From tlif New York Oltt^orvcr.
swEi::^r**S€fli:KTEj> «mms of
TB5.0:: BillB.Fi
BY klfFX jnurniA f-fAdley.
Ah we gathered around the li
brary table after 8uj)pei', a few
nights ago, X,ed took- from . his
jiocket a little j)ackage done up iu
tvhite paper, and, o))euing it, dis'
])layed some 3'eUowish, toaf-shap-
ed drops.
‘You camiot guess what this is,’
said he, handing- them around for
examination.
‘It is hardened gum of some
sort,’ said I, holding' mine up to
the lamp and discovering that the
light penetrated it dind\'.
‘It smells like balsam,’ said
mother; and Susie, -with her true
B])irit of investigation, thrust the
piece she lield into her mouth,
but liastih' took it out again, with
an exclamation of disgust.
‘What is the matter I Isn’t it
good ?’ asked Ned, laughing.
‘Good ! It’s horrid ; for it is as
sour and bitter as it can be.’
‘Wliat is it, uncle Ned V asked
Annie.
‘Olibamim.’
‘Frankincense f’ 1 oxtdaimed.
‘Yes. The genuine frankin
cense of the ancients; no modern
imitation.’
‘Blit how did v'ou get it ? I did
not know it was ever brought to
this country except for modieine.’
‘It rareli' is, even for that ])ur-
pose,’ lie answered, ‘IVill Olcutt,
ivho has just come home from
Calcutta, brought some and ga'-U'
me tliese pieces to add to nn^ lit
tle collection of curiosities. It
irrows, 3'ou knoiv, among tlie
mountains of India and is export
ed from Calctttta,. Vein- little is
sent to America, for it is not as
much used as formerly for medi
cine, being seldom eiipilov'ed, ex
cept for plasters and fumigations
-—juirposes for -uliich clicajier
sulistitutes will answer.’
‘I should hope it would never
be given people to swallon-,’ said
Susie, suppressing a icr}' face at
the remembrance of her disagree
able experiment.
‘I thought it was still used as
incense bv' the Homan Catholics,’
said mother.
‘Fossibl}’ it may be on great
occasions,’ was the reph^; ‘but it
is too rare and costl}' for ordinaiy
Use. The frankincense common
ly emploj’cd for such purposes
now, is obtained from the Nor-
tvay spruce, and a cheap substi
tute for even that is found in
white tiirjientine from our south
ern pine forests, wliich, when old
and hard, answers in the place of
the European gum.’
‘From what tree does the gen
uine aomef’ asked Annie.
‘From the Boswellia Serrata, a
largo timber tree, bearing small
leaves and pinkish blossoms.
AVbon the bark is pierced, this
gum flows from the opening, dif
fusing a delicious fi'ag'rance, but
it quickly hardens by exposure to
the air. The tree grows in the
mountainous parts of Central In
dia and on the coast of Coroman
del, and, perhaps, in other parts
of the East, but it is so rare as to
give the gam a high value. Simi
lar sperfos, wdiich ^deld a coarser
Titriety of resin. Sourish in differ
ent ])arts of Asiai, but this is be
lieved to be the genuine old
frankincenso, which has heeii us
ed in religious coremouios ever
since the dawn of historj’,’
‘How univemal tlie use of
spices and perfumes seems to
have been in the Eastern wor
ship,’ said mother,
‘Yes,’ said Ned, ‘and I suspect
that the offering of sacrifices luul
lunch to do with the custom. ’I’lie
smell of the burning flesh must
hai'o been exceediiigh- revolting,
and the natural result was the use
of strong jierfnmes to conceal it.
Besinous gums like fraidciiicense
and'nu-irh, spices and sweet-
scented woods, ivere the most eas
ily obtained, and so in tlie most
g-eneral use. The bni'iiing of in
cense long pi'eceded tlie organi
zation of the Israelitish worshiji,
being practised by the early
Eg\-ptians and other nations of
autiquiti’.’
‘ The caravan of Ishinaelites to
whom Josepli was sold by his
brethren, were carrjdng balm and
nyn-h into Egypt,’ said mother.
‘Both were largely used there
for medicine,’ said Nod, ‘and the
myrrh in enibaliiiing the dead.
Its great value is attested by the
fact that it was one of the pres
ents sent by Jacob to the gov-
eri,er of Egvqit, tlie supposed
stranger, ivlio proved to be his
own .sou, Joseph. It seems to
have been a favorite present at
the East, as were other iiorfnmes
and sweet siiices.’
‘1 think frankincense was not
mentioned in tlie Bible until some
time later,’ said mother.
‘I do not recollect the name be
fore the flight from Eg_vpt,’ repli
ed Ned. ‘When tlie tabeniaclo
was built, Moses was diroctod to
use it, with sweet spices, in iiuik-
iiig an oil to be burned as incense.
So sacred was the oil tliat no
person was allowed to make it for
any other purpose, or to use it
elsewhere tliaii at tlie altar, under
the penalty- of being cut off from
among tlie chosen jieople. Tlie
oil for anointing the jiriests was
made of myrrh, ciniiamoii, cala
mus and cassia, but there ivas no
frankincense in it.’
‘It was used in the sacrifices,”
said I.
‘Yes,’ iie replied, ‘in meat offer
ings, but not in the sacrifices for
sin.’
‘What is myrrh!’ asked Susie.
‘A guiii not unlike frankin-
c'lnse, gathered from a tree be
longing to the same general tribe.
It is a dwarf, liowover, beside the
mighty Boswellia Serrata, being
a scraggy little thing, with whit
ish gray bark and scanty leaves.
The gum oozes from it in drops
and gradually hardens. It comes
from Arabia and, perhaps, also
from Abyssinia, At any rate, it
is nnich more abundant ' tlian
frankincense and is much used by
us as a medicine.’
‘I hope I’ll novor have to take
any of it as bad as this,’ said Su
sie, holding up the drop she had
tasted. .
‘I presume 3-011 would like it
no better, for it i.s said to be ver3’
bitter,’ replied her uncle, smiling,
‘How about the balm of Gil
ead ? AVhat is that I’ asked motli-
er.
‘Another balsamic gum. It is
obtained from a low shrub of the
genus mmjrurt, ivhic.h grows in
Abi'ssinia and Syria. Tlie brandi
es lu'o low and crooked, bearing
b'-igiit green loaves arranged in
groups of threes. The flowers
are ii’hite and the fruit is an egg-
shajied berr3', enclosing a smootii
nut.'
‘1 liave read,’ said I, ‘that when
tlie Queen of Sheba made tliat fa
mous visit to Solomon, she ))ro-
seiited him witli a balm of Gilead
tree.’
‘Tliat is one of Josephus’s state
ments,’ answered Ned. ‘I icnow
of no reason for discrediting it, as
tlie balm of Gilead Wits amopg the
forenio.st of tlie perfumes wliicii
ranked With gold and jirccious
gems, and a tree which wiaild
produce the liquid miglit well be
considered a more valiuible pres
ent than tlie gum itself.’
‘You speak of the balm as a li
quid,’ said mother ; ‘does it ooze
from the bark, or is it obtained
b3- cutting f
‘The trees are tapped, much as
our sugar-maples are, when the
saj) is most abundant. Tliojuice
is caught ill small earthen bottles,
and each dai-’s produce is emp
tied into larger bottles and care
fully corked, as the delicious
fragrance of the balm is quickly
lost bv exposure to the air. But
as, it is said, no tree ever 3-1 elds
more than sixtv- drops in a da3-,
the glim collects very slowl)- and
is exceediiigh' costl3-. So rare is
it, that it is almost impossible to
procure it pure, even in Constan-
tinojile.’
‘Is it ever brought to America?’
asked Annie.
‘J’robablv* not hi an3'thing like
a pure state. The gums from
otliei- triios are sold under the
same name. Canada balsam, that
clear gmn which wo iise in put
ting up specimens for the mioro-
seope, is obtained from a tree
sometimes- called the American
Balm of Gilead.’
‘Is tlie real gum used as any
thing but ii medicine !’ Susie ask
ed.
‘Oh ! 3-es. The Turks value it
as a cosmetic, although it is diffi
cult for us to understand how it
can beautif3' the skin, as, to that
of persons not accustomed to it,
it is exceedingly irritating, often
causing the face to bo swollen
and inflamed for da3''s after its ap
plication. It is also taken as a
stimulant in small quantities, di
luted with water. Its chief use,
however, is medical, and the ina-
113- allusions made to it 113- an
cient writers show that, in their
times, it was regarded as a sov
ereign r6nied3- for almost eveiy
disease.’
‘Well,’ said I, as he laid the
drops of frankincense in a little
box and put them in one of the
drawers of his cabinet, ‘I think
we have all learned something to
night about the sweet-scented
gums of the Bible ; I must con
fess I had ver3- vague ideas con
cerning tliem before.’
‘I do not think 3-011 can have
0113- veiw- definite ideas now,’ re
plied Ned ; ‘but if v'oii have gain
ed an interest in them 3-011 will
■soon learn more. A little knoiid-
edge attracts more, as a luagnet
does steel-filings.’
[From tlio Dclroit Fi-oc
“tilt 1(!
>s.]
There was a room with eight cor
ners-, in eael-i corner sat a eat;
Imfor'e each cat sat seven other'
cats, and on each cat’s tail sat
cat, IIow many cuts in all 3
You see, the iieoplo af the Post
Office soon recognize faces and
names, and after a man or ii'oman
lias ajipeared at the general-deliv-
er3' window three or four times,
the}'are-pretQ' well known. I)
is a real pleasure to hand out let
ters to some, ivliile the clerks care
.little for the calls of others to get
liohl of their letters.
One day a 3'ear or two ago, a
fiuin3'--looking little old woman,
wearing faded garments, but hav
ing a till}-' look and a motherl}'
face, appeared at the n indoiv and
asked for a letter. There was
one for her, sent from a dista.nt
city, and aiy- one could have told
that an unlearned ho}' directed
the envelope. There ivas r, little
“d” in “Detroit,” willi a big “1
to end the word, and it seemed
wonderful that the letter ever
reached its destination,
Tlie old lad}- felt so good that,
tears in her 63-68, and 3-et tn'ing
to smile, she put her head into the
window and said ;
‘Thanks ! It's from iri}- bo}-
Dan, and 3-011 don’t know- how
much good it does me I’
The lad}- deliver}- clerk rose
to look after the old woman, and
when a second letter came she
ivas looking and watching for
‘mother’ a whole da}- before the
letter was passed out.
‘It’s from my Dan,,again!’ cried
the old woman, as she noted the
siiperseriptioii. ‘He's in Buffalo,
learning a trade. He’s 011I3- a
bit of a 1)0}-, and' there ivasidt a
shoii' for him in Detroit, and, be
sides, he was running out at nights,
and going to the bail. 1 sent him
away, and.lie’s working hard and
trying to be good. God bless
my Dan! Tin a lone widow,
ii'ith oni^r him to love, and I hope
he’ll bo good!’
‘I hope so, too,’ added the clerk,
and after that the two were
friends. Sometimes the letters
were far between, and when the
old woman would won-}- over the
dehi}-, and the big tears would
fall, the lad}' would almost shed
tears with her. ‘Mother’ would
open her letters at the window,
and if Dan was feeling brave-
hearted and getting along well
both would rejoice, while both
would still be anxious if ho com
plained and was discouraged.
Almost ever}- week for a 3-oar
and a half the old woman receiv
ed a letter, and just as regularly
slie came to post an answer. She
ivrote ill a quaint old hand, but
the boy could make out ever}-
word, a,nd once when he wrote
that her writing was improving
she felt all the pride -which a
school-girl could have slioini. He
improved as well. By and by he
wrote ‘Detroit’ plaid and fair, and
he took extra pains to commence
his ‘Dear Mother’ with a grand
flourish, and to add something
extra after the words : ‘Your sou
Dan.’
These letters were food and
di-iiik to tlie old lad}-, and she
■seemed to actual!}- grow 3-oiinger.
Little Dan had man}- friends in
the po.st-office, and had the moth
er been ill an}- carrier would have
hunted till 'midnight to find- he#
and- hand her the looked-for let
ter. Three or four weeks a.go
she wept and smiled as over the
first: I.hin wrote that he ■ was
coming home for a week, and her
heart v-aa full. Slie Said she*d
li-ive the eofSa-ge looking like il-jw
for him, and .s'lie’d be at the de--
pot to welcome hini first of all.
Eie'ryliody felt glid with het,-
a id the lady clerk was to go up
some evening and liave tea -ivith
her.; and - see little Dan, and
pr.iisj and encourage iiini, forfher
more kind ivO ds a boi' can liave,
the better will lie .seek tO'dOi ;
There was no leitter the ilekf
TluirsiUi}-, but the tivo excused
its abselice h}- sai-ing- that Dali
was getting ready to cO'mo home;
That was early in Feliruar}-, ai tt-
he ivas to come about theifirst iff'
March, The next Thursday
there was a letter, but thodiainl-
writing was not little ' Dan’s.- -..It,
was a strange, buisiness haiid,
and tlio clerk felt a chill go oyerf
her as she turned - it 'Oyciv.-It-
might 1)0 good news but she.fear.;
od not. ‘Mother’ canie iii at the
regular hour, and she turned pale
as she took tlie envelope; Hei'
fingers trembled its she opened it,
and she had to wipe the nlisf qiit
of lier eyes before she could de-
ciplier a M'ord. She Iiadii’t tead
over four or five lines when she
uttered a moan, and sank right
down, like one crushed b}- s.ome
awful weight. Theyi lifted ' lie'i'
up and took her homo, tlie letter
clasped iii her stiff fingers, and-
thoiigh she came out of the faint
after a ivhile" her heart-ivas br'o-"
ken, and in a iveek she was in her
grave.
Dan was dead ! Thfe. letter
said that ho liad lieen taken siid-
denl}- ill, and that nothing could
save him. The Wow was too
hear}- for one with hei-gra}- liairs
and childisli heart, and her little
old cottage is without a ten
ant. ' ‘ '
No letters commencing ‘Deaf
Mother,’ come from the. dead, a'lui
the trembling hands winch used
to linger fondly over the .ivords :
‘AI}- dear bo}-, Dan,’ were folded
over a lifeless breast, there to fesi
till the ange's unclasp them.
Did it ever occur to an-- of oiir'
readers that it takes mofe feed to
make a pound of beef than a
pound of butter I A good cOit iii
milk, well ciired for, will make
200 pounds of butter in a season,
ivorth from SGO to- 870; but a
dry cow, with the same feed will
not gain as much in weight in
the same time, iior vs-ill she be
worth as much a,s the blitter froms
tlie dair}- cow, and the milch cow'
is left;
One of the most hmnoroiis irici-
dents in eonneotio'ii with the civij
rights question, occurred iecently
on the Central Railway of Geor--
gia.- liepresentative Alexander'
H. Stephens by accident 'took a
seat in a ear which was reserved
for colored persons, and was sum
marily ordered to withdraw'^by
the Gomiuctor,- who did not kno-ir
him.
Tliere is a stor}- of Judge
Grier, which evelyb-od-}-' delights
ill, how he set asi'h, the unjust
verdict of ajur}- against an im-
po]iiilar man, va-di the rcaiurk :
'Enter the -\-erd-ict, .Air. Clerk.
Enter,- also, ‘Sot aside bv the
court.’ 1 want it to be understood
that it takes thirteen men to ste-'J,
a mail’s iii-rui in tli.i eoiirt.’