-'".5?.-43 m She Chatham Uttorb II. A.. LONDON, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION, RATES or Ay u Ay Ax -Ny ADVERTISING One square, one insertion- $1.00 One square, two insertions-- - 1.60 One Bquare, one month - - 260 For larger advertisements liberal con tracts will be made. ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR Al 2 1 :.-T'fj-:.4 vol. x. PITTSBORO', CHATHAM CO., N. C, MARCH 8, 1888. NO. 27. Strictly fn Advance. Sergeant Jasper at Fort Moultrie. Whmx Charleston built for the Briton's sport Tlie spongy, hardy palmetto fort, And the .hip with their topsails taut and thin Honnod over the bar at break of day, (Inn and swivel and culverin Sit. nit ins their murderous roundelay! When the hissing shot was immured for pv.d. Ti-m' at'tt'i" 1 'mei m tne soft, sly wood, vtMinirHi shell, from the Morel aud's deck, Strut-!; the patriot staff, and snapped it N.it ir. the middle, without one fleck, Ami whivletl the flag from the rampart's height. pf William Jasper saw from his post. Air?, his youns blood seething, still as a fthost, ST.iilit through the perilous fire leaped down, . Leaped down, and back, by a leopard spring, The smoke in his eyes, erect and brown, All in the leat of a swallow's wing. And heUl close, close, as ho climbed aloae, Tho tanner sacred and overthrown; And quick, with that steady hand of his, Notching its loops on his ramrod bare, With a "So, my beauty!" and one frank kiss, Flung it again to the glad, free air! Then tho friendly tides turned clean about, An I slipped from under the frigates stout. And Sir Peter Parker's crippled fleet, With its disembarking, bewildered crew, Groped and fumbled, and got its feet, And reeled oif into the soas anew. 'Tis the eld tale; how ours sat down At dusk in f eir fair, beleaguered town, We seal their valor, repeat their vows; We keep their memories east and west ; We sinj their praise through the happy house; But of Sergeant Jasper, who knows the rest? Who asks it? Peace to his ashes cold The Carolinian grasses fold! To the fond boy heart, in its little hour Symbol ami vision of loyalty, H -image! The root whereof he was flower Bi-ars hun Jreds, happily, such as he. It emjwrors sle?p in their gorgeous fame; V r us, forever, some quiet name, In which no armorer's skill is versed, T"t mock it history's calendar. And mice through its ordered page to burst Like a headlong, glorious August star! , Louise I. Guiney in Boston Post Fate of John Eamsay,M. D. BY W. H. S. ATKINSON. I am a physician. I have made a life long stu-ly of the humaa brain, and may, perhaps, l.j pardoned if I say that my opinions upon diseases of the mind now carry considerable weight among members of the profession. It is only a week or two since, I was called to a large asylum for the insane in Northern Ohio to examine a. case which baffled the skill of the local doctors. A!ter disposing of that matter I took an unprofessional stroll through the insti tution in company with my old friend, the superintendent. The asylum over which I now made a tour of inspection was a most beautiful building, resembling in its appoint ment the homes of the wealthy and opulent. We wandered through room ufter room and along successive halls and corridors where men and women ia every stage of insanity passed the time in various harmless amusements, or were re&tlessly confined in the care of ward ers and nuries. Of all the misfortunes to which humanity is heir, this loss of reason is, to ray mind, tho saddest by far; and, though I might be expected to have grown hardened by long years of familiarity with all phases of weak in tellect, I never cease to feel devoutly thankful for that greatest of all benefits conferred upon men by a beneficent Cre ator a sound brain. We had passed through tho greater part of tho enormous institution and wero approaching that portiou of the building set apart for the rcsiJence of the superintending physician my friend, Dr. Habcrshon. Taking from his pocket a key, Dr. Habershon in serted it in tho keyhole of a door. Be fore turning it, he looked at me in a strange manner and said: "If you were not an old med., Hartly, and as fnmiliar with strange cases as I am my-r H-lf, I should warn you to keep your 'ountenance and betray no surprise on e.iterhg here. And I speak, anyhow, f-o as to be on the safe 6ide." So say ing he turned the key in the lock and opened the door. Wc quietly entered a very neat but plainly furnished room, ncl I confess that, although I have witnessed queer, weird, wild and, oft Hiqcs blood-curdliDg sights, I never felt startled in all my life a3 I did at that moment. The room was not by any means dark, for it was well lighted by a large window running all along one sde, but placed above tho reach of a roan, even though he should stand upon u chair; yet at the farther end of the oom I noticed a student's lamp burning fver a plain pine-wood table, upon which rested a human skull and some wiiting paper. Seated at this table, pencil in hand, was a man about the fame age as myself and Dr. Habershon (40 years) gazing intently upon the skull. What startled me so severely as the fact that when I had last seen that man more than fifteen years 6ince 1 had seen him in exactly uch a position, with precisely similar surroundings. And yet, what a dif ference! Then he had just graduated at the head of his class from our col- j lege, and was looked upon as one of the most promising young physicians in tho ( country now, he was a hclple3s maniac! "Ramsay?" I involuntarily queried, only partially believing my own eye sight. Habcrshon nodded. "You need not speak to him; he woa't r.ply. It is just 6 o'clock. He will sit at that table gazing ct tho old skull until daybreak and then he will throw himself upon his bed and sleep until noon. That's the way he usod to do, you know, and humor him all I can. Poor old Ramsay; 1 owo him a good deal, you know, Hartly. You remember all about it?" "Yes I remember the story, though I had almost forgotten it." Ramsay, Habershoa and myself were all students together in Philadelphia. We were in the same classes in college and jointly occupied tho same suite of rooms. Furthermore wo were all mak ing a specialty of studying the human brain, and the only point wherein we materially differed from each other was that Ramsay knew more than we two fellows together. True, Ramsay was, in regard to his theories and speculations, what many people would call a "crank'' but thon successful cranks aro esteemed to be geniuses, and certainly Ramsay was, in my judgment, quite as near the one as the other. We three fellows all fitted in the same social set, and although both Ram say and Habershon knew good and beautiful girls by the score, the fates decreed that they should fall in love with the same young lady. And yet, strange enough, they never displayed bad feeling toward each other, nor ever sought to make the lady's position an unpleasant ono on account of the rivalry. It seemed to me, an onlooker, as though there was a tacit understanding between them, that no undue influence should be brought into, play, but that, knowing how both loved and admired her, the object of their admiration and esteem should be left quietly to choose between them. Grace Thorneycroft was a most beau tiful and estimable girl and, though I have been an old bachelor all my days, I do not wonder that any man should have sought her for his wife. One day Grace, with her father, mother and a brother, were down to Atlantic City, where they took a sail boat and wont out. A sudden squall overtaking them tho frail pleasure boat was upset and Grace was the only mem ber of tho party who escaped with her life. She was picked up ia a fainting condition and tenderly cared for, but when restored, physically, it was found that her mind was shattered she was insane. All that wealth, combined with skill, could do was done for Grace, but it availed nothing and tho physicians and friends at last gave up the case as hopeless. Habershon was himself al most crazy wjth grief and could not bear to go near the poor girl. As for Ramsay, he shut himself up in his den a small, barely furnished room wh3re he was ia the habit of pursuing hU studies and experiments. There was a determined expression on the fellow's face and when I looked in on him (which was seldom) he was always bu?y with his papers and book3 sometimes engaged in dissecting the brains of dogs and other animals, and once examining a human brain. He seldom spoke or even so much as remarked my presence, though once he said in an excited tone: "I shall cure her, Hartly it shall bo done at any cost." So for days and weeks ho sat over that bare pine table gazing at tho skull in front of him ever and anoa rapidly penciling dia r im j of tho human brain and of the nervous system. Late one evening I was sitting with Habershon when there came a rap at tho door and Rimsay entered. Ho wa3 very quiet, but knowing him as well as I did I could tell he had something beyond the ordinary on his mind. "Boys," ho said, "I think I have found what I have been searching for I think I can cure Grace. I say think, because, after all, it is only a theory of mine and may utterly fail, but I think not. Perhaps you 6ay I should not theorize and experiment on a woman whom, as you know, I love. Well, it won't do any harm to her and it may do her all possible good. To-morrow morning I shall try to do thi work." Then turning rr.orj particularly to Habershon, he continued: "Ed., you and I both love Graco Thorneycroft. Now, in tho presence of Hirtly, here, I want you to promise me that, whatever the coasequjnecs of my oporation, you will care for Grace as long as sho lives, and, if necessary, care for me, too." I think neither Habershon or myself understood tha purport of theso words, when thoy were spoken, though their meaning was clear enough later on. However, Habershon gave the request ed promise and we parted for the night The next day, ia the forenoon, Ram say, in the presence of the two physi cians who had been in charge of Grace, began his operations. I was an inter ested observcr from a distant part of the room,' "but HaTejhon could not be .induced to be prcefjrrC Ranjsay told tho older doctors that if his. theory prov-d perfectly successful in practice h-s would be able to give lm method ot cure in writing for tho benefit of the medical world at present, ho said that it was utterly impossible for him to in - telligently explain his idea?. However, he guaranteed that the attempt would be perfectly harmless to tho patient and tho doctors stood by ready to pre vent any undue or dangerous experi ment. For myself, I have rot the least idea to this day just what the means were which Ramsay employed to pro duce the end he had in view, nor have I any theory to advance. Tho whole thing was a strange affair to me then and appears j ust as strange when I look back upon it from the present moment, with all the experience which I have gained with fifteen years' practice. Ramsay Ant of all administered a draught to Grace Thorneycroft, who was seated in a reclining chair. A few moments later he made a small incision in an artery in the patient's right arm, which movement he followed by mak ing a similar incision in an artery of his own left arm. The two arteries he then connected by means of a small sil ver tube. Facing his subject, Ramsay tapped her head, near the base of the brain, two or three times with his knuckles, and then gazed into her eyes. Ten minutes passed slowly by and no perceptible difference was noticeable in Grace's condition. Ten more minutes, and a gleam of intelligence seemed to be forcing its way into the face of the poor girl but, strange to relate, a wild, far-away look was settling upon Ram say ! Another ten minutes, and Grace Thorneycroft recognized every one in the room, including myself, while John Ramsay was led away from the newly conscious girl, a raving maniac ! As I have before remarked, I havo no explanation to offer I can only chron ica bare facts. Ramsay was a man of genias, surely, though in the one act of his life in which he proved that genius, he partially failed; and, in that by iosing his mind he was unable to give his theories to tho world, his genius will never benefit posterity. Habershon married Grace Thorney croft two years later, and they have al ways taken the best of caro of the man who saved a woman's reason at the ex pense of his own. Detroit Free Press. A Successful Crusade. Every afternoon, between five and six, an under-sized man with a nervous but decided air boards a Wabash avenue cable car at Washington street and rides south. Probably not one out of twenty five of his fellow passengers recognizes him as the hero of a desperate fight against the City railway company. Chicago grows very fast, and the sensa tion of yesterday is hardly the memory of to-day. This is D. B. Fisk. When the City railway company, about a dozen years ago, jut "bobtail" car3 (cars in which passengers drop their passes through a slot into a box), on its lines, Fisk, single-handed, began a cru sade against the bobtails, and ceased only when the cars were removed. How did he go about it? He simply refused to pay his fare except to a conductor. The drivers on the line came to know him and ceased jingling their bells for his fare. He used to enter a car and offer to pay the fares of all the passen gers to a conductor. The result was many a carload of people were hauled free. Fisk found a few nervy followers; the newspapers took up the battle, the public joined in, and the result was the complete subjugation of the company and the removal of the obnoxious ve hicles. Tho fight, it i3 said, cost the company hundreds of thousands in lost fare and cars left oa their hands, which they were obliged to sell at prices away below their cost. Chicago News. Warming the Shivering Poor. In many cities on the Continent in days of extreme cold, the municipal governments, from a fund previously set apart for the purpose, place at inter vals among the crowded neighborhoods of the poor large iron braziers, which are kept filled day and night with hot coals. They are circular upright recep tacles, about the size of a barrel, with an open top and with holes pierced in the sides for the purpose of a draught. They are placed upon the pavement near tho sidewalk at the corners of streets, where crowds may collect about them with the least obstruction to traffic During the bitter cold weather crowd) of half frozen people huddle about these braziers. Boston Advertiser. The New Universal Language. "I love, thou lovest, she loves," in Volapuk, the new universal language, is "Lofob, lofous, lofof," and "They will have been loved" is "Pulofoms." "The knowledge of one's self is the best foundation of all virtues" is, in Vol apuk, "Itisevam ebinom stabin gudikin tugas valik." Indignant After church: Spoggs Was it not disgraceful, the way in which Smiggs snored in churcu to-day? Stuggs I should think it was. Why, he woke u all up. CHILDREN'S COLUMN. My Owlet. What, not up yet, my sleepy head? More than an hour ago I called you from your little bed, You're very slow. You're like the owlet in the tree; When night comes forth he flies In the dim dusk, seeing easily With his round eyes. But when the morning shines he creeps Into some bark-hid chink, And there the whole day lopg he sleeps. Without a wink. j 'Tis very plain his drowsy, plan Suits you. So take your ease And sleep, my towsled little man, Long as you please. And when your comrades come to play, As they are sure to do, I'll8ay: "My owlet sleeps all day I thought you knewi Clara Doty Bates, in Wide Awake. A Rescue in the Alps. During one of the vio ont storms in the Alps last month Grand, the keeper of the hospice on the St. Bernard, was seated by his warm stove when his faith ful dog becamo excited, showing that some traveler was in distress, With lantern and fog-horn Grand iinnv-'di .tely went out into tho stormy night and soon found a man half frozen and car ricd him to the house. After having recovered consciousness the travclei said there were four more men lost in the snow his father, two brothers, and a stranger. Grand and his dog rallied forth again. After a search of a quarter of an hour the stranger was found and taken to the house. Again mm an. I dog proceeded on their errand, and after a long and weary search succeeded in finding the fathor and two brothers close together in the snow. One of them was so weak that Grand had to carry him; the other two were able to follow slowly. After four hours' hard work, the hour of midnight being past, Grand had all the moa with him around his cheerful fire. How a Baby laug-lia. The laughter of a baby is a real laugh. It is a deep inward chuckle gurgling up from the very centre of its coutentratcd and intense life as from a fountain, and rippling and flowing from it to the extremities of it3 small being. All the baby is alive with laughter; he kicks, he prances, spite of flannels and swad- dlings; his ten toes are all awork and aquirk; he thrusts out from the shoul der; arm, forearm, wrist, fingers and thumbs are all at wist and alive with some incommunicable joy; the eyes shine, the little toothless mouth is stretched to its widest, while subtle and swift movements play over the facial muscles till they seem shone upon with lambent, gleaming lights. What i3 the baby laughing at? He knows, dear heart; so do the angels and good spirits, but they never tell ; and shall mortal man essay to spsak when such as these hold their blessed peace? Be sure of this, that as the acorn holds the oak, so there may be folded in the heart of an infant the wit of a Rabelais or a Sydney Smith. But it is doubtful if conscious wit manifests itself much before three yean of age. Until a child's mind has mastered the common relations of things he cannot flash out those new and unexpected relations those un usual combinations of ideas in which is the essence of all wit. Harper's Young People. A rachne and the Spider. Everyone has noticed the cobwebs which hang upon each shrub and bush and are strewn in profusion over every plant of grass on a fine morning in au tumn, and, seeing, who can have failed to admire? The webs, circular in form, are then strung thick with tiny pearls of dew that glitter in the sua. No lace is bo fine. Could any be wrought that would equal them in their filmy delica cy and lightness, it would be worth a prince's ransom. But for such workman's touch is all too coarse. It is possible only to our humble garden-spider, known to scientific people by the more imposing name, Epeira diadema. These spiders belong to the family of Arach nidse, and the ancients, who were great lovers of beauty, observing their webs, invented the pretty fable of Arachn'. Arachne was a maiden who had at tained to such expertness in weaving and embroidering that even the nymphs, leaving their groves and fountains, would gather to admire her work. They whispered to each other that Minerva herself must have taught htr; but Arachne had grown vain as she grew dexterous, and, over hearing them, denied the implication with high disdain. She would not ac knowledge herself inferior even to a goddess, and finally challenged Minerva to a trial of skill, saying: "If beaten, I will bear the penalty." Minerva ac cepted the challenge, and the webs were woven. Arachne' s was of wondrous beauty; but when she saw that of Mi nerva she knew that she was defeated, and in her despair went and hanged her lelf. Minerva, moved by pity for her vain but skillful opponent, transformed aer into a spider, and she and her de fendants still retain a portion of her marvelous gifts of spinning and weaving.. rSwiss Cross. I NORWEGIAN SPORT. .Tie National Pastiriie of the Sturdy Norseman is "Ski." iinding on the "Skis," He Glides Down the Mountains. "Ski" running is to the Norwegian rhat base -ball is to the American, or rickct to the Briton the national port. It is also something more; it is necesjary and practical mode of loco aotion, as is skating to the Dutchman, nd snow-shoeing to the denizon of tho tnadas. Broken by hills, and crossed y valleys, the Norwegian fatherland trhen wrapped ia its winter mantel of leep snow present) difficulties to trav- lers requirincr extraordinary means to urmount. Heavily drifted, the roads ecomo well-nigh impassable to horses or long periods, and then the only aeans of communication from farm- louse to farm-hou3c and hamlet to ham ct i3 pedestrian. In this strait the turdv Norseman binds unon his lens lis long fleet "skis" and flies easily and ;racefully over tho drifts and shoots j ike lightning down the hills and steep nount lin sides, and out of stern neces lty ha3 learned to draw a vigorous musement. The history of tho "ski" s the history of the wonderful people vho use it as a birthright Norse nythology is full of it, and some of the nost stirring passages in Norwegiaa his ory draw thtir romance from tha bold ,nd daring feats of hardy "ski" runners. The "ski," pronounced softly and de iantly "chrt, " familiar and dear to the ainner as his sweetheart oftentimes, is a ong and narrow strip of wo-d, often line, better of hard wood, made with a mrling nose to override the snow, and scaring near its centre a strap and rest for the foot of tho rider or "runner." The length varie3 according to the strength of the runner and the pur pose of the ".ski," seldom exceeding ;en feet, however. For mountain and lense forest traveling they are made ihorter and for military manoeuvres, when worn by soldiers, are of unequal length to facilitite turning readily. Generally they present only the wood m surface to the snow, but some- ;imes. especially whea designed for sravel where many hills are to be as cended, their bottom j arc covered with ieer hide, the hair pointing backward, ind acting as a secure anchor against retrogression. They solve the problem jf walking on the snow on thj same Drincinle as the more clumsy and slower plaited snowshoo familiar in American forests, by dividing the weight of the wearer over a large sur face. The American snowshoe is also in use in Norway, but, as was remarked by an expert runner, "it is too slow for men, and we give it to old women and put it on horses." The feats of speel and dexterity per formed on their "skis" by expert run aerB are wonderful. Oa a level surface they move as fast a3 a good horse, but it is coming down hill that they show their mettle. Curving gracefully over tho crest, as the slope grows steeper they gather speed like lightning, until, with full headway, they shoot through the air with the speed of a railroad train, fairly taking away the breath of the daring runner with the rapid motion. A well authenticated account is current in Norway that one Finnish woman, a very expert runner, one day triad the descent of a peculiarly steep mountain side, and attained such fearful speed that when tho30 who awaited her at the end of her bird-like flight received her, she stood bolt upright oa her "skis," . dead, the breath literally ravished from her hps by her rapid descent. The "hop" is the most difficult and danger ous of the many feats of thj ".ski" run ner. In descending hills, broken spots and small precipice3 are often mot with, ' and over these the care ful and the timid runner 3 simply slid?, but expert and venturesome runner j augmeat the danger and the excitement at the same time by leaping into the air just at the verge of the cliff, landing far beyond the point where the sliding runner would alight. In the races and games with the "skis," a "hop" is gec- ; erally made by building up a cliff with ! snow at some convenient point of the declivity, and this is made high accord ing to the skill and diring of the run ners. One moment oa the earth, a sudden spring, and away he flies through the air, 50, 70, 100 feet, enough of a fall, one would think to break every bone in his sturdy body, but landing safely and gracefully and shooting away on his courso. As a natioaal pastime ".ski" ruaning has attracted the widest attention in Norway, the royal family lending the enthusiasm of their presence to the yearly carnival. lathis country it is only recently coming into notice, and Minneapolis i3 entitled to the meed of having been tho home of the first "3ki club ever organized in America Min neapolis Journal. New Jersey swain (calling on his girl) What makes tho housj shake so, darling? Girl Its pop, up stairs. He's got the fever 'n agne agia. The Wild Animal Trade. "There is scarcely anything going on in tho trade this year," recently ob served Mr. F. J. Thompson, who i3 perhaps the largest wild animal dealer ialhc United State', and who resides in New York. "You see, this year," he continued, "is the presidential year, and like theatrical business, our trade is seriously affected. In off years circuses and other shows put in their heaviest work, while in yean like thi3 the coun trymen, when they have a holiday, in stead of going to the circus go off to a mass meeting or to see the parade. "But the wild animal trade has never flourished as it did before 1873," added Mr. Thompson. "It was during the war times and immediately after, when every one wa3 flush of mney, that the greatest seasons were exporienced. Then there were hundreds of circusas, big and little, and various side shows, which patrolled tho country from ocean to ocean. Out in tho wast, too, many of the small shows had er;'mblinr at tachments, which helped materially to rake in the money. A proprietor of one of these thought nothing of paying $1000 for any animal which happened to strike his fancy. "But many of these parties made money so fast that they shortly closed up business and quit. Then came the financial crash of 1873, and the stagna tion of every kind of business, and the failures of most of these circus and showmen remaining. Thea tho new men who came into tho buunoss di I not have much money, and could not afford to buy large numbers of animals or very valuable specimens. So it has been ever si'jee, with a consequent stagnation in animal trade. Another thing which has aff.cted the business a good deal i3 the crowing scarcity of certain kinds of wild ani mals, and the closing of some of the depots for their collection and ex portation. Nubia and upper Ejypt, for example, for a long time were the great headquarters for the supply of gi raffes, elephants, hippopotami, and the double-horned rhinoceri, with many other wild animals, but since the troubles there, subsequent to tho death of Gen. Gordon at Khartoum, absolutely nothing has been received from this re gion, which is now barred, for an in definite period by the impending Italo Abyssinian war. And then again the depot in Sou h Africa are beginning to close because the hunters have to go such immense distances before they can reach the lairs of the wild animals, hun dreds of miles from their former haunts. The cause of this is the extermination of all kinds by tho so-called sportsmen, who pour into that region like they did into the United States whon the buf faloes roved tho plains." New York Sun. Bill Nye's Cow For Sale. Owing to ill health, says Bill Nye, the humorist, I will sell at my residence in town 29, range 18, west, according tc government survey, one plushed -raspberry colored cow, aged 8 years. She is a good milkster and not afraid of cars or anything else. She is a cow oi undaunted courage and gives milk fre quently. To a man who does not feai death ia any form she would be a great boon. She is very much attached to her home at present. I y means of a trace chain but she will be sold to anyone who will agree to treat her right. She is one-fourth short horn and three fourths hyena. I will also throw in double barrelled shot gua which goes with her. In May sho generally goes away somewhere for a week or two, and returns wit 1 a tall, red calf with long, wabby legs. Her name is Rose, and I prefer to sell her to a non-resident. An Expensive Request A Philadelphia lawyer was appointed solicitor for a certain business house ir that city. At the end of the year ht was asked to send in his account, whict he did, by lumping everything, simpbj saying, "So and So, Dr. to Professional Services, $2000. The manager was j great stickler for form, and sent bad the account, asking for an itemized statement The lawyer did as requested, and at the bottom tacked on the follow ing: "To preparing itemized 6tate ment, $100." After a murmur of horroi and astonishmont, it was paid. The Cost of a House. People who are going to build maj like to know that "a three -thousand dollar house" is one that the architectu ral paper says can be built for $2, 850. 37; costs $3,100, according to tho ar chitect's estimate ; is worth $3, 700, the carpenter says, to build ; increases in ex pense to $4,800 during the process ol erection, and makes you draw your check for $5, 953. 28 before you move ii and get your first bill for repairs. I Journal of Educ ition. Rubber Overshoes. "What becomes of all the rubbei overshoes?" . The factories in Nauga tuck alone turn out 15,000 pairs o' shoes daily, or, counting 300 working day3 ia the year, 4, 500, 000 pairs. Con sidering what rubber shoe3 are made o! now a days, perhaps it is not so re markable, alter alL Ansonia (Ccnn. SmtineL Diedrich and Gretchen. . - Sat a prince within his cast le, . ; Sad and lone; Far beneath a winding river s Danced and shone. "AhP he sighed, "I wish and pray I were happy now as they Yonder peasants on their way." Paused a peasant, gayly humming Simple song, Glancing upward toward the castle Grim and strong: j "Would that I were there,'' said he, "Ah, how happy I should be, Feasting, singing merrily!'' ' "Nay," said Gretchen, now beside him11 "Covet not; Thou art happy, honest Diedrich, In thy cot, God hath given thee thy place, Castle walls would pale thy face, Waste thy strength and mar thy grace.' Sunday came and bells were tolling Soft and low; From the castle walls a cortege Moved, and slow. "Diedrich," said fair Gretchen, " see! Whom thou envied so, 'tis he, Wouldst thou prince or Diedrich be?" " Diedrich ever with my Gretchen By my side In the cot if thou wilt grace it," He replied. "Yes," she whispered,"thine,commandl' Then he slipped a golden band On the blushing maiden's hand. M. J. Adams, in Courant. HUMOROUS. A hotel call-boy never takes affront when the clerk yells "Front 1"" The English language sounds odd to a foreigner, as when one says, "I will come by-and-by to buy a bicycle." Did you ever see a doctor kick a banana peel off the sidewalk, or tell an acquaintance that he was sitting in a draught? A laundry which stands in tho shadow of an east-side church, Buffalo, bears the appropriate legend on its sign board: "Cleanliness is next to Godliness." A sportsman is a man who spends all day away from his busine3 , $2 for pow der and shot, and comes home at night tired, hungry and ugly, dragging a a fourteen cent rabbit by tho ears." A scientist says: "If tho land were flattened out the sea would be two miles deep all over the world." If any man is caught flattening out the land shoot him on the spot. A great many of us can't swim. Timid Young Suitor (who has won consent of papa) : And now may I ask you, sir, whether-ah-whether your daughter has any domestic accomplish ments? Papa (sarcastically): Yes, sir; she sometimes knits her brows. Charming young hostess: "Why, Major, you are not going so soon?" Major (who prides himself on being one of those fine old-school fellows who can say a neat thing without knowing it): "Soon? Madame, it may seem soon to yoa ; but it seems to mo I havo been here a lifetime." "I saw you looking on at the tobog gan slide in the baseball park on tho west side yesterday," said Brown to the Chinaman who had just brought in his laundry. "What do you think of to bogganing, John?" "W-h-i-s-hl Walkee backee milee!" said the China man. The man who makes your knuckles snap And says, "I'm glad to meet you," Is very frequently a chap Who'll readily forget you. , . ' The First Razor. ' The earliest reference to shaving is found in Genesis xii: 14, where we read that Joseph, on being summoned before the king shaved himself. There are several directions as to shaving in Levitt icus, and the practice is alluded to in many other parts of scripture. Egypt is the only couatry mentioned ia the Bible where shaving was practiced. In all other countries such an act would have been ignominious. Herodotus men tions that the Egyptians allowed their beards to grow when in mourning. So particular were they as to shaving at other times that to have neglected it was a subject of reproach and ridicule, and whenever they intended to convey the Idea of a man of low condition and slovenly habits the artists represented him with a beard. Unlike the Romans of a later age, the Egyptians did not confine the privilege of shaving to free citizens, but obliged their slaves to shave both board and head. The priests also shaved the head. Shaving the head became cus tomary among tho Romans about 360 B. C. According to Pliny, Scipio Afri canus was the first Roman who shaved daily. In France the custom of shav ing arose when Louis XI1L came to the throne young and beardless. Tho Anglo-Saxons wore their beards until, at the conquest, they were compelled to follow the example of the Normans, who shaved. From the time of Ed ward IIL to Charles I. beards were universally worn. In Charles H.'s reign the mustache and whiskers only were worn, and soon after this tbe prac tice of shaving became general through out Europe. The revival of the custom of wearing the beard dates from the time of the Crimea, 1854-55. (Penman's Journal,

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