IS IT SO?
., r -
as St mo, ye gods of Heaven, that pain ever
; haunts each heart?
the sweetest souls niust suffer, that the
' f fondest friends must part
SSaS the loves we deem the dearest often
prove but trials new.
'EaJ death's hand the soonest gathers to him
self the pure and true?
IsJS so, ye gods of Heaven, that best pleasure J
soonest dies i
'23iS the truth is like the rainbow that for
ever from us flies'
r33tact the more we seek o find it we becom
the more undone,
3At its pure perfected beauty i3 the eonstant
prize of none? ,
2so. ve eodsof Heaven, t our hearts
must e ver change
" !2att the love we deem the dearest soar3 the
soonest from our range;
the flama that warm3N our being grows
the soonest old and cold,
'Bat the very soul? of mortals may be bought
and sold for gold? ,
;!& a so, ye gods of Heaven, that our sorrows
ne'er will cease
Slaat forever and forever we must seek in
vain for peace;
SLait within the realms of science and phil
osophy no mind
?ja moment free from sorrow or can perfect
pleasure find?
& it sos ye gods of Heaven, that'the friends
we love the best
too often first to leave ut wh'ja by sorrow
we are pressed?
.Wtoi we need their lore most truly, when
.j their words of cher could bless,"
Ift'i too often find them wandering, their
affection growing less.
liiso, ye gods of Heaven, that our dearest
dreams of love
Tl?J nomate-ship hero with mortals that they
dike the arkless dove
?.'oravd flew above the Deluge) soar above a
surging sea,
fsd find naught so like unto them that it
can a solace be?
it it so ye gols of Heaven, that the labor we
would do
XTtri au undivided spirit, for the beautiful
!' ami true;
it so, this too must suffer from Earth's
ignorance and hate,
. sd that none wdl learn our motives till for
us it is too lata?
!?J so, ye gods of Heaven, that the ages yet
to come
Tits must seek for love in sorrow, find truth's
lips forever dumb?
in tears the years, the seons of the time
that yet shall hi,
5t forever keenly suffer for the truths we s
strive to see?
I
4f it so, ye gods of Heaven, that there is in
deed a day
men truth's sua shall shine in splon lor,when
the inists shall roll away;
TSrVuall truth shrill bo unhidden, when each
love shall Had its mate,
STlun all doubt, and fear and sorrow, to the
haunted hell of hate?
Shad ho sent forever from us when each
pleasure that Las died,
?!..;". live on again in s-plenlor-deiiied,
When our hop.-;, our loves, our
-in perfection
longings all
shall find a final rest
ii a realm of bliss and beauty where all truth
Shall be pOrvS-jS'wid;
Pi lie re the finit
shall find fulness
where the
twilight of oar
mind
$Lk b; changed to day eternal
jov shall, be confined;
where no
itere all lovts shall re i -li pn
e -lion, be each
lKings higlMst law,
And each sool in love's pure fre
il all . t.iers draw.'
om shall to
article wo each shall live, for 'others and all
.; others f;- us live: .
Vficiu our highest, holiest purpose shall be
and truth to givc
tSfl.t-re unknown for- aye and ever .-shall be
want and yoi an 1 strife
Is it so, ye gods'of lb
future life.''
ive.i, that this is our
li :.l so, ye go Is of Heaven, that we need life's
keenest pain
Z'i prepare us for the future that wc all at
hist shall gain;
we need our tears and sorrows to pre
, pare us for this bliss
Tbxit shall ever fill our spirit" in that life
which follows this?
Fred. Shelley liyinaa.
MISS POTTEE'S PET.
BY-WALLACE IV KEED.
Aniony the prisoners confined in
the
convict camp at Centre.
it was generally
itduitted that Red ("i lover w;is decidedly
At worst and most desperate.
The guards always kept an eye on
Glover, and when he was chained at
c il
sjBlit ms nous were anvuvs careiuny ex- i
aanlncd.
i Hed Glover was not a murderer. He
a burglar, and his daring exploits had
X5klehis name famous throughout several
.HVitcs. The judge who had sentenced
"kini held to the old-fashioned idea that a
arglar would not stop at murder when
iminan life stood between him and his
' ttv or his safctv. and for this reason
tre had triven him a long term,
some lif-
iH'Ti years or so, in the chain
srauff.
It was not unusual for the white, con- ;
ritts to break down and die, but the vie- j
iiic.s were almost invariably the best men
ui the camp. The consciousness of their 1
disgrace depressed them, and when they
were sick they made no effort to get well.
Tiny 'died not 'because they were over
worked or id-treated, 1ml simply because
they did not wish to live.
With Bed Glover it was different, lie;
ttad no sense of shame, lie grew strong j
sd plump on his coarse fare, and went
through his daily task without fatigue.
The ra-cal had his fun. too. He chaffed
the other convicts, and swore at the
guards, until they gave up a 1 hope of re
fcrmhie; him through pani-hmcnt or
gent I-r methods.
w The lirst viit of - Miss Potter to the
tamo, was a genuine sensar.ua. Miss
Pet er was an estimable maiden, lady on
tht- shady side of forty. She was a mem
ber of half a dozen "benevolent and re
form a-so -.-iaiions, and hud taken it into
btr held that it was her duty to devote
herself to missionary work in the convict
tttups4
W henMi-s Totter visited the camp on
bnnit a v.- ana made a
little tail
in a
' qi.averii!g voi. e, the r.mgh men there
-were inclined to laugh at the fragile
Tu i.jriiin who looked at them so mUdlv
through her spectacles, and gave them
trood advice and scriptural quotations
ihe rate of about two hundred words
sauiute.
"Go it, ole gal'." shouted one of the
sttcn, after the speaker had finished an
ritT""tir!g exhortation.
Whack!
-. It was a slap from Red Glover's big
f jbmt hand, and the impudent disturber
5 c j the meeting held his head down in ut-
ter silence during the remainder of the
services.
Miss Potter's eyes snapped when she
was interrupted, and then she gave Red
Glover a grateful glance. .
But it was during the singing of the
Gospel hymns that Glover showed him
self at his best. He had a magnificent
voice, and as he stood t-here making the
valley ring with the, melody of his song,
his athletic figure and bronzed face with
ittrong, massh e features attracted every
PVP'
vno is tnat manr Miss rotter asiceu
one of the guards.
"Red Glover, ma'am."
"Is he a very wicked man?"
"You bet he is, ma'am the worst bur
glar in the country."
Miss Potter shivered. She had hoped
that he was a forger, or a swindler, or
something else that was gentlemanly.
"Did he ever kill anybody?" she whis
pered. ' -
"Well, it was never proved agin him,"
said the guard judicially, "but we have
our doubts. There is nothing too bad
for him, ma'am." -
Miss Potter went sadly away, promis
ing to return on the following Sunday.
"How did you like it, Red?" asked a
guard, jocularly.
"She's a good woman," replied Glover,
audi won't see her insulted. That's all."
This speech was greeted with roars of
laughter, but Red Glover's conduct was
talked over among the officials of the
camp. The prisoners called him Miss
Potter's Pet.
All that week the burglar went about
his work in a quiet way, altogether dif
ferent' from his usual manner. He was
respectful to the guard.?, and had very
little to say to his associates.
Miss Potter made it her business to get
! acquainted with some of the prisoners
! on her next visit.
j "That man Red Glover surprised me,"
! she said to the Superintendent. "Do
you know, he told me that bad associa
tions and whisky had ruined him, and
that he regards his confinement as a
blessing? He proposes to turn over a new
leaf when he gets his freedom."
"Um?" said the Superintendent. "Red
will be about fifty years old when he
leaves here, if lie serves out his term.
But don't mind his talk, Miss Potter;
the fellow never was drunk in his life,
and his bad associates ware hunted up by
him. He'll say anything, you know."
"Oh, I can't think that," protested
Miss Potter. "If I am any judge of
human nature, he is really in earnest
about doing better."
"So you are working the sneak
racket?" said the Superintendent to
Glover that night, as the convict passed
him on his way to the quarters.
"I deserve your bad opinion," was the
calm reply, "but if I live I intend to
show you that I am" a changed man."
"Bosh!" shouted the disgusted official.
"Move on!"
The newspapers took up Miss Potter's
work at the camp, and it became the
custom for the
ladies and geut
reporters and various j
interested in re-
form work to attend her meetings. Once
the Governor was a spectator. lie made
a short speech and gave the missionary a
hearty indorsement.
The most remarkable revival that had
ever been known struck Centre. Hun
dreds of people were converted. The
religious spirit invaded the camp, and
scores of convicts professed conversion.
Among the converts was Red Glover!
When Glover was informed that Miss
Potter was endeavoring to secure his
pardon he shook Ills head,
i "I have no right to hope for it," he
said, humbly. . "My punishment ,is jut.
and while I know that-1 cm a ransomed
sinner, others do not know it. My kind
friends should leave me to bear my bur
den to the end." . J
j Red Glover even in his striped clothes
, i1;ld an imposing appearance. 1 1 is voice
i bad melancholy tone that affected .Miss
potter and. her friend' to tears.
"I'm sure he's a good man!" burst but
the lady after one of her Sunday talks
with him.
'He is certainly
o eaiavin
WCil,
said
him
the superintendent,
"aid
we
treat
; kindly now.
Occasionally the great public gets into
a sentimental mood. The revival at Cen
tre softened the hearts of the people', and
when Miss Potter took the streets with a
petition for lied (Hover's pardon ehe had
i no difficulty in securing signatures.
! One morning a stalwart te'io-.y vva'ke l
out of the convict camp at Centre, and
I' headed for. the town. Jle wore a new
suitj but his. bronzed face and' horny
: hands told a story of hard work and cx
i posure. With the (Jovernor's pardon
j and ten dollars in his poekct, Red Glover
i was beginning his new life.
f Miss Potter awoke with a start. It
i ! was a dark and rainv night, and the lit-
' tie woman lelt that there was clanger in
! the air. She lived in a cottage on the
j outskirts of Centre, ard her one servant
slept in a detached building, too far
j away to hear a cry for help,
j Striking a match, Miss Potter looked
f at the clock. It was just midnight.
-T f lnn-rLf T Lnii-d fi nnico " fihl thr
, l 1 i .J VI 11 L. l.V.ltl V . V t. ........ , - . . - ' '
i nervous woman; "but i must nave ueen
dreaming. It was the rain."
She lav down again, and in a few mo
ments was slumbering peacefully. j
There was somebody in the houe.
Occasionally a floor creaked, and then
the sound of a door-knob quickly turn-in"-
might have been beard. If anybody
had boon awake the clatter ol silver
spoons and forks could have been heard,
but Miss Potter slept the steep of a tired
woman;
Some one elided into Miss Potter's
room, a large man with a mask over his
face. In one hand he carried a dark
lantern. Fla-dnng the light upon the
sleeper, he paused until he was satis-led.
Then he advanced to the mantel and the
bureau and tpiickly stripped them of vari
ous ornaments and pieces of jewelry. '
"Help! Murder!'
It was Miss Potter, sitting upright in
bed and screaming at the toped' her
voice.
"Blast you, I'll stop thai !'' growled
the burglar, rushing upon her and seiz
ing' her' by the throat.
llis mask fell o!T. and his vi- tint recog
nized him.
'lied Glover! What does this mean:"
The burly ruin an turned the light full
upon the excited face. before him.
"lie quiet, ole gal," he v. hi-ei ed ; "'I
d -tn't want to hurt you, but l'U have t
gug yoti."
Miss Potter could not. say a Wv;u. ;
merely stared and gasped.
' With a half smile on his face. Glo
-lie
er
bound and gagged her.
Then he started to go, Tiv the middle
of the ro;.in he paused.
"You'll ornt over this.'' he said, "and
vou will find that vou are not much dam
- , .. t . -rl
j aged. I don't think I have made more
at ; than a hundred or so by tne jod. it was
a j hardly worth the risK."
He moved toward the door, but stopped
again.
- "Of course- vou
thmk I have treated.
you badly," he continued; "but I.doh't.
I was built for it. My little racket about
being converted goes for nothing. I saw
that it was toy only chance.andl worked
it. You and the other fools were easily
taken in. And yet you were bid enough '
tQ .know better."
Tears of
indignation
stood in Mis3
Potter's eyes. Surely he might have
spared her any allusion to her age.
"Well, I must be going," said Glover
deliberately. "Give my regards to the
Governor when you see him. and to the
Rev. Mr. Whatshisname. Tell the par
son that I'm a backslider. 1 Tell him that
I'm still in the gall of bitterness and the
bonds of iniquity. ' Good-bye, old gal 1"
The burglar walked through the hall
and out of the house, leaving Miss Potter
glaring at the ceiling.
The affair at the cottage was never
known to many people. When Miss
Potter's servant released her in the morn
ing the injured and wrathful lady bound
her over to secrecy.and no complaint was
made to the authorities. The sudden
ending of Miss Potter's visits to the con
vict camp was the subject of some com
ment, but the missionary merely said
that she was compelled to give her time
to other work. She had been deeply
wounded, and concealment was the only
balm that would afford her any relief.
Atlanta Gonstihdion.
The Broom-Corn Harvest.
Benjamin Franklin was the most prac
tical of men, and it is not unlikely that
the culture of broom-corn (Ssrghum'vul
gare) in the United States is due to him.
It is said that having had given to him e
short sprig of broom-corn coming from
Africa, he found a seed or two, and -planting
these, first introduced this important
agricultural product. If the consump
tion of soap marks the development of a
country, in a minor way it may be ad
vanced that the cultivation of broom-corn
is an index of its cleanliness. The whisk
brush is peculiarly an article of American
use, but the broom is in universal de
mand. The Shakers, at the close of the
'last century, grew broom-corn, using its
product for their own wants, and began
the making of broomss a business about
1798. In Illinois the broom-corn harvest
is of great value. In certain portions of
that State, notably in Douglas and Coles
counties, not les3 than 3000 men find em
ployment in the broom-corn fields, en
gaged in tabling, cutting, threshing, and
curing the broom-corn. Experience has
shown that it is among the most remun
erative of the agricultural products of
the State. From statistics of the cost oi
raising the broom-corn, while manuring,
planting, cutting, and the preparation of
the product are estimated at $30 a ton,
the selling price -varies from 73 to 100,
according to quality. Broom-corn cul
ture has made rapid strides in Illinois.
In 1883, according to the most carefully
prepared estimates, the total value of the
crop was 5,000,000. For this year tht
crop will probifrlybe 150,000 tons, worth
something like 11,250,000, the larger
proportion of the broom- corn beinggrown
in the counties of Douglas, Coles, Cham
pagne, Henry, Mercer, and Knox.
Brcom-corn requires a fair soil, and,
accord in a- to "locality, mav lie planted
from the middle of Mav to thebegnuing
nf TnP About-. .-no.-nmind. of broom-
corn per acre is a; fair yield. In the har
vesting the stalks are lirst tabled, and by
that is meant the stalks are bent over
about three feet from the ground. Cut
ters are next used, which cut o:I the tops
some eight inches below' the brush. The
cut brush is then hauled from'the fields
to the neighborhood of the sheds, where
the stalk is run through cylinders to take
out the seed. Then the brush is laid on
.shelves in the sheds to cure, care being
taken, by means of thin layer--, to allow
the air perfect entrance. When the brush
is dry it is baled like hay, and is then
ready for a market. The demand seems
to be a constant one,, for never is there a
houe built in the United States where
th; first requirement is
Jl'i' i r'x Week1.'.
not a broom.
Snperstilions ol" the Persians-.
Amulets are worn, by nearly everybody
f- ot,-t!- tlin nt-il ri-n ti m i t r of-frO'-t
attract good
f id! -shanes
L il i. lav. fii ini-.t. i l . i ii -. j
luck, i nese amulets arc o
and substances,
for instance, wc
The wealthier ladies,
r irold bra clefs, neck
chains and anklets, often of very artistic
work'm
cavity
nship, containing in a sealed up
verses from the Koran, made
CS )C(JU11I J
;..'!.-
owcriul by the blessings or-
Some imaum.
or pious dervish. Little s
moth er-of-pearl tablets, ' of octagonal or
oval sluvpe, and often set in turquoises,
arc worn around the neck for the same
purp se. They generally contain, in
delicately engraved characters, some
Arabic intantations to the higher po wers
to protect the wearer against, the lower
ones. '
Poor women will often content them
selves with a string around their necks,
to which may be tied a strong talisman
in the shape of a snake's tooth, a leopard's
tongue, a hyena's tuft of hiiir, some
times inclosed in a small lot ket of b ass
j'or silver. Similar "charms" are the
; finger joints of new-bom bahes, a drop
; of blood from an ' executed criminal, Or
; an eye from the body of :iu old woman
! who" died in childbirth. Superstitious
I of this peculiar kind are practically iu
j numerable. Thus shells, parts of the
li hyena-or hare (two animals thought to
be especially haclal, that is unclean), ana
the fruits of the anacardium are worn as
amulets to secure the love of a husband;
win the affection of a lover, or turn in
her direction the preference hitherto
shown for a rival.
At the birth of an infant the father
wili seize bis scimcter, and brandishing
it in all directions, will' cut the air east,
wet. north-and south. This he believes,
"will frighten off the evil fay .Yale, who is
supposed to be forever on the lookout for
bab-'S to carry off to her domain. Girls,
voung widow's and divorced women wili
sit astride the v. hiffletree of mill? and
thus allow themselves to be turned twice
around the pitjar in the center, in the
firm conviction that th s procedure win
soon catch a- husband for them. Co
Origin of the G. A. K.
Its originator was Dr. Benjamin F.
Stephenson, a phv
ician of Springfield,
III., who had served as surgeon in tuc
Illinois infantry during tae war.
i iC
fiivt suggested the idea in
1 S -.';(). Published aecouii t
February.
Stile ihat
Decatur, 111., was'tne i:rtu;
nace Oi tuc
ni-.h.r hn- the ii'ilr livvi" comrade o
(
the four who were present' at the first
muster and mutually to ; the obligation,
according to the ritual Dr.' Stephens n
hud prepared. ays that it was found j I
at Springfield.
The first formal organization of a I'o.st
occurred.- howevc
be
.n 1
April '". lVo'd, at tin
which contained oa
sjluiers.
v.!
l-C
of Decat
ur.
ion
r
Amon the originators of
th-:
Grand
Messrs.
Annv of the Kcpublie were
Coltrin and Prvor, proprietors ol tne
proprietors ot
- I Decatur Tribune, and their compositors,
. . i -1.1 i' -f.tl. 1
j who printed the first ritual of the Grand
Army as written dv ir. ;?cepnenson.
boon alter jl'osi .o. jwaviurmeuat
j SnringSeld, and others were quietly m-
stituted throughout Illinois, Wisconsin,
Indiana. Ohio, Iowa and Missouri.
On July 12; 1806, the first Department
j Encampment was held at Springfield,
111. John Jtt. Palmer was elected ne
parttnnt Commander. 2Tew Tb-ri Herald.
EMBALMMENT.
CUST&M OP PRESERVING
THE BOU IES OF THE DEAD.
theories Re&ardin the Origin of
Embalming Sepulchres of Crys
tal Embalrafng in Alaska
Masking the Dead, Etc.
According to Cassien, writes Fannie B.
Warde, the Egyptians embalmed only be
cause during the time of annual inunda
tion no interments could take place; but
other writers affirm it was because they
believed that so long as the body was
prevented from corruption, the soul re
mained in it. M. Gannal believes em
balmment to have teen suggested merely
by the affectionate sentiments of our na
ture a desire to preserve the mortal re
mains of loved ones as long as possible.
Panset and M. Volney think it was in
tended, especially in hot climates, to obvi
ate danger from pestilence, as primarily it
seems to have been a cheap and simple
process, luxury and elegance coming
later. Herodotus states that it was to
prevent bodies from becoming a prey to
animal voracity. Says he: "They did
not inter them, for fear of their being
eaten by worms; nor did they burn them,
considering fire as a ferocious monster,
devouring everything it touched." Dio
dorus of Sicily insists that embalming
originated in filial piety and respect. De
Mail let,- however, attributes it entire to
religious belief, enjoined by the wise men
and priests, who taught their disciples
that af ter a certain number of cycles, of
perhaps thirty or forty thousand years,
the entire universe became as it was at
birth, and the souk of the dead returned
into the same bodies in which they had
lived, if the body remained free from
corruption, and if sacrifices were freely
offered as oblations to the manes of the
deceased. Considering the great care
to preserve the dead, and the ponderous
ly solid nature of the Egyptian tombs,
and of which many m vy be even found in
this miscalled new world, it is not sur
prising that the latter theory has ob
tained many believers.
In Alaska, up to comparatively modern
time?, the dead have been mummified.
W. D. Dall, in his recent work' on "The
Northwest Coast," tells us that within
the last half century bodies have been
eviscerated, cleansed from fatty matters
in running water, dried and placed in
cases, wrapped in fur and woven grasses.
The body was usually doubled up into
the smallest compass, and the mummy
case suspended, so as not to touch the
ground,' in some convenient rock shelter.
Sometimes, however, the prepared body
was placed in a life like position, dressed
and armed. Some were made to look as
if engaged in a congenial occupation,
such as hunting, fishing, sewing, etc.
With them were also placed effigies of
the animals they were pursuing, while
the hunter was decked in his wooden
armor and provided with an enormous
mask, all ornamented with feathers and
a countless variety of wooden pendants,
colored in gay patterns. All the Alaska
mummies wear masks, so arranged that
the wearer, if erect, could only see the
ground at his feet. These were also worn
at their religious dance, from the belief
that the spirit -which was supposed to
animate a temporary idol .was fatal to
whoever might look upon it while so oc
ean ed.
To this day the Aleutian Islanders em
balm dead men with dried grass and
moss, burying them in their best attire,
in a sitting posture and decorating the
tomb with colored mats, embroidery and
paintings. With women thev use much
less ceremony.
V mother will keep her :
dead child, thus imperfectly embalmed,
in her own hut for. months, washing it j
continually, till at last the intolerable i
stench reconciles her to parting with it. j
While on this gruesome subject it may be '
mentioned, merely as a mat ter of curiosity, j
that Gary's - translation of Herodotus!
describes "the novel manner in which the
Macrobrian Ethiopians preserved their;
dead. lie says that their sepulchres were j
all prepared Irora crystal m the lollowing
.way: When the body had been dried,
after the fashion of the Egyptians, they
plastered it all over with gypsum and then
nm'nterl it to resemble .life as nearly as
i . . . .... , v
possible. Then thev
put it into a noiiow
. " j "I 1 T
column of crystal,
which was easily
wrought and dug up. in abundance there
abouts. The body, being on the middle '
of the transparent columns, was plainly j
to be seen, aud it did not emit an un pleas- ;
ant odor or become in any way offensive.
The nearest relatives kept the column in
their houses for a year or r,iore, offering
to it tlie first fruits and performing sacri
fices before it. after which time they car
ried it out and "placed it somewhere near
the city.
This appears to have been an improve
ment on" any of the modes above de
scribed; for even the Egyptian mummies
could only be seen in front, the back
being covered by a box or eofiin, while
the "Ethiopian 'bodies, snug in their
columns of glass, could be seen all
around.
Ashantee Traits.
There are at present in the Zoological i
Gardens at Paris twenty genuine Ashau- j
tees twelve males and eight females. I
Thev are native? of Africa, well-known j
for "their ferocity, cuurage and valor, j
The habitat of the Ashantees is in the .
western part of Central Africa. They
are among the most beautiful varieties
of the native African race:, comparable
to the Caucasian Aybssinians. Every ,
three weeks; during the f csti . ities of
Adoi and those of Jam in September, the
peop:e commit
it wholesale uutciiery oi
After the death of the
l ite queen mother the King had :).000
men killed to satisfy the groanings of his
mother's spirit. During these butcheries
the Ashar.tee warriors drink the blood of
the victims warmas it issues from the
wounds, believing that will render them
strong and'braw. The royal resider.c?
is called Coumassie, with 'twelve to
fifteen thousand inhabitants. The whole
kingdom is estimated at from one to
three millions of inhabitants. They were
little known until they sustained a long
war with the nations living. r.e:r the
coasts, all of which were con aiered by
the Ashantees. The greater portion of
their country is now under an English
rotectorat e. C.' '" JTrtr.
Lions Frightened by Electric Shocks.
A sensation ia which- ladies delight
is furnished by a lion-tamer drawing a
hypnotized girl into a den of lions, savs
a" Paris 'etter in London. Truth. The
lions (but the spectators don't know this)
are more afraid of the young lady than
she would be of them if awake. They
associate her with electrjc shqeks which,
when under training for spectacles of
this sort, they had had in the mouth.
The damsel was separated from the ter
rible felines with fine wires connected
with electric batteries. "When they ad
vanced toward her they came to grief,
but through what agency they could not
Bee, and retreated howling. A lion which
has had a few shocks will for the rest of
his life keep at a civil distance froua no
'matter what young lady. ,
Origin of the Bartlett Pear.
- Allen Putnam writes to the editor of
the Boston Transcript the following in
teresting letter :
"In a recent issue of ycur paper, a
statement was .made that the Little Sis
ters of the Poor would exhibit at the fair
in Mechanics' Building pears from the
original Bartlett pear-tree, standing on
rounds now owned by the Sisters. The
statement in your article is that Jall the
Bartlett pear-tree's in the United States
owe their origin to this tree, which is
about fifty years old.'
"There were two pear-trees of that
variety, equal in age as to growth on
American soil, and both were standing
and fruit-bearing only live or six years
agoc, and presumably are so now. One
of them, the larger of the two, is on the
grounds of the Sisters ; the other, only a
a few rods distant, is not on their
grounds. These trees are mudi more
than fifty years old. ' Enoch Bartlett,
from whom the pear takes its name, was
myfather-in-law,and I resided near to and
on his grounds from 1845 to 1880; and
during the first fifteen of those years was
in frequent conversation with him touch
ing all his interests there. The house he
occupied had been built and three or
four acres around it stocked with im
ported trees of many varieties by a Mr.
Brewer, probably in the latter half of the
first decade (and earlier, half of the sec
ond) of the present century. Mr. Brewer
was lost at sea, and his family had to part
with house and lands. Mr. Bartlett ob
tained the property in 1820. The young
trees on the grounds were just beginning
to be fruitful. Soon, but I know not ex
actly which year, Mr. Bartlett was able
to take down into State street some pears"
of an unknown variety, yet of extraordi
nary size, beauty and promise. I am not
able to name) the year definitely, but
think this must have been early in the
twenties. I think" it must be that the
trees were imported at least seventy years
aro
"After Mr. Bartiett's disease I (in
1861-2) built a house on part of the
grounds, once his orchard, and there was
my home till 1880. The top limbs of the
tree, now owned by the Sisters, had died,
or were dying, early in the " sixties. I
personally was called to hold conference
with the gardener as to what to do with
the tree. Conclusion was that the root
and trunk, with the old limbs removed,
were vital enough to put forth and sus
tain a new top. They have done it, and
the fruit to be exhibited will have grown
upon that new top. The old top of the
other tree was fruitful up to the time of
my removal from there in 1880."
Horses of Chalk.
George Alfred Townsend writes to the
Cincinnati Enquirer: "As I was riding
along in the vicinity of Salisbury, going
toward Bath, I looked out of the window
of the car, and concluded that I had
gone stark mad. Theve stood up in the
air, not more thaa two miles from me,
an enormous white horse, hundreds of
feet above the earth as it appeared. I
took hold of an utter stranger at my side
and said: 'What is that?' 'That,' said
he. 'is the white horse of Bratton. They
say it was made to commemorate King
Alfred's victory over the Danes.' On
looking this subject up, I found that this
beautiful horse had been create ! at some
unknown time in thepast, by taking the
sod off tlie chalk beneath it S) that a
completely finished horss is leveled, 175
feet long, 107 feet high at the shoulder,
and the eye twenty-tire feet' in eircum-j
ference. There are seven such horses in
this part of England, where the ground
is all chalk. One-of them is the Cherhill
white horse, cut in 1780 by a physician
who was intimate with Dr. Priestley in
tho ffiwn - nf f'niiip TTp not. it in a trot-
ti attitule ami mace it 157 feet high
and fifty-seven feet long. It can be seen
for thirty miles. It was probably this
horse that I saw, instead oi that of
Bratton. IX ot many years ago. a very or
dinary man as ho had seen thesi other
horses, a private soldier, resolved to make
a colossal figure of George III., that also
stands on the south coast of England,
and was done with much skill, since,
being on an incline surface, it had to be
drawn with reference to a very distant
eve. Perhaps the old nursery rhyme we
are familiar with, of
i 'Ride a cock-horse to Banburv cross
i To see an old woman get on a white horsa,'
bears reference to one of these figures, for
there is such an one in the vicinity of
Banburv."
Th? Costa Ilicaifs Piano.
The
'mai ir.iba
s constructed of
twenty-one p"r:cs of split bamboo oi
graded lengths, strung upoa two bats of
the same wool, according to harmonic
sequence, thus furnishing three octaves.
Underneath each strip of bamboo is a
gourd, strung upon a wire,' which takes
the place of a sounding-board, and adds
strength and sweetness to the tones. The
performer takes the instrument upon his
knees and strikes the bamboo strips with
little hammers of padded leather, usually
taking two between the fingers of each
hand, so as to strike a -chord of four
note-, which he does with great dexterity.
I have seen men play with three ham
mers in each hand and use them as
rapidly and skilfully as a pianist touches
his keys. The tones of the "marimba"
resemble thoe of the xylophone, which
has recently become so popular, except
that they are louder and more resonant.
The instrument is peculiarly adapted to
the native airs, which are plaintive, but
melodious. At all of die tambos where
! the cartmen stop, "marimbas"', are kept,
aud in every caravan arc those who can
' handle thern skilfully. Tourists gener
ally travel in the "cord hours of the
morning and evening to avoid the
blistering -'un, and it is a wel -ome diver
sion to stop at the bodegas to listen tc
the tones of the fartmen, r.nd watch
them 'dancing with dark-eyed, bare
footed seiiorlt as IL(rper' Mejan,te.
A Savage Ordeal.
A few words, now, on the fetich doc
tor or medicine man. the N'gangt ri
the native, who is- also his priest, phy
sician, and chief justice. If any one in
in the village dies, the natives, who can
not c impiehtTid that any one should dit
a natural death, believe that he must
have been killed by enchantment or by
the evil influence o: some other person
in short, that another person was the
cans i of his death. It is X'ganga's bu.-i-r.ess
ro find out wl;o this person is. He
consults with the spirits bv moonlight,
:i II i tilillll ii 11 lLflU - J llili . v.
I si mnn iA.fr..r bn TfCll t r CiT !l
is in
terview to the people. The accused per
son is then subjected to trial by cassa.
Cussa is the bark of a large tree, and
contains a very strong poison. The de
linquent is forced to drink a solution ol
this bark, which has been prepared by
the N'ganga. If he vomits the draught
up immediately, he is innocent, but il
it remains in his stomach he must die.
In this case the natives never wait foi
the Operation of the poison, but fall upon
him with sticks and stones, or drive th
life out of him in some still more savage
way. The issue of the trial by cassa ol
course lies with the N'ganga, and, if the
delinquent can pay enough, that fnnc
tionarv Will probably save his life. i
Popular Bcifince Monthly.
QUARANTINE.
THE TVOIIK OP THE NEW YORK
HEALTH OFFICE DESCRIBE).
Inspecting Vessels Containing Cases
' of Infectious Disease What a
"Bill of Health" Is
Care of the Sick.
The term "quarantine" said to be
derived from the Italian for "forty"
according to the lexicographers, 41 is the
period during which a ship arriving in
port, and suspected of being infected
with a malignant, contagious disease, is
obliged to forbear all intercourse with
the shore." Thus, a ship arriving in New
York at the present time, and having on
hoard, or suspected of having on board,
& case of cholera or yellow fever, is at
once cut off from all intercourse with the
shore or with any neighboring vessel,
the detention of the vessel depending
upon the Health Officer of the port. A
vessel arriving in the Lower Bay with
the National ensign flying aft, to denote
that she is from a foreign port let us
suppose a port infected with cholera
sails or steams up to a position at some
distance from the shore, termed the
boarding station." Here the master
must "bring to," under a heavy penalty.
The doctor comes alongside in the
little quarantine steamboat, the G. C.
Preston, and before any one goes on
board the following questions are put
to the master: "What is the name of
the vessel and the master? From what
port have you come? Was there any
sickness atthe port while you were lfing
there or at the time you left it? Have
you any bill of health? If so, produce it.
What number of officers, crew, and pas
sengers have you on board? Have any
of them suffered from any kind of ill
ness during the voyage? If so, state it,
however trifling it may have been. Is
every person on board in good health at
this "moment?" Should the master re
fuse to- answer any of these questions, or
give a false answer to any of them, the
refusal or falsehood subjects him to a
heavy fine or imprisonment, or both; and
if the questions have been put upon
oath, and he returns a false answer, he
is liable to punishment for wilful and
corrupt perjury. The inspection being
completed, and cholera, we will suppose,
being found to exist, the vessel is
obliged to proceed at once to the quaran
tine station selected. Every person on
board must remain there until the-vessel
.is released. Should any one choose to
disobey the law and endeavor to escape,
he or she incurs a penalty of from one to
five hundred dollars, with the alternative
of from three to six months' imprison
ment. This is mild punishment, indeed,
to that inflicted in the days of our fore
fathers, when disobedience to quaran
tine laws subjected the offender "to suf
fer death without benefit of clergy."
Still it is heavy enough to discourage
any attempt at disobedience, when such
disobedience would bring upon the trans-
n-i-oconr thf full rio-or of the. law.
It may here be mentioned that an in
coming vessel has the right "before
breaking bulk" of putting to sea in pref
erence to being quarantined. The
Health officer, however, must mention
on the vessel's bill ofj health the length
and circumstances of the detention, and
the condition of the vessel upon reputting
to sea; he must also satisfy himself thit
the "sick of such a vessel will be taken
proper care of, and he must take care
of such sick as prefer to remain.
In the case of foreign arrivals generallya
both passengers and crew runs submit tc
a medical examination. In the questions
noted above which are put to the master
of a vessel on arrival in the port of-New
York there occurs the query: "Have you
any bill of health?" Most people; will
probably be inclined to inquire what a
bill of health consists of. Bills of health
are of two classes, namely, clean bills ol
health and foul bills of health. The
former is a document signed by an Ameri
can Consul abroad testifying that there
was no disease on board the vessel or at
the port at which the vessel loaded her
cargo for the voyage. The latter is a
similar document testifying that there
has been disease on board, -or at the port
of lading, or at any of the ports at which
the vessel may have touched on lier way
home.
The whole Xew York Quarantine
establishments consists of: Firs", ware
houses, docks and wharves, situated on
the Lower Bay; second, anchorage for
vessels in the. Lower Bay, distant not
less than two miles from the nearest
shore, and. within an area designated by
buoys; third, a floating hospital also
a-cd -as a, boarding station for vessels
coming from south, of Cape Henlopen
namely, the hulk of the Illinois,, anchored
in the lower bay below the Narrows, and
with a capacity to accommodate one
hundred patients; fourth, the hospitals
on Swinburne and Hoffman Islands; fifth,
the residence for officers and men at the
Quarantine Station, Sbitcn Island, near
Clifton village; and sixth, the burying-o-round
at Seguiii's Point, Staten Island.
- The only diseases against which Quar
antine applies are yellow fever, crioiera,
typhus or ship fever, and small-pox.
Ample accommodation is now provided
for patients in the different hospitals of
the establishment, persons sick with
different diseases being always kept in
separate hospitals. No other person
("except the sick, ot course,.) is detained
in quarantine any longer than is neces
sary to secure cleanliness. Vessels
in an unhe dthy state, whether there has
been sickness on board or not, are not al
lowed to proceed until thev have been
duly cleansed and - ventilated. If in the
judgment of the Health officer a vttFel
requires it, he 'may order the following
sanitary measures: baths and other bodily
care for the person; washing or disin-fectiuo-
means lor clothing; displacement
of caro-o: subiection to high steam or
partiid submersion for infected articles:
the destruction. of tainted food in short,
the complete purification of the vessel in
all her parts' by the use of steam, fn ne
gation, force pumps, rubbing or scraping,
and finally sending to quarantine anc hor
age until disinfection be perfected.
On the arrival in the harbor of in fectei.
vessels all well persons have their free
dom given them as soon as possib'e; sick
persons are immediately transferred tc
one or other of the hospitals appro
priated for their reception, and the vessel
unladen and purified as soon as possible.
All the merchandise is placed in the
ouarantine warehouses, and there freely
exposed to the air, and moved from time
to time to insure its perfect ventilation.
The patient need have no fear as to his
... e .1' TT..UT. -
effects; it is one oi xne ncaita omcers
duties to make an inventory of these,
and to secure them from waste and em
bezzlement until they are handed ovei
to the rightful claimant. HarperU
Weekly.
We come across beautiful character!
in the most obscure paths of life, even ai
we find the loveliest woodland flower
in. the loneliest places.
There is no limit to the age at whicl
a man may not make a fool of himself.
TOT HOME DOCTOR.
TQO Much Bathing Bad.
Pr. Titus Munson Coan, in an article
b?i "The Curative Uses of "Water?' in
Harper's, says regarding bathing: "There
are bath fanatics who ignorantly think;
that life without an epidermis is the only
desirable form of existence. Their rapt
ures of saponification and of scrubbing
lire all very well as a luxury, though the
inunctions of the Konian therma; werei
better, because the oil used after the bath'
supplied some protection to the abraded
skin. But the fury of rubbing is only
for the strong, and even the-strong, if
they practice their rites in a malarious
country, have been observed to sicken
sooner than those who have contented
themselves with cleansing, and have not
gone on to excoriation." ' - .
Forms of .Vertigo.
Vertigo is from the Latin word that;
means to turn. 'It denotes an ailment
characterized by a sudden feeling ofi
dizzines, and at times by actually falling. ,
Sometimes surrounding objects seem to ;
the person attacked to whirl around, or!
the floor or ground to rise up. The fact
that vertigo is often one' of the earlier,
symptoms of apoplexy frequently fills the
person with terror, lest that deadly dis
ease may be impending. ' But in the ma
jority of cases it has no such significance,
not even as indicating a tendency.
One form of vertigo, a very persistent
form is due to irritation of certain nerves
within the inmost chamber of the car,
the so-called labyrinth. This is what
Dean Swift suffered from so long, and, to
the physicians of this day, so . unac
countably. One of its symptoms is tem
porary deafness. This "distinguishes it
from all other forms.
Another form connects itself mainly,
with the eye. Of this kind is the feeling
of giddiness which some people have
wdien, being on a strain at rest, another
train slowly passing deceives them into
the idea that it is their own train which
has begun to move. The giddiness occurs
at the mpment when the false and true
sensations become confused together. !
In the case of the near-sighted the in
ternal muscles of the eye, often beings
unduly strained in their efforts to con-:
verge the eyes sufiiciently for the sight
of - near objects, suddenly give way.!
when the eyeballs turn out and let the
letters run ie to each other. This is ac-'
companied w ith a feeling of giddiness, ;
eyeache, headache and sometimes nausea. ;
A third form connects, itself with some(
slight disorder of the stomach, and occurs
most often when the stomach is empty.'
There is a sudden swimming in the head,
objects seem to revolve, and the person
totters and perhaps falls. !
A fourth form is purely of nervous
origin, and is due to nervous exhaustion, j
It may be caused by intellectual over
strain, long-continued anxiety, physical
excesses, or the immoderate use of to
bacco, alcohol or tea. Elevated posi
tions may bring oh an attack. It rarely,"
results in actual tailing, but oftcner in
the feeling of being about to fall. The
Earth.
Exploration at tlie South Pole.
The Antarctic committee appointed by
the Itoj-al Society of Victoria and the
Royal Geographical Society of Australia
have memorialized the Premier- of
Victoria on the propriety of stimulating
Antarctic research by the offer of bonuses.
They recommend that a sum of .10,000
be placed on the estimates for this
purpose, and that tenders be solicited
from the shipowners for the performance
of services in connection with Antarctic
exploration. Shipowners whose tenders
shall be accepted must provide free
accommodations for two scientific gentle
men, as well as reserve a second cabin as
instrument room and office. Each
master of a ship must also alTord every
facility for observing natural phenomena,
blasters will receive special bonuses for
every 100 tons of oil from fish caught
south of GO degrees S.
The special services desired are a fly
ing survey of any coast lines lying with
in the Antarctic circle, raid not laid down
upon the admiralty charts; and the dis
covery of new water ways leading to--ward
the South Pole, and of harbors
suitable for wintering in. Facilities are
to be ollered for tlie study of meteor
ology, oceanography, terrestrial magnet
ism, natural history and geology, fypecial.
bonuses will be" given for passing seventy
degress S., nnd also for establishing on
shore a temporary observing camp. Two
ships are required, and both must be in
Port Phillip Bay and re idy to start on
October 1") next, in the Southern spring.
The Premier of Victoria has promised to
place 10,000 on the next estimates for
the above purposes, on ecmuanou mai
the other colonies will join in the enter
prise, so that it is hoped a strong i mpetus
will be given to-Antarctic exploration.
English Mechanic.
Dog of the Kegliiient.
In the way of reminiscence, Colonel
Emerson, of Auburn, tells this story of a
famous dog that went to war with the
Tenth Elaine Uegdinent from Ports
mouth: j
The dog belonged to .Nathan Jones, a
stable.keeper there, and went out with
his master and came baek at the end ol
thethrec months. lie jumped into the
car occupied by Captain Emerson s com
pany, of the Tenth Maine. a it passed ,
through Portsmouth on its way to the
front, and the men concealed him be
neath the seats. Telegrams demanding
the dog's release were received
ton, at Xew York, and at lialtii
1 sit.IJo
more, but
the regiment had adopted - the Ports
mouth canine, and it would have re
quired more than a telegram to effect his
release, lie served his time with the
Tenth and came home with that regiment
two years later. When the company
reached Portland two men came down
from Portsmouth to reclaim the dog.
Two of our boys took the dog across
country to North Auburn by way of Gray
Corner, and he remained at jNortn au
burn till the Twenty-ninth was organized,
when he went to the front again with
that resrimeni, with which he met his
death at Sabine Cross Poads. He would
"et terribly excited in a buttle, and when
the bullets would strike the ground he
would rush and bark and gnaw savagely
at the earth. Leuistoa Me.) Journal.
A Wonderful Memory.
The handsome -colored man who at
tends the door of the dining-room at the
Palmer house, possesses the remark? ble
faculty of never losing a hat intrusted
to his charge. Sometimes three or four
hundred men dine at once in me mg,
room. The racks will be piled thick
with hats, yet each man, as he emerges,.
finds the polite servitor dusting on ma
proper tile and no other. A het was(
made the. other day by two drummer
that they could confuse him. They put
movlra nn ihnr hftt 9 Which WAS
i .nU. anil size. I
preciseij uiajv.c, m v.v.., --- - -- .....
When they rose from dinner their hats(
were handed to them with a Chesterfiel
dian bow. "How do you manage it!';
i sees each gemman'a head in his hat-
Th ffinn Kelt. ..
ha WAS flUKAC!. UUUUU. X CS iwiiv...
--. -. -