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PRA.ISE-GOD-BAREBONES. I and nay C'jubIu Wlldalr met Anil toised a pot together; Burnt sacs it was that Mollle brewed, For it was nlppln< weather. ’Fore George ! To see Dici buss the wench Set all the inn folk laughing ! They dubbed him pearl of cavaliers At kissing and at quaffing. “Odd-fish!” says Dick,‘the sack Is rare, And rarely burnt, la'r Molly ; ’Twould cure the sourrst Crop-ear yet ‘‘OfPious Melancholy.” “Egad !” says I, “uere cometh one Hath been at’s prayers but lately.” —Sooth, Master Pralse-Gnd-Barebones step ped Along the streets sedately. Dick Wildair, with a swashing bow And touch ol his Toledo Gave Merry Xmas to the rogue And bade him say his Creio. Next crush a cup to the Kinj’s health And eke to pretty Molly— “’Twill cure your Saintliness,” says Dick, Of Pious Melancholy." Then Master Barebones stopped and lrowned, My heart stood still a minute, Thinks I both Dick and I will hang, Or else the devil’s in it! For me I oare not for old Noll Nor all the Rump together; Yet, faith ! ’tis best to be alive In pleasant Xmas weather. His worship, Barebones, grimly smiled, “I love not blows nor brawling ; Vet will I give thee, fool, a pledge!” And, zooks! he sent Dick sprawling ! When Moll and I helped Wlldalr up, No longer trim and Jolly— “Feel’st not, Sir Dick,” says saucy M ill "A Pious Melancholy ?” A Daughter of the Gods. The first time I saw her—and I never saw her but twice—there was nothing visible but a slat sun-bonnet and a pair of red angular elbows keep ing time to a monotonous chant: " Ma-ry and Marthy served tha Lawd, Ma-ry and Marthy serve! tha Lawd, Ma-ry and Marthy served tha Lawd, And I kin serve Him tew.” This was followed by a vigorous rub bing, the slat sun-bonnet flapping and the elbows flying on a home-made rickety pine wash-board—for she was washing, standing on a bench and leaning over so far into the hot, steaming water that there was danger of her losing her balance and drown ing. The sound of the rubbing and splashing and her own voice had prevented her hearing my approach, and she jumped like a frightened partridge and looked at me with a frightened stare when I addressed her. ‘Don’t be alarmed, little one,” I id, “I have only lost my way, and topped to ask you where the hotel She wrung the water out of her lean, , hands, pushed back her sun-bon- and stepped of! the bench. Dew you live at the tavern?” she ked, putting her brown head over one shoulder like a bird, and look- at me with bright, inquisitive es! What a shame to let such a as you wash ; you ought to be ying with dolls,” I remarked, in- nantly. he looked at me covertly from un- r the lashes of her soft, shy eyes as ' wondering if I would do her a harm, drew her small form up pr judly and pointed to the mountain. “Keep rite on up; tha’s yoh place; o wha the road turns, and yew’ll site he tavern.” She buiied her head in the tub and resumed her chanting: “Ma-ry and Marthy served the Lawd.” Wnen I was half up the mountain side I turned and saw her standing bareheaded in the sun, looking after me, but she was gone like a squirrel when she saw me watching her. The next time 1 saw her was when I was looking for a particular species of beetle—I am fond of bugs and worms —and, being caught in a storm, sought shelter in the first cabin, which was hers ! She did not open the door until I had knocked and pounded a num ber of times. “An’ it’s yew,” was her laconic greeting, as she swung the old boards that served for a door and reluctantly admitted me. There was a Are on a stone hearth ere was a very old man asleep in r, and a great brindled cat, with green eyes, arched itself at his side. The room was a clean, bright, warm }, that was more picturesque than nything I had seen in the dreary lace called the Pocket country, which ies between Kentucky and Vlrgiuia where fate had cast me for a few iely weeks. I looked every mo- ent for some woman to make her ppearance; yet it would be hard to where she would ffi.me from, un less she had been in the loft above There was a curtain hung across division of the cabin, Iqgg^con- nothing lie»o alone?” {feyther She nodded her answer; I sat on the bench and dried m,> self in the firelight; the old man reused himself and looked curiously at me with red, ferret-like eyes, tnat had no lashes to their weak lids. The little girl whis pered to him and he went to sleep again. “How old are you ?” I asked, when we had talked a little, and she was not so much afraid of me. “What do you think ?” she asked, in her quaint way. I looked at her small, childish fig ure and guessed, “10?” She laughad a little and shook her small head. I remarked the sharp curved chin and ventured “15 ?” “Try agen.” She drew back her sun-burned hair and looked full into mine with her bright, restless eye. 3§“Seventeen ?”—for I "caught the glimpse of a woman’s nature in their clear depths. %oh all out.” She sighed as she spoke. “I believe you are fifty,” I said sharply, there was such a change in each movement of the little woman. “Y’ime twenty,” she replied in her childish voice. I tmnk if she had said one hundred I would not have been surprised, she was so wierdly quaint and old. As we were sitting silent, she watch ing every movement I made, there was a great clattering at the door, and she flew, with that swift motion of hers, to open it. There was a loud, angry voice, which she at once an swered in her soft tones, and then a man stumbled into the room, and without noticing me threw himself on the low little bed and snored instant ly—an ugly, unkempt, drunken man, shabbily garbed and forbidding-look ing. “It’s feyther,” she sighed, “he’s tooken agen ; it’s the mountin agoo he’s got, an’ it takes holt rite sharp, so’s he cannot do a stroke of work. Poh feyther.” “And the old man?” I queried, pointing to the slumbering figure in the chair. “ Gran’feyther, He’s a comfort toh me mostly; hfe hasn’t the agoo yoh see.” “ Do you take care of these”—these dreadful people I had nearly said, but checked myself—“ your lather and grandfather?’’ Yes, an’ Kedsie! Wait, till yoh see Kedsie 1” The first happy look I had seen came into her eyes. She was listening —a step was at the door, which open ed, and a young, fresh, fair-looking man came softly in. He was rather neatly dressed, but one look at his long, smooth chin and open mouth, told the story—he was wistless, But the girl’s face brighted into a sunny smile ; she reached on tiptoe to kiss the pale, flabby cheek of her brother, and she opened the folded fingers of one nerveless hand to see what he had there—It was a little field- mouse, the life crushed out by the tension of the long Augers that had imprisoned it. Yoh killed it, Kedsie,” said the girl, sadly. “ Look yeah how its eyes wimple; tha’s teahs in ’em.” The foolish boy laughed; then he drew a pretty green lizard from his pocket and held it with his thumb and flager, its long, narrow green head undulating like a snake; he made a sound that resembled the chat tering of a monkey, and it was evi dent that he kqew no power of speech. “It’s wuth money,” said the girl, looking at it critically. “Yoh can dicker foh it at the tavern.” The sun came out and I rose to go ; the cat followed me to the door ; the old grandfather rose feebly an!l totter ed out to look at the weather; the drunken man snored ; the little child- woman eaned against her foolish brother In the doorway, and patted the soft leaden hand which she held in hers; I was never one to say a grace ful or pretty thing when I should,and I blurted out abruptly to tbe girl: “Do you help them all ?” She drew herself up on tiptoe aud looked up lovingly into the foolish, imbecile face. “Na,” she said in a loying voice, “tha help me 1” I did the next worst thing I could have done—took out a silver half- dollar; fortunately I saw that the lit tle mountain washerwoman was a princess in disguise, and I asked hum bly : “May I buy the lizard ?” ok the reptile home wRl f a hr unselfish being whose history, known in all the Pocket country, is the sad dest I ever heard. The last I saw of her she stood in the rough doorway, regarding with a look of rapt devo tion her imbeeile brother, while the old man leaned on his hickory staff be side her, and the cat purred trust ingly at her feet, and in the room back of her a horror as of death awaited her. 8o small, so trusting, unconscious of any labor of love to commend the notice of the angels, I saw as in a dream, that small stature growing to heavenly heights. Humor of the Day. A stump-speech : “Gimme the butt of yer cigar, mister ?” A Buffalo is not a bird, but we have often heard of a buffalo bill. The man who scissors off coupons is the genuine revenue cutter. When the average man laughs he gets fat. When the printer gets fat he laughs. The moralist says : “Every man Is occasionally what he ought to be per petually.” Then, again, some men are perpetually what they ought to be only occasionally. A very old lady on her death-bed, in penitential mood, said : “I have been a great sinner more than eighty years, and didn’t know it.” An old colored woman, who had lived with her a long time, exclaimed, “Laws, I kuowed it all the time.” “Look at you !” shrieked Mrs. Eeoni, as the nurse let the baby fall over the second floor baluster. “Two inches nearer the wall and that child would have smashed a $50 statuette and the hall lamp.” And then they picked up the baby. The deacon’s son was telling the minister about the bees stinging his pa, and the minister inquiied : “Stung your pa, did they? Well, what did you pa sav ?” “Step this way a mo ment,” said the boy, “I’d rather whis per it to you.” P.ofessor—“Now, Mr. Snodkins, you may criticise the theme I have just read.” Snodkins—“I’d rather write a criticism, sir, I can’t talk so wall as I can write.” Professor (who has waded through Snodkins’ last theme with great difficulty)—“Then, sir, I’m sorry for you.” “What a man your father is,” ex claimed Mrs. Hopospun, looking up from the letter she held in her hand. “He says he has bought a French clock, and will bring it home with him. What will it be good for except as an ornament. None of us can tell the time by it, unless you can, iSdith. You know something about French, don’t you ?’’ Suggestive. Food should never be mixed on the plate. Arasene embroidery is now used to decorate the plush frames for beveled mirrors. Oranges are held on a fork while peeled and are divided without break ing the skin. Cheese should never be touched with the fingers, but crumbled and eaten with a fork. An odd ceiling for an elegant drawing room is of cathedral glass, s dd to have cost $5000. A gentleman should not shake hands with a lady not a relative, un less she offers to do so. Cheap and pretty bedroom curtains are of cheese-cloth, trimmed with very deep torchon lace. There are new English rugs which make pretty and inexpensive cover ings for parquetry floors. Autumn leaves and wild flowers are much used for decorative purposes also red, golden and purple aslert. Coffee grounds, thoroughly dried, make an excellent filling for a pin cushion. As they do not gather moisture they do not rust the needles. New sconces are of chased brass forming a panel worked in relief, in stead of an upright mirror at the back for the swinging sockets for candles. A great deal of lace is used for bed room decorations. It is seen in pro fusion on tne counterpanes and pillow covers and the toilet mats and table covers. A novel set of finger-bowl napkins are embroidered with twelve figures from “Patience” on tne dozen napkins; the edges are fringed out and hem stitched. Table mats are no longer used in stylish houses, either at luncheon or dinner. The waiter should have a coarse towel outside and wipe each dish before he puts it on the table. An odd and handsome mat for a small table or a tete-a-tete set is made of felt. Make the centre of some dark colored felt, and then make a border of points of different colors and dif ferent widths. Button-hole stitch these with embroidery silk, fasten to gether at the centra, and where the edges join catch with a few stitches. On the wider point fasten six brass curtain rings with gay-colored embroi dery silk aud on the narrower point sew five rings. Fill in the enclosed circle with fancy stitches of the silk. A Dutch Idea.* The Household, a newspaper of Amsterdam, Holland, attempts to comment upon the result of the late elections in the United States. It says : “Last Tuesday being the day the Uaited States set apart for the elec tion of members of Congress and of other officers of the Government, the two great parties which in that coun try contend for power met in combat. It is well known that these two par ties are known respectively as the Republican aud the Democratic pariy, names which, however, have not the same meaning in Europeas they have in America. The Republicans are in favor of centralization, while the Dem ocrats are the advocates of federalism and decentralization. The former party has been in power uninterrupt edly since the year 1860, their recent defeat being a result of the assassina tion of Mr. Garfield. It is also known that it is customary in the United States when one party obtains the Presidency for the other party to he given the Vice-Preddential chair. Owing therefore, to the efforts of Pres dent Arthur, temporary heir of Mr. Garfield, the Democrats have once more taken possession of the White House. The new President has not been idle during his administration, having put all the wheels in motion in order to influence the elections in the interest of his politloal friends. As might have been expected, the Djinoorats have gained the vic tory ; hence the future of America is In ihe hands of that party. When we r 'Call to mind the mean practical of which the Democrats have frequently been guilty, wo see that the future of the United St vtes looks anything but jheerful. Now, more than ever before, ^ ^predate bow oalamitiqus to t the Exploring for Fanaticism. There is something exquisitely ludicrous in the following telegram from the Cairo correspondent of the Times: “Accompanied by Mr. Mar. riott, a member of Parliament, I have visited the Azhar Mosque University, the centre of Islamism. I sought vainly for traces of fanaticism ; there was only the same amused indiffer ence that I found four years ago. The Coptic clerk from the Miuistry of Public Instruction who accompanied us said that fanaticism did not exist in Egypt. This settles the matter, and henceforth let us hear no more about fanaticism in Egypt. But how delightful it would have been to have seen the pair on their tour of discovery through the famous university, and heard them conducting the exhaus tive inquiry which has had such con clusive and satisfactory results. The annual inspection of the vaults under Parliament House would be nothing to this wonderful exploration. Possibly they expected to find the dreadful commodity neatly done up in canisters and labled like gunpowder, or perhaps they hoped to detect it by the smell. Unfortunately for our peace of mind an authority who has just assured us that 90 per cent, of the natives do not even think at all, was not exactly the best qualified to divine the secret thoughts of the Moslems at El Azhar. The Pasteur process of vaccinating sheep as a preventive against charbon, after proving a success in the North of France, has turned out the same In the warm South. The point on which attention is now fixed is for how long —six, twelve or thirty-six months— does the efficacy of the pock endure? Time of course will settle the point. Native Barbary sheep are proverbially known to resist charbon, but wheu oroesed iu France that immunity dis appears. joej^^jee or regret should The Gulf Stream. Commander Bartlett, of the English Coast Survey, has been investigating the Gulf Stream, and at a recent meet ing at Montreal he gave some of the results of his work. He made havoc among certain generally received ideas concerning that famous current, which, he says, does not flow out of the Gulf of Mexico, nor over a bottom channeled with ridges and valleys parallel with the Appalachian system. He says that there is a wide plateau extending along the coast from the Bermuda Banks, over which the guli stream flows, sweeping it clean to its hard coral bottom ; beyond this the bottom slopes rapidly downward and is oozy with the wioah from the plateau. The stream is not a river of warm water flowing over cold, and the Arctic cur rent does not run inside. This will b all new to most people, and especially to those whose ideas of the Gulf S'ream are indefinite anyway. Perhaps fact which will interest these people most in connection with the matter is the tribute Commander Bartlett paid to Yankee ingenuity at the meeting referred to above. Dr. Carpenter hav ing expressed his admiration of the work, added that it pleased him t know that the results were obtained with British instruments. To tnis Commander Bartlett replied that Sir William Thompson did invent an aj paratus and kindly forwarded it to the Coast Survey, but it would not work. Yankee ingenuity then invented an attachment by which it was made so efficient that soundings of 3000 fathoms can be made in thirty minutes and without deflecting more than a fathom from the perpendicular. More Petroleum. • The reported discovery of extensive petroleum deposits in Braz’l, Venez uela, Russia, Roumania, Hung ar and elsewhere outside of I^ennsylv nia and the Canadian Dominions, h~ excited some attention of.date. T latest news in this line is that pet liurn abounds in paying quantities S'guenza, Spain, about.,a hun miles northeast of Mrfdrid, on tTie jfin of railway leading to the latter city. It is stated that wells in that locality have been worked for about two years by the proprietor, aud that they are capable of beiDg greatly extended. To this end articles of association of a new mining company have been filed at Madrid. The analyses of the oil are good. Furnaces, retorts and other necessary appliances have been al ready put down. The Manchester Guardian says of the project: “Judg ing from the quantities of oil which are yearly imported into Spain from Pennsylvania, and the high pric ruling, the success of the 6ompany is considered more than probable, It will be interesting to note its pro gress.” ^ When to Smoke, There is very little, if anything,say the London Lancet, to be said against the use of tobacco in the average state of the organism. Those who are un favorable affected by it should abstain, and it is wholly Inadmissible in youth... We should go so far as to say that no young man should smoke before he has attained his majority, and i would be well if he deferred the use tobacco altogether in every form uni the extreme limit of development, which may be placed at the age of 26 years. It is impossible to give any precept as to the time and mode of smoking. Speaking generally, the points of caution should be to avoid ir ritation of the mucous membrane cf the mouth and fauces, loss of salivary secretion and super excitement of the nerves and nerve centres, Cigars are better than pipes, and far better than cigarettes; but no oigar should be smoked for more than three-fourths of its length, even with a mouthpiece. The smoke should be taken into the front of the mouth aud ej dieted as rap. idly as possible. Properly and moder ately enjoyed tobacco smoking, the writer concludes, is not a baneful hab it, but one that may be reasonably enjoyed. “Yes, sir,” he said, “that’s kn aw ful knowing bulldog o’ mine. He was jam full o’ fleas, and he got sick o’ wrenching his spine and tUe oords of his neck reaching rcund to gnaw ’em, and besides, he was rather tired o’ the taste of himself. What did he do? Went out,sir,and got into a fight with another dog, aud and let that dog do the gnawing for him. Mighty Intelli gent dog, sir.” “I don’t believe in a good-natured husband,” saidMrs. Jeeus. 'fltmaki brluj^iome too.