A COUNTRY EVENING.
Away from sounding shore and mountain
sfde,
J rame to where a country village lies;
And here I watch the moon rise through the
trees,
And sit at rest beneath the summer skies.
The twilight thickens fast,and now the birds
Are sleeping; hushed are all their happy
calls.
Across the village green the parish church
Stands, ivy-clad, with moonbeams on its
wails.
house-dog, lying near me, starts to hear
The restless horses neighing in their stalls;
The cricket chirps above the willow’s sigh,
While flils the bat where deepest shadow
falls.
The n'ght wears on; the village lies asleep;
My soul drinks deep a draught of perfect
rest;
Old dreams come back mid future visions
fair;
Old loves awake that slumbered in the
breast.
On snch a night the soul is free, and flees
The world of care, and pain and troubled
sigh;
And could I sing that deep, sweet peace, the
song
Would rise to angels’ ears and thrill the
sky.
S. Middleton , in Independent.
SEOEET OF THE SEA.
“I suppose that by this time to-morrow
shall anchor iu the Bay,” said col.
“Ves this is thc last of our pleasant
if the Oceau Greyhound is true
her promise,” said pretty Mrs. Mor¬
It was a very pleasant evening, too,
chilly, as September evenings
apt to be on the Atlantic. A glori¬
lull .. SU >, v -V n 8 thc . -
ind ’seareefv pn. V S * ra ‘ the
b V u S f t8b ,'““
tilled the uii;s - and urged the flying
h 0ft ’| n T mUrS 'i lMosc °£ thli
^ u w below, playing cards, or
cL ! S T’ ° f Wh i fh aa oc ca -
sttain floated e up on deck, , adding , .
more touch to the weird sweetness ol'
1 l la 1 ^ be 0 S moonlight ro,1 P°r lour chatting or live
watching . „ the man ruvres of two or
stray couples,each seekingto mono
that nook behind the wheel-house,
nere the moon can he seen to the great
advantage, and a fictitious isolation
the interchange of sentiments
ardent as they are transient.
lou will not be sorry to exchange
pleasant evenings for something a
livelier, though,” exclaimed Mrs.
niece, a brilliant creature
magnetic vitality rang in her clear
and scintilated iu her rippling hair
flashing eyes. “After two years’
study t in Milan* - you - can -------- fancy j how ----
feel at the near approach of New York
“ f There’s ^ ew P 01 not *'-’’ much to keep alive
the one
oceau who trip nowadays,” said the
had man been rambling sat opposite her, and
all over the
for a year seeking adventures and
none and was now returning
convinced that whatever might
to him in the future, it could
be more interesting than the past.
“This is my firgtsea voyage,” said the
“and I have enjoyed it. But I
be glad enough to see land
“And I,” said the only member of the
group who had not previously
“love the sea, and have had
adventures on it, and am never
of its sights and sounds.’’
The speaker was a woman in the In
summer of her life, sweeter and
beautiful than many a young,
stamped as she was with the in
traces of great joys and great
“Tell ussomething, Mrs. Odell.” cried
Mortimer’s niece, imploringly. “I
you must have seen real tragedies
and such things.”
“I have seen many tragedies and more
one shipwreck,” “and she said, half re- 1 |
if you like I will tell you
incident that happened on a ship that;
wrecked when 1 was on my way to
Cape in it.”
Mrs. Mortimer drew her fur cloak
about her, and her niece sat down
a low stool, claspingherslender white
round her aunt’s knee, and rest
her cheek upon them; the young
took up a position from which
commanded a good view of her pretty
and the Colonel settled himself
with an air of interest. He was a good
listener, remarkably so for a military
man.
Mrs. Odell began her story, accentuat
ing tion by her a slight but rich impressive gesticula
soft, voice and quiet de
livery.
‘‘Several years ago-ten or a dozen-I
was on my way to the Cape of Good
H TVr/ salhn V h, P- My h ,?!r d
we ro «. three
are dead now-but. . I left them inEng
land to visit my parents in Cape Town,
and I went on a sailing ship, because I
had been very ill and was orderea a voy
age. There were but few passengers
sixor seven first class and some twenty
eraigantsm the steerage. Among the
saloon passengers was a very pretty
young woman scarcely 30, going out as
governess to Australia *’
“We put mat Maderia and took on
board two passengers for whom the Cap
tains cabin was secured, a newly mar
ned coupled not long over them honey
moon board, especially Everything during becomes known on
and the wife had a maid long voyaae,
young a with her,
whoprobably supplied all the details she
knew, and tilled up the gaps with her
imagination. It became known, at any
rate, within a few hours, that the lady
was an heiress of immense wealth, and
the gentleman was the penniless younger
son ot a good family. The marriage
was much against the wish of the bride’s
family, but she was just of ags and per
fcctly mistress of her property, and slio
had been married a few weeks before I
met her, and had gone to Madeira, in
tending to spend the winter there. It
was quite a sudden freak their coming
on board,and could hardly have been the
poor thing s wish; for she was a wretched
sailor, and for two or three days alter
we put to sea again she remained in her
berth, waited on by her maid and un
noticed by ever}one else. 1 he husband
was about 3d, a very handsome and
attractive man—dark, tall, with a heavy
blade mustache and gleaming white
teeth, whjch were often enough seen,
f°r, llC /T * m ? 8t 1 ' ve *y iind agrer-able
talke r’ ful1 of w lt and nonsense, with an
amusing anecdote J 4 < for . every occas on, and
generally the sort of man to be a prime
favoll,e on board a sailing ship, where
. to be bored
every one is sure more or
les “-. Especially was he attentive ana
considerate toward the ladies, and l
heard, though I did not see anything
then, that the pretty governess usurped
a large portion of h.s care. This seemed
natural enough, as she was alone, and
most of us look a little extra notice of
her on (hat account.
“Well, aficr a day or two the bride
began to come on deck a little, and
; when she gained some flesh and color
j we would see how pretty she was, and
hew full of charming ways. Another
! thing was soon easily seen also, and that
was that whatever might be the state of
her husband's. affections, she simplv
him worshipped about him. Her eyes followed
with a kind of reverence, and
when he spoke she listened with parted
1*P S and glistening eyes, as though she
heard the very angels singing in heaven,
is sad enough to see such madness
where it is mutual, but when, as is almost
always the case, one gives all, and the
other takes and gives nothing—-well,
well—that’s no part of my story. .
“1 should say that he was quite kind
to her, and wrapped her up in shawls
and made her sit in the deck-house while
he read to her, for fear she might take
cold. But of an evening, when she had
gone to her cab’n, he would always re
turn to tke deck to finish his cigar, and
the little governess, who was as strong
as a lion and not afraid of any weather,
would be out there with him, leaning
over the taffrail, and the two would stand
there talking in low tones, until the
ofliccr of the watch sent them bslow.
“We had been about a fortnight out
from Madeira when the weather, which
had been pleasant enough, though cold,
changed suddenly, and we w*re driven
bj storms every way but the way we
w-anted to go. For several days the
hatches were on, and none of the passen
gets wereallowedon deck. Mostof the
ladies, myself among them, were ill, and
the rest were too frightened to notice
anything; but I was told afterward that
the only woman who was neither sick
nor terrified was the governess, and she
seemed fey—full of wild spirits, and
keeping bridegroom, up a constant banter with the
with whom she played at
cards half the day.
“I do not remember how long the
storm continued; but, just as we were
begiuning to take courage and pull our
morning selves together sound a that little, we heard one
a made our hair rise
with new terror—a peculiar, slow, regu
that iar clanking—and the ship had a whisper went round
sprung aleak and the
pumps were manned. luxurious'voyage Oh, you who have
only made this of a
week cannot imagine the feeliag3 of
those who have been for davs together
in a straining, struggling ship, pitched
back and forth and from side to side
like a cork on those tremendous waves;
and then to hear, hour after hour, the
dull, steady clanking that pfocla ms the
P r ?- S ® nce of the en em y ™'h>n the walls,
gaining upon you hour u by hour
“i or two mortal days and nights
those brave, indefatigable men struggled
with the encroaching foe, while signals
were hoisted ana rockets sent up to at -
tract passing ships At last the Captain
came to tell us he had no hope of saving
the ship, that the storm had abated and
that as soon as it was broad daylight lie
would get the boats out He begwedtis
to take some food, and added as lie left
the saloon: ‘I hope, by God’s help, to
save every one:'but remember, it is
women and children first, and if any
must stay behind, I shall remain with
them.
but “Nobody attempted to eat anything,
most of us went to our staterooms to
secure such portable valuables as we
thought it worthwhile to take, and then
sat through the live long hours waiting
for the order to go out and trust our
lives to those frail boats upon the toss
ing. The gradual sinking of the ship
made her steadier, and besides, the wind
had almost subsided, and the heavy
swell of the sea was being beaten down
by the steady rain which began to fall,
“I was standing at the foot of the
companion when the bride cauic out of
her cabin, which was immediately be
hind me. She was deathly pale, and her
eyes wise was slightly distended, but other
She had was perfectly thick cool and collected,
woolen on hood, a and waterproof carred cloak and
a a little satchel
in her hand. ‘Where’s your husband?’
1 asked. She made a little movement of
her head toward the cabin. ‘He issecur
mg,'some and important papers,’ she said,
‘I think,’she added, ‘oar marriage
certificate and my will.’
“At this moment the officer came
down the companion. Mire. Odell,’ he
said, seeing me, ‘there are but two
servieeab'e boats—the others were
jured during the storm. Come up at
once, and I will put you in the iii-t.
Oh. Mrs. Blank.’ he added, seeing the
bride—come, too ; and I will try and
put you together.’
“ Sir!’ said the poor g rl, ‘I will not
stir without my husband.’
‘“Come, then,’he (Tied: ‘there is no
time to lose—I will call vour husband—
but go up stairs with Mrs. Odell, and 1
wi.l bring him to von—take her up, i
there’s a good soul,’ he added to me.
took her hand and almost forced her up
but further than the top of the eom
paniou she would not move,
“The sight that met us there was
startling enough. The ship had already
sunk so low that I cannot imagine how
the water kept out of thc saloon; it
seemed as if we could step on board the
life boat that had already been manned
and was raised bv every wave almost
to the level of tho'deck. All on board
was crying perfectly orderly, except for the
of one or two of the steerage
passengers who were being separated
from their male comnanions and passed
into the boat, ft was nearly full when
the Captain saw us, and grasping Mrs.
Blank’s arm. was about to hand her for
ward, when she wrested herself from
him, and with sudden fury flashing over
her face, exclaimed in a tone I can never
forget: Captain, ‘I can die here, if necessary.
but I will not stir without my
husband.’
“He did not say another word, but
seized me unceremoniously, and before I
could draw my breath I was in thc
loaded boat. The painter was cut, and
one great billow carried us many yards
away. Then we lay to, to watcli the
second boat, and witnessed what was un¬
seen by her occupants, bhe was full, all
but a very small space, anil almost every
one was off the ship. 1 saw the young
couple standing together, her hands
clasped fusing round his arm, and evidently re¬
once more to be saved without
him. At the same moment the pretty
governess darted forward and flung her¬
self upon his other arm, evidently im¬
ploring from to boat be saved. shouted; A stentorian voice
the ‘YVe can make
room for two.’ They evidently saw the
wife’s struggle to die with her husband,
and were willing with true sailor-like
generosity her heroism. to risk I something him to reward
with and saw push his clasp wife the girl
one arm away,
preparatory she to making a spring. Then
as raised his clung cowardly with agonized and strength, her he
fist struck
full in the face. With an unearthly
shriek she fell back as lie sprang into the
boat with the other women in his arms.
“The whole thing was like a flash o!
lightning, almost and as .she they cut awav the boat,
before was clear, the shi|;
sank head slowly forward and went down
bride foiemost, carrying the Captain, th a
and about a dozen men to the bot¬
tom of the sc-a.”
As the thrilling vibration of the nar
rat0 r’s voice ceas ed there wa , „ lrf „.
men tary silence. Her exc.teme.it at Ur;
picture conjured up by memory
muDic ated itself to the listeners, and a:
first no one , eemc(i able t0 breuk lho
spei i. At last the Colonel spoke;
.. \y e are very glad to know tint von
were saved by ocular demons,ration,
M „. Odell; but how about that s-oun
drel and his companion in guilt; for she
W!U drowned/ every bit as bad as he; were thee
One could not help hoping
so except for the sake of the inueconl
people in the same boat’’ Odeil
-No,” sad Mrs. quietly- every
trace of her agitation had passed away
now , and her tone was calm and inex
few prcssibly hours bitter. “We were picked ups
the others after, the having separated from
in home-bound* fog; but they were al-.:
soon rescued by a cs-ei, ami
carried back to England. There th s
loving there husband proved his wife’s death -
had were plentv of wtn esses, though
none seen bis brutal act, and most
believed, as I afterward heard, li.ar. she
was left behind bv m stake, lie then
proved her will, w'hicli be had carried
off the ship with him, and which had
been executed in Madeira within a month
of her marriage, leaving him every cent
of her immense wealth. Her relatives, I
understood, made an attempt to upset
the will, but without success, but before
she had been six months dead, he bought
an elegant villa near Florence, and
married the rescued governess I never
saw him after that but 1 h o e rensr.u to
believe he is living and prosperous.”
“I suppose you never saw his bccond
wife again?” asked the niece, ihf.ught
fully. “Yes,” said Mrs. Odell, *lo\vlv,
“I have seen her—quite recent Jy.”
“Your story Mrs/ v as really quite too in,
tercsting, Mrs. Mortimer, Odell,’’ murmured p etrv
steamship chair, rising languidly from her
“You unite made ui
forget how late and cold'it is ~inav ■■■ettin
Thanks, so much. Colonel, I
trouble you for that shawl; I think I
will go down now. Come along, hvwille.
A domain gentlemen Mrs Odell
° „ 0 od ni^ht’’
The eyes of the two ladies met as she
moved awav; but eyes tell no tales,
and some women can keen a secret
Drake's Mav^ne
Vaccination.
That smallpox ha3 greativ declined
England dur.ng the past fifty years is
apparent published from figuics which have been
by Or. Henry Thorne. From
18118 to 1843 the deaths fr.im sma’lpox iu
England amounted to 47.3 per 10tt,00;>:
in 1880-84 the death rate was (i.o per
100,000. He thinks that vaccination
has not only a direct influence in causing
this reduction in the number of victims
to smallpox, but that it has also a
tendency to children decrease the liability to the
disease of of vaccinated parents.
In this connection it is interesting to note,
the Medical Press states, that out of the
five thousand children born every month
in Paris only a thousand are vaccinated
by the medical officers appointed for that
purpose. Thc remaining four thou and
infants are, therefore, either vaccinated
Seeing, by private practitioners or not at all.
however, that more than half the
population apply attendance, for and receive gratui¬
tous medical and that half
the burials arc gratuitous, it is very un¬
likely that all the of the four thousand are
vaccinated at cost of the parents.
It may fairly be assumed that a large
proportion smallpox are not vaccinated at all, and
t-bat is why exists as an endemic
disease at Paris, and does not disappear,
as it has done, to a great extent, in
Germany.
Veneering Frame Hanses.
A construction detail that is gaining
much popularity in some Western cities
is the bricking in of frame houses. The
building if is sided up with matched stuff,
as complete; thick then a brick face wall,
four inches is laid iu contact with
the exterior, tied on uy spikes about
every sixth cour.-c. A boy distributes
them all around on top of thc wall.
They are held in the mortar bed ready,
aud driven through into thc siding until
the heads are flush with the face of thc
wall, when the next courses ate laid,and
so on. The walls present the appearance
of solid masonry, are durable, and, as
they add to the waimthofthe build¬
mendations, ings, seem to especially present substantial recom¬
in severe
mates .—American Builder.
