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3.1 ailc TRENTON, GEORGIA. Mr. Ed ison, the great inventor, lias turned his attention to the construction of a practical flying machine. A statue of John P. Hale, who wa exe uted as a spy by the British during the devolution, is to be erected in the ya:d of the State House at Concord, N. II It is proposed in the City of Mexico that there be an exposition for handsome girls next winter. The prize suggested is to be a good husband and a “dot” of $ i 00, 000. More cut flowers are now used in thi country than in any other, and there are probably more flowers used in New York than in London, with a population four times as great. The population of Canada is less than that of the State of New Y'ork; and yet while New York has a debt of only about >7,000,000, Canada L,» of nearly $240,000,000. v A youthful applicant for at Lexi igtou, Ky., being asked tne other day: “What does history teach?” an swered: “That the United States nevei has been whipped and never will be.” The Rev. Father Token, of Quincy 111., is the only colored Catholic priest ir. the United States. He was born ic slavery. He speaks several languages and is highly regarded by the clergy. Max O’Rell, the French satirist, on getting back to England, declared thai “in the higher classes of American so ciety there is moie culture and amiability :han in any other country in the world.” The French are acknowledged to have the finest guns and projectiles in Europe. Their Ferminy shell has been shot through an armor plate twenty inches j thick, and come out with its steel point I uninjured. An experimental cattle farm is to be started in France by the French Govern ment. A commission, consisting of the directors of agriculture, horse breeding and other experts, has secured 500 acres to be operated on. The Chicago Nercs has established i fund of SIO,OOO, the income of which is to be given yearly (in medals) to th a pupils in the several public «oh«ns >f the town writing the best corn" •-’•on on “Patriotism.” ——~ ■■ i ■ ■ .i-i « Bev. Edward Judson, pastor or Berean Baptist Church, New York City is endeavoring to raise funds for tin erection of a memorial church in tha city to the late Adoniram Judson, first foreign missionary and founder o Christianity in Burmah. The sum re quired is $200,000. The rabbit pest in New said to be constantly increasing in se riousness in spite of thepersistent efforts made by the Government and the farm ers to eradicate it. They reduce, it is said, the feeding capacity of the land one-third, wtiiile the fleeces of the sheen have decreased from JO to 40 per cent. It is hoped that the increase in the pop ulation and the cultivation of the coun try will drive out the pests in time The gradual destruction of our forests leads Professor Foster to make the pre diction that in 500 years this country will be a desert, and immense sand storms will be playing over the region where abundant crops are now produced. The Atlanta Constitution thinks the Pro fessor may be mistaken. The growing interest in forestry makes it probable that in the future a tree will be planted to take the place of every one fhat is cut down. Speaking of the rudeness and incon venience to which passengers, anc especially ladies, are subjected in crowded street cars, the New York Press luggests the construction of street car; without any seats at all. The passengers would then be on an equality of dis comfort. No complaints would be made about the refusal of men to give up theii seats to ladies. All would have to stand, and the accommodations would be equally shared. Trades Unions in China are very con. servative, declares James Payu in the Independent , and those who break their unwritten laws are treated with greater severity than even with us. Instead of being boycotted, or blown up with gun powder, the offenders, it seems, are bitten to death. At Soochow, I read, this punishment was inflicted the other day on a member of the gold-leaf craft, for taking more than one apprentice at a tim. One hundred and twenty-three members had a bite at him. These Institutions boast, not without reason, that none of the “brethren” ever comn it a second offense; from which circum stance it is supposed the proverb has arisen: “Once bit, twice shy.” A writer in a French journal eitimates the total loss to France from the ravages of the phylloxera since 1875, when this scourge of the French vineyards first made its appearance, at the enormoui sum of 10,000,000,000 of francs, or about $200,000,000. This estimate is based upon French official statistics giving the aggregate area of vineyards destroyed in the country at about 2,500,000 acres: and on the assumption that, in addition to the acreage of vines thus utterly destroyed, the extent of vineyards more or less infected with the phylloxers amounts to about 500,000 acres, making thus together 3,000,000 acres. The New York Press says: ‘‘Judge Thurman himself tells how his name be came associated with the red bandana. In 1859 he strolled into the Senate at Washington, and saw all the blue swallow tail and brass button Senators taking snuff. There was a pound box ol snuff at each end of the clerk’s d'sks. ‘They were great snuffers in those days,’ said the Judge, ‘and all the Senators used bandana handkerchiefs* We seldom see a real bandana now. The original ones were brown or chocolate colored, with white spots in the body. Well, as every man must have his vice, I took to snuff, and got to be as big a snuffer as any of them when I entered Congress in 1844. No, my bandana was no larger than anybody else’s, but Thur man’s bandana interested a bright news paper man, and he continually referred to it. The gentle spirits only know why I am called the ‘noblest Roman of them all.’ I suspect that it is an inheritance from old Uncle Bill Allen, who first bore the title. ” / The largest clothing, boot and shoa store in this country, asserts the New York Sim, is run by the United States, though they sell things down at cost price and there is no profit in it. Every army recruiting station is a branch store where supplies are dealt out. It is different from ordinary stores, in that the United States Treasury furnishes the money that buys the boots, hats, blankets and clothes, and the money that buys from the United States also comes from the Treasury. Besides his pay each soldier in the regular army has an allowance for clothing which varies from $ ITS. 85 to $228.49 for his five years’ term. This is only from $35.77 to $45 .69 a year. If the soldiers had to go around and buy their own clothing they would not have a new coat more than once every other year, and they would have to sleep in their underclothes to keep w arm. So the United States has gone into the business of supplying their ordinary things to soldieis at the bottom price at which the contracts for them can be made. There is no rent nor salesmen’s salaries nor insurance nor profit to be paid by the Government. As a result the prices at which clothing is sold to the soldiers are low that many workingmen who are paid four times as much wages as the soldiers are not clad as well. The National Home of has again passed the bill to create a De partment of Agriculture who e head shall have a seat in the Cabinet. “It is late in the day,comments the Farm Field and Stockman, to give the greatjindustry of agriculture this proper recognition. Though about half the population of the United States are directly interested in some branch of agriculture in its broad est sense, and though there is no other industry that represents so much capital, and though the other civilized nations have long had such a department, yet for some unexplainable reason it seems to be difficult to secure the needed legis lation. The excuse of economy which, in the past might have prevented the taking on of the additional expense, is no longer valid. Inasmuch as the vast business interests of the country depend upon agriculture, including, as it does, all that relates to live stock, the moving of the crops, and, to a great extent, our commerce with Europe, it seems a paltry consideration to talk about the cost of such a department. The manufacturing of agricultural implements, of wagons, of freight cars employed in the traas portation of grain and farm produce of all kinds and of live stock, is an immense branch of business, but bound up so closely with agriculture as to come into close relations with the new Depart ment. Besides the collection and dis semination of ' a’uable information, as to all best methods in farming, gardening and the orchard, the finding of remedies for the diseases of live stock and the in numerable pests of the farm and orchard, there are the great political advantages which belong to such a position and in which the agricultural population should \avc a representative. The policies of the Government affecting taxes, public improvements of all kinds, foreign rela tions, the control of railways, and even the management of the army and navy, are often influenced or wholly directed by the action of the President’s Cabinet. Why should not the great agricultural interests have a voice in such decisionr •nd policies?” The countries south of the UnfAetJ States, consisting of the empire of Fra zil, four European colonies, and 15 Repub lics, consist of 40,000,000 people, and haye an aggregate area of over 8,500,0/H) square miles—a population almost equal and an area double that of the Unite* State*. \ A COMPARISON. Td rather lay here among the trees, With the singin’ birds an’ the bum’lebees, A-knowin’ thet I can do as 1 please, Than to live what folks call a life of ease, Upthar in the city. Fer I really don’t ’zactly understan’ Where the comfort is fer any man In walkin’ hot bricks and usin’ a fan, * An’ enjoyin’ himself as he says he car Up thar in the city. It’s kinder lonesome, mebbe you’ll say, A-livin’ out here day after day, In this kinder easy, careless way, But an hour out here is better’ll a day Up thar in the city. As for that, jus’ look at the flowers aroun’ A-peepm’ then- heads up all over the groun’, An’ the fruit abendin’ the trees way down, You don’t find sucli things as these in town, Or ruther in the city. As I said afore, such things as these, The flowers, the birds an’ the bum’lebees, An’ a livin’ out here among the trees, Where yon can take your ease an’ do as you please. Makes it bettcr’n the city. Now, all the talk don’t ’mount to snuff ’Bout this kinder life a bein’ rough, An’ I'm sure it’s plenty good enough. An’ 'tween you an’ me ’taint half as toi As livin’ in the city. —James Whitcomb B AN EviTsPlßl I3Y GEORGE D. SPARKS. I received one morning, a year or so ago, an invitation from an old s iiooi mate whom I had not seen since leaving college, to come and dine with him at his residence on Staten Island. Alfred Macray and I had been good though not intimate friends at college. •Macray was hardly the sort of a man you could make a chum of; yet for all that we enjoyed each other’s society. After the gates of our beloved Alma Mater had closed behiLd us, our paths had diverged. At first I wanted to try literature,'but the desire did not last long: I gave it up and drifted into com mercial life. In fact I was at present holding a seat in one of the Exchanges. As for Alfred Macray his course had been very different. After graduation he had been elected to fill a fellowship in letters in his Alma Mater; after hold ing the fellowship a year he hud gone abroad to study and hau remained ever sifice. He had only published one vol ume as yet. It was on some literary topic, “Studies in the Renaissance,* I think it was. I had bought the book, for the author's name on the cover. Whether my yeais spent in commercial pursuits had dulled my sense of literary perception 1 do not know, but I remem ber yawning over the book, although I made it a point to tell all my friends that it was beautifully written. While Macray was abroad I had been told that he had come into a fortune, but that was all I had heard of him for more than five years. I took up the letter of invitation and re-read it: “We have moved to Staten Island. Ido not know whether you have heard of my marriage or not. I have been married now over a year. I met her first in Heidelberg two years ago. She is a Bostonian She was a Miss Creighton. I have chosen Staten Isl and, bee iu-e it is quiet and it is neur New York. I have brought with me from abroad a large amount of material which, when 1 have time, I am going to work into a book,” etc., etc. I made up my mind to go, and sitting down at once wrote a letter accepting the invitation for the following evening. As I stepped out on the platform of the Staten Island Rai road the next evening, 1 s;u*- a tall figure, which I rec ognized as Macray. We were soon shaking hands warmly; then he led me to his carriage and we drove rapidly to his house. I found my friend more fascinating than ever. I had always admired him, but now fresh from years spent abroad, after having mingled with all sorts and conditions of men, he was to me quite irresistible. We were a good half hour in the car riage before we entered the drive to Burnver House. We were warmly welcomed by Mrs. Macray. I confess I had been anxious to meet her, for I knew Macray was very fastidious. She was slightly above the medium height with a very pretty figure, dark hair and brown eyes. Her manners were charming, but then no one could reside long with Macray without insensibly ac quiring that characteristic. After dinner, Macray and I lingered over our cigars, ta king over our old college days. Finally at Macray’s sug gestion we adjourned to the library. It had originally been, I was told,an artist’s studio, the principal light coming from above; but there were also windows on two sides. There was an enormous fire place, with logs ready to be lighted, and easy chairs were scattered about; several beautiful paintings hung on the walls, with here and there a delicate etching; and as for books, they were everywhere. A true book lover's paradise! Macray and I were so busy looking at his “beauties,” as he called his books, that we did not hear a slight step. “May I come in?’’ “Ah. Madge, is it yon? It is too bad to have neglected you; but you know when I get among my books 1 generally forget everything else.” “Yes, lam getting decidedly jealous of them,” said his wife. “Well, Madge, we’ll join you in just two minutes. 1 mu-t show .lack that Cruikshank I picked up in London.” “Only that one, remember,” and she left us. Macray had taken down a small port folio and as showing me a sketch by that inimitable caricaturist in his best manner. It was that of a parish beadle —he must have been the original of Mr. Bumble—looking at some small boys who had unfortunately dropped a marble during service in church. I remember laughing heartily at the wonderful ex pression in the eyes of the beadle; the artist had thrown into them a whole world of comicality. Not hearing .Mac ray speak for a few moments I looked at him and was surprised and shocked to see that his face was blanched aqd with the hardest look of despair on it that I ever saw. He had withdrawn a foot or so from me and had the appearance of listening. I was on the point of asking him if he was ill. when 1 heard steps in the outer hall and an odd wheezin'-* sound as if somebody had the csthma. The door w»s presently pushed open and an old settler crawled into the room. The noise was now explained—it was the old dog. I again looked at Macray; the look of despair had faded out of his couatenance and he was once more him self. “That is a capital illustration of Cruikshanks genius, is it not?” he said, coming hastily to me. “It is so,” I replied. Just then we heard music, and such music. “It is Madge, playing. Come,” and his face was aglow with emotion. “We will ioin her.” We did so. “If there is one thin r, Mrs. Macray, I shall insist upon, it is that my wi e shall be able to play on the piano,” I said, when she had finished a piece by Rubin stein. “ You are right, old boy,” said Mac ray. “I do not think l could exist without music; one needs it almost as much as meat and drink.” Wc talked late into the night; but all gatherings must break up sometime, and at half-past twelve I followed Mac ray to my room. It was on the second story —only a short distance from the one occupied by himself. Feeling very tired, I hastily undressed and went to bed. It did not take long for me to pass into the land of dreams. 1 was awakened by a heavy weight pressing on my chest. Half awake, I tried to push the something away, when my hand was seized and bitten. Roused into full consciousness by the pain, I put forth ail my strength, and threw the something off the bed and scrambled to the oor. By the aid of the moonlight I saxv that my unknown assailant was not some gigantic monkey, as I had sus pected, but a small, undersized man. “Who arc you?” I said, “and what devil’s game are you playing with me?” There was no answer; but a hissing as of a kettle boiling over came from be tween his teeth. I had but lately seen “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” and visions of the latter came vividly to my mind. I managed to reach the table and to light a candle. At this the man, with some incoherent gibberish, rushed at me. I had thought I was strong, but, whether owing to the terror of the situa tion or what, this fiend incarnate had me by the throat, and was— oh, help!—killing me! I remember struggling and writhing, but aIL to no purpose: and then a choking, burning sensation, and then all was a blank. When I came to I found I was once more in bed. The candle was still lighted, and I saw Macray sitting on a chair near me with his head buried in his hands. A slight movement on my part caused him to start. “Are you better, old fellow?” “Yes,” I answered; “it is gone?” He seemed to understand, for he said simply, “Yes.” “What—or who—was it?” “I will tell you everything to-morrow; had you not better wait?” replied Mac ray. “No; tell me now. lam all right. I think, though I had a pretty tight squeeze.” “It was my brother Charles who attacked you. It is a strange story, and I will not ask you to believe it. B'ome five years ago Charley was in business and had a home of his own. One day he told his wife he had to go to Cin cinnati. The nature of his business re quired him to go quite often on short trips to the neighboring cities. This time he was absent about a week. When he got back he had not the slightest idea where he had been, nor could he give any account of his movements since leaving New Y'ork. He said he could only remember traveling a good deal on the cars. To me and his wife he admitted i although he could not at all explain it) thaChe felt he hud suffered some harm; but of what nature he could not say. This went on for a year, when in the same week pre cisely, as a year before, he had an attack of insanity, which lasted just a week and left him perfectly sensible; yet very much exhausted. Fortunately this first attack occurred when he was alone with me on a fishing excursion in the mountains. What I had to endure that week no one can imagine, and no one will ever know. Well, this has gone on for several years. The mysterious attack always comes on in that particular week of the year. The doctors declare it is not insanity; ip fact I can get no definite answer as to what is the matter with my brother. Charley has always had a morbid fear of an in sane asylum, so 1 promised him always to take care of him during that particular week in the year. So secretly has the matter been kept from the public that not even his own wife knows of it. Y'ou, and one or two doctors to whom I have introduced my brother as a stranger, aie the only ones that have seen Charley in one of his fits, or what ever you like to call them. I have al ways had a taste for carpentering and I have fitted up the room directly above yours for him. Last night he managed to escape out of the window, and thus got into your room, it was most fortu nate that I arrived when 1 did, for in an other moment he would have strangled you. However, there is no need of further a'arm. I saw him safely into his strong room, with no possibility of an other escape. If you like it. we will go and see him. I think that would be the best means to settle your nerves.” 1 thought so myself, so we went. Al though the room was directly above mine, we had to walk quite a distance through an upper hall before we came to it. Stopping at a heavily-barred door. Macray after unlocking an upper and leaver lock, drew out a long thin key, with which he finally opened the door. “Are you not afraid to go in?” I asked. “Oh, no, he always seems to know me.” Holding a lighted candle, we entered. At first I saw nothing of my Lite in truder; but heavy stertorous breathing led us to where he lay in front of a thickly-barred window. We lifted him up and carried him to a small iron bed stead. The candle light fell on his face, which was a repulsive one with a savage scowl still lingering on it. Ilis hair was thickly matted. After standing a moment. Macray said: “Come, we will have a glass of some thing. I see your nerves are shaken a bt. Look out or you will drop that candle.” “Of course, Jack,” continued Macray. ■when we were downstairs, “you will never mention what you have seep to any one. By the way, old Pompe* gave me a big fright to-night: 1 thought it was Charley.” “ies, I noticed it, I thought you were ill,” I answered. “Do you know what I think the matter with Charley is? It is this; that he is tormented by an evil spirit that at certain times and seasons enters into his body and takes possession of it. You may have noticed the large number of books I have in my library devoted to the sub ject. We read that there were many in the old days possessed with devils and unclean spirits. Why could, not that be the case to-day? Nothing else to my mind will satisfactorily explain ray brother's trouble.” After the exciting scenes I had just witnessed, I could but answer: “I think so too.” Some two or three weeks later, I was again asked to visit Staten Island. Among those whom I met was Charles Macray, and his clever wife. I could hardly bring myself to acknowledge that the mari'who sat opposite to me at dinner, and who by his brilliant conversation held the entire table, was the same who had attacked me in the dead of night only a few weeks before. And yet it was the same, and as I continued to look, I recognized some of the character istics of the first face. A half amused smile was playing about my host’s face His eves met mine and they seemed to say: “ila e I not spoken t the truth about my brother? Is it not as I said?” The next morning in the city, before we finally separated, Macray turned to me aud said: “Ja Lqdo you realize now that Shake speare was right when he said that there are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in our philosophy? t-ood-bye,” and he was gone. The Epoch. The Mechanism of tile Heart. In the human subject the average rapidity of the cardiac pulsation of an adult male is about seventy beats per minute. These beats are more frequent' as a rule in young children and iiv women, and there are variations within' certain limits in particular persons, owing to peculiarities of organization. It would not necessarily be. an abnormal, sign to find in some particular individ-' uals the habitual frequency of the heart’s action from sixty to sixty-five or seventy-five to eighty per minute. As a! rule the heart’s action is slower and more powerful in fully developed and’ muscular organizations, and more rapid and feebler in those of slighter form. In' animals the range is from twenty five to forty-five in the cold blooded and fifty: upward in the warm-blooded animals,! except in the case of a horse, which has a very slow heart beat—only forty strokes a minute. The pulsations of men and animals differ with the sea level also. The work of a healthy human heart has been shown to equal the Teat of raising 5 tons 4 hundred weight 1 foot per hour, or 125 tons in twenty four hours. The exeess of this work under alcohol in varying quantities is often very great. A curious calculation has been made by Dr. Rich ardson, giving the work of the heart in mileage. Presuming that the blood was thrown out of the heart at each pulsation in the proportion of 69 strokes a miunte? and at the assumed force of 9 feet, the mileage of the blood through the body might be taken at 207 yards per minute, 7 miles an hour, 168 miles per day, 61,- 320 miles pe • year, or 5,150,880 miles in a lifetime of eighty-fours years. The number of beats of the heart in the same long life would reach the grand total of 2,869,776,000. — Medical World. Music Reconciled Them. The Spanish and Indian Californians .were passionately fond of music. All the men could make shoes aud play the guitar and every woman could sing Spanish songs to her own accompani ment. Bancroft, in his “California Pastoral,” tells how the people, after the conquest of the country by the United States, were reconciled to the new rule by music. The Californians were invited to re turn to their homes and resume their usual occupations. Proclamations which promised protection of their persons and property were placarded in the towns, but they would not come out of their hiding places. The commodore, whoa naval force had helped to conquer the country, was at Los Angeles, and, meeting Captain Phelps, an old trader on the coast, re quested his help. “Commodore,” replied the captain, “you have a fine band on your ship, and such a thing was never before in this county. Let it play one hour in the plaza each day at sunset, - and I assure you it will do more toward reconciling the people than all your proclamations, which few of them can read.” The captain’s suggestion was adopted. At first the children oarnt forth and peeped round the corners oi be houses. A few lively tunes brought ou, "he vivas of the older ones, and before tin. liana ceased playing they were surround?' by delighted natives. The next after uo .•. aza was thronged with the people of the town and Nvith ranchmen from a distance, who, having heard of the wonderful band, had ridden in. The old priest of the mission of ran Gabriel, as lie sat by the church door opposite the plaza, listening to the music, Nvas introduced to several of the noval officers. “1 have not heard a hand,” said the old man, “since I left Spain over fifty years ago. Ah! that music will dc more service in the conquest of Cali fornia than a thousand bayonets.”— You'h's Companion. A Teapot Monomaniac. There was at Palatka. Florida, re cently a man of about forty winters, who was an object of pity, and yet with all that was somewhat amusing. He was sane on all subjects but one, at times imagining himself a teapot. He could put himselt into the shape of a teapot by rounding one arm to represent the spout and the other to represent the handle. While in that shape he became very uneasy if anyone came near, fearing they would break off the handle or spout. He would not speak, but would make a danger signal with his mouth to repre sent the escaping steam. Then he would walk around, sway to and fro among those about him, fully satisfied that he was a teapot.— New York Graphic. QUAINT SIGHTS IN CUU peculiar roads and curious CUSTOMS ON THE ISLANDS. Hospitality of the People-Polite ness. Good Peeling: and Jteligion —Coffee, Cigars ami Kind Wl.shes. Describing some of the quaint sights witnessed on a trip through Cuba, a correspondent of the Worcester .Spy says: We crossed two rivers on our journey, the Sio dtl Gaaratre, where two massive unfinished arches told of the splendid improvements underway a quar ter of a century ago, and the Rio (*uua, whose margins for leagues "bristle w;th wild cane, from which whistles, i-kets and bird cages are made for the Havana markets, when we leit the lower shore 3ide region for the upland district. For the whole distance on every hand were flowers and luxurant verdure, broken only by the cleared grounds about lowly and once noble haciendas aud the reaches of cultivated fields of the estan cias, or plantations, devoted to general farming. One could see from the road side alone anones, ltamoncillos, man goes, guauabanas, nisperos, cultivated and wild oranges, tamarinds, ba nanas, carmitos, mammees, zapota and pineapples, while the stately star of Bethlehem, the mignonette, the vinca, the golden jasmine, the hibiscus, the galeu de noche, the flaming flamboyant, the star cactus, the Carolina tree, the campanile, the Cherokee, Mare chal Neil and cape rose, the jacqu rainot jonquil and lilies of die valley, die wild pea, honeysuckle and heliotrope, and myriads more of the almost unnameable flora of Cuba, dazzled the eye with color and filled the air with matchless frag rance. But true to the bitter contrasts everywhere noticeable in the island, the road itself was execrable beyond descrip tion. They are all alike. Though usually inclosed, as are the American country roatls, they are utterly impassable for any manner of vehicles. Indeed, no vehicles are used in Cuba, save in the large cities. In this region, agricultur ally the richest portion of the island, the needs between hundreds upon hundreds of great plantations and Trinidad have been met by “packings” on the hacks of ponies and mules for over 2<JO years!— and during one-fourth of the time the road are altogether impassable. Every sack of coffee, every pound of food,c cry article of furniture, has always been “packed” back and forth in this shift less manner. The roads crook and turn to avoid obstacles just as the Cuban will do six days’ labor to avoid one. “Beware the pantanos!” was the warning from every tongue throughout the uay. These “pantanos” aie sinks in the clay soil where one animal will plunge from per fectly solid footing lairiy out of sight. We rescued five animals so miied with their muddy panniers and packs, for dolorous and grateful pilgrims during the day. The “pantanos” arc bad enough, but the desechos (literally, re fusals; avoidances) are worse. These are always cut around impassable places involving careful riding through bogs and jungles, and not infrequent goings astray in the dense forests. The fences of these remarkable ‘ “roads” are curious affairs. Frequently they are of the Spanish bayonet and the hemequen with a bread leaf and barbed point six inches long, strong enough to impale a horse. Again, strips of stone fence will be seen. Some are of the pina de raton or bastard pine apple tree. But the larger number are of pin ones botija. Green limits are cut from this, and when thrust in the ground grow in stantly and luxuriously. Between the branches the vejuco de augartila, a hardy vine, is planted. This weaves it self through and through the hedge in all manner of fantastic and tightening freaks: and as it bears a lovely purple blossom, this fence is always strikingly beautiful to the eye. The overflowing hospitality of all classes of Cubans had remarkable illus tration upon our journey along the road, singly or in persistent groups, the oc cupants begged us to enter and tarry with them. If it were but for a moment, for greeting, good. If for a little chat ter and “coffee,” better. If it could have been for a week or a month, best. And this was the never ending form of greet ing and invitation from the head of the house as he awaited us upon the high way : “Buenos dias, camara.” (“Good day, citizen.”) “Buenos dias, amigo.” (“Good day, my friend.”) “Hasta donde, bueno?” (“How far, good sirs?”) “Boy, al Aguaeate.” (“To the Agua cate district.”) “Yenga a tomar cafe. Usted va muy lejos!” (“You go too far! Remain with me for coffee and rest.”) Again, being out of matches and de siring a light for our cigars, drawing up before a casa da vivienda, Don Manuel would shout: “La paz de Dios sea en esta casa!” (“The peace of God upon your house!”) “Y venga con voz!” (“Come you with that blessing!” is answered back. “Hagame el favor de darme candela.” „ (“Favor me with a light.”) “Desmontesen y tomen cafe y fuego.” (Di-mount and receive both coflee and tire ”) And there is no escape. Coffee as well as a light must be taken, else the guest is committing grave offense. Then as you depart, and there is no exception to this, you are followed back to the road with blessings innumerable by the whole family, and eager muchachos run after us to show the safer way. Fortunes In Falls. It is not the fortunate lot of every one to own a beautiful and romantic Falls, that the public is ready to spend money to see. An exceptional man was Michael Moore, recently deceased at the age of 85, who was proprietor of Trenton Falls, N. Y. He didn't own the Falls by right of original discovery but he married them, as one might say, his wife being a daughter of (Sherman, the | original proprietor, who we suppose bought them of the Indians for a mere song. Indians had no idea of the value of Failß. AVhat a fortune they l ad in Niagara if they had only known it. But they let it go, and now they are com- polled to pay for the privilege of selling beaded pincushions and moccasins there. Texas Siftings