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THE MISCHIEF MAKER.
“ Oh, Mr. Harris!”—and Willie I)el
evan’s chubby fingers played restlessly
with the gentleman's massive chain,
while the childish-face assumed an ex
pression of wonderful importance, “you
ought to have heard the Colonel make
love to sister yesterday.”
Frank Harris wanted to be honorable,
but the boy’s prattle was terribly fasei
listing, and it was only after a hard
struggle that lie strove to divert the
tattler's attention from the subject in
hand, to a curious seal-ring on his little
finger,
“Yes, it’s very pretty,” said the
child, unconcernedly, after a hasty
glance at the article in question. “ But
that Colonel said lots of sweet things
to Nell. He didn't know that I was
listening in the shrubs —and the tiny
tell-tale stopped with a triumphant
chuckle.
“ What did Nellie say ?” asked his
auditor, forgetting everything in his
anxiety to know the reply of his be
trothed.
“ Well, they walked off just about
then, so I didn’t hear any more; but
Miss Jones says that Nell’s dead in
love with him, and you ought to be
man enough to make her have you.
But you will make her, won't you ? I
hate the Colonel, and don't want him
for a brother.”
Willie Delevan was certainly never
intended for a diplomatist, for every
word was a stab to the manly heart
which, of all others, he least wished to
wound, and each sentence a death-blow
leveling his own desires; but uncon
scious of all this, he continued, perse
veringly:
“ She cried last night, and kissed his
picture. I saw her. Maybe she’ll cry
to-day; but don't you let her olf, no
matter what she does.”
Just then the door opened and Nel
lie entered, with a winning blush and
welcoming smile. Her brother slipped
from his perch on his favorite’s knee,
and walked demurely out of the room.
“ What's the matter, Frank ? Are
you getting ready for a funeral ?” asked
his lady-love, with a merry laugh, no
ticing the gloom which overspread his
features.
“ No, Miss Delevan,” he answered,
calmly, thinking it best to settle the
matter immediately. “But circum
stances, unnecessary to explain, render
the dissolving of our engagement ex
pedient. Have I your permission to
consider it at an eml ?”
Nellie, innocent of all wrong, and
unconscious of her brother’s miscon
structions, turned very pale, and for a
moment stood like one petrified ; then,
summoning pride to her aid, replied,
coldly:
“ Assuredly, sir. I lore is your ring,”
nervously removing the flashing soli-
taire. “ Your letters I will return as
quickly as possible. May I request
the same favor ?”
“ Certainly, Miss Delevan!” and
with a courteous “ Good morning,”
Frank Harris departed, striving, with
all the might of a noble soul, to stifle
his own anguish with thoughts of the
happiness he had conferred upon one
dearer far than self.
And Nellie ? With an aching heart,
which neither pride nor indignation
could ease, but which both successfully
endeavored to conceal, she resumed her
unfettered condition, attended different
entertainments with her friends, and
strove in every way to show Frank
Harris her indifference. But the gen
tleman was seldom present on these oc
casions ; and Dame Humor, whose in
quisitive mind continually managed to
discover something, reported that his
renouncement of society was owing en
tirely to Nell Delevan, who severed
their engagement, and almost broke his
heart. She, knowing how false were
these explanations, fruitlessly won
dered.
“O, Mr. Harris!” exclaimed the
cause of all this perplexity to our hero
one afternoon —some weeks after—
while returning from school; “ how
glad lam to meet you ! Where have
you been all this time ?"
Frank clasped the little fellow's hand
cordially, and he continued, without
waiting for a reply :
“ I've got a tremendous Newfound
land pup, and was wishing you could
see him. I asked sister Nell, last night,
where I could send you word about it,
but she snapped me up like fun ; and
ma said she should think I rank might
come and see his mother’s friend ; but
old women weren’t of any account now
adays, and—well, you'll come and see
her now, won’t you ?”
Frank was at first inclined to refuse ;
but the longing to see Nellie, even
though another's, was ;o intense that he
VOL. II—NO. 36.
decided to act according to the boy’s
pleasure.
Nellie was alone in the sitting-room,
whither Willie ushered his friend.
“ Nell, here's Mr. Harris, come to see
my new dog and ina. Where is she ?”
The blood rushed to her face in crim
son torrents as she bowed to the gen
tleman, and informed her brother of
Mrs. Delevan’s absence.
“ Well, it’s no matter,” hastily inter
rupted the incorrigible. “Just wait
here a minute till I get Fido.”
And before a word could be inter
posed, the estranged lovers were left
alone.
Nellie determined not to be discon
certed, ventured a remark upon the
weather, and an embarrassed conversa
tion ensued, which, to their great satis
faction, was interrupted by Willie’s en
trance, with his canine pet.
“ Let me see,” he began, musingly,
after the animal had been admired to
his heart's content. “Why, Mr. Har
ris, I haven’t seen you since—since—
the day I told you not to let that hate
ful Colonel marry Nell!” “Willie!”
interupted his sister quite reprovingly,
while the crismon dyed the very roots
of her hair.
“ Well, what are you ‘ Willy’-ing me
for ? I did ask him not to, but I might
just as well have spared my breath.
What do you think, Mr. Harris ? Nel
lie told Miss Jones that she hated that
horrid Colonel, and wouldn’t marry him
anywaj f —l heard her.”
Frank’s face was one glow of joy;
but Nellie fearing, she scarcely knew
what, from her brother’s loquacity, said,
hastity:
“Willie, you had better take Fido
into his kennel.”
“Yes, in a minute. But, Mr. Har
ris, that wasn’t the Colonel's picture at
all she kissed —’twas yours ” —and
snatching up his pet with a jubilant
laugh, he skipped out of the room.
“Nellie,” said Frank, advancing to
where she stood, “is this so ? Don't
you love the Colonel ? and didn’t you
kiss his picture ?”
She looked into his face all aglow
with hopeful love, and trembled.
“Mr. Harris, 1 consider your queries
simply impertinents—”
“ Before j'ou condemn,” he interupt
ed, imploringly, “ listen. Willie told
me that he heard the Colonel declare
his love to you, and that evening saw
yon kiss his picture and cry over it.
Could I, who loved you better than life,
stand in the way of your happiness ?
No. So, without giving any reason, I
broke off our engagement, and you
were free—and I thought happy. And
Heaven knows mj r misery !”
Nellie was weeping, but her head was
on his shoulder. Just then Willie en
tered, looked a moment, and with a
low, prolonged whistle left them to
their restored happiness.
An Anecdote of Wade Hamilton.
The correspondent of the Charleston
Nev:s <s• Courier at Columbia, S. C.,
relates the following: “It was at the
time when the Govenior was most
deeply engaged in the preparation of
that formidable document, a Governor’s
< first Message.’ Governor Hampton
wrestled with the many problems which
confronted him in the preparation of
his for many days and nights, and it
was observed that he, naturally enough,
wore a most anxious face the while.
Sunday morning came and the other
members of his family drove, as usual,
from his country home near Columbia
into the city for the purpose of attend
ing religious service in Trinity Church,
of which the Governor himself is a de
voted member. The Governor for
once remained behind, with care and
concern still enthroned upon his brow,
for the purpose of continuing his labors
upon the heavy document which must
be presented next day. After service
at the church the family returned home,
and to their amazement and great re
lief w’ere received by the Governor
with a countenance beaming with sat
isfaction akin to happiness. ‘ What is
the matter V asked one. ‘ Have you
completed your message ?’ ‘No !’ was
was the Governor’s joyful reply ; ‘ but
I have found the old turkey-hen’s nest
over yonder in the woods !’ ”
Fear is the mother of foresight.
Election of President,
Andersoti (.S’. C .) Intelligencer.
The danger to the permanency of
the government arising from the con
stitutional provisions in reference to
the election of lYesident and Vice-
President, was not unseen by those
who framed the Constitution. There
were difficulties in any plan which could
be suggested not easily overcome. So
long as the Executive and Legislative
departments revered the Constitution
and made party interests subservient
to its requirements, no serious danger
could arise; but when, as in 1876, the
Constitution was regarded as subordi
nate to party interests, and a party
President, wielding the entire military
power of the country, was controlled
by party domination, the only alterna
tive which could be presented was, rev
olution or being robbed of constitution
al rights. The people submitted to the
latter. These difficulties resulting from
the present electoral system, have in
duced Congress to look into the sub
ject, w ith a view to correct its defects,
and devise a plan which shall in the
future prevent the re-enactment of such
a palpable fraud as that forced upon
the country by party leaders in the last
Presidential election. A bill prescrib
ing the method of counting the electo
ral votes and deciding questions there
on has been agreed upon by the Com
mittee of the House of Representatives,
to whom it had been referred to devise
a plan to remedy the defects in the
present method of electing the Presi
dent. The bill was agreed to in Com
mittee by one majority. It provides
that each State shall provide for the
judicial determination of any contro
versy concerning the appointment of
electors, and that every such determi
nation made by the highest State
Courts shall be conclusive evidence as
to the lawful llUe of the electors sude*
dared to have been appointed; that
where conflicting decisions from differ
ent tribunals in the same State come
before the convention of the two
houses of Congress, the votes of those
electors shall be counted whose title as
electors the two houses acting sepa
rately shall concurrently decide upon.
The returns of the electors of the seve
ral States to be transmitted to the
President of the Senate by the second
Wednesday next after the meeting of
the electors, instead of the first Wed
nesday in January as now provided by
law.
The most important features of the
proposed amendment is that which pre
scribes the plan of counting the votes
for President. Under the present plan
the electors receiving the majority or
plurality vote of any State, cast the
solid electoral vote of the State for the
candidate of their choice, and the vote
of the minority, however large, is wholly
ignored, as much so as if it had never
been cast. The result has been that
several Presidents were elected by a
majority of the electoral votes, while
an overwhelming majority or the popu-
lar vote was against them. The pro
posed amendment, by distributing the
electoral vote in the exact ratio of the
popular vote, corrects the evil. The
amendment, is that the electoral votes
and fractions thereof of each person
voted for as President in any State
shall be ascertained by multiplying his
entire popular vote therein by the whole
number of the electoral votes of the
State, and dividing the product by the
aggregate popular vote of the State for
all persons voted for as President, and
the quotient thereof shall be the num
ber of the electoral votes and fraction
thereof to which such persons shall be
entitled, using for such fractions three
decimals, and no more. The practical
effect of this amendment is to give to
the minority vote in each State its full
weight in casting the electoral vote, and
to divide the electoral vote, instead of
its being cast as a unit, as is done under
the present system. It is very doubtful
if this amendment should pass both
Houses of Congress. It was agreed to
by only one majority in the Committee
and requires a majority of two-thirds in
each House of Congress to submit it
to the Legislature of the State.
Graves are but the prints of the foot
steps of the angels of eternal life.
HARTWELL, GA., WEDNESDAY, MAY I, IS7B.
How He Escaped Toll.
Cincinnati Times.
About two o’clock yesterday morning,
as the collector of the Covington end of
theNewportandCoviugtou bridge which
spans Licking river, was barely in the
lund of dreams, and while his mind wan
dered ou every subject imaginable in
cluding sweet rest, hot pancakes and a
loving wife with a broomstick at home,
he heard a slight noise. Looking out,
he noticed a man tacking toward him
under full sail. At first glance, the idea
struck him that the man was running
to afire, but a second and longer look
convinced him that he was just returning
from a revelry in some wholesale whisky
bouse.
The stranger eyed the collector for a
moment, and then said : “ I’m a man of
property, liveinCamul county, ain’t got
no money, and I mus’ go home.”
“We are not in the habit of passing
every tramp who happens along, these
days,” said the collector.
“ I'm no tramp,” persisted ho from
over the Rhine, “and if you don’t let
me pass I’ll swim over,” and suiting the
action to the words, he pulled a board
from a fence in the neighborhood, car
ried it to the river, stripped himself and
piling his clothes on the board, struck
out, pushing his barge before him.
When he had about reached the mid
dle W the river, the collector became
alarmed aud cried out, “come back and
I’ll let you pass over.”
“I'm doing well enough, d —n you,”
was echoed from the river.
The collector stood ou the bank shiv
ering until the man reached the other
side. The stranger climbed the bank,
and,Rooking back, saw the collector and
cried out to him: “ Yer see there’s
mor'noueway o’ doin’ things in this
world, old coupon destroyer.”
ii#w Bje lAJUBviU....
Atlanta Independent.
The other day a groccrymnn at Chat
tanooga gave a large party, at which the
daughter of a carriage-pain ter, who lived
next door, created a decided sensation.
It was not that she was more handsome
ly attired than the other ladies present,
but that when she gyrated in the “ dance
of death,” she was observed to display
the only pair of pink silk stockings in
the room. She bad left the house for a
few moments at the expiration of the
dance, and in the next waltz exhibited a
pair of light blue dittoes. An hour
later her crushed and exasperated fe
male friends beheld these supplemented
by further hose of a delicate chocolate
shade. And so it went on until her mis
erable rivals determined to follow her
the next time she disappeared. They
traced her to her father’s paint shop, in
the back yard, where she was discovered
brush in hand, and about ornamenting
her nether extremities with a final artis
tic coat of light salmon. The exulting
spies rushed back with the damaging
news, but it was too late. The men were
all too drunk to understand, the music
had gone home, and the lights were be
ing put out. Thus it is that fruud and
duplicity triumph, while honesty and
simplicity walks around with a darn ou
its calf and a hole in its heel.
Unrn Old Letters.
For many reasons it is better to burn
old letters of affection than to hoard
them in this most uncertain world.
Burn, if you would not have the deepest
secrets of your soul made the sport of
attorneys. Burn, if you would not have
your friends pained by even an accident
al disclosure of kindness. Burn, for
your own sake and the sake of others.
Give trembling hopes, and gentle assu- j
ranee the first faltering promise, the last
welcome asservation, the golden and
silver sentences, the record of dreams
and of doubts, the line traced when all
was benighted—give the sweet and the,
bitter-sweet, earnestness and playfulness,
deep appeal and trival jest —all to the
friendly fire.
Cool.
A gentleman residing in a village,
finding that the diminution of his wood
piles continued after his fires were out,
lay awake one night in order to obtain,
if possible, some clew to the mystery.
At an hour when all honest folks should
be in bed, hearing an operator at work
in the yard, he cautiously raised his
chamber window, and saw a lazy neigh
bor endeavoring to get a large log into
his wheelbarrow. “ You’re a pretty fel
low,” said the owner, “to come here
and steal my wood while I sleep.”
“Yes,” replied the thief, “and I sup
pose you would sta3 T up there, and see
me break my neck with lifting, before
you’d offer to come and help me.”
Why Lizzie Didn't Marry.
BY E. 11. s.
They were seated together, side by
side, ou the sofa in the parlor.
“Lizzie,” said he, "you must have
rend my heart ere this ; you know how
dearly I love you.”
“Yes, Fred,” she answered, very
calmly, “ you have certainly been very
attentive.”
“ But, Lizzie, darling, do you love
me? Will you be my wife?”
“Your wife, Fred? Of all things!
No, indeed; nor anymneelse’s.”
“ Lizzie, what do you mean ?”
“Just what I say, Fred. I’ve two
married sisters.”
“ Certainly ; and Mrs. Hopkins and
Mrs. Skinner have two very good hus
bands I believe.”
“ So people say ; but I would not like
to stand in either May’s or Nell’s shoes
—that’s all.”
“ Lizzie, you astonish me.”
“ Look here, Fred, I’ve had over
twenty-three slcigh-ridcs tiiis winter—
thanks to you and my other gentlemen
friends.” Fred winced a little here,
whether at the remembrance of that un
paid livery bill, or at the idea of Lizzie’s
sleighiug with other gentlemen friends,
I cannot positively aver. “ Ilow many
do you think my sisters have had? Not
the sign of one, either of them. Such
pretty girls as May and Nellie were, too,
and so much attention as they used to
hIW
“ Now Lizzie —”
“ I’m fond of going to the theater oc
casionally, as well as to a lecture or con
cert sometimes, and I shouldn’t like it,
if I proposed attending any such an en
tertainment, to be invaribly told that
times were too hard, and my husband
couldn’t afford it, and then to have him
sneak off alone.”
“ Lizzie, Lizzie.—”
“ And then, if, once in a dog’s age, he
did condescend to go with mo anywhere
in the evening, I shouldn’t like to be
left to pick my way along the slippery
places, at the risk of breaking my neck,
he walking along unconsciously by my
side. I’m of a dependent, clinging na
ture, and I need the protection of a
strong arm.”
“Lizzie this is all nonsense.”
“ I’m the youngest of our family, and
perhaps I have been a little spoiled.
At all events, I know it would break my
heart to have my husband vent all the
ill-temper which he conceals from the
rest of the world on my defenseless
head.”
“ But, Lizzie, I promise you that—”
“ Oh, yes, Fred ; I know what you
are going to say —that you will be dif
ferent; but May and Nell have told me
time and time again that no better hus
bands than theirs ever lived, and I’m in
clined to believe them. No, no, Fred;
as a lover you are just perfect, and I
shall awfully bate to give you up. Still,
if you are bent on marrying, there are
plenty of girls who have not married
sisters, or who are not wise enough to
profit by their example if they have.
And don't fret about me, for I've no
doubt I can find someone to fill your
place.—”
But, before Lizzie had concluded,
Fred made for the door, muttering some
thing “ unmentionable to ears polite.’?
“ There!” exclaimed Lizzie, ns the
street door closed with a bang ; “ I knew
he was no better than the rest. That’s
precisely the way John and Alex swear
and slam doors when things don’t go
right. He’d make a perfect bear of a
husband ; but I’m sorry he came to the
point so soon, for he was just a splendid
beau.”
Tbe mucilage on postage stamps is, in
part, made of peach brandy ; but the
man who can lick enough postage stamps
to get drunk, can lick Russia with one
hand tied behind him.
Hail storms are frequent now,
*
WHOLE NO. 88.
MOW'THE SOIL IS FORRMED.
*| j *
Nome 111 feres i ill* I'aofa.
What we call the earth, or the soff,
and dusiguutu by names of “ field*”
“garden,” aud so on, is nothing more
than disintegrated or crumbled up mass
es of rock, mixed with the remains of
decayed plants and different kinds of
salts, brought up from the depth of the
earth by springs. The particles that en
ter into the growing vegetation in the
form of silicic acid, together with the
pebbles nnd grains of sand yearly strewn
over tho earth, are so numerous that no
eye cun look over them, nor number ap
proximately express them. But scieuoe j
lies concealed, and at tire last stations
on tho liver which bear these little '
grains down to the sea institutes an in
vestigation to number them as they take
leave of the light of day to bo plunged
into the dark depths of the ocean, there
to remain for thousands of years, till
they become rock again, aud are again
lifted up in the ethereal light of the air
on earth. All streams arc engaged in
carrying these little passengers. The
Rhine, the Elba and the kindred German
streams are cver3 f moment conveying
the emigrating earth. The Danube
rolls away with thorn to the Black sea.
The Vistula brings down the little,
journeying, emigrating grains from the
Carpathian mountains, together with
many of its companions from Russia,
and lauds them away down in the depths
of the Baltic sea. The quantity these
rivers dispatch down amounts to only a
cubic foot every second. But year af
ter year they have collected, till the
quantity laid down is so vast that it
would require millions of ships more
than are now in the world to carry them.
But the Nile in Egypt, the Mississippi
in America, and the Ganges in India
are driving a heavy business in con
veying these emigrants from the light
of day to the deep abysses of the ocean
The Nile carries nearly 200,000,000
cubic feet, the Mississippi 4,400,000,000,
and the Ganges 6,000,000,000. This
is a vast quantity —enough to cover the
city of Berlin over in one year, and
form a mountain, on the top of which
one would have to dig to reach the high
est church spires. And this has contin
ued not one year, not 100 years, but
many thousands of years, whose number
nn />no l-nmrt effort nfiTUl#"
is able to tell. But many will ask :
“ Will not this destroy the equilibrium
of the earth’s surface?” It seems that
this would certainly happen. But the
work goes on so slowly and insensibly,
and the life of man is so short on earth
—comparatively a night's lodging in a
hotel—that he would know nothing of
it if the mind of science did not step in
and let a few rays of light through the
openings to enlighten us on the subjoct.
Rising From Tin; Dead.
A’. Y. Herald
Reports of a startling occurrence hav
just come to light in Patterson, N. J.,
which are the topic of conversation ev
erywhere in that city. Ou Tuesday last
a daughter of Mr. J. B. Demarest, a
grocer, of No. .‘ls Willis street, died, it
was supposed from heart disease. On
Friday the father left the coffin by tho
side of w hich lie bad been kneeling and
passed to an adjoining room, where he
threw himself on an arm chair, aud
weeping hid his face in his hands. Sud
denly he heard the patter of a familiar
footfall, and looking up, saw to his great
surprise the door to the adjoining room
softly open and the child dressed in her
shroud, entering. She tottered across
the floor to where ho sat, and throwing
herself upon his knee twined her arms
about his neck. Then she nestled down
in his arms and fell slowly backward,
lie lifted her up, but the vital spark had
flown. The semblance of death had
been a trance. The little dead body
was interred on that day.
A good tale is told of Curran, who
was once engaged in a legal argument.
Behind stood his colleague, a man
whose person was remarkably tall and
slender, and who had intended to take
holy orders. The judge observed that
the case under discussion involved a
question of ecclesiastical law.
“ Then,” said Curran, “ I can refer
your lordship to a high authority be
hind me, who was once intended for
the church, though in my opinion fitter
for the steeple.”
A large gold brick was cast at Helena,
Montana, yesterday, from the product
of the Penobscot mint, and is valued at
over fifty thousand dollars. Tbe mine
is located about eighteen miles from Sil
ver City, Montana. The brick is the
product of one hundred and fifty tons
of ore, and cost of production four
thousand dollars.