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About The North Georgian. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1877-18?? | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 1881)
X Qeofgikri,’ PVBLIBHBD EVERY THUR-IDA' i ~av- BJCJTLTON. by JOHN BLATS. T»BM8—$1.00 U amn SO Mata for rii Wontki; 25 Mat* forthre* months. " BarUos away f r »m Bellton are requested to send their names with sash amounts o! money *1 they can pare, from 26c. to >1 SOUTHERN NEWS. It rained 130 days in West rn Texas last year. Italian laborer? for orange groves have arrived at Jacksonville, Fla. The colored Methodistsof Waco, Tex., are to erect a $7,000 college. Judge A. J. Ross, of Salado, has been elected Grand Master of the Texas State Grange. Philadelphia workmen are laying street mains for .the new water-works in Ma con, Ga. Meridian has shipped more eotton for this season than any other town in Mis sissippi except Vicksburg. Alabama has a provision in her con stitution forbidding the consolidation of competing lines of telegraph. No smoking will hereafter be allowed in aay of the buildings of Vanderbilt University, Nashville. Mrs. Matilda Fields, of Gibson county, Tenn., sixty years of age, is the daughter of the celebrated Davy Crockett. Atlanta, Ga., is a large horse and mule market. The receipts since September have been 14,548 horses and mules, 5,550 cattle, and 25,390 hogs. The Tampa (Fla.) Tribune mentions a report that ths people in the eastern end of Hillsborough county and in Polk are becoming discouraged about the orange business because of tlie lack of transpor tation. Out of .172,005 voters registered in Louisiana, 85,451 are white, and of these 16,913 make their marks instead of wri ting their names. The colored registra tration is 88,024, and of these 11,408 write their names. The Dismal swamp canal, which con nects Norfolk, (Va.) harbor with Albe marle, (N. C.) sound; is of great impor tance to Norfolk. The number of ves sels that passed through it last year included 341 steamers, 263 schooners, 94 sloops, 517 lighters, 24 boatsand 50 rafts. Total, 1,291. A mysterious pillarof smoke rises from the midst of a morass in the southeastern corner of Jeflerson county, Fla. Before the war it was attributed to runaway negroes, during the war to deserters, and since the war to illicit distillers. It is said that a visible glow has often been observed. • Atlanta Constitution: Capital mny not be accumulated very rapidly in the South, but it will be rolled together fully as fast as the Northern mill-owners will care to have it. Ihe North can and will manufacture a vast variety of things, but it cannot monopolize or long control the manufacture of the great staple of the South In Tennessee there are about 1,250 convicts, about half of the number being in the penitentiary and the remainder in branch prisons. The branch prisons at Battle Creek coal mines and at Sewanee are wooden structures inclosed by wood en palisades, and it is said that they have proved superior in comfort, security and healthfulness to the penitentiary itself The size of the cotton factory at Pied mont, 8. C., has been more than doubled, and it is now the largest factory in one building in the South. A correspondent of the Charleston News and Courier says that five years ago there was no: a single house at that place, and now there are 147, besides the factory building, which is to support 1,500 people and house 12,- 000 bales of cotton a year. Atlanta Constitution : The discovery of the lost portfolio came very near working a change in the list of States. Georgia now has 1,542,071 people, and Tennessee 1,542,468. If the enumerators of Georgia had found 393 more people, Georgia would have outranked Tennes see, and retained her place as the twelfth State. As the case stands, she is the thirteenth State. Is there not another lost portfolio ? The celebrated Dummitt orange grove, the oldest and largest grove in East Flor ida, situated between the Indian river and the Atlantic, comprising 450 acres, having 8,590 trees now in bearing, pro ducing last year 4,000 boxes, has l>een sold to the Du«a Telia Castellucia, an officer in the Italian military service. The Duke and Duchess will make Jack sonville their winter home. The Duke proposes to have skilled laborers brought from his grave* i* Sicily. F. B Ferguson writes from the United States Fish Commission to Gen. Chal mers, of Mississippi, that the charge* by the boats on the Mississippi are practi cally a bar to the continuance of the dis- The North Georgian. VOL. IV. tribution in Chalmers’ Congressional district. He says: “In all other sec tions of the country railroads and boats make no charge for the cans of fish, but on the Mississippi river they not only charged very high rates for the cans, but in some cases, especially at Fort Adams, wharfage for loading and reshipping the empty cans was charged.” The New Orleans Chamber of Com merce has appointed a committee of five persons to correspond or confer with the Postmaster General upon the following proposition : That he shall invite the several railroad corporations connecting New Orleans with the cities of St. Louis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Cincinnati, Louis ville, Richmond, Baltimore, Washing ton, Philadelphia and New York, to con sider the expediency of placing on their joint account a semi-monthly line of ocean steamers connecting the port of Aspin wall, Central America, with the port of New Orleans, receiving as a contribution by the United States, the sea postage to accrue upon such route, with such other appropriations as Congress may be in duced to make for that purpose. Something About Babies. According to a Yorkshire notion, a new born infant should be laid first in the arms of a maiden before any one touches it; and in some places the infant's right hand is left unwashed in order that he may gather riche*. It is, too, considered very important by many that an infant should go up in the world before it goes down. Thus, in Cleveland, says Mr. Henderson, if a child should be born in the top story of a house, for want of a flight of stairs one of the gossips will take it in her arms and mount a table, chair, or chest of drawers before she carries it down-stairs. In the north of England, when an in fant for the first time goes out of the house, it is presented with an egg, some salt and a little loaf of bread, and occa sionally a small piece of money—these gifts being supposed to insure that the child shall never stand in need of the common necessaries of life. In the East Riding of Yorkshire a few matches are added to light the child to heaven. It was, too, in former times, customary, and the practice is not yet obsolete, to provide a large cheese and cake, and cut them at the birth of the child. These were called “the groaning cake and cheese,” and were distributed among all the neighbors. In Yorkshire this cake is termed the “pepper cake,” and in some localities the “sickening cake.” It is the source of a species of divination, for being cut into small pieces by the medical man, it is divided among the unmarried of the female sex, under the name of “dream ing bread.” Each one takes a piece, places it in the foot of the left stocking, and throws it over the left shoulder. This being done, they must retire to bed backward, without uttering a word, and those who are lucky enough to fall asleep before midnight are favored with a sight of their future husband in their dreams. The Smaller Boy Took the Cue. A jolly clergyman in Rondout, N. Y., has two sons, both bright, obedient, and well-trained lads, but mischievous and fun-loving as boys can be. It is the cus tom of the father to have his sons learn a verse of Scripture every day, and re cite it each morning. In accordance with this custom one day the lads were called upon by their father to rejieat their verses for the day. It happened to be a time when the skating was good, a sport of which all active boys are devo tees, and the boys naturally burned wifli eager desire to be off to the frozen field. But discipline must be maintained, as they well knew, and there was no escape from the daily Scripture recitation. The elder of the boys had learned his text and was ready for the ordeal, and when asked to repeat it promptly replied: “I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of God than to dwell in ‘the tents of wickedness;” and he “slid out,” happy at his release. The younger lad had quite forgotten to learn his text, but his wit came to his rescue. “So would I, father,” he shouted, and off he went to join his brother. Unbidden Tears. “I acted Werner languidly,” says Macready in his Diaries, “k circum stance in the play amused me a good deal, and at my own expense. I was in convenienced and rather annoyed by Ulric looking on the ground, or any where but in my face, as he should have done. My displeasure, however, vanished on seeing the tears fast trickling down his cheek, and forgiving his inaccuracy on the score of his sensibility, I continued the scene with augmented energy and feeling, and left it with a very favorable impression of the young man’s judgment and warm-heartedness. In the course of the play he accosted me, begging my pardon for his apparent inattention to me, and explaining the cause, viz., that he had painted his face so high on the check that the color had got into his eyes, and k®pt them running during the whole act. What an unfortunate dis closure!” Little six-year old was taking his first lesson in addition, and when the teacher asked him: “If I were to give you two cgts, and another nice young lady gave you two more, how many cats would you have?” He quickly replied: “Why, pretty soon I wouldn’t have any, for my mamma would break their heads with Irow. HUp dw’t like ” BELLTON, BANKS COUNTY, GA., FEBRUARY 10, 1881. KT BI KE MOW. r There’s nothing more thon canst commani, The put has gona beyond thy hand, With many a broken vow, The coming moment Is not thine; Life stands between, a narrow line, Strike while the iron’s hot—strike now. Now is the time to do the deed, Now the time to uproot the weed, Act, nor pause to ask the how; Each parsing moment chills the glow, Good forging twins the thought and blow, Strike while the iron’s hot—strike now. Plan a« we will, strike ns we mny, All power, hope, growth from day to day, To tho crushing now must bow. Results of reason feeliug, tact, All are surmise, the now but fact, Strike while thtiron’o hot •irilse wxrw. J Greatness the now has always won, Well sowed, that this Is all the sum Os life, who can disavow? Work in the now from first to last, ’Tin always with you, never past, Strike while the iron’s hot—strike now. WHISKY BOB’S CLAIM. Whisky Bob was dead broke, very tired, and wanted to sit down aud study his situation and what was best to be done. “Hera Ibe again, the same derned fool as ever, ruined by whisky after mak in’ piles of money; I just deserve it. What a doggoued jackass a human can make his self with whisky. ” Taking up his pack, Bob toiled slowly up the ridge under the trees until he came to the top, where it flattened out in the level places and slight depres sions. Birds were singing aud flowers blooming around him; and, as he sat down to rest, ho heard, to his astonish ment, not very far oft’, the clear sweet voice of a female, singing. Peeping cautiously under the young pine tree, there, in a little open flat, sit ting on a rock, was the singer. It was a pleasant picture to look at for a lonely man—a tall, shapely, buxom young girl, with light, golden hair, blue eyes, and very regular, pretty features. She was dressed in a short calico dress, with moc assins on her feet, and a sun-bonnet thrown back on her head. Iler hand rested on a long Kentucky rifle. She was a representative of the better class of Western girls, who were continually in those earlier days arriving in the mountains of California from the long trip overland, emigrating in families from Kentucky and other States. Whisky Bob listened to the song with delight, and gazed at the singer in ad miration; and then, with his pack on his shoulder, coolly walked out into her presence, and, putting his pack down not far from her, sat down himself. Then she spoke to him: “Well, Mister, who might you be, that walks into a young lady’s drawing room without knocking, even on the bark of a tree ?” “Please, Miss, I’m called Whisky Bob —out prospecting. ” “No ‘miss’ about it, Mr. Bobb, please. My name, for short, is Nell Green to all friends, and to others—well, I’ve a shoot ing-iron,” said the girl, and continued: “Your name of Whisky is a bad one, young man, and I reckon shows you are being ruined by corn juice. Is that so?” “Well, Nell, that’s a fact—but rather rough,” said Bob, who saw the girl had a half smile on her face. “Now, Mr. Bob—without the Whisky —it seems to me,” said Nell, “ye’re throwing ycrself away, and there might be something better for yer, if ye’d seek it,” and she looked at him with an ex pression of some interest. “I know it, Nell, if I could only do it.” “Got no folks, no family, to keer for you?” said Nell. “Narry one,” repliedßob; “neverhad. I toted myself and pack up this ridge to jest seek my luck once more, and quit the corn juice and reform. I said to my self, 'Bob, if ye could only meet a wo man anywhere in these diggins, and stake out a claim where she stood, it would bring ye fresh luck and ye might turn over a new leaf, and be somebody once more.’ And here, sure enough, I’ve met you.” “Ye mean right, I’m sure,” said Nell, softly. “But down the trail away yonder I see my folks are coming along, with their fixings and plunder, pan, mau and the rest ov’em. I must put out, stranger, but Mr. Bob, let me say a kind word to ye on parting from a short acquaintance. You say a woman brings ye luck every time. Now I just hope I’ll bring good fortune to yer, and you may take you* pile out of this ’ere spot, though I can’t see where it is. Mr. Bob,” said the girl, hesitating, “es ye do not find it, and act up to yer good intentions about the corn juice—well, then, Mr. Bob, my folks are raising log houses and shed fixings down on the opening at the foot of the creek, away there you can see a break in the trees. We mean to locate.” And walk ing up to Bob, she put her hand on his shoulder, “and Mr. Bob, if ye raise yer pile yer can bring jest a little piece of cold down for Nell to remember she brought a better life to ye.” He took his rocker and put it in run ning order down the ridge by a little pool of water, fed by a small stream, where he could bring his dirt and wash out for half an hour, and then pack down more, while the pool was filling with water again. Next he went and rolled away the rock where Nell had been sitting and singing by the dry pebbles of the nvulet, and, taking his pick, began digging out a ditch in the grass, about two feet deep and two feet wide, down stream, and took the dirt to his rocker. He worked until sunset, only finding about six bits of coarse gold, but in his last bucket, when washed out, he found a good solid piece of gold weighing three ounce*. In the morning he arose by daylight, and after his breakfast of fried pork and coffee, ending with the usual smoke of his pipe, he weijt te work again, deter- mined to work the gold out for Nell’s sake, if he did not make a fortune. He worked hard and steady through the day, only stopping at uoon for some coffee and a smoke beneath the pine tree camp. The sun was very hot, but he didn’t mind it. At night, when he washed out the result of the day’s hard toil, ho only had a dollars’ worth of coarse gold, but he found a little piece of bine ribbon Nell had lost from her hair. This con soled him amply, as he kissed it and said to himself, “ Bob, better luck to-mor row.” His claim was what miners call "very spotted,” for the gold was scat tefieu in . r ot« horn and there. The next day and the next, his labors brought iiim the same result—about enough to pay expenses, or as the miners call it, “grub money. ” The fourth day, just before he washed out, in his last rocker of dirt, at sunset, he found two pieces of gold, one worth $l5O, the other full S2OO. Bob was happy that night, and tied the blue rib bon with a leather string round his neck, so that it could rest on his heart. The next two days brought no big piece, but the seventh he took pieces of gold from the clay-lika cement weighing about S7OO. It was dark colored gold, pretty solid, and twisted into strange shapes, with holes in it, but not appearing much worn, or, in mining parlance, “washed.” When the miners passed him daily on their way to the divide, they stopped to ask what, his luck was, and when thev saw a very little coarse gold in his pan, they laughed at him. But Bob kept his lumps of gold in his pocket, or buried them beside the rock in his camp. In this way he worked on, taking sometimes large pieces of gold out, half as large as Nell’s little fist, and then for days very little. He now examined and weighed his gold, and found that he had about SB,OOO, mostly in heavy pieces. This was a pretty good fortune for seven weeks’ digging, and Bob felt an unconquerable longing to go and tell Nell all about it. Tho next morning by daylight he cleared up, packed up his things and started down the ridge to the nearest trading tents. But in his blankets, carefully strapped out of sight, was a heavy bag of gold in place of a whisky bottle. It was early in the day yet, and Bob set out to find the ranch of Nelly’s peo ple, leaving his pock, except the blanket containing the gold, which was slung over his shoulders on his pick handle. In a little over a mile’s walking he found a pretty valley at the mouth of the creek, where some new log houses, fences and clearings indicated Nell’s home. In a back room, with her white, strong, beautiful arms bare to the shoulder, stood pretty Nell at the washtub, very busy in a stream of soapsuds and Ken tucky jeans, singing free as a bird. Bob put down his'pack and walked in, but Nell’s quick ear heard, and she turned aud saw him, and her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkled. “What! Bob, is that you come at last? in store clothes, too?” said she, glanciug with bright eyes at the young man, and with poorly disguised pleasure. “Certain, sure, Nell; you said I might come.” “Yes, Bob! but how about the whisky?” “ Nell, I haven’t touched a drop since you saw me; if I have they may shoot me. And what’s more, I don’t mean to —if you say so,” replied he. “An’ Bob, did I bring luck to yer? Was there gold up thar?” “Nell, thar's six thousand dollars and more, rolled in them blankets thar, I owe to your pretty self, or I’m a nigger. And, Nell, just look here,” and Bob took from the breast of his shirt a package carefully wrapped in paper, which had rested on the bow of Nell’s blue ribbon he had found, and which she plainly saw. Unwrapping it, there was a piece of gold, in the shape of a spread eagle, almost exact in every part, weighing over six ounces. “Nell, you said I might bring yer a specimen from my pile, and here ’tis.” “Yes, Bob, but what gal’s bit of rib bon is that yer so keerful about?” said Nell, with n loving took, but turning her face from him mischievously, and stirring the soap-suds. “That ere,” replied he, “broke loose from the har of an angel that met me on the mountains, yonder, and said some kind words to a dead-broke man, that gave him new life, and what’s more, brought good luck, the thing as a charm to lighten his thoughts when he felt downheartened. ” “Yes, Bob,” said she, “but ain’t that talk kind of airy? Angels don’t flit round these diggins, as I ever heerd ov.” “Yes, Nell, that’s so; but any woman’s an angel to man that’s going wrong, who, in the loving kindness of her heart, encourages him to do right, and that’s what ye’ve done for me. That ere gold came to me by luck from you, and if ye'd only take it with something else” “With what, Bob?” but Nell still kept her face turned away, while he was edging still closer to her. “Well, Nell, if I must make the riffle, just take Bob with the dust and make him a happy man for the rest of his life. He loves yer, and would die for yer any time,” and Bob stole his arm around her slender waist. Nell at last turned her blushing face, and looking roguishly at Rob, said: “Don’t you think, Bob, it would be let ter sense to say you’d live for Nell than to die for her?” Bob did not speak, but drew Nell to him, and kissed her. Nell, somehow had her hands so entangled in the soapsuds and clothes that she couldn’t resist, but she pouted her lips, and Bob took his kuia beck from theaa Three years after the above events happened, in that same valley, was a very pretty cottage, with a garden and flowers around it, that indicated taste aud refinement, and the whole clearing had become extensive, with its buildings and improvements. Here resided Mr. Robert Stinton aud his happy wife, the handsomest and happiest couple in the northern counties. Mr. Stinton was a prosperous cat tle dealer, well-to-do, and few remem bered that there ever was such a man as Whisky Bob. Illi I—— A Chinese Execution. The criminal is to the execu tion ground in a basket slung on a bam boo between two coolies. Half stupe fied by fear and rendered almost insensi ble to the fate about to be suffered from the effects of samshoo, which is given to the victim in abundance, the procession wends its way between throngs of Celes tials. The road is lined with sedan chairs conveying the officials, both high and low, to witness the sight. Upon arrival at the place of punish ment, a crowd of chattering Chinese may be seen, some engaged smoking their pipes, others discussing their early bowl of congee at the stall of the perambulat ing venders of edibles. Not the least trace of any feeling of awe or compassion is exhibited at the tragedy about to be enacted. A stolid indifference marks the countenance of the assemblage, and it is only when the cortege files into po sition before the dais, whereon the Viceroy and the provincial Judge have taken their seats, that any observable emotion animates the crowd. The crim inal is made to kneel, while a subordi nate officer reads the edict of the Vice roy. This sets forth the crime and the penalty, and exhorts the culprit to con fess fully. All the victim can do is to cry for mercy, of which quality there is apparently a lack. At a given signal from the Judge the two executioners step forward and seize the unfortunate wretch. Divested of every particle of clothing he or she is bound hand and foot to two upright pieces of wood in the form of a Saint Andrew’s cross. The minions of the law draw from their belts two short, sharp knives. They are now ready for their bloody work. With a devilish skill they commence to slit the skin and flesh at the wrists. Proceed ing up the arms until the neck is reached, their attention is then directed to the lower limbs. The ankles upward, the fleshy part of the legs and thighs right up to the chest are under operation. The whole body is now one quivering mass of strips of skin and flesh, from which the blood is pouring in streams, dying the ground and the executioners’ clothes a vivid red color. By this time the vast crowd are on the tiptoe of ex pectation, straining their bodies to get a glimpse of the gory figure, and eager to watch the least sound of a sigh or groan. After the shriek of pain which attends the first use of the knife, frequently nothing but low, agonizing moans es cape the lips. While this horrible scene is being enacted, the peanut hawkers, the beancurd and candy hucksters ply their trade, oblivious of the fact that a human being is undergoing torture. With head drooping on the breast, closed eyes, and face bearing an unut terable look of pain and agony, the vic tim now stands. The Judge, seemingly tired at the disgusting sight, claps his hands. Tho chid executioner, at the signal, plunges his knife into the breast, and with one hand tears open the flesh, while with the other he pulls the quiv ering heart out by the roots, holds it up to view, and then dashes it to the ground. Thus justice is vindicated. Putting Up Sardines. The little town of Eastport, Me., situ ated as it is at the most eastern extremi ty of the United States, and frequently called the “jumping off place,” has, within the last few years, becomq the center of quite an industry—the putting up of sardines. Extensive factories have been built on most of the many wharves out into Passamaquoddy bay, and from small beii>xmm K r> tho jtutting up ol tnese little fish has attained large proportions. The fish used are very small herrings, wliich a few years ago were considered almost worthless, being used only for pomace. They are very abundant at certain seasons of the year, and are caught in large weirs, constructed for the purpose, along the shore of the neighboring islands. The weirs some what resemble a rustic fence extending out into tho water. The fish swimming in with the tide are left as the tide falls below the weir, and are taken by means of dip-nets, by men who go into the weirs in boats for that purpose. Some times a hundred hogsheads of fish are taken at one time. On reaching the factory the fish go through a process of drying, and then, when partially fried in olive oil, are put up in small tin boxes bearing a French brand, and cannot be distinguished in appearance from the imported article. Thousands of these boxes are put up in a day, almost a thousand persons being employed in the business. These fac tories are controlled by New York firms. There are, too, other ways of prepar ing these fish. One variety resembling very much the potted herring, and pre pared with mustard, are called marines, and find a ready sale in the Western markets. During the win ter great quan tities of herring, which are too large to put up in thia manner, are frozen, and are shipped in barrels to all parts of the country. They talk about “a girl horse thief” in Illinois. The thief finds that style of horse very rare. Published Eveby Thursday at BELLTON, GEORGIA; J7AT2ES OF SUBSCRIPTION. Ous year (62 number*), $1.00; six month* i,"6 numbers) 60 cents; three months (18 numbers), 26 cents. Office in the Smith building, eaet of the depot. ISO. .6 . USEFUL SUGGESTIONS. Grease Spots on Paper.—Grease spots may be removed from paper by applying a little powdered pipe clay, on which place a sheet of paper, then use a hot iron. Remove the adhering powder with a piece of India-rubber. Scobchbd Linen.—Peel and slice two onions, extract the juice by pounding and squeezing; cut up half an ounce of fine white soap and add to the juice ; two ounces of fuller’s earth and a half pint of vinegar ; boil all together ; when cool spread over the scorched linen and let it dry on it; then wash aud boil out the linen aud the spots will disappear, unless burned so badly as to break the threads. When to Cut Timber—July and August are the best months for cutting timber, that it may be the most durable. The growth of the year is then well-nigh over, and if the trees arc allowed to lie until the green foliage dries upon them, the greater portion of the sap is thereby withdrawn from the wood, and the seas oning is rapid and perfect. Cut in mid summer, insects are much less liable to attack the wood, which is an important point with some kinds of timber, like hickory. Damp Walls.—An exchange says : “ Moisture may be kept from a brick wall by dissolving three-quarters of a pound of mottled soap in one gallon of boiling water and spreading the hot so lution steadily with a large flat brush over the surface of the brick work, tak ing care that it does not lather. This is to be allowed to dry for twenty-four hours, when a solution formed of a quarter of a pound of alum dissolved in two gallons of water is to be applied in a similar manner over the coating of soap. The soap and alum mutually de compose each other and form an insolu ble varnish which rain is unable to pen etrate. The operation should be per formed in dry, settled weather. ” Restoring Faded Flowers.—Tho majority of flowers begin to wither after being kept in water for twenty-four hours. A few may be revived by giving them fresh water with a pinch of salt peter in it; and even quite withered flowers can bo restored by placing them in a cup of boiling water deep enough to cover at least one-third of the stems. When the water has booled the flowers should be bright and erect again. They may now be inserted in fresh cold water, after having shortened their stems by about an inch. Thin-petaled, white aud light-hued flowers, however, do not revive so completely under this treat ment ns deep-hued, thick-petaled blos soms. Uninflammable Wood.—Prof. Ked zie, of the Agricultural College of Mich igan, an expert chemist, says that a paint or wash made of skim milk, thor oughly skimmed, and water brine, will render wood uninflammable, and he proved it by experiment. He says thia paint or whitewash is durable, very cheap, impervious to water, of agree able color, and, as it will prevent wood from taking fire, he urges its use, par ticularly on roofs, out-buildings, bams, etc. This can easily be tried, and, if found to answer, the knowledge will be very useful. There is many a building, us well us wooden fixtures near boilers and fire-places, where the mixture could be well applied. —— <• • .... The Foolish Hen—A Fable. Mrs. Brown Hen was known through out her neighborhood as a modest, hard scratching, patient biddy. She never complained of the cold or found fault with the heat, and no one ever heard her express an envious wish. Great was the surprise, therefore, when she ap peared among the barnyard fowls ono day and began : “I’m tired of being a hen. It is nothing but scratch for worms and lay eggs for the family. Let a peacock pass by and all praise it, but what member of the family ever had a word of praise forme? I’m going to be a peacock.” “ That you cannot be,” replied a vet eran old rooster, as he shook the dust off his back. “You lack in s’’ o shape Intended you for a hen, and as a hen you are a success.” “ But I can dress like a peacock,” per sisted the hen. “I’m sick aud tired of these brown colors. I see no reason why I shouldn’t dress as well as any other fowl. ” Arguments and reasons were of no avail, and Mrs. Brown Hen walked away to carry out her programme. In an hour she appeared among the peacocks with a red ribbon around her neck, a gay feather over her ear and a red woolen rag tied around her leg. She strutted about and tried to make herself at home, but one of the peacocks stepped forward and said : “You are simply deceiving yourself. Wo all know you for a hen. While you were acting the part of a hen we all re spected you. Now that you are crowd ing in where you don’t belong, and where neither nature nor education have fitted you, you deserve only contempt.” The hen persisted in trying to be a peacock, and as she strutted around in her borrowed finery the cook observed her and said : “Nohen with her means could have come by those things honestly. She was the best hen in the coop as long as she remained in her place, but now that she is out of it she will be gossiped about and made miserable, and I will therefore wring her neck and eat her. ” A few years ago a Japanese publisher brought out a life of Washington in forty-five volumes, with illustrations in which the Father of his Country is rep resented in modem dress, wearing a heavy mustache, carrying a cane, and accompanied by a Skye terrier.
