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Pretty Speeches. To be able jeadily, and without pre meditation, to say the right thing is an enviable gift still, and may be made a wonderful instrument of conciliation and pacification. The worst of it is that persons possessing the power of repartee are apt to make a hostile rather than an amicable use of it; and, indeed, most of us covet it rather as a whip to sting with than a feather to tickle. Caustic speeches are sure to draw, and the most amiable people, who would not them- l,n rt f hf>ir trip ml s’ fpplimra nn onv account, chuckle over them as much, as ..rliers There lure they are continually chronicled, but pretty speeches lack the same pungency, and are passed by as in sipid; yet 1 think there is a fine savor about one or two that I remember—that said by George the fourth to the officer of marines, for example. It may be fa miliar to you, but will really bear repe tition. There was an empty bottle on the table, and the king told the servant to “take away that marine.” A guest sit ting next to the king whispered in his ear that an officer present belonged to that branch of the service. George the fourth ascertained his name, and then, addressing him aloud, asked if he knew why an empty bottle was called a ma rine. “No, your majesty,” replied the officer. "Because,” said the King, “it has done its duty, and is ready to do it again.” Which was a neat way of get ting out of a rather awkward phrase as one can well imagine. Ladies, however, are the fair and proper Tecipients of pretty speeches, and the man who gets them is a sort of poacher. The Due de Nivernois made an ingenious one to Madame du Barri, who was endeavoring to persuade him to withdraw his opposi tion to some measure she had set her heart on. “It is no use, Monsieur le Due,” she said, “you are only injuring your influence, for the king has made up his mind, and I have myself heard him say that lie will never change.” “Ah, madame, he was looking at you,” replied the duke. Could any but a Frenchman have ever conveyed determined resistance in so polite a form? There was an inge nious amount of devotion implied in the remark of a love-sick millionaire, when the object of his affections becameecstatic over the beauty oi the evening star. “Oh, do not, do not praise it like that!” he cried, "I cannot get it for you.” It is no wonder that Tom .Moore was ever such a general favorite, if he often said such charming little things as he wrote. I think the very prettiest, quaintest quip ever penned is in one of his love-songs. The loyer can not deny that lie has paid to others homage before lie saw the pre sent object of his affections; in fact, he learned lip-service very early. “That lesson of sweet and enraptured lore I have never forgot, I’ll allow: I have had by rote very often before, But never by heart until now.”' Irishmen generally do manage to say prettier things than others can. They nave a certain confidence or assurance which enables them to blurt out what ever comes uppermost in his mind; that is why they make bulls. A man who is always shooting must miss sometimes. The more cautious Englishman or Scotch man escapes the blunders, but scores fewer hits, and does not often marry .an heiress, I believe.—Ctmeltx Magazine. Capt. Kidd’s Treasure. A few months ago a member of the New York Historical Society read be fore that association a very interesting paper in which he took occasion to deny the assertion that Kidd, the pirate, ever buried any of his treasure on this conti nent. There are in the possession of Squire Gardiner most positive evidences of the fact that Kidd did bury treasure on this very island, that the treasure be came treasure-trove, and that the colo nial government became possessed of the same through John Gardiner, son of the f^rst David of that name, in the year 1699, only a year or two liefore Kidd’s execution. Some time in that year Kidd landed on the island and buried a; cheat containing gems, gold, silver, and i fine cloths valued at many thousand! pounds sterling. He came to.flbrd Gardiner and ad vised him of th^xnct. As soon as Kidd’s fleet was t»ut of sight the proprietor manned a small sloop and sent a truatv messenger to the seat of the colonial government with the request that a commission might be sent to investigate. The commissioners came and in the swamp on the northwestern corner of the island they found the chest. It was 1 opened and an inventory taken. The! contents were, among other articles of value, seven hundred and eighty-three ounces of gold, eight hundred and fifty ounces of silver, a number of diamonds, rubies, pearls, and other gems, cloth of S id, silk, and satin. The original Earl sllamont’s inventory is here, properly signed, attested, and indorsed, and I have no doubt that among the records kept at Boston will be found a duly cer tiffed entry of the “find.” One dia mood which dropped from the package was found after the departure of the commissioners and is now in the posses sion of the family of Gardiner Green, uf Boston, ami a little square piece of cloth of gold, a part of that which once served as the coverlet to a baby’s cradle, is preserved by Mrs. Gardiner, of Gardi ner’s island. Another piece is Held by the Kimball family, of Flatlands. At one time during the revolution a part of the British fleet lay in Gardiner’s bay, between the island and Orient point, and the officers frequently came ashore for amusement. The oaken floors of the old mansion bear witness to the fact that one of their recreations—per haps on rainy days when they could not hunt deer and turkey—was quoits. From the marks on the planks it is plain that the disks they used were Spanish milled dollars. The Drama in the Olden Time. About twenty nobles (thirty-five dol lars) seem to have been the price of a copyright of a play. The printed play was sold for sixpence, and the usual pres ent of a patron for a dedication was ten dollars. Dramatic poets had free ad mission to the theaters. Every play had to be licensed by the master of the revels previous to it being performed. It was usual to carry “ table-books” to the the ater, to note down the passages which were made matter of censure or applause. This may account for somejmultilated copies of Shakspeare’s works, which are still extant. The custom of “ damning ” a play on its first performance is at least as ancient as that great author. No less than three plays of Ben Johnson suffered that fate. Before the performance com menced, and between the acts, the au dience amused themselves in various ways, reading, playing at cards, drinking ale and smoking tobacco. Refreshments were supplied by attendants, who cried the commodities with as much noise as our modern tradesfolk. In 1G33 women smoked tobacco in the theater as well as men. Rich spectators were allowed to sit on the stage. Here the fastidious critic was usually to be met with; the wit, ambitious of distinction; and the gallant, studious to display his person and fine clothes. Seated, or reclining on the rushes of the floor, they regaled themselves with pipes and tobacco, pro vided l>y their pages. The ease of their situation, or their impertinence, excited the disgust of the poorer class in the pit, who frequently hooted, hissed, and threw dirt on the stage coxcombs; but the gal lants displayed their “ high breeding ” by an utter disregard of their behavior. The audience, too, often vented their ill-nature on the players. Apple Jelly.—1. Prepare the apples as for drying: crush them in a portable cider mill, and squeeze out the juice into a porcelain kettle, boil it rapidly twenty minutes, then add a pound of the very best coarse-grain granulated sugar to every pint of juice. Boil three minutes longer, and dip into glasses. The pulp may he stewed and canned. 2. Peel and quarter the apples, put tnem in a preserv ing kettle, and for every quart of apples allow a pint of water. Cook gently until they are ready to fall apart, then strain through a jeily-hag or colander, and add to the liquor its weight of sugar. Boil as for other jellies. If sweet apples arc used, the juice of lemonsshould be added to give ail acid taste, and the peel he employed to flavor the jelly. The pulp may lx* used for pies or sauce. Crusts and bits of bread should be kept in an iron pot, closely covered in a fifv oiwii r>]Kwpir?®!) Iurd und snot in tin vessel* Keep salt, pork fat in glazed earthen-wars. Keep preserves and Jellies in glass or china or stone-ware. Keep salt in a dry place. Keep meat in a cool, dry plaee. Keep ice in the cellar, and wrapped in flannel. Keep vinegar in wood or glass. Dessert.—Place as many crackers as may he desired in saucers and cover with boiling water. When all the water is ab sorbed cover with thick cream and su gar; then place a Spoonful of jelly in the center of each and season with nutmegs. No nicer desert can he desired. HOW TO GOVERN OUR OITIES. The Awful Barden, or Debt they Imvo Piled lip — Tlic Reeeut Enormous Increase. From the Chicago Tribune. Mr. William M. Grosvenor of St. Louis has been making a recent investi gation into the municipal indebtedness of this country. His search demon strates that Mr. Blaine has rather under stated than overstated the libel debts of of the country in the exhibit which he made about a year ago. and which at tracted so much attention at the time. MV Rlqipr* fl»i* flnwrp rrnfft municipal indebtedness, near the close of last year, at $570,000,000, This showed an enormous increase within four years, since the census of 1870 seated the municipal debts (exclusive of state and country) to be $328,244,520. But later investigations, covering a period of five years, show that Mr. Blaine’s estimate was a low one. A recent number of the Financial Chronicle gave a list of city securities, which showed that the bonds of only thirty-two cities in the country (exclusive of their floating indebtedness) amount $525,632,728, or nearly as much as Mr. Blaine’s estimate of the gross municipal indebtedness. But the last annual reports of Massachusetts show that the cities in that state alone, be sides those included k in the thirty-two cities cited above, own $36,914,634. In Ohio, the reports show that the cities cf that state, outside of the cities included in the Financial Chronicle’s statement, owe $8,909,714. Thus the bonded debt of the thirty-two cities, and the cities of only two states among all those not in cluded in that list, amounts to $571,457,- 076, or a larger sum than Mr. Blaine estimated for the whole country. A comparison of the census statement shows that these cities owed less than two- thirds of the total municipal indebted ness of that time. Assuming that this ratio remains the same, the present showing would make the aggregate municipal indebtedness $856,185,614. This is a higher rate /than even Mr. Grosvenor is willing to accept. He therefore makes a propper allowance for a smaller ratio of increase in the cities where statements are not made. The in crease in the thirty-two cities between 1870 and 1875 was 160 per cent. The increase of the Massachusetts cities not included in the list of thirty-two is 130 per cent. The increase of the Ohio cities has been 290 per cent. The average in crease in the two states has been more than 160 per cent. It is entirely within bounds to assume that the increase in the other cities of the country has been 70 per cent, or less than half of the average increase in the states of Massa chusetts and Ohio. Upon this basis, the aggregate municipal indebtedness of the country at this time amounts to $758,- 000,000, or nearly $200,000,000 more that Mr. Blaine estimated. New York furnished a proof that the estimated increase of 70 per cent, is en tirely reasonable. From a statement furnished recently by governor Tilden, it uppears that the municipal debts of that state outside of New York city, Brook lyn, and Albany, have increased 119 per cent, in less than two years. It should be stated, however, that the thirty-two cities which have a total bonded indebt edness of $525,632,728 have sinking funds that amount to $62,443,953. Deducting this, the net indebtedness in these cities, and those of New York, Massachusetts, and Ohio not included in that list, is $551,684,533. Add to this the debt of the other cities in the country, upon the estimated increase of 70 per cent, since 1870, and the net municipal indebtedness of the country, after deducting resources, is still $706,672,407. In an article which we printed a few weeks ago, we drew a comparison between the municipal indebtedness of this coun try and that* of Great Britain. This comparison may now be extended still further. The average municipal indebt edness of twenty English cities smaller than London is about $30 per capita. But Luc minor American cities, with about the same population as these twenty English cities, owe about $92 per capita. The contrast is presented in still another form. The report of the local govern ment board in Great Britain shotvs that, deducting the British national debt, there is" a total local indebtedness of $360,000,000, or about $11 per capita. Take the same local indebtedness in this country, including everything except the national debt, and we have: State debts $.182,970,017 Countv debts 180,000,000 Municipal debts 709,000,000 Total $1,331,970,51; This is a local indebtedness of about $30 per capita for all the people in this country, qr about three times as great os the local indebtedness per capita in Great Britain. The strain in this country is- still more notable when we count the in terest paid. The interest on the local in debtedness probably averages 7 percent., which would make it $93,000,000 annu ally, while the interest on the British local indebtedness does not exceed $15,- 000,000 a year; so that, W’hile the interest on our national indebtedness is more than $20,000,000 less than Great Britain ! pays on its national debt, the total in- j tercs-fc we. pay every year on all debts is from $40,000,000 to $50,090,000 more than Grea: Britain pays on its total in debtedness. The statement of local indebtedness docs not fully set forth the full measure of recklessness and extravagance that char acterize our municipal governments; for, notwithstanding the startling increase of local indebtedness, taxation has likewise increased at a frightful rate. A state ment of fifteen cities, (New York, Phila delphia, Boston, Brooklyn, St. Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati, Jersey C’itv, Louis ville, Newark, Cleveland, San Erancisco, Providence, Albany Milwaukee) shows that the taxable valuation of property lias increased nearljjM,000,00O,000in the last five years, and the tax levy in those cities, which was $64,000,000 in* 1869-70, was $97,500,000 in 1874-’5. It only re mains to be stated, that in not one of those cities was the debt reduced within the time mentioned, so that the increase of taxation was devoted, aside from‘the payment of interest on the bonded debt, to the payment of current expenses and local improvements. In 1870, the whole sum raised by state, county and munici pal taxes was about $280,000,000, and the most careful estimate now places the rev enue exacted from the same sources at $363,000,000 annually. This is over and above the increase of debt. Deducting the state taxes, the country and munici pal governments raise $295,000,000 a year, and have added $430,000,000 to their indebtedness within five years. Ac cording to this, our local government really costs, in taxes and increased debt, $380*000,000 annually, or more than tlie eutire annual revenue of Great Britain for all purposes, which is $376,000,000. Wc commend this exhibit to the earn- ' est consideration of our readers, as pre senting the most serious problem of pop ular government. An Old Trench Relic. While demolishing an old house at Montematre, and clearing the site for the church of the Sacred Heart, the workmen made an interesting discovery; they found that the wainscotiug of one of the rooms was comixised of wood elegantly carved and gilded. The vari ous pieces when put together showed that it was an old royal coach whose I ianels had been used “to stop a hole to :ecp the wind away.” There is no know ing how this relie of the ancient-regime came to lie used for building ptirjiose; the probability is that some Brutus or Aristides of the revolution of ’93 seized the royal equipage, and contemptuously used the materials wherewith to con struct a dwelling. It may have'bcen the coach into which Louis XVI. told Lord Star to step; Mdme. de Pompadour may have ridden in it; it may have served at the wedding of Marie Antonettc, or have conveyed Louis XVI. to the scaf fold. The panels are said to prove that the coach was very old, but it could not well have been built before the fifteenth century; for in 1404 the only suspended coach which existed belonged to Queen Isabella; and under Francis I there were only three, one of which belonged to the Queen, another to Diana, of Poicters, and the third to Jean de Laval. Ac cording to Delaure, there were a great many coaches in Paris in 1563, and the parliament petitioned the king to pro hibit them, as they took up the whole street and splashed ladies and gentlemen riding to court. Toward the end of the reign nl henry IV. Bassompierre Had a carriage built with doors and windows. Fruit-Cake.—Two pounds raisins; one and a half pounds currants; three- quarters of a pound citron; six ounces butter; half pound sugar; three eggs; half pint milk; half gill brandy; small cup molasses; large tcaspoonfu! of soda; one and a half pounds flour; spice to please the taste. There is no changes to speak of iu the election returns from Iowa. The Repub lican majority is about thirty-one thou sand.