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D. C, SOT!ON, Editor and Prop’r. DR. TALMAGE’S SERMON. THE 81/iCK SERVANTS OF THE SKY. Text: “And the ravens brought Him bread and flesh in tha morning, and b ead uudilesb in the evening.”—l Kings, xvii.. The ornithology ,>f tb • Hil.l ■ is ain st in teresting study. The stork in the Inavus “w hich knouuth her appointed time.' e common sparrows, suggestive of ti.ivDHi o J’rovidenoe. The ostriches of thed*t .t, * careless incubation reminding omit !.e leckiossnoss of sente parents'in regard i . their chiUbvi* The laglu, suggesting tve riches that take wings and 11 v aw iv. Tim jelican. emblemizing solitude. The hat, a llake of the darkness. Tho night lmwk, u.o ossilrago, the cu hoo, tho l.ipwin;, tlso osprey. liy Ciod’s command in Leviticus Hung out ot the world’s bill of far . I wish 1 coubl nave been with Andubon as lie went through the forests with gun and pencil, bringing down and sketching the fowls of heaven! ins unfolded portfolio thrilling all Christendom. What wonderful creatures the MnU are. Their voices this morning seem d like mugs ot heaven I t loose and bursting through ti.e gates. Jxiok at their fcath is, wiiich are clothing and < ouveyan o at th* same t ime. Consider the nine vertebra* of the ne *k. Consider the fact tint on libiid has to each eye three eyelets, the tlrr I evek t a curtain for graduating the light of the'day. Sonic of these birds s avengers ami form* of them orchestra. Thank God for .jun:ls’ whistle and larks’ carol, and the twitter of the wren, by the ancients called tho kfngo' birds, because when tho fowls of heaven went Into a contest as to which could lly the high est and the eagle swung under tho sun, a wren on the l a .‘k of tho eagle sprung up still higher, and so was called the king of birds. Consider those birds that have golden crowns and crests, showing that they are feather im perials. Hear the humming bird scivnnde the ear of tho honov suckle. Look at the lolled king fisher striking like d irl li om s .y to water. i ‘ear the voice ol lUo owl giving the keynote to all croakers. Look al tho con dor amid the Andos battling down the re n deer, when, its eves destroyed, the poor crea ture goes tumbling over the rocks. 1 cannot tell whether a pin* inm or aviary is the best altar from which to worship (led. Hut in my text there is nn instance that battles nil the ornithological womb r of the world. The grain erop had been cut of. T'aiuine was in the land. A minister of (rid. Eli jnli, sa’ at the mouth of a cave by the brook Clienth, waiting for something to cat. Win didu’t lie go out to the neighbors There were no neighbors. It. was a wilderne AVlay didn't lie go out nn I pick brr ot? There were no berries, and if th re had be n, ii *y would have been dried uu by the drought. Ono morning this man of God, seated at the mouth ot the case, is looking I up into the pitiless heavens when ho cent a Hock of birds approaching. Oh, if they were : only partridges and lie had an arrow with which to bring them down' Hut, us they come nearer, lie firt lit, » .-.re .„.t ■ .n ■ ;..nnS, but unclean, and their eating would lie spirit ual death. The length of their wings, the strength of their beak, the blackness of their color, the loud, harsh “crack, crack'’ of their voice prove them to be ravens. They lly around the prophet's head, rotnd an 1 ro m 1, an l then on a buttering wing come to tho level of his lip, and one raven brings the bread and another raven brings the meat, and having discharged their tiny car o. their wheel away and other (locks of rnv errs come until the prophet is rntistio 1 and Iheso black servants of the wilderness table are gone. Tho breakfat bell, anil the supper bell, sounded for six months, and some say for twelve months, .ailing the prophet up to get his food, while these rav n< Hung tho sounds on the air: “Crock, crack, crock.” Guess wit to they get the food from. Sotne say that th**y* got it from t lie kitchen of King Ahab. Horne say that they got it from Obadiah. Some sir that these ravens brought the food to their young in tho n *sts in the tree tops, and Elijah hail only io climb up and get it. Some say tho whole story is improbable, and that this flesh must have been the torn flesh of living animals, and therefore unclean,or it w ins car rion, and then unlit for the prophet. Koine say that the word iu my te ;t translated “ravens'’ ought to lcive liet-n translated “Arabs;” so that the text ought to have read: “And tho Arabs brought bread an l flesh to linn in the morning, and bread and flesh to him in tlioev. ning.” Anything hut udtnil the Bible to lie true. How away ut this miracle until all tho miracle is gone; go on with your work of depleting; but, my brother, know that you rob only one man, and that is yourself, of one of the most beau tiful, comforting, blessed, triumphant lo s ms of nil the ages. I can tell you who those purveyors were. They were ravens. f can tell you who freighted them with provisions. God. I can tell yon who launched them. God. 1 can tell you win told them which way t > iiy. Gou. I cun tell you who told them at what cave to swoop. God. I can tell you who it was that Introduced raven to prophet, and prnph to raven. God. Here is a passage *.fsnurture whkh I ought to give in a whisper lest, ut tering it in a louder tone, some one might drop down under its power. The passu go is this—“Ho that tukelh away from the words of the prophecy of this book, God will take away I s p-vt out of the Hook of Life, an l out of the Holy City.” Standing then this morning and watching the ravens feed , Elijah, I hope the d r, oof God s spirit may swoop dov.n tho sky, and with outspread wing, pause at the lip of every soul hungry j for comfort. On tic* tanks it what river have the great battles of the world been , foil, lit 1 While you are examinin'.; the map , of the world to answer that. 1 will toll you l on wlat banks the greet con (lit of to day is < being fought. On the Tuanies, on the ifud- 1 son, on tho Mississippi, on the Kennebec, on the Ha van n ah, on the Uhine, on the lihorir, t on 111) Ni e. on tho Ganges, on the i ldoangho. It is a battle of six thousand I years Eleven hundred million troons are < engaged, and the numb r of the fallen is < * u-b-r than the number of those who mar li. It is the battle for bread, ts ntimenialists, 1 seated in.arni chair ,a pict iro l study, with t •Upper *1 feet on damask ottoman, tell us i this world is a great scene of avarice arid greed. I don’t believe it. 'fake all the I uecessitie out of the * as -, anil nmc-teuths of th** st ires, ttie shops, the factories, the bank- * ing bouses of th.* earth would Is* close t b- I morrow. 1 say take thene *■<- ties out of the 1 ca-e. Who is that, man toiling iu Colorado i mine, or in New England factory, or count* i lng out th-* roll of bills in the l.nhk. or nn-aa* 1 uring the fabric on the counter' He is a * chaa pion going forth for some home circle 1 that needed to l*e car.-d for; or in behalf of 1 a chi rhos God that i.iu-t t o supported, 1 or in behalf of uu asylum of mercy ( that must be sustained. Who is that i woman trending over the sewing machine, or i carry ing tb** bundle, or mending the g ,r- I ment. orsve’tering ut the wa-li tub? 'fl at i is a Deborah, that ;soneof the Lord’s heroines t going out against Arnalakitish want that ! comes down with iron chariot to crush nor i an i her-. '11.9 great question of tht- day is* 1 n>tt .o ones* ■ri of Homo Rule, but whi or' £ there trill be any boms to rule; t a < tion of tariff, 1 u* -vietlie -til •* -hall lie arsv. thing to tax. With tlw vast n:.a: : .tyof ]*• •>- i pie, it is a question of “how shall I Vipp ,rt v i cji illy my family? how shall I meet my wants? liow shall I.p#tv my rent? iiow shall I clothe ami ►belter and educate tho e dO; end entup* n me?” If (io 1 will lielp mo t > assist you in the solu tion of that question, tho happiest man in this ! hou © will l>» your proachor. I have pond out on a cold morning with expert sportsmen * » hunt for pigeons, 1 have gone out on th-' titefldoW to liulit for quail. 1 have gone down with some «»f my frietfdson the marshes to hunt for reed birds, but this m uniug l dm out for ravens. Not i ©, in the first place, in regard to these 1 winged caterers t hat they were sent directly from God to Elijah. *‘l have commanded the ravens to hod thee,” says God in an a l joining }>assago. They did not come out of ! some other cave, they did not jud happen to fly that wav,they did not just Impnen to meet Elijah, they did not just Impiieu to drop tho into his mouth. They caiti* difectly *om Go l. Tho dihlo says so. Tho sam i God " ho is going to supply y ‘mi. Ile is your father. It would take a great while to make calcula tion df how many point Is of food, and how many yards of cloth you will require during your life, even tho i ;h you kn >w how many years you wore to live. /V vory el iborate calculation. God can toll without anv cal cula; ion. lie ha * a groat family ami h * has everything moth di/.01, and thare is a plate for ca *U one of us if we do not a’t like naughhfcy chil Iron and kick and Kcramhle and try to upset things—a plate for oac'i one of us, and we wilt ho serve:! in our turn. G >d has already ordered nil the suits of cloth ’s 3 T < n will ever wear d >wn, t» the last one in win li you will he laid out. God has al v.a lv ordered a'l th ‘ food you will ever eat, d nvn to the hist erunib that will be put into your mouth in tho dying sacrament. Ido not say ho will always give us just what we wool I l ike. A parent must do -idafor a child. The child might say: “(>, give me sugar nn 1 confe’tions, and nothing cls«.” Tlio parent woul I say: “O, that wouldn't he good; that woul In t bo well for you. You must take something plainer first.” Tho child might say: ‘‘Give mo notliiug hut great hlofc dies of color in my garmonts.” “O,” the parent won! I say, ‘ that wouldn't b» appropriate; that wool lift be heair it ill.” Tho parent; de cides for the child what is best for him fc> ©ai, and wlnt is host for him to wear. Now, G m1 is our father, an 1 wo are minors of the familv, and he is going to so *d us and clothe us. although ho may not always gratifv our Infantile wishes for sweets and glitter. Tliose ravens did not. bring pomograuates from the silver platter of King Ahab for Elijah. The/ nrought bread mid moat; tho very twstthing, the very host food. Elijah was going to have a hard time, and God wanted him to he stout and strong, and ho gives him stout fool. They did not bring cake or pie or custard, but bread and meat, sub stantial diet. And God is going to supply us. ilo does not promise us tho luxuries which somefc rnos kill th ■ body, but lie pro n ises us food, nnd you have a right to take courage. God has no hard times in Mis his tory. 1 lis ships never break on tho rock ;. His hanks never fail. He not only lias the food, hut He has tho mode of conveyance; not only the bread, but the ravens; and if in order to satisfy yon it were necessary, God would send out <>f the heavens a groat Ho k of ravens, reaching from his gate to yours, so that tho food could be Hung down the sky •Mm .houlcomd from talon t • tj|lo;.i “Though troubles assai 1 nnd dangers affright, Though treasures all fail, and foes all unite, Yet ono thing assuies us, whatever hei : do, The Beriptm o assures us the Lord will pro vide ” Notice also, in regard to these winged caterei‘B. these black servants of the sky,and in regard to this whole question brought be fore us, that nothing could Elijah hoard up as a surplus. Tho raven did not bring enough one morning to last a month, they did not bring enough ono morning to last until tho next morning. They brou ht enough in the morning to last until the oven ing, mid they brought enough in the evening to last until the morniug. Twice a day. “And they brought bread and flesh to him In the morning, and bread nnd flesh to him in theevening.” In other words they brought last enough. Oh I wish we could all learn t hat lesson. You know tho great struggle of the world is for a surplus. It is not merely enough for this w ee, or this year, but it is for fifty years: it is fora lifetime. You have moi e fait li in the Nassau Hank, the Fulton tfnnk, the Hunk of England, than m the Royal Hunk of Heaven. You say: “That is all very poetic; you can take tho black ravens; give mo tlw gold ea gles.” If in the morning tho food b) exhausted, do not sit down after breakfast and say: “I don't know where the noxt meal is to come from;” but go out, look up into the sky, and you will sec two ravenu, not like tho insane raven of Edgar A Poe, alighting on his chamber door. “Oidythisan I nothing more,” but Elijah's two ravens, the Lord’s two ravens, tho ono bringing bread, tho other bringing meat. Plumed butcher and linker. Oh, how good God Is, and how great are His resources! When tho city of Rochelle was besieged, and the inhabitant were dying of famiii”, history tells us that ho saw washed upon tho beach as never before, and as never since, enough shell-fish to feed the whole ciiy. God is good, Go l is gracious, God is bountiful. Jn I.VW>, in England, there was great drought, an liu E'-so\ among the rocks where there has been nothing planted and nothing cultured, histxry tells us there came up a great crop of peas, enough to fill a hun dred measures, and there xrerp enough blos soming vines pr unising a . much more. < >h, God is goo 1, God is gracious, if people would only trust him. I need not go so l ar. I could go to this au'licn o and fin 1 500 instances this morning in y«>ur family histories, illus trating that God takas care of Jiis dear children. Tho morning I left home to earn my own livelihood, iny father sat on ih j front seat, and I sat on the hack seat, and I felt sad on leaving home, and my father had away of improving circum stances, and he said to me: “Mo vvitt, I am an old man now, hut I want to tel; you one thing; 1 have during the course of my life como up to rnv last d' llar; but whan that was spent, God always provided. Trust the I/*rd and you will never want any go‘d thing.” \Vaa not that a good thing to say to a boy just starting out in the world? I have found it tru •. In my family line there wan an incident that f tried Ut mention, but I only had part of th© facts, f have them now fresh from a member of my own family. There was a great drought no in Now l ing gland, in Conne ti' iit, and the cr>ns were failing, and the < at tie were dying for lack of water Mr. Hirdseye, a Christian man, hail bis cattle and her Is driven down into the valleys to get water. This went on for a whil and finally the neighbors sai 1: “Mr. Birdseye, you mustu't sen i your cattle down here t<j use our waters; our waters are fail ing us; we are all g dug to die together; do not send your herds and flocks down here any more.” So Mr. Birdseye went Ia k to his hou.se on the hill, and ho called his family together, and he ca led h s slaves—for sla . ery was ri vogue in Connecticut—and he read a passage of Scripture, and then they all knelt down and ora- e l G f«l for water: an l the family st >ry i-that there was great sobbing and weep ing at the family altar the h rds were {H*risbiri/ ai d there wa; a prospect that the family w ,uld die of thirst. Th f *y nr m f omtherko es, and Mr. Hr! ’.e tz>>. a staT and walked out over the hills, hardly knowing why or where h** walked, nnd e< i*ig along a p’a ;e where he ha 1 keen s-or>s of timos,and never not * ed anything especial, iu. aw tha the ground we•« very dark, and h* thru t li - tall int/> it. nu t bor«*d into it, and wate- fiowe*! forth. He l>eckoned to h:s slaves and hi 3 servants to come, and be told MTi VERNON. MONTGOMERY CO., (L\.. i iS! , HKI)AV..II LV 29, IBBii. .., \ ] v Mie nto bring buckets nnd to bring palls, and I they were brought, and water was taken to II the house, and taken to the barn, and then a trough was placed there and a larger oxen va s tion wrts made, and tho waters poured in, o and in larger volume, and have 1 een a pouring hi ever since. It is a o perennial spring that j*ou'*ing I o now. 1 call that old groat grand fit her s Elijah, nnd I call th ’ brook that, started that n , day and ha ;l> en running over since, C'herith, anil the 1 \sson for you and for me is, th.it n when wo ivo in any kind of <1 ;t res ,we must v pray and dig. and prav and dig, mul dig and I pray, and pray and <li g. How • toes t hat pas sage go? “The mountains drill de art. and f the bids he removt d, but my loving kindness o shall not fail.” If y»u pu s (do lon trial and , >t condemn Him for be ng guilty «»f cruelty, t * o day I move a now trial. If your biography y is ever written. I can tell you what, tin* first ;» cbflptW witt bo about, and the secon 1 chap -1 to. , and the nliddlo chapter, mal tlio last chapter, if it is writtui accurately The first v chapter will bo about mercy. th“ mid lie , r ‘ chapter about Morey, the la *t * hapbn* about J mercy—the merev tint liovi*red over your \ , cradle, the met* *y tlmt will hovor over vour grave, tho mercy that hovers over all bo* s tween. ’ “Wo may like the tiifby tempest bo tossM, , (>n perilous deeps, lint cannot bo lod : Though satan enrages tin* wind and tho ti l©. '* The promise assures us the Lord will provide.” j Mv subje t, also gives to me a more strik . ing an l impi'cssive lesson; and that that , relief is apt to come in an unexpected and s seemingly iinjinS-sibl» comcvaiico. If it had been a robin r»wl breast, if it had l e? 11.-mnisi i cal mo id ov lark,if it. hid been a meek turtlo , d()vo, it it had b *on a siiblimo albatross that , brought food to Elijah, 1 would not have been so surprised; but no, ifc was a j tierce and inauspicate bird out of |. whi h we mako ono of tin most t forceful and repulsive words in our language: “ “ravenous.” That bird has a passion for . flicking out; it. is glad to worry the si«*!v an I p tho slam. With vulturous gu/./do it destroy ■» everything it can put its h *ak on, in i yet for six months, or for twelve m mt'is, m ' fomo think, that bird brought Eli jah food. Your supply is going to co ne in an unex pected convoyau You get iu so mo busi ness trouble anl you think some groifc h *arled man will coino around and will put ' his name on tho back of your note, or h » will stand by you in some great ontorprisn. No, ho will not; no, ho will noL ' God will start so no old Shylo lc to help you, n man who never helped anybody. lie will bo wrought upon in such a wav that ho will come and help you. Oir uioistaneas most ' ominous will tu n out in >st auspicious. It will ii 1. beachatliu h, its wings and foa*-hors dashed with white and chestnut. It will be a raven. O, here is whore wo all make a mi hake, and th it is, in regard to the color of God’s provi hm os. A whito ]>rovid u*o : comes to us. Wo say: ‘‘That is a inorcy.” A black pr ivideuc » comes to u>. and we say: •‘O, that is a disaster.” A white providence conies to us, and we have plenty of meney, plenty of friends, large government sa *tir l! ios, plentv of mortgages, SIOO,iKM, every thing bright, beautiful and fair. And that petition, “Give me this day my daily broad,” seems to you inappropriate, because ! ys>;. liav«» enough anyhow for a hundrol fyi nr-s. Tint al»hi>k I'ntvldi e conies, an*! ' this investin'-*nt fails, and that inve.stnnnt ; goes under, anl misfortune is .idle I tomis fortune, until all your property is gone, and then you Ir.'gin to cry to God. Nf»w you look for help from II aven. Now you see the in sin'li ieney of this \v »rld; now you are brought very near to God, nnd vour hopes of Heaven are bright. It was ill) block I'rovidence that saved you. It was the white Provi. donee th it destroyed you. It the Prov idonce so full of harshness and dis sonance that brought the greatest mercy to your s ml. It, w.as a ravon; it was a raven. A child is born in your house. Your friends send fho r congratulations. The elder chil dren sta id with auiauvl look at the new comer and ask many questions genealogical and chronological. Great brightness iu that house. That little one has i's two feet planted in the very centre of your affe ;tion,nn<l wi:.h its two bands it takes hold of your very soul; hut one of the Hire) s merges of children: scarlet fovor, or »u*oup, or diphtheria, blasts all that scone. The ch ittoring, the strange (pii'stions, the pulling at your dress as you cross tlm room; all that has <;i*n.sed. As the great frion 1 of children comes to tlm era tie and s!o>ps down and puts His arms around your little one and folds it to His h art and walks away into thu bower of everlasting summer, your eyes follow and follow, and you ko *p lo that way; mid when on m yo»i 1 bought of Heaven once a week, now you think o it fill the time, and you are purer and more ten ler tha i vou used to be, and you are waiting for the day to break. Oh, how changed! You are a li dt- r man tlian you wore before that trouble; ;* on are a better woman. It is not ft'rotMtical for you to say it,: you are I jotter. What brought that i 1 *-.sing? It was trouble that cast its shadow o:i your heart; trouble that east its shadow on a short grave, and troubh’ tint < ast its sluwhiw on your home bla<*k-winged trouble. It, was a raven; it was a raven. J ,’ear I>ord, teach my ople tiia , it> is not the dark Providoice licit js so dcstruct'vo ns the win!/* Providence, and tha*. “who n the loveth lie cha>tenoth f and scourge'h - ery one whom He reodv eth;” and that when trouble comes, it is n>t because God has a grulgo again *t you, but liecause he hive you and wants to bring you nearer to Him, and lift yoti up to higher ra- diation and on grander pjatfonu. On, chil dren of God, ge» * nit of v i *ies oclon - in; J fling your sorrows to the winds. God never lul lso many ru v m a*ll • Jri ; u*i *v. S ;,ne ti iios. peril ip-, nnd • Mie #-ares of life you 1 feel likoinv li'tl*child of f >ur years, who under a (hildis'i r? rdo x it/si id one day: “f widi I could go U> l£*aven an l see God aid i pek flowers.” Ah* iny d -ar, at the rig it time you willgoau I i>i k th II >w r . I .id tiiat time, prav I k qqiose Elijah all the time. Tr«iu'*n<lhh work ah -ad <»i' Inm, i tremendous work behind him. And what 3’otl want ask for. J put it, in the !»<.] i** tsh i <e, and I r.sk my eternity on the truth .f it, when I say, as ■ a God in the right way for ’ what you want and you will it if iis b'-st for you. (), tiie iner des of God! Fo oo timos wo canrot uudor-tand thorn. 'Yh -f come this morning; Hoy alight on the plat form: they alight on the ed ms of th < gall'*r jhs: they alight on the back of the pews, bringing to od from Go I for all your souls. JiavenP ravens' Mrs. Pithy, a well known wom oi in Cin* ar ». w;s left by it -r husband a wid >w with a half dollar arid a cottag;. Bbo was pabied, and had n mother nin *ty y •ars .f ag • t/j take care of. li, was u.arvehm» how th it iv*> u.'iu got of God, in the way of to nporal .apply, everything she usk© l / >r, th il the <rv irit. the hired sor/.iTit in the house, not o I it and used t/> speak ot it. Ono morning they a rue from prayer aml the servant said to h;r: “»Vhv, you have forgotten to ask foe « ord, and thecr#al is out.” Tn .*y l there and f as :© 1 fr od for coal, nn I ;ri an hour Hi • d<op swungojieiiand :hohi»*o I - r /ant viid ' , i, s come.” A man who h.-id no or done that tbi ig Ik*fore, an<l never did it a an, hearing that that woman was in straitened *•::*•‘umstan thought it would be a go/d thing to send coal. You do not nnd -rstau 1 it. I do. Havens! Ravens! You have a right, my 1 brother, rny si-tor. to take God's are of you in ti© oas , rucvid n •t at If*! is g . ng t/> take cm re of you in *he future, f- it • a wonderful thing that .all vour J fe. fort v>or f three times a day. A has given vou foo l? I look upon it awo id/r that all my life, “sirii />/*vi vaoto ivimrFn:' {/*r*'• tiling n tiny, llod Iwv* given mo iiHuf, wivh once, anil thou I was V'sfcon tliomV.ifijt/tinmt noo:t. But that very morninj; nn'l 111 1 it* wr y ithjhfc 1 mot the rn v> ;s. Oh tha*t you might tYol sfif irtiteb tl*» cootluass of Uiul that y»ui could tihfsffc (riirt lor the two lives, the life you are now and the li t o whi h every tick of the watoli uiul ‘very stroke of Iho clock informs you is flporoa Inn lx> >!c d >\vn an l you see noth • nig Ur ‘ vimr own spiritual iloi'ornittiaa; look in \ II ! ViAl see l< thill.; lint WllStod OppOP i tunity; look for .van} iiml von son nothing but fearful ju'lgniout riml Ih'ry inillgtm -1 tion; but loot up and vo’u mo the wlupt shoulders of mi liit iiVHlin ; l‘lfrist.au'il tlio fu •« of a pardoning Uod, anil tho imidin tb •.! fnn o|wning Heaven, bake this food 1 fVu your soul to-dny. Iteimvw now into all vo ir tioirts. mi l ilia only question 1 wont to ink is. Ii ‘.v ninny of tliosi' pimple nregnlug to lake (tod for thoir portion hero no 1 their portion lioreaftar, going to trust Him itow, for tli • food of tho nody, aid tni.t him alio ( v lb i food of tlw souls Amid t.liß clatter of tile tio ii a mid amid tho dang of tlio who. Is of tho ju Lenient. chariot, the whole subj a, '.ill ; bo demonstrate I. TTio Hum] Oyster. i ml Monday afternoon, tin mail eater sane upstairs to the line embossed, pi no quill, d recess v. here we write thrilling editorials tm Canon’s future, ami the out lo 1; for evening pmnieiuules in the near lienee, and by loudly exercising his I'.ngs, tried to intimidate us. We didn't in'i:■ iicl.ite, however, for a cent. Wo in- ized up this blooming hloivhanl of 111 e 'lllpleled kidllcod, as he wagged his chin while singing his song. it wnsim men > the song wo mean and worthy of a h tier reception ; and if wo had not he u too busy ui the time, we should . lei e paid him for it. with a lick fiom an in , stove hook, along the base of the v.icuum, which is supposed to hold his brains. If the parents of this mouthy young man would look after him a lit lie mor closely, tl ey might save themselves a ./nod deal of sorrow in days lo come, nisi help to abate a nuisance I lull, has Img all! let ed the people of Canon. I here are several varieties of oysters, Igil the one which we are writing about, at presn.t is the rural oyster, and is not,a •sail water product, Imt an inhabitant of i oiiiii n t owns, where lie grows lo exuber nne . In fact he is always fresh, is in si i "i ali the year round, and although not a fish,he ti ins to dr,nk like one.think ing by so doing people will imagine he i a man. II he were cooled once in a while, he would furnish his own sauce, lie can he found lounging alioul tho cliar h door when the ladies are, making thru exit and '.lie saloons. His steady on upilion consists in listening to the clatter of Ids own voice, when he is not smoking a cigarette, .lust as the tough "".idiliiiy develops into the slugger, so ora !h\ rural oy >‘i r in dec process of cv dulion develop into the tough, so to speak. A religious paper says that the or der shoiil I he opened with prayer. This evidently do-s not refer to the rural oys ter. lie should lie pried open with a stocking full of bran mush. Canon City JAvi ary. It was an Obi Story for Mini. “Now,’’said the bride, “llenrv, I want you to understand distinctly that I do not wish to he taken for a bride. lam g ling to behave exactly as if I were an ol I married woman. So, dearest, do not think me eolil and unloving if I t reat you very practically when there is any body by.” “1 don’t believe I can pass for an old married man. lam so fond of you that lam bound to show it. 1 aui sure to give the snap away.” “.No, you inusn’t. It’s easy enough. And I insist that you behave just like old married men do. Do you hear;” “Well, darling, i’ll try, but 1 know f wil l not Stic aid." Tim first evening of their arrival the bride retired to her chamber and the groom fell in with a poker parly, with ivh .mliesal playing cards until I o’clock in the morning. His wife spent the wearv hours waiting. At last lie turned up and inet his giief stricken bride witli the hilarous (piegtion : “Well, ain’t I doing the old married in ui like a daisy'” Slie never referred lo the subject again, and everybody knew after that that they had in th cn married. San I'ranciacn They Il;> Somewhat Heseinblft One. l.avica “Oh, dear; what can 1 liml to trim thi - hat with I womlerf” .-I, , i iu, "1 wouldn’t trim it all, if I were you.” Lavinn “Hut I can’t wear a hat with out trimmings, you stupid thing.'’ i 'ha ■ dus “Don’t we ir it, my dear.” i a, ,ni -“And what, shall I do with it then, i 1 nny'f” I'ha - , in’, “Hut a weather vane on it and |m , . ,i- church edifice builder have it for a spire.” —Free i'rMt. Was Already Accommodated. H ueerin/ ! awyer “Have you got brains or bin k whe t bill ter i.i \ our heads” Wiiue sweetly)- -“brains, sir.” Lawyer “Well, I would rather have buck wheat, bat 1 1 r. ” Witness “1 believe that ii what you have got.” A i.aiiok tract of waste land on the farm of H. F. J’eniek, near ( ireleville, Ohio, is infested with snakes. A rain Hooded this tract recently, and drove the reptiles to a little hill in the vicinity, i'eniei lingers and Iwo farm hand - came to thi place shortly after the sUirm, and were greeted w ilh a i horn of hi < Tie y pro sued heavy elilhs and vet, to work to extermhmte the ierj Hints. Iu half a day they killed four hundred and seven’ . - three Muike , which, when piled together, made a neap three and one-half lei t high. The snake.-Iwere of every species known in that region. Tiik woman who wants her garden spaded at small exp< n-c, has only to give •h« small hoy- to understand Ihesoil eon tail, the bf-l fish-bale in town, and they are welcome to all they want. , hASIvdi.M.L. Facts About tho Mnt,tonal Game as u Business. The Expense Attonilant Upon Maintaining a First-Oliiffc (Hull. Twelve or fourteen years ag 9 it was predicted that baseball would erenow be ,ihiv (tf ilni things of the past. In those days elilhs \\v *e organized on the narrow est monetary margin-, mostly by specula live and irresponsible men, ViTto, in many eases, when it came to paying their debts failed to do so, and at once declared that there was nothing in baseball, and that it would soon die out, lint instead it lias struggled along, yeat itfler year, un til it is now the leading American ?t[s>rt, and is hacked by some of the wealthiest men in the country. To-day there are thoroughly organized and fully equipped eight associations as follows: The Na tional League, eight clubs; the American Association, with eight clubs; the South ern League, witli eight eluhs; the New England League, with six eluhs; the Inter HI ate League, with eight clubs ; tho Northwestern League, with six eluhs, and the (lull League, with six clubs. These eight organizations employ over SUO men, whoso stilarios for the season will aggregate $1,000,000 or more. Tho salary list alone of any first class club, fools up from $35, 00(1 to SIO,OOO a year, and individual salaries, in some instances, have nearly reached 000 a season, and in many eases they have range Irom $3, 500 lo $3,500 for the season. Hill there is no class of public amusement or sport which, when properly conducted, gives better ret unis than baseball. The travelling expenses of a club, form quite all item iu the expenditures, and generally foot up to SIO,OOO or more dur ing the year. This includes all railroad fares and accommodations at first.class hotels. Each club has about 13,000 miles to cover during its regular cham pionship season, not to mention how many more while playing exhibition games. Then there is the additional cost of keeping the grounds in proper playing condition, besides paying gate men, ticket-takers and special men em ployed about the grounds. All these things ale well understood by those who have studied the subject, and they know full well that a large capital is required to properly conduct the business. Tho day lias gone by when half a dozen men can organize a chili, unless they can show that they me financially able to carry out their engagements during the season. A year or two ago fancy sala ries were paid in a great many instances, and players who happened to receive a little notice demanded such exorbitant prices that it came near ruining some of the elilhs. To avoid any unreasonable prices by players, the leading organiza tions have passed a rule limiting a play er’s salary to $3,000 and doing away with the advance money system except just enough to defray travelling expenses at the beginning of the season. The paying out of a large sum of advance money during tho earlier part of the sea son proved a great burden to most of the eluhs, and the abolishing of that system lias met with general favor throughout the country. A year or two ago a good first or third baseman could not he en gaged for less than $1,300, and from that up to $3,300. A first class second base man could obtain from $3,000 to $3,000. A short slop with any reputation wanted from $3,500 to $3,51)0 a year. Outfielders eoiumaud from $1,500 to $3,500 for the Henson. The pitcher, who is a very im portant man in the nine, especially if lie lias any known abilities as a twirler, would make a modest demand of from $3,000 to $3,500 for his .season’s work, and then he would want a man to alter nate with him. There are some men who are really worth more than the $3, 000 limit, and they should be paid in ac cordance with their merits Imt there must lie a line drawn somewhere, and I lie iim ii w ho make unreasonable demands, simply because they happen to do well during a season, should be kept down to the limit For $3,000 for one hour’s work, six days in the week, for seven months in the year, is good compensation. A'i:i/> Ynrl Mail anil IS - i*. Circumstances Alter Eases. wyer fto client) Your old uncle Isaac died this morning. I was just on my way to your office to tell you. Client What; That old lunatic? Lawyer -Yea, and what’s more, lie left you all his money. Client Well, f declare, this is terribly sudden. J trust lie died peacefully. Four, dear, old man, I do hope that lie didn’t uffei. A’/as York tlruphic. We should think a shad would be pretty confident of a thing wlicu it feels • it in its bones. YOL. I. NO. 21. tff» Kcntarknble Children. Perhaps tho two most striking instan ces of home triiinifjg that t)live been given to the world, writes Agnes'ltcppiier in tlxi Atlantic Monthly, are fUose of John Stu.'dl tli 11 and Giacomo LeeqnirfU, the principal di/Terence being'that while tho English boy was crammed scientifically by his father, the Italian boy was ]H.t mitted relentlessly to cram himself. In ’ Imth cases we see the same melancholy, blighted childhood, the same cold indif ference to t’fjc mother, ns to one who had no part or pan.} in their lives; tlio satiui joyless routine of hilsw; the same unboy ish gravity and precocious intelligence. Mill «tmlied (Ircek at 3, Latin at 8, the Organon' it 11, and Adam Smith at 13. Leopardi, at 10, was well acquainted with most Latin authors, and undertook alone and unaided the’ study of Greek, I* 'Hooting himself in that language be fore he was 11. Mill’s sole recreation was to walk with his father, narrating to him the substance of his last day’s -read ing. Leopardi being forbidden to go about Ueeamiti without his tutor, acqui esced with pathetic resignation mid ceased to wander outside of the garden gates. .Mill had all boyish enthiisinsni ami healthy partisanship crushed uul of him by bis father’s pitiless logic. Leo pardi’s love for Ids country burned liken smother' d Halin', ami added one more to (he pang's that ate out his soul in silence. His was truly a wotiderlul intellect; and whereas the English lad was merely furred by I raining into a precocity for eign to his nature, and which, according to Mr. Main, failed to product' any great amount of scholarship, the Hu Hun boy fed on hooks with a resistless anil i rav ing appetite, his mind growing warped and morbid as his enfeebled hotly sank more and more under the unwholesome strain. In the long lists of despotically reared children there is no sadder sight than this undisciplined, eager, impetuous soul, burdened alike with physical and moral weakness, meeting tyrannical au thority with a show of insincere submis sion, anil laying up in his lonely infancy the seeds of a sorrow which was to find expression in the keynote of his work, “Life is Only Fit to lie Despised.” - ii—' V llangers in Africa! “The most dangerous savage foes wc have to fear,” says Mr. Manley, “are the crocodile, hippopotamus ami tho buffalo. We lost live men during my last visit to the (loiigO from these animals; three were killed by crocodiles, one by a hippopota mus mol one by a buffalo. Thera are a large number of hippopotami along the Congo anti its tributaries, mid thousands upon thousands of crocodiles. The lat ter are by far the most insidious foes wo have, because, they are so silent and so swift. You see a man bathing in the river,” said Mr. Stanley, with one of ids viviil graphic touches; “ho is standing near the shore laughing at you, perhaps, laughing iu the keen enjoyment of his hath; suddenly lie falls over and you see him no more. A crocodile has approach ed unseen, has struck him a blow with its tail that knocks him over, and lie is instantly seized and carried off. Or, it may lie that the man is swimming; lie is totally unconscious of danger; there is nothing in sight, nothing to stir a tremor of apprehension; hut there, in deep wa ter, under the shadow of that rock, or hidden beneath the shelter of tlio trees yonder, is a huge crocodile; it lias spot ted tlie swimmer, and is watching the opportunity; the swimmer approaches; lie is within striking distance; stealthily, siiently, unpereeived, the creature makes for its prey; the man knows nothing till lie is seized by the leg mid dragged un der, and he knows no more! A bubble or two indicates the place where he lias gone down, and that is all.” A Fenny liamL In the year IHOI there were very few pence coined at the mint, says an English paper. This arose simply from tho fact that there was little or no demand for them. A short time ago this fact seems to have dawned upon some ingenius per sons supposed to be tho flower-sellers round the; Hank of England. It is cer tain that the subsequent “bullying the market” commenced with them. The story became circulated that through ac cident or oversight a quantity of gold had become mixed witli the bronze used for coining, and that this hail been made into | k:iice in that year. Those in the fraud for fraud it was eagerly offered twopence apiece for as many 1834 pen nies as they could obtain. The story got abroad. Everybody endeavored to get these coins, and the original collectors rapidly sold their pennies at three and four times their value. The fact that there are comparatively few pence of that year in circulation materially assist ed tin: deception, and the “speculators” did a good trade, it is perhaps needless to say that there is not au iota of truth in the story of the gold.