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The Fables of India.
Many Problems which Still Walt for Their
Solution.
The study of fables owes its new life
to India, from whence (he vsr’ous
micritions of fables have been traced
at various times and t, trough various
channels from east to west. Bud
dhism is not known to have been the
principal source ot our legends and
parables. But here, too, many pr?b-
lems still wait for tbeir solut on.
Think, for instance, of the allusion to
the fable of the donkey in the lion’s
skin, which occurs in Plato’s “Craty-
lus.” Was that borrowed from the
Eatt,? Or t ike the fable of the weasel
changed by Aphrodite into a woman
who, when she saw a mouse, could not
refrain from making a spring at it.
This, too, is very like a Sanskrit fable;
but how, then, should it have been
brought into Greece early enough to
appear in one of the comedies of
Strattis, about 400 B. C. ? Here, too,
there is plenty ot woik to do. We
may go back even further int > anti-
luity, and s till find strange coinciden
ces between the legends of India and
he legends of the West, without as
-et being able to say how they trav-
led, whether from east to west or
rom west to east. That at the time
f Solomon there was a channel ot
ommunication open between India
nd Syria and Palestine is estab
jshed beyond doubt, I believe, by
irlain Sanskrit words which occur
i the Bible as names of articles of
eport from Ophir, articles such as
lory, apes, peacocks and sandalwood,
toich, taken together, could not have
len exptr.ed from any country but
Idia.
Sor is there any reason to suppose
tht the commercial intercourse be
twen India, tne Persian gulf, the Re4
se, and the Mediterranean was ever
completely interrupted, even at the
-tile when the Book of Kings is sup
poed to have been written. Now, you
renember in the Book of Kings the
jju(;ment of Solomon, which has
alvays been admired as a proof of
gret legal wisdom among the Jews. I
isv«t confess that, not having a legal
mbd, I never could suppress a ceitain
ehuder when reading the decision of
Soloion: “Divide the living child
to t o, and give half to the one and
half o the other.” Let me now tell
you he same story as it is t )ld by the
Badihists, whose sacred Canon is full
of sub. legends and parables. In the
Kanjir, which is the Tibethan trans
lation^ the Buddhist Tripitaka, we
likew?e read of two women who claim
ed eau to be the mother of the same
child. The king, after listening to
their qiarrels tor a long time, give it
up as bpeless to settle who was the
jr.. Upon this Visakha step-
rd and said : “ What is the
amining and cross-examining
women ? Let them take the boy
fettle it among themselves.”
reupon^ooth women fell on the
and when the fight became vio-
tbe child was hurt and began to
Then one of them let him go,
se she could not bear to hear the
That settled the question.
gaTyfc- child to the true
lothe; and had the oter beaten with a
od. Tb.i* seems to me, if not the
(ivimit've, yet the more natural
hhe story, showing a deeper
of human nature and more
In even the wisdom of
‘oonlight Sonata.
I can Wide-Awake for
1 1 very pretty story of the
[eethoven composed this
I pf music. He was go-
kouse one evening and
playing his Symphony
io. He stopped t» lis-
>1 a voice say :
mid I not give to hear
"played by some one who
Tt justice.”
[great composer opened the door
fed.
me,” said Beethoven,
1 emba^r*ssed ; “pardon me,
^Ithuslc, and was tempted
a musician!”
flushed, and the young
a grave, almost severe
maker; “but our piano is bad, and
then we have no music.”
“No music?” repeated Beethoven,
“how, then, did mademoiselle—.” He
stopped and colored, for tbe young girl
had just turned lowar ls him, and by
her sad, veiled eyes he saw that she
was blind.
Supreme Court. Decisions.
Paweuger—Tioket—Payment of Fare.
Johnson vs New York Ontario and
Western Railway Qrnpany Supreme
Court {Third Department), New York t
General Term Alay, 1882.
PlaintitF took passage on a train of
defendant company to go from D to
H ; the fsrj for which was twenty-five
cents, if a ticket were bought; if no
ticket, forty cents. Plaintiff handed
have you hearl this I twenly-tive cents to the conductor,
“I entreat you to pardon me,” stam
mered he: ‘out I did not remark at
first. You play, then, fr >m memory ?”
“Entirely !”
“And where
music before? ’
“ Never, excepting tbe music in the
streets.”
She seemed frightened, so Beetho
ven did not add another word, but
seated himself tt the instrument and
began to play.
He had not touched many notes
when I guessed, says the narrate r,
who accompanied him, what would
follow, and how sublime he would be
that evening. I was not deceived.
Never, during the many years I knew
him, did I hear him play as on this
day tor the young blind gill and her
brother on that old dilapidated piano.
At last the shoemaker rcBe, approach
ed him, and said in a low voice :
“Wonderful man, who aro you
then?”
Beethoven raised his head, as if he
had not comprehended. The young
man repeated the question. The com
poser smiled as only he could smile.
“Listen,” said he; ana he played
the first movement in the F Sym
phony. A cry of j ly escaped from the
lips of the brother and sister They
recotrmz^d the player and cried :
“You are, then, Beethoven !’
He rose to go, but they detained
him.
“Play to us once more, just once
more,” they said.
He allowed himself to be led back to
the instrument The brilliant rays of
the moon entered the curlainless win
dows and lighted up his broad, earnest
and expressive fcrjhead.
“I am going to improvise a sonata
to the moonlight,” he said, playfully.
He contemplated for some moments
the sky sprinkled with stars ; then
his fingers rested on the piano, and he
began to play in a low, sad, but won-
drously sweet strain. The harmony
Issued from th9 instrument sweet and
even, as the rays of the moon spread
over the shadows on the ground.
of your words,”
“You wish to
kUd like—in short,
’to play to you ?”
Mug do fetrange, so
|holo affair, and sotne-
»nd eccentric in Beet-
that we all lnvolun-
Wit Off the Comet’s Tail.
Another illustration of the value
of advertising: A gentleman went
into a newspaper office late the other
night and advertised the loss of a val
uable do?. When he reached home,
fifteen minutes later, he found the dog
sitting on the door step.
Two bwarding-home keepers are
comparing notes. “It ’pears to me.
Mrs. Mlggles, that your chicken salad
Is never found out—leastways, I never
heard none of the boarders con-plain
“You see,” explained Mrs. Miggles,
"I alius chop up a few feathers with
the veal.”
By pr ixy.—Facetious gardener to
individual who had looked so long
upon the “bloom on the rye” that its
radiant color had been imparted to
his countenance—“Mormn’, Mr. Wat
tles. Would you just come around
and give a look for ten minutes over
them ’ere cowcumbers? Tuey’ a shade
back’ard, sir.”
“Little girl, do you know whose
house that is ?” asked a solemn look
ing old man of a bright child seated
on the church steps. “Yes; sir; it’s
Grd’s, but he ain’t in.” she added
as the old gentleman was about to
walk up the steps, “and his agent’s
gone to Europe.”
A fiery Irishman challenged a bar
rister, who gratified him by an accept
ance. The duelist, who was lame, re
quested that he might have a prop.
“Suppose,” said he, “I lean against
this milestone ?” “Agreed,” said the
lawyer, “provided l may lean against
the next.”
Try and help the ohildren when you
see them struggling with anger or evil
passions ; they need help at such times
mere than punishment. A new thought
will often turn theobstinaoy of a ohild
just as a little diversion will make him
forget a out finger. A teacher came
up to two boys who were about to
fljht: “John, I wish you would come
and help me put in one of the win
dows ; yeu can then come out here
and fix up things. The boy came aud
assisted, aud school begau soon after
When school was out the teaeher de
tained Johu, and found out the oause
of the troublejH^eui
who demanded forty cents. Plaii tiff
n fused to pay more, aud told tbe con
ductor if be had the right to put him
off to do so. The conductor collected
some other fares, and then returned
and again demanded the forty cents ;
plaintiff refused, and the conductor
returned the twenty-live cents to him,
stopped the train within about six rods
of a dwelling house and told tbe plain
tiff to get off. Plaintiff did so, no
force being used. On appeal from judg
ment in favor of plaintiff, entered on
verdict, and from order denying mo
tion for new trial. Held: Tu&tthere
was no question to s ibmit to the jury.
Piairt'fFrefused to pay the fare law
fully prescribed by the defendant and
demanded ny the conductor. He was
put off without force aud in a lawful
plac\ 896 laws 1850, chap. 140, nee.
35. There is no evidence to support
the finding that defendant waived its
right to the fare demanded. Plaintiff
was not misled ; he knew the regula
tions and seemed to invite or defy the
penalt/. He may complain of the
law, but not that defendant did not
keep within it.
Judgment reversed.
Construction of Railroad near Highway.
Beatty, Administratrix, vs. Central
Iowa, Railway Company. Supreme
Court of Iowa, April, 1S8‘3.
The mere constructing of a rad *oad
in close proximity to a highway is not
of itself an act of negligence. Such
increase of danger is necessarily inci
dent to and attendant upon this im
proved mode of transportation.
Where an accident happens, result
ing in a personal injury, the proper
inquiry is not whether the accident
might have been avoided,but whether
in the light of all the existing circum
stances,the v diroad company exercised
reasonable care and diligence t > guard
against danger.
An embankment which is construct
ed as a necessary approach to the rail
way track is, in legal contemplation, a
part of the crossing ; but where the
railroad crosses the highway nearly on
a level with it, there is no necessity
for an embaukment 20 rods long in
order to r iach the actual crossing.
Tue^fiaintiff, as administratrix of
the estate of John W. Beatty,deceased,
brings this action to r cover damages
for the death cf the said John V/.
Beatty, occasioned by a tram of csr-i
operated by the receiver of the Centr *1
Railroad of Iowa. Uadir the direc
tion of the court the jury returned only
a special verdict. Both part es filed a
motion f< rjudgment upon the special
Undines. The court oveirjljd the
pontiff’s motion for a new trial, aud
sustained that of the defendant. The
plaintiff appeals.
The concluding portion of the deci
sion is as follows:
The railway was constructed in 1871.
At the time this railroad was con
structed the provisions of thestat ite
upon the sutj^ct were as follows:
“Any such corporat on may rdse cr
lower any turnpike, plank road or
other highway for the purpose of
having its highway pass over or under
tbe same ; and in such oases said cor
poration shall put such highway, as
soon as may be, in as good repair and
condition as before such alteration.”
Revision, §1321 ; code of 187$, §1202.
“Every corporation constructing or
operating a railway shall
construct, at ail points where such
railway erissesany public highway,
good, sufficient aud safe criming and
cj>t ie-guards.” Revision, §1881; oode
of 1873, §1288. The jury have found
specially that the orossing aud its im
mediate approaches were in a suitable
and safe condition. Tuey have not
found that tvre was anything neg
ligent or improper in the manner in
which th«B highway was prepared
for publicMravel between the rail
way anew the highway and the
actual crc|fing. The jury have found
that the cause of the aocident was the
proxii^it/ of the two ruads north of
the immediate crossing. Now, the
defendant cannot be held liable for
ttie injury unless it was guilty of
some act of negligence. The mere
constructing a railway in close
is not of.
constitute negligence upon the part
of the railway compauy. 8 leh in
crease of danger is necessarily inel
dent to aud attendant upon t his mode
of transportation. All persons must,
accept the advantages of this mode of
intereonnanunicar'on with the dangers
aud inconveniences which neces arily
attend it. Tne price of progress can
not be withheld.
The appellant has ar.ued this case
as though the st&t tie requirad that the
company should make tbe highway as
safe as before the alteration. Tin
statute does not so require. Such a
requirement could not, in tbe nature
of things, be complied with. It is not
possible that a highway crossed by a
r iilread shall be as safe as before the
railroad was constructed. There wall
aud must be some danger from colli
sion, and from fright t> auimals,
which did not exist before. Tbe
statute simply requires that the high
way shall be placed in as good repair
and condition as befc r 3 the alteration.
It is true the jury have found that the
railway company could reasonably
have graded a tr.ck for wagons fur
ther to the west of the highway, and
that if the track of the highway had
been graded or pushed to the west
line of the highway the accident
would not have happened. But it is
not found that the failure to grade the
highway to the west Hue of the high
way was negligence on the part of tbe
company, under the cir umstances
proved, and we cannot s ty, as a matter
of law, that such (a lure was negli
gence. If the railway hau approached
tbe highway at right angles, and oeen
plainly visible for half a mi e before
reaching the crossing, it may fairly !•<
assumed that the accident would not
have happened. Aud yet we cannot
say, as matUr of law, that the railway
compauy wis guilty of negligence in
not constructing its load in this man
ner. If deceased had ridden an old,
gentle, well-trained horse, instead of a
young, spirited, and not thoroughly
trained one, it may well be assumed
that the accident would not have hap
pened. Yet it would scarcely do to
hold that the deceased was guilty of
contributory negligence because be
rode a young and spirited horse.
A Copal Forest.
The British Consul at Mozambique
has just reported the discovery of a
considerable tract of copal forest. The
forest is fully 200 miles long. It is a
belt which runs parallel with the
coast, aud is midway between tbe
coast and the fi rst range of mountains,
Frjm lnhambane it is nearly 100
miles to get right into it. This dis
tance is a Jiitie great, and may retard
its being opened up; but its discovery
adds to the known wealth of the dis
trict. “The native name of this gum,”
says the Consul, “is ‘Stakate’ and
‘8taka.’ The Zulu name for gum is
‘Inthlaka.’ The name ‘S acte’ men
tioned in Exouus xxx 34 (this is be
lieved to be the gum of the Storua
tree, Sty rax ottl finale), would be pro
nounced as the above native name.
The tree domineers over all, and
standing in any place overlooking the
forest, you see here and there trees
growing as it were in a hayfleld. The
gum has a beautiful odor if pounded
and burned, als > if boiled in a pot of
water.” The ordinary gum copal tree
of the mainland of Z tnzibar and Mo
zambique, though as a rule lofty, is by
no means of the striking stature here
indicated.
A Good Sunday Thought.
There is a vast difference between
a sustaining faith and sustaining a
faith. And just here is where the line
separates tbe warm-hearted and con
vincing witness of Christ's religion,
from the cold reasoner in defence of
the Chriitlan religion. A sustaining
faith carries one’s heart and head,
without question or swerving. The
attempt to sustain a faith exercises
one’s head only, and gives evidence of
doubt by the very effort to remove
doubt. Sustaining a faith is a trouble
some business. A sustaining faith is
the grandest possession of a human
soul. A faith whioh sustains, is above
all ueed of sustaining. It is the only
faith worth having in an* emergency
Castellated edges make a tastful fin
ish for basques aud skirt front breadths
of cloth aud cashmere dresses. They
are made more effective by being welt
ed with a cord or fold of bias silk.
There is a new way to mark hand
kerchiefs. The name is marked length
wise ou one end of the heuistiched
corner, with the letters placed one
nbove the other entwined like the
South Indian Hedgehogs,
——- •
I have been lately coHectlng hedge
hogs, cliitfly with a view o f sending
some to my Mend Dr. Anderson, Su
perintendent of the Calcutta Museum,
to whom I am indebted for a paper on
ttie hedgehogs of Indio, contr touted t:>
tlic “Journal of ihe Asiatic 8 )clety of
Bengal,” volume 47, part 2, On their
arrival they caused great exciemenfc
among the ladios of tbe family, and
when E Btafed that they were to be
sent t, > the museum for preservation I
was entreated to let them be kept so
long as they would live, ami sent
when t rey die to the museum. The
result is that I have now seven or
eight, of them, some having died.
Three—a mother and two young ones
have been made great, pets of, and are
brought out to dessert every evening.,
to the great amusement, of our friends,,
few of whom were hithert) aware that
hedgehogs were found in India. Even
uatives, who are generally incurious
in such mat ers, come in numb n, my
butler says, and ask to be allowed to
see them. They are carried in alt-r
dinner on the lid of a basket, and if
they happen to be rolled up, they,
when put on the table, at once unroll,
and begin to run about looking for
cheese, of which they seem immoder
ately fond. When they arrived, three
weeks ago, one at least of the twine
appeared t > have been only just
weaned, as it would not leave the
mother; and on one occasion, when
the room tuey occupy was being
cleaned, about sunset the mother and
t us small one escaped, but were found
i ext day snugl. rolled up in a prickly
pear (opu tin) i.edge. Woe first we
had t'lem a cough made hem all bring
their bristles forward over the? fore
head, giving them an absur-i appear
ance of fr>wniug. No other sound
seemed to aflect them iu this way, and
now they don’t seem to mind even
that. They allow themselves t) be
teken up without rolling tiem.elves
up, and may be tickled underneath..
If not taken off the table at a particu
lar angle they roll themselves up, but
iu a second or two, even if held back
downward, they protrude tbeir heads
and will take cheese from toe hand
The old one is a duty brown color,
with scanty hairs below, but the young
ones are very pretty, the spines being
black, tapped with white, and the
whole of the lower parts cove rad with
beautiful soft white hair. They run
about very quickly and appear very
bandy. This is not so much from any
crookedness in the bones, but from the
tibia forming a considerable angle with
the metatar-al bones. The old one r
when she has had enough, stretches
out her forelegs on which she rests
her snout, and extends her hind legs
backward, having the entire body in
contict with the table. Tue young
ones are never still except, when eat
ing, and they then bring the hind legs
under them, and sit down, the forelegs
being fully visible, in which att tude
they look very pig-like. At first when
handled they hissed tremendously and
rolled themselves up, but since they
became tame they have ceased this
menace. I had a cockroach put on
the table, and the old mother, not
being hungry, did not ht first touch it.
One of the young ones, however,
seized aud ate most of it, but the
mother came up in time t > get a leg,
when both the young ones became tre
mendously excited and rushed alter
her, trying ti get it out of her mouth.
O le of the young ones is the pluckiest
Ultle beast, I ever saw. Ou several
occasions it seized a terrier pup by the
leg, and hung on when the pup was
lifted off the table. That pup has a
grjat respect for hedgehogs.
.. ♦ » •>
Pompeian Surgery.
Every one who has visited the ruins
ot Pompeii knows the house of the
surgeon, and has heard of the numer
ous surgical instruments which were
found in it at the moment of excava
tion. Nearly every instrument is now
in use, especially in country practice.
When we remember that Pompei
was not a city of the tint class, but
simple municipality, a borough
small importance in comparison wit
Naples, it seems remarkable that
Pompeian surgery should have been
as thorough aud as scientitto as it is at
thepresent day in French townsorsim-
ilar magnitude. The faot is perhaps
artly attributable to the infiuenoe of
the neighboring schools of Magnu
Gieeeia, and yet whenever ohauoe
permits us, as at Pompeii, to speud a
day with kfcm of a forme r age there is
always occasion for surprise that
little change has been made in
moat Important, details
m*