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: - 1 ■ • tf-Oy •• •• •*- V.VFivi J • !' 1 the mercury. PUBLISHED EVERY-TUESDAY. notice. . A u poaunankaUiona iitnM for tUa J^iniut be aooompenled with the full J*L, of the writer, not neoea*arl!y for pnbl*. bnt u » K««r*utee of Rood taith. tV. »re in no w*y reeponrible for (he view* „ gpiaion* of eorreepondento. G . w. H. WHITAKER. dentist, BoadenriUe, do. Tnn Cash. Offlee At hh reridenee on Harris Stmt. April I, 18*L B. 0. EVANS, Attorney atLaw, April I, IMP. SoadorariUO) On. DR. WM. RAWLINGS, Physician & Surgeon, BandetoviUe, do, OfRee At SAnderwviUo Hotel. April I*. I**- E. A. SULLIVAN, notary public, Saadaevrille, Ga. Special Attenttoa tfvea to OoUaoUon o' oUioift’ Offlee in the Ooort-Uonae. 0. H. ROGERS, Attorney at Law, BanderaTfllo, On. Prompt Attentiea (Iren to all bnafneaa. Offlee In aorthweet room tf Ocort-Houee. Maj ♦, 1M0; C. C. RROWN, Attorney at Law, Bander* rill A, Ga. Will praedM in the Stato And United State* Court*. Offlee in Court-Home. H. N. HOLLIFIELD, Physician & Surgeon, SaadanriUa,Ga. Offlee neat deer te Mrs. BayWa mUliner; Mors on Hania Street. DR. J. B. ROBERTS, Physician & Surgeon, Qs. Utj be eonanlted at Ma otBee on Harnaa Ureal, in the lUeonie Lodge buliitiag, Irom I • ■to 1 p a*, and troaa I to la m; daring other hoar* at hi* raaideooe, on Church atreet, when not pi 'dueeionallr an* ■ rad April I 1880. Watches, Clocks AND JEWELBY Kerin no n JERNIGAN. P08T0FFICB HOURS. 7:00 to 11:30 a. m. 1:10 to 8:00 p. m. K. A. Somjtaw, P, M. Subscribe for the MERCURY, Only 81.40 per tunnsm. PUB1JSHKD BT JERNIGAN A SCARBOROUGH. BUY YOUB Spectacles, Spectacles, FROM JERNIGAN. l^*Non( genuine without our Trnde Mark. On hand and for Bale, cles.lsB Gli Music, Music. SOTO JERNIGAN BOLINS, "" accordeons, BOWS, STRINGS, gQ8IW BOXES. ETC. Machine Needles, OIL and SHUTTLES of Machine*, for (Ale. I will U, ° ord « r parts ot Maohinoe that get broke, and new piocea are wauled. A-J- JERNIGAN. 5100 PRESENT! For a Machine that will t> Saw as Fast and Easy as till, one. Bawa off t n 6 <? I i 1Er of Saw Machines SO,000 ( n ~ u ,. c fo ° t lo ® la 2.mini raad. war *“ted. Glrcularfre?. Manufacturing Co., Chloago, III. It .minutes. The cheapest machine THE MERCURY. A. J. JERNIGAN, PRorniETOB. DEVOTED TO LITERATURE, AGRICULTURE AND GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. 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,