Newspaper Page Text
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MERCURY
. class mattor at the Sandsn-
***% rostoffloe, April 27, 1880.
M , B nlle, Omljr. 84.
A> J. JERNICAN,
PiormmoB am> Poblmho.
to****-
IL66 par Tear.
'■ +■:' J^ TT f" r r '
THE MERCERY.
A. J. JERNIGAN, Proprietor.
DEVOTED TO LITERATURE, AGRICULTURE AND GENERAL INTELLIGENCE.
•1.60 PER ANNUM.
VOL. IT.
SANDERSVILLE, GA., NOVEMBER 8, 1881.
NO. 32.
PUBLISHED EVERY
NOTICE.
JJHT
OTA11 oommnnlcationa intended tor thispa-
per moat be aeoompeniad with the toll name 4
the writer, not ■Bssmarfly tor pnhlieatio*, bnt
aa a guarantee of good frith. ;
We are in no way responsible toe th* viS*B<*
indoiona of oorreepondenfa.
patches, docks
AND JEWELRY
BErAinED lit
jerniqan
' buy your
Spectacles, Spectacles
FROM
JERNICAN.
Hoot genuine without our Trado Mark.
On hand and for aalo,
spiMlfis. Nose Classes. Etc
Music! Music
-GO TO-
JERNIGAN
-FOR-
BOWS, STRINGS,
IIOSIIV BOXESj&o
Machine Needles
Oil and Shuttles
foil ALL KINDS OF MACHINES, for sail
I will also order parta of MaohlnoB that
get broken, for whioh now
plocee are wanted.
A. J. JERNIGAN,
E. A. SULLIVAN,
NOTARY PUBLIC,
SANDERSVILLE, GA
Special attention giten to the oollootlon 01
china.
Office In the Oonrt-houaa.
C. C. BROWN,
Attorney at Law,
SaudereriUe, Ga.
Will practico in the 8tate and United Slato-
court*. Offioo in Court-lioueo.
H. N. HOLLIFIELD,
Physician and Surgeon,
Sandorerille, Ga,
Office next door to Mrs. Bayno’e millinery
•tore on Harris Stroot.
G. W. H. WHITAKER,
DENTIST,
SANDERSYILLE, GA.
Teumb Cash.
Office at bis Residence, on Harris Stroot
April 8,1880.
B. 0. EVANS,
Attorney at Law,
SANDERSVILLE, GA
April 3, 1880.
25
CENTS,
POSTPAID.
A TREATISE
ON THE HOUSE
In School Days,
Still eite the eehool-houao by the road,
A raggod beggar sunning; '
Around it still the sutnads grow,
And blaokborry vinos aro running.
Within the master's doak is seen,
Deep-scarred by raps official;'
The warping floor, the battored'eoate,
The Jaekknifo’s oarvod Initial;
The charcoal froecoos on the wall;
Its door’s worn sill, botraying
The foet that, oreoping slow to school,
Went storming out to playing.
Long yoars ago a winter sun
8hono ovor it at setting;
Lit up its western window pane*,
And low eaves’ ioy fretting.
It touohod the tanglod golden ourli,
And brown eyos full of grloving,
Of one who still her stops dolayod
When all the sohool were leaving.
For near her stood the little boy
Her childish favor singled;
His cap pullod down upon a face
Whore pride and shamo wore mingled.
Pushing with restless foot the snow
To right and left he Ungerod—
As restlessly hor tiny hands
Tho blua-chocked apron lingered.
Ho saw hor lift hor eyes; ho folk
Tho soft hand’s light caressing, '
And hoard the trembling of hor volco
As if a fault confoesing.
"I’m sorry that I spelt the word;
I hate to go above yon,
Bocauso”—tho brown oyos lower foil—
“ Bocauso, you boo, I love you."
Btill memory to a gray-haired mau
The swoot child-faco is showing.
Dear girl I tho grasses on hor gravo
llavo forty years boeu growing |
Ho lives to loam, in life's hard school,
How few who pass abovo him
Lament their triumph and his loss,
Liko hor—becauso thoy love him.
—John O, Whittier,
MY ROBBER.
-AND-
HIS DISEASES.
a n ^' n ,’ nQ ‘ an Index of Disoasos, which givos
nf ^ynptoms, Cause, aud the Best Treatment
A fable giving all the principal drugs
, for tho Horse, with tho ordinary dost),
WI( , tB ’»nd antidote whou a poison. A Tablo
an . Lngraving of tho Horse’s Tooth at
1 _Ji, , , at > C8 > wilh ruleH for telling tho ago.
otW! i 6 , eedoetion of Roceipts and muoh
other valuable information.
BOOK, sent postpaid to any
25 U* e United Statos or Canada, for
CLUB BATE8.
SSPOOPBB- n 00
one ^copies'. l Is
HUNDRED copies 10 00
Addicatf W ° ^ Three-Oent Stamps reoelved.
New York Newspaper Union,
148 * WO Worth St., NewY.rk.
Wo bad thought it all over; we had
discussed it from every standpoint; wo
had argued it pro and eon, this new
and important question whioh had
foroed itself upon onr lives, but at lost
we had reaohed It conclusion.
Perhaps to others it wonld appear
trivial. To' us it was of mighty
moment, for it throw open our doors to
the admittance of a stranger—in other
and less enigmatio words, a lodger.
We were alone in tho world, Helen
aud I, living in a pretty cottage left us
by our parents, juBt on the outskirts of
London, in one of the fashionable
suburbs, too ; for our father had pos
sensed comfortable means, and had died
believing our future was woll provided
for.
Unfortunate speculations and invest
ments, however, had cousnmed so much
of our capital, that, without encroaoh-
ng upon it farther, the interest would
no longer support us.
For two years wo had struggled along
in the vain effort to make a dollar do
the work of a pound, until we relin
quished it as hopeless, and with the
future merged into a necessitous and
pressing present, the idea just expound
ed occurred to us.
It was in Helen’s fertile brain that it
originated. She was three years my
senior, hut even that made her but
twenty-three. I was very proud of her,
for she was vory lovely, with a sad, far
off look in tho great brown eyes, whose
seoret only I knew.
She never spoke Will Hastings’s
name. They had had some foolish
quarrel just prior to my father’s death,
and soon after the regiment of whioh
he was captain was ordered to India.
I did not moon to spy upon Helen’s
movements. It was quite by accident
that, lying on tho hall table, I saw a
latter addressed to him in his London
quarters, for the maid to give the post
man in the morning.
I said nothing of my discovery, but I
understood my sister’s restless expect
ancy for the past few days, every time
it came the hour for the postman’s
rounds.
I shared it silently, but in vain. We
read one morning in the paper that the
regiment had sailed, but from Will
himself no word reaohed us.
It seemed strangely unlike him, this
hard unforgiveness—but Helen had held
out the olive branch—she could do no
more. Only even yet, in the dead of
night, when she thought me sleeping, I
heard her sobbing in her room
But I am digressing from my sub
ject, and just now it ocoupied all our
thoughts. We were sitting together at
the breakfast table, when wo first fully
appreciated our own temerity at seeing
before us in the Times the advertise
ment we had inserted with such care.
How many times it had been revised be
fore the printers had obtained posses
sion of it was .a secret locked in our
our own breasts.
“If he,’’ the pronoun referring to
the elderly gentleman for whom our ad
vertisement was inserted, " should walk
in now, it wonld not look uninviting,
wonld it?” asked Helen, forcing a smile
and glancing at the dainty table set out
with its sparkling gloss and rich old
The latter was a small fortune in it
self—we could have lived upon it for a
year; but it was on heirloom.
Helen
and I must have been in sad want in
deed to have parted with a single piece.
“No," I answered, oheerily; “let ub
hope he will arrive at Such on auspicious
hour as this.”
But my hopes were to Do blighted.
During the ensuing forty-eight hours
we had many candidates, but on one
side or other Borne obstacle was in the
way.
Our hearts sank as we reviewed the
situation. Whioh one of them wonld
we tolerate to shore our home? We hod
almost determined to give it up—to
struggle on yet a little longer—as we
sat together in the twilight, on the
evening of the third day, when there
came a quick, decided peal to tho bell.
Onr little maid answered it. A mo
ment later a firm, manly tread crossed
the hall—a tall form stood upon the
threshold of the room in whioh we
were. The stranger bowed eonrteously.
" May I enter ?” he said, in a strangely
musical voice.
I had been sitting on a cushion at
Helen’s feet, resting my head upon her
lap. I was conscious that her soft,
caressing hand had prodnoed the wild
est disorder among my loosened braids
as I sprang up confusedly; but save
that a pair of eyes momentarily regarded
me from behind darkened spectacles,
onr guest devoted all his attention to
my sister.
Quiet and dignified as she ever was,
she bade him be seated.
“ An elderly gentleman ” our adver
tisement called for; we were alone, and
so felt it wonld bo more suitable; but
was this man young or old? His voice
was young, his stop was young, but the
spectacles ho woro made him appear
both old aud ugly. Besides, in this half
light it was impossible to see.
I struck a match and lighted the
lamp. He gave a sudden start, and
turned away his head.
“Pardon me,” he said, “but I am suf
fering from an aonte inflammation of
the eye; I cannot bear any light.”
"Pat it ont, dear,” commanded my
sister, and I obeyed, my onriosity all
unsatisfied.
I stood listening silently as he and
Helen talked. He was greatly in need,
he said, of a quiet home. Our advertise'
ment had strangely attracted him, and,
though perhaps not as yet decrepit hy
age, he felt ho might be safely written
down as olderly, especially since this
painful condition of his eyes made it
for a time impossible for him to do any
thing save sit in a darkened room.
His voice was in his favor certainly,
Elis manner, too, was that of a man
well-born, well-bred. I could see that
Helen looked favorably upon him, and
was not surprised when the arrange
ment was closed between them.
Rising to go, ho [handed her his
card, and written upon it was his bank
er's address.
"You oan make any inquiries there,
Miss Ray,” he said; “and, unless I hear
from you to the contrary, I will take
possession on Thursday next."
Thursday 1 and this was Saturday.
Only four more days for Helen and me
to be alone together!
Scarcely had the door closed upon
him than I burst into bitter tears.
“He shall not come I" I cried. “We
will starve first I"
"Why, Bsisy, did you not like him,
dear? Of course he shall not come, if
you objeot; but he offered us such very
liberal terms, and seemed so quiet and
unassuming. I thought you would feel
as I did, that we had been most fortu
nate. Let us wait until morning," she
added, "before we decide anything.”
Her advice proved good. The full
glare of the day showed the thing in a
more prosaio and sensible light. Tho
very end for whioh we had been strug
gling was attained, and 1 had been un
willing to accept it. My ingratitude
deserved to be punished.
Tho next week, in the twilight as
before, Douglas Sage arrived. There
was a large bookoase, several boxes of
books, a reading lamp, an easy-ohair, a
varied assortment of smoking parapher
nalia, as acoompaniments, to give u
enewed proof of a masculine element
under our roof tree.
For two weeks everything worked
smoothly. Except for a subtle odor of
cigar smoke about the halls, and a
daintily-prepared tray three times a
day, we oould almost fanoy no change
had taken place in our household.
Mr. Sago asked that for a time his
meals might be served in his room, as
his eyes could not as yet stand the light.
It seemed scarcely right to leave him
all day alone in that darkened chamber,
unable to read, to write, or to do aught
to while away the slow, tedious hours.
It was Helen’s suggestion that she or
I occasionally should read to him.
“ At his age and in his condition gf
health it really .seemed our duty,” she
said.
Somehow it fell to my shore to carry
out her suggestion. He accepted my
suggestion most eagerly, and so it grew
a habit that I should devote to him two
hours of eaeh day. For the rest of the
time, os I have said, Helen and I might
sorgethis existence.
He j»d been with us a modth, when,
one evening, we received from London
message that my father’s sister, an
old lady, was very ill, and desired that
one of us should eome to her at oneo.
I had been suffering all day with a
nervous headaoho; therefore, it fell to
Helen’s lot to go. The evening seemed
very long without her, as I Bat alone in
our pretty sitting-room. * •
Above my head I oould hear our guest
walking to and fro. He seemed strange
ly restless to-night. Had his restless
ness imparted itself to me ?
At 10 o’clock I closed the honse and
went to my own room, but was wakeful
and could not sleep, even after I had
prepared for bed; so, throwing on a
wrapper, after two wakeful hours, I sat
down to read.
In the Times, which I had carelessly
pioked up, was a long account of a rob
bery committed in a house located in
one of the suburbs, where one of a gang
of thieves had obtained admittance as
a lodger, thus opening the way to the
others.
The whole thing had been most
adroitly done, and the police were on
the track of the thieves, who it was sus-
peoted wore in hiding and disguise.
Disguise! Why did this latter word
suddenly brand itself upon my brain?
Why did Douglas Sage's spectacles sud
denly loom up before me! Why did I
remember how many times I had in
stinctively felt the bright eyes whioh
were bidden behind them fixed searoh-
ingly and scrutinizingly upon me?
A cold shudder ran through mo. Tho
silver. With what pride had we placed
the hoaviest and richest upon the tray
whioh served our gUQst! Neither hud
wo sought his references. His pay
ments had been made promptly and in
advance. He himself appearod so quiet
and unassuming that it had seemed all
unnecessary. But to-morrow—to-mor
row I should satisfy myself at oneo.
To morrow! Ah, was it not already
too late? Just beneath my window
there sounded a loud, low whistle. It
was answered, I could have sworn, from
an open window within the houso.
I sprang to my foot, and stood with
fast beating heart, listening to every
sound. Fora timo all was still, save my
own mad heart throbs.
A half-hour must have passed. Mid
night had struck it seemed a century
before, when suddenly I heard a grat
ing sound, as though a lock was being
filed. m
Why was this necessary, when their
confederates could throw open to them
tho doorB? for I no longer entertained
any doubt as to the real status of our
guest. Everything went to prove it.
His close confinement to the house dur
ing the day, the uncertain view wo had
over obtained of his face, the voice of
youth and assumption of old age, tho
spectacles whioh seemed so effectual a
diguise—all, all 1 But my enlighten
ment had eome too late.
The grating sound continued, when
suddenly there came to me a desperate
courage. I was alone, an unmarried
girl, but I would confront those mid
night marauders, possibly murderers,
aud cow them by my very helplessness.
I threw open my door and passed
swiftly down the hall. Yes, Mr. Sage’s
door was ajar. His room was empty. I
ran on down the stairs. Tho dining
room was in darkness; but, as I crossed
the threshold, a light flared up. Mr.
Sage stood beside the table, the obnox
ious glasses gone, a pistol tightly held
in his clenched hand.
1 now saw him as he was, a man who
could not have attained his thirty-fifth
year—a man both young And singularly
handsome, now that one oould see the
bright, flashing eyeB.
“Miss Margaret—” he began, in a
quick, alarmed tone, but my wrath
could no longer be repressed.
“Ooward! traitor 1” I exclaimed.
But at that instant there was a sud
den noise as the window was opened, a
blinding flash, a deep groan, then my
courage fled and I fainted. When I
opened my eyes, Douglas Sage was hold
ing me in his arms, anxiously bending
over me.
“Poor ohild,” he murmured, ten
derly.
“ How dare you 1" I cried, wreuoh-
ing myself from him; then, catching
sight of a policeman in uniform, I
added, wildly, “arrest this man!” and
again fainted away.
A long fever followed. For days I
lay unoonscious and delirious. They
would not let me talk, even after I had
recovered my mental balance. Fresh
flowers and rare fruits filled my room
during the long period of my convaj
lescence.
“ Helen, you must not I” I declared.
“It is wrong to be so extravagant.”
But she only smiled, and my luxuries
were more plentiful than before.
But one day, os I was sitting, dressed
for the first time, in a large easy-ohair,
there came a qniet tap at my door.
“ Gome in I” I called.
And then I thought my delirium had
returned, for in walked my robber,
turned deadly pale, and felt os though I
might again disgrace myself by faint
ing ; but somehow the first tones of his
voice reassured me.
From bis lips I then learned mj mis
take. My delirium hod revealed it all
to him.
11 Poor little girl I” he said.
And then he told me how,restless and
unable to sleep, he, too, had heard tho
unwonted sounds and stolen down
stairs, pistol in hand, to diseover the
cause.
My answering Bignal, then, was all
my exoited Imagination, for Mr. Sage
had been barely in time to save the
thieves from entering, and to pnt a
bullet through one man’s leg and into
another's shoulder, to guarantee their
oapture.
A hot blush of shame rose to my
cheek as I listened and looked into the
face of the man I had suspected of euoh
villiany. I understood now from whence
came the flowers and fruits, but when I
tried to thank him he wonld not let me.
“ I cannot be absolved 7?om my sin,
Miss Margaret,” he said, “ for do yon
know I am not yet sure but that I shall
turn thief and steal from this house its
most priceless treasure.”
What oould bemoan, I wonder? Why
did his words thrill me with new, sud
den happiness? And, doubtless, my
reader has guessed; yes, guessed
rightly. But there is more yet to tell;
for one day, when I hod grown quite
well and strong again, Helen came to
me with the old sad look gone from the
brown eye and a wonderful new light
there.
‘The Eleventh has eome home,
Daisy,” she whispered, “and I bavo
seen Will. It was all a cruel mistake,
dear. He never received my letter,
Oh, Daisy 1 I am so happy 1”
And then she broke down into glad
tears.
Well, Will was sadly impatient. He
said he had been cheated ont of years
enough—he must claim his bride at
once; and os I oould not be left alone
to take care of the silver, Douglas said
he muBt guard it with me—that I bad
called him a robber and robber ho
must prove himself.
“But, darling,” ho added, “you
shore the crime; for it was you who
stole my heart long ore you had givon
roe the sweet gift of yours in return.”
AHOKG THE MIAO-TSI.
Jellr
Chinese Menninlneern Whs
Flnlee Mix Yard* Lens.
Play
Hattie li’lth a Hat.
A few nights ago a Hartford man
heard a rat in his sleeping-room, and
on striking a light found that his rat-
ship had evidently lost his way, for he
was running wildly about seeking a
placo to escape. The gentleman opened
a door to get a broom or some other
weapon with whioh to dispatch him,
and tho frightened rat taking advantage
of tho opening soampered across the
room ovor tho man’s bare feet and out
of the door before it could be closed.
The rat ran down the baok stairs and
into tho kitchen, followed by the man
clad only in his night robe, with a
kerosene lamp in one hand and a
broom in the other. Before beginning
the fight in earnest the gentleman let
in his young dog, thinking this wonld
be a good time to initiate the animal
into the mystery of rat-killing. The
dog got his eye upon the rat—a large
old fellow—and skulked off into one
comer and lav down. The gentlo-
man, seeing his “purp” was not
to be depended upon, “went for”
the rat with his broom. He brought
the weapon down with a vengeance,but
tho rat wasn't there. After two or
three mis-strikes the man’s “dander
riz," and the battle was vigorously
waged. The rat circled round and
round the room', followed by his human
foe with high-lifted lamp and swinging
broom. This animated scene also
frightened the dog, and he went round
and round the room with master and
rat, adding to the nproar. The rat was
so desperately scared he at last, in
sheer desperation, sprang toward the
man, ran up his legs and half way ap
his body before he was dislodged. This
sudden onslaught oaused the gentleman
to retire for a few minutes, and when
he returned he was in full dress, with
rubber boots on and breeohes legs tuoked
in at the top. No more rats on unoov
ored legs in his’n. Now he was ready
for the fray again. Bat where
was- the rat? He was nowhere
to be seen. The gentleman looked in
every nook and comer for him, but he
was not to be fonud. The dog still oc
oupied his corner, and was trembling as
though badly frightened. His master
spoke kindly to him, and the animal
oame toward him, when, lo I the rat was
exposed to view. In his fright he had
taken refuge under the dog. The gen
tleman ouee more went for the rat, and
the scene was repeated, the rat again
runnipg to the dog for safety. He was
dislodged from (his retreat a second
time, and once more when hard pressed
he turned upon his two-legged adver
sary. But before the rat oould clamber
up his person a blow from the broom
stunned him and a boot-heel finished
the fight. The skirmish lasted about
half an hour, no rat ever before making
a more desperate straggle' for his life.
But the odds were “ agin" him from the
start, and once more victory must be
credited to the etfemy of the rat race.
“ I’m rather chop fallen,” exclaimed
the butoher as mutton took a tumble of
three cents on the pound,
In a reoent number of the organ of
the China Inland mission, Mr. Bronm-
ton, one of the mission agents at Dwol-
Yang-Fn, in theprovinoeofYuel-Ohow,
gives an interesting aoooqnt of a visit
ho paid to the Miao-tsi, the nativea of
the mountains that ran from Yunnan
into the west of tho provinoe. He had
made a friend of one of the people, and
to tho village of this friend Mr. Broum
ton went, and was welcomed in his
honse. He found two or three women
at the door doing some vory pretty
fanoy work; his friend was away in the
fields, so Mr. Broumton went into the
house and waited his return, soon mak
ing himself at home with the women.
Presently his host arrived; a fowl was
soon oanght and cooked, and with some
baeon made n splendid meal. Then
wen several relatives at the table, and
toward evening two or three guosts
dropped in.
Tho Miao-tsi, unlike the Ohinose, are
great wine-drinken, and Mr. Broum
ton was horrified to see the amount of
wine, or rather rice spirit, that these
visiton disposed of. A man at the table
filled a small onp and passed it to each
visitor in turn, and he was expeoted to
drain it off. During this wide-drinking
they sang songs. Two men sing together,
and if either make n mistake he has to
drink a oup of wine as a forfeit. The
singing is most monotonous, an^sounds
like very bad chanting. They seemed
to enjoy it, for they appeared to forget
to eat aqd kept up their iqusio until
past midnight. Noxt day every one
was about his Work nt daylight, as
though he had gone to bed sober and
betimes. After n.oapital breakfast they
fill, including Mr. Broumton, started
fat the hill, >rhero a fete was to be held.
It was a beautiful day, the hill soenery
was grand, and people, dressed in the
dark-blue oalioo which gives the name
to the tribe, were filing along the nar-
rosf*paths toward the hilltop, adding to
the piotnresqueness of the scene. When
they reached the plateau on whioh th
gathering was to tako place, a for? hun
dred peoplo wero there, and more kept
coming all tho afternoon. Oh the hill-
slopes wero groups of women in their
picturesque costumes and men in their
simplo clothing of block ootton.somnch
more manly than the flowing skirts of a
Chinaman. The.men of both tribes,
the Black Miao and the Kd-too Miao,
dress alike—short jaokets, with tight
sloevos, and loose trousers, all of.black
calioo. The women of the Ka-too
tribe dress their hair in a high roll, and
wear a printed cloth on their heads,
whioh is kept in its plaee by bands of
red and white. The skirts they wear
aro closely plaitod, like a Scotch kilt,
and must take many yards of
matorlal; thoy roaoh down to the
kn*03, and look heavy and stiff. Tlio
logs are bound round with cloth worked
in patterns of red and white. Some of
them use sueh a quantity of this band
aging that their logs are quite dispro-
portionato. They wear a jacket with
tight sleeves and a band of very pret
tily printed white around the arms.
They have a curious article of dress, a
sort of apron- with shoulder pieces,
whioh reaches down a little below the
waist. It has an exact counterpart be
hind, and some hod two or three on,
one over the other. Many of the Ka-toe
women had enormous silver earrings
hanging down nearly to the shoulders.
Some wore bracelets, end nearly all had
three or four large silver rings round
their necks. The dress of the women
of the Blaek- Miao oommends itself
moro to the English mind. The skirts
are closely plaited and reooh down to
the ankles, with a border of fancy work
near the hem. They wear a black cotton
cloth bound round the head. The
jackets are short, with a band of beau
. jjr „
sound whioh oan be heard at w great
distance. They ore reed instttmetits,
with tongues neatly made ot;bBS—.
Seven or nine performers form, one set
and play together. standing, in a l{h»
It requires great effort to blow these
huge instruments; but they Bgero to
enjoy it. The players appeared to keep
good time, and while they wqre flay
ing they slowly moved round the .field,
all the time keeping their faces toward
tho center. Outside theso performers
the young women danced, moving round
the field in the same way. It fM by
no moans lively danoing—indeed it
seemed rather solemn.
This ceremony is of a religion* ‘ char
acter, and they have a tradition that if
it is not performed they will have'a bed
year. There were five or six of these
bands on tho ground, each with., their
oircles of dancers. Mr. Broumton saw
two of tho men helplessly drunk; one
had to bo carried home on the beet of
a friend. The gathering did not bleak
up till close on sunset. Mr. Broumton
likes the appearance of the Miao-tsi
much; they seem bo active and manly.
The women, strong and hearty, Are a
striking contrast to the poor Chinese,
with their small- feet. Both nM and
women work hard. Th* wife of .Mr.
Broumton’s host was kept busy from
daybreak till 11 or 12 o’clock at night
cooking, spinning and the like.—Lon
don Times.
Leeches a nil MeeMiw El th.
Leeches are among tho curious pest#
whioh swarm in tho moist plaoes of a
Malay jungle. Directly the earth trem
bles with a man's step, the leeohea
stretch themselves out An aavag* thirst.
By some means they manago to male a
lodgment on his body. Be may' not
feel .them dir first, but when at his^ur-
ney’B end he strips' for A bath, he 4nds
a seore or more of the little btood-
■nokers fastened to his-log* and gorged
with their sanguinary dinner. ..
Ho puzzles his hoad in vain to dia-
oover how thoy managed to' get ujpi hie
trousers legs. But on resuming; his
journey, he ties his trousers tightly
round tho ankle, plaoes them in his
boots, which he anoints with liip*-juice,
an abomination to the little petti. Only
in this way may thoy be kept off the
person.
Another curious speoimen of tropical
life, though not a pest, which the
traveler Bees, is Ihe little shooting fish.
It is an expert marksman, and kills hit
game by a water-shot.
An English gentleman, who kept one
in a basin, reports that it would swim
round and round, watching for a Oj or
ant to appear on the edge of the vepseL
As soon os one was in sight, the ' '
poising itself, would shoot out e
of water with such dexterity os to cause
the animal to drop into the basin,
where it was speedily swallowed. He
also says thut when three or four of
theso “shooters” are confined in e
basin, they will fire in turn, with singu
tar regularity.
The Postal.
A treatise on the history of the postal
card has been published in Berlin. The
originator of the idea is said to have
been a German state 'official, Dr.
Stephon, who wrote an essay upon it in
1805. Austria was the first to adopt it,
beginning in October, 1809. The first
three months witnessed the passage of
2,930,000 oards throngh the mails. Ger
many followed suit In 1870, and on the
first day after the introduction, ot the
postal card 45,408 were sent off in Berlin
alone; and within two months over
2,000,000 wero used. Other countries
soon initiated the same step. During
the Franco-Frassian war the postal-card
system was a great boon to both armies.
Over 10,000,000 oards passed during
the campaign between the German
soldiers and their friends and homes,
e *m
The greatest proportional consumption
tiful silk embroidery round the wrists postal cards occurs unquestionably
and up the seam at the back of the 1 Q tbo United States.
sleeves.
All their olothing is blaok, in many
oases woven and dyed by themselves; in
other cases they buy it from the Chi
nese. They hod a very ourioun ear
ring, a disk of silver introduced into a
large hole in the lube of the ear. Mr.
Bronmton’s hoot’s daughter had pieces
of Bilver in the lobes of her ears as large
as half-ponoe. They pierce a hole in
the ear and enlarge it to the requisite
size by wearing stalks of grass in it, and
gradually adding to the number. Like
the Ea-teo women they had sqlid rings
or neoklaoes and bracelets. They use
straw sandals, though some had shoes;
their natural gait is a contrast to the
hobbling of the Chinese women, wjth
their cramped feet. The great feature'
of the gathering was the music and the
donoing, if either may be so termed..
Their musical instruments ore not easy
to describe. They are called “Ki” by
the MiatPtsi and " Luh-sheng” (sjx
sounds) by the. Chinese. They consist
of long bamboo pipes inserted in a large
wooden mouthpiece.
There are usually six of these pipes,'
but sometimes only two. - Some, of these
pipes are very large; th^'pipes of cne
them were quite eighteen feet long.
The "Ki” produce a strange booming
The whole of
Europe is estimated to use annually
350,000,000, while the consumption in
the United States alone will probably
not fall short of 230,000,000. Germany
consumed in 1879 122,747,000. The use
of the postal card is, moreover, con
stantly increasing, and to some extent
at the expense of the letter correspond
ence. There are now said to be seventy-
three countries in which it is introduced.
Austria, which has the honor of first
putting the idea into praotioal execu
tion, is now said to have cards of the
poorest material and .most inconvenient
orm.
A Thrilling Scene.
Gus de Smith, who owes everybody,
had a very qarjfo.w .-esoape yes|prday.
He was standing on the track of the I.
& G. N. R. R. and did nbt ’bottle the
approaoh; of ataain until esoape>&emed
impossible. The crowd shaddetfed and
averted their head*. , In v%in did the
engineer ,whjst)e d{»wn brAkea and re
verse bis engine., A ^omeptj mqre and
Gus de Smith would have been crushed
out of all; semblance of'hnmanity^ when
Gilhooly, ! with rare presence of mind,
•called ottt J u iwi- •- tv a, 7
“ Gus, there’s yourjwasli^onpan I"
With one bound Gas cleared th' i
track aud V*s in safety.—Jqm Sifting