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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*