Newspaper Page Text
TH6 cfCdit'of New York city is good
enough to enable it to borrow mouoy at
por cent.
Illinois is probably the only state in
tho Union in which forest troos arc in
creasing.
There are nearly 6,000,000 acres of
waste land in England which arc capa
ble of being cultivated.
Professor Sousa, who leads the fa
mous Washington Marine Band, says
that America has no national air.
Statistician Poor computus the funded
indebtedness of tiie railroad companies
»f this country at $4,624,035,02.').
It is stated as a fact that Ohio has
40.873 white, voter* unable to write;
Pennsylvania, 65,085, and Now York,
76,7-15.
A corner in diamonds is being en
gineered by the Kothchilds, the famous
capitalists of Europe, and the price of
the bountiful stones known by that
name will be greatly advanced.
The Department of Agriculture at
Washington is making arrangements,
announces the Boston Cultivator, for
Hie introduction iu this country of new
varieties of wheat to take the place of
(those which have deteriorated.
A curious exploration is no w being
Undertaken in a vast region of Scanda-
iaavia, which lias practically iui wild
lor nearly a hundred years, wheu whole
'Tillages, as well as homesteads and
Inrms, were deserted on account of an
epidemic:.
In an article on the crops of the
present year the Loud on Tunes says:
“The season has apparently been on
the whole so favorable that it has been
said at many points that ‘if the weather
had boou speci illy ordered it could no-
have been better. ’ 1 ’
The increase of ra dread. mileage in
this country from 35,0-5, at the close
ef 1865, to 156 082, at the close of
3888, is another signal illustration, ob
serves tiie New York Mail and Express,
el the ti omondous material development
which the United States have enjayed.
Calculations, based on the statistics
«.! Carroll D. Wriglit, the United States
commissioner of labor, show that the
workers only receive on an average but
eight per cent of tiie fruits of their
labor, the test going to others in the
ihape of profits, interest, rents and
taxes.
Fifty years ago there were probably
i wot mote than 30 000 to 100,00.) acro3
of fruit land m Great Britaiu. In 1872,
the date of the first re iablo record, it
liad in creased to nearly 170,001) acres,
and Mr. Whitehead, a well-known au
thority, estimates the present acreage at
about 214,000 acres.
" - ‘ «
Bismarck's new law for workingmen,
which has met tiie approval of the Ger
man Federal Council, makes especial
provision for the suppression of strikes.
A 'strike is defined as a conspiracy,
■mid severe punishment is provided for
those who may take part in it. The
promote's of slrikes are declared to be
public enemies, who may be either im
prisoned or exiled.
Labouchere, the gossipy editor of the
London Truth, eays there arc t wo Bou
langers: the ideal, who combines all the
qualities of Umar de Lion, Bertrand da
ttu escliri ami Lauuceiot: and the real,
a middle-aged gentleman who lias never
distinguished himself in any maimer
whatsoever, who mount> painfully on a
steady roadster, is tolerated in a certain
lion-hunting division of London society,
but is politely though studiously ig
nored by the better and more exclusive
portion thereof.
Tiie Philadelphia Ledger thinks that
Xdward Atkinson is “away off” when
he says that “about the only permanent
result of the Centennial was a gcueral
improvement, if improvement it may be
•ailed, in the style of furnishing dwell
ing- houses." It declares that one of
the most valuable results of the Centen
nial was tiie improvement of the school
System of the country, the development
of art education, science teaching and
Manual training, and that the exhibi
tion was also a great stimulus to inven
tion, and led to improvements in the
manufacture of textile fabrics and in all
Ska so-called art industries.
Old Age.
When on the furrowed cheeks of Age
Care’s hollow wrinkles show,
The old man turns his life’s lost page
With trembling hand and slow.
Dark lower the skies; in evory sound
Death’s mournful dirge ho hears;
And wearily the days go round,
The weeks, the months, tho years.
The lady of his love, alas!
Halh closed her gentle eyes,
With but one tiny tuft of grass
To show him where she lies.
“Old wifo of mine!’ ho whispers Jow,
“Above thy grave I see
Tiie star of Faith, whoso beams I know,
Shall guide mo soon to thee!”
WON A'T SIGHT.
We bad been upon the Mediterranean
station for about a year, when our com
mander ordered the ship to head for
Marseilles.
I was then a young midshipman, and
enjoyed the leave oti shore in a foreign
port with boyish delight. There were
six in our mess, and we managed to get
shore leave so as to be together, when
it was possible to do so. This was the
case one fine Sunday in the month of
December, as mild and summer-liko in
the south of France as a New England
May day.
The singular experience of ono of our
number I have often told since about
the mes3 table or camp fire, but have
never put it into print.
AA T c were strolling on the square
known as Lc Cours St. Louis, a sort of
permanent flower market, where tho
women sit enthroned in tent-like stalls
of wood, encircled by their bright,
beautiful and fragrant wares, while the
manner of arranging the stalls, so that
the vender sits raised some six feet in
the air, gave a novel effect to the scene.
AYc watched with special delight these
black-eyed, blaSk-ha red and rosy-
cheeked girls, the b ush of health in
their faces fairly rivalling that of their-
scarlet flowers. AATtli busy fingers
they arranged in dainty combinations
the vivid and delicate colors, relieved
by fresh green leaves and trailing vines
of snulax, while we young middies
joked pleasantly with them anil bought
fabulous quantities of bouquets,
AVhile we were idling away tho hour
in Le Cours St. Louis, with these
roguish and pretty flower venders, wc
were all thrown into a state of amaze
ment and curiosity by the appearance of
a young girl of about 17, who rushed
among us with a startling speed, and
who, hardly pausing to legain her
breath, said, in excellent English:
‘•You are Americans, nnd I trust,
gentlemen. Is there one among you
who will marry me?’’
‘‘AYe will all marry you,” was the in
stant response, accompanied by hearty
laughter.
“Ah, you are in sport, but I am in
earnest. AYlio will marry me?”
There seemed to be no joke after all.
The girl was positively in earnest and
looked nt one and all of us as coolly,
yet earnestly, as possible.
“Here, Harry,” said one who was
rather a leader among us, and address
ing Harry, “you want a wife,” and he
gave our comrade a slight push toward
the girl.
For soma singular reason Harry took
the matter much more in earnest than
the rest of us, and regarded the new
comer with a mo3t searching hut re
spectful glance. Approaching her he
said:
“I do not know exactly what you
mean, hut I can understand by your ex
pression of face that you are quite in
earnest. AVill you take my arm and let
us walk to one side?”
“Yes; but I have no time to lose,”
and taking his arm, they walked away
together.
AYe looked upon the affair ns some
well-prepared joke, but were a little an
noyed at the non-appearance of Harry
at our rendezvous oa tho quay. Our
leave exjired at sunset, nnd wc dared
uot wait for him, as Captain D was
a thorough disciplinarian, and we didn’t
care to provoke him and thus endanger
our next Sunday’s leave.
On hoard we went, therefore, leaving
Harry on shore. AYlien we reported the
question was, of course, asked where
Midshipman B was, to which query
wc could return no proper answer, as
we really did not know. He knew per
fectly well that we mu3t all be at the
boat lnnding just befi.ro sunset. It wai
plain enough to us all tliut there was
trouble brewing for our messm-ito.
Harry did not make his apperancc un
til the next day at noon, when he pulled
to the ship in a shore boat, and, com
ing on board, reported at once to the
captain, who stood upon the quarter
deck, and asked tha privilege of a pri
vate interv.ew.
Tho circumstances connected with the
nbscnce of Harry were very peculiar, nnd
as he was ono of tho most correct fel
lows on board, his request was granted
by the captain, who retired to his cabin,
followed by tho delinquent. After re
maining with tho commander for near
ly an hoUr, ho camo out and joined us.
“AYhat is tho upshot of it, Harry?”
wo asked.
‘ ‘AVcll, lads, I’m married — that’s
all.”
“Married? ’ asked the moss, in one
voice.
“Tied for life!” was tho answer.
“Hard and fast?”
“Irrevocably. ”
“To that little craft you- scudded
away with? ’
“Exactly. As good and pure a girl
as ever lived,” said Harry, earnestly.
“AY-h-c-w!” whispered cno and all.
“How did Old Neptune let you off?”
wo all eageily inquired—that being the
name the captain went by on board.
“He is hard on me," said Harry, seri
ously, “AYhat do you think he de
mands, lads?”
“Can t say; xvhat is it?”
“If I don’t resign, ho will send me
home in disgrace. ” That’s his ultima
tum.”
“AY-li-e-w!” again from all hands.
“Let’s get up a petilion for Harry,”
suggested one. /
‘ ‘It’s of no use, lads, I know he
means what he says. Ho hai given me
a while to think it over.”
It was all up with Harry.
Capt. D was a severe, but an ex
cellent officer, and ho had only given
tho delinquent the alternative of resign
ing or being sent home in disgrace.
The fact that he ha 1 git married in the
manner he described, in place of palliat
ing matters, only aggravated the cap
tain beyond measure. Ho declared it
was a disgrace to the s.rvice, aud a
bieaeh of propriety not to bo over
looked.
Harry told us his story in a desultory
manner, interrupted by many questions
and ejaculations, but which wn will put
into a simple form for the convenience
•of the reader.
Julie Meuricc was tho orphan child of
a merchant, who had been of high-
standing during liivlife, and who left a
handsome fortune to endow his daugh
ter on her wedding day, or, if not mar
ried before, she was to receive the prop
er y on coming to the age of 26 years.
Her mother had died m her infancy,
and the father, when she was 10 years
of age, placed her in a convent to be
educated, where she remained until his
death, which occurrred suddenly, six
months previous to the period of 'our
sketch.
After his death Julio became the
ward of her uncle, by the tenor of her
father’s will, nnd tho period of her edu
cational course having just closed at the
convent, Hubert Meurice, the uncle,
brought her home to Ills family circle.
Madame Meurice, it appears, was a
scheming, calculating woman, and
knowing that Julie would be an heiress,
she tried every way to promote her in
timacy with her own son, who was an
uncouth and ignorant youth of 18 years
without one attractive point iu his char
acter.
Hubert Meurice, tho uncle of Julio,
was a sea captain, WI1030 calling carried
him much away fiom his home. Dur
ing his absence his wife treated Julie
with the u’most tyranny, even keeping
her locked up in her room for days to
gether, tclliug her that when she would
consent to marry her son, Hubert, she
would release her aud do alL she could
to make her happy. But to this Julie
could not consent. Imprisonment even
was preferable to accepting her awk
ward and repulsive cousin.
Ono day she overheard a conversation
between her aunt and her hopeful
son, wherein the mystery of her treat
ment was solved.
The boy asked his mother what was
the use of bothering aud importuning
Julie so.
“If she doesn’t want to marry me,
mother, drop the matter. I like Julie,
and she would make mo a nice little
wifo, but Idon’lrwnnt her against her
will.”
“You arc a fool,” said tho mother.
“You know nothing nbout tho matter.
Her father’s will endows lior with a for
tune at her marriage, even if it be at 17,
just her present age. At 20 she receives
the fortune nt any rate. Now, don’t
you see if you giarry her wc aro all fixed
for life?”
“Does Julie know about the money?”
he askod.
“No, of course not.”
“It’s a little sharp on hor,” said tho
boy.
“I’m looking out for you,” said the
mother.
“Just no,” mused the hopeful.
•‘I am resolved that sho shall marry
you, and that is why I keep her locked
up, so that she may not see some one
she would like bettor.”
“Lots of money, eh? AYoll, mother,
let’s go in nnd win. AVheU shall it be?”
“It must be at once.”
“The sooner the bettor.”
“Your father is expected home next
week. I want you to be married before
he returns. lie approves of it, but is a
little too delicate about pressing mat
ters so quickly. I know that no time is
like tho present time, so I hnvo been
mnking arrangements to bring this
about immediately.”
This avas enough for Julio. She un
derstood the situation fully now, and
saw that her aunt would hesitate at
ifothing. Tho poor child feared her
beyond description and had yielded to
her in everything, save this one pur-
pose of her marriage with Hubert.
Julie was a very gentle girl; ono upon
whom her aunt could impose with im
punity. She had no idea of asserting
her rights, much less of standing up for
them. But she was thoroughly fright
ened now, nnd resolved to escape at any
cost fiqin the tyranny which bound her.
No fate could be worse she thought than
to be compel ed to marry that coarse,
vulgar and repulsive creature.
Yes, she would run away at once
The poor child—for she was little more
—had not asked herself where she
should go. She had no other relations
that she knew of iu the world, and the
isolated life sho bad always led had
caused her to form no intimacies, or
even to make friends with those of her
own age. Indeed with this prospective
fortune, yet she was virtually alone and
unprotected, and without a relation
whom she'did not look upon as her
enemy.
Tho next day after Julia had heard
this information was Sunday, the gayest
day of the week in Marseilles, and, for
tunately, Julie succeeded iu making her
escape from her aunt’s house. Still un
decided where lo go, and in her desper
ation fearing that at any moment she
might be seized and carried back, she
had wandered into the flower market,
where she came upon U3, already de
scribed.
As she explained to ILirry afterward,
she was intent only upon escape, and
believed this to bo her last chance.
AA r hen she 3aw a half dozen young
Americans, who seemed perfectly re
spectable, the idea that positive safety
lay only in marriage dawned upon her,
and she actually ran toward us, as wc
have related, the moment the thought
developed itself.
Harry became more and more im
pressed with Julie’s story as they walked
along, while he was delighted by her
innocent beauty and manifest rofinc-
.ment. It was all like a dream, almost
too romantic for truth. Our “fate”
sometimes comes to us in this singular
fashion, ho thought. {‘There is a tide
ill tho affairs of men which, taken at
the flood, leads on to fortune.” Sud
denly he turned to her aud said:
“Dare you trust me with your hap
piness?” , •
She looked at him thoughtfully with
her soft, pleading eyes. Her brain was
very busy; she remembered what awaited
her at home, what had driven her
thence, and then, in reply to his sober
question, she put both of hor hands into
his with child- like trust.
They wandered on. Julie had always
plenty of money in her purse, and they
strolled into a little chapel on their way,
where they found a young clergyman,
who could not resist their request to
marry them, and so, though rel uctantly
and advising proper delay, he performed
the marriage ceremon}', aided by the
sexton and his wife, who each received
a Napoleon.
As an inducement, Harry had also
told tho clergymen that lie was just go
ing to sea, and that he must bo married
before ho sailed, that not even ono hour
was lo bo lost.
Julio camo out of the chapel tho wife
of Harry B., who went with her to tho
Hotel dg Louvre. From hero ho sent a
pressing note to tho American Consul,
who camo to him early tho next morn
ing, and by tho earnest persuasion of
ilarry, tho consul agreed to take the
] young wifo to his own house, until
matter! should be settlod as it regarded
their future course. In the consul’ a house,
Julio found a pleasant and safe retreat
for tho time being.
Whatever might be said with regard
to the propriety of tho young folk’s con
duct, it could not bo undone. They
were irrevocably unitod as husband and
wifo. Harry was forced, however, to
resign his commission. By the aid of
the Consul, Julie’s rights in relation to
her fortune under her father's w 11 were
fully realized, and she came almost im
mediately with her young husband to
America.
Harry B., by means of proper in
fluence once utoro entered the navy, the
second timo as lieutenant, and now
wears a captain's epaulets,—N<M York
News, m
Names of Plants.
The number of countries which have
contributed their quota to the nomen
clature of English plants is legion. Be
ginning with France we have tho dent
do lion—lion’s tooth—whcnco wo de
rive our dandelion. The flower-de-luce,
again, which Mr. Dyer thinks was a
name applied to tho iris, comes to us
through the French fleur do Louis—tra
dition asserting that this plant was
worn as a device by King Louis VII. of
France. Buckwheat is derived from
the Dutch word bockwcit, aud adder’s
tongue from a word iu tho same lan
guage, adde stong. In like manner
the name tulip is traceable to tho word
tlioniyban in the Persian language—sig
nifying a turban. So, too, our English
word lilac is nothing more than an
anglicized form of another word in tho
Persian tongue, v»z., lilag. A large
number of plants owo their names to
thosq by whom they were first discovered
and introduced into other climes. Tho
fuchsia stands indebted f r its name
to Leonard Fuchs, an eminent Ger
man botanist, and the dahlia was so
named in honor of a Swedish botanist
named Dahl. A long list of plant names
might be formed which bear want might
be termed animal and bird prefixes—as,
for example, horse beans, horse chest
nuts, dog violets and dog roses; cats’
face*, a name applied to 1 ho plant
known to botanical students as tiie viola
tricolor; cat’s eyes,veronica chamaslrys;
c ts’ tails and catkins. Tho goose grass
is known to the country people iu
Northamptonshire as pig tail, and in
Yorkshire a name given to the fruit of
the oratfflgus oxyacantha is bud horns.
Many plant names have been suggested
by tho feathered race, particularly gooso
tongue, cuckoo buds (mintioned by
Shakspeare), cuckoo flowers, stork’s
bill and crane’s bill. One of the popu
lar names of tho arum is “parson in the
pulpit" and a Devonshire term for th#
sweet scabriosis is “mournful widow.”
The campion is not infrequently called
“plum pulding, ” and iu the neighbor
hood of Torquay it is not unusual to
hear fir cones spoken of as “oysters.” —
Cent email's Magazine.
Queer London Names.
Queer names certainly are found in
the London, England, general registry
of births, at Somerset House. For ex
ample, young scions of tho families of
Bath, Lamb, Jordan, Dew, Dear, and
Smith are christened respectively Foot,
Pascal, River, Morning, Offspring, and
Smith Follows. Mr. Cox called his son
Arthur AYellcsly AYellingtou AYalcrloo.
Mr. Jewett, a noted huntsman, named
his El ward Byng Tally I11 Forward.
A mortal that was evidently un
welcome is recorded as “One
Too Many.” Another of the same
sort is “Not AVantc l James.” Chil
dren with six to ten names uro frequent,
but probably the longest name in th*
world, longer than that of any poten
tate, is attached to tho child of Arthur
Pepper, lauudryman. Tho name of his
daughter, born 1883, is Anna Bertha
Ceceilia Diana Emily Fanny Gertruda
Hypatia Inez Jane Kate Louise Maud
Nora Ophelia Quince Rebecca Starkey
Tereza Ulysi.s (sic) Venus AVinfred
Xenophon Yelty Z:us Pepper—one title
precisely for every letter of tho alpha
bet.— Chicago lie) aid.
A Peculiar Gas Well Accident.
A peculiar accident occurred at a ga*
well near Anderson, Ind. Tho well is
a phenomenal one, and has so far defied
all attempts to pack it. *TIunry Loffucr,
one of tho drillers, while passing the
well extended hit arm some two or
three feet from its mouth, but directly
over it, when tho force ^pf tho gas blew
his arm to a perpendicular position with
such violence as to dislocate it at tha
thouldgr.
