as a member, I shall take pleasure in informing you. Aud I should then urge your lady mem bers to obtain membership in the Agri cultural Society at the next fair. Such measure, I firmly believe, would re dound greatly to the credit of the State by securing for its advancement the ad vantage of muoli talent and judgment that is now unavailable. I am con vinced, moreover, that such a step would advance the Interests of women as such. Everything that makes their value to the State apparent increases the prospect of their proper consideration, socially, politically, and every way. The prospect for this consideration was never so bright as now. I find myself uexpressibly encouraged after two months' exceptional opportunity for in vestigation of the subject. It is absolutely astonishing to note the readiness with which the man of fair average ability and sense of justice is converted to the doctrines of equal rights when they are really brought homo to him. Such conversions were apparently numerous at the called meeting of the Oregon State Woman Suffrage Association, recently held in Salem. I believe that all of our mis sionary work that is done iu intelligence and fairness is abundantly fruitful. As a rule, men of good morals and educa tion are unjust to women because they are really ignorant, incredible as that may seem. We must enlighten them. Educatiou is always the hope of free dom. I have said that reforms usually work from above downward. The demand for them may come Irom below, as an instinctive appeal. But in reality the most enlightened must be the most lib eral. Let me Illustrate. A man Is sent to Congress by the suffrages of tbe peo ple. He becomes the avenue of the de sires and petitions of his constituency. He is made aware of hundreds of de mands where perhaps any one man who makes a demand through him is aware only of an interest iu his particular per sonal needs. Our Congressman must examiuc data of every description in or der to intelligently serve his coustltu ents. If he Is an ordinarily intelligent and conscientious man, he becomes thoroughly Imbued with the spirit of reform. If there is anything wrong in the law, he is the one to know it and urge change. Not only does a Congress mau become conversant with the needed reforms iu his own State, but measura bly so with those of other States, be cause he must study them to vote upon measures introduced by fellow-Con gressmen. What is true oi a congress man is true in a greater or less degree of a governor, a legislator, etc. uistin guished position must afford distin guished privileges of instruction. A man upon whom questions are forced, and who is literally required to act upon tbem, must know more in regard to them than a man whose occupation, like a woman's, does not of Itself ob trude upon his notico any but his own private affairs. Iu support of my posi tion, I call attention to the fact tiiat very many men of high public position are notably advocates of equal rights believe this to be the case with the ma jority of them, aud I think that this will become the rule when the women's claims have received as much impartial atteution as other subjects. Submit this question fairly and persistently to the men that, represent us, aud their habits of observation and opportunities for the same will inevitably secure-us their valuable advocacy. A person un acquainted with the facts would to-day be astounded at the list of distinguished men among our friends. The weight which these men give to our cause is not measured aloue by their personal efforts, which will eventually secure our success, if seconded by us. Position usually Insures popularity, So I veril believe that loug before the citizenship of woman is fully recognized and guar anteed, it will have become popular to follow tbe distinguished men of the na tion iu advocating such a desirablestate of things. An encouraging Indication of the the times is tbe deference with which women's claims are already treated by public men, especially candidates. Such men now, when invited to address a convention of Woman Suffragists, in variably return a civil, and often sym pathetic reply, when not long since tbe scantiest courtesy or contemptuous si lence would bave beeu considered allow able. During our late convention sev eral gentlemen now prominently before the people sent very handsome letters. Hon. Richard Williams especially dis tinguished himself by a graceful and sententious epistle In which be consid ered himself pledged to woman's politi cal advancement by party requirements, if by no others. Tbe day is not far distant when the crisis through which tbe nation Is pass ing, no less than tbe inevitable enlight enment of tbe people, will enable us to witness the spectacle of the great politi cal parties advancing woman's cause and contending for her aid. I venture to say that that aid would not have been refused by many men of either party, if it could bave beeu legally used in the late Presidential election. Any intelligent observer must already perceive indications of a growing dispo sition among politicians to consider woman's enfranchisement as a party measure. Almost every man who voted or talked for us in the last Oregon Leg islature afterward claimed credit for tbe act, and also remembrance as- due bis particular party. This is as it should be. Such a disposition will help us; and besides, Woman Suffrage mustsoon become one of the great political issues of the day. Some political party will espouse woman's cause and achieve overwhelming success. Every great, successful, and permanent party must be founded on at least one vital moral principle. Equal rights is the grandest principle of human rights, and must in evitably and soon take its turn in en gaging the atteution of some political party. If I had not already trespassed upon your time and patience, I should be happy to state my convictions and ob servations iu regard to the present growth of liberality toward woman. Let it suffice to say that I am abun- lantly encouraged. An exhaustive study of the Oregon Legislature has convinced me more than anything else could of the nearness of woman's full recognition as a free American citizen. I hope I bave not wearied you. Let me congratulate tbe Yamhill County Woman Suffrage Association as doing more for woman's enfranchisement than any other Association in the State. Its very name is a word of cheer. Hoping for your success In the ensu- iug meeting, and desiring some time to meet with you, I bave the honor to re main, Yours truly, J. DeVore Joiinsox. Bones of the Dead To "What Base Uses They Are Put. Bones, new and old, wherever tbev can be picked up, are put to a variety of uses. TUe fresner Kinds of shank bones are used for making the handles ot Knives, forks, and tooth-brushes, From some gelatine is extracted. When not serviceable for these purposes, tbey are crushed into powder for manure, Bone dust is worth from 5 to 5 10s per ton. Farmers buy it in large quan titles for fertilizing their fields. The importation of this convenient fertilizer from foreign couutnes is immense, Stories are told of battle-fields being plundered for tbe sake of the decaying bones or tue soldiers who nau fallen Researches for tbe material bone dust are carried on upon a large scale in the ancient cemeteries and pyramids of Egypt. Long ago, when tbe people of that country mummified tbe bodies of their relations, and stowed them cere moniously away in caverns, tbey were not aware that they were only preserv ing tbem for manure in a distant European island. A correspondent of tbe limes, writing from Alexandria, facetiously remarks: "Fancy mutton fattened On ancient Jigyptlaus ! The other day, at Sakhara, I saw nine camels pacing down from the mummy pits to tbe bank of the river, laden with nets, in which were femora, tibia, and other bony bits of the iiumau form, some 200 weight in each net on each side of the camel. Among the pits were people busily engaged in searching out, sifting, and sorting the bones, which almost crust the ground, On inquiry I learned that the cargoes with which the camels were laden would be sent down to Alexandria, and thence be shipped to English manure manufacturers. They make excellent manure, I am told, particularly for swedes and other turnips. Tne trade is brisk, and has beeii going on for years, and may go on for many more. It is a strange fate, to preserve one's skeleton for thousands of years, in qrder that they may be fine Southdowus aud Cheviots In a distant land. But Egypt is always a place of wonders." Saukey is accustomed to tell, as the or igin of "Hold the Fort," about Sher man's message sigualied to' General Corse, at Altoona, "Hold the fort I am coming." The evangelist, however, does not quote Ueneral Corse's reply. which was: "I am short a cheek bone aud an ear, but am able to whip ail bell yell" Sprigga' wife woke him up at three o'ciock in the morning to say that, upou the whole, she has decided to bave a dark green suit aud green velvet bonnet this winter. Always in debt when there Is no ue- qessity for It The letters. Memorable Flood's and Earthquakes. The awful calamity in Bengal, intel ligence of which comes to us by cable, Is unparalleled in history. A number of islands lying about the estuary of the river Megna, which, In partof its course, is identical witli the Brahmapootra, were entirely submerged by a storm wave on the 31at of October, aud nearlv all their Inhabitants were destroyed. Ai the wave swept onward for five or six miles inlaud. aud as one island aIon Dahkin Shahabazpofe had a popula tion ci ziu.uw people, probably not less than 250,000 human beings were over whelmed In the catastrophe. With tbe exception of tbo great earthquake at nuocn, in iou a. d., iu winch, accord ing to Gibbon, 2-50,000 people perished, history affords nothing like so whole sale a destruction as this. The ouly other convulsion of nature which can be compared to these is the great earthquake of 17S3, iu Calabria, wmuu prouaoiy caused tue ueatu of at least 100,000 people, and was felt dis tinctly iu a large part of Europe. Orig inating under the center of Calabria, the disturbance passed under the sea, and rolled up a mouutaln-of water, which destroyed the city of Messina. Ou the morning of November 1, 1755. an earth quake threw down the principal part of Lisbon; the sea retired, leaving the bar. dry, aud then returned in a wave fifty ieet mgu; in six miuuies ou,uuu people perished. The battle ofActium was fought thirty-oue years before the Chris tian era, while the ground rolled and rocked under the feet of the soldiers on land as they watched the sea tight in which they could take no part. This convulsion of nature destroyed about lu.uou people. In 1812, 10,000 persons perished in a similar manner at Caracas. Of mem orable inundations the following are noted down: In the early part of the fif teenth century the sea broke in at Dort, Holland, and drowned seveuty-two vil lages and over 100,000 people, and about a hundred years after a general inunda tion, caused by the failure of the dykes iu Holland, is said to have destroyed 400,000 people. It Is not too much to say that within historic tunes recorded calamities by flood and earthquake have Killed oil oetween 2,uuO,UUU and 3,000,000 people. Of all that have occurred In re cent years, the flood In Bengal is by far tuo most disastrous. jy. y. Uraphtc. "Ten Minutes for Refreshments." Some of the most amusing passages in Dickens' American Notes, and in Mrs. Trollope's 4iow half-forgotten book on America, are those wlucn describe, with (it must be confessed) very little exag geration, the habit of hoitiug down food which was once characteristic of Amer icans on almost all occasions, and which, we regret to say, may still be observed at lunch counters in the middle of the day and at railway stations where trains halt a short time for refreshments. But the habit is no longer distinctively American. No people in the world are more prone to linger at table, when the business cares of the day are over aud dismissed from the mind, than those very Americans who gobble up their noonday lunch with lightning-like ve"- Ioclty. They may begrudge every mo ment lost to business by tbe necessity of atteuding to the demands of hunger; nut wnen tney nave once oiuuen adieu to the bank, tbe 'counting-room, or the stock exchange, when ouce tbe hurry of the day is over, and business no longer claims attention, not even the Orientals themselves enjoy leisure with so keen a zest, or linger with greater treasure about the social board. The good Western Governor who boasted that he once gave a state dinner to his Legislature in fifteen minutes "ten courses, and never changed a plate, Sir!" would nuu very lew sympathizers in these later times.. Of course, when an express train stops for five or ten minutes at a railway sta tion, the rush of hungry and thirsty passengers is something tremendous and appalling; but our system of serv ing reiresumeuts, auu eveu substantial meals on the palace-cars upon long routes, Is in a measure doing away with this vicious incident of travel. They have not yet reaohed this pitch of civil ization in Europe, although on some of the English railways there is a system of telegraphing ahead to a station where tbe train stops for hair an hour, by which a substantial dinner or supper may be.ordered. iNTEltESTiNG. The manufacture of linen began iu England, iu 12-5-5; the manufacture or paper from cot ton rags 100 years earlier; the insur- auce of ships and merchandise com menced about rorty years arter the birth of Christ; Venice commenced the banking business in 1150, the Bank of Genoa being established in 1407, tbe Bank of Amsterdam in 1600, the Bank of England in 1794; spectacles were in vented in 12S0; the art of weaving was introduced into England in 1330; mus kets, in 1370; aud pistols, about 200 years later; printing is a German in vention, introduced by Guttenberg, at Mentz, in 1450; there are now published in tiie Uuited States 8,120 newspapers, in England and Ireland 2,500, in France 1,000, aud in Germany ouly 800. Kind Offices. Few things can be done to oblige others but at the expense of some convenience, gratification, or wish of our own; and he whose means are limited should seek to evince bis at tachment to frieuds or family by every little sacrilice in his power. We attend to large concerns for our own sakes; we should attend to lesser ones for others. Our efforts to please others never fail to reward ourselves. There Is nothing more lovely than to love to oblige oth ers; nevertheless, it is the duty of a dis creet man not to be so far overcome by bis obliging humor as to promise any thing that is desired of him, without considering whether he can or ought to grant it. Spiritual Manifestations. The Loudon SalurdufLRcvicw say s that spir itual manifestations are never heard of except in a select company in a private room, and under circumstances in which, almost any amount of trickery may be practiced; that the voices of the spirits usually talk nonsense and bad grammar, and that there never has beeu a single occasion ou which their supposed com munications have been of tbe slightest importance. Mr. Henry W. Sage, formerly of Brooklyn, has just given Cornell Uni versity 100 fine elm trees, which will be set out on tbe college campus,