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About Hemingford herald. (Hemingford, Box Butte County, Neb.) 1895-190? | View Entire Issue (June 5, 1896)
W v. "' 'I V V :j T4 I MAD IOVE ANDNAD HATE. Kw Orleans Timea-Dtmocrat. That I, Philip Vanderbrok, deform cd in body and repulsivo in feature, should fall in love with one so good and beautiful as Anno Gray ia noth ing to wonder at, for anyono that be held her, king or beggar, old or young, could not help but become a subject to her sway. But that one with my deformity and repulsiveness should ask and expect a return of lovo from ono no puro and Rood, and failing to receive it turn against her with a hato as mad as the lovo had ben, is a different thine Aye, it is a mad story of a mad lovo and a mad hate. It is a dark night. The dismal hoot of the owl is mingling with the roar of tho storm. Tho thunder rolls long and loud. The lightning flashes with a sulphurous hiss among tho bending and creaking trees around and above my lonely hut in tho woods. I am old, but tho years are but is yestor- Lday. I am alone in the wilderness, but tho smiling face of her I sent lid . ing to death is fiesh before me. The storm, tho thunder, tho lightning, tho wilderness, the years, cannot "hido away from my eyes. Sty time is short, and life will soon bo at nn end. I feel my pulses weaken from hour to hour, but I will livu till the story of my mad lovo and as mad hate is told. I will toll it, if for no other pnrposo than that tho writing of it may divert my thoughts from what is to come. But I must begin at tho beginning. What I was dose not matter, what "J am you can glean from my story. Enough to say that I did not want for worldly possessions; that my edu cation had been neglected on account of my health and a general wayward ness in my nature, that the only thing I had learned with auy thor oucliness was telegraphy, and that I was an orphan from my early youth. I came to Wainborough.a small vil lage on the railroad, for my health; there I mot Anno G.ay. From the first time I looked at her faco my lifo underwent a change. I lorgot my bodily deformity, I forgot my hideous face, and had no thought for anything but to bo where my eyes could follow this ono being who gave me the first taint impression of what nn angel in heaven might look like. I succeed ed in securing room and board with the Grays, and from that hour I felt happy and contented for neerly a year. Up to this time, however, I had not thought of Anne in any other way than that she was different.somehow, from other women I liad met before. It seemed as if the air I breathed in her presence was purer, fresher, and more invigorating; that life was a boon instead of a burden as it had been to me heretofore, that wherever she was the world looked happier and brighter to my eyes. It was not until the beginning of the second year of my stay in Wainbor ough that I was fully awakened to tho knowledge that I was hopelessly, madly in love. At this time there was a chance of station agents at the rail road. Tho new agent was a young man and caino to board with the Grays. Before many weeks had passed my eyes were opened to tho new condition of thincs. Allen Ash ton, the new ncent, was very atten tivo to Anne, and she on iter part seemed to give him all the encourage ment that was needed to make him fall deener and deeper in love. This dawned upon me by decrees from day to day until my own lovo spoke up in my heart and showed mo the situa tion I was in. It is true at this time that Anne was as smiling and kind to me as ever, perhaps a little more so than she Jmd been, but I noticed, too, that the bin Newfoundland dog, Carlo, was treated to more frequent caresses than ho was used to get before Allan Ashton came upon tho scene. This is how matters stood until onp night when Annehad been playing and singing for us I went out on tho long gallery to my favorite place behind the Maderia vines atone end of it, to muse and dream a while before going to bed, as had become my habit. I had been sitting there but a short while when Allan and Anno came out of the house. They yenc to the farther end of tho gal lery irom me, where they stopped and stood close together. I could hear nothing but the murmur of their voic es, for they were speaking very low, but I could see their every motion plainly, for the moon was shining full and bright. Presently Allan's nrm wound itself around Annie's slender waist, and she lifted one of her shape ly hands and placed it upon his shoul der. They stood thus for a while, and the picture that they made to my eyes is burned into my heart to this dav. Even now, and death is almost up on me. when I think of that scene and .what followed my heart and brain tm.-sm fire, nnd I can hardly sup press tho cry of anguish that comes to my lips. Allan bent his head and touched his lips to Annie's; it was then that I was fully aroused to the consciousness that she was lost to me forever. I felt then that I could, without any compunction, kill tho man that had bVepped between her and me. With a wild cry I rushed to wards my rival, holding tightly grasped in my hand a dirk "that I habitual! v carried about mo. I do not know by what power I was stopped from killing Allan Ashton. He stood before me, smiling, happy, vic torious in love but defenseless for his life. It certainly was no action of his that saved him. Anne's eye3 were up on me, and I caught their glance of sadness and reproach. When she spoke to mo in her gentle tones the 'Iflftjfj dropped from my hand. "Oh! Pmlip," 6he said, "you ought to be ashamed of yourself to scare me no. Please pick up that ugly knito and co and put it away." Mechanically I obeyed her. Oh! that instead I had plunged it to the hilt into her lover's heart. Bub I wm powerless. I went to my room that night, iovo and hato fighting for tho mastery over my heart. It was a long night and a terriblo ono, but that is past now. Next morning I camo down for breakfast. I met Anno alone at tho tablo. My appearance must havo bo trayed to her some of tho torturo I had sufferod during tho night, for her eyes had a sorrowful took in them as they scanned my faco closely. "You did not rest "well last night, Phillip," sho said in her sweet and tender voice that almost started tho coward toars into my eyes. "You should bo careful of yourself," sho added, "and avoid all excitement." I felt as if my heart was leaping up into my throat to strangle me. I looked at her beautiful faco, and be fore I know what I was about I was kneeling at her feet, holding ono of hor hands in both of mlno pouring fortli the story of my mad love, pleading for hers in return. Sho sat still and listened patiently, tho tears shining in her beautiful eyes, until the story of my mad lovo was told. Then she laid her hand gently upon my head and Btrokcd my hair, much m the same manner that I had seen her stroke Carlo's and her voico was wonderfully sweet and low ns sho ekoko to me. "My poor Philip, I am so sorry," she said. "I havo promised to be come Allan Ashton's wife, but oven without that promise I could never have been anything more to you than I am now your loving friend. Now I want you to promise me never to speak to me again like you havo just done. Will you promise me, Philip?" How well I remember my promise and tho wild pleasure it gave mo to give it then. I'knew it was tho death doom to my lovo and happiness, but I granted it! Had she asked my lifo how gladly I would navo given it. This was my feeling when I was in hor presence and under her influence. When I was out of her sight, howo er, another nnd a vety different feeling took possession of me. I loathed my self, nnd hated her nnd her lovor, I planned and plotted night and day how to destroy tho happiness of them both I even thought of taking their lives. This idea after a while took complete possession of me, and it was with a sort of eager joy that I watch ed and waited for a good opportunity to carry it into execution. It was two months or more before tho chance came. In the meantimo I mingled with the household as of old like one of them. I even becamo on friendly terms with Allan Ashton, and spent hours with him in his offico at the depot. As I havo already said, tho oppor tunity came at last. Ashton was both "agent nnd telegraph operator at Wainborou.'h station, but during all my hours with him in his office I never told him that I understood and could read oil every click of his "ticker." I had no definite purpose in view in with holding this knowledge from him, only that I was always on my guard to hide and veil my real feeling towards him, nnd in doing this I took tho gen eral precaution to give as little infor mation about myself as possible. But one day when 1 was sitting in tho ollico nil Alone, and I heard a call for Wainborough, I went to the in strument and answered it. Tho next moment the order came. "Side track 220, duelutlf-pnsteleven nt We.inborough, till express 49 pass es." I wrote down the order and Hashed back "0. K.," then looked at tho clock nnd snw it was a half an hour before the train was due. Tho min. ute3 slipped away, still Ashton did not make his appearance. Presently, how. ever, I heard his voico outside, and at tiio same time camo the shrill whistle of tho locomotive not far away. I was just about to step out on tho platform to give the order to him when I heaid him say to some one: "You are just in time. Thero comes the train. I looked around and saw that it was Anne Gray. Sho was coing to the city on tho train that was just coming rushing up, tho train that was ordered side tracked till the express passed. My opportunity had come. I in stantly went back into the office and crumbled tho order up in my hand. I ielt like shouting for joy. Tho train came up stopped a few moments, then I heard the conductor shout: "AH aboard!" I looked out through the window of tho oifice. I saw Anne, hnppy and smiling, wave her hand through the car window at her lover, and as tho tram passed tho office and she saw me, sho smiled and waved her hand at me also. A minute or so afterwards Ashton entered the office looking glad and happy. He CAmo close up to mo where I was Btanding. and laying his hand upon my shoulder, said: "I am the happiest man alive, Philip. Anne has jus't set tho day for our wedding a month from to-day," "Fool," I cried, "she will not, can not keep it." "What do you mean?" "Look," I shouted as I straightened out the paper I held crumpled in my hand and held it before his eyes. "Loot:! this order came whi'o you were making love. I answered it and now " I had no chance to finish tho sen tence, for Ashton clutched mo by the throat and pushed me violently against the wall as if ho meant to kill mo there and then. To save myself from falling. I caught at a shelf upon tho wall. My fingers clutched some thing hard and cold. In a moment I knew what it was; I had seen it thero but a few minutes before. It was Ash ton's pistol. Thero was a flash and a report, and my hated rival lay weltering in his blood, dead, upon the floor with a bullet through his heart. Thero was a terrible railroad acci dent tliat day a few miles from Wain borough. They brought Anne home dead, but I never looked at her faco. They said that Allan Ashton shot himself because ho had neglected his duty. Thoy found tho telegraphed or dor in bis hand, and his own pistol lying beside him on tho floor. Contested Wills. It BecniB very difficult nowadays to draw a will that will answer tho pur pose for which it was made. Tho heirs of the lato Mr. Tilden.ono of tho most sagacious of lawyers, are con testing his will. Tho will of the lato Mrs. A. T. Stewart is in court, and numerous other prominent instances might bo cited to prove tho assertion that it is not such an easy matter to draw up a will that will carry out tho wishes of tho testator. Thero Boom to bo moro truth than poetry or fic tion in tho sad wail of a Western journalist when ho writes: "At last man slcopeth with his fatliors and hla heirs fight over his uroperty until tho lawyers gobble it all up. And this ia tho end of man." Such may bu tho end of BQtno men, but there are numerous oxcoptions to tho title. There was no prolongod contest over tho cstato of a gentle man in Northern Texas. Ho had no relatives or property and ho died in tho almshouse. A New York farmer made tho following last wfil and test ament: "I have nothing, I owe noth ing, and I givo tho residue to tho poor." The frequency with which wills aro broken lias narrowed tho question to one of preference whether you will leavo your money when you dto to people who, in your opinion, should not havo it, or allow your money to leavo you while you live. Thero is a well-founded suspicion that somo lawyers draw up wills so that there will be a contest ovor them just as some dentists drill holes in sound teeth so thoy will be subso qtientlv called on to repair tho dam age. The following conversation is belioved to havo actually occurred: Old Lawyer (to young partner). "Did you draw up old Moneybags' will?" Young Partner "Yes, and ho tight that all tho relatives in tno world cannot break it." Old Lawyer (with somo disgust) "I was afraid you would do that. Tlio next timo there is a will to bo drawn I'll do it myself." Porhaps thero is no timo when a man leels less his own master or moro helpless than when ha delivers him self into tho hands of his lawyer ,to have his last will and testarrjent put into shape. Ho may be a shrewd man of business, ho may know much of tho markots, of languages, Bomothing of medicine, a good deal of politics and be an adept in tho ways of common life, and yet not be nblo to mako his own will. Our laws aro so complicat ed that it needs the s tudy of a life to master them. Hence tho testator is compelled to resort to a lawyer, and even then ho has no feelings of secur ity that his last will is going to bo carried out. It was probably an appreciation of this fact that' caused Jonas Waters, of Missouri, to sell his farm, build himself a monument, pay his funeral expenses in advanco and burn all his money beforo he died, which ho did, feeling iirctty Btiro that his heirs would go into litigation ovor his last will and testament. How to Save Your Teeth. "What should a man uso to clean his teeth?" askod a reporter of a well known dentist recently. "Nothing but water. There are more good teetli ruined by so-called dentifrice than by all other causes in the world put together. The object of the makers of these dentifrices is, of course, to produce a preparation that will, with very littlo rubbing of tho brush, mako the teeth look perfectly clean and white. To accomplish this they put pumico stone.nnd sometimes strong alkalies in their preparations. Pumice stone will unquestionably take all the enamel with it. An alkali will make a yellow tooth look white in a few seconds, but beforo a week has passed it will have eaten away nearly all tho enamel and utterly destroyed the tooth. "In walking along tho Btreet you often see a 'fakir,' by way ot adver tising his patent dentifrices, call a small hoy Irom tho crowd near by, and opening tho boy's mouthrub tho dentifrice on his dirty teetli, and in a mimitn almost takes off all the tartar and makes tho teeth look perfectly puro and white. Now, a man liko that lakir ought to be arrested for ho has forever destroyedtho boy's teetli. His preparation, composed of a pow erful alu ali is eating away the enamel of the boy's teeth, and in a few months the boy will not havo a sound tooth in his bend. The dentifrices, composed chiefly of pumice stone, are not as bad as those containing an alkali, because they will not destroy the teeth bo quickly; but if used ha bitually, they will certainly destroy them in the end. I should advise any man by all means to uso no dentifrice of any description, unless it bo pre pared chalk. If tliis is used not of tener than once a week it will not in jure the teeth, and may help to cleanse them, but it should on no ac count be used every day. Orris root docs the teeth no harm and gives a pleasant odor to the breath, nnd if all our dentifrices were composed simply of orris root nnd prepnred chnlk (hey would bo harmless enough if not beneficial. "My own plan is to uso a moderate ly hard brush nnd plenty of cold wnter, nnd nothing else, and my teeth aro in excellent condition, if people would only pick their teeth carefully after each meal, making suro that not the slighest particle of food remains near tho gums or between the teeth, and would, also, before retiring at night, run a pieco of solt thread through their teeth, they would not have any necessity for a dentifrice. Of course, sweetmeats and candies aro bad for the teeth; so is smoking, or taking very hot or cold drinks; but, bad ns nil these undoubtedly nre, I really think tho wort enemy the tooth has is tho so-called dentifrice. Take tho advice of a dentist nnd never uso anything for your teeth but a brush and good cold water," " A Real Phenomenon. A correspondent of tho Hartford Times, writing about Laura Bridsz man in tho institution for tho blind at South Boston says: "Thero ia a blind and deat-muto child who acorns to go far ahead ot Laura Bridgman Helen Keller, of Tuscumbta, Ala., a child over whom Mr. Auaguos' enthusiasm seems to be. unbounded. Sho was born in June, 1880, and at nineteen, months had a violent congestion of tho stomach which resulted in total loss of sight and hearing, Sho is now under tho charge (in Alabama) of Miss Anuio Sullivnn, ono of Mr. Anngnos gradu ates. Ho sayn of hor: 'It is no hypor bolo lo say that sho is a phenomenon. Historv presents no case liko hers. In intellectual alertness, keen ness oi observation, eagerness for in formation, in brightness and vivacity of temperament sho is unquestionably equal to Laura Bridgman, while in quickness of perception, grasp of ideas, breadth of comprehension, insatiato thirst for solid knowledge, self-rolinnco and Bweetness of disposition she cer tainly excels hor prototype For obvi ous reasons tho greatest dilliculty and most perplexing part of the task of in troducing blind deaf muto persons to tho mysteries of language is to mako them understand that all objects havo names which can bo expressed by arbitrary signs. This is tho most important part in tho wholo under taking. As tho French say, It is tho first step that costs. This initiative step has been invariably slow, uncer tain and not infrequently voxatious. It was nearly three months beforo Laura Bridgman tho brightest nnd quickest of them all caught tho idea. It was notso with Helen. Tho thought flashed across her marvelous brain as soon as it was transmitted to it by ono of its lackeys or scullions, tho sense of touch. In threo lessons sho perceived clearly and distinctly that words stood for objects, atfd in less than a week's time alio was in posses sion of tho mystery of this relation in tho fullness of its meaning, and be como mistress of tho wholo situation. "I would liko to givo somo of tho do tails of tho progress of this remark ablo child her iovo of letter-writing, her rapid acquiromont of words, her noring over books,and her screams of delight when she conies to thoso sho knows but this letter is too long al ready. Stellar Chemistry. It is ono of tho triumphs of modern scionco that has revealed to us tlio composition, to somo extent, of the sun and stars. Tho course by which this result was renched is easily traced. Newton decomposed, with tho aid of tlio prism, the sunlight into sev en primary colors. Theso colors make up tho solar spectrum. But thoBpcctrum is not continuous. Wallas detected black lines ncrosH it. Theso were for a long timo a mys tery. A. German scientist made a study of these lines, and from his nanio they aro called Fraunhofer linos. It is only since 1800 that any uso lias been made of these lines in deter mining tho chemical composition of incandescent bodies. It was found that tho different chemical elements tavo out distinctivo characterestic kinds of light when in nn incandescent, or glowing, state. Tho difference of light was shown by tho lines on tho spectrum. An examination of this revealed what was present and what was wanting in tho composition of the source of light. This process is known as spectrum analysis. Among tho terrestial elements which this analysis has shown to bo pres ent in tho photosphere of tho sun, aro iron, nickel, copper, zinc, tin and hydrogen. Tho brilliant fixed star Aldebaran shows tho pre3 enco of iron, mercury and hydrogen. Tho other fixed stars aro found to re semble tho earth in then-composition. It will bo understood that tho plan ets and the moon cannot bo studied in this way because they only reflect (he sunlight. Ifwoweroto examine a moonbeam wo should find it nothing but a sunbeam taken at second hand. There is ono curious piece of informa tion which this analysis gives us in regard to the comets." It is that tho nucleus, or head, of tiie cornel is lumi nous, shining by its own light; while tho tail is seen by reflected "light. This light nppears to bo sunshine, as in tho case of the planets and moon. This process of analysis is so del icnto that an inconceivably small quantity of an element will reveal its presence in tho light of itsburning.nnd to exact is it that four new metals, the existence of which had not been t-uspected, havo been discovered. What Does It Profit a Man? Philip D, Armour, tho many million aire pork packer and provision dealer, has gone abroad for his first real va cation in twenty years. Ho looked "palo and care-worn," was suffering from rheumatism, and had evidently come to the point where his "going to Carlsbad for his health" is a necessity. If Mr. Arm'our shall succeed in "tak ing a re?t" he will bo moro fortunate than many active men before him havo been, who, after "working Hue a steam engine" for twenty years, with no lay off for repairs, found their ca pacity for resting latally impaired. Work had becomo so much a habit with thorn that they could not stop without "going to pieces." What doos it profit a man to gain $1,000,000 or SI 0,000,000, and lose his ability for the enjoyment thereof? How much moro rational it is to take a little vacation each day and a long .er ono each year. "Wo pass this way but once." By taking rest, and pleas ure as tho days go by not only is one sure of his fun and tho the sum total of enjoyment swollen to agreeable dimensions, but he fitted to live long er in tho possession of alibis faculties. -New York World. Sleep and Sleeplessness. St. James's lludgot. Tho most nnciont account that 1ms como down to us of a systematic at tempt to vanquish sleeplessness ia probably the one which is to bo found in tho Book ot Esther. We thero learn that Ahosuortis, on an occasion when ho could not sleep, "commanded to bring tho book ot records ot tho chronicles, and thoy wero read boforo him." Tho book ot records ot tlio chronicles stood in the lion ot tin nowspnper, nnd a newspaper is still omployed by many ns an inducer of sleep. But newspapers and tho light by which to read them are not always at tho disposal of wakeful persons. Mr. William O'Brien, for example, had no newspaper whon ho was in prison, nnd he has told us how, in order to woo sleep, ho wns in the habit ot recalling ono by one tho counties oi Ireland and their con nection with his own history. A person who is inclined to wakefulness at im proper hours mny, of course, find vir tue neither in tho'devicoot Alinsuerus nor in that of Mr. O'Brien, but there aro many other d3vices which should bo tried beforo recourse is had to such dangorous aids as morphia nnd chlo- rnl. Save by thoso who aro suffering from actual brain disease, sleep may generally bo secured without the use ot drugs, if pains be taken to induce those conditions under which alone natural and relroshingsleep can bo en joyed. Chief among tho conditions which accompany natural sleep is tho com parative Ircedom of tho brain from blood. Tho difference is, indeed, suffi cient to cause a sensible falling off in tho temperature oi the headot asleep- ing person. A second condition is tho comparative freedom of tho brain from oxygon. Alexander von Hum boldt seems to havo been the first to suggept this, and his theory is now very generally accepted, although several writers and notably Dr. Frederick Schoiz, of Bromen have recently at tacked it with considerable energy. But this condition exists only at the commencement of sloop. It is appar ently tho cause of mental fatigue, and ns tho proportion of oxygen increases, the fntiguo and tlio consequent need of sleep decrease. Tho activity and usefulness of every organ ot tho body nre carried on at tho expense of con sumption ot animal fuel, and this pro cess exhausts much of tho oxygen of tho system. Wo take in oxygon in tho air wo breathe, but wo do not tako in quite enough for our waking needs. The deficiency is supplied from the oxy gen which wo store up within us wliilo wo sleep. During tho day wo gradual ly exhaust this reserve, and as tho supply ot oxygen fails, so tho fires of our vitality diminish. Long depriva tion of Bleep is, therofore, dangerous to tho well-being of tho body, "for. in default of proper fuel, tlio bodily fires consumo the body itself. Nor is this all. Oxygen is necessary for strongth; nnd it is to tho lack of it in tho tired body that the phenome non, which is so often to be observed in a sleepy person may be attributed. The muwcles of tho neck, for tho nonce improperly fortified, grow weak, and tho sulterer involuntarily nods. At a later stage all the muscles nro similar ly affected. Tho third condition which tends to produco natural Bleep may bo called periodicity. Man is esheu tially a creature of habit, and tho ad vent" of bedtime is, oven in the ense of people who suffer from wakefulness, the most favorable opportunity lor Bet-king rest. If. then, the time be pro pitious, tho position appropriate, and tlio degree of fatigue sullicient, tho or dinary person goes to sleep. But one or more ot the conditions mny bo lncking, or there may bo mental "con ditions which seem to forbid sleep even when time, position nnd fatigue aro all favorable. Tho com monest of these ndverso conditions is moro or less intenso mental preoccu pation. This tonds to drive blood to the bend, and the evil may bo reme died either by intellectual 'exertion in a less absorbing direction or by me chanical means. Boerhavo recom mended his sleepless patients to lio where they could not avoid listening to tlio regular falling of drops of water into a resonant vessel. Jean Paul Hichter suggested the picturing in tho mind of an endless garland of flowers which stretched away into measure less space. Other people adviso the sufferer to count to himself, or to coujiun up visions from the pattern of the paper on tiie wall or from the shadows in the room. Aiming the mechanical means for with drawing the excess of blood from the brain, the use of a hot bath may be recommended; but the prescription of Professor Preyer, of Jena, is perhaps the best. He makes his patient stand with one arm out stretched until tho limb aches vio lently. This conducts nri excess of blood to the arm and seldom fails to relieve the brain. The worst thing a sleepless man can do is to make uso of chloral or morphia. The more he takes it the moro he needs it, nnd scores of instnncea are on record of men who, having taken one or the other for a few nights in succession, have never again been able to sleep without the assistance of the drug. Sleep is so pood a thing for tho body that it may alwaybbeenjoyed with ad vantage whenever it can be obtained; but the amount of sleep that is abso lutely necessary for the recuperation of tho faculties varies greatly with dif ferent people. Eight hours' sleep.eiglit hours' work, and eight hours recrea tion, is, perhaps, tho best division of tho day and night for most persons; but stout peoplo generally "require more sleep than lean ones, and old peoplo less than younj ones. . ii - Fort EMU military rcnorvntion 1ms bon tnken p)6Mt'nion of by Hcpmtttiri. A circu lar wan recently mulled to tho citizens ot Hozeimin, which Is nwir the reserve, tolling them to meet anil bo prepared to tnkn possesion. A larso number obeyed and tiie ruHvrvu is now ull taken up. This will probably end liko all ot tho lormor ettwn pedes. In tlio ttciuntten being ordered oil by thu "Uiirdian. Our ClOrlous Country. Cirs is a great country. This is not an original remark, but it has a large' quantity ot truth in it. And we nre continually crowing croator In very many respects including Borne that nre not ot a character in which we can take any pride. But it is in poputo- . tion thnt wo aro making tho most gigantic Btridcs. St. Louis Globe Dem ocrat shows our present and pros pective positions in this respect as follows: "Tho Unlte4 States has a popula tion of at least 02,000,000 at this moment. This makes it second in thin particular among tho great civilized nations of tho world. Keeping in view tho ratio of growth of tho countries named between recent consos periods, there are about 83,000,000 inhabit ants in European ltusjin. 47,000,000 In Germany, 40,000,000 in Austro Hungary, ttS.000,000 in France, !7, 000.000 in Great Britain and Ire land, U0,000,000 in Italv: and 17, 000,000 in Spain. Tho population of none ot tho other countries in Europe readies 10.000,000 Turkey's inhabi tants outside ot Asia aggregate scarce ly halt that figure. Russia alone ot tho great powers ot Christendom ex ceeds tho United States in population. JiA'on uussta must soon be iett tar in tho rear. On July 1, 1800, when the next national enumeration takes placo, tho United States will have 07,000,000 inhabitants. It will have 00,000,000 in tho year 1000 and, 121,000,000 in 1010, This compu tation is based on tho a vet age growth of the country during the century. Employing a liko basis for Russia, that nation beforo 1010 will have dropped to second place, the United States taking tho first. "Forty years ago tho United States stood sixth in tho population among tho civilized nations ot tho globo, and twenty years ago it stood fifth. Twen ty years lienco it will Btand first. A Man Adopted by Rabbits. Thero ia an old man out in Mound Valley, Nevada, who has been adopt ed by a lot ot jack rabbits. Their friendliness and good feeling havo be come so obtrusive that the old fellow would bo thankful if something would happen to aliennto their affections. He is a sort ot hermit, living nli alone on his ranch, whero ho devotes all his time to cattlo and horstJ rnlaing. A ho doesn't try to raise vegetables, tho rabbits could do him no liarm, and so he never tried to drive them away. They soon became very tame, nnd as tho jack rabbit is an nirectlonato ani mal any wny they kept making more advances and trials of friendship un til they and tho old man have becomo quito sociable. When he goes out nfter his cows two or three dozen rabbits como trooping along alter him, leaping around him, running be tween Ins legs.and nibbling his fingers. Very often a drove of them willgather around his cabin and cut up ull sorts of pranks in front of his door, leap an his bvd.j'.imo into his chair it ho isn't occupying tlio only ono himself and noso around among his kettles and dishes for something to eat. Several of tho most intelligent he has singled out for special favors. He has taught them a number of tricks such a jumping over it bar or through n ring, walking on their hind legs, and jump ing over ono another liko leap fros. But the rabbits have developed suck a liking ior civilisation that they are about to take possession of his house, and have begun to rear their broods ia it, so thnt the old man hardly knows now whether ho owns the house or simply lives thero with tlio rabbitta. An Incnnsidornto Order Obeyed. On tho Russian frontier it once, hap pened thut an officer was playing nt cards with a friend, when a Jow wn trying to smuggle himself into the Russian empire without proper vised his passport. Tho sentinel on guard arrested him and reported to the officer. "All right," said ho. Hour afterward tho sentinel again asked, what ho was to do with the Jew. The Captain, furious at being interrupted, shouted, "Why, d tho Jew! Hang him!" Tho Captain went on playing until tho morning, when, suddenly re membering tho prisoner, ho called the soldier and said, "Bring in tlio Jew!" "The Jew?" 6aid the amazed soldier; "but I hanged him, ns y,ou ordered." "What?" enid tho Captain, "you have committed murder'." Ho arrested him, and the judgment death went up to tlio Emperor. Inquiring, before signing bo serious a document, and learning how matters stood, tho Em peror decided that tho soldier who, without reasoning, had implicitly obeyed bo extraordinary an order of. his superior, was to bo made a cor poral; that the officer who, while on duty, for the sake of gambling had given the murderous order, wns to bo sent to Siberia, and thnt his pay was to go to tho family of the poor Jew who had so iniquitously been mur dered. Curious Coincidences. Boston Globe. A London telegram relates an amus ing incident that occurred in a case or trial in one of tho civil courts. One of tho attorneys in the case was Mr." Henry P. Dickons, son of the novelist, nnd during the progress of. tho trial he brought down the house by calling as a witness John Pickwick. Quoth the presiding Baron: "What an appropri ate witness to be sworn for a Dick ens!" This caused immense merri ment, which increnstd when Mr. Dick ens added: "By a still moro curious coincidence the witness is a descend ant of tho Mr. Moses Pickwick, pro prietor of the Bath coach, from whom I have reason to believe tho charac ter of Mr. Pickwick was taken, and I verily believe that one of the reasons why I wns retained in the case was that 1 might call Mr. Pickwick. J M