THE FUNNY MAN.
Who Is that man who nits and bites
II n pen with nspect solemn?
Ho I tlio Fun y Man who writes
The weekly Comic Column.
IJy dny ho circe enn keep nwnko;
At night he enn not rest.
Ills mciils ho hardly dares to tatio
Ho Jests, ho can't digest
His hair, though not with yoars, Is whlto,
Ills cheek is wan and pale,
And nil with seeking day and night
For Jokes Unit aro not stale.
His Joys nro few: the chlofost ono
Is when liy luck a word
Suggests to him n novol pun
His renders haven't heard.
And when a Ynnkco Joko ho sees
In soma old book woll, thon
Perhaps ho sains n moment's easo,
And ninkos It do ngaln.
The thought that chlelly makes him sigh
Is thnt u tlmo must como
When Jokes extinct llko mammoths Ho,
And Jokers must bo dumb.
When every quip to death Is done.
And ovcry crank Is told:
When men have printed ovcry pun,
And ever' Joko Is old:
When naught In Ileavon, or earth, or sea
Has not been turned to chad,
And not n clnglo oddity
Is left to maku us I an h,
V. A'. Ilmhitn. In llarvr't Maqizlnt.
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS.
Strnngo Nuptial Coromonlos
Various Lands.
in
How Sinn Hrlil" jVro C'iiitnrvl Cimrt-
h I t nf Mm if I ill licks -I'.inlltliM
lur M irrliix" lrmtt In Ilia
United gtiitt.
So mo inlPi-uptlni; survivals aro to
Ijo found of what is considered the
most ancient of all innrringe coroino
nics ihnlof securing a wifo by capt
ure. Tlio K ilinuok young niaii, for in
stance, has not only to pay a good
round .sum to tlio tolntlves of tlio dam
sel lio fancies, Init ho mini prove bin
vight lo her in a teat of t ho skill of
?joth on horseback. Tlio two aro
mounted for what wo would call a
handicap race, the girt got ting a I lino
alio wit nut. Sho riilos off at full spocd.
Tho lover 'follows. Should ho over
take hor thon sho is his "for better or
worse;" hut should ho fall ho must go
away fooling it disappointed and re
jected man.
Tho ciuirso of truo love, howovor,
prevails ovon among tlio Kalmucks.
nml if tho girl havo a pariialily for
hor pursuor she takes enro not lo got
beyond his reach. It is stated at tlio
name time that uuloss she doos fancy
tho ma'i who Is after her she will not
allow herself to bo overtaken.
Tho primitive custom of capture in
marriage Is clearly typilled in such a
ceremony. It inserts itself also In tho
fact that even after tho hrldo issoizrd
hIio Is not permitted to leave until
aftor a sham resistance by her own
people. In the sanio way. among tho
Klrghoso nomads tho capture of tho
brldo remains to this day a necessary
finding lo a successful courtship. Th i
oonsoqiioneo is that the suitor, on on-
' luring tho ennip of the damsel whoso
hand ho seek", comes attendod by a
body guard of companions prepared
to help him in his mission. When he
gets to tho "ask papa" stage ho is
politely tidd to calch the young lndv
if ho can. II turns out that she has
boon spirited away bv hor friends.
When hor hlding-plaeo is discovered,
It is found jealously guarded by all
tho young men of tho settlement; and
as they aro determined to prevent her
capture there is no alternative but a
contest between Iho parlies to show
which is t lie stronger. Should victory
rest with tho defenders, they carrv
back the girl in triumph to her fa
ther's tent, and tho suitor can not
now claim hor until he has handed
over gifts and payments to the young
men who havo so far so successfully
utood in his way.
Tho same custom of inarriago by
capture was known In Scandinavia.
In an old church in Gothland, in Swe
den, a pile of lances is preserved.
Each of the lances is lit (o 1 to hold a
torch, and It is said tho weapons wore
used at ono time to Jfgivo light and
protection lo marriage parties on tlio
wav to church, tlio ceremony taking
place at. night as a precaution against
the Ir.'.'.'o being taken a way by some
Luehiijvur who claimed a bo tor right
to her than tho duly recognized
sul'or,
A recent writer, describing a niar
j age in Khurdistan, says ho saw a
y-ung man carrying oil' his bride,
".' 'undi d by a body guard of somo
y or thirty num. These inon
supposed to be protecting the
happy couple from a parly of young
women, who hurled pieces of earth
and bamboos at tho procession, and
made show of rescuing the bride. As
Minn, however, as the bridegroom
reached Ills own village with hi
charge tlio assailants ran homo
screaming and laughing. Among
ourselves the term "best man" is said
to bo a survival of Iho time when tho
bridegroom had to got strong hands
to aid him In scouring tlio object of
Ids affections. There Is probably also
a survival of the assaults that wore
thou made on marriage panics in the
showers of rice and old slippers be
stowed so frooly on the nowly
podded,
Marriago by purchase, which is an.
olhor vory old ous-om, prevails amongst
many modern peoples. Tho Babyloni
ans and Assyrians rcduoed'tt to a sys
tem. At cortaln limes every year the
innrrlagenbla women were brought
Inip the market place, ami eventually
put up atjiuulion. Tlio good-looking
br. tt ;ht a high price. The plain
featured, although they may havo boon
worth their weight In gold, found few
bidder.. The ill-favored, on Iho other
hand, wcio given away with dowers
1 mado up from tho monoy paid ovu'fot
ineir uamisomcr swers.
Manv African tribos follow out th-
rriiici) It of this anciout practice; and
that it is not wholly obsolete In Europe
was shown rceonlly in a traveler's no-
con it of a curious marriage ctttor.i
among the Roumanians in tho West.
erlv Carcpathlaus. Tho statement wit'
mado that every yoar, at the foast ol
the Apostles Peter and Paul, a marko
t I 1 . 1 A t 1
is iieid on mo crest oi too wainn, iroiii
live thousand lo six thousand feel aim v.
iho level of tho son, and here the mar
riageable girls nssomblc, with limit
parents, in order to bo viewod ami
claimed. All tho rolatives on the fe
male sido contribute to the dower
thoyouiir woman, and this goes with
the damsel to tho ninrkot. Jin
young moil also bring the besi
thoy possess, and appear on tlio
i ccaslon gayly appareled. There if n
good deal of bargaining at times, and,
as c.tttlo aro included among tlio irifts.
tho V'nco resembles u groat fair. When
tho betrothal is offjeted tho pledge of
altaclimoiit is not a ting, but an em
broidered handkerchief.
In Syria certain recognized articles
aro handed over to tho bride's father
as a symbol of purchase. Tho articles
aro usually a carpot, a noso-ring, a
nock-c'iain, bracelets and a camel bag.
Thoy must bo passed oyortotho father
for form's sake, as thoy beconio event
ually tho property of tho young who.
The choapost and simplest transac-
t ion of the kind appears to prevail in
Lapland. Ills said that if one in that
(btinlry asks tho father of a marriage-
able girl to tako a drink and tlio offer
is accepted tlio understanding is that
Iho person giving the treat is accepted
as the girl's suitor. Vt ero a custom
like this prevalent in England it might
seriously nffet a certain branch of the
revenue. We shoul I probibly also
havo fowor marriages in Britain were
anollicr custom appertaining to the
wedded state introduced there.
It seoms that in Mexico there is a
largo percentage of bacholors, but a
very small percentage of unprotected
ft mtiles. Iho anomaly is explained bv
tiie met. thai iiio Mexican on his mar
riago chivalrously undertakes tho can
of the female rolatives and dependents
of ids wife. J hero is a sort of lioredi-
tary right and privilogo in tho matter
O.i tho doatli of a husband a family
council is called, and tho male rela
lives of the widow and those of her
husband pledge themselves to care for
and protect tho bereaved family
This is done ovon though tho children
aro grown up and tho widow woalthy.
J hero would appoar to bo no ehoie.
on the woman's part, custom, !f not law.
proscribing that hor male kindred
shall administer hor affairs, and look
aftor tho Interests of hor children.
Even if tlio willow bo poor thoro is no
apparent shirking on the part of the
male relatives of tlio obligation rcs'ing
upon tlioin, and it Is said t hat whou a
Mexican inarrlos lie virtually contracts
to protect and honor all the female
relatives of his wife, and to provide
for them if need lie.
some exceedingly Denutllul riles aro
Introduced In tho marriage of a woll-
lo-do Chinese couple, and are copied
to some ex'.ont by the poorer classes,
The bride is conducted by a nuniberof
foniale atlendauts to hor husband s
house; but before she crosses the
threshold a handkerchief Is thrown
over hor head and ovcry thing is shut
out from hor sight. Tills is to toaoh
her that on entering tho marriago state
sho is groping in the dark future, but
that If sho will trust in tier husband
and rely on him to guide her she need
not fear to go forwar I, for it will be
Ids duly ami pleasure to guide her
stops. When sho Is ushered into tho
presence of her intended husband the
handkerchief is romovod from her oyo
and she is led to a oouoli.
Here she takes a soal, and the bride
groom sits beside her, taking care to
rest on a ortion of tho robo sho woars.
Should sho seek to romovo tho robo
out of the man's way tho niigury Is
not a pleasant one; but should she al
low him to sit upon it she tells
him plainly by that token that
sho Is his captive, and willing to
bo led by him. Certain devotional
ceremonies follow upon this intro
ductory ritual, and then refreshment
are served. Tea Is made in cups aftor
tho fashion of the country. The bride
and bridegroom take a sip and then
the contents of tho cups Ihov havo
been using are mixed together, to sig
nify tho blondlng of the two lives.
O hor and more olaburato o uemouies
tako place, and several days elapse be
fore thoy come to an end; but those
preliminary proceedings aro tho most
interesting, and to tlio parties con
cerned tho most trying of nil.
Tho day of that particular form of
Iho romance of courtship which hud
its culmination at Gretna Green has
passod away. Scotland, still, how
tver, presents facilities for marriago
which are not onjoyed in England
The ceremony may bo lojrallv nor
formed thoro at any hour and at any
place. There aro similar formalities
to those wo havj horo in tho way o"
banns and registration, if tho parties
bo so minded, as thoy mostly are; but
a couple may become legnlly man
and wife across tho border by a very
slender form of publicity. Per
haps that is ono reason why actions
for broach-of-promlso of marriago are
so seldom brought in Scotch courts:
but suits for dlvorco aro equally rare
among our Ken Horn neighbors. In
tho United States, where facilities for
marriago aro greater than thoy aro
any where else auio ig E igllsh-.s peak
ing people, cases of broaeh-of-prumiso
nro also few in number; but, unlike
Scotland, divorces in America aro by
no moans uncommon.
in the old Uroolau and Roman
Status tlio way to married life was Just j
.is easy as in tho Slates of the now
A-orld; but tho ro certain phy.s cal re
iiiilrouicnts woro at ono timo insisted
upon. A Spartan law forbade mar
riago until men and women arrived
at their full strength, and there was
an Athenian regulation that in, mi
should not marry until tuey were
tliirlv-llvc. Tho Athenians at tlio
sanio time favored married mri, giv
ing thorn tho preference when vacan-
o cs occurred in ofllcial life.
Tho Romans did tho same. Thev
would help a married man so far thai
f he had not reached the ago limit n
.signed for a position, as many of the
years were dispensed witli as he had
children). Thcso favors did not alto
gether succeed as a marriage bait.
Tlio young men of tho empire hail at
one timo, in fact, to bo forced as well
as brlbod into marriago, tho censors
going 'o fnr as to insist on a 1 the
bachelors pledging themselves on oath
lo niairy within a given time. Penal
ties woro in addition laid on eclibacv.
and these and other disabilities of tho
single men were not removed until the
timo of Constantino.
Taxes on bachelors have boon im
posed bv many nalio'is, i'leludlng o ir
own; but no more remarkable law on
Iho subject was ever passed than thai
by tho local authorities of Eastliatn. in
Massachusetts, in 1683 In that yoar
those funo ionarios passed a law to
tlio effect that evorv unmarried man
in llio township should kill six black
birds or three crows vearlv while lie
remained single, and that as a penal v
for disobeying Iheorler ho should not
get married, and no one should marry
hlin until ho had destroyed the num
br of birds ho wns in arreaiv. Leeds
Eng.) Mercury.
POMEROY'S PHILOSOPHY.
I'riirllnil I,-i.iim for -I'lnno In Simroli
or
II.IiIiiimh nml Goutmit.
Destroy ignorance and lot progres
sion progress.
Ihegreatost fool of all is ho who
fools himself.
Every uttcranco creates somo kind
of an impression.
Drop your bad habits and thoy cf.n
not lower you.
Ihoso who go for borrios should not
retreat from briars.
The man who doos not provide for
his family is not its head.
Every timo you liolp a lazy person
yon rob yoursolf and your family.
Less argumont and more work will
make any person bettor off.
Genius bockons a man, and if ho at-
templs to climb, will help him.
How few aro thoso who really under
stand what tho mind is good for.
Ho who doos not ongago in tlio
quarrels of others will have few of his
own
Prayors without work and a nolo
without a signaturo aro alikoin value.
Tlio sonnor you cut loose from ono
who deceives you tlio bettor off you
will bo.
Tho world was never so full of op
portunities for young inon of good
thoughts as now,
Tlio moro willing you nro to lot
at liars enjoy their own think tlio cloaror
will be yours.
1 ho sooner you begin training your
own mind, the soonor you will have a
mind to tram.
Those who can not readily under
stand souse aro generally tho moatop-
posed to nonsense.
ou will loarn moro from roading
good books ami papers than by talk
ing about your neighbors.
loung man, cultivate vour gifts.
rather limn tho mouth of a bottle, and
you will suocood bettor.
Happiness has no time to stay long
with thoso who nitcrtero with tho pri
vate affairs of others.
Taking intorost from tlio poor, and
taking interest in tlio poor aro invest
ing for difforont results. Pomerou's
Advance Thought.
A Romarkable Disease.
In no physiological phononiona is
tho iutluonco of tlio norvos upon tho
body shown so forciblv as m tho case
of homesickness, which, when pro-
mi . 1 1 . 1
longeii ami intonsiiicu. uoconios a
moital disease, uho molancholy of
tho nature which loves homo and de
spairs of again seeing it proys upon
Iho norvous system until it is wrought
Into a state of abnormal excitement
which presonts distinct physical symp
toms. Respiration presently becomes
labored, and is moro like sighing than
breathing; tlio faco woars the pallor of
a corpse alroady: tho heart boats with
tlio swiftness of groat dobllltv: there
is no appetite, thoro is no sleep; secre
tions bocomo irregular, and congestion
a matter ol course; tho sight be
comes dim, fever sets in, and oither
sudden death closes tho scone, or tho
exhaustion of tho fever carries off the
putlont after prolonged suffering.
Thoro is no euro for this terriblo ill
ness, aftor it is strongly established,
but return to tho native country, and
sometimes that euro is undertaken too
lMc. It attacks mnutainers, singular
ly enough, moro frequently than any
other class of people, and tho only
preventive against it is tho prosenco of
sumo other eoually strong emotion
with the love of home, or somo ab
sorbing occupation which leaves ono
no timo to think, and hardly to fool.
Perfectly sane thouirh tho patient be.
ho has all the impedimenta of insan
ity in an effort for recovory, and is as
pitiable as any victim In tho records of
suffering. Harper's llatnr.
Second Husband (to wifo)
was nt tlio couiotery to-day, my dear,
and found your former husband's
grave in very bad condition." Wife
l suppose it Is. Second H.isbaud
"os, tho inscription "Gone, but
not forgotlon is noarly ovorgrowu
with grass." A". J. Suit.
COURTS IN FRANCE.
Inn trench Jndfje Frequently llrotvtmat
nd Anger Prisoners.
A jttdgo presiding over one of tho
"aris courts wa3 recently removed
'roni his ofllco for two very curious of
fenses. It appoars that after exainin
ng a witness for several hours in his
ourt, ho invited that witness to dino
vlth him at a neighboring restaurant,
.'lying him thero with wine, the judge
mt a nuniberof questions to his guest,
ind, having drawn out of him certain
laniaging facts, forthwith caused him
o be arrested.
His other offense was still moro
lagrant. Ho talked through a tele
ihono with a witness, protending that
10 (tho judgo) was ono of the persons
iccuscd in court, and so led the wit
less to betray himself and his accused
friend. It is no wonder that, after
ionduct so unbecoming a judge, ho
A'as doomed unfit any longer to hold
he oven scales of justice.
Although this judgo was thus right
fully punished, his conduct suggests to
is tlio wide contrast which exists bc-
'ween the French courts of justice and
nothod of legal procedure, and those
if the United States and England. The
.vholo system, indeed, is different in
die two cases.
Our judges have a distinct ami digni-
ied duty to perform, and, as a rule,
liev maintain, as do tlio English
judges, a lofty and impartial attitude
u presiding over trials. Thev remain,
for the most part, silent until they
litvc to decide points of law, or until
me of the counsel requires correction.
After tlio arguments have closed, it is
their duty to address tiio jury, explain
the points at issue, call for the verdict.
mil deliver tin: judgment or sentence.
Iho trench judge, on the other hnnd,
takes constant and active part in tlio
trial itself. He questions not only wit
nesses, but tho prisoner himself, ami
iften subjects the prisoner to a severe
md searching cross-examination, t ly
ing to trap him into damaging confes
sions, contradicting him, and even
sometimes cracking jokos at the pris
oner's expense.
When a witness has mado a certain
statement, the French judgo will turn
to tho prisoner, and tartly ask him
wiiat ho lias to sav to that? A prisoner
on trial in a French court, in short, is
nadgercd and worried from the begin
ning to tlio end of tho case, by both
judgo and procureur. Tho procurcur
is an oflicial who acts in Franco as
public prosecutor, grand jury and ad
viser of judge in one.
Tho fact that in the French courts
tlio judge is one of the activo partici
pants in the trials, gives a dramatic
color to the proceedings which is
usually absent from our own courts.
The dialogues betweon judge and pris
oner nro watched with keen interest.
md often with laughter or applause,
by the crowd of spectators; for some
times judgo and prisoner engage In a
duel of wit and banter. But, from the
American point of view, this method
of seeking to find out the truth, and to
dispense justic., seems far loss effectual
to say nothing of its surprising lack
of dignity than that which prevails in
our own courts.
Tlio French judge often browbeats
or angers tho prisoner into making
rash answers, which increase tiio
chance of his conviction, even though
he may be really innocent. Witli us,
tiio prisoner is amply protected in
every right of defense. He is sup
posed to lio innocent until ho is fully
proved by proper and legal evidence,
which lie is unable to overthrow, to be
guilty; whereas in France, tho judgo
often seems to set out with his ques
tioning of tlio prisoner as if the pris
oner were presumed to bo guilty, and
as if tlio burden of proof wero on him
to provo himself innocent. youth's
Companion.
GENOA'S CAMPO SANTO.
A Welril City of the Oemt Described
by
(lonrce It. Sims.
linagino a garden surrounded with
noble open gallorios lined witli mag
nificent white marble monuments, and
all shut in by great sunny green hills,
which stand around it like sentinels
guarding tlio silent and sacred camp
of the dead. Imagino all this, then
put above tlio roses and tho blossoms
and tho fragrant trees, and tho yellow
immortelles and the groon wreaths and
the glorious marblo statuary, a bluo
sky and a bright sun, and you have a
faint idea of Genoa's "Holy Field."
Rut you can' not imagine tlio monu
ments and tho memorial statuary.
Vott must see thoni. because thev aro
so utterly unlike any thing wo havo in
our cold, prosaic land. I long mar
ble galleries, open to tlio air and tho
sun, the monuments nt first givo tho
cemetery tho appearance, of an art
exhibition. You imariue you havo
wandered into a sculpture gallery by
mistake; but tlio wreaths of (.lowers,
with broad silk sashes attached, tho
swinging lamps, and tho memorial tab
lets undeceive von. Each monumont
has, as it woro, an arch of the gallery
to itself, and is placed against tho
back wall. Tho iigures aro rarely alle
gorical. A man in his habit
as ho lived stands llfc-sizo in
white marblo above his own
tomb. A little girl in a short frock,
with hor lap full of flowers, seems
dancing on tho column that records
her death. Over another beautiful
tomb is a family group, life-size. The
father is dving. He lies on his death
bod and tho sculptor has realized evorv
detail of drapery. The wife kneels by
the bedside, somo of her daughters
supporting hor. J ho old mother sits
in an casy-chalr, hor eyos raised to
leaven, hor lips scorning almost to
move in prayer. On tho other sido of
Ilia bed tho eldest son stands up and
lupports ono of the daughters,
who has utterly broken down. It is
marvelous picco of work. It is the
"Last Adieu" realized in marble. It is
naturalism and it is art It is realistic,
and so perfect in detail that you would
recognize any of that group of mourn
crs if you mot them in tho street.
Over nnothor tomb, whore a husband
and wifo lie buried together, this old
couple sit in two arm chairs, holdin
each other's hand. On another a man
lies dead on his bed, and his young
wifo reverently raises tho sheet and
gazes for tho last time upon his face
Over another tomb is the statuo of
man who lies within. On the steps of
the tomb stands his wife, and sho holds
their little girl in her arms and lifts
her up as though to kiss tho dead papa.
Iho door of another vault is repre
sented as half open. Tho husband lies
dead inside. The wife knocks at tho
door and listens for hor dear ono
voice to call her in.
There aro hundreds and hundreds of
thcso beautiful groups in tlio Campo
Santo. What makes them tho more
extraordinary to the English traveler
is that tho living and tho dead are all
habited in modern everyday costume,
and no detail is spared to make the
groups and single Iigures triumphs of
realism. Ono remarkable piece of
sculpture I havo omitted to mention
It is over the tomb of a beautiful
Italian lady who died a short timo ago
Her bod is represented with a perfee
tion of detail. The laco on the pillow
is perfect. Tlio lady is dead, but the
angel has come to fetch her. The angel
takes the dead lady's hand and the
lady gets out of bed to go with the
angel to Heaven. This is the momont
depicted by the sculptor. Tho lady
sits on the edge of tho bed and the
angel points upwards in tho direction
they aro to travel together.
All this is very beautiful, but its in
tenso realism may jar on some. It did
on mo after a time. I felt that some
thing of the sublinntv of death was
taken away in the process, and
turned with a little sigli of relief to
somo of tlio humbler graves which
dotted the sunny garden of fragrant
roses that lav so bright and beautiful
under the. blue Italian sky. Oenoa Cor.
London Referee.
CLEVER COUNTERFEITS.
Something About tho Mast Cleverly Ki
ecuteil ItHlseil Xnlt. Ever Si ml p.
The United States Secret-Service
sleuth-hounds have captured and "run
in" a raised silver certificate that has
been inaccurately described in tho pa
per. At tho headqn-irters of the so
cret service in tho Treasury building
tiio correspondent was shown tho spu
rious curiositv and the true inwardness
was told by an oflicial, who said:
"Thus, which, by the way, is the
most cleverly executed raised note over
seen in tiio department, was seized in
tlio South. The head of Dexter, who
was once Secretary of tho Treasury,
has been cut from a fractional 50-eent
piece and pasted over tho vignette of
Martha Washington. Tlio descriptions
hitherto published stato that George
Washington s vignette was substituted
for Martha's, but you see that is it mis
take. The figures 'oO' and tho word
'fifty' woro also cut from the fractional
currency. The figures '50' in the back
were taken from canceled revenue
stamps." The oflicial thon displayed
a counterfeit $20 silver certificate
which had boon raised from a $2 cor-
tuicatc. J. ms was not as good a sam
ple of work as the other, but it passes
all tho same. Iho liguros woro cut
from a cigar stamp. General Han
cock's vignette adorns this elevated
currency. Tho fact is tho $20 silver
certificate has not boon issued, and it
will bear Secretary Manning's vignetto
wlion it does como before the public,
It is barely ready.
Tho colored people of the South ara
generally tho victims of tho most
wretched counterfeits. Tho bills used
by tho students in commercial colleges
aro frequently passed upon tho "man
and brother" of the rico and cotton ro
gions, so tho servico relates. Wash
ington Letter.
Modern Definitions.
An Innovation A Hotel Sorenado.
Tho Social Whirled A Hop.
A Fowl Tip A Rooster's Comb.
Tho Last Thing in Shoes Th
Wearer's Heel.
Cold Daze A Frigid Stare.
A Still Hunt An Internal Rovcntu
Raid.
A Full Hand A Drunken Employe.
A Hard Lot A Marblo Quarry. '
A Dark Secret A Colored Woman'i
Age.
lour Rumble Servant Thunder.
Out of Timo Tho Average Tenor.
Gait Receipts Horse-Race Winnings.
A Clothes Friend Tho Tailor.
Lo Lands Indian Reservations.
A Bridal Reign Henry VIII. 's.
A Speaking Silenco Conversation
botweon Deaf-Mutes.
A Cheap Garment A Coat of White
wash. Much Adieu About Nothing A Wo
man's Farewell.
A Shady Sot A Group of Trees.
Hr. . Siviter, in Puck
m
Mabel "Lovely day, girls. Where
haw you boon?'' Clara and Maud
"Wo'vo just como from tho matinee.
Been to soo tlio now society actress."
Mabel "Was sho good? "What did
she play?" Clara "O.sho played in the
worst lot of old dresses you ovor saw.
And, do you know, sho actually wore
the samo dross through a wholo act."
Mabel "Why, how positively scandal,
ous! What was tho play?" Maude
"O, 1 didn't notice. 'Repertoire,' i
thiuk tho bill said." lioston Beacon.
When eloctrioity becomes the ngont
of punishment for crime, the judgo'i
"charge" will havo more siguifieaucl
than it docs now.
HORRIBLE TORTURE.
The Cruel liinlsliiuriit Inflicted Upon rw
rleldes In Clilim.
The Pckin Commercial Gazette gives
the details of tho horrible murder of a
man by his own son in n fit of insanity.
Tlio young man was known to bo sub
ject to temporary derangement; but as
he had, ever been a dutiful son. his
father persuaded the neighbors not to
report the matter to tho authorities,
lest he should bo removed and placed
in confinement. The punishment for
such connivance is ono hundred blows,
which in tlio present instance have
been duly administered to all con
cerned. The unhappy son, having
suddenly attacked and killed his father,
rushed into tlio street proclaiming that
he had done so. Ho was apprchouded,
but when brought up for examination
a vacant stare and incoherent answers
were all that could be obtained; and
medical examination proved him to bo
really mad. According to tlio law of
China, a parricide is doomed to bo done
to death by the appalling process
known as tho ling-chee, or slow death;
and the execution of tliisdrcad sentence
is nowise affected by tho sanity of tho
criminal.
This punishment is inflicted on tho
murderers of father, mother, brother,
husband, undo or tutor, and also on
traitors. Tlio miscrablo culprit is sen
tenced to be cut into twenty-four, thirty-six,
seventy-two or ono hundred and
twenty pieces, a large proportion of
which must be accomplished ere tlio
executioner (hires to touch a vital spot
and end the torture of the victim.
Only in certain cases does the imperial
clemency grant death after the eighth
division. The commonest form of this
penalty is that of twenty-four cuts;
and the executioner prides himself on
the anatomical skill with which they
are administered. Ihe victim being
hound to a cross, the butcher by tlio
first two cuts removes tho eyebrows,
by the third and fourth tho shoulders,
the fifth and sixtli tho breasts, the sov-
entli and eighth tho parts between each
hand and elbow, the ninth and tenth
the parts between eaeli elbow and
shoulder, tho eleventh and twolfth the
tlesh of each thigh ; but wo will pro
ceed no further in this dread descrip
tion. Far beyond the physical torture of
such a death is the disgrace which, ac
cording to the national creed, attaches
in tho spirit world to any luckless now
arrival whoso spirit-body betokens hav
ing been put to death in any disgrace
ful way. Decapitation is bad enough,
but to have been subject to tlio ling-
chee is prima facie evidence that tho
deceased is quite unfit company for
respectable spirits in the other world,
consequently the new-comer is fore
doomed to a very troubled future.
Doubly hard, therefore, on the poor lu
natic is tlio sentence of which Ids sad
estate can procure no mitigation.
London Letter.
THEATRICAL TEARS.
Their l'liyslolocy l)i ugs,-(l by a Fitmoua
Jlcillral l'lti-ltHllml.
Tho question of theatrical tears, .ind
whether thoy be produced by tho actor
independently of real emotion. 1ms
lately been discussed. The question
is not without interest, and has been
answered in various ways by difl'cront
actors, some contending that tho high
est art in this direction is onlv scoit-
when the artist "feels" his nart: whilo
others stato that emotional conditions
in tho actor are fatal to tho highest
form of theatrical art. To how larmi
n
an extent our omotions aro under con
trol is patent to everybody, for much
of our early education is devoted en
tirely to the formation of habits of
control in this direction. Emotions
aro mailllv reflex nhenomenn. nml -ir
- I -i "
produced as the result of thoughts,
sounus or sights, it is very doubtful
whether an actor can stir up in his aud-
lonco tho higher emotions unless ho
abandon himself to the situation of tho
plaj-, and himself feels to some extent
tho sorrows or terrors of the scone.
An actor who can only manage to stir
the emotions of tlio most easilv mnvml
of his audience, whother to laughter
or tears, litis gone a good way toward
success; for emotional states are so in
fectious that tho sound or sight of tear
or laughter is sure to cause tho nre-
vailing emotion to spread. Tho really
great actor, howovor. must bo canabln
of doing something moro than merely
touch the biggest fool of tho audience
lie must make his audience abso
lutely forgetful of itself, and bo
himsolf tho direct, and not tho indi
rect, cause of tho emotional stato into
which it is thrown. To do this tho
actor must bo hjnisolf a porson of in
tenso feeling, nml must for tho tim
experience the emotion ho is seoking
to portray, itoaiiy great acting is a
matter of fooling rather than of rea
soning intelligence, and wo doubt
whothor an nctor who studios and puz
zles too much
author is not in danger of checking tho
inaniiosiaiions oi his histrionic genius.
It is a well known fact that Master
Betty, tho "infant Roscitis " ennbl. hs
a boy, .tir tho higher emotions of tho
audience by his portrayal of Shake
spearo's masterpieces ftho subtleties of
which ho most certainly could not un-
.1 IV . . ..
iierstami;, tint mat his power was, so
to say, knocked out of him by a uni
versity education, which probably
brought home to him the shni ti'mnlncT
of his performances, and. bv teachiiu?
him to reason about his character, pro-
vented tho fooling portrayal of tho pre-
raiiing emotions. Two of tho greatost
sctors of the present aro Salvlni and
Uistori both belong to the emotional
Italian race, and it is Imnosslhlo to bn-
lievo that during the portrayal of their
inosi biiccessiut parts thoy aro not en
tirely forgetful of themsolves and no-
grossed by Iho emotions of tho scona.
1
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