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THE WEEKLY.
CON YE LIS, GEORGIA.
It is proposed to utilize the cata¬
racts of the Nile for industrial pur¬
poses.
_
The Iron Age predicts that the
present high prices are bound to in¬
crease rather than fall off.
The Atlanta Constitution says that
the typewriter is ruining modern
journalism, as it destroys all original¬
ity. Everything it composes has a
mechanical turn.
Money is so plentiful in New York
that the other day $250,000 was loaned
over night at the rate of three-fourths
of one per cent per annum. The bank
of America has cailed a meeting of its
stockholders to vote upon a proposi¬
tion to cut its capital stock of $3,000,
000 in two because it finds it difficult
to lend at a profit.
There died recently iu Moscow, Ruo
flia, a man who in the last twenty
years gave $5,000,000 to charity. He
was State Councilor Jormakoff, who
carno from a poor family. His first
public act which, excited general atten¬
tion was the purchase of the freedom
of all the serfs living in his native
•village. This cost him $120,000.
Judge Milieu of the Law Division
of the Post Office Department, has
rendered a decision concerning the
delivery of mail matter by jail officials
to convicts; and the same ruling will
apply to inmates of charitable insti¬
tutions. He holds that “state and
county institutions for the confine¬
ment and punishment of parties con¬
victed of crimes have the right to
prescribe rules and regulations as to
communications from outside parties
to convicts, While they have no
right, without the consent of the con¬
victs, to open the letters addressed to
thorn, yot they have the power to re¬
fuse to deliver or permit to bo de¬
liver to the convicts any letters
addressed to them, unless they will
consent that the letters be opened in
the presence of some officer.
Tho Now York Posts remarks: A
considerable part of the deficiency in
tho revenue of the general govern¬
ment has been caused by thedecrensed
income of .the postoffico. Under our
system tho post is regularly operated
at a loss, aud during the last two years
of bad business this loss became a
very heavy one, amounting to about
$9,000,000 during the year just closed.
It is, therefore, very gratifying to see
that the postal revenue is now mate¬
rially increasing. During the quarter
ending with July the receipts of the
twenty largest postoffiees rose to $6,-
794,000, gain of about $500,000 over
last year, or more than 7 par cent.
The next ten cities in point of receipts
also make an excellent showing, so
that the gain in theSe thirty cities
amounts to about $550,000. As the
expenses of the postal service do not
increase in anything like the same
ratio as the receipts, these returns
show that tho Treasury is steadily
working towards an easy condition. '
Probably few people who have read
the countless stories of the savage
shark, the “bandit of the sea,” as he
has been called, know that he is a very
useful creature for man. A writer in
the Revue Scieutitique enumerates the
uses to which the different parts of the
shark are put as follows: The liver is
found to contain an oil of a beautiful
color, which never becomes turbid,
and possesses medicinal qualities of a
very valuable character; the skin; af¬
ter being dried, takes the polish and
hardness of mother-of-pearl, and on
being marbled bears a resemblance to
fossil coral, so that it is employed by
tho jewellers for the manufacture of
fancy objects, by binders for making
shagreen, aud by cabiuet makers for
polishing wood; the fins, independent
of use by some as an article of food,
are superior for conversion into fish
glue, competing iu this line with the
well-known sturgeon glue prepared in
Russia, and are used for clarifying
liquids, also for the preparation "of
English taffetas, and as reagents in
chemistry, etc. ; the fi sh, too, despite
its oily taste, is in some places eaten
is food, and, along with the bones, is
touverted into a fertilizer.
Sea Song.
With a hey and ho, and a fairy boat.
And a rollicking summer breeze,
With a heave and a roll to the East we go,
O’er the dancing shimmering seas.
Ion mast wifi stand us fast, I ween,
In the arms of the laughing gale;
And that strip of cloud, ere it melt away—
Tear it down for our rosy sail.
With a hey and a ho, and the sails are set,
While the sea-maids laugh for glee ;
And each wave as it curls breaks to frothy
mirth
O'er the green of the rolling sea.
Up anchor now and away to the East,
Where the sun-ball peeps anew;
And the gray and the red and the opai lights
Spread wide into watery biue.
With a hey and a ho, and a fairy boat,
And a rollicking summer wind,
With a heave aud a roll to the East we go,
With the wakening shore behind.
—Angela Goetzi.
WHITE MITTENS.
BY JOHN ALBEE.
The curtain rises—and there are
only two actors on the narrow stage
which is set with rustic scenery.
There are a road, trees, and in the
distance water. This latter looks as
if intended for the sea. There walk
along the road toward the sea a young
man, tall and stalwart, and a young
woman, also tall and of a very slight
figure. Her eyes aud hair are dark,
and her features are somewhat too
sharp for a handsome face, Her
name is Rebecca Champernown. She
is the last descendant of a very ancient
and famous family, whose pride is al¬
most her only mheritance. No one
could have believed that she would
fall in love with a fisherman least of
all her mother. But so it lias hap¬
pened. She loves Reuben Gage, cap¬
tain of the fishing schooner Anna
Sheafe, and they walk together and
meet as often as they can find oppor¬
tunity.
As Reuben and Rebeooa walk along
the road they do not appear to talk
much. She seems cold and distant,
but in her heart is a fire of love that
burns more fiercely the more she re¬
presses it. And she is obliged to re-,
press it, for Reuben is shy, awkward
and undemonstrative. Yet in some
way, perhaps by her womanly intui¬
tions, she has discovered his great
manly, affectionate nature, They
have now been intimate a whole year,
and every one supposes them lovers
aud probably engaged, but in fact
they have uever yet exchanged a word
of love. Reuben has often been on
the point of speaking, but the right
words failed him and something arose
in his throat that choked utterance.
And Rebecca has waited, eager, a
little impatient at times, and at others
almost tempted to speak out herself.
That, indeed, is just what is needed ;
she is conscious of it, and yet—“How
can I?” —she asks herself. Then she
goes homo from her interviews with
Reuben to her room and cries •until
her eyes nre red aud swollen, and her
mother’s rejiroaches follow, and make
her life so wholly miserable that she
wishes herself dead. She recovers
herself in a day or two; looks for¬
ward with longing to their next meet¬
ing, which is always timed by his re¬
turn from his fishing trip, and thinks
matters between them will surely be
settled. She longs for something to
happen that will decide the question.
But she is not going to give up Reub¬
en ; no, her heart is unalterably fixed
and if she dies an old maid her affec¬
tion cun never decline.
Reuben is equally perplexed in his
simple mind; he is sure of only one
thing, that is the state of his own feel¬
ings, but he is not yet able to decide
whether Rebecca loves him. He
would like a sign, something, how¬
ever slight, that would show him
where he stood. Men are always long¬
ing for this sign, some token, not
words, but more certain, more signif¬
icant, something to treasure and re¬
member as long as they live.
Of late he has been unlucky on his
fishing trips in the Anna Sheafe, a
small vessel which he commands and
of which he owns one quarter, After
the vessel’s expenses w’ere paid there
has been little to divide among the
owners. The winter was coming on
and with if the hazardous and often
unprofitable business of trawling.
He met Rebecca less and less often.
Somehow without money in his pocket
he could not enjoy so much being w ith
u©r, felt leas a man aud an inequality
he could not explain. Then it was,
however, that ha discovered the depth
of his attachment. His compauions
noticed it and rallied him about it,
and behind his back expressed them¬
selves in the customary village slang
and gossip.
“There’s no more fish in the sea for
Ileub,” they said, He is getting his
liue on dry land, over at the Cham
pernowns’; pretty dry it is. Small
catch there; a big name and not
enough cash to go with it. He is too
good for her, anyway; but I hope he
will get her if he wants her and come
out of his dumps.”
Reuben did not recover his usual
spirits; his good old mother insisted
that he was not well aud needed physic.
Reuben took the medicine, being a
good deal of a child under his moth¬
er’s roof, obeying and yielding to her
in nearly all of her whimsies, which
were leavened with much shrewdness
and knowledge of human nature.
“Mother,” said he, “it does me no
good, but I will take it to please
you. ”
“Aly son, you just wait; you’ve
been behindhand some time, and it
will take a while to get you before¬
hand again. These herbs never failed
in my experience and I’ve had a good
deal in sickness of one sort or an¬
other.”
“Herbs, mother, are good in their
place. I like the smell of them, but
the taste--”
“That’s just it, my son; the smell
is sweet, which shows the taste is good
medicine. It’s just like being in
love and marriage ; one you like and
the other.you must take, because it is
best for everybody and naturally fol¬
lows; and sometimes,” she added,
with a sly look at Reuben, “it cures
love.”
“I’m not going to marry—never, so
you are out of your reckoning there,
mother. ”
“Well, I don’t know. Your father
before you said that; so did I—until
I was asked. Nobody means what
they say when in love, or rather they
mean just the other way. I think
now I know what it is the trouble
with you, Reuben,” and she poured
out the dose and gave it him, saying:
“It will keep up your spirits at any
rate, until Rebecca gives you some
soothing syrup—ch, my boy? So
cheer up.”
Reuben grew thin and nervous in
spite of the medicine, but he went
about preparations for the winter
cruising. Bad luck continued to fol¬
low him, small fares and falling prices
discouraged him more and more. But
the greater his depression the more
his mind dwelt upon Rebecca. In
some curious, involved way he had
come to connect his ill luck with her.
His brother fishermen, however,
thought it was all ou account of his
not wearing white mittens when ho
sot and handled his trawl lines, it be
ing in that region of fishing villages
the universal belief of superstition
that white mittens must be worn to
insure good luck in winter trawling.
But Reuben paid no attention to what
he thought was a mere fancy. He felt
rather that he was working with a half
hearted energy, and all on account of
his dubious relation with Rebecca.
He determined to see her again and
arranged to see her when her mother
was absent.
‘ ‘I have come to see you once more, ”
he said on meeting her; “but per¬
haps I had better not come again.”
“Why?” said Rebecca; “are you
not always welcome, Captain Gage?”
“Yes, we never quarrel--and we
never get any further along from one
time to another.”
This was more than he had ever
been able to say before in regard to
their personal relation, and he was
frightened at himself. So he began
again from what he thought was an¬
other point, yet, as out of the fullness
of the heart the mouth speaketh,,he
could not help betraying his true feel¬
ings.
“I’m not getting on very well now,
no luck, no monJy, and the Anna
Sheafe getting in debt. I thought I
would tell you, though I do not know
you will care. ”
as •
“Yes, I do care—very much, Cap
tain Gage. I knew something was the
matter and I heard from one of the
village gossips it was because you
j neglected or sneered at the custom of
wearing white mittens as the other
J fishermen do when setting their trawls.
Do you think it is a silly supersti¬
tion?”
“Yes, I do, in the main.”
“So do I, when I reason, At other
times I half believe in it. There is
something at the botton of all com¬
mon customs and beliefs, which, when
harmless, it is just as well tq accept.
Our little village would be very dull
and uninteresting without them.”
“I have no particular objection to
white mittens, Reuben replied, “only
I did not happen to have any.”
I thought as much. You would
wear them if yon had them?”
“Why, yes, I should. ”
Rebecca disappeared for a moment,
aud returned holdiqg out a pair of
snow-white mittens.
“There, I made them for you. I
had to guess at the size, most girls
wouldn’t, who have—brothers,”—she
said, archly, “Let me try them on,”
and she pulled one over Reuben’s
hand, but before she could adjust the
other his hands in some manner had
become inextricably entwined about
her waist. Then they sat down and
completed the trying on again and
again.
They fitted, but Reuben never wore
them afterward. He hung them up
as a sacred trophy over the little mir¬
ror in the cabin of his vessel. And he
had thereafter good luck enough.—
New York Advertiser.
An Up-to-Datc Serpent.
John Gadsdeu, colored, killed a
rattle-snake near Poor Robin, Ga.,
on the Savannah river, last week, that
had twenty-nine rattles and a button.
And speaking of snakes—the strange
looking serpent that was seen by a
party of deer hunters over in “the
fork” of Brier creek and Savannah
river last winter, has been seen again.
On account of the description given
of it at first it is known as the silver
serpent. Its scales were white and
glistened in the sun like shining sil
ver. It is said to be anywhere from
fifteen to twenty feet long and is
generally seen iu trees, The two
fishermen who last saw it say that its
body has grown darker, but they de¬
clare that its head was so dazzling as
hurt the eye. Its neck was arched
over the limb of a tree, and as the
rays of the morning sun fell upon it
they counted sixteen shining silver
scales upon its head, and to make it
stranger and more gorgeous still,
right in the centre of these they saw
a single scale of a yellow cast that
shone and glittered like burnished
gold.—Atlanta Constitution.
A Sunflower Wonder.
The largest sunflower, possibly ever
seen in Atlanta is being displayed to¬
day by Mr. S. A. Johnson, the grocery
maD, who resides at 112 West Pine
street. The flower measures thirteen
inches across, and is filled with seed
much larger than an ordinary flower,
it was raised in Air. Johnson’s garden
where he cultivated it with his vege¬
tables.
After the flower had matured aud
the seeds had ripened Air. Johnson
pulled it aud is showing it to his
friends. He will put it on exhibition
at the agricultural department, he
says. He thinks that it would pay
for people to devote some time t© the
cultivation of this flower, as the seed
make fine feed for fowls and animals.
After the seed has been compressed
the oil from them makes the best
grade of labricaing oil. — Atlanta
Journal.
Bad Luck.
Airs. Gadders—Your daughter was
miraculously rescued from drowning
yesterday.
Airs. Matchmaker—Yes Dolly, has
awful luck.
Airs. Gadders—Awful luck !
Airs. Matchmaker—Why, the man
who rescued her is married!—Puck.
The Youngest Grandmother.
A eiaiment for the honor of being
the youngest grandmother in America
is Airs. John W. Pierce, of Boston,
whose age is twenty-eight. She was
married at the age of fourteen years
and her daugnter became a wife when
only twelve years old.
A German marble cutter, S. Kiaber,
has given to the New York Society of
Ethical Culture, in memory of his .son,
a bronze tablet beautifully framed in
marble, containing Abrnham Liucc u’s
Gettysburg address.
PEARLS OF THOUGHtTI
He who is racked b J
can never find peace of miucL
Conquer descendants a vice today and yoil I
your untold misery.
Small and steady gains l)ri
kind of riches that n
do not take
and fly away.
An evil deed will run a thon
miles; a good action does not
out of the door.
Humility is a virtue all p r j
none practice, and yet ev eryboJ
content to hear praised.
Good people shine fr om afar,
snowy mountains; had people ar 5
seen, like arrows shot by night j
Principle is a great thing an
a convenient excuse for some
avoiding something they ought t<
As it is characteristic of great
to say much in few words, eo it
small wits to talk much and sa v
ing.
While we are here, J e t U3
earnestly of the few brief ch ances
maining to U3, they grow fe wer e’
hour.
As the bee collects nectar and
parts without injuring the fl owe!
its color or scent, so let a saga A
in the village.
Absence lessons small passions
increases great ones—as the win
tinguishes a taper and kindles
burning dwelling.
Times may be as good now as
ever were, but it is a waste of tin
argue the point with a' man win
an empty stomach.
Let a man overcome aimer bv
let him overcome evil by good,
him overcome the greedy by lib
ity, the liar by truth!
A smooth sea never made a sk:
mariner, neither do uninterru
prosperity and success qualify
usefulness and happiness.
We are the arbiters of our own]
and that fact is the most impo!
one of our lives. Our will is
tively unfettered, it is a rudder
freely into our hands and with, it
can steer wherever we choose.
Love is the torment of one,'
felicity of two, the strife and emnit
three, a charm that draws logo
two beings and unites them by s
pathy, happiness to be with i
other, but misery to he apart.
Words are wondrous things; '
are sometimes potent lor weal or i
they are winged incarnations
thoughts and have controlled the
tinies of empires and dynasties,
well said: “They possess an endj
undefinable, tantalizing charm; '
paint humanity, its thoughts, li
ings, struggles and failures pd
them upon a canvas of breath in cd
of life.”
Cranberry Culture.
The cranberry is an acquatic p
and require’s wet land and ocoas
overflowing by water, The soil
be black, decaying vegetable mi
commonly called swamp) muci. i
the land must be level and sapu
with banks and ditches, so that at]
right season the plants may be cov
with water. The surface, kowevs
the swamp must he coverall
ocean sand, wholly free from old'
soil, so that grass and other i
will not grow in it. Then the p
are set out in rows twelve to eigl
inches apart and a foot apart
rows. As the plant roots by i’ii
very easily, and rooted pi 83 '’
easily moved, it is usual to ? r0
the cuttings or roots of aarse;
who make a business of H
them, They are sold by the ban
the usual price of three dohars.
whole cost of the preparing the
completely and planting it is :
$300 per acre, The plantation
the second year, and the e ulture
profitable that the money sp eI
fitting the laud is sometimes rep*
first year. There are se veral 1
enemies that prey on this P lant
precautions against these are o n
the special cares of the grower.
York Times.
Swiss newspapers report tha
American tourists vis
number of
this summer • is one
that country sanrt
i al -g e r than it was at the
last yerx.