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YOL. I.
Smiles and Tears.
you meant to wound me? Then forgive
0 friend, that when the blow fell, I
Turned my face from you to the wall
To smile, instead of die.
You meant to gladden me? Dear friend,
Whoso praise like jewels l have kept,
Forgive me, that for very joy
I bent my happy head and wept.
—The Century,
HER LITTLE SISTER.
“Lizzia has gone again,” said Mrs.
Crest. “Lizzie’s no sort of use to me
of late. I don’t know what’s come to
the child, but she does act to mo as if
she Was bewitched.”
Frances Crest set down the bluo-
riramed plate she was wiping with a
coarse homespun towel.
“Where is sho, mother?” said she.
“Out in the wools, I suppose.- It's
where she always goes.”
“Mother, you must remember that
L’zzie is young. Don’t be hard upon
her I” pleated Francos.
Mrs. Crest was Farmer Obid Crest’s
second wife, and Frances, the tall, pale
girl with the sombre brown eyes and
the oval, colorless face, was the good
woman’s stepdaughter, while pretty 18-
vcar-old Lizzie was her own and only
child.
“But for all that,’’ said Mrs. Crest,
“I put a great deal more dependence
on Frances than I do on L z'.ie. Fran¬
ces is all the same to me as my own
child. ’’
“Hard upon her!" she repeated
querulously. “What I’m afraid of is
that I’m too easy with her. She’s al-
ways had her own way in everything.
And she takes it dreadful hard that you
should be going to Albany and she left
at home. I never kuew such nonsense
in my life I”
A disturbed expression passed over
Frances's face.
“It’s natural she should feel so,
mother,” she urge 1, gently.
Frances Crest ha l diligently taught
School for three conscrut.vj seasons to
earn the money for this coveted winter
in Albany, during which she had prom¬
ised herself to take music lessons an l
aid to her knowledge of art and
literature.
For she was engaged to Stephen
E l-wortU, and she longed, with an ex¬
ceedingly great desire, to mace herself
worthy of his love.
‘T only country girl, 1 ’ she said
m a
to herself, “and ho lives in the city,
where he is meeting brilliant women
every day. And it would be dreadful,
if, after we were married, he should be
ashamed of me! ’
Mrs. Rigney, a distant couriu of the
Crests, had offered to give Frances a
home for the winter for what use she
emld render in household matters, and
the money she had saved was to be
spent in suitable drees, lessons and
other expenses.
And, best of all, she would see
Stephen Ellsworth every day. Sho
had looked forward to this for a long
time; nowit was very near, and her
heart was full of happiness.
She finished her household tasks aud
went quietly out to the nook in the
woods where she knew that she should
find Lizzie.
It was a sheltered glade, where a
twisted grape-vine overhung the brown
waters of a babbling brook arid tall
plume 3 of golden-rod noddled along
the narrow pith.
And hero, with her head loaning
listlessly against a tree-trunk, sat a
lovely girl of scarcely 18, with deep-
blue eyes, full, cherrv-red 1 pi, aud a
complexion like a balsam-flower. Oae
hand was immersed in the cool, run¬
ning water; the other held a crumpled
puckct-handkerchief, drenched with
tears.
“Lizzie!” exclaimed Frances, “you
have been crying!”
Tue blue eyes sparkled resentfully.
“Crying? Of course I’ve been cry-
ing!” retorted Lizzie Crest, “Who
wouldn’t cry, to be left alone in this
dismal hole all winier long, while you
are enj-ying yourself in the city? But
I won’t stay here. I’ll run away and
go on tho stage, or else drown myself
iu Packer’s pool.”
“Lzzie! Lizzie! thiuk what you are
saying!”
“I don’t care!” pou'ed Lizzie.
“What is life worth in a place like
this? ’
And she burst into a fresh flood of
tear -.
Frances sat down and took the gold-
en head tenderly into her lap.
AU her life long she bad been ac-
f customed to subordinate her will to
r that of this lovely, tempestuous sprite
What sign fled oue sacrifice more or
less?
“Don’t cry any more, L zzie!'’ she
| whispered. “I've made up my mind.
You shall go to Aunt Josie, instead of
me* _ 11
.
“I?”
“And I’ll wap another year,” added
[Fr nccs, swal owing a lumn iu her
‘oat. ‘ YoXl shall have the music
THE ENTERPRISE.
lessons and the ait lectures; you shall
seo what a winter in the city is like.”
Lizzie's eyes sparkled; her cheeks
were red. She flung her arms around
Frances’s neck with a sudden cry of
rapture.
• Oh, Frances, you don’t really mean
it?”
“Yes, I do,” bravely uttered Frances.
“But mother wou’t consent.”
“I will see to that.”
Ouce more L zzie showered soft,
want, kisses ou her sister’s cheek.
“Oh, you darling! you sweet guar-
diau angel! ’ she cried, “And I am a
selfish little beast to allow you to sacri¬
fice yourself in this outrageous fashion.
But if you knew how 1 have longed to
escape from this dreadful groove of
housework and sewing and buttcr-
making!”
“You shall escape, Lizzie,” said
Frances.
And no one ever knew the bitterness
of the tears she shed when L’zzio went
to Albany.
Mrs. Crest remonstrated stoutly, but
Frauces held to her own way, and L z
zie’s entreaties were not to ba with¬
stood.
‘■Frances don’t care,” pleadedshe;
“Frances always was a human icicle.
And I’m so much younger than sho is,
and—and ”
“And so much prettier,” quietly
spoke tho cider sister. “Yes, Lizzie,
dear, I know it. ”
Lizzie laughe 1 and tossed her golden
curls.
“At all events,” said she, “I think
i ous i lt to have a fair chance.”
Lizzie’s letters from Albany were full
of life aud sparkle. Sie was like a
bird i ct i 003e . Everything was couleur
de rose to her. The gay streets wore
a dream of delight; the opera was an
actual reality. Her new dresses fil.ed
her with delight; she was improving so,
fast in music and drawing, and she
could not imagine how sho had ever
lived all those dreary, dragging years
in the old farmhouse at him;.
“And, best of all, Siephea Ellsworth
had been so often to seo her, and taken
her out s oighing and to the picture
galleries and theatres, “all on dear old
Frances’s account, of course, ” she
added, with a spice of merry mischief.
She could not say enough in praise of
Stephen Eitsworth. He was so hand -
some, so stylish; the old Els worth
mansion on State street was so elegant;
ho sent her such exquisite cut flowers
and baskets of fruit!
And Frances, reading those letters at
home after her day’s work of school-
teaching was over, tried to rejoice in
her young sister’s happiness.
“M ither,” Bbc said one day, “1
should like to see the child in her new
dresses. I think I’ll go up to Albany
and surprise her. Lucy Lampson will
take the school for a week. Dear little
Lizze! how astonished she will be.”
“Wife,’’said Farmer Crest hoarsely,
when Frances had gone u i to bed, full
of her new plan, “I don’t know’s we
ought to let her go.”
4 ‘Why not, Obed?”
“I saw Dr. Jones’s son this morning.
He is just home from the Albany medi¬
cal college, and he says every one is
talking of our Lzzie’s engagement to
Cap’u Ellsworth.”
“(Joed Crest, you’re a-dreamin’l ’
“I wish I was, wife, I wish I was!
But it’s only wiiat we’d ought to have
expected. Lizzie is as pretty as a pie-
ter, and ai frothy as a bowl o’ soap¬
suds, and brimful o’ mischief into the
bargain ; au l Ells worth s only a mortal
man after all. Fiances ought to have
married him a year ago, when lie
wanted hor to do so, only she wouldn't
leave us until we’d paid the mortgage
on the farm, and got even with the
world.”
“Bit, Obed, what are wo to do? I
can’t tell her,” sobbed the old lady.
“Nor I, neither. There’s no help
for it, wife; she’s got to find it out
herso.f. ”
And he let his wrinkled forehead fall
into his hands with a groan.
Just then the door opened.
A tall, slight figure came in like a
gliding shadow.
“I’ve beard it all, father,” said
Frances, and you mustn’t blame either
S.ephen or Lizzie. It—it was only
natural. He has grown tired of wait-
ing for me. And Lizzie is very lovely.
I can’t blame any man for wanting to
mako her his wifo. I shall go to Al-
bany> aU the samej and tell them not
to m j n d me . You know,” with rather a
p orced sul iie, “people always said I was
cut out for an old wa d. And—and—
we three can be very happy here at
home all our lives long, em’t we?”
Aud here poor Frances broke down,
and cried bitterly.
• Don’t mind me,” said she. ‘I shall
bc quite used to it after awhile.”
It was a brilliant January afternoon
_the grourid covered with snow, the
sun shining wilh arctic splendor, and
all the streets musical with the j y( u
i-hirne ot sle -a wl “—-v i -n F -neei
Cr st arrived at Mrs. R gaoy s houu i.i
Aibauy-
GA., MONDAY, MARCH 24.1890.
“Why—Frances—Crest,” ejaculated
tho good lady, “is this you!”
“I came to surprise Lizzie, Aunt
Josie,” said the traveler, smiling
faintly.
“Well, it will bo a surprise," said
Mrs. Iltgney. “Go right up, dear.
She’s iu the parlor with-’’
“With Capt. Ellsworth?’’
“How on earth did you kuow?”
cried tho comfortable elderly lady.
“Has she written to you?"
“No, not a word,” Francos an¬
swered. “But I know it all, neverthe¬
less.”
She went on, aud knocked at tho
parlor door.
“Come in!” called Lizzie’s sweet so¬
prano voice; and, with a sudden quick¬
ening of tho licait, she obeyed.
Was that little Lizzie standing by the
fire, oue dainty, slippered foot on the
fender, her glenmiug silken gown held
by a slim, white hand, while her ex¬
quisite profilo was outlined agaiust the
ruby velvet of the lambrequin?
She looked more like a princess—a
fairy queen. In this atmosphere of
change and happiness she had fairly
blossomed out like a rose in mid-Juae.
And that tall figure in tho shadow
beyond-
“Frances! Dear, dear Frauces!”
Iu a second Lizzie was in her arms.
“You got my letter, love—the letter
I wrote to you yesterday—the letter
that told you all? ’
“I have received no letter, Lizzie.
I left home early this morning, but—
where is Capt. Ellsworth?’
‘ ‘Here—right before your eyes. Como
here, Clarence, and let me introduce
you to your new sister; for we are en¬
gaged, Frances, Clarence aud L That
is my mysterious secret.”
The tall figure advanced with a mili¬
tary sort of salute.
It was not Stephen at all, but a taller,
younger, less impressive-looking man.
Frances bow T ed in a bewildered way.
“Bui Stephen—where is Stephen?’
she asked.
“Gone down to WoodfieUl, Frances,
after you. Because he says ho means
there shall be a double wedding if
there’s to he a single one, and ho de-
c ares he won’t wait any longer for you
to make upyourmind. Audhowpuzzlcd
he will be, to be sure, when he finds
the bird has flown! Are you very'
much surprised, Frances? But you see,
Clarence is in the regular army—not a
mere militia captaiu like Stephen. He
is stationed in Florida, and he will spend
his leave of absence with his cousins
here in Albany; and so, of course, I
couldn’t help getting acquainted with
him, because Stephen came here every
day to talk about you, and Clarence
always came with h m. And—Yes,
Clarence; go away now and get the
flowers for the evening’s reception at
Miss Bird’s, for I've got so much to say
to my sister.”
She dismissed her handsome lover
with the nonchalance of a queen, and
then showered caresses anew on Frances.
“Isn’t ho splendid, darling?” she
cried. “Aud only think, I owe it all
ti you; for if it hadn’t been for you
sending mo here, I never shoud have
met him nt all. And we’ 11 telegraph
to Siephen at once, and you will con¬
sent to be married at the same time
with me—won’t you, dear?”
“Yes, ” said Frances, her eyes brim¬
ming over with blissful tears, “I
will 1”
No Bank Thieves in Wall Street.
Inspector Byrnes, in his “Professional
Criminals of America,” gives a list of
one hundred banks which thieves either
rifled or attempted to rob between No¬
vember, 1862, -and February, 1885.
Ten of these were in the city of New
Y rk.
Owing to the thoroughly efficient de¬
tective system established in Wall street,
the depred itious of the bank saeaks
have been summirdy ended in that lo¬
cality. These during villains are “all
men of education, pleasing address,
good personal appearance, and are fault¬
less in their attire.” Gold, quick, res¬
olute, and acting in concert, ono may
be on the lookout, a second engaged in
interesting conversation with a bank
officer or officers, and a third stealthily
creeping behind the counter and captur¬
ing the cash or a buudie of bonds. Or
the Iasi may obtain access to tho vault,
from which he purloins whatever ho
may deftly conceal and carry off, while
his confederates monopolize the atreu-
tion of the clerks. Oae of the most
daring bank snatchers in the city ef-
fected two robberies in the course of a
jingle day. Entering one bank he
leaped to the top of a partition seven
feet high, leaned over, snatched two
packages of bills containing $1000
each, aud escaped. A little *u-er he
climbed on the counter of
baulr, captured reveral thousand dol-
lars, aud again escaped. S.milai sue-
ccss attended the bold miscreant in bis
ub-rq ent at'emnt to e«cipe from the
Court of O -norai So^sio is. Ho is now
.u jail. —Harper a Mag ii.ae.
THE GREAT AMAZON.
Its Watershed Embraces Mill¬
ions of Square Miles.
The Commerce, Forests and
Cities on Its Banks.
The Amazon is 100 mile* wide at its
mouth. Para, tho northernmost city
of Brazil, lies at the gateway of tho
most wonderful river system of the
world. It is the commercial depot aud
distributing point for 40,000 miles of
navigable water. Tho Amazon water¬
shed embraces twenty-five degrees of
latitude and thirty-five degrees of longi¬
tude. Its western sources are in tho
Andes of Peru and Ecuador, only a
few loaguos from tho Pacific. Its
northern tributaries traverse the borders
of Guinea and Colombia, while midway
the head-waters of the Negro mingle
with those of tho Orinoco in tho western
spurs of the Sierra do Pacaraima.
Between most of its leading tributa¬
ries are broad stretches of impenetrable
forests which have never been explored
by white men. It is the Amazon alono
that renders any form of government
possible in the heart of South America.
Within tho rango of tho 40,000 miles
of navigable water settlements have
been empowered to conduct local ad¬
ministration. Para, lying at the south¬
ernmost outlet of the Amazon, less than
100 miles from the sea, is tho metropo¬
lis of this wonderful valley. It is a
city with perhaps 50,000 inhabitants,
and with as much commercial enterprise
as is possible under the equator.
The commerce of the Amazon is nom-
inally carried on under tho Brazilian
flag. Foreigners are not allowed by
law to own steamers or sailing vessels
employed in inland navigation; and
hence it is necessary for the English
capitalists who control the carrying
trade ot the rivor to assign their inter¬
ests to Brazilians. Tliero ape £orty
steamers owned by an English line,
which receives a large mail subsidy
from tho BrazIlian Government for ply¬
ing between various ports and villages
on the main tributaries; and in return
for thi s financial support it is well sat¬
isfied to fly the national fhg. Another
company has eight steamers, under
similar conditions; and there are as
many as a dozen more on the river and
its tributaries which sail under the Bra-
zilian flag. These sixty steamers are
gradually opening the Amazon valley
to commerce. Only the smaller vessels
aro now running beyond Manaos at tho
junction of the Negro, but next year
the largest English vessels will mako
regular trips to Yquitor, 3750 milei
from the coast.
Some of tho tributaries are only navi¬
gable for long distances at high water
during certain months of the year, but
the lower villages on their bauks are
visited by steamer as often as once or
twico a month. This river trado i) al¬
most completely in the hands of the
Portuguese merchants and the mercan¬
tile houses represented at Para. Manaosi
with a population of 15,000, is the
most flourishing town of Para.
Tho other settlements, with Jew ex¬
ceptions, are straggling villages inhabit¬
ed mainly by colored people, Indians
and half-breeds.
The forests of the Amazon, consist-
ing mainly of hard wood, are not
available for commercial requirements.
The finest of rosewood aud mahogany
are used there for firewood. Even if
there were a demand for the hardwood
lumber nt Para, it could not be logged
and brought to market on a largo scale,
owing to the density of the woods aud
the lack of roads and clearings.
The one tree which is a source of
wealth in those immense forests is tho
rubber tree. It is found everywhere,
from the low-lying delta opposite Para
to the Tapojos, the Madeira, and the
Negro, and piobably thousands of miles
bevon i those great tributaries. In tho
interior roads are impracticable, and
the rubber trees that are milked lio
along the rivers, where the farms can
be approached. The milk can only be
drawn at certain levels of the liver, for
the trunks of the trees are often fifteen
or twenty feot under water after the
rainy seasons.
When the conditions are favorable
the bark of the trees is tapped and the
mllk drawn off ia cups tp bc compacted
and rolled together layer by layer like
a snowball. It is then cooked or
8moked ovor a firo mads o{ st ieks-a
process that involves contraction in
cooling and imparts elasticity to the
gu b 3 taiKe—and then it is ready for
shipmont to Para aad New York. The
opera ij oa 0 f such farms and tho open-
j Q g 0 f lJ( . w veins of trees iu tile track-
j esg gwatnp3 aad forests require the
emp i 07nl ent of native labor under the
most inclement conditions of equatorial
heat and rains. If there bc any quarter
of the world where natir- -e m* t*-
ci mmand inaction and i 1 l i.e’ice, it i
in ihe.evost #trevC-os of .he Amuzjn.aa
forest. Nowhere clso can existence bo
suslalno l with so small an expenditure
of effort.
On an aero of cleared land beans can
be raised in sufficient quantity to koop
soul and body together with tho ad¬
ventitious uids of nuts and fruit from
tho woods. A torpid, somnolcht exist¬
ence so cam to bo the imperious require¬
ment of the climate. Tho, Indiuis,
lui.f-brceds and colored population iu
tho villagoi can hvo, if they choose to
do so, with what may bo described as
tho minimum of human labor involved
in obtaining a livelihood. Tucy in-
tin ctively resist all appeals to ambition
and self-interest. The efforts of rubbei
fnrmcrs and agonts to induco them tc
share in the dangers and labor involved
in exploring the forest and striking now
veins of rubber frees aro ordinarily fu¬
tile; and tho employment, of even the
poorest classes of labor is carried ou
under almost insuperable difficulties. —<
1\i:u> Fork Tribune.
She flltl not Relish Her Grapes.
Many years ago there returned from a
tour abroad a young lady of Boston
society, who, by dint of a courso of
study in a Parisian boarding-school of
high degree, and of more or less resid¬
ence among the British aristocracy, fo
say nothing of a grounding in good
Bostonian cultivation before she was
taken abroad, had become a thoroughly
polished ani accomplished young per¬
son. This young lady, who afterward
became distinguished in Boston society,
related an odd story of an experience
at the Russiau court whiio her father
was visiting 81. Petersburg. She had
had the most remarkable attentions
showered upon her at the Russian
capital. She was modest enough to
attribute these honors to the fact that
sho was from the country remotest
from Russia, and that Americans were
at that timo quite a curiosity at the
court of tho Czar. But her friends,
quite rejecting this explanation, credited
the preference that was accorded her to
her beauty, vivacity and accomplish¬
ments. Whatever it may have been
duo to, it is certain that at a state
dm,ner given by one of the imperial
grand dukes, the American young lady
was jumped quite over the lioads
of all the noble dowagers and miscella¬
neous duchesses and countosses of tho
court, an 1 given a seat of honor at tho
grand duke’s loft hand. As she sat ut
dinner, the devoured of all devourers,
and ns the end of tho feast was near, a
plate of grapes was brought. -They
did not apppar to be anything remarka¬
ble, but tho American girl, to whom
grapes were certainly no novelty, did
them the honor of helping herself to a
good big bunch. Then the plate wont
to the grand duko, who helped him¬
self to—four grapes! And then tho
fruit was passed on to a princess of
high degree, who took three grapes.
One or two others helped themselves
to two, and the mass of the company
at the table had to be content with ono
grape apiece 1
Of course the American girl had real¬
ized by this time that grapes were a pro¬
digious rarity in St. Petersburg, and
wore produced at such a fabulous cost
that even royalty contented itself with
two or three. But in spite of the cost,
she declare! that she had never eaten a
bunch of grapes which sho enjoyed less
than she did this one.
St. Louis’ Iron Pyramid.
Here is a desorption of tue wonder¬
ful structure that St. Louis proposes to
build as the chiet attraction in case
that city secures the World’s Fair:
It is to be a skeleton pyramid con¬
structed of iron ribs or lattice work,
coveriog 10 or 12 acres at tho base,
with floors of iron lattice work at every
hundred feot, containing gardens,
cafes, restaurants, conversation rooms,
etc., tho height of tho pyramid to be
anywhere from 500 to 1000 feet, sur¬
mounted by a statue of liberty, also
vroven in iron work, 100 feet high. Oo
the sloping sides of the structure are
pedestrian walks, tramways and othei
modes of ascent, and iu the centre nu¬
merous elevators. Innumerable orna¬
mental features are suggested iu the
wgy of electric lighting, cascades,
fountains, etc. On the vast floors, of
which there are to be 10 or 12, spaces
are reserved for exhibits and for assem¬
bly purposes. Fireworks at a great
height are to ba among the nightly at¬
tractions.
The structure is to be painted silver
white, and will be of immense strength
and quite indestructible, aud a perma¬
nent feature and municipal attraction,
and can bo seen many miles from the
city. Its illumination at night with
electric and colored lights is provided
for on an immense scale.
A Strong Combine.
Eirl—I see the typewriters are form¬
ing unions all over the country.
Wilson—Ind ed; I hadn’t heard it.
Trade u non 1
Ear.—No; jnatr.mania'.— Pue’c.
CHILDREN'S COLUMN.
A MORAI. HISTORY.
Blowzer and Towzer were two little geese,
That is to say they were dogs, as you see;
But though one was the aunt aud the other
her niece,
Somehow or other they couldn't agree!
Couldn't agree; for though each loved tho
other,
No matter what came up, from tidbits to
rats,
If one took up one side, then one took an¬
other,
And there was a fight like the Kilkenny
eats.
Towzer and Blowzer 1 'Twos stranger be¬
en use
These doggies were lovely in every way;
Were clean as two pins as to faces and paws,
And brushed tlieir brown coats twenty
times iu the day;
Played with the other dogs gaily and sweet-
iy.
Wagged their small tails when tho neigh¬
bors came by,
Won every heart in the village completely,
And never were known to tell one little lie.
But if you gave one a bite or a bone,
My! what a rumpus the other w'ould
make!
If you should pat one small body alone,
The other would whine till your poor
ears would ache;
Then when you turned away for a minute,
They’d snarl and fight, as of reason be¬
reft,
And lose all the good that the morsel had
in it—
So Towzer and Blowzer were both of them
left!
Wasn’t I right then in calling them geese?
If they were loving, how well they could
fare;
Sharing their goodies they’d each have a
piece,
And often and often a little lo spare.
Dear, did you ever know two little brothers
Who might have such perfectly elegant
times.
But who* squabble—sometimes—and just
worry tlieir mothers,
Like the two little doggies I sing in my
rhymes? Wide-Awake.
—
wise oi.n CAT.
There were three eats iu a William
street family in Norwich, Conn., and
as the lady of the house concluded that
one was sufficient, an edict of death
was passed on the old cat and her kit-
leu. The question of the manner of
death was settled and chloroform pur¬
chased.
Some days passed before tho cxocu-
tioner could muster courage to execute
the sentence aud finally tho lady put
some laudanum into the cat’s milk,
thinking to produce a stupor that would
mako the chloroform more easy.
The old cat tasted tho milk, cast hor
eyes suspiciously about hor, and refused
to eat. 'The kitten rushed to tho dish,
but was violently knocked away by the
old eat, who took a corner of a mat and
covered over the dish to hide it from
tho kitten aud prevent her from taking
tho “medicine.”
The lady could not bolieve it possi¬
ble that the act was intentional, and
uncovered tho dish. The cat again
knocked tho kitten from it and covered
it more carefully than before. The rep¬
etition of the protective act was too
much for the lady, and tho cat and her
two kittens were allowed to livo.
ELEPHANT WISDOM.
A writer in Murray's Magazine
eulogizes the intelligence and amiability
of the elephant, which, ho says, has a
heart, though tho way to that organ
may be through the stomach, and its
affection dependent on offerings of
oranges, pine-apple rinds, and other
refuse of fruit.
An elephant employed iu Ceylon in
building a large stone dam to close
up a river, and thus form a lake, was
one of the sights of tho place.
He firs! of all drew from the quarry
the huge stone that was to he used; ho
then undid the chain by which he had
drawn it. lie next proceeded to roll it
with Iris forehead along tho narrow
stone wall, or embankment, until lie
had fitted it exactly into its place. On
tho ono side of this wall was a precipice,
on tho other a deep lake. As the stone
was pushed by his forehead it would at
one time incline to tho lake, at another
over the precipice, but lie immediately
made it straight again with his foot,
lie was doing tho work of ten men,
and with tho accuracy of a skilled
mason.
Ono day when he was at work a by¬
stander asked if ho would take up a
largo sledge-hammer lying on the
ground and break an enormous rock
close to it. The officer in charge of
the work said this was asking too much,
but tho mahout who heard the conver¬
sation, replied gravely:
“Boipbera can and will do every
thing he is asked.” Ho then said some¬
thing to the elephant, who took up the
iledge as if it were a feather aud
knocked the stone to pieces.
“Now, tukeyour pipe and smoke it,”
said the mahout, upon which the ani¬
mal stuck the sledge in iris mouth and
walked eff with it.
In love, feel that you owo so much
that you cannot pav all at once; be
always paying, us you aro ala a »
gwmg.
NO. 12.
Mamma’s Good-NIglit,
Mamma loosens the baby’s frock,
And takes off each little shoe and sock
She softly brushes the golden hair,
And pats the shoulders, dimpled and barat
She puts on the night-gown, white and
long,
Humming the while an evening son
“Daytime is over;
Playtime is closing;
liven the clover
Is nodding and dozing.
Baby’s bed shall be soft and while,
Dear little boy, good-night! good-night!”
Mamma kisses the littlo pink feet,
Amt the tiny hands so dimpled and sweet,
The rosy cheeks and the forehead white,
And the lips that prattle lrom nioru till
night;
With a last fond kiss for the golden crown
Gently and softly she lays him down,
And in the hush that the twilight brings
She stands by her darling's bed and sings:
“Over the billow
Soft winds are sighing;
Round baby's pillow
Bright dreams are flying.
Here comes a pretty one, sure to alighl!
Dear little boy, good-night! good-night!”
—JjWom 0. Bwnttead.
HUMOROUS.
When a man is un lor a cloud the *il-
vor lining i3 generally on the other
side.
“I have obtained all the infoi mat ion
I desire on that point," remarked the
man who sat down on a pin.
“Butter," says a learned writer,
“was unknown to tho ancients.” Then
some of it cannot be as old as it seems.
Ill times like tlieso the doctor skilled
His hopes of curing offers.
His pockets are with money filled
Drawn from the public coughers.
•
Thompson (proudly)—Ribmson, you
see that guu? My wife killod a bear
with that once. Robinson—Ah, in¬
deed! What was she shooting nt?
Minnie—Lrt’s soo, dear, what i*
that sentence about spoiling the Egypt¬
ians? Mamie—I don’t know. I’m
sure, though, that it has no reference
to the mummies.
“I thought you were going to marry
Miss Goklthwaitc.” “Her family were
all opposed lo it.” “Well, hut if the
girl herself—” “I said all tho family.
She was ono of ’em.”
Old Gentleman (giving tramp a cent)
—And now, my man, what will you do
with this money? Purchase bread!
Tramp (sarcastically)—Nawl I’m goin’
ter drink myself to death with it!
A facetious Brstonian, who has occa¬
sion to send postal cards to a certain
small city where there is a postmistress,
writes this legend on the top of the
card: “Fleam forward after perusal.”
Edison’g Active Brain.
After tho death of Gonora! Grant,
Oito von Bismarck wai supposed to be
the greatest smoker among famous men, 1
but Inventor Edison has put tho great
Prussian into tho second rank. Tho
inventor smokes almost all tho time and
never any except tho strongest cigars.
Making bolievo that he is ten times
more doaf than ho is, and smoking 15
or 20 jet black “long nines" a day, aro
his amusements. *But there is less of
both fun and pretense about E lison,’
than tliero is about any great man of
tho day. He literally works all tho
time that he is awake. For him to seo
any mechanical duvieonHad or give an¬
noyance is enough to set his brain at
work devising an improvement upon it;
it makes no diffirenco whether it is a
patent match that doesn’t always light,
or a toboggan that lies idle waiting for
snow and ire. Coming over from Eu¬
rope last fall ho noticed that there was
a great deal of guess-work and inac¬
curacy about “taking tho sun” in
cloudy weather. Before he left the
ship he invented a means to take tho
sun, though it should ho obscurol by
tho densest fog imaginable. — Chatter.
An Angry Tree.
There is a spocios of acacia which is
commonly culled the angry (roc. It
reaches tho height of eighty feet
after a rapid growth and somewhat re¬
sembles the century plaut. Ouo of
these curious plants was brought from
Australia and sot out at Virginia, Nev.,
where it hat been seen by many porsons.
When the sun sets the leaves fold up
and the tender twigs coil tightly, like a
little pig’s tail. If tho shoots are han¬
dled tho leavci rustle and move un¬
easily for a time. If this queer plant
is removed from one plot to another, it
seems angry, and the leaves stand out
in all directions liko quills on a potcu«
pine. A most pungent aud sickening
odor, said lo resemble that given off by
rattlesnakes when annoyed, filh the air,
aud it is only after an hour or so that
the leaves fold iu tho natural way.
» The True Ring.
Mother—Geraldmc, was that letter
vou received this morning from Mr.
Yon Riche?
“Yes, roa.”
“Well, did its wording have the true
ring?”
•Yes, rn-—a tp’endid engagement
l ling." — JSurr.etoxH JJeratJ.