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1 Little brown hands. *Tb©y drive home the cows from the pasture, Up through the long shady lane, Where the quail whistles loud in the wheat fields, That are yellow with ripening graiu, They find in the thick waving grasses Where the thick-lipped strawberry grows ; They gather the earliest snowdrops And the first crimson buds of the rose. They toss the new hay in the meadow ; They gather the elder-bloom white ; Tney find where the dusky grapes purple, In the soft tinted October light. They know where the apples hang ripest, And are sweeter than Italy’s wines ; They know where the fruit hangs the thickest On the long, thorny blackberry vines. They gather the delicate sea-weeds, And build tiny castles of sand ; They pick up the beautiful sea-shells— Fairy barks that have drifted to land. They wave from the tall, rocking tree-tops, Where the oriole’s hammock-nest swings ; And at night time are folded in slumber By a song that a fond mother sings. Those who toil bravely are strongest; The humble and poor become great ; And so from the brown-handed children Shall grow mighty rulers of State. The pen of the author and statesman— 'The noble and wise of the land— The aword; and the chisel, and palette Shall be held in the little brown hand, Ky Letter of Introduction. “ I’m sorry I can’t go up to London with you,” said Mr. Bridgewortli, who had just crossed the Channel with me, as we stood chatting at the Dover rail way station, whither he had come to see me off. Our brief acquaintance, struck up the night before on the Calais packet, had been rendered so agreeable by Mr, Bridgeworth’s affability, that I was 4 more than half prepared, if not to dis pute the dogma that gruffness is the predominating feature of English man ners, at least to admit that it is a rule not without exception. “It would afford me pleasure,” he added, “to act the part of ‘guide, phi losopher and friend,’ on your first visit to the great metropolis; but since that cannot be—business before pleasure, you know—I’ve written a letter to a chum of mine in town,which you will do well to present as soon as possible, for lie’s a connoisseur in city life, and will see you suitably bestowed.” I thanked my new friend for his kindness, put his letter in my xiocket, and bidding him many warm adieux, hurried, at the call ot the guard, to take my place aboard the train. I was followed up the step by a thick-set and rather coarse-featured man, who, besides myself, was the sole occupant of the compartment. The door was locked, the bell rang, and the train set in motion. The stout, gentleman busied himself, for a time, with his newspaper, and then threw it down with a grunt. The next half hour he looked out of the window, his face betokening anything but pleasure at the prospect, the charms of which were not heightened by the effect of a dull autumn drizzle. Turning about, with another grunt, tiis deep-set, gray eyes glanced me over keenly. “ Do you know the—the gentleman you were talking with just before the train started?” lie asked, in a quick sharp voice. ^^*“Ido,” I answered—mentally ad ding, “Inquisitiveness, I see, isn’t ex clusively a Yankee trait^ v “Seen!? to me I’ve seen h what might his name be?” was the next question. “ Bridge worth.” “ And your own ?” “ Hanley.” I was more amused than annoyed at this cross-examination. “ How long have you known Mr. Bridgewortli?” continued my inquisi tor. “ Since we got on the Calais boat to gether last evening,” 1 replied. “ Humph! ” I thought it was now my turn. “ Do you reside in Londou ?” “Yes.” “May I inquire your name?” “ MacGrumlie.” “Scotch extraction, I presume?” “ Can’t say—never saw the family tree.” “ Nor need you wish to, it’ it’s known by its fruit,” was the retort I had on the tip of my tongue,but 1 left it there. “ By the way,” I said, after a pause, “ Mr. Bridgewortli was kind enough to give me a letter of introduction to a friend of his; perhaps, on our arrival, you cap direct me to the place men tioned in the address.” “ What is it?” ^1 showed him the superscription. With another of his “ liumplis! ” he ^■landed the letter back. “ Do you want to go there at once ? ’ “ 1 might as well,” said I; “I have no acquaintances jj^London, and Mr. Bridgewortn has iassureil me of his friend’s kindly offices.” “I’ll show you the way,” Mr. Mac Grumlie was kind enough to say. “It’s on my road home. You can leave your luggage at the station, and we’ll take a cab together.” This agreed to, the conversation flagged, in spite ot all efforts on my part to revive it. I couldn’t help con trasting the hours so lately enlivened by Bridgeworth’s wit and gayety, with those whose tedium had nothing to re lieve it save MacGrumlie’s ever-recur ring soliloquies of “liumphs!” and grunts. It was dark when we reached the city. My companion hailed a cab,gave the driver the direction, and jumping in by my side, we were soon rattling down a shabby, ill-lighted street. “Here you are!” said MacGrumlie, as we checked in front of a sombre- looking building. Few words were spent In leave-tak ing. I got out, paid my share of the fare, and having, with difficulty dis tinguished the number on the door, I rang the bell, while the cab turned the next corner. Several minutes elapsed, and l was on the point of giving the knob another pull, when I heard steps inside. The door opened, and a not very preposses sing male servant growled: ** What do you want?” “I have a letter for Mr. Fit/. Quagg,” I said; “is he in?” “Gimme it, an’I’ll see,” said the lackey, snatching rather than receiv ing the letter from my hand. Without inviting me to enter, he slammed the door in my face, and I heard his heavy tramp retreating. After another delay, and a sound of lighter footsteps, the door was again opened, and a youngish-looking man, in a garb, as revealed by the imperfect light, which appeared more flashy than genteel; stood before me. “Sorry to’ve kept you waiting, Mr. Hanley,” he said, seizing my hand cor dially. “ Have read Bridg’s letter— capital fellow, Bridg. Any friend of his always welcome. Just going to dine with a few friends. Must join us. Good way to introduce you. Come, Dick,”—turning to his surly servant— “ run ahead and tell them to put another name in the pot.” Cutting short my acknowledgements, Mr. Fitz Quagg took my arm, and we sauntered leizurely along. As we turned a corner to go down a street less inviting, if anything, than the one we had left, I caught a glimpse, I fancied, of a form, on the opposite side of the street, much resembling the burly figure of MacGaumlie. We stopped at length before a door at which my companion knocked peculiar ly. We were at once admitted, and Mr. Fitz Quagg led the way to a room lighted by a dim lamp, where, half in visible in an atmosphere of smoke, sat three of his familiar spirits, each with a pipe in his mouth. “ I say, Dick,” said Fitz Quagg—the ceremony of introduction over—“ fill us up the glasses while we’re waiting for the solids.” Soon each man had a tumbler of punch before him. “Here’s to our better acquaintance— no heeltaps, mind! ” called out the hilarious Fitz Quagg, rising and drain ing his joram in honor of the sentiment. Out of sheer politeness 1 swallowed the abominable stuff, though the taste half sickened me. In a few seconds my head began to whirl Fitz Quagg and his friends seemed to be spinning round the room. The clouds of smoke thickened. My temples throbbed. A dull heaviness settled on my brain, and at last, came unconsciousness. How long it was before my faculties returned I know not; but when they did, my companions had disappeared. I felt for my watch to note the time. It was gone, and my pocketbook and money with it. The truth flashed upon me. *' Drugged and robbed!” 1 exclaimed. “ You’ve hit it exactly,” answered a voice which 1 had heard before; and turning about, my eyes foil on the im pressive face of the gruff MacGrumlie. “ Never mind,” he continued, “ your property and the robbers are both safe at the station-house. The fellow you parted with this morning is a noted thief, whose face having grown too familiar in London, he has been plying his trade on the continent of late. As certaining, probably', that 3 011 had a large sum of money about you, he came across the channel in your com pany, hut finding no safe chance to pick your pocket by' the way, and not daring to follow j*ou further, he com mended you to the kind offices of his city friends, trusting to their honor to remit him his share of the spoil.” “As an old detective, 1 had little difficulty in fathoming his scheme, as soon as I learned he had given you a letter. So I kept a close watch on 3’our movements from the moment you left the cab, which I dismissed imme diately after. Then waiting till things had gone far enough to insure the rogues a good term of penal servitude,! summoned assistance and pounced upon them before they could make oft’ with their plunder.” Cunning Ravens. In the narrative of the Arctic voyage Captain McClure, of the British navy. ^ ~ tJl ? v ' rc ' t lao ravens which became domiciliated on board the Investigator: The raven, it ap pears, is the only bird that willingly' braves a solar winter;and, in the depth of the season, he is seen to flit through the cold and sunless atmosphere like an evil spirit his sullen croak alone break ing the silence of the death-like scene. No one of the crew attempted to shoot the ravens, and they' consequently be came very bold, as will be seen by the narrative :“Two ravens now established themselves as friends of the family' in Mercer Bay, living mainly' by r what lit tle scraps the men might have thrown away after meal times. The ship’s dog, however, looked upon these as his spe cial perquisites, and exhibited conside- able energy in maintaining his rights against the ravens, who nevertheless outwitted him in a wny which amused y one. Observing that he appeared quiet willing to make a mouthful of their own sable persons, they' used to throw themselves intentionally in his way*, just as the moss tins were being cleaned out on the dirt-heap outside the ship. The dog would immediately run at them, and they’ would just fly a few yards; the dog then made another, and again they' would appear to escape him but by an inch, and so on, and until they had tempted and provoked him to the shore, a considerable distance off. Then the ravens would make a direct flight for the ship, and had generally- done good execution before the morti- fled-looking dog detected the imposition that had been practiced upon him, and rushed back again. Hoi? Turpentine Is Made. When a man wishes to make a new farm, he first buys the use of the trees for one or more years. For the trees owners receive from four to ten dol lars per thousand boxes per y-ear. Each tree has from one to four boxes, averag ing, perhaps, two boxes. The next thing is cutting the boxes, which gene rally begins about the last of yctober, and continues as the season permits un til March. When the boxing season be gins, all hands does the chopping, and take the forest “in a breast” before them, until the tract has been finished, and every' pine of sufficient size has been “boxed.” At the proper season they' are divided untochipper3 or hack ers, dippers, haulers and siill hands— each class being paid certain wages. The duty of the hackers is to scarify the pines. For this purpose an instru ment somewhat like a cooper’s knife is used. The boxes are cut near the roots An Old Church. Tucson in Arizona, is one of old towns in the United States, having settled by Coronado’s army in 1561 Five miles distant from Tucson, dowi the valley', is the old Mission Cliurei of St. Francis Xavier, which is one the greatest objects of interest in thi the country. It was built about twp hundred years ago by a community olf Franciscans. It is thus described: Com?- pared with a majority of these old churches, it is in a good state of pre4 ervation, but the foundations are grad^- ually succumbing to time and decayj and unless some steps are soon taken to arrest the mpending evil, this really grand monument of the old Spanish re^- gime will be nothing but a heap of mop. tar or ruins. One of the turrets is gonfe but the belfry still stands, in whlcli] hang four or five bells in silver c£L dence; the others have either been elWP ried away or stolen. You reach thfc FARM AND GARDEN* of the trees, and the hackers begin hac- belfry by a narrow, winding stair, builjt L'inrr hr nnftincr a eincrlp aliQllrtu’ frpnph in .nlLl .....11 »u~ , No Bunker Hill for Ilim. Il was one day since the late Centen nial celebration that a cadaverous-look ing Yankee stepped up to a Boston wo man’s back door, and confronting the hard-working mistress of the house, in troduced himself as follows: “Best article ever patended under the face of the sun for takin’ out grease spots, cleanin’ whitenin’ an’ beautifiyin’ an’ leaving’ the garment clean soft an’ ready to take a stiff smooth polish. Like to buy r some of our superior washin’ compound, ma’am ?” And he held out a small tin box. The woman leaned one elbow on the table, aud, looking hard at the intruder,-when he had finished, inquired, “Well, are you done?” “Yes, ma’am.” Here the fe male slowly pointed her long index finger out of the door to some distant object, and again required, “Do you see hat over there?” “Yes, ma'am,” re plied the dispenser of washing com pound, that’s Bunker Hill Monument.” Then the woman squared herself on her heels, toesout, and,conjuring up a look of irony in her eyes, and gathering up a flat iron in her hand, she asked, “Do you w ant one of those raised on y*our head?” The Yankee retreted. Hcdld’nt want any monument. A singular chemical change is some* times affected by the mixing of the cream of a full milch cow with one well along with calf; or it it is not a chemi cal change, what is it? The cream, as above indicated, has been churned hour after hour for a whole day with no ap pearance of producing butter, and final ly abandoned as a hopeless case, but upon withdrawal of the cream of the cow in calf, the other would make but ter with no difficulty. Scatter dry powdered borax for in sects. That has been proyed by' years of experience. king by cutting a single shallow trench at an angle of about forty’-flve degrees downward, on each side of and into he box. A single stroke to the side s enough, and is done almost without stopping. They' go from tree to tiee all through the season making fresh hacks at least once a week. That is their business for the spring, summer and fall season. A large farm is divi ded into smaller farms of 1,000 boxes each, and the hackers, as well as the dippers, are paid so much for attending to the 1,000 boxes, and allowed as ma ny farms as they' can hack properly. T!ie duty of the dippeis is to dip to tur- pdLfine from the boxes, and put it in tire barrels ready for the haulers. They' top, do nothing else, and like the hac kers, must visit each tree, and clean odt each box at least once a week. Those, too, have as many farms of a thousand boxes each as they' can dip properly’. The duty of the haulers is to distribute empty barrels over the va rious farms—which are numbered or named just where the dippers want them placed and to haul the crude gum to the still. The duty of the still hands is at the still continually. When the dipping season has ended, and the hackers no longer need their hacking-knives in the fall, they’ are united for common work again. Now they’ are put to scraping off the gum which has adhered to the sides of the trees from beginning to the end of the season. Sometimes crude gum is in thick flakes for several feet up the tree. That is all scraped oft - once a year, and the tree left ready for another season. Each box is said to furnish about two gallons of gum per annum. Eleven quarts of the gum will yield about two and a half quarts of turpen tine, 7 quarts cf rosin, and one and a half quarts of waste. The waste is thrown away, hut the turpentine and rosin are sold. Turpentine now brings 29 cents per gallon, aud rosin runs from $1.25 to $4.00 per barrel. It is not generally known that there are about 12 or 15 grades of rosin, the best of which is the “window glass” grade, which is as transparent as window glass, and sells at about $4 per barrel. The window glass can not be made ex cept in the spring of the year. Large quantities of kerosene oil, is now being shipped by the oil refiners on railroads in huge tanks to cities where it is barreled for market. After those tanks have been emptied, they' are filled with turpentine and resliipped to the cities bordering on the coal region; thereby diminishing freights on oil as well as various purposes in the manufactures —one of which is soap making. The stills are huge copper kettles with copper caps, and worms coiling several times round as it passes through a large vat of cold water, and discharges the vapor condensed by water into the spirits of turpentine. For a still whicli will hold twenty barrels of crude gum a few buckets of water are placed, and the cap and worm adjusted, the fire is kindled under the furnace, and soon the distillation begins; care being taken to have about the same quantity’ of cold, fresh water flow into the still every minute as goes into vapor, and is condensed into spirits of turpentine. The distillation Is dangerous, and re quires a skillful distiller. Hasheesh. The chief peculiarity of the hasheesh is its immense exaggeration of time and space. Moments appear to be thous ands of years. Narrowly circumscribed views seem to turn out into vistas em bracing not only this earth but the en tire vastness of the universe. Mr. Mo reau found everything appearing to his eyes “as it does on looking through the wrong end of a telescope.” Bayard Taylor said, “the fullness of my rap ture expanded the sense of time; and though the whole vision was probably not more than five minutes in passing,j years seemed to have elaped.” A Frenchman, an habitual swallower of the narcotic, states that one evening in traversing the passage of a house under its influence, “the time occupied in tak ing a few steps seemed to be hours, and the passage interminable.” The inten sifying of sounds is another peculiar phenomenon of the hasheesh condition. An amateur relates that “the ticking of my watch sounds louder than that of the kitchen clock,” while another re cords that the beating of his heart re sounded in his ears like the blows from a vast hammer. The experiences of the French savant, Mr. Bertliault, are curious. Having swallowed a large dose and while yet under its effect, a band began playing beneath his win dows. lie became able to distinguish the part taken by each instrument. The elements of the harmonies heard by him assumed the form of ribbons of thousand changing colors—intertwist ing, weaving and knotting themselves in a most capricious manner. After a while the ribbons changed and each note became a flower, and the flowers formed wreaths aud garlands, in which the harmony of colors represented the harmony' of sounds. The flowers yiel ded to precious stones, which rose in fountains, fell in cascades, and streamed away in all directions. The band now played a waltz, and 31. Berthault had a realization of Coleridge’s “Kubla Kahn.” A multitude of gorgeously' decorated and illuminated saloons ap peared, and all gradually merged into one, surmounted by an enormous dome built of colored crystals and supported by a thousand columns. This dome dis solved, and a still more glorious one re placed it. A series of domes then arose, each more gorgeous than its predeces sor, wnile at the same time an innume rable assemblage executed a frantic waltz—rolling itself like a serpent from hall to hall. in the solid wall, the steps worn int-b deep holes and depressions by ascend ing and descending footsteps in years gone by. The church is cruciform, and is an immense edifice, with magnificent arches and with really wonderful acous tic facilities. Strange to say, there was not a nail used in its construction. U is built of a peculiar kind of cement hard, and resembling granite. The art of making it is now entir dy lost. The interior is elaborately ornamented; the paintings and colorings upon the ceil ings and walls are still vivid and bright as though recently executed, and gor geous in effect. The altar piece aixj several other pictures are evidently the work of artists, but the others, which are numerous, were obviously done by pious but not artistic hands. At the end of the transept, high up, midway between the floor and ceiling, is the most ghastly spectacle imaglnabl 3. A cross of huge proportions is deeply imbeded in the wall, surrounded by rays of black, or dark brown and white. The body once extended upon it has either fallen or been 4 torn down, leaving one arm, lean and brown as that of a muir- my, with bones protruding, nailed to the arm of the cross. It is a spectacle to make one shudder in spite of him self. There are still seventy-five life like statues of apostles and saints lefy standing in their niches. LTpon the faces of some of them the expression is marvelous. Some have fallen downi and others are mutilated by time or ths irreverant. They all show skillfull workmanship, and must have been brought by the fathers from Spain. The gilding over and about the main altar is still very heavy and rich. Thi main altar itself is covered with beaten virgin gold, taken by the monks o- their Italiau proselytes from the mines. The altar service, which is also of solid gold, was carried away a few years ag<» by some priests who came from Old Mexico for the purpose, and there ary but two small vessels left to show what the other and larger pieces must havf, been. There are still some of the rict vestments left, but their gorgeous tex-. ture is marred by long service and abuse. The heavy doors are made of solid wood of great thickness, which L joined together In panels by groove!} The large outer doors were not onl made of this thick timber, but wei covered by sheets of copper procur from the mines and smelted by t monks themselves, which, in conjun tion with the enormous bars ujyjn . t } inside, made them impe* '• - r * J attack from their say with -kb<. try or cloister, and within the sui^. rounding enclosure is the mortuary chapel—a huge sepulcher, where those who kept their vigils and toiled in a strange, inhospitable land, to lead into the paths of peace the benighted heath en, rest from their labors and are for gotten. Shells an<l Minerals. Acquiring a Sod.—We often look with surprise at the waste of time and money many people submit to acquiring a sod for a lawn, or a part of it, or for a yard, in buying some old sod, contain ing many weeds hard to get rid of, hauling it and thus employing men and carts to secure even enough lor a small space, when a much better sod can be obtained from sowing grass seed on ground prepared the same as if intend ed for a garden crop. Lately we had occasion to sod a space left in our lawn by the removal of four large trees of the Norway' spruce variety. The ground was very hard, and could be dug only a very few inches in depth in preparing it, and wa3 really in poor condition for the purpose; beside no manure was ap plied. About one pound of mixed “lawn grass seed” was sown, and a garden-rol ler passed over it. This was about the 20th of April. About the 1st of May the grass made its appearance; by the 28th the ground was covered, and by the 3d of June it w’as clipped, and by the 12th clipped a second time. Thus, in six weeks we had a new sod, fresh and vigorous, free of weeds, and much superior to the old sod adjacent. But it would be better still could the ground have been prepared as it should have been. The expense of sodding this space, buying, cutting, hauling, and putting down aud watering, would not have been less than fifteen dollars; while the expense of seeding and rolling as nothing else was done to it, was about one dollar and twenty-live cents all told. Horses were designed as beasts of burden, to relieve mankind from fatigu ing drudgery. It does not hurt them to work hard, if they are treated kindly. It is not the hard drawing and ponder ous loads that wear out horses and make them poor, baikv aud worthless; but it is the hard driving, the worry by rough and inhuman drivers, that use9 up more horse flesh, fat and muscle than all the labor a team performs. Consider the ponderous loads that many teams are required to cart every day, and several times a day, and yet they appear to grow fatter and stronger every year. They are treated kindly. On the other hand, other horses, that do not perform half the labor, soon grow poor, and die with the harness on. Hard work does not kill them; but the worry ing, fretting and abuse did the job. Horses wiil do all the mowing and reap ing on a large larm, thresh the graiu, pitch the hay, turn the grindstone, saw the wood, and perform almost all the heavy labor that farmers have been ac customed to do, and grow fat, if they are not worried and jerked and kicked about as il they were a living foot-ball. Cultivating Nut Trees.—The best time to plant nut trees is in the fall, as soon as they drop f rom the trees. They should not be plantad very deep, as it is necessary to have the frost act on them and crack the shells. They may be planted in the spring, in which case they should be kept over the winter packed In shallow boxes with sand and left out of doors. It is best to plant two or three nuts in a place as they are not certain to sprout. If all sprout the best ones can be reserved and the others destroyed as soon h3 they are large enough to be out of danger. The first year’s cultivation of nut trees consists in keeping the earth loose about them and the soil free from weeds. A good mulch is of great advantage. By r the application of well rotted barnyard maniuj^the growth of black walnut and blifnirnut trees may be increased very rapidly. Trees that have been manured come into bearing sooner and produce larger crops. SCIENCE. THE HOUSEHOLD. Building Fires on Cold Morning.— If we will many a farmer’s kitchen, about^fivtr o’clock on a cold winter mornin^iire shall too often see the woman of the house sitting by the stove, whittling shavings with a dull knife, with which to start the tire. Now, as one’s happiness for the day de pends in a great measure on how the day is beguu, you will easily’ see what an annoyance it is to whittle shavings in a temperature down to zero. This unpleasant fcask can be easily avoided by two hours’ w’ork in the fall, before ground is covered by snow. Let the tanner and his hired man take a team, with rakes and baskets, into the woods, and rake together fifty bushels of pine needles, and haul them home, and stow' in some dry place under cover. These are among the best kindlings there are for starting a fire quickly. I have used them for twelve, years and should not know how to do without them. I adopted the practice, when I first began using them, of arranging my tire pre viously, 30 that in the morning I had nothing to do but to light the tire and get back into bed again, all which I can accomplish in ten seconds. In fifteen minutes, the room will be comfortably warm, so that we can begin the day without any draw-backs. Before the German Ornithological So ciety lately, Professor Altum read an interesting paper on the ordinary woodpecker, embodying some of the re sults of more than seven year’s obser vation. In answer to the question how the woodpecker finds the trees inhabit ed by insects, he said that it almost iu- variably resorts to such trees as bear the diseased look consequent on the presence of insects, manifested by the smallness and fewness of the leaves, the absence of the usual fresh color of the bark, etc. In some cases it is de ceived, especially where new varieties of trees Lave been set out. Where it has detected a hole bored in the bark by insects, it follows the course of the passage under the bark by a gentle tap ping with its bill, until It reaches the places the larva: are hid, when, by tearing of large pieces of bark, it lays its food bare. The presence of the woodpecker is good for a forest so far as it destroys the insects on the trees, and injurious when it tears oft the Dark and eats the useful wood-anr. The theory that woodpeckers makp-incisions in trees free from insects, for the pur pose of sucking the sap, was disproved by Professor Altum on the ground of repeated observations to the contrary effect. 31. de Beaumont, president of the Geneva Geographical Society, proposes as a common first meridian—to be call ed the “mediator,” on the analogy of equator—the 150th meridian w’estof the old meridian of Ferro, or 30° east. He maintains that it can be very easily con nected with works based on the prin cipal meridians ef Ferro, Paris, Green wich, etc. It touches the extremity of the American continent at Cape Prince of Wales; traverses, on the one hand, the whole length of the Pacific without , touching any land, and, on the other, I cure of diarrhea. In fou all Europe, through its centre, from the cases observed by Puygautier the top of Spitzbergen, passing Copeuhag- | was even more rapid, since in only' one en, Leipsic Venice and Rome; then cuts case were three doses of the medicine the African continent from Tripolo to , required. The results are considered Cape Frio, about 18° south lat. 31. de I t0 have ^ eeu more satisfactory, inas- Beaumont urges several advantages on i much as in several cases the malady behalf of this new meridian, it would i had endured from one to many months, cut Europe into east and west, thus ! and other methods of treatment had not giving emphasis to a division which has j produced any improvement. Thus he been tacitly recognized forages; it pre- j concludes that, although by no means sents about the largest possible terres- ! to *>e keld as exclusive treatment, the trial arc, from 79= north to 18° south j employment of oxide of zinc deserves lat., 97° altogether, thus giving to i f° b ? more generally known as useful science the longest continuous line of i diarrhea, land as a basis for astronomical obser- _ vations. 1 Paper Flowers.— 1- irst get the wire —*-• for stem, and put a little wax on the The dust showei which fell at Bou- end where the flower is to be; then logne, on the French coast, in October j from yellow paper cut a circle not last, proves to have been largely' com- more than one-fourth of an inch in di- posed of microscopic seaweeds. It also ! ameter; fringe the edge and put the contained lime and beach sand. These i wire through rhe centre; stick it to the materials were probably' borne aloft j wax, so it will stand up for stramens. from the shore by some atmospheric \ For the corolla, take paper the color ol action to a great height, from which flower wanted and cut in squares; the they then fell over the town in the form i first about an inch, double straight of an earthy rain. through centre, then double again, _ „ ' , 'quartering it, then diagonally; cut a For fire-proof whitewash, make or- rour ,j point and slit each fold half way dinary whitewash and add one part j t0 t j ie centre; rakeeach petal separately S'hcale of soda. or poUsii, to every five | between thumb and scissors, draw the scissors over it to make it curl, then put the wire through; continue in like Oxide 01 Zinc in Diarp.iiea.—The value of oxide of zinc in diarrhea has long been known, but is apt to be over looked. borne recent reports on the subject have been made by Dr. Tyson and Dr. Bonauiy. The formula which the latter uses is: R. Zinci oxidi Sodse bicarb 7;^ “ In four packets, one to be taken every six hours. In all the cases which he observed cxide of zinc produced In fourteen cure WIT AND HUMOR. Such is Life.—Ah, yes, fond youth ! It may be very nice to court a girl in the far-northern countries where the nights are six months long; but just think of the vast amount of peanuts and gum drops the young man, when going to see his girl, must lug along with him to kill time, and induce her to be lieve that his affection for her is as warm as ever. And then the sad leave taking a few weeks bef«*re sunrise.! Ue whispers “Good-night love.” und she softly murmurs, “Good-night, dear. When shall I see you again. “To-mor row-night,” he replies, as he kisses her upturned face. “ To - morrow night,” she repeated, with a voice full of emotion. “Six long, weary months ! Can’t you call around a few days before breakfast, Charles?” Finally Charles tears himself away, with a promise to write her one hundred and sixty letters before the next day draws to a close. “Mamma,” sa d Fttle Lula, “did God mt.ke Santa Claus?” “Certainly, little one; God made everything.” “And did he have any stuff lef’ over?” “Why, what makes you ask such a question?” “Well, 1 want him to make enndder one for the heezen. Papa says dis one won’t go down dere chimleys.” Love may be blind, but we notice when they hear the old man coming down stairs a well saturated couple can skirmish around a dark room, and drop into a couple of chairs forty feet apart, a good deal quicker than any other fel low could with his eyes wide open,and grains, the gas turned on full head. A Br'dgeport cat was in the cellar of its home, and seeing a crab went to examine it. A moment later the cat was helping the crab up stairs at the rate of a mile a minute. To a crab such a rate of speed must have appeared ex tremely unique. One day I was compounding a simple cough remedy for my little three-year- old, who had a severe cold. He stood watching the process, and asked if it was “good.” On letting him taste he exclaimed; “It’s awful good,mamma. Let’s keep it for papa!” Perhaps a step-child is so called be cause it is grnerally kicked off of the step of the house of its deceased parent. “That's the long and short of it,” as the street Arab remarked on passing a tall wife and a little husband. It is vulgar to call a man “bow- legged.” Just speak of him as a par enthetical pedestrian. A patch on the seat of a boy’s trous ers is “something new under the son.’ parts of the whitewash. The ancients made springs of bro The Reaction. Dissolve common salt 111 watersprink- le the same over your manure heap, and the volatile parts of the ammonia will become fixed salts from their hav ing united with muriatic acid of the common salt, and the soda thus liberated ^frorn yg? salt wiil quickly absorb car- carbonate of soda; with your manure 0 a 1,— -That v. fTTTIerwise fly away, and you have a new and impor tant" agent introduced, viz., the carbon ate of ooiia, which is a powerful solvent of all vegetable fibre. Vermin on Fowls.—Flour of sulphur dropped freely among the feathers of chickens or fowls that are afflicted with vermin, will cleanse them as if by magic. A very simple and inexpensive treatment to remove a great pest. Parsnip Pie —Take twelve parsnips, three onions and six potatoes already boiled; slice fine and add half a pound of butter, half a pound of fat pork (cut small and already cooked); season with pepper, mix with a little water and boil a few minutes. Take up and bake slowly in a deep dish between two rich crusts. An excellent pie for autumn and winter time. Stock of all kinds need water in win ter as well as in summer. The supply should be ample and the quality’ excel lent. Pick up the odds and ends that are going to wsste around you. Hides, horus, hoofs, bones, wax. moss and many other trifles have a cash value. l*et Boy A cabinet for shells or minerals should never be deep; and if more than one row is to be accommodated, it should be arranged with sloping shelves furnished with narrow ledges, in order to preclude the possibility of the shells sliding down. A beautiful cabinet of this kind is made as follows: Side pieces, eight inches deep, of halt-inch pine, three feet long (or high), united by' shelves four feet long—two feet for j each half. The amateur conchologist j should be guided in the style and of the case or cabinet by the nature ot not exclaimed more than a thousand Polewell. his collection. A set of small shallow i times, “Why, Fred, how you’ve cases made of card-board will be found j changed ! I hardly knew you!” my an excellent mode of arranging shells, younger brother bad only just succeed- is they may be easily removed and led in smashing my first cane, when ileansed. These cases, placed upon the word was brought that “Your father receding shelves, are arranged so that j would like to see you in the study, the lowest one projects two or three Mr. Fred.” inches in front of the one next above 1 “Ah, Fred, my boy, sit down and tell I had not been home many hours; size i die female members of the family had it. They may be lined with tinted pa- rae h° w y° u are Kiting on at liar —The subscriptions to the 4 per cent loan since the report of the 27th ult., amount to $196,000. —The public debt statement for Feb ruary' shows an iucrease of $311,411. per, pink being the prettiest, or, if pre ferred,. with velveteen, silk, satin, or even tinted muslin. For those lovely shells which have tints of unusual beau ty' and curious markings, pieces of looking-glass placed 'behind and be neath the specimens will be found es pecially' effective, as by this means the entire shell is reflected and exposed; for delicate white or tinted varieties, black, purple or crimson velvet linings will be found most desirable. Another pretty arrangement for certain speci mens is to cut a series of shield-shaped or rather fanciful tablets, covered with a layer of cotton flannel, glued to the surface, with velvet 011 the top in the same manner, the edges covered with narrow velvet ribbon glued on the un der side—or chenille is pretty, and im parts a soft effect to the delicate shell which it surrounds. A row of . uch tablets adds materially to the beauty of the cabinet. The pine case may be stained or ebonized with a decoction of lpgwood, followed, when dry, by a wash of vinegar in which a quantity’ of rusty' iron has been kept for several days. When dry, the surface is highly polished by repeated coats of copal varnish, rubbed down with a wet flan nel pad and powdered pumice stone"ati ter each varnishing. On this highly glazed surface apply bright enamelled decalcomanie scraps, such as dolphins, shells, sea-weeds. ‘ The case may be supported on a pair of carved brackets, varnished and bronzed; and in lieu of glass doors, soft merino curtains, fur nished with rings, and running on a rod hung on small brackets at the top of the case, will shield the shells from dust. These curtains may be em broidered or ornamented with decal comanie. The shells should be fasten ed in place with the following cement: Take one ounce of gum tragacanth and half an ounce of best white gum arabic; dissolve each in sufficient water to form a thick mucilage, to which add a few drops of alcohol to prevent moulding. Cards cut in some tasteful form, mark ed with the names of the shells and any incident desired to be remembered, should be fastened to the sides of each case or tablet. yard ? “Oh, first rate! I played foot ball in the fall, am training this winter for the crew and think of base-ball in the spring.” “Yes, yes; but Fred, how about the Greek and Latin ?” “Oh, they’re all right, I’m In the ad vanced section of both studies.” “I’m very glad to hear It; for Fred, I’m a little worried by two notices 1 re ceived from the college, something about your doing poorly in Greek and Latin examinations.” “Did you really get such letters fath er? That’s immense! Why they’re Deturs!” “Eh r” “Why Deturs, gilts from the college. From the Latin do, dare, dedi, detum to give. The college gives them only to the twenty best scholars in the class. It’s a great honor to get one; fellows that get Deturs hang them up in frames You hardly ever get more than one, my having two is superb, equal to getting a double first at Oxford.” “Indeed, I always thought you were bright, Fred; but what does it mean by saying if you don’t do better you will have to sever your connection with the college?” “Pouh ! That’s nothing, father, only a mere form; relic of an old custom. You see, about a hundred years ago the twenty best men of the class used to contend in an examination for the first place. The nineteen who didn’t win were told that they might go away into the country, that is, sever their connec tion with the college for awhile, study up and try their fate again. The cus tom has died out, but the notices re main, and now they are sent around to show that you are in the first twenty of your class. A great honor to get one, I assure you.” “I am glad of it, you hare taken quite a load off my mind, for 1 feared tnat you were in danger of dismissal. Well Fred, I wont detain you longer; your sisters are dying to know all about col lege: but before you go here’s a speci men of specie payments from me as a Detur for your good work in Latin and Greek. James Pole well might as well have been named Wellpole, as he stands over six feet high when standing in a hollow. On Christmas day he broke a saloon window, threw frozen potatoes at the City Hall clock, and so conducted him self that pedestrians on Woodward avenue slipped down right and left as they sought to get out of his way. The police ran him through alleys and over boxes, but they did not collar him till a late hour in the evening, lie had then taken possession of a big hand-sled, and was persistently entreating an old Duchess with muskrat furs on to im’u’ge in a holiday sleighing party. While the police were drawing him down on the sled he kept whooping and singing, but v.*lieu (Itty tight,came lie was a chang ed man. His head drooped, his spirits went down to fourteen degrees below zero, and he dragged his left leg behind him in an aimless way as he left the cor ridor to place himself in the clutches of the law. “3Ir. Polewell have you lived In 3Iexieo all your life?” inquired the court. “No, sir; never lived there an hour,” was the reply. “1 thought you had; I thought-they acted in Mexico just about as you acted yesterday.” | _ “Can’t a feller have a little fun on the Rather a Slow Train. Fourth-of-Ju-Christmas? Has a feller j The 1Ion . q t _ tells a good st ory of got to tie himself up to a hitching-post; aslow rai i r0H j in the northern oart of on such a glorious old holiday and stand Xew Jersey . IIe says he went there around like a horse? If they don’t L unninft and ame a shor ]lne of rail _ want the boys to have any fun on that : road on which wa3 run a sillgle carj the day, what do they have the day for!” forward end of which was partitioned This is no time for argument, Mr. od - f or baggage, lie took his dog In the are guilty of raising (;ar w jth him, and put him under the several rows on a holiday. Instead ot ■ 3eat . presently the eonduetor came quietly sitting down to turkey or roast j along, and insisted that the dog should pig, and feeling thankful that the bal- : ,r 0 j n to the baggage room, which after ance of trade Is in our favor, you go some altercation, was done; but here syklarking arournl like a wild Indian c i, e baggage-master demanded a fee of ,cutting larger than the preced ing one, until the desired size is reached. The above is for a rose. China asters are simply cut round and fringed half way to the centre. In fin ishing all flowers, a little wax should be placed around the stem to hold the flower in its place. It MUoT he awful easy lor a woodeu- headeil man to get his hair shingled. Salt fish for breakfast and a rubber outfit will keep a man dry all day. Dyspepsia has no more popular am bush than the fried byster. Isn't a billiard player a baize ball player ? What think cue? Many are willing enough to wound who are yet afraid to strike. To morrow is the day' ou which idle men work and fools reform. The breath of scandal ia beyond the control of cardamon seeds. Cement for Sealing Bottles.— 31ix A touching incident—A physician three parts of rosin, one of caustic soda, feeling a patient’s pulse. and five of water; this composition is i —► then mixed w.th half its weight of I Gf covksk the horse □ larillea are plaster of pans. The compound sets.in oa | 1V>1 n ihree-quarters of an hour, adheres strongly, is not permeable like plaster j . * used alone, and is attacked only . * HKKK nothing new under the sun slightly by warm water. but the hjri e 1 horse. Matrimonies.— Three eggs, well beaten, a little salt, flour enough to mix lard; roll thin as paper; cut into fingers, and give them a twisi. Fry in hot lard—hotter than for common fried cakes. Water passed over wheat flour car ries off ail the starch, which fallt to the bottom and leaves the rough sub stance called gluten. ! When a stag takes to the water j swims for deer life. Song of the oyster openers—Sin meat at the river? Never stop to argue the poin t 1 excited hornet. bust—The head, neck A retired Boston fireman calls him self an ex spurt. Man proposes, but—he is not always accepted. A h.-ghly colored tale—the pea cock’s. The grate organ—a poker. and upset the dignity of the citizen with rubbers on. 1 have seen you here before.” “It seems kinder tough to send a feller up for having fun,” sighed the prisoner. “Justice doesn’t know a funeral from a bridal, 3Ir. Polewell. A man may break the law by beiug too solemn just as quick as by being too lively. I will say sixty days.” “And I’ll say that as soon as I get ou I’ll move to a country where they have Christmas six days in the week and Thanksgiving on the seventh !” replied the tall man. When Bijali took him back he turned 50 cents, which was denounced as a “swindle,” “a pnt up job,” between the conductor and baggage-master and that sooner than pay it he would tie the dog to the train and let him work his passage. The conductor assented, and the dog was hitched to the rear of the car. The dog, so T— says, kept along easily with the train, but the conductor began to get uneasy, making frequent j trips to the engineer, urging him to in crease the speed of train and back again to watch the effect upon the dog. The The cock crows,—it is his nature to crow; but the midnight crow is a very different sound from the crow nt Jay- break; the crow which is sent as a challenge to a rival is not like that of the victor after the battle; the crow at high-110011 or in the afternoon of a sul ry dog-day is as maugre as the weath er, and is a fitting expression of delic ious laziness; but after quieting a dis turbance among the inmates of the poultry yard, the shrill crow of success in quelling an insurrection is a lively and spirited exclamation of an honest and legitimate pride. •‘When the cock goes crowing to bed. . He will rise with a watery head,” latter began to show signs of fatigue, may be good for nothing as a meteoro- but after awhile caught his “second logcal maxim, but in science of natural wind”and was keeping along as before. ; sounds it is good for something, and it around to the hot stove and deliberately xhe conductor now ordered the engl- | is a very diverse expression from the scorched the tails ol his old coat till | lieer to Ii eave a.11 the eoal into the fur- morning crowing upon his own coop, they were ready to drop off, and he re- ! liace an( ] s tir up the fire, which being , The frequent crowing during the fore- fused to move till everybody in the , Jone, the speed was perceptibly in-* noon is tiie vocal outburst of high an- court-room was nearly choked with the i creased. The conductor again went to [ imal vigor,—the typical fumes of burning cloth. Couldn’t Take f A new instrument to be used in level- In reply lie sent to the j in £ surfaces is thus described in the Eresden Gewerbe-Verein : Two glass When Frank Pierce was President, Jeff Davis, then Secretary of War, is sued a general invitation to officers of the army who were skillful draughts men to send in suggestions for the new uniform which it had been decided to adopt. One such invitation was sent to each officer. Lieutenant Derby was very ready' with his pen—a really genious artist, war department a design for a new uniform— or rather a peculiar addition to the old uniform, the amendment con sisting merely of a ring attached to the seat of the trousers of each private sol dier. Each officer was to carry, instead of a sword, a long pole, with a hook in the end, like a shepherd’s crook. The pole and the ring enabled officers to keep privates from running away in battle. Fugitives could easily be caught by it and brought back. Stragglers crow,—and is the rear of the car to observe the effect, totally unlike the crowing given in a but the dog had disappeared, where- new yard or an unfrequented place, upon lie called T—'s attention to the j Some animal, a dog or cat, rat or wea- fact. The latter after taking a glance sel, may enter the yard and frighten at the situation, quietly pointed to a the hens; the cock goes for the intru- crack in the floor of the car, “and der and if successful in driving him there,” says he, “was the dog, comfort- off, he crows, ana this crowing is an ably trotting along under the car, and entirely independent sound from either licking the j le boxes.” ;rease from one of the ax- of the others mentioned. If lie has been unwell for a day or two, among the first signs of returning health is the convalescent crow. The crowing after a great and sud den surprise or fright is simply grand to be beard to be comprehended in its glory or appreciated in its magnificent intonations. On the afternoon of the 28 of June, 1875. there was a thunder- tubes, standiug upright on feet, and open above and below, and connected below with an india-rubber tube of any desired length. If water is poured into one of the tubes it will naturally rise to the same height in the other, however I storm, and the lightning struck not a uneven may be the surface on which , great distance from lhe writ D they stand. When ground is to be lev- 1. . , . . elled, the tubes should beset up at con- 0 ie sstorm » “ e was sitting by' a win- venient distances and stakes put in the ( * ow watching its progress; the fowls ground so as to reach the height of the had gathered under the crib lor shelter water level. The more uneven the land were engaged in pluming their ground is the higher ihetubes must be: f,. a tl,ers; when the lightning struck — but the inconvenience arising from r ... , . . * on Id be kept in line. Moreover, the i this may be alleviated in a measure by lhtthu,lder was an explosion, short, ring would be very useful in the cayal- j the use of stones and other supports. s,J dden and very loud; the fowls were ry sei vice to fasten soldiers to the sad- The chief advantage of the new instru- terribly frightened, and ran in uiffer- dle to prevent them from falling ©ff ; | m«nt !s that JeveHing may be perform-| ent directions; the cock ran about two and in tlie artillery* service the ring3 were to be used for draught purposes in the absence of mules. This and other similar suggestions were highly’ enjoyed by the department clerks, but they made Jeff. Davis mad, and he was only' prevented from court-martialing Derby by' a sensible intervention of Secretary' 3Iarcy. ed with it even around corners. rods, stopped short, looked around, and ... ^n— 1 r crowed. It was a legitimate, natural Waste Found Cake.—One pound ot . . . “ ’. _ 7 flour, one pound ol sugar,' one-half ’ nto * h ch he thre "' a11 '“sphysi- pound of butter, four eggs, and one cup ’" a an d mental being. It was an unusual of warm water. Use prepared flour, or j circumstance; the nature of the case put in the flour before sifting it, two demanded an unusual crow, and the even teaspoonsful of any good baking demand was met. The shower was powder. The cup of water must be and calli the , ien9 t0 „ ether quite warm, but not really hot. Beat . , , , , - eggs separately. ’ they went foraging in the orchard.