Newspaper Page Text
VOL. II.
Today.
Be swift to love your own, dears.
Your own Who need you so;
flay to the speeding hour, dears,
"1 will not let thee go
Except thou give a blessing
Force it to bide and stay,
Love has no sute tomotroW,
It only has today.
Oil, hasten to be kind, dears,
before the time shall come
When you are left behind, dears,
in an all-alone home;
before in late contritioii /
Vainly you weep and pray.
Love has no sure tomorrow,
It only has today.
Swifter than sun and shade, dears,
Move the fleet wings of pain;
The chance we have today, dears,
May never come again.
Joy is a fickle rover,
He brooketb not delay.
Love iias no sure tomorrow,
It only has today.
Too late to plead or grieve, dears.
Too ia:e to kiss or sigb,
When death has laid his seal, dears.
On the cold lip and eye,
Too late our gifts to lavish
Upon the burial clay;
Love has no sure tomorrow,
It only has today.
— [CongrcgationalLt.
THE FIRST-BORN.
BY DAVID G. riHLUrS.
Preston found his wife in a low arm¬
less rocking-chair before the grate fire
of her bed-room. Their baby hoy,
whose first weak rail against the mis¬
eries of -existence had been hoard but
two months before, lay flat upon lii 3
back in iter lap. He was swathed in
a long woolen night-gown, which
btilged restlessly under the impatience
of his legs.
The mother was pinching his cheeks
and smothering him with kisses.
This caused him to give vent to bub¬
bling gasps of delight and to wave his
clinched fists convulsively. When she
saw her husband she lifted the baby,
supporting his body with one hand,
and his uncertain back witli Dio other.
His big head, fallen forward, rolled
from side to side, while his bright
eyes stared at his father fixedly, and
without the smallest glcatn of intelli¬
gence. Preston smiled constrainedly,
and put one forefinger under the
chin.
As the child showed that he disap¬
proved of the change of position, his
mother put him in her lap again, and
began the interrupted play, Preston
looked down upon it with an irritated
expression. When the nurse came in
with a small tub partly filled with
warm water, lie looked about awk¬
wardly, as though he were out of
place. Then he sat down in a deep
leather chair by the window. As he
watched the two women and tiie baby,
a feeling of isolation and sadness grew
upon him.
When the nurse had put the bath on
the rug near tho fire, she pushed to
the mother’s side a small table spread
with the articles of a baby’s toilet.
While the child was battling, the
mother kept up a steady flow of talk,
at times addressed to the father, al¬
ways intended for the son.
She took off tho long woolen gown.
Then sho lifted Die child and laid him
gently ill the hath. At first touch of
the water he clutched wildly and
twisted his face into a crimson tangle.
But tho warmth and the safety guaran¬
teed by the voice and fingers of the
mother reassured him. lie was soon
splashing and kicking as widely as the
narrowness of his hatli allowed.
His faco reddened and puckered as
he was lifted to the blanket on his
mother’s lap, but the softness of the
fleecy towel consoled him. At last she
Was done, and he lay straight and
glowing. His eyes closed languidly.
The talk of the mother ceased. There
was silence in tho room, except her
monotonoui and soothing “Sli-h-li!
sh-h-li! ’ as she rocked to and fro.
The husband’s eyes turned away im¬
patiently as lie saw Die look in her
face. She was admiring, with a look
of perfect love, tiie beauty of the
smooth round form in her lap. The
skin of the child was soft and delicate.
•Waves of color, first pure white, then
rosy pink, passed across it from head
to feet.
They put a fow clothes upon him so
quietly that lie only smiled, and did
not awaken. Tiie nurse ioft the room,
and there was no movement or sound
but the occasional slow rock, with the
faint “Sh-h-li!" which accompanied
it. The mother looked steadfastly at
her child- The husband watched her
sadly.
They had married two years before.
As both were strong-willed and posi¬
tive, there had been much clashing in
the first twelvemonth of their life to¬
gether. Each was finding out the
roal character of the other, so different
in many ways from the character
each had admired before marriage.
But in this undeceiving there had been
no serious disillusion, and their love
THE ENTERPRISE.
had grown stronger. Through thta
love happiness had gradually contc.
Just as they woro entering upon
this unexpected happiness, which
comes in married life if any at all, just
then the baby was born, l’rcston bad
looked forward to the event with un¬
easiness and dissatisfaction. It bad
seemed to hint that a third person
Would be an interloper. And his
feeling was shared by Ills Wife,
But with the birth of the child came
the birth of the maternal instinct,
Preston found himself alone ill his
dissatisfaction, lie realized this when
he saw his wife afterward. At first
lie was awed by (lie change in her
face, by the mysterious being whoso
heart nestled to her shoulder, by tho
wonder of birth and maternity. Then,
as the meaning of it for him came to
his mind, tho instant thought was
Hint she was more lost to him than if
the wero dead.
A few days before her eyes bad in
them Die sparkle and the frequent flash
of passionate love for him. Now
those same eyes were turned to hint
with tenderness, but With a changed
tenderness that pained him keeuly.
She was still young. She.was stilt
beautiful. But in those few days the
quality of the youth and the beauty
had been transformed. Ilcr face now
shone with the calmness and serenity
of a mother. And the sad conviction
came to the husband that the cljango.
was Anal.
On this morning, two months after¬
ward, as she sat in tho low chair, in
health and strength again, he studied
Die change more carefully. lie had
been trying to deceive himself during
these two months. lie felt that lie
could deceive himself no longer.
lie cared for her as before; more,
perhaps, since he grasped so clearly
the change in her. But she, sitting
there with her child, cared for him in
a new way. The child was first, the
central figure, in her life henceforth.
She loved the father through the child.
In the days of their courtship he had
fancied that (lie passing of years
would not touch Diem. When her
hair would be gray and his hair would
be scant they would cling together
still, excluding everything and every¬
one else. Now all this was thwarted,
brought to naught in the very dawn
of their real happiness. The girl wife
was gone, with no hope of return.
This small form had pushed in be¬
tween. These clinched hands, so un¬
skilful, so helpless, had yet battered
them apart. They must come, each to
the other anew, and through the
child.
He seemed to himself to be passed
away. He felt as though lie were in
another world, looking across a wide
gulf to the far place where Die child
Jay in the mother’s lap. And lie
thoinrht, with utter lack of hope, that
he was straining his arms and his
heart in vain.
This instinct love which showed in
her eyes as she looked at the scarcely
featured face filled him with bitterness.
“And as time passes,” he thought,
“this will not grow less, hut greater.
She may conceal it when she finds that
it stabs me. But her real heart will
he barred against me. Siie will care
for me, hut she will plan and scheme
and try to control me for his sake—
for tlieir sake, if there are more.”
Then lie thought of his own father
and mother, How intensely his
mother had loved him! How often she
had shielded him from his father! And
he wondered how his father had felt
at first. He certainly cared for me,
and lie and my mother lived happily,
contentedly, loving their children be¬
fore themselves.”
And he saw that ho too would no
doubt grow to care for this little one
in some such way as his wife now
cared. “And t shall he content,” he
said to himself, “as my father was
content, and I shall forgot the happi¬
ness that might have been in the
pleasure and pride that are. But 1
shall he a loser. For I have lost her
exclusive love. I shall have only the
second place in her heart, and in the
heart of her child. For lie will love
her first, lie will ho first hers; mine
through her only.”
While Die husband was searching in
vain for consolation, the wife also was
thinking of the change in their rela¬
tions. She realized as fully as he that
there had been a change, a transfer of
love. And in a certain way she felt
sorry for him. Bat she had no regret
for the happiness they both thought
they should regret as they talked it
over beforehand.
Indeed she was wondering liow she
could have been so blind then. For
tliis new love was so sweet to her, so
self-absorbing and self-denying! How
strange, how wonderful, how satisfy¬
ing was tho new love—the love for
this small being which was hers
through the miracle of birth, through
suffering to he remembered only with
gladness!
CARNESVILLE, GA., FRIDAY, JULY 24.1891.
She realized the isolation of her
husband, yot aho could not long think
of it. She wns so absorbed with her
son. “My son!” sho thought, and
she bent to kiss him softly, while tho
joy of maternal possession went
through her like a strong wine. Her
thoughts leaped along tho years, pic¬
turing him as lie would ho when ho
could walk and talk, when lie should
he a schoolboy, a youth, a great man,
of whom she was so proud,who lovod
her ?o.
The look that camo Into her faco
Willi llicse thoughts cut her husband
to tho quick. lie aroso and stood
looking bitterly out of tho window.
“She is no longer a wife. Sho is a
mother!” lie said.—[Harper’s Weekly.
The l'itcairn Islanders.
Of course, everyone has heard of tiie
remarkable colony on Pitcairn island,
the littlo rock in tho Pacific Ocean,
less than throe square miles in extent,
where the mutineers of tho Bounty
took reftigo in 1789 with tho women
they had stolen from the island of
Tahiti. There many of their descen -
ants livo today, one of the happiest
and most contented communities in
the world. Pitcairn island became too
small to hold this prolific people, and
in 1856 the entire population was re¬
moved to Norfolk island, far west of
their native home. A part of them,
however, yearned for Pitcairn and re¬
turned to tho little rock that gave them
birth. There are, therefore, now two
settlements of the descendants of the
mutineers, one on Norfolk island and
one on Pitcairn.
A more wonderful story was never
told than that of these sunny-hearted
people who, having their origin in
crime and bloodshed, have been shield¬
ed from nearly all the temptations that
beset Die world, and are now a pros¬
perous Christian people, simple mind¬
ed, pure and upright. No such thing
as a jail has ever existed at Pitcairn
island. The world seldom hears from
tliis handful of peoplo, living ill the
far southern Pacific Ocean, hut it is
always glad to learn tidings of their
welfare, and when news does come it
rarely fails to report the continued
prosperity of this remarkable settle¬
ment. A while ago the Pitcairn Isl¬
anders celebrated the hundredth anni¬
versary of the landing of their fathers
on Pitcairn rock. Dearly as they lovo
their little home, it is probable that
some of them will he compelled to
emigrate before many years, because
its population is again becoming
crowded.—[Goldthwaite’s Magazine.
Sand Tornadoes.
A German physician who has passed
several winters in southern Italy
claims to have discovered the cause of
the sick headaches and respiratory
troubles so often experienced during
the prevalence of a protracted sirocco.
Having noticed that those symptoms
arc observed even without a percepti¬
ble increase of temperature, he con¬
structed an apparatus enabling him to
demonstrate that the atmosphere of
southerly gales is impregnated with
countless particles of lino sand. On
the limitless plains of the Sahara those
gales often acquire tho force of a hur¬
ricane, and whirl up sand-clouds
lo a height of several miles; from
there tho upper air-currents carry
them across tho Mediterranean, and
even across the eastern Alps, since in
(lie valley of the Danube southwest
storms are often accompanied by a
curious haze, hanging for days about
the hill-tops like the Bmoko of a forest-
lire.— [Bclford.
The Kakapo.
The kakapo, or owl-parrot of west¬
ern New Zealand, is almost as great
an anomaly as (lie ornitliorliynchas.
It has the plumage of a parrot and the
head of a hawk; has wings furnished
with all the feathers found in the pin¬
ions of a falcon, hut is unable to fly
over a four-foot wall. It is semi¬
nocturnal in its habits, and at sight of
a dog will rush away like a frightened
chicken, hut never even attempt to
take wing. Its strange disability has
been ascribed to tho circumstance that
New Zealand is free from large carniv¬
orous animals, and that a bird finding
abundance of food in the underbrush,
can dispense with the accomplishment
of flight.— [Belford.
The Sargent Locomotive.
The run from Baltimore to Phila¬
of the absurdly named Royal
Line express is made behind
what is said to be the largest engine
tliis country. It weighs 187,000
and runs on four driving
wheels, 6 feet 6 inches in diameter.
without a particle of bright
about it, the engine is a grand hit
mechanism, and one easily can im¬
the engineer having a feeling of
for Die huge machine that is
responsive to his touch.—[New
York Sun.
MERINO SHEEP.
History of Their Introduction in
the United States.
American Merinos Far Ahead
of the Original Stock.
American Merino sheep history is
one of strange vicissitude—of wild
and unreasonable inflation and still
more unreasonable depression. The
first importation ot which there is any
authentic record was (hut of a lino
Merino sheep sent as a present to a
Mr. Foster of Boston. So far from
comprehending tho value of (lie gift he
had Dio animal slaughtered and ate
the mutton. He pronounced it “deli¬
cious”; it certainly was costly, for lie
soon after paid a thousand dollars for
another slice;) of tho same kind. Tito
incidents attending the advent of Die
breed to those shores are typical of its
carcor ever since. During tho first
decade of tho present century thou¬
sands of lino Merinos were brought
from Spain, and sold at
prices ranging from three
hundred to one thousand dollars each.
Then camo the non-intercourso acts,
tho embargo, and the war of 1812-14
between the United Stales and Eng¬
land which gave an enormous sliinu-
lus to the woolen industry. Fine wool
was sold as high as three dollars per
pound and tho sheep brought corres¬
ponding prices. Five years after the
end of tho war tlioso sheep or their
immediate descendants wero a drug
in tho market at a dollar each. With
the American ports reopened to com¬
merce, a flood of foreign textilo fab¬
rics was poured into tho country over¬
whelming the American manufactures
of woolen goods. The woolen mills
wero closed, tho operatives thrown
out of employment were driven to
farm work,increasing to a still greater
extent the surplus of farm products
for which there was no sale. Wool,
except for the limited amounts used in
household industries, was without a
market, and sheep had only a nominal
value. Flocks which hud been the
wealth and pride of their owners
were slaughtered off. Nor have the
bitter experiences of those two de¬
cades been wholly without parallel in
later times. The last forty years have
witnessed fluctuations in sheep hus¬
bandry, which if not as violent were
as needless and as preventable as those.
Meantime the Merino sheep, beset
by wild animals, worried by dogs,and
tossed in tho whirlwinds of political
contests, has kept on adding millions
of dollars to the national wealth, fur¬
nishing employment to thousands of
busy hands supplying both food and
clothing-. The breed has not only
suiyived all vicissitudes without de¬
preciation, but lias improved to such
an extent that tho American Merino
of today is as far ahead of Die origi¬
nal stock as a Rhode Island Greening
or Northern Spy is ahead of a wild
crab-apple. This is wholly due to the
enterprise, intelligence and “pluck”
of American breeders and flockinas.
ters. Holding on to their flocks
through evil and good report—often
at serious pecuniary loss—they have
strictly maintained tho purity of the
breed, and advanced it in excellence,
until the American Merino is beyond
question tire host fine-woolod sheep
in the world. A perfect, typi¬
cal sheep is level, broad-hacked, with
a well-developed, symmetrical body,
standing on good strong legs, the
whole covered with a true Merino
fleece, a year’s growth of which
should weigh, unwashed, as high as
even twenty-live pounds from ewe and
forly from a rain. A well-bred
American Merino is a hold, upstand¬
ing animal. He has a stately grace,
inherited from a long lino of ances¬
tors which would seem to have caught
something of it from the high-born
Spanish dames who held exclusive
possession of the breed for so many
centuries. The American Merino im¬
proves every ether finc-wooled sheep
with which it is crossed. In Australia
they aro eagerly sought because they
add density to the open hut otherwise
admirable fleeces of tho counDess
flocks which graze there.— [American
Agriculturist.
Dreams vs. Nightmares.
She—Oh, by the way, Mr. Softhed )
I dreamed of you last night.
lie (complimented)—How good of
you! (fishing for more) what could
have made you dream of me?
She—Oil, it was that lobster salad,
I’m sure; it never does agree with me
at night.
She Said Yes.
Ned—Well, Miss Ncvarre said yes
to me at last.
Ted (surprised)—No!
Ned—Yes; sho took vauida.—[The
Continent ________
Desert Flowers.
Yes, there aro dosort flowers, small
andswoot! On open patches nigh to
the salty springs is a delicato blue
flower liko tho poetical forget-me-not.
It is fully ns blue, hut smaller, blos¬
soming on a little plant covered with
a white down. Its tap root is Iwico
as long as that which appears above
tho surface. The flowers fado very
rapidly. Tho sun lias hut to touch
thorn with her rays and they wilt be¬
fore her power. Closo to this little
wild forgot-mc-not is a littlo while
flower growing on a stalk some six
inches in height, with a tap root twice
as long. It is very fragile and looks
as though bred in a hothouse. As you
it
But tiie pride of tho Colorado desert
is the mosquito. Its beans afford the
Indians food, and tho wild bees make
honey from its long pondent yellow
blossoms. But a few weeks ago Dio
tnesquito tree was hare of leaf and its
sharp thorns gave Die naked boughs a
most unlovely appearance. First the
tender buds put out their gentle green-
cry and gradually hid tho thorns.
Then suddenly tho leaves hurst out,
and tho old treo sent out long shoots,
which attain the length of a man’s
arm in a day or so, ami aro devoid of
thorns.
And underneath Die friendly shado
of tho giant tree with its far-stretch-
ing, umbrageous brandies Dio grass
grows rankly by tho sheltered pool
and keeps the waters cool, while er.
rant birds wend straight their flight
toward its leafy bowers, and even un¬
grateful man rcsposcs in the pleasing
shado and thinks that the desert is not
completely forgotten by tho Creator.
— [San Francisco Chronicle.
The First Martyr of the Revolution.'
All of the sctiooi histories and
popular text-hooks give us to under¬
stand that on April 19, 1775. at Lex¬
ington, Mass., the first blood of the
American war of independence was
shed. Within the last few years his¬
torians, who luivo been giving the
matter much attention, claim West¬
minster, Vt., as the scene of the first
tragedy in that memorable conflict
and ono William French as the victim.
Vermont at that time was a part of
New York. The peoplo of tho Ver¬
mont district were badly worked tip
over the royalist question, and had
decided not to allow the regular ses¬
sion of the King’s court to he held iu
Westminster that spring. Accordingly,
when the court officers wore sent they
were accompanied by a body of royal
troops. Tho people were exasperated,
and assembled in the Court House
to resist. When the court officials and
troops arrived orders were given for
tiie people to vacato tho room. This
they refused to do, when the troops
of George III. crossed the grounds
and fired into tho little baud of patri¬
ots, “wounding some,”-tho accounts
say, “and instantly killing William
French, who was shot clean through
the head with a musket ball.”
French was buried in the church¬
yard at Westminster, and a stono
with tho following inscription was
erected to his memory:
“In memory of William French,
Who Was Shot at Westminster, March
yo 12lh, 1775, by the hand of Die
Gruel Ministerial tools of George ye
3d at the Court House at 11 o’clock at
Night, in the 23 year of his Ago.”—
[St. Louis Republic.
A Cat Adopts a Rat.
A laborer employed in one of the
mills at Suiter Greek has in his homo
one of tho the strangest families of
animals in existence. Tho head of
tho family is an old cat, which is Die
mother of a thrifty family of live
kittens; hut, in spite of the cares of
motherhood, she has taken it upon
herself lo provide for a rat that she
lias taken under her protection.
During a storm about two months
ago a half-grown rat, lame and nearly
drowned, crawled into the house, evi¬
dently in search of food and shelter,
and by some chance made its way to
the place where the old cat lay snugly
on the heap of sacks with her family.
Strangely, the mother seemed
touched with pity over the condition
of Die wanderer, and, instead of at¬
tacking him, sho coolly made room
for him and did everything to relievo
his sufferings. Tiie rat displayed
every sign of gratitude, aud the
miner’s family, when they discovered
the intruder, were so struck wich sur¬
prise that they forbade any one to dis¬
turb them.
The result was that the rat chose to
remain with his new-found friends,
and now has become as docile as his
foster mother. A warm attachment
seems to have sprung up between the
two, and the rat has grown fat and
lazy, wandering about as it suits Its
tuncy, aud evidently pleased with ito
new surroundings.—[San Francisco
Call.
CHILDREN'S COLUMN.
TUB ARCH OK KI.MS.
At noontide, on a sultry day,
Two travellers walked a shady way,
Where elm trees lifted high an arch
That fiercest sun rays could not parch;
Said one: “God bless the kindly hand
That set this archway cool and grand!"
The other cried : “Ah, who can say
What comfort yields this leafy way I
Itetter such monument of green
Than marble pile of King or Queen."
COWUV-8UKI.I.9.
The American Indians, when tho
Europeans first came among tiioin,
used a kind of money inndo from tiie
sea tsliolls which aro known ns cowry-
shells, and for many years the white
settlors used tho same, when other
money wns not to bo had. The Indi¬
ans wero very ingenious in making
Dus shell money, or “wampum,”
which consisted of small round pieces
cut from some largo, thick shell and
finely polished. Theso pieces wore of
uniform sizes, liko other money, and
each had a certain value in frado. A
small hole was made in each which
enabled the Indians to carry them
about on a string, which is also, I
have boon told, the Chinese method
of carrying money—tho hitler people
having a square hole in the centre of
their coins. It is said that the natives
of certain localities of India and Af¬
rica uso a shell money very similar to
“wampum.”—[Detroit Free Press.
SENTIMENT ON WHEELS.
“My Darling.”
Tlioso endearing words, in bright
golden letters, stood out in hold re¬
lief on tho dashboard of a hugo four-
horse truck in a Broadway blockade of
vehicles. They aroused tender mem¬
ories. Tho driver looked as unsenti¬
mental as possible in his coarse rai¬
ment and with his rough manners, hut
he was not profane or brutal toward
his horses. Presently ho awaited tho
loosening of tho jam, while his neigh¬
bors filled tho air with epithets.
Finally, his horses becoming restive,
he climbed do wh from his box and
soothed them with gcntlo words and
caresses. Then a bystander asked
why ho called his truck “My Dar¬
ling.” “because it keeps
“Why,” he said,
green the memory of my daughter,
littlo Nollie. She’s dead now, but be¬
fore she joined tho angels sho clasped
her hands around my neck and said:
<( t Papa, I’m going to die, and I want
you to promise me ono thing, because
it will make me so happy. Will you
promise?’
“Yes,’ 1 said, ‘I’ll promise anything;
what is it?’
“Then, fixing her eyes upon mine,
she said, ‘Oil, papa, don’t be angry,
hut promise me you’ll never swear
any more nor whip your horses hard,
and be kind to mamma.’
“That’s all there is about it, mister,
for 1 promised my little girl I’d grant
her last request, and, sir, I’ve kept
my word.”
Then the blockade was lifted, tho
big truckman rcumed his scat, dashed
a tear from his eye and was soon lost
in the muddy tide of travel.—[New
York Herald.
the poet and the cricket.
“Once upon a time many poets met
at a minstrels’ court to sing for a
prize. Not only did each poet sing,
hut lie played on the lyre while lie
sang. One poet sang better than the
others; indeed, so well did ho sing
that the old judges could not find tho
least fault with him, although their
ears wore very sharp. Ho ho sang out
boldly and lie played ill time and tune.
After a while the judges said to each
other that it was of littlo uso to try
(o find fault with him, and that this
must he the poet who ought to have
the prize. Just then a mischief hap¬
pened to Die poet’s lyre. It had seven
strings, hut one of them snapped, and
he feared lie could not finish his song.
Tho poet’s heart sank within him,
when he thought of the ill luck
in store. Ho felt sure that
lie could not win the prize,
But a cricket, which had
been listening to the poet’s song, left
its homo in the green bush and for
mere lovo of music flew, with its little
heart on fire, and lighted on tho broken
string. So, when the singer felt for
that string tho cricket sang out tho
right note and saved the poet from
spoiling his music. When tho song
was ended the judges all cried out:
‘Take tho prize! Who would not give
the prize to such a sweet voice and
such a fine lyre? Why, wo took your
lyre for a harp, »o shrill was tho
sweetest note.’ This note wns the
sound which the cricket made.
“The poet took the prize and wont
home, hut he did not forget the cricket
which had helped him. He made a
lifo ., Ij!0 niarble ,tat U0 of blmedf ho,d-
a , aud on the lyre he perchod
tt golden imago of Die cricket.”— [Chi-
cago Post.
NO. £9,
Two Heroes.
"To make my fortune I have a pmn—
I’ll conquer the world," said the timorous
man.
He started forth, but a lion ran
Into hia path ; said the timorous man:
“The lion will kill me; if I can,
I’ll turn back now, I’m a timorous man.’
Ami having tried it once in vain,
He never tackled the world again.
Then came that way the valorous man
Who there his battle of Jife began.
He saw the lion; it roared and ran,
Intent to devour tho valorous man,
Who drew his sword and said: “I can
Kill tiie lion!” Tho valorous man
The Hag ot victory then unfurled,
And marched on, conqueror of the world!
—[Mrs. M. L. Ilayne in Detroit Free Press.
HUMOROUS.
There Is a groat futuro for the nut¬
meg.
It is hard for tho young min who
is just learning to ride tho bicycle to
lead an upright life.
If wo all had tho gift to sco our¬
selves as others seo its, very fow of us
would be persuaded to act as grand
marshal in a holiday parade.
“They say there’s nine on a side in
a game of base hall," muttered tho
umpire, but when you come to find
out, it’s eighteen to one, that’s what it
is.”
It is a mournful commentary on
human vanity to see the mourners
looking back, on turning tho corners,
to sec if the procession is worthy of
the corpse.
“Seo that fellow over there? Ho
doesn’t know where lie’ll get his next
meal.” “You surprise me. He looks
well-to-do.” “lie is; hut lie doesn’t
know whether he’ll (lino homo or at
the club."
Ancient Beau: Emma, I think you
are charming. Gould I persuade you
to accept my hand and heart? “Have
you said this to my mother?”. “Why,
yes, twenty years ago, hut I don't sco
how you knew it.”
Jones was catechising his newly
married friend. “Did you kncol
down when you proposed?” ho asked-
<‘No,” replied the friend. “Did you
promise to give her all your money
every week and to be home every
night at dinner?” “No,” answered
the friend, “I married a widow.”
Cuteness of the Crow.
The crow, ns wo all know, is a saga¬
cious bird; but the following account
of its cutoness, told us by Annie Mar¬
tin in “Home Life on an Ostrich
Farm,” affords a fresh instance of its
powers of reason. The hen ostrich—•
so far from deserting her nest aud
leaving her eggs to hatch, as was once
the common belief—on a hot morning
when she leaves her eggs as usual for
a quarter of an hour, first places “on
Die top of eacli a good pinch of sand.
This she docs in order that the germ,
which, whatever sido of the egg is up¬
permost, always rises to the highest
point, may be shaded and protected.’*
It is at this time that the wliite-ncck
crow appears on tho scene. Unable
lo break Dio shell with its hill, “lie
carefully watches till the parent’s hack
is turned and sho is a good distance
from the nest; then, flying up into the
air, ho drops a stone from a great
height with a most accurate aim, and
breaks an egg. In like manner, the
same kind of crow kills for food the
tortoise, numbers of, broken shells,
some of immense size, being found
about the veldt. It is not clear but
that the crow may carry tho tortoise
into the air and let Itdropand break.’’
As many have noticed either our
crows or fish-hawks will collect large
whelks and sea-urchins at low tide and
carry them up and drop them on tho
shore, as if to break them and get at
the animal within.
Our Sequoia Forests.
Counting as forests all areas of a
thousand acres and upward, Mr. Frank
S. Walker computes that there are
now 37,200 acres of Sequoia forest in
the United States, divided as follows:
King’s River forest, 7500 acres;
Kaweali River, 13,000; Tulo River,
14,000; Kern River, 1700 acres. They
a: c all south of King’s River, aud
nearly all of they iu Tulare County,
Cal., and extend over a holt of coun¬
try beginning at Converse Basin on
the north, and ending with tho Indian
Reservation forest. The groves aud
forests within this region are more
than twenty in number, with an aver¬
age distance between them of perhaps
three or four miles. The "southern
limit of the Sequoia is the Deer Creek
Grove, which contains less than 150
Sequoia, scattered over an area of per¬
haps 300 acres. Too many of tlisoe
noblo woods have already passed into
Die hands of speculators, and are
doomed shortly to disappear.— [Popu¬
lar Science Monthly.