THE ALAMANCE GLEANER
VOL. I.
THE GLEANER.
PUBLISHED wekkly BY
PARKER & JOHNSON,
Graham, IN". C«
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POETUY.
THE POOR MAN AT THE 6ATE OF
PAKADIKE-A HORNISU ItKKAM.
BY W. WAYBRIDGE, ESQ.
A poor old man died on one bitter cold day,
And directly to Paradise wended his way ;
Saint Peter he met—'tis a dream I relate—
With his great shining keys, keeping ward at
the gate.
Now, while standing here, with the Apostle
conversing.
The events of his journey to heaven rehears
ing,
He sees a rich townsman—the gate is ajar
Slip quietly by them and In through the bar.
He listens ; he hears peals of music arise
To welcome this man to bis home in the Blues ;
But on entering himself, though bright visions
fill
His fancy with rapture, all is silent and still.
"Hew is this.?" —turning back to Saint Peter,
his guide;
In accents of wonder the poor man then cried;
"When my neighbor went in, sweetest music I
heard; , v
Why is not the same honor on me bow con
ferred?
"D'ye keep up the distinction here, please let
me know,
'Twixt the rich and the poor that we had down
below?"
"Not at all," said Saint Peter ; "oh, no, not at
» all; • .
Just as brothers we live in this banqueting
hall ;
"But poor folks like you, I am happy to say,
By hundreds pass through the gate every day ;
About once in a year comes a rich man along,
Then all Paradise rings with a general song!'
MISCELLANY.
How Postage Stamps are Made.
The process of manufacturing the
little postage stamps is quite interest
ing: In printing, steel plates are used,
ou which 200 stamps are engraved.
Two men are kept at work covering
them with the colored inks and passing
them to a man and a girl, who are
equally busy at printing them with
large rolling hand presses. Three of
these little squads are employed all the
time, although ten presses can be put
into U3e in case of necessity. After the
small sheets of paper upon which the
200 stamps are engraved have dried
enough they are sent into another room
and gummed. The gum used for this
purpose is a peculiar composition,
made of the powder of dried potatoes
and other vegetables mixed witn water,
which is better than any other mate
rial, for instance, gam arabic, which
cracks the paper badly. This paper is
also of a peculiar texture, somewhat
similar to that used for bank notes.
After having been again dried, this
time on little rackß which are fanned
by steam power for about an honr, they
v are put between sheets of pasteboard,
and pressed in hydraulic presses,
capable of applying a weight of two
thousand tons. The' next thing is to
cnt the sheets in half; each sheet of
course, when cut, contains a hundred
stamps. This is done by a girl with a
large pair of shears, cutting bv hand
being preferred to that of machinery,
whicn method would destroy too many
stamps. -They are then passed to two
"other sqnads, who in as maMppera
tions perforate the sheets between the
stamps. Next they are pressed once
more, and then packed and labelled,
and stowed away in another room,
preparatory to being put in mail
for despatching to fulfill orders. If a
». • single stamp is torn, or in any way
mutilated, the whole sheet of one hun
dred are burned. About five hundred
thousand are burned every week from
this cause. For the past twenty years
not a single sheet has been lost, soch
care has beeta taken in counting them.
Daring the progress of manufacturing,
the sheets are counted eleven times.
A Detroit gentleman, walking behind
two school children the other day,
heard the boy inquire, "Will you be at
the party to-night f" "I shall be then
answered the miss, "but I may aa well
tell you now that your lore is hopeless;
mamma is determined, father is set,
and it isn't right for me to efcooarage
your attention. I can be a sister to
you, but nothing more. Therefore
you needn't buy me any valentine >r
give me any more gum.
' - % ««l » '
A pretty pieoe of business—Drawing
salaries.
GRAIIAM, ALAMANCE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 1875.
MRS. STIITH'S IINESSK
BY HARKIET IRVING. "
Madame Goureaud walked in her
garden in the lovely June weather.
She was very fond of the flowers, and
spent a great deal of time among them.
It was not her fault that a young gen
tleman in one of the row of houses
opposite sat at his window, nor even
that he cast admiring glances s6me
where in her direction. She bloomed
as her roses did, without an effort.
This little tribute to the lady's charms
would have injured na one, even when
the unknown gentleman was so bold as
to kiss his hand and lay it upon his
heart if monsieur, the husband, had
not been possessed of an evil spirit of
jealousy, which kept him always on the
qui vive lest some one sho«ld admire
his lovely Therese too greatly.
In this parlicular instance, Monsieur
Goureaud had become remarkably un
easy—so much 80, that he had felt
called upon to leave his place of busi
ness at all sorts of inopportune hours
and enter the house abruptly, some
times to join Madame Goureaud in the
garden; sometimes to watch her for
hours from behind the closed blinds.
As. for the lady, she was all discretion
and propriety. She never onoe lifted
her large eye lids.
She was a woman of more than ordi
nary acuteness and was well aware
when both these gentlemen's glances
were riveted npon her, but she onty
(shrugged her plump shoulders aDd said
nothing, arguing within herself that
there was no reason why she should
neglect her floral treasures because an
impertinent neighbor wished to observe
hervleatnres, neither was there the least
reason in the world why she should
interfere with poor Alphonse's pastime
if he wished to peep behind the blinds.
The sun was setting. Madame Gou
reaud had entered her house to see
that the servants had set all things in
order for supper. The snowy damasks,
the replendent silver, the strawberries
in their nest Of green leaves, the dainty
confections, all were spread in beauti
ful array. Monsieur Goureaud has de
scended to the supper table, bearing
his hat and walking stick ostentatiously
in his hand, though he had passed a
very convenient receptacle for them,
which fact madame's flexible eyebrows
remarked in dumb show.
Meanwhile the admiring neighbor
looked disconsolately from his window.
He was an exceedingly young man of
the pale student order, long as to nose
and limb, lemon color as to hair, eye
brows and moustache, lean and melan
choly. He ran his fingers through his
hair and Bighed, looked first at his
neighbor's house and then to heaven,
snatched paper, pen, ink and blotter
from the interior of his desk, which al
ways stood handy during his evening
meditations, and indited verses, proba
bly, tor at regular intervals his nose
pointed skyward and he placed his
fingers on his brow as if meditating a
rhyme, then nose and pen dipped, and
two more*lines went smoothly.
He had covered a large and elegant
sheet of paper with his chirography.
He lifted it with an admiring glance,
laid it down again, turned to his desk,
it may be for a ruler, when a treacher
ous gust of wind, as though enamored 1
of the glowing words, caught up the i
production of his muse, and wafted it'
out of his reach. O, horror ? It was
circling in space. It descended wheel !
ing, slowly, slowly. -* Perhaps, after all, j
it was not so far wrong. His eyes
followed it with anxiety. Slowly,
slowly 1 It lingered a moment on the
top of a whitewashed fence. The die
was cast. The paper entered Madame
Goureaud's garden, wheeled once,
twice, fluttered like a brooding dove,
nestled softly under the spreading
leaves of a great African lily. The poet
buried his head in his hauds.
Midnight reigned. The moon shone i
on two long rows of houses, standing ]
back to back. A door opened, and a >
young gentle man, with no shirt collar
an his neck and a desperate look of
daring on his face, came forth. With
stealthy steps he advanced to the back
fenoe, a portion of which adjoined
Madame Goureaud's garden. The
clothes line whifch dangled slackly from
iron hooks proved a great assistance.
He He stood for a second
looking down. Cats fled before him
uttering fiendish yells. A whiffet in a
neighboring garden set up its shrill
bark. A window in Monsieur Goureaud's
house was opened, the ulintter flung
wide, and Monsieur Goureaud ap
peared, pistol in hand, and fired.
The figure which had reared con-
Sicuouelv in the moonlight, dropped.
iher windows were flung open. More
oats fled. Soon silence Iras restored,
and the v solitary adventurer crawled
back to the door he had come from,
looking fearfully over his shoulder.
JCt breakfast Madame Goureaud,
■miling and arrayed in a cream-colored
cashmere which well became her bloom
ing complexion, poured ont Monsieur
Goureaud's chocolate and thanked him
sweetly for frightening those dreadful
cats. At breakfast, also Madame Gou
reand received a note signed by Juvenal
Smith, of the next street, and begging
the honor of an interview at nine that
morning.
After breakfast Monsieur Ooureaud
departed, with an affectionate embrace.
Madame's eyebrows remarked.
"Ah ! Monsieur Alphonse, you have
removed your hat and walking stick,
bat your boote still stand in the closet.
Gentlemen do not go to their business
in velvet slippers. N'est ee pas ?"-
Madame seated herself and thought
profoundly. If Monsieur Smith de
sired a nearer view of her features,
why deprive him of that pleasure ?
Alphonse WM not rash, only resolute.
There should be no bloodshed. She
went to her mirror, rectified a few
slight mistakes which nature had made
in getting up a remarkably fine woman,
placed a full-blown rose in her hair,
entered her parlor, posted herself be
fore a long mirror in a Violet-velvet
chair and summoned her maid.
In the next house to Madame Gou
reaud's that lady had often observed a
young person with a pink and white
complexion and yellow brown hair,
who, like Madame herself, spent much
time in the garden, a nice little thing !
and rather pretty. To this young lady
she despatched a message, which was
answered in person.
"Mv dear,' said she, when they were
seated together, "one can't help one's
beauty, as you know." The young lady
blushed.
"And,"continued Madame Goureand,
"a very foolish young man has taken a
fancy to mine. Monsieur, my husband,
is desperately jealous, and my motive
in sending for you was to prevent
violence."
The young lady squealed,
"Now, I beg von won't be alarmed,
my dear. He'll be her shortly. My
husband is concealed in the house, and
I wish you to feign, my dear, that the
young man is interested in yourself,
only for once, my dear child ! Ah 1 He
is here !"
The door-bell sounded. Juvenal
Smith was announced and entered,
bowing and blushing. Through the
open door of the drawing-room a
shadow appeared, so high of shoulders,
so prominent of beak, that it re
sembled that of a moulting eagle rather
than a man.
Maflame Goureaud arose, placed a
hand affectionately about the young
lady's waist and advanced.
"My young friend," said she, "know
ing how deeply you have long been at
tached to each other"—the yonng lady
shrugged unbecoming and looked awk
ward, as American young ladies do
sometimes look in embarrassing situa
tions ; Madame Goureaud glanced
askance at the mirror and smiled—
I "and what barriers society places
between young hearts, I have acoeded
to the wish of Mr. Smith and offered
my home as a trysting place. Doubt
j less my Alphonse would have been too
happy, but the delicacy of the circum
! stanoes forbade my confiding in him.
i Miss Arrowhead, Mr. Smith. You have
I had the introduction. The world is
I now satisfied."
"Madame," said Mr. Smith, placing
his hand on his vest and bowing pro
fouudly, "you have anticipated my
wishes. You have plaoed me under a
debt of eternal gratitude. May I be
lieve that Miss Arrowhead is—now
averse ?"
Miss Arrowhead tossed her curls and
! looked mortified, and as if she strongly
! objected to the whole prooeeding-
The moulting eagle on the wall
developed arms and legs and Monsieur
vioureaud entered. ;;
"Sir," hissed he, eef as you say,
madame my wife, haf lay you under a
debt of eternal gratitude, will you ex
plain, eef yon please, why it ees zat I
; haf find ziz little paper in my garden ?
| Also why you haf enter my premises
at midnight ?"
Mr. Smith's eyes brightened u he
caught sight of the open sheet in
Monsieur Goureaud's hand. He gave
an involuntary shiver as he glanced at
the pistol in Monsieur Goureaud's
pocket. He looked imploringly at the
ladies who stepped between him and
the avenging husband.
"My dear sir," said he, "1 shall be
happy to explain. It's exceedingly
simple I assure you."
Madame Goureaud nodded approv
ingly-
Monsieur Goureaud folded his arms
under his coat tails and listened with
| his head on one side and a stern and
! penetrating eye fixed on the speaker.
Miss Arrowhead pouted and looked
aggrieved for some inexplicable reason.
"I—r you everybody," said
Juvenal Smith,losing his self possession
suddenly, "wss young once. I respect,
admire, I mean I ardently dote—"
Monsieur Ooureaud's hand made a
dive toward the pistol.
"I mean to say, sir, I have seen Miss
Arrowhead walking igjier garden, and
often wished to- tJS introduced to her,
and—and—you must excuse me for
climbing over your fence.
"Ah ! sat is what I wish to explain.
Why my fence ?" said Monsieur Gou
ruract, with. tU« air of an inquisitor.
"Because, sir, I was so foolish as to
write a few lines expressing my feel
i ings for Miss Arrowhead, and—and, 1
didn't wish any one should see them.",
"Zat is why you haf hide zem under
Madame's flowers," insinuated Mon
sieur (ionreand."
"I didn't," said Juvenal Smith,
developing a sudden and ungentlemanlv
rage, and making a movement as if
about to throw off his eoat. "The wind
blew it there yesteidsy."
Madame Ooureand looked her ad
miration at the ceiling. Monsieur Oou
reand gave a bow aad apologized. Miss
Arrowhead blnshed and yielded her
hand to Mr. Smith.
So ended the threatened encounter.
Monsieur Gkrareaud generously ex
tended an invitation to the young peo
ple to exchange their tender greetings
in his drawing room until they had
gained the consent of their parents or
guardians to meet in a more appropri
ate place, and Madame, his wife,
pressed 'Miss Arrowhead's hand in
gratitude as they departed, while her
eloquent eye brows made a note of ade
miration at Mr. ftmiti" unexampled
finesse.
She was not a little astonished by re
ceiving shortly after, a pair of wedding
cards engraved with the names of Smith
and Arrowhead. "But what will a
young man do who has been disap
pointed ?" said Madame Goureaud,
and she often regales her female friends
with the story of her last conquest, and
how that unfortunate Mr. Smith who
married his plain little wife out of pure
desperation, assisted her to deceive
Alphonse and evade the awful conse
quences of his jealousy.
Alter the Funeral.
J It was just after the funeral. The
bereaved and subdued widow enveloped
in millinery gloom, was seated in the
sitting room with a few sympathizing
friends. There was that constrained
look, so peculiar to the occasion, ob
servable on every countenance. The
widow sighed. „»
"How do you feel, my dear?" ob
served her s;ster.
( "Oh, 1 don't know," observed the
poor woman, with difficulty restraining
her tears. "But I hope everything
passed Off well."
"Indeed it did," said all the ladies.
"It was as large and respectable a
funeral as I have seen this Winter,"
said the sister, looking around upon
the others.
"Yes, it was," said the lady from the '
next door. "I was saying to Mrs.
Slocum only ten minutes ago that the
attendance couldn't have been better— |
the bad going considered.
"Did you see the Taylors ?" asked !
the widow, faintly, looking at her sister, j
"They go so rarely to funerals thaff^
was quite surprised to see them here."
"Oh, yes, the Taylors wero all here,"
said the sympathizing sister. "As you
say, they go Dut little ; they are so ex
clusive.
"I thought I saw the Curtises, also,"
suggested the bereaved womao, droop
iuglj.
"Oh, yes," chimed in several. They
came in their own carriage, too," said
the sister, animatedly. "And then
there were the Randalls, and the Tan
Rensalears. Mrs. Van Rensalear had
her oousin from the city with her.
And Mrs. Randall wore a heavy black
Bilk, which I am sure was quite new.
Did yon see Colonel Haywood and his
daughters, love?"
"I thought I saw them, but I wasn't
sure. They were here, then, were
they ?"
"Yes, indeed," paid they all again ;
j and the lady who lived across the way
observed :
"The Colonel was very sociable, and
inquired most kindly about you, and
the sickness of your husband."
The widow smiled faintly. She was
hy the interest shown by the
The friends now arose to go, each
bidding her good-bye, and expressing
the hope that she would be calm, Her
sister bowed them out. When she re
turned she said :
"You can see, my love, what the
neighbors think of it. I wouldn't have
had anything unfortunate happen for a
good deal. But nothing did. The ar
rangements oouldn't have been better.
"I think some of the people in the
neighborhood must have been surprised
to see so many of the up-town people
here," suggested the afflicted woman,
trying to look hopeful.
"You may be quite sure of that ?"
asserted the sister. "I could see that
plain enough by their looks."
"Well, Lam glad there is no occasion
for talk," said the widow, smoothing
the skirt of her dress.
And after that the boys took the
chairs home, and the house was put in
order.
, Norway.
In its general aspect Norway presents
the most unpromising conformation of
surface for farming operations that can
well be conceived. Mountain ranges,
with plateaus whose altitude precludes
cultivation, and from which rise
mountains that reach an elevation of
8,300 fpet above the sea, prevail gener
ally throughout the country. Except
|in the south, the mountain tops are
[ covered with snow for the greater part,
> if not all the year; their slopes, when
■ not absolutely inaccessible, are far too
rocky and abrupt for farming settle
ments. The deeper valleys that inter
sect these mountain ranges, and which
ramify with the contortions of these
hills, are channels up which the sea
sends its tides; above the level of these
fjords are other water-worn valleys,
which convey the overflow of the moun
tain lakes, subsided by countless
streams that in varying volume leap
from the hills as waterfalls, or rush
foaming down the mountain side—the
impervious primitive or metamorphoric
rocks that are characteristic of the
country not permitting the absorption
of the melting snows or the summer's
rains. There exists, therefore, a very
extensive superficial area that presents
physical as well as climatic difficulties
of a character not to be surmounted by
the most enterprising cultivator. With
few exceptions, the homestead of the
Norsk farmer is built on the lower
slopes of the hills, where, in fact, the
wash of the rocky surfaces, in broken
stone and siity soil, has accumulated to
a sufficient depth for the operation of
the plough; or on the embanked level
of loamy soil, the deposit left by an
cient rivers, or when rich lacustrine
alluvium ia met with, or where mo
raines are spread out at the embouch
ure of glacier grooved and expansive
valleys, forming suitable sites of scat
tered bamleta.and little farms.
No human being can out a pie into
six pieces and convince six children
that one qf their number hasn't got a
trifle too much.
Eaoler Floral Decorations.
It is customary to decorate the fonts
and chancels of some ohnrches on
Easter Sunday, as other occasions with
I llowers ; and an ignorant fashion re
j quires that these flowers should be
white. From time immemorial, in all
; countries of the earth, there has been
; a symbolipm of colors, which, espe-
I cially in religions ceremonies and dec
! orations has been strictly observed and
I practiced. According; to this symbo-
I lism, two principles, light and darkness,
| produce all oolors. Light is represen
i ted by white, and darkness by black ;
I but as light is not supposed to exist
without fire, red is also used to repre
! sent it, and, on this basis, symbolism
! admits two primitive oolors—red and
| white. Red is the symbol of divine
i love ; white the symbol of divine wis
j dom and uncreated light. Bed, in its
various shades, has ever been used as a
prevailing color in the vestments of
priests, and it so continues in the
ltoman Church. Whether from tradi
tion or practice the cushions of our
pulpits and pews and the covering of
the communion tables are of thiß color.
In the great mysteries of Blensis a
child, always initiated in red, performed
a character emblematio of death.
Hence he was called the child of the
sanctuary ; and, doubtless in reference
to this, the acolytes in the churches ap
pear in red vestments. The artists of
the Middle Ages always gave to Christ,
after his resurrection, robes of red and
white. Yellow was considered as a
of the love and wisdom of
Ood, and azure the symbol of divine
eternity and of human immortality.
From these facts it will appear that if
we undertake, on such ocoasions to em
blemize, we should doit with studious
care, lest we find ourselves in the com
mittal of an archronism. In placing
ilowers on the communion table or in
the font, on such festivals, we should
not be limited to white alone, but make
use of such oolors as symbolize the
ideas we wish to express. As those
who use flowers for suoh purposes be
lieve in the divinity of Christ, the pre
vailing oolors should be red, white,
yellow and azure :—Ked, as indicating
His divine love; white as indicating
His divine wisdom and emanation from
the Father ; yellow, as a revelation of
j His love in dying for us ; and azure, as
i emblematio of His immortality and
; divine eternity.
Perhaps also in this selection of the
| three primeval colors, red, blue and
i yellow, as symbolizing the attitudes of
j the Deity, there may have been a dis
j tant reference to the Trinity, or to the
rainbow, as a token of the Creator's
; pledge not again to destroy mankind
I "J- Um nwbuw bainff
[ referred to as a visible pledge of his
j loving kindness to men. The customs
in symbolizing which prevail in the
Christian Church, all had their origin
i in ages long anterior to its institution.
They were derived from traditions
, which came down from the priests and
learned men of Egypt and other East
ern countries, by whom they were used
to oonvey ideas, and to prodnoe emo
tions in worshippers which their lack
of education prevented them from un
derstanding if presented in any other
way. Hence a symbol of the rainbow
may have been presented by the nse of
the three primary colors in the service
of the temples. In any event the use
of these colors, in such services, dates
back to the remotest ages.
Dlapoaltlon or the liaud*.
A terrible epoch occurs in the HTM
of most created beings, daring whiuh
their hands are a burden to them—and
always in the way. This epoch oat
lived, and the hands tell their own
story of good or ill breeding. One of
the most common signs of want of
breeding, is this unoomfortable con
sciousness of the hands, an abvious
ignorance of what to dp with them, and
a painful awkwardness in their adjust
ment. The hands of a gentleman seem
perfectly at home without being oc
cupied ; thej are habituated to the
dolce for niente, or if they spontane
ously more, it is attractively. Some of
Qaeen Elizabeth's courtiers made play
ing with their sword-hilt an aceomplian
ment, and the most efficient weapon of
the Spanish coquette is her fan.
Strength in the fingers is a sure token
iof mental aptitude. When Mutius
burnt his hand off before the eyes of
his captor, he ga ye the most indubita
ble proof we can imagine of fortitude ;
and it was natural that amid the fero
cious bravery of feudal times, a bloody
hand in the center of an escutcheon
should become the badge of a baronet
of England.
A Mew Toole.
A new tomo, called boldo, has been
discovered. Boldo is a tree found in
Obili, of I height of five or six feet,
isolated on mountainous regions, with
yellow blossoms and verdant foliage.
Its bark, leaves and bloaaoma posse— a
marked aromatic odor, resembling a
mixture of turpentine and oampbor.
The leaves contain largely an essential
oiL It contains an alkaloid which is
already called "boldine," Its proper
ties are chiefly as a stimulant to diges
tion, and having a marked action on
the liver. Its action was discovered
rather accidentally, thifcfc.: Some sheep,
which are liver-diseased; were confined
in an enclosure which happened to have
been recently repaired with boldo twigs.
The animals ate the leaves and shoots,
and were observed to recover speedily.
Direct observations proved its action,
thus : One gramme of the tincture ex
cites appetite, increases the circulation,
and produces symptoms of circulatory
excitement, and acts on the urine,
which gives out the peculiar odor of
boldo.
TABICTIW.
Domestic "sauce" is kept in family
jars. . y ~ „ ... -
Bleep-walking is supposed to be in
some way connected with the trance-mi
gration of souls.
A na'nral interruption : Sunday
school teacher—"What do you under
stand by suffering for righteousness
sake ?" Boy (promptly)—"Practisin*
hymns into the morning, teacher, and
Sunday-school in the afternoon, and
Bible class in the evenin.' "
The population of Jfari», numbering
about 1,800,000 is said to consume *
about 46 000,000 gallons of * wine,
nearly 2,000,000 gallons of alchohol and
alcoholic liquors, 500,000 gallons of
cider, and 6,800,000 gallons of beer—
some twenty-eight gallons of wine, beer
and spirits a year for each of the inhab
itants, including women and children.
Professor Dor, in Berne, has recently
again oalled attention to the constantly
increasing rate of short-sightedness
among school children, ranging in the
higher class now from fifty to sixty per
cent. - Causes of this are said to be ;
Arrangements and wall color of school"
rooms ; the too small type nsed in text
books; the nse of white paper for
school books in place of some more
grateful tint to the eyes; finally, the
bad gas-light which children are com
pelled to study by.
Dr. Wilkes, in his recent work on
phwtiolgy, remarks that ••it is estima
ted that the bones of every adult per
son require to be fed with lime enough
to make a marble mantle every eight
months." It will be perceived, there
fore, that in the oourse of about ten
years eaoh of ns eats three or fonr
mantle pieces and a few sets of front
door steps. And in a long life I sup
pose it is fair to estimate that a healthy li '
American could devour the eapitol at
Washington, and perhaps two or three
medium-size marble quarries besides.
It iB awful to think of the oonsequenoes
if a man.should be shut off from his
supply of lime for a while and then
should get loose in a cemetery. An
ordinary tombstone would hardly be
enough for a lnnch for him.
The Silgo River, Ireland is one of
the very few whioh opens on the first
day of the new year, and immediately
after the clook struck 12 the nets were
at work notwithstanding the inclement
weather. Few men recollect more bit
ter weather than that on the night of
the old and the morning of the new
year ; and the wonder was that a single
fish would remain in the oold river, but
run to the comparatively mnoh warmer
water of the'ooean, the usual resort of
' Minion under such circumstances.
Notwithstanding, however, the in
clement state of the weather and sheets
of loe floating down the river, 11 sal
mon and several large trout, all in the
finest condition were captured. Had
the weather proved favorable, it is '
thought that a much larger oapture
would have been made.
The Savannah Advertiser says that
after Sherman made his maroh to the
sea, all in the wide track of waste and
desolation that he made the tramp of
hia footman and the iron feet of hia
cavalary there sprung np a sew and
unknown grass from the soil, which the -
farmers called the "Sherman clover."
It would .grow up in the moat unex
pected places, and it ia aaid would root
out Bermuda grass ; and, aa a atrange
similarity, we now hear that after the
Franoo- Prussian war of 1870-71, in
many districts of Franoe a new vegeta
tion sprang np, evidently the result of
the invasion. It was believed that
this vegetation would beoome acclima
tized, but very few species in
troduced in this way appear likely to
continue to flourish. In the Depart
ments of Loir and Loir-et-Gher, of one
hundred and sixty-three Oerman spe
cies, at least one-naif have already dis
appeared, and the surviving species
diminish in vigor each year. Soaroely
five or six species appear to manifest
any tendency to beoojM acclimatised.
Can any of our naturalists aooount for
it?
It is found by observation that the
effeot of "training," or the persistent
use of gymnastic exercises, is to en
large the heart and lungs both in size
and capacity. Archibald Mo Glaren,
Superintendent of the Oxford gymna
sium, and author of "Physical Educa
tion," says : "One of the army officers,
sent to me to be instructed in gymnas
tics gained five inches in girth around
the ohest in less than three months."
That this growth is not explained by
the mere enlargement of, the pectoral
muscles is proved by 'lb* increased
volume of air which the lungs are en
abled to expire, as is demonstrated by
the spirometer, and post mortem*
abundantly show an increased capacity
as well as rise in the heart and large
blood vessels. The increase
both in length and breadth, fpfspincthe
ribs outward sad the diaphragm down
ward. It is for thia reason that
athtotea and gymnasts enabled * to
make prolonged and violent exertions
without getting out of wind. The ca
pacity of the heart and central arteries
being enlarged, they oan accommodate
more blood. Their contractive power
being increased by this new demand
upon them, they are enabled to send
on the current through the lungs with
increased velocity, and thus by- their
greater capacity are able to oxygeniae
the blood as fast * it is supplied to
them, and so no congestion takes place
and no iaoaaveaieaee ia felt. The 4
normal capacity of the lungs of an adult
male is about two hundred cubic
Inches. It is computed that an en
largement or three inChea around the
chest gives an insreaae of fifty cubic
inches of lung capacity.
NO. 9.