Ita French statistics of suicide just
published for the year 1867, show four
suinidos committed by men to one by
women. __
Spain proposes to conueofhersolf with
Cuba by ocean cable, thus adding an.
other to the many means of quick com
munication, between distant countries.
Miss Bailie Ball, who has attracted
attention as being tho first lady from
Alaska to receive an appointment in
t he Federal service, is not an Esquimau,
but a Virginian, the daughter of a Con
federate idliccr-
‘ ‘Many To m pGofile^"" say s the Iowa
Stale lieg liter, “huve sent fifty cents to
au Eastern sharper for a *suro insect ex
terminator,’ and havo received in reply
a slip of papor reading, ‘Get your in
sects to smoko cigarettes.”’
Amy Levy, the young English Jewess
ami gifted outhor and poet, whoso nov
el, “Heuben Sacks,” was thought to
be tho important one of the year in
London, is doud, at tho early age of
twenty-three. At her own request her
remains were cremated.
The Japanese estimates for the cur
rent fina cial year show a total revenue
cf -176 CoO 000, and an expenditure of
$■7(5. 59(5,000. The Inn l taxis estima
ted to yield $12,24S '900, the income
tax $.1,083,500, tho tax on rice beer
Shewing $14,187,400.
Dr. Ogle, an eminent statistician,
says that tho movement from the coun
try to the towns is all right. It is only
the surplus population. Enough peo
ple to profitab y tilt the laud will al
ways remain in the country. But, in
quires the Chicago 'limes, liow about
the surplus population of tho towns?
(i
Emperor William thinks the strength
of tho German army preserves the peace
of Europe. This may be, remarks the
Ban Francisco Chronicle, but the bur
den of taxation on tho German peoplo
is growing heavier every year, and is
sending more and more of them to
America and to the German colonial
possessions.
An attempt to train swallows in
casrying messages, to supersede pigeons,
promises to be rewarded with com
plete success. A swallow, not long
ago, made the record of 155 mile3 in
one hour and thirty minutes. Should
such a messenger service prove feasi
ble, it would in all probability be
adopted in the French nrmy.
How fate likes to send its misfor
tunes iu couples is evidenced in the
case of M. Curviland, the unforiunato
owaer of the cartridge factory which
blew up at Antwerp, Belgium, killing
so many people. No sooner had he
been takeu into custody, charged with
carelessness, than thcro was an explo
sion in tho bullet foundry at Paris be
longing to him. injuring several worn*
men severely.
The Australian peoplo are construct
ing a fence of wire-netting 8000 miles
long to divide New South Wales and
CJieenslaud, ia order to keep the rabbits
out of tho latter country. Australia ia
paying not less than $125,000 per year
to keep tho pests down in what are
known as crown lands. The offer is
still kept up of one hundred thousand
dollars to any man who will produce
something that will exterminate the
pests.
There is nu amicable rivalry between i
English and American engineers. Tho j
skill which they exhibit is the same, j
hut ita application differs in the two
countries. Whero American engineers
have been compelled to build for tho
day or (be morrow, English engineers
have been aids to build for the next
generation and tho century. But the
cxiemporo skill of tho American Engi
neer has, in turn, modified the massive
conception of his English brethren, and
English structures, such as tho Forth
bridge, aro' largely influenced by Amer
ican ideas an 1 experience. Tho canti
lever principle is borrowed from tho
United States, and is the product of
American coal Lions of work and of
American fertility of invention and
audacity of combustion. Thus the
genius and skill of each country sup
plements that of tho other. Tho Eng
lish borrow from America and tho
Americans borrow from tho English,
and both are bettor for the cxohungj
in the opinion of tho New
Telegram.
Two German Athletes have aftrtr*! m
New York city whoso feats of stroagfbj
*t is said, will be a rovelation to ihi
strong men of this country. Ons can
lift 545 pounds with his middle finger
and can pass a weight of 200 pounds
slowly over his head with one hand.
The othor is credited with beiug able to
force a six-inch anil with his bare hand
through a two-inch plunk.
News comes from the C.ty of Mexico
that the American tramp has invadod
tho land of Montezuma and President
Diaz, and that tho latter lias ordered
these peripatotic citizens of tho greater
Republic to bo caught wherever found
and put to work cleaning streets. The
St. Louis jStar-Sayings thinks “we may
soon look for their exodus from Mexico
to their erstwhile fields of idleness in
America. ’'
According to tho Calcutta corretpon-
dent of the London Tunes, a herd of
100 wild elephants has boen captured iu
Mysore, India. The same correspondent
states that thoro were 6000 deaths from
snake-bites in the Northwest province
Inst year. In Madras 10,09(5 cattle were
killed by wild animals, and the loss of
human life by snakes and wild animals
was 1642.
The development of the Russian mer
chant navy in tho Black Sea is being
pushed forward with much energy, and
the navy will shortly bo increased by
the addition of a largo steamer of 4,000
tons from Sweden, for the petroleum
traffic to India, and of two steamuri
built in E igland at a cost of $300,000
each, A duty of $50, 000 will have to
bo paid for each o: theso steamers.
Recently pubiisued staistici show
that the three countries in Europe iu
which tho population increased at the
most rapid rate aro Sweden, Denmark
and Germany. In the two first-named
the birth rate exceeds the deaths by 1L
per cent, annually, and in Germany the
increase is over 10 per cent. In Eng
land, Russia and Holland the increase
is over 9 per cent. In Norway and Bel
gium 8 per cent., in Austria and Italy
7 percent., and Switzerland 6 pur cent.
In France alone the population remains
almost stationary, tho increase being
on^ly just over 2 per cent.
For some time past ‘there has been
considerable dissatisfaction felt and ex-
prcssel by the other nations of this
hemisphere at the tacit accordance by
tho whole world of the tit.e ‘‘Ameri
ca” to tho Unite 1 States. A citizen of
Mexico when in Europe is not spoken
of or regarded as an American; he is
always a Mexican. A Canadian is not
an American, or a Brazilian anything
else than a Brazilian; in fact, residents
of tho United States are the only
recognized Americans. Under tho cir
cumstances would it not bo a good idea,
suggests an exchange, lor the coming
congress to devote some attention to tho
subject? “Perhnpi tho assembled na
tions might agreo to call the western
himphisphere Columbia, and leave to
tho Uuited States tho name America.
We have already practically usurped it;
why not give m a full right to use it?
and perhaps one of these days we may
be able to rid ourselves of tho cumber
some title of tho United States of
America and subslituio for it tho
shorter and more striking name of
America.' ’
While soveral nations are now block
ading a long stretch of African coasts
to kcop s.aves from getting out and
firearms from getting iii it is a little re
markable, tho New York Sun considers,
that in some regions improved weapons
are pouring into inner Africa at the rate,
apparently with the connivance of the
very nations engaged in the blockade.
When the King of Mattaboleland re
cently consonted to let white men dig
for gold in Ma-hona laud, which is now
talked of as the coming Eldorado, ho
stipulated that 1000 breech- load mw
rifles and 100,000 cartridges must bo
rent him. They have juit passed
through British territory to the country
of the bloodthirsty Matabele. With
their own rude weapons they have been
tho scourgo of South Africa, and it
now looks as though the British were
arming them, tho inoro effectually to
wipe out all tho surrounding tribes.
In spite of tho blockado the trade in
guns and powder scorns to go on with
out let or hindrance along the Zambei,
and in tho Nyassa region where Portu
gal, to serve her own purposes, is send
ing tho goods far and wide into the
Country.
Over Their Graves.
Over their graves rang once the bugle’s eaQ,
The searching shrapnel, and the crashing
ball;
The shriek, tho shock of battle, and the
neigh
Of horse; tho cries of anguish and dismay;
And the loud cannon’s thunders that appall
Now through the years the brown pino-
needles fall,
The vines run riot by the old stone wall,
By hedge, by meadow streamlet, far away,
Over their graves!
We love our dead where’er so held iu
thrall,—
Than they no Greek more bravely died, nor
Gaul,—
A love that's deathless I but they look
today
With no reproaches on us when we say,
•‘Cornel let us clasp your hands, we're
brothers all,”
Over their graves!
THE WEDDING JEWELS.
“Two of ’em going to bo married at
oncet” said Aunt Amaranth. “Well,
thatfs good luc.c for Emily Jane. Six
girls aro a dread.ul dispensation of
Providence.”
“I don’t think mamma thinks so,
Aunt Amarautk,” said Lucy Pond,
coloring.
“She don’t say so, of course, out of
consideration for tlic feelings of you
girls,” said Aunt Amnratitb, sourly;
“but there’s no sort of doubt but that
she thinks so, poordearl I don’t know
wiiy you couldn’t, some of you, have
had tho sense to be bor.i boys!”
‘•You talk as if we did it on pur
pose,” said Lucy, half laughing.
“Well, how do I know but what
vou d.d?” retortel ‘Aunt Amaranth,
“ThereI you needn't bang the dishes
about in that way. You’ve cracked
more teacups, Lucy Pond, and chipped
the edges of more saucers, in the six
weeks that you havo been hero, than I
did since I've kept houiol”
Lucy's lip qnverol; the roses
deepened on her cheeks.
“I try to be careful,” said she.
“No, you don’t!” said Aunt Ama-
ranih, tartly, “You don’t try to do any
thing. except to curl yohir liair and fix
over your gowns and read poetry boons,
when you ought to be sewing for me.
How do y.iu expect to pay for your
board and lod^g.ug, else?”
“Your black drest is finished, Aunt
Amaranth, and I did up all your mus
lin caps yesterday, and evory pair of
silk stockings is darned so you c'aa’t see
tho join 1” eagerly speaks up Lucy.
Aunt Amaranth elovated her hands.
“There you go again!” suid she.
“It’s your chief failing, Lucy Pond, to
want to argue every question that comes
up. I do wish. I could breax you of
that I”
Lucy made no answer, but her com
pressed rose bud of a month, tho two
round red spots on her cheoks, and the
mechanical drumm ng of her fingers on
the table near by, evinced tho unquiet
ness of her sp rit.
How she would havo liked to fling all
Aunt Amaranth’s ostentatious patronage
back in her face, and return to tne little
city house where tho five other sisters
were all happy together! But tuat was
quito out of tho question.
Mrs. Pondr was poor; it cost a great
deal to live. Lucy, after all, was only
one of six, and it had been considered a
fine thing for tho little maiden when
Aunt Amaranth Jay had given her a
grudging invitation to come and visit
her. And hero wero Clara and Bessie
to bo married to young Dr. (Clifford and
Harry M.Vicker—yes, Aunt Amaranth
was right, it did soem as if tho sun
of good luck were rising on tho Pond
horizon once more.
“1 suppose,” said Aunt Amaranth,
still following up the thread of her re
flections as she knitted steadily away at
her black silk mitten, “they’d expect
some sort of a wedding present, from
me."
“I don’t think they’ll expect any
thing of the sort, Aunt Amaranth.”
“Girls always do. Well, lot me see.
I’m not rich, but there’s that solid sil
ver salver of mine. 1 could have the
initials rubbed out and replaced wiih
‘C. P.' for Clara Pond, and l'vo kept
that set of family jewels all these
years—”
“Oh, Aunt Amaranth, don’t.”
“Brooch and ear-rings 1” authorita
tively enunciated tho old lady. “G.rls
always l.ko trinkets. Bessie is tho eld
est. Be.-sio shall have tho pin and ear
drops. They ought to go in the fami-
ly.*’
But when this news reached tho Pond
tribe great was the consternation it pro
duced.
“Aunt Amaranth’s opals, Indeed!
said Bessie, a tall, alim, young brunette.
“I wouldn’t have’em if you were to
give mo a thousand dollars. Of all
gems, opals ore the unluckiestt”
“My dear, that’s all nonsonso!” said
Mrs. Pond, a gentle, dove-eyed little
widow, with golden hair streaked with
silver. “I’ve boen wishing wo could
afford you a pretty set of topaz, or some
thing, and—”
“But I wouldn’t wear opals,” said
Bessie.
“Well, then, suppose you take the
salver, and Clara—”
“No, thanks!'’ said Clara, with a
toss of tho yellow head that was ‘like
her mother’s. “I don’t want any sec
ond-hand ill-luck, either.”
“But what will your auut think?”
‘ “What she pleases,” said Clara.
“She is so kind to dear Lucy.”
“1 am sure that’s no merit on her
part,”-said Bessie. “No one could
help being kind to Lucy.”
‘ ‘What am I to say to her?” sighed
Mrs. Pond.
“Tho truth, mamma, of course."
Undoubtedly this was good advice,
yet the truth is by no moans always pal
atable.
Aunt Amaranth was very angry.
“Tuc jewels were good enough for
the Jay family,” said she. “1 don’t
know why tho Ponds shou d turn up
their noses at ’em. However, let ’em
do as they please. Its their businoss,
not mine, if Bessie chooses to do with
out her we lding present. What is it,
Lucy? the minister again? It seoms to
niche calls pretty often, don’t he?”
“Y-yes, perhaps ho does,” admitted
Lucy, with downcast eyelashes.
“Can’t yon sec what hi want*?’’
“He asked for you, Aunt Amaranth.’’
“Well, I-iupposo I must go in and
scohun,’' said the old lady, adjusting
her cap ribbotu. ‘He’s a very good
young man. That la-t Sunday’s ser
mon of his was ready very good for a
beginner.”
She went in complacently, but when
she came out, sho looked reproachfully
at Lucy.
‘ Lucy, ” said she, “is this true?”
Lucy hung down her iioad.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?"
“I—I thought you must surely see
it for yourself," muriuurc l Lucy.
“Well, i suppise £ hive been blinder
than any bat!” sighe l the old lady.
“It never once occurred to me tint you
would make auy sort of minister’s
wiie."
“I mean to try my best, Aunt Ama
ranth.”
“And he wants you to bo married
right away. Well, you’ve been a good
girl, Lucy,” reluctantly conceded tho
old lady, “and wo’l. go shopping this
afternoon and get you a gown or two,
and a bonnet and a shawl. I suppose
you’ll want to go home an 1 bo married
where Clara and Bessie aro?”
“If you don t ooject, aunt."
“Much good myoujecting would do,”
said the shrewd old laly. “Well,
well, young folks will be young fo.ks,
aud I must look out for a wedding pres
ent for you now.”
Lucy Lifted her soft brown eyes to
Aunt Amaranth’s face. Sho hal pit.o 1
the old lady s discomfiture when the
opals had been so ruthlessly rejected by
the other two bridc3.
“Aunt Amarunth,” said she, “you
need not look out for anything new for
me. You have spent a deal of money
on me already, and you aro propp
ing to spend more. And if you don’t
mind, why shouldn’t 1 wear the jewels
—the oid tamily jewels—that you were
going to give to Bessie?”
“Would you like them?” sharply de
manded Aunt Amaranth.
“Yes.”
Yov have no silly prejudice against
opals?"
“No, Aunt Amaranth.”
“Do you like them?”
“I am sure that 1 shall like anything
that you give mo, Aunt Amaranth,"
said she, “whutever it is."
“Humph,” said the o.d lady. “You
aro a good girl.”
Groat was the cooing and chattering
when the three brides-elect were togeth
er in the little red-urick city house,
each working on her own trousseau—
for the Ponds were poor an i dressmak
ers’ bills were not .to be thought of.
But Lucy had shared tho nest of alt,
through Aunt Amaranth’s unlooked-for
generosity.
“She has been so good I” said Lucy,
with sparkling eyes. “Oh, I’m so
sorry that I ever was cross or unjiist to
her I"
“For all that,” said Clara, “it wouMk
take more than Aunt Amaranth’* attk
gowns and psetty embroideries to in*-
duco me to wear those hideous opals, of
hers."
“I would wear anything to please
Aunt Amaranth,” said loyal Lucy.
“Supposd you show them, to no,”
said Clara.
“Oh, I have not come into posses
sion of them yet,” said Lucy. “Aunt
Amaranth is to bring them whoa she
comes to the wedding.”
“You won’t wear them tube mar
ried in?”
“If Aunt Amaranth wishes it, I
will.”
And to this resolution Luey bravely
adhered, in spite of logic, persuasion
or ridicule.
It was the night bo fore the triple-
wedding.'' Aunt Amaranth, fresh from
her journey, was drinking tea and eat
ing cold chicken at a corner of tho table,
and asking innumerable queitions.
“Only three girls left, eh, Em ly
Jane?” said the old lady. “Well, if
iliey’re all as good as Lucy here, I
almost wish they were mine. B.-the-
way,here’s Lucy's brooch and earrings.”
Mrs. Pond glanced timidly at the
lilac-velvet case. In her secret heart
she, too, feared the reputed ill-luck of
opals; yet Aunt Amaranth was by far
too important a jicrson to offend.
“Do you want to put ’em on?” said
the old lady, abruptly, to her favorite
neice.
“Yes, Aunt Amaranth,” sail Lucy
smiling.
“He’s coming tonight, I supposol’’
“Oh, <f course!”
“I should liko him to seo you wear
ing them,” sail Miss Jay, complacently.
•‘Then I will put them on," said
Lucy, taking up tile case.
“Let me do it, my dear,” said Aunt
Amaranth.
Two drops of fiery dew, across of
glittering white stones, flashed at Lucy’s
throat and iu her little, shcil-like ears.
“Oh, Auut Amaranth!” sho cried
out.
“Diamonds!” screamed Clara.
“ But I thought,” stammered Bessie,
“that they wero opals!”
“So they were once upon a time,’’
said the old lady. “But I got tired
of ’em. 1 never did vfancy colorod
stones. So last year I changed ’em off,
by adding a 'little to the sum total, and
got the diamonds instead. D amonds
are the thing for a bride—eh, Lucy?”
“But, Aunt Amaranth,” pleaded
Lucy, “they are a deal too good for
me.”
“Not a bit,” said tho old ladi; stout-
y. “They’re not a particle brighter
than those eyes of yours.”
And of all tho three brides, gentle
little Lucy shone most radiantly, with
tho family jewels, on her marriage day.
"If we had only knownl” said Clara..
“Oh, if I" cried Bessie. ,
“If is a b g word for a little one!”
sail Aunt Amaranth. ‘‘You took your
own choice, girls.”—Ueen Forest
Graves.
Night Sights in Now Vork Street Cars.
Late at night one sees many curious
scenes in the street cars, says a New
York correspondent of the Chicago
llerald. Comitfg from the theatre the
other night I witnessed one that im
pressed me quite a bit. Tho car was
full of people returning from various
theatres. There was a pretty girl snug
gling up under the wing of her es
cort; the prosaic married couple who
htared straight before them; an old
German decidedly the worse for beer;
a girl with a tawdry, yellow wig and
a cheap cotton jersey, and rhiue-^
stones in her ears. There entered tho
dirtiest, weariest, saddest, oldmt-faced
little wretch of a newsboy, who of-
ered his papers. No one heeded the
begrimed, entroating paw. He was
about to plunge off tho car Vhon a
well-dressed man who looked if he
might have beeu dining out, called the
child, and much to his amazol awe^i
bought his entiro stock. Tho little fel
low, who looked as Motet may when
the manna dropped fromhonvou, sprang
from the car and was lost in the
darkness. Tho swell amused himself
by tearing the paper into bits and cast
ing them out into the night.
A Great Sensation.
“Hello, Punjab,” said one reporter
to another, “looking for a sensation?"
“No. I discovered one last night.” P
“IIow?”
“By stopping on a tack whilo I was
wnlking with tho baby.”—Merchant
Traveler.
