THE ALAMANCE GLEANER"
VOL. I.
POETRY.
MOUNT TABOR.
BY JOHN HAY.
On Tabor's height a glory came,
And, shrined in clouds of lambent flame,
The awe-struck, hushed disciples saw
Christ and the prophets of the laW;
Moses, whose grand aad awful face-
Of Sinai's thunder bore the trace, •
And wise Klias, in his eyes
The shade of Israel's prophecies.
Stood in that vast mysterious
Than Syrian moons more purely bright.
One on each hand—and high between
Shone forth the God-Jike Nazarene.
They bowed their heads .in holy fright,
Ko mortal eyee could bear the sight,
And when they looked again, behold!
The fiery clouds had backward rolled,
And borne aloft, in grandeur lonely,
Nothing was left "save Jesus only,"
Resplendent type of things to be!
We read its mystery to-day
With clearer eyes than even they,
The fisher saints of Galilee.
We see the Christ stand oat between
The ancient law and faith serene,
Spirit and letter—bnt above *
Spirit and letter both was Love:
Led by the hand of Jacob's God
Through wastes of old a path was trod
. By which the savage world could move
Upward through law and faith to love.
And there in Tabor's harmless flame
The crowning revelation came.
The old world knelt in homage due.
The prophets near in reverence drew,
Law oeased its mission to fulfil / '
And love was lord on Tabor hill.
So now, while creeds perplex the mind
And wranglings load the weary wind,
When all the air is filled wffh words
And texts that ring like clashing swords,
Still, as for refuge, we may ttirn
Where Tabor's shrining glories burn—
The soul of antique Israel gone— -
And nothing left but Christ alone.
—Scribner.
MISCELLANY.
A Case of Absent-mindedness.
Gustavo Blanche was poor, a? liter
ary geniuses generally are. He sub
mitted to his poverty half through a
stocial disinterestedness and half
4 through a carelessness which oame from
* his temperament, treating questions of
interest with the disdain of a poet and
the simplicity of a child. The editor
of the "Revue des Deux Mondes"
tried to clothe and feed him without
alarming his pride, but with indifferent
success. On several occasions he en
tered into conspiracy with the hirer of
* Planche's lodgings to steal the critic's
worn-out clothes and replace them with
new, made after the pattern and color
¥ of the old. Planche being absent
minded, did not remark the substitu
tion. This absent-mindedness was one
of his most striking traits. One day
some one remarked a black stain on his
trousers, and spoke to him of it, adding
that it was the more conspicuous being
on gray. ' 'What gray ?" asked Planche.
"My breeches are brown." "What, do
you call that brown?" The oritic
looked down at the article in question,
and saw that it was indubitably gray.
"Yet I would have sworn that it was
brown," said the wearer. He evidently
thought of a garment he had worn in
time past.
In his wanderings he sometimes did
not return to his lodgings for two or
three days at a time, when the landlord
took advantage of these absences to
rent his room for a night or two. Two
or three times Planche returned unex
pectedly, when the landlord persuaded
him that he occupied another room
than his own. At first Planche, on
these occasions, thought there was
some mistake, but when the man of the
house repeated with an air of oonvic
tion that the room into which he was
ushered belonged to him, and pointed
'to his books and papers for which he
had a quick memory, he allowed himself
to be persuaded. '
Through love of isolation or the fear
of being assisted, he kept his address
secret. for a long time even the editor
of his magazine,M. Buloz, did not know
it, and only discovered it by accident.
He saw him in a little hat shop having
his reddish brown hat, in extremis, put
under the iron, and drew near ana over
heard the address. It is hardly neces
sary to say that a new hat found its
way to his lodgings, and that he did
not note the difference between it and
the old one.— The Galaxy for February.
A Famous Pafnter at V»rk,
A.Paris corespondent of The Aca
demy writes an entertaining letter con
cerning Charles Dnrand and his man
ner of painting. When sketching for
* his piotnre of "Dew," which represented
a nnde figure of a yonng girl standing
in a meadow, he had a. cage bnilt en
tirely of glass, abont thirteen feet
square, in the park under the trees, in
which his model conld undress without
fear of catching cold, while he oould
see the human flesh in full light and in
its exact relations of color with the
leaves of the trees, the verdure of the
grass-plots, and the flowers of the
borders. The correspondent describes
Durand eg "an agreeable man with a
fine tenor voice. He stops short in the
midst of his work as soon as he feels
tired, takes a guitar, and hums Spanish
airs, accompanying himself in a style
that would bring to the balcony alh the
pretty girls in Qranada or Seville.
Professor Hind, the astronomer,
suggests in Nature for Deoember 27,
the chance of seeing , Encke's comet
with the large telesoopiM in English
observatories. Its least distanoe from
the sun will be attained at midnight on
the 11th of April next.
'"y" '
15 51 le 7,
' . * % 1
GRAHAM, ALAMANCE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9. 1875.
THE ROUND WOOD GHOST.
iAt last I had an • habitation of my
own, an imposing red-brick structure,
roomy enough to furnish homes for a
full score of demure little mortals like
myself.
"Yon Will lose yourself in this great
barn of a house, Madelon," said Aunt
Jerusha, who had accompanied me to
Hound wood -to he the ruling divinity of
the menage.
"It would not be much of a lose to
the world in general if I should."
"Humph ! I have no predilections for
mistletoe boughs and old oak chests. I
want no such skeletons rising up to
murder my rest"
"Trouble comes fast enough without
borrowing it." '
"At any rate, I've spoken my mind,
and not without reason. It is donbtful
if you have heard all that 1 have con
cerning your new possessions." , "
Aunt Jerusha looked so solemn that
I quickly asked :
"What have you heard ?"
i has a ghost. Ton
needn't laugh—it may prove to be no
laughing matter. I got the story from
the servants, Not a soul of them buto
is convinced the house is haunted." ;
"Tell jpe what they say."
'"lt is really quite dreadful, Madelon.
They declare that Madam Belgrave
can't quietly in her grave, but'
comes back to her old room night after
night,and walks the floor until morning."
"Has anybody seen her ?"
"No ; but all of them have heard her
pacing up and down the apartment."
"Humph. The ghost must belaid.
I don't like the idea of being disturbed
at all hours of the night by any such
unbanny people."
"Nor I," dryly. "But who will do
it ?"
"I will," was my answer, as I oaught
a sunbonnet from the wall, and darted
out into, the garden to escape Aunt
Jernsha's solemn visage while I rumi
nated upon the ways and means.
However, the prim, old fashioned
garden, with its quaint angular walks,
and funny little beds, from whioh the
flowers lifted bright and smiling faces,
as if in weloome, soon drove all thoughts
of the ghost ~from my head.
I wandered up and down the box
bordered paths, peeping into grape
arbors, and summer-nousee, inhaling
the balsamio odors in the air, and
hugging to myself the delicious sense
of posession until I grew quite jubilant.
Of all my pleasures, that of proprietor
ship was the keenest just then. And
why, indeed, shouldn't a nice brick
house, with available grounds be a "joy
ever. _
I had reached the lower portion of the
grounds, and was looking around upon
my domain with quite the air of une
grande princesae, when my gaze
suddenly encountered a free and,eaay
figure leaning over a wicket in the
hedge-row. Starting at the vision, I
rubbed my eyes, looked a second .time,
and exolaimed, involuntarily : "Law
rence Belgrave 1"
The figure lifted its hat and smiled a
cheerful good morning.
"I am no spirit, Miss Lane. Do,
pray, try to look a trifle less startled
and dismayed."
My emotion was quite pardonable—
and for his reason ; to this man I stood
in the light of a usurper—\ had cheated
him out of his inheritance. He had
been nearer related to Madame Belgrave
—in fact, a sort of protege of hers,
whom she brought up with the under
standing that he was to inherit her
coupon bonds and bank stook some day.
But, twelve months prior to this time,
there had been a violent quarrel between
the old lady and Lawrence, he had left
Roundwood in high dudgeon, and, to
retaliate, Madame Belgrave had made
-a will, leaving all h6r property to me.
The quarrel was never made up, and
madame died very suddenly in a fit,
which found her incapable of expressing
any last wishes she might have had, so
the will in my favor was the one pro
duced at the funeral, and I found my
self suddenly transformed from a coun
try schoolma'am with one decent silk
and two merinos, to a very rich woman
with the means to supply her wardrobe
indefinitely. -
So you will oomprehend that if I felt
somewhat dismayed on seeing that
vision at the gate, I had abundant canse
for it However, I mustered up courage,
and went and shook hands with him
quite cordially.
"Ton did give me quite a start, Mr.
Belgrave, and I might as well plead
guilty to it"
•'I am sorry." Then he stood looking
at me curiously a moment "i suppose
that I ought to congratulate yon, Miss
Lane, on your recent good fortune.
Shall I ?"
"H you can do so sincerely—not
otherwise." *"
He laughed. "Then 111 keep my
breath for other purposes."
• "Shall you ever forgive me for having
supplanted you ?"
"1 don't know, my 'great expecta
tions' have turned ont nearly as delu
sive as those of poor Pip. 1 ought to
hateyou.Miss Lane,but I don't—quite."
"Thanks for, the margin that saves
me from utter condemnation."
"I can't help thinking," he went on,
reflectively, "that Madame Belgrave
meant to restore me to favor Anally, and
that -only apportunity was lacking
Proud and obstinate M she was, I'm
sure riie loved me."
"And so, on the strength of that
•pinion—which may or may not be
oorrect—you expect me to abdicate in
your fayor V.
"I did not say so." Again his eyes
swept my face curiously. "Is it in your
heart to be so generous V
I shook my head.
"Remember, I'vfe tasted the cup of
poverty—and it is bitter to my palate.
It seems delightful to be rid of the toil
and anxiety attendant on earning one's
own living ; I don't think I could take
up the oldjbijrden again."
"1 knewyou would likelotos-eatinpr."
- "Who doesn't, fo* that matter ? Be
sides it hasall the zeal of a new sensa
tion just now. I may tire of it—but
that seems impossible."
"Not to me." ."T—
--"Appropos of this inheritance of mine,
I'll tell you what I am willing to do,
Mr. Belgrave. I'll share it with you."
He opened wide his eyes, as if sus
picious his ears had played him false.-
"Are you serious ?"
"I never was more so."
Ah ! conscience has begun to prick
you already."
"Not a bit of it."
There was a slight pause, and then
he said, with an amused smile : "And
so you are anxious Roundwood should
have a master as well as a mistress f"
"You know I do not mean that," I
returned, blushing and speaking quite
angrily. "This inheritance more than
meets my Insurious notions —yon have a
sort of claim upon it—l am quite will
ing to make over the half to you. In
deed, an idea of that sort has been in
my head all along "
"This is Quixotic."
"No, it is making two people happy
and comfortable instead of one."
j "But I refuse to be made happy and
oomfortableat your expense. If Madame
Belgrave had wished me to share her
property, she would have left some
(document expressing the desire."
\ "Perhaps there is a will that has not
come toTi-gJit," said 1, -aughingly.
\ He gave a quick staat. and changed
oplor. __-vl
\ "I can't help thinkingno, but is a de
lusive hope, I fear."
VYou are entirely too u\xions to con
sign me to obscurity ancLschool keep
ing again."
"«0, you should nevet go back to
that drudgery, if—
He stopped suddenly, hesitated a
moment, then held out his hand.
"Really, I feel like an intruder here,
Miss Lane. I'd better say good morning
and leave you, before I am betrayed
into an} further folly."
\He turned abruptly away. "Did you
kpow there was a ghost of Roundwood ?"
I trailed after him.
4, N0," looking baok.
•"They say Madame Belgrave—a sure
indication that she is displeased with
something—probably the unjust dis
position she made of her wealth."
An expression I utter failed to com
prehend floated over his expressive
face.
"You have no oocasion to be troubled
on that score," he answered, and went
bis way. .
I watched him nntil the windings of
the road hid his tall, stalwart figure
entirely from view, and then returned
to the house in a reflective mood.
"Aunt Jerusha," said I, abruptly, "I
am going to sleep in the haunted room
to night."
She stared at me utterly aghast.„
"You foolish ohild, you would never
dare—•" * *
"Have the toom thoroughly aired
and made oomfortable," I interrupted,
in the brusque, deoided tone of one
who does not wish to enter into any
argument. "I shall occupy the apart
ment to-night, so the least said about
the matter the better."
Oocnpy it I did—at least for a season
—taking up the line of, march about
eleven o'clock.
Aunt Jerusha followed me to the door
and there said good-by, with a face as
solemn and a tone as lugubrious as
though I were aboht to be hnng.
"Scream if yon are frightened,
Madelon, and we will all hasten to your
assistance. I hope you won't be a
raving maniac in the morning. I've
heard of such things."
"I'd rather be crazy than a fool," was
my impatient rejoinder.
Madame Belgrave's room—as we
called it—was a large chamber on the
seoohd floor. The furniture was quaint
and old fashioned, of some dark foreign
wood, with immense carved feet that
looked very odd and ridiculous to my
new fashioned ayes. Thegwalls were of
oak, thiokly paneled, and over the
carved chimney pieoe was a raised figure
—typical Heaven only knows of what—
with a diminutive shield extended in
: one hand.
I had barely glanced round at my
quarters when something flitted past
my bead with a whizzing sound, and
lighted in the middle of the shield. A
quick, half frightened glanoe at the ob
lect in question brought a smile to my
ips. It was a bat.
Now I had always a great antipathy
to these vampire like creatures ; so
catching up the poker from the fender 1 ,
I aimed a deadly blow at the intruder.
The bat escaped unhurt through the
open window, being too quiok for me ;
but the poker deseended with considera
ble force on the spot where he should
have been. The same instant I heard
a sharp, clicking noise, and the shield
slid away, revealing to my astonished
gaze a small chamber constructed in
the massive chimney.
In this novel hiding place lay a pile
of papers. Trembling a good deal, I
caught up the topmost one and hastily
examined it by the aid of the flickering
candle. Instantly I knew that my
startled conjecture was a shrewd one,
and that I now held in my hand Madame
Belgrave's true and last will and testa
ment, and Lawrence Belgrade, not I,
was the rightful owner of Bound wood !
It was scarcely a pleasant d iscovery
to make. Thoroughly bewildered, I
dropped into one of the quaint easy
chairs, trying hard to command my
wandering senses sufficiently to realize
it in all its bearings. My candle
sputtered and went out, presently, but
I still sat there quite oblivious to the
fact, thinking only of my loneliness and
the treadmill of poverty to which I
must return. At last I was aroused by
a rustling sound, and a muffled step on
the baloony without. With a sudden
thrill of horror I beheld a dark figure I
rise up before the window, and slide j
noiselessly over the sill. The next in- !
Btant a dark lantern flashed its light i
over the room. I started to my feet with |
a shriek of uncontrollable terror ; in an
attempt to rush to the door, my limbs i
failed utterly, and I crouched pale and j
panting against the wall.
"Miss Lane I you here I" said a voice; j
and the man put down the lantern and j
came toward me. "I beg a thousand 1
pardons for giving you such a start." i
It was Lawrence. I rose up again,
thoroughly ashamed of myself for
having manifested such extreme terror.
"My emotion was exonsable," said I
with all the old sanoiness, for I had
grown bold as a lion again, now there
was no real horror to oonfront. '"I did
not expect to see you at Roundwood to
night—hence my surprise,"
"The fact is, he replied, manifest
ing considerable confusion, i'l have
come here every night for two weeks
back, hnnting for Madame Belgrave's
will. Lawyer Green has told me she
destroyed it afterward as it has not
come to light. I hold to a different |
opinion. The will was in my favor as :
yon must readily guess, and I believe 1
it is hidden in some place which 1
Madame was prevented from disolosing
by thd awful suddenness of her death."
"Then you were the ghost ?" I gasped.
"I suppose I must have been.
"Well, it is laid forever. Yon have
no farther need to haunt this apartment.
Here is the missing document for whioh
yon have been searching ; to-morrow I
will abdicate as graoefully as possible,
and Riohard shall have his own again.
And while he stood staring at me, as
if quite dumbfounded, I pushed the ;
will into his hand, and made a second
effort to gain the door.
This time it was Lawrence who de
tained me foreibly.
"Don't go, Madelon," he whispered,
his arm gathering me olose to his side.
"Now I can speak my mind freely. I'll
not be master here unless you oonsent
to be mistress, for I love you too dearly.
What say you ?"
I will not repeat my answer. But if
aunt Jerußha had hurried to my rescue
—as she declaied she would do—a few
minutes after I first shrieked for
assistance, she would have beheld a
tablean that might have given quite a
shook to her strict ideas of propriety.
Weeping After Kissing.
Mr. Punch has derived great amusement
lately reading the commentaries of sages
of the English presS on the following pas
sage;-*
''And Jacob kitted Rachel, and lifted up
hit hefld and wept. Gen. xxix, 11.
The following are the different explana
tions :
"If Rachel was a good looking girl, and
kept her face clean, we cannot see what
Jacob cried for."— Daily Telegraph.
"How do you know but Rachel slapped
his face for kissing her, and he cried in con
sequence."—Ladiet' Treatury.
"Weeping is frequently caused by excess
of pleasure, jey and over-happiness ; per
haps it was BO in the case of Jacob."— Uard
wick'i Science Oottip.
"The reason why Jacob wept was Rachel's
refusing to let him kiss her the second time."
—Noncottfortnitk \ s >
"We are of the opinion that Jacob wept
beetle he hbd not kissed Rachel before,
and £e wept because the time was lost."—
City PreM. j
"The yoong qtan wept because the damsel
kissed hhn jf—iPall Mall Oatetle.
• Jacob wepf- because Rachel encouraged
him to kiss het twice DOU, and he WM
afraid to do it."— Methodist Recorder.
"Jacob wept beoausV.&aehel threatened
to tell her ma."— Sunday date lit.
"He wept because there was bat one
Rachel for him to kiss."— Clarkenteell Newt.
"He wept for joy; it was delicious."—r
Jeurith Chronicle. ""v
"We believe that Jacob wept because
Rachel had been eating onions."— Briiith
Standard.
4, We believe that Jacob wept because he
found that kissing was pot half so good as
it was said to be."— New Zealand Examiner.
"A mistake—it was opt his eyes but his
mouth that watered."— Ladiet' Chronicle.
"He was a fool, and wept because h«> did
not know what was good for him."— Englith
Woman't Advuer.
"He wept because it was not time (o kiss
her again."— Ezprett.
"Peace, all of you ! Is there anything be
neath the starry firmament or the golden
orb of day, in nature, or in art, equal to
the first kiss in sweetness and entrancing
falicity ? Our word for it there is not; and
as Jacob had never kissed a pretty girl be
fore, his first enjoyment of the most delight
ful pleasure of life fairly overoame him, and
he wept for joy and blissful happiness."—
Jlortey Hornet. .
A Boaasee af Wlsweaots.
In St, Paul they tell the story of
Maggie Flynn. She loved and was
loved by a worthy young man, who
hoped soon to make ner lus bride, but
slander's envenomed tongue poisoned
her reputation and caused her lover to
cancel their engagement.- She, suffer
ing unjustly from the cruel blow, lost
her reason, and would have been car
ried an incurable patient to the insane
asylum had hot toe employers of her
quondam lover investigated the stories
affecting her character and ascertained
Itheir utter groundlessness. He was
traveling, but they ordered him home,
told him the good news, and sent him
to claim Maggie before she should be
sent to the mad-house. She was with
the Sheriff, who was about to convey
her to her destination, when the young
man came into her presence. At sight
of him, the clouds that lowered on ner
intellect broke away, and—bridal-veils
—not straight-jackets are in order.
Russian Romance.
Russia has not, it appears, escaped
the epidemic of soandal in high life,
which seems latterly to have been
making a tour of the world. A gTfeat
trial has just been bronght to a close
at St. Petersburg which throws muoh
new light upon Russian charaoter and
society* Even in these days of en
lightenment.it is astonishing how little
is known of Russia, its social customs
and events, beyond the frontiers of the
Oxar's territory. The trial of the Ab
bess Mitrofania, reveals, especially,
a degree .of religions fanatioism
hardly suspected. Her oonviotion
for a series of forgeries which, for
their long duration and impunity and
vast extent, can scarcely find a
parallel in the records of criminal
audacity, has been attended by the
unfolding of a tale as startling and sen
sational as it is unprecedented. The
Abbess, it seems, is a lady of patrioian
blood. The daughter of Baron Rosen,
formerly Cominander-in-Chief in the
Oauoasris, her first appearance in pub
lio was as a lady of honor to the Em
press of Russia. Impressed, probably,
with the Czarina's own religious zeal,
Baroness Rosen soon resolved to devote
her life to the servioe of the Church.
Brilliant, flail of energy, enthusiastic
to fanatioism, she attracted the atten
tion of the venerable and beloved Phil
arete, Patriarch of Moscow. He in
duced her to bcoome the abbess of a
convent; aad soon after she herself,
using her influence at the Imperial
Gonrt, founded a new order of Sisters
of Mercy at) Moscow, with branohes at
St. Petersburg and Pokoff, Into this
project she'entered with a vigor and
persistenoyjwhioh were amazing. Her
great need was money; to procure this
she employed methods at first cunning,
then criminal. An espeoial favorite at
Court, she procured offices and titles
for rich and'ambitious merchants, who
in return contributed liberally to her
order. Soipetimes she borrowed large
sums and j refused to return them.
Sometimes she cajoled merchants to
lend her tfceir names on blank promis
sory notes, which she filled up at wilL
i She employed such crafty artifices and
! carried them out with snoh consum
j mate skill as to stamp her as a woman
of remarkable intellect and resolution.
But a timeoame when artifice could
no longer avail her, woen she had ex
hausted her oredit with the merohants,
and her sohemes to secure funds by
mere stratagem. In her fanatical Ceal
the Abbess was drawn into the domain
of crime. Hospitals, almshouses, con
vents, retreats had risen rapidly under
her direction ; still she could not rest
satisfied. Her flint criminal act was to
forge the name of a rich lumber mer
chant to bills reaching the sum of 22,
000 rubles. Then she pitched upon a
wretched lady who, owing to her disso
lute habits, had been placed under
trustees by her wealthy husband, in
sinuated herself into her confidence,
reoeived her in the convent, aad 'ex-'
tracted from her not only large sums,
but signatures to blank promissory
notes. Thus the husband soon found
bills in circulation against him, signed
by his wife, to the amount- of 270,000
rubles. The Abbess Mitrofania be
came emboldened by success. Her
sohemes took a more audacious turn
than ever. A rich old Skoptsi mer
chant had been thrown into prison at
Mosoow, where be died. In no long
time t flood of bills purporting to have
been signed by him appeared in circu
lates. They were drawn in favor of
j the irrepressible Abbess. She stated
that the old merchant had given them
{ to her as a payment for her efforts to
Erocure his release from prison. His
efcr* resisted the bill and declared
I then forgeries. The developments
whith succeeded brought the Abbess
under suspicion, whioh speedily took
the form of an arrest, indictment and
trial 'pie Abbess oonduoted her own
oase with spaaing skill and nerve. She
examined the witnesses, and proved
herself a perfect mistress of the minu
-1 test details. But notwithstanding this
her friendship and influenoe with the
I Czarina and her suooess in packing the
jury with religious aealots, she was
| brought in guilty on 4very count. She
was sentenoed to an qkile of three years
at Yerisei, and to confinement in Sibe-
L ria for eleven years thereafter. It
; would be hsrd to find so strange a
| story in the criminal reoords of" any
tonntay. It indicates, however, that
j Russian justice, onoe aroused to self-as
t sertion, is inexorable, and bean as
j heavily on the patrioian as on the
' peasant; and not that not even •
1 cherished familiar of the Palaoe ( and one
E' rotested by thus priesthood,' can vio
tte the Imperial laws with impunity.
Depth ot Qalet I'eople.
Borne men draw upon you like the
Alps. They impress you vaguely at
first, just as do the hundred faces you
meet in your daily walks. They oome
across your horizon like floating clouds
and yet you have to watch a while be
fore'you see that they are mountains.
Borne men remind you of quiet lake*,
places such as you have often hap
pened upon, where the green turf and
the field flower hang over you and are
refleoted out of the water all day long.
Some day you carelessly drop a line
into the clear depths, close by the side
of the daisies ana daffodils, and it goes
down, down, down. You lean over and
sound deeper, but your line doesn't
bring up. What a deep spot that is !
Ton think, and you try another. The
refleoted daisies seem to smile at you
our of the water, the turf looks as
green as ever. You never thought of
it, bntyour quiet lake is unfathomable.
You are none the less impressed from
these facta that it is a quiet lake.—
William Quarttrly.
VARIETIES.
The art of printing in oil colon vu
invented 1410.
They have discovered, two more
Venuses in Borne,
" The place for proof-readers: the
house of correction.
What animals are always seen at a
funeral ? Black kidt.
When is a literary work like smoke ?
When it rises in volumes.
The sohool-ma'am may not be a mind
reader, bat she makes readers mind.
The area of the British Empire ap
proximates to 7,709,500 square
In Paris 671 women get their living
by serving as models for painters
sculptors.
Somebody says that King Koffee is a
wreck. Somebody says that all kings
are rex.
Why am de pen dat Sir Walter Soott
wrote wid like a riber in Maine ? Cause
it am the Pen-ob-scot.
A tariff union of the islands of the
Pacific, at the head of whioh Will be
Australia and New Zealand, is proposed
by the latter colonies.
A recent traveler has discovered
the ladies in the north of China bang
their hair, and considering the habits
of the people have probably done so for
the last thousand years.
Two thousand dollars in gold were
lately paid in London for a cup of oof
fee. "The cup of coffee" was made by
Mad rage—on his easel. It was a won
derful specimen of the painter's art.
It was a woman—Elizebeth, oountess
of Thanet—who first petitioned the
Irish government for a penny-post. \
This was 171 years ago. Subsequently
for that valuable hint she was awarded
a pension of £3OO per annum.
Miss Braddon looks like the prineipal
of a girl's school or a spinister aunt.
She is tall and rather angular, past
forty, wears her dark and nay-streaked
hair cnt short, and has,hoarse lines
about the mouth and a deep furrow be
tween the eyes.
A rupture has oocurred between the
first and seoond kings of Biam, father
and son. The latter took refuge in the
British Consulate at Bangkok, and dis
banded his forces. A British gunboat
has left Singapore for Bangkok to pro
tect the Britisn subjects.
Applause in an Italian theatre is not
always a sure sign of success. Then
Was a cane recently of a composer being
called before the enrtain twenty-four
times on the first performance of hi*
opera. The theatre was oloeed the
next night fo*, lack of patronage.
Electricity is now annonnoed to be
an effectual cure for toothache. One
Dr.'Bouchard, of Paris, states that even
when the tooth is greatly decayed a
perfect cure is frequently obtained, and
temporary relief is almost invariable.
Sometimes the application is oontinued
half an honr, although fifteen minutes
is usually sufficient.
All who handle money must occasion
ally get a hold of counterfeit bills, for
the Note Printing Bureau at Washing
ton makes the startling admission that
seven out of the nine denominations of
the national bank notes have been coun
terfeited. Nor is this Jthe wont yet.
It is further asserted that the makers
of Bpurious notes are getting more ex
pert every year. i ■
*
It has puzzled many people to decide
why the dark wood so highly rained for
furniture should be oalled rosewood.
Its oolor certainly does not look like a
roes, so we must look for some other
reason. Upon asking, we are told that
when the tree is first out the fresh wood
possesses s very strong, rose-like fra
grance, hence the name. There are
half a dozen or more kinds of rosewood
trees. The varieties are found in South
America and the East Indies and neigh
boring islands. Sometimes the trees
grow so large that planks four feet
broad and ton in length can be out
from one of them. These board planks
are principally used to make the tops
of pianofortes. When growing in the
forest, the rosewood tree is remarkable
for lis beauty, but such is its value fa
manufactures as an ornamental wood
that Some of the forests where it ones
grew sbundantly now have scarcely a
single specimen. In Madras,'the Gov
ernment has prudently had great \piaa
tatioßß of thia tree set out in order to
keep up the supply.
Will aloohol freeze ?ia the laat oo
nundrnm. II is stated, man example
of intense oold, that, in Montana, on
the night of Jan. 18, the mercury in tha
thermometers all froae, small quanti
ties of mereorj in vials beoame . con
gealed, and proof whiskey plaoed oat
of doors froze solid in luuf an hour.
This last item elicits an arorsaaion of
incredulity. The proof wniakey that
froze in half an hour ia regarded by a
oontemporary aa beyond belief. ™
freezing of the mercury happena at 80
or 40® below zero, bat abeolnte
aloohol, it ia declared, haa never been
frozen, though Prof. Farrady found it
looked a little tnrbid when subjected
to a temperature (artificial) of I#P
below zero. High winee oontain 75
per oent. of aloohol. . Proof spiriti of
OoTerament standard are plaoed at 00
per oent aloohol. The aloohol this
Montana whiskey contained would have
separated from tne water in the pro
cess of freezing like the "oore" in a
frozen barrel of eider. If it actually
froze solid, it was a harmless whiskey.
In the severest cold of the Artie explo
rations proof spirit never froae. The
probable explanation of the Montana
phenomenon is that the apirita Were aet
outside in an open Teasel, when the
whiskey evaporated rapidly and left the
oomponent water froaen.
J\ ' I
NO. 1.