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VOL. II.
SANDERSVILLE, GA., APRIL 19, 1881.
Tho Peanut.
A largo and healthy peanut
Lay enzily abed,
And it ohucklod, ob, so gleefully I
And to itself it said:
" There’s a great big world before me
And my mission yet to do;
And up I’ll be and doing it,
Ero the sun has dried the dour.
“ There are greedy boys to conquer,
And hungry girls as well;
What a world of power I’ve liiddon
Within this little shell.
Though they slay mo in tho battle,
Though they crush mo like a worm,
Though thoy hake and crunch my body,
If I can I’llmako ’em squirm.”
And the small boy grabbed that peanut
And ho cracked it ’tween his teeth,
But when ho would have swallowed it,
It choked him e’en to death;
And the ponnut’B work was ended—
It had fallen in the strifo—
It had done its mission nobly,
Though tho doing cost its life,
AN APRIL FOOL.
Helen was our beauty; there is no
contradicting that. A haughty, high-
spirited beauty, almost dark enough for
an Asian; but so perfectly made, with
such a glow on tho olivo oval, such a
ruddy riponess ori tho full lip, such a
luster in tho great dark oyo. And, like
most beauties, she felt as if tho world
was inado for Ciesar.
Of course, none of us in tho little vil
lage group over thought of denying her
supremacy. In fact, wo all admired her
too much for that, although I doubt if
any of us loved lior. Rut wo all took a
certain pleasure in seeing her arrayed
to suit her bounty; and many was the
scarf and ribbon and roso given her,
like timid offerings at a slivine, from
Clara and mo, and, for tho matter of
that, from Maria and Emily, and all the
rest of our girls except perhaps Jane,
who had not so much to givo and
who novel- indulged herself in fineries-
» little Quaker-like body in her gray
gown, with her light hnir put back
smoothly from her white forehead ; not
pretty in most eyes at all, but always so
fair and pure to mo. Helen, however,
looked at Jano with a lofty disdain ;
which Jane appeared to think all right
and natural, for little Jane shared our
popular feeling that Helen’s movements
had something to do with keeping the
■arth in equipoise. And, in fact, I have
often noticed sineo that anybody with
some ono trait of pronounced mental or
physical superiority, well sustained by
i bad temper behind it, can rule all the
vorld uithin reach, just ns Helen did.
Wo were, the most of us, bettor off,
as tho pliraso goes, than Helen, so far
as money was concerned ; for she wa*-
only Mrs. Knowle’s companion, and,
except littlo Jane, who was an orphan,
and had just enough incomo to dross
herself meagerly and pay her board at
Aunt Elroy’s, we all had our happy
homes. Jano lmd set out to lit hersell
for teaching. She played rather won
derfully, and she could have spoken to
veu in one or two different languages, if
sho had not been always so shamefaced.
As for Clara and mo, we wero the hoi-
lens of tho village. Maria was tho flirt
and'Emily was the religiouso. She and
Mrs. Knowles used to have tho most
marvelous mornings together, talking of
albs and chasubles and altar pieces and
candlesticks, which somehow made
Emily rather interesting to the rest of
us, although Cousin Stanhope laughed
at us about it, if ho didn’t laugh at her.
Cousin Stanhope, bo it understood,
was tho light of our oyes in that moun
tain hamlet, so far as connection with
tho outside world wont. He was, in one
degree or another, tho cousin of almost
all of us, for wo were all more or less
distantly related. He had a position in
tho state department at Washington
that allowed him some leisure ; and, as
wo were not a great way from his head
quarters, ho often ran up for a Sunday
and brought us news of that great world,
aud occasionally brought some oue of
tho people figuring on its scenes—now
and they, an attacho of ono of the lega
tions ; once in a while a traveling for
eigner ; onco, indeed, a South Sea island
chief, who boldly asked Helen to go
bnck with him toOtakeito. A primitive
savago Stanhope eallod him; but, if
that wore true, tho primitive savago was
a very calm and noblo gentleman.
“ I don’t know how you can say so,”
Helen remarked, as wo wore talking him
over on Aunt Elroy’s piazza, our usual
place of congregation, ono bright spring
morning, April Fool’s day, as we had
loarnod, to our cost, in a scries of Stan
hope’s jests through the mail. “ A great,
swarthy barbarian ? I suppose it is be
cause I am so dark myself; but I hate
no affinity with your dusky-skinned
^I saw Dr. Malatcstata lower his book
from his own dusky face and look at
her curiously a moment.
‘Being a blackamoor myself,” contin
ued Helen, “ what I admire is my
antipodes.”
“ Littlo Jane, for instance, said I.
“No, indeed. That colorless mor
sel ! A yellow-haired Norse, some de
scendant of ono of the old Cimbn, a
blue-eyed and red-haired .Spanish
grandee. Ho would like me, too, said
Holen, laughing and putting up a great
dropping curl, “ou tlie same principle.
I expect to fall in with him yet-
“ Or fall out with him,” said I.
ii Nothing less than a Spanish hidal
go, with a string of titles as long as his
rent-roll.” ,,
“ Then I suppose a poor, swarthy
Roman doctor need nover hope to find
favor with those of your way of think
ing, Miss Helen?” said Dr. Malatestata,
in his smooth English, to which ho
slightest accent in the world was like
sauce piquante to flavorless mea •
“Oh,” said Helen, coolly, with her
finest air of insolence. “I did not no
tice that you were there, Signor.
“But you will notice the hidalgo,
with tho string of titles and the rent
roll? Well, hidalgos are often pool.
“Then L should have no use for
them,” said Helen.
“Do you mean to say, Miss Helen,
that you would not marry, a P°° r * nc *
untitled man? What is tho matter
with you American girls ? What hotter
title is prince than doctor ? I fail to
see tho secret of it. There is a legend
in my land that onco tho Roman purple
was put up at auction. Diavolo! Is
all this beauty for sale, too, to the high
est bidder ?”
Holen stared at him a moment, an
swering nothing.
", By the way, Clara,” then she said,
entirely ignoring him and his remarks,
“ did von see tho Spanish lace capo Mrs.
Knowles gave Emily? I should have
liked it myself; and, indeed, it was not
expensive.”
“ She made a real April fool of Helen
with it,” said Clara; “ for when sho un
folded it, Helen thought, of course, it
Was for her.”
“ And I had just began to thank her,
when she turned it -over to ‘ the nun.
However, it is tho only time that I over
was made an April fool,” said Helen,
with her most superior gesture; “anil I
defy any ono to do it again.”
“ Why, Helen ! How you forget!" I
exclaimed. “ Littlo Jane lias mado you
one every year since sho has known
you.”
"OhI Littlo Jano! Her fooleries 1
Sweet moats under your breakfast-plate 1
Yes, if you count that, littlo Jauc lias.”
“And will noxt year too, I’ll be
bound,” said Dr. Malatcstata. “At least,
she would if—’’ And I was thankful
that lie whoelod bis chair away and
round tho corner of tho gallery, for a
knew ho was going to say, “ if" naturo
had not been before her; ’’ and if ho lind
said it Helen would linvo had her foot
on all our nocks beforo penco could have
boon declared.
Dr. Malatcstata was Cousin Stanhope’s
last importation—an Itnlian gentleman
who was visiting America, a graduate of
some wonderful old university, who per
haps might, settle down and practice in
America if lie had inducement, Cousin
Stanhope said, with a laugh, and who
had found his way to tho Italian lega
tion at Washington, where Stanhope
had mot him. It was quite unfor
tunate for him that ho fell on the slip
pery pavement anil broke his ankle; but
Stanhope, who had taken a fancy to
him, hail brought him up to our village
as soon ns ho could bo moved, and bad
installed him at Aunt Elroy’s, where lie
was waited on by inches, Aunt Elroy
outdoing lierself in fancy dishes, and
little Jano now and then venturing lest
lie might be homesick to let him lienr
his native tongue again, while she spoke
a littlo of her timid Italian with him,
Imlf sure that ho was laughing at her,
but willing bo should laugh if that di
verted the poor gentleman any from tho
pain in his anklo.
“ As if it wouldn’t make him home
sick," said Helen, high nnd mightily.
But it didn't seem to do so. Ho used
to watch little Jane a good deal. Per
haps it amused him. When sho came
back,with her basket on her arm from
Aunt Elroy’s errands among the poorer
people of the mountain (and sho was
always sure to have one or two eases of
want in reserve as her own property),
he would ask lior a swarm of questions
and apparently derive infinite entertain
ment from lior answers. But lie was
occupied tho most part of tho time with
notes that ho seemed to bo collecting
and arranging for a book;
“ Singular person!” said Helon, in
her sweetly scornful tone. “ What
could Cousin Stnnhopo have boon think
ing of to bring him l^cro ? Ho hasn’t
even tho manners of a gentleman.”
“ Why, Helen I" came a chorus.
"I think ho is a consummate gentle
man," said Aunt Elroy.
“Just about us much of a gentleman
as.lano is a lady,” continued Helen.
“ Look at her now, bringing in the
eggs. Sho hasn’t a soul aliovo her
lions."
" Sho gives every egg to tho poor and
sick people up tho hills.”
“Goody! goody! Just my ideal of
an old maid. Scanty gown, puritanic
collar, plain hair, generally drab. Well,
thero must always bo ono such in every
circle.”
“Ono such!’’ I cried. "I wish there
were a dozen such.”
“ Oh! w’ell," said Helen, “we won’t
quarrel over little Jane. She’s tco
small, deal'.”
It was lovely April weather up our
hillsides. Everything was blossoming
into May. All life and tho future seem
ed to our hearts as bright as tho bloom
ing world was. Wo passed the timo in
ono long picnic—Mother nnd Aunt
Elroy and Uncle John and Mrs. Knowles
and all—climbing tho mountains, catch
ing tho brook trout nnd broiling them
on our wood fires, aud coming bnck
with our arms full of flowers. At least,
wo all did but littlo Jane. Sho said she
had not the heart to leave their lodger
alone in his condition to tho mercies of
Old Sally ; and sho used to do her little
gardening around tho house, and carry
her pensioners our flowers of the day be
fore if we bad left them with her, and
bo back again at short intervals. And
the last I saw of her one day she had
hor davenport on tho piazza and was
writing away at his dictation, as if there
were no such thing as May breezes and
flowers and mountain rambles, and life
wore good for nothing except to make
it pleasant to his swarthy, lean, ill-
favored foreigner. But it was only
Jane’s way with everybody.
“ That is one of the troubles with
her,” said Helen. “ She hasn’t any
identity. Sho forgets herself in the
next person always. A bit of white
glass—that is all she is.” And there was
such an assumption of authority in
Hilen’s sayings that, oftor a few repe-
til : ons, one was apt to take them as
gospel. Only Dr. Malatestata never
did; and his polite way of looking over
her and through hor as if she . were a
transparency or did not oxist at all, was
the only way he had of moving Helen.
Anil that did move her.. Presently I
thought I saw’ that Helen had deter
mined to change it; and although sh9
did not care a sou for liim himself, she
could not brook a rebel within her
dominion, and she meant to make
him care for her. In the full flow
of admiration long received her
pride had sailed upon a smooth cur
rent, without an obstruction. This ob
struction of the oblivious Italian doctor
caused a disagreeable commotion in the
tide. What made me first think of it
was Helen’s picking to pieces a bunch
of yellow blossoms sho had brought in
from tho woods, and as sho passed the
doctor in his chair scattering a rain of
them all over him, and then looking
back with a laugh that showed her
glittering teeth and brightened all the
carnation on her olive cheoks nnd tho
luster in her oyes. Well, she was too
beautiful for anything but dreams. Tho
doctor must have seen what I thought
where I sat in the window-fmmo, for
presently ho said to me: “ Too brilliant
for use, is it not ? As for mo, I prefer—
Wliat was it Miss Jano read to me to
day ?”
“You mean
“‘A creature not too bright ami good
For lnimnu nature’s daily food ?’
That would bo Miss Jnuo lierself,”
said L
“ St. Jane,” said he.
“ I suppose,” 1 said, " that ono sees a
plenty of such faces in Rome ?”
“ As Miss Helen’s ? Plenty."
" I always thought Helen looked like
a Roman lady.”
“Like a Roman peasant girl,” said
he.
But I know bettor than to repeat bis
words.
"So your peasant girls havo that
golden tinge under tho carmine?” I
asked him.
“ All of thorn."
In a day or two Helen, who often
came over to Aunt Elroy's, wlioro sho
saw a group of us, when Emily and
•Mrs. Knowles wore having one of their
seances, was standing by a pillar of tho
gallory, twisting a budding vino about
horsolf, and a humming bird came dart
ing along, and hovered a moment, just
ns if ho took her mouth for a blossom.
We all exclaimed nnd laughed, even tho
doctor; and when tho next moment a
saucy robin in tho blnek-heavt cherry
troo gave forth n burst of his music,
and Helen opened her lips and answered
it in delicious trill on trill, wo felt as if
the scono was something ideal.
“ You could hardly do hotter than this
in Italy,” said I to tlie doctor.
“Tho robins tako you for. ono of
themselves, Helon," said Aunt Elroy.
“ It is ono of-tho wise birds,” snid the
doctor. “ Ho wants another song from
you, Miss Helen, as I, indeed, do too.”
And then Helen sang again. She hail
boen chary of her songs before; but
after this tou always knew whon Helen
was coming by the musio fliat ushered
her, and where she was going by the
sweet souuils that went dancing after
her.
“How can lie help falling at her feet ?’’
said I to Cousin Stanhope, on ono of his
Saturdays with us.
“ He is lame,” said Stanhope.
“ Nonsense 1”
“ And then I should havo fallen in
love with her myself long ago, if it had
not boon for her temper."
“ Yon, Stanhope V"
" Yes, I; and if—”
“If what?”
“ If I had not fallen in lovo with
somebody else."
But just then tho doctor, who had so
far improved as to bo able to uso a
crutch, came down tho garden-path and
took Stnnhopo off with him. I saw lit
tle Jane gaze after them intently a mo
ment; and I wondered vaguely if she
wero too fond of Stanhope, and I felt
vaguely disturbed and unhappy, and
wont home and practiced a sonata till I
was tired out.
How fair and sweet Jane was in those
.Tune days, ns they came I There was
such an unspeakable tranquillity about
her. I never looked at hor without
thinking of perfect, placid dnwnings.
“ What a complete lady Jano is,” I
said to Stanhope once, as wo wore walk
ing in tho wood.
“ That is because hor temperament is
so quiet. It gives hor manners repose,”
ho answered. “ ‘ All her ways are pleas
antness and all her paths are peace.’ ”
And I knew I had no right to bo vexed
with him for speaking so. Who could
bo blamed for loving Jane ?
“ Only I never could see,” added Stan
hope, “ how any man could fall in love
with Jane. I should ns soon think of
kissing a statue. But then, I suppose,”
ho said, looking half askance at me,
“ when ono is in lovo with somebody
else—” And lie stopped, because two
people wero slowly coming through tho
wood, although they wero not observ
ing us. It was Dr. Malatestata, who
could now walk tolorably with his stick,
nnd Helon, whom ho had met.
“ Yes,” he was saying, “ I have quite
recovered—so far that I shall bo able to
resume my journey in a short time.
And, Miss Helen, shall I tell you ? When
I go homo I hope to take a wifo there
with me.”
“Why in tho world should Helen
think ho moans hor?” whispered Stan
hope. “Look at her!” For Helon hail
suddenly averted her face, and, thrust
ing her hands out before her in a beau
tiful forbidding gesture, bad cried:
“ Oh, no, no, no ! I could never leave
America!’’
Dr. Malatestata stopped short in his
walk, in blank amazement.
“ I bog your pardon, Miss Helen,” ho
cried. “You misunderstand me,” Tie
said. “ Believe me, I had no thought of
asking you.” And then ho drew himself
up proudly. “ I was about to tell you,”
be snid, “ that I am the promised hus
band of Miss Jano.”
But at that time Stanhope, who had
been in the secret for some time, could
not forbear a moment longer, and burst
into a roar of laughter.
And then such an angry man as
Malatestata was may I never see again,
when be began adjuring Stanhope in
foreign tongues, While the latter leaned
against the tree and laughed on.
“ At any rate,” said Helen to me,that
night " the fact remains that I refused
him. He didn’t misunderstand mo.”
Well, it was the loveliest little wedding
that we had two weeks later on Aunt
Elroy’s broad gallory, with all the
flowers and vines and birds. And a
grand Italian gentleman came up with
Stanhope, too, who treated us all like
nobles, and delighted Emily and awed
Maria. The doctor would have his
wlicel-chair present, for he declared
it had been the best friend he ever had;
and he looked at Jane in hor white
muslin and jesamines, as if it were too
much that any of us should touch her.
And then he took her off on the journoy
SI.50 PER ANNUM.
NO. 3.
over tho continent; “for wo will see
America before wo go back to our homo
in Italy,” he said.
So letters came to us from Niagara,
from a shooting season in Colorado,
from Mexico, from Californian ranches;
then from the islands of tho Pacific
seas, from Japan, from India; and Jane
was going to her homo by wav of tho
Roil sea and Egypt and the 'Mediter
ranean.
“Just think of our littlo Jano !" said
I. " Sho is putting Marco Polo in tho
shade."
“It’s about time he settled down to
his practice now, though,” said Aunt
Elroy, not meaning Marco Polo, but the
doctor. “I declare, what a gap it
makes in lifo to havo Jano gone; anil
new Mrs. Knowles and Helen too. I
wonder if Helen is having the triumph
ant. timo sho hoped for in Romo.” For
Mrs. Knowles had gone to Rome, and
Holen hail been buoyant with exporta
tion.
“ Are you speaking of Helon ?’’ said
Emily, coming up with an opon lottcr
from tho post. “Sho has seen some
very pleasant peoplo. She lias boon a
guest at a grand villa, been present at a
superb festival in tho country anil been
received by a prince and princess. Do
you want to read about it?" Anil this
was wliat Helen had written on thnt
page:
“ It was just a morning of mornings,
this April ilny; anil Mrs. Knowles nnd I,
having left tho city aud come up hero on
the Apennines, wero taking our Rtroll—
a stroll wlioro wo crushed tho violets nt
every stop—when wo saw that the vil
lage was all aflame with flowers and
bnnncrs, and the people decked out liko
a sceno in a theater, and tlioro was music,
and thero wore throngs of children, with
garlands, anil I don’t know wlint anil all.
It was the homo-coming of the prince
and princess, thoy said. And we had
time to hear no more; for, as wo stood
just inside tho gates of tho lovely gar
dens, wo stopped aside, to let tho low car
riage, with its four cream-colored horses,
dash by. Anil all of a sudden there was
a cry, anil the horses were pulled up,
anil two peoplo sprang out of tho car
riage. Anil ob, Emily 1 I lmd reason
to remember, all in a rush, that it was
April Fool’s day, and I the merest fool
tliut ever was—I, who bad actually re
fused this man ! Fur who do von think
iho prince was but Prince Mnla'cstnta ?
And tho princess—was our littlo Jano 1”
—Independent.
Pearls of Thought.
There is a right and a wrong way ol
rubbing a man’s mind, os well us a cat’s
back.
• The law can nover make a man honest;
it can only mako him very uncomfort
able when lie is dishonest.
Even the weakest hian is strong enough
to enforce bis convictions.
What reason, liko I bo careful ant,
draws laboriously together, the wind of
accident collects in one brief moment.
Thero’s a sort of human pasto that
when it comes near tho fire of enthusi
asm is only baked in harder shape.
No story is the same to us nftor the
lapse of time ; or, rather, wo who read it
are no longer the same interpreters.
Angry niul choleric men are as un
grateful nnd unsociable as thunder and
lightning, being in themselves all storm
anil tempest; but quiet and easy natures
nro like fair weather, welcomo to nil.
Mon do not often daro to avow, even
to themselves, the slow progress reason
lias mado in their minds; but thoy are
ready to follow if it is presented to
them in a lively and striking manner,
anil forces them to recognizo it.
If the memory is moro floxiblo in
childhood it is more tenacious in mature
ago; if childhood has sometimes the
memory of words, old ago has that of
things, which impress themselvos ac
cording to tho clearness of tho concep
tion of tho thought which we wish to
retain.
He that gives good advice builds with
ono hand; ho that gives good counsel
and example builds with tlio other; but
lie that gives good admonition niul bad
example builds, with ono hand and pulls
down with tho other.
Man being fallen from his natural
estate, there is no objoct so extravagant
as not to bo capable of attracting his
desire. Ever since he lost his real good,
everything clients him with tho appear-
anco of it—even his own destruction,
though contrary at this seems both to
reason and naturo.
An Indian Boy’s Love-Letter.
A love-letter picked up on the floor
of a school with Hampton’s views on
co-education need not iuoyilahly shock
even pedagogic sensibilities. Written
in an unknown tongue, liowovor, with
only the nnmos to betray it, a transla
tion by tho private interpreter, seemed
only a proper precaution. If I confide
it to the gentle reader, the Indian lov
ers will be neither the worse nor tho
wiser, while some others may find in it
valuable suggestions for similar corre
spondence.
Normal School, February 8, 1879.
Miss : I said I like you
and I want to give you a letter. When
ever I givo you letter, I want you to
answer mo soon. That’s all I want, and
I will answer to yon soon after. When
you give me letter, it raises me up. It
makes me heart-glad, sister-in-law.
When I talk I am not saying anything
foolish. Always my heart ve y glad. I
want yon lot mo know your thought. I
always like you and lovo you. I am
honest about what I say, I always keep
in mind. I want always wo smilo at
each other when meet. Wo live happy
always. I think that’s best way, anil
you think it is and let me know. And
Isayagbin, when I give letter, keep
nicely und not show to any one. If
they know it, it no good way. They
take uu away, nnd that is the reason
don’t show it. Hear me, this all I um
going to say. I like you, and I love
you. I won’t say any more. My whole
'heart is shaking hands with you. I kiss
you. Your lover. .
—Harper's Magazine.
It is better to be blamed for doing
your duty, than praised for not doing it.
A Dear Chronometer.
Moannoss not infrequently resembles
tho
Vaulting ambition which oo’rloaps itself,
And falls on tho other.
An excellent illlnstration of this “ o’er-
lenping” is furnished by a certain trans
action of John Jacob Astor with one of
his captains. The story iB told by a
writer in tho Boston 1\ansci ipt:
Tho captain lmd sailed six voyages to
China without a clironomoter, depend
ing on “ dead reckoning" nnd “luuars;"
just starting on his seventh voyage, he
suggested to Mr. Astor that it would be
safer to have a chronometer.
“ Well, get ono,” said the merchant.
The captain did so, and entered its
cost in his account current. Whon As
toria eyes foil upon tho item ho drew
his pencil through it. The captain ex
postulated. Said ABtor: “I told you
to got one; I didn’t soy I’d pay for it.”
Tho captain severed his oonnoction
With Astor then and thero, and went
into Wall stroot, engaged with other
owners, and beforo night was in com
mand of as fine a ship as over floated in
Now York’s bonutifnl bay.
In tliroo days sho was ready for sea,
and sot sail. At the same timo Astor’s
ship, under tho command of a now cap
tain, sot sail also. Thoy had a race for
Hong Kong, but the captain who, as he
used to put it, had discharged John
Jacob . Astor, by keeping tho men at the
braces, took advantage of evory puff of
wind and won by three days.
‘ Then thore was lively work. The
ship was loaded in tho shortest time
possiblo, and before Astor’s vossol,
which had arrived meantime, was half
loaded, our captain weighed anchor,
nnd with a full cargo of tea sot sail for
Saudy Hook; arrived in good time; got
bis ship alongside the wharf and began
hoisting out his cargo, which was sold
by auction on the spot.
This glutted tho market, for the
consumption was comparatively small
in those days; and when Astor's ship
eamo in prices hail fallen.
Two days later, as tho captain was
sauntering down Broadway, ho met his
former employer.
“ Hew much did flat chronometer
fcst yon I" asked the latter.
“ Six hundred dollars.”
“Veil,” said Astor, “dat vas sheap.
It cost mo sixty tonsnnd dollars!"
The merchant nnd tho captain have
long since paid tho reckoning, but that
chronometer is still a good timekeeper
uud u treasured relic as woll.
Weal Iter l’roplicts.
Speculations about the wonthor arc
"ot wholly nsoless it wo are to accept
tho testimony of Professor J. Hyatt,
who has been engaged for a long time
in studying the relations between tb«s
phases of the moon and the rainfnll at
certain stations. It 1ms long boon
known that whon the moon is full tho
sky is most likely to bo clear. This 1b
not only tho testimony of sailors aud
farmers, but also of eminent astrono
mers aud scientific men. It appears
that tho rays of tho full moon have the
powor to tlispol clouds, aud it Ihoroforo
sooms not unreasonable to supposo that
tho moon exerts an appreciable influ
ence upon tho weather. Professor
Hyatt’s observations liavo led him to
divide tho lunar month, of about twen
ty-nino and a half days, into eight pe
riods, or octants, of three and two-third
days each, and he has found that every
bin tion is apt to acquire its character
as regards rainfall within tho first oc
tant, or within threo and two thirds
days from tho timo of tho new moon. It
also appenrs that the same hind of
weather, as regards temperature, clouili-
noss or rain, is apt to occur on or about
tlio same day of tho week, or moro ac
curately, at tho samo stage in the lunar
quarters. A number of instances are
given, extending over a considerable
period of time, which seems to bear out
tho truth of these conclusions with re
markable accuracy, and it would seem
thut if sovon-tontbs of an inch or moro
of rain fulls within threo anil two thirds
days of the new moon, tho entire luna
tion is very likely to bo a wet one ; but
if very little rain falls during that timo
tho remaining seven-eights of the luna
tion will probably bo dry. These ob
servations verify the old saying that
tho first threo days rule the month. As
a result of observations conducted at
two localities, oxtending over a period
of three years, tho rule has been found
to bold good in at loast elovon cases out
of twolvo, and thoy would doubtless
bold good for all places in the hilly
country between tho Appalaoliiaus and
the Atlantic, not too near either the
sea or the mountains. Such conclu
sions are only reliable for places simi
larly situated, since peculiarities of
location, elevation, tho prevailing di
rection of the wind, etc., necessarily
affect tho result, anil those character
istics must bo studied for each place.
The distribution of rainfall is very ir
regular throughout the year; two or
three dry or two or three wet lunations
are apt to be grouped together.
Inaction.
Great evils result from physical in
action. It is well known that through
tlio whole human system strength uuil
development come only by exercise.
Every unused muscle shrinks in sizo
aud loses its force, and the man or wo- ;
man who lives chiefly a li o of passive :
repose will gradually lose tlie powor as
well ..s the desire for uclivity. This,
however, is l>y no means tho whole of
tho evil involved. Tho connection be
tween the mind and tho body is very
intimate, and the mental faculties can
not obtain 'heir full power, nor the
character attain its highest excellence,
unless the body be kept in healthful
condition by salutary exercise. Puro
air and regular physical exertion are
necessary in order to think clearly, to
decide wisely, to reason acutely, to
plan with discretion, and to execute
with vigor. Strength of will depends
largely upon strength of rnusolo, and
ho who is weak anil flabby in the latter
will in all probability be feeble and ir
resolute in the former.
THE MERCURY.
Eatond u •Mond-etaM matter at th. I
ilmsvtffl. FaaMflkm, April %1,1896.
talwiINi WMkhctoB Offlotf, I
JEMHSAN « SCARBOROUGH.
I I »!!■..- #1.60pm r.
HUMOR OF THE DAY.
Cast thy monoy upon the newspaper*
nnd after many days it will return to yon
fourfold.
Sunday may bo a.very solemn sort of
a day, but there’s a sadder day come*
just before it.—Steubenville Herald.
Favorite music for a soldier—A march-
For a hunter—A sohottiBche. For a
horseback rider—A galop. — Waterloo
Observer. -
A member of tho Colorado legislature
in addressing that august body began;
“ My fellow-statesmen.” His bill passed
unanimously.
James Gordon Bennett has paid out
830,000 for musio in Pan. But that's all
right. Ho got liis money from pan.—
Louisville Journal.
Tho New York Dispatch says that the ■:
best way to raise chickens is to chuck a
fish-hook loaded with a kernel of corn
over your neighbor’s fence.
A candidate whoso principal support
ers are tavem-koepors and shoemakers,
proudly alludes to them ns members
of the bar nnd bench.—Philadelphia
Chronicle.
Tlio man who took a seat in the or
chestra when liis ticket was for the seo-
ond balcony, felt badly at having to
olinngo. In fact he was moved two tiers.
—Boston Post.
“ Why, I’m so glail you’ve come. Did
yon know that I’ve boen wonying about
von, John, all tho evening?” “That's
just wliat I married you for. It is pleas
ant to think that there is some oneliome
worrying about yon." Somehow this
viow of the matter didn’t exactly coin
cide with her idea of marital amenities.
" The digestive process of a mosqui
to’s stomach is so slowly performed that
wlion the insect lias dined on n human
being, it continues for forty-eight honrs
to exhibit blood corpuscles." Not if
tlio human being gets a good square
whack at him with a towel ho doesn’t.
He merely exhibits a spot on tho wall.—
BostnPost.
A Hartford man sent a pair of trousers
to liis tailor to bo repaired. The tailor
found $300 in a roll in tlie pocket and
returned it, receiving the thanks of the
owner thereof. When wo send a pair of
trousers to our tailor to bo reconstnict-
cd and ho finds $300 in tlie pocket and
returns it, we always tell him to keep
the trousers for bis honesty, which is
the host policy.—Norrisloirn llerald.
■ m
Accounts from Foochow China
speak of two natives who had been
steeped up to their necks in quicklime
for counterfeiting “cash,” the smallest
of Chinese coins. Both speedily died.
W&i
-m
Washing Away the Earth.
No particle of sand which goes down
into tlio sen ever comes back. Yet the
particles leave the surface of the earth
evory second anil nro carried, suspended
in tlio wuters of more than twenty
thousand rivers, out into tho oceuus.
Tlioro are more than n hundred streams,
classed on tlio maps as rivers, in Louis
iana alone. Each ono of those has
sovoral hundred creeks, brooks and
spring branches tributary to it. Each
brook or spring branch, with its count
less rivulets,elnsps the hillsides and drags
down the surfaces thereof—down into tlie
brooks—down into tho creeks—down into
the rivers—down into tlio ocean. And
there tho atoms rest pat ion ly; each
atom waiting for its sisters and its
cousins nnd its aunts still lingering in
tho fields and on the bills, yet creeping
toward the gullies and thence to the
sea. This process lias been going on
Rinoo the timo whon “tho world was
without form and void;” whereby the
primeval rocks wore disintegrated and
spread abroad in fertile fields; whereby
the fertile fields are slowly being washed
back into the oceans; whereby the bot
tom of tho oceans is being prepared to be
elevated again to the light and to form
other fields whereon cotton and wheat
—or something or other will grow. This
is the very apotheosis of “ demnition
grind.” He who originated that phrase
spoke more scientifically than he knew.
Life, animnte and inanimate, is simply
a grinding down of tho higher parts and
the distribution thereof in the hollows.
The final outcome of earth, after millions
of years, must be something in tho
nature of a largo billiard ball whirling
through the sky, with nothing in the
world on it except a smooth, dead sur
face.
A Remarkable Fact.
One of the most remarkablo instance]
of phosphorescent light appearing on
living creatures is found among the
herons. Among the keys and the ex
treme end of Florida these birds are
found in countless numbers. Mullet
fishermen and sportsmen have often no
ticed peculiar dim lights standing mo
tionless over tho water among the
mangrove thickets. They wero discov
ered, however, to depend on the pres
ence of the birds. When thoy were ap
proached in the dark, the flapping
of wings as a crane flew away
would be the last of the
lights. The writer has examined many
of the birds, especially the Ardea Hero-
dias or great heron, and found on the
breast a spot about as largo as the open
palm where the feathers are covered
with a thick yellow powder, that is easi
ly shaken off and evidently exudes from
tho body at this spot as a seereti. n, dry
ing into a powder when exposed to the
air. The bird stands motionless in the
water, and this spot is undoubtedly
used for or accomplishes tho end of at
tracting the smaller fishes within reach
of the bird, aud if it is a decoy it is a
most remarkable provision of nature.
Thread from Wood.
The manufacture of thread from wood
for crochet and sewing purposes, has, it
is said, recently been started im tlie mid-
dla of Sweden. It is wound in balls by
machinery, either by hand or steam,
which, with the labeling, takes one min
ute and twelve seconds, and the balls are
packed up in cardboard boxes, generally
ten in a box. Flenty of orders from all
parts of Sweden have come in, but as
the works are not in proper order, there
has hardly been time to complete them
all. The production gives fair promise
of success, and it is expected to be very
important, for home consumption.
A novelty in the form of a lace pin is
a golden tishing-rod and silver line ;
looped over the rod, with g. gold fish
dangling from the end,