GRANDPA'S CHRISTMAS.
In his preat cushioned chair by the fender ,
An old man sits -
dreamingtonight. .
His withered hands , licked by the tender
Warm rays of the red anthracite.
Are folded before him. all listless ;
His dim eyes are llxed on the blaze ;
While over him sweeps the restless
flood tide of old days.
He hears not the mirth in the hallway ,
He hears not the sounds of good cheer ,
Thatthroujrh the old homestead rinsr alu ays
In the g-lad Christmas time ot the year.
He heeds not the chime oe sweet voices
As the last gilts are hung on the tree ,
In a tong vanished day he rejoices
In his Jest used to be.
He has gone back across dead Decembers ,
To his childhood's lair land of delight ;
And his mother's sweet smile he remembers ,
As ho hangs up his stocking at night.
He remembers the dream-haunted blumber
All broken and restless because
Ol the visions that came without number
Of dear Santa Glaus.
Again , in his manhood's beginning.
He sees himself thrown on the world ,
And into the vortex of sinning
By pleaoure's btrong arms he is hurled.
He hears the sweet Christmas bells ringing ,
"Repent ye , repent j e , and pray , "
But he joins uith his comrades in singing
A Bacchannal lay.
Again , he stands under the holly.
With a blushing face lifted to his ;
Per love has been stronger than folly.
And has turned him Irom vice into bliss ;
And the whole world is lit with new glory
As the sweet vows arc uttered again ,
While the Christmas bells tell the old sstory
Of peace unto men.
Again , with his little brood 'round him ,
He sits by the fair mother wife.
He knows that the angels have crowned him ,
With the truest , best riches of life ;
And the hearts of the children , untroubled.
Are filled with the gay Christmas-tide ;
And the gifts tor sweet Maudie are doubled
'Tis her birthday , beside.
n , he leans over the shrouded ,
Still form of the mother and wile ;
Very lonely the way seems , and clouded ,
As he ooks down the vista of life.
With the sweet Christmas chimes there is
blended
The knell of a life that is done.
And he knows that his joys are all ended
And his waiting begun.
So long have the years been so lonely
As he counts them by Christmases gone.
"I am homesick , " he murmurs "if only
The Angel would lead the way on.
I am cold in this chill winter weather-
Why. Maudie dear , where have you been ?
And you , too sweet wife and together
O Christ , let me in. "
The children ran in from the hallway ;
"Were j ou callingus , grandpa ? " they said ,
Then shrank , with that fear that comes alway
When young eves look their flrst on the dead.
The freedom so longed for JB given ,
The children speak low and draw near ,
"Dear grandpa keeps Christmas in Heaven
With grandma this year. "
I Ella Wheeler.
A CHEISTXAS SHEAF.
It is the Christmas time ,
And up and down 'twixt Heaven and earth ,
In glorious grief and solemn mirth
The shining angels climb ;
And unto everything
That lives and moves , for Heaven and earth ,
The shining angels sing.
It was one/of those unequal balances
which we are constantly finding ooth
in the world of humanity , a gre t ,
splendidytesidence upon one corner , and
a poor , < shiftless , tumble-down dwelling
on the other , which the law pro
tected from the covetous e3Tes of the
rich speculator , and reserved for minor
heirs. Meanwhile it was rented , for
what it would bring , to a class of people
ple who were always either moving in
or out , and in the summer time , when
the windows of the great mansion were
open , and the cream of society holding
its revels , such hilarities as these would
be tobacco-wafted through the India
mull curtains :
"Whack de fidel ! Pass the crattir
this way , an' don't be kapin' the bottle
die "
"Slmre yees hev had had mor'n's
wood for 3"cs now.
° Stlrind oop and foightlike a man ! "
"urther ! don't interrupt whilst I'm
enjoyin meself. "
And similar dialogues of a domestic
character.
But for some months preceding Christ
mas there had been a new family in the
old house two young people who lived
alone and were out of sorts. The man
had nothing to do. He was a slim , pale ,
sickly-looking young fellow and some
one had found out that he was a south
erner , well educated and of good
farnity- , but poor as poverty itself and
Iikel3r to starve to death , as he was
proud as well as poor. Every day he
went out looking for work in the aim
less way a man gets into when his over
coat is gone and he has to button his
other coat to the chin , and every day
he came back empty handed or with
something that had been acquired on
the border-land between respectability
and vagabondage a turkey won at a
raffle or a measure of potatoes that he
had acquired at a guessing match.
Life was at this low ebb when Christ
mas came Christmas , bringing cheer
and light , music , warmth , presents ,
hope and jollity to nearly everybody ,
but certainly not to the poor family in
the tumble-down house on one corner ,
nor to the patrician people who lived in
splendid miseiy on the other.
What was the matter with them ?
Everything. In the first place there
were onby two people in the great house ;
they had neither chick nor child , nor
bird , nor any living thing about them ,
their own two * selves
except dr3-as-dttst ,
and they got mighty tired of each other
sometimes. Then the3' both had indi
gestion , and lived on a diet of hot wa
ter and graham toast. Next , their ser
vants robbed and deceived them S3Ts-
teniaticalby , and finally their children
happy little ones were all dead. Their
3 oung lives had been smothered outunJ t
der lace cap-frills and embroidered
stomachers , and they had gone to a
place where there were no velvet car
pets , or if there were , they were not too
good to pla3T on.
This Christmas morning when the
millionaire got up he looked out of his
plate glass window and cast an envio'ts
glance ai the corner opposite. Jack
Frost had been pi a3ing tricks there. He
had sent a soft white fall of snow , which
had wrapped its beneficent arm's about
the unsightly pile , and it was now trans
figured in the silver flood. The frost
king had made each tiny pane of glass
resplendent with castle and turret and
feather3r palms , and the rich man ac
knowledged to himself grudgingly that
it was a prctt3r sight : he wanted to buy
that spot , tear the old house down and
do what he chose with the lot ; his neigh
bor had bought one next to him for a
play ground for his children. But
Heaven had given his little ones a pla3-
ground on which he had no title or pre
emption. While he stood looking his
own family plysician , a wealthy man ,
who had almost retired from theprofes-
ion , came out of the old house. He
was walking briskly past , when Mr.
Markham threw open the window and
called to him.
'Good morning , Dr. Farnham. Merry
Christmas ! if 3"ou can find one , ha ! ha !
Returned to practice , I see , " with a
contemptuous glance at the old corner.
"Yes , " said the physician gravely , "it
is rather a sad case. Four mouths to
feed and nothing to put in them. How
ever , the same God who sent the ravens
to feed Elijah lives to-da3r. "
"Doctor , " said Mrs. Markham ,
crowding a lace breakfast-capped head
out beside her husband's , "come in and
eat breakfast with us. My appetite is
worse and I want a prescription. "
"Dyspepsia be bio wed ! " growled the
doctor , who was as gentle as a woman
in the sick-room. "If
- you want to be
cured of all the ills of life , observe the
eleventh commandment. "
"Eleventh commandment ! Wly ,
there isn't any. Doctor , you must go
to school. "
"Isn't there any ? " said the doctor ,
gruffly. "I thought you didn't know
it. 'Love thy neighbor as tlyself. '
There ! A merrv Christmas to 3Tou
both , and no d3Tspepsia , if 3Tou do 3our
whole duty. "
' 'Peace on earth good will to
man ! " chimed the bells.
There was a confusion of tongues
over in the house on the corner. When
the good doctor had announced * to the
young husband in real Christmas
phrase , "Unto 3-011 a son is born , " the
news had been received at first with a
natural spasm of delight , and then the
dejected quer3r , "What on earth am I
going to do with him ? " But when
later the doctor went to him , with his
face beaming with mischief , and said ,
"Unto 3rou two sons are born , " the con
sternation he caused would have been
amusing , if it had not been so real.
There was a gloon - outlook for the pale
young mother and her beaxttiful babes ,
even though the good doctor had left
some temporal relief.
"Will she live ? " mi
att
"Yes ; care and nourishment is all she
fae
needs. Now I can leave her in your to
hands , Mrs. Markham. The nurse understands
flu
derstands the case , and is trustworthy. "
dn
Mrs. Markham , the millionaire's wife ,
she
sat by the sick bed and held one babe
wil
in her silken lap. It wore her baby's of
dresses and was wrapped in soft blan- ofCh
kets. A wicker cradle lined with white
muslin , and tied with blue ribbons , had nei
come down from the dust of the manajv gm
sard roof to hold the two babies. There '
were light and warmth and comfort in -
m-0
the old house. When late at night Mrs.
of
Markham J returned from a last visit ,
hel
prior to retiring , she found her husband ha
standing pornpousl3T before the open fire fee
on the tiled hearth in the libraiy. hoi
"And how are thc3' now ? " he asked , for
with more interest than he had shown
in anything for a 3'ear , and
"Doing nicely ; but , Hiram , they j,0 an
would have died if I we hadn't. wjt
looked after them. Two such sweet , , „
babies ! the3T remind me- pa
And then the poor mother broke
down and cried. sla
Mr. Markham cleared his throat. ing '
I'd
. "A-hem ! lexpect we've got our hands I've
full , " he saul.
she
He never thought of hearts ; but that wo
was just what it meant. With neither '
children nor of his
grandchildren own , seen
he has two pairs of stockings to fill In
ever3' Christmas , and this 3-ear he makes der
the same objection to filling them that pec
he did last year. They will not hold half are
he wants to in them and
put , he will per
not divide , either with his wife or the all-
good doctor , that annual pleasure.
There is a shining path worn to the old : no
house , and now when the rich man's used
covetous eyes watch it , there is no com
mercial value in its remodeled walls ; send
he is looking for what gold cannot biry sent
the I smiling faces of two happy Christ mine
mas children , who love him just as him
much as if he wasn't rich. And for tic :
these people Christmas brings the hap "
piest cheer and to their opened ears like
"The belfries of all Christendom milts
Now roll along
The unbiokcn song its
Of peace on earth , good will to men. " W01
[ .Detroit Free Press. these
\vri
The short Story Writer. vvri
It is the function of the writer of a "
short stor3r closely to group his figures , I W'
carefull3' cull and mass his details , in > as
dicate his heav3r shadows and shades ip-
with a free hand , and "stack on" high some
lights with Chinese white , so to speak. in t
In a word , the short stoiy is nothing if a n
not an impersonist sketch of the novel '
or romance which might be built out of mai
the same material. md
L.
But Christmas time was coming fast
And old "Kris " '
Krlnglo" 'twas at hist
Inspired mo with happy thought.
To help mo gain tlio gilt I sought.
AVhlsperlng , I said to her : "Lust night
A sweet dream tilled me with delight ,
For Santa Clans most generously
A woman's dear heart gave to me.
"And bade me. darling , go to you
To find Its owner fond and true.
So I have come. I pray yon. sweet ,
Kind Santa Clans' gilt complete ;
And if your heart I have indeed.
Another in its '
place you'll need ;
And oh , my hive , I'll gladly sign
A deed in tull to you of mine. "
A CHltlSTMAS COMEDY.
Miss Eleanor Slingslander sat in her
crimson boudoir on Christmas niornin"- .
regarding with scornful expression a
little bronze figure which she held in
her hand the figure of a pretty peas
ant girl , in cloak and hood , carrying a
covered basket on her arm. And a
ccornful expression , though rather in
rare instances very becoming to some
girlish faces , was not in the least be
coming to Miss Slingslander. It
wrinkled and shortened her nose , wid
ened her nostril's , and pouted her full ,
red lips. All of which , as her nose was
alreacty a trifle too short , the nostrcls a
trifle too wide and lips a trifle too
prominent , teni'cd seriously to detract
from the beauty of her face.
"The idea , " said Miss Slingslander ,
the scornful expression giving place tea
a frown , which brought her much too
near eyebrows so close together that
they seemed like one straight , heavy
line , "of Spencer Royall sending me
this thing for a Christmas present.
Wiry , I expected something splendid
from him with an otter of marriage.
Heaven knows he's been dangling after
me long enough half a year nearly
and I'm sure his mother and sisters
have set their hearts on the match.
Of course thc3r have , and with good
reason , too , for with the help of my
money Spense could carry on the bus
iness in a much more princely manner
than it was carried on during his father's
lifetime , and the returns would be much
more princcty in porportion. And I've
been agreeable , for they're a decidedly
aristocratic family , and Spense is b3'
all odds the handsomest fellow I
know and has a very talking wa3r with
him , though Jack Raynor is a hundred
times jollier and three times as rich.
But I'm not going to stand this shilty-
shaltying auy longer. I've been wait
ing for him to speak for the last three
months , and not a word on the subject
has he said. Something he dropped
last night led me to believe the propos
al was coming this morning. But in
stead comes this thing prett3r enough
in its wa3r and 'artistic , ' I suppose , but
I dent want it. The house is full of
peasant bo3's and girls , anil shepards
and shepardesses , and cuplds , and all
the rest of them now. What shall I do
thwj
with it ? Well I declare , it looks like
El Mellis. I'll send it to her. She's
be sewing for its for the last six
months and no doubt she'll expect a
Christmas gift that kind of people al-
wa3's do and I don't feel like spending
any money on her , so off this * oes.
She'll be delighted with it , and I can
eep her an hour or two bc3'ond her
work hours , sometime when I'm need
ing a dress in a huny. on the strength
of it. And , Mr. Spencer Royall , if
Jlick Ra3rnor comes a-courting me
again to-da3 % nry money will never
help 3'ou and 3rour famil3' to greater
magnificence. A bronze peasant girl , , th
indeed , when I expected at least an ele re
gant solitaire. "
An hour later Ella Mellis sat in the
plainly furnished room which served be
her and her widowed mother for sew
ing room , dining room and parlor , hold
ing the bronze figure in her little right
hand on the second ringer of which MrI
was a well worn silver thimble and
viewing it with a look of delighted ad dn
miration that added wonderfully to the *
attractiveness of her delicately-featured eve
face , lending as it did a charming light wh
her her soft , tired brown e3-es and a gir
flush ; to her pale cheeks. "I never sen
dreamed he would think of me at all , "
said in a sweet voice tremulous rat
with joy , "and he has not only thought bre
me , but has sent me this beautiful tell
Christmas present. Why , we have
never met but a half a dozen times wis
since I became a sewing girl , and then slai
always in the presence of Miss Sling
slander , with the exception of that
night when I slipped on the ice in front
her door she had kept meveiy late
helping her dress for a ball and he , Ch
happening ] to be near , helped me to my scu
and assisted accompan3'ing me
reli
home , sa3'ing so kindly , "it is too late
an3r 3'oung lady to be out alone , " tal
came in and talked to mamma for phc
hour afterward. Poor mamma ! firs
how glad she was to meet some one
tivi
whose father had known and loved
papa ] ! Epi
"Dear me ! how happy Miss Sling clui
slander : will be for of course he is go Ma
to marry her though , for my part , Jiil
like a lover a little more lover-like.
lera
. actually caught him yawning when Chi
was talking to him and 1 don't
obt
wonder , for she does run on so about
'st3'le' and 'fashion' and Iv'e never ma
him look at her in an adoring wa3 * . pos
fact : , I really think he looks kin con of
at me , But among weal Un
ado
people ever3rwhere , I suppose , matches bon
made much as the3 * are among loyal
pla
personages. Love isn't consulted at
the
.
"Oh ! dear , if papa hadn't lost all his cnf
Iti [
money J might for I think Spencer la
to like me a little in those da3rs. }
"But how perfect - lovely of him to sen
me this , though no doubt he as
it as much for mamma's sake as ruan
, remembering what she said to
that night about her love for artis- ence
rites
things.
tree
"Miss Mellis. How much he writes
pty
Miss Slingslander , and how simple tree
prett3' this Christinas card is , with justy
wealth of flowers surrounding the fest
words , 'from Spencer Royall. ' But pas
words are not in the same hand of
writing. Ah , I see , some one else has Wh
written the address. this :
"You dear darling little peasant girl ! thai :
wonder ' what you are carrying in your goeThe
basket. Good Gracious ! the cover Hies The
when the handle is pulled and there's , -oung
thing inside. A tiny velvet box , dist
the lovliest of rings and a note , yes of h
note to me ! to ri
"Mr DEAU .ELLA By this rural that
maiden I send 3011 an oll'rr of my heart the
hand. It may seem strange to you ilue
.
"spoken to you
wish that you should become my wife ,
but the fact is , I have been waiting until
financial affairs , somewhat disorj
dered by nn' father's sudden death ,
should bo brought into proper shape
attain. Now seems all clear ahead , and
if 3'ou will consent to give mo yourself
for a Christmas gift I shall bo most
happy.
'Anxiousty ' awaiting your repty , I
am " 'Yours faithfully ,
" 'SruxcKK ROVALL. '
"His wife his wife ! Mamma , mam
ma , come here instantly. It is the
merriest Christmas that ever was , and I
am the happiest girl in the whole wide
world ! "
Spencer Royall stood before the grate
fire in his smoking-room on Christmas
afternoon with wide-opened eyes , a
half burned cigar in his mouth and a
dainty nolelet. "B3- Jove , here's a go , "
said he in forcible if not elegant phrasc-
olog3' : "I send an oiler of marriage to
Miss Eleanor Slingslander , and receive
a note of acceptance from Miss Ella
Mellis. Pretty little thing. I've al
ways been more or less spoone3r on her ,
bufit seems as though Fate insisted
upon 1113 * marrying the other. Perhaps
Fate has changed its mind at the last
moment. Ton my word , it's the
strangest thing that ever happened to
me. I must see if I can't find out
something about it. " And ringing his
bell , he asked the small boy who ans
wered his summons : "Did 3-011 take
that box I gave 3-011 this morning to
Miss Slingslander ? "
"Yes sir. "
"B3r Jove ! the riddle of the sphinx
was nothing to this. You ma3r go. "
"Yes , sir but , sir
'Well , go on go on ! "
"I stoppetl a minute in the kitchen to
give the cook a message from my
mother the cook's my cousin Sarah
Jane and Miss Slingslander's maid
came down with the box , and sa3rs she ,
'Miss Slingslander wants this box took
to Miss Ella Mellis. She told me to
git a ' ' she 'but
messenger-bo } , says ,
'll do just as we 1 and earn a quar
ter. ' 'What am I to say ? says I. 'With
Miss Slingslander's compliments , ' sa3s
she. and I forgot to sa\r 'with Miss
Slingslander's compliments , and saidp
'Merry ' Christmas' instead , cause I'd
been sa3'ing that ever since I got up ,
and it come the handiest. But that
couldn't have made no difi'erence of no
consequence , could it , sir ! "
Oh ! no , " with mild sarcasm , 'not
the slightest. "
"And Miss Slingslander's maid said
sir , that Miss Slinglander was in an
orful temper at first 'cause you hadn't
sent her something more valuable , but
she'd got over it , and was a-making fun
of 3Tott with Mr. Ra3'nor. An I "
"There there tlu\t will do clear
out. The riddle is read. I see it all
plainly now. Eleanor never thought ,
be
th < apparent smallncss of nu" gift ,
of lifting the cover of the basket , but
dispatched the bronze at once to her
seamstress , forgetting in her indigna
tion to detatch my card. Tom forgets
to deliver the compliments which she
sends with it , and as a matter of ci tirse ,
Ella Mellis thinks the figure came
straight trom me. She docs not
look upon it with contempt , and un
covering the peasant girl's basket finds
there a proposal of marriage seemingh
addressed to herself , her name being i .
.the same as Eleanor's dimunitive. She
replies ] to it in the sweetest and most
artless little note that I ever received. ,
J5y ] Jove ! I'll accept the situation. I
begin to find myself very much in love
with her , and Miss Slingslander
continue to laugh with Jack Raynor. '
Christmas ( evening at the home of °
Mrs. Mellis.
Ella "How happy I am ! _ I never
dreamed that 3-011 loved me. I thought
yoi had entirely forgotten that we had
ever been friends. Imagine my surprise
when I found your letter in the peasant
girl's basket. What a cunning wa3' to
send it. " " ' a
Spencer "Yes ; I flatter nn-self it was
rather cunning. But , darling , don't .
breathe a word about it to a soul. To
of it would break the charm. "
Ella "Not for the world if you don't
wish it , dear , not even to Miss Sling
slander.
rrr
* "
sin
CHRISTMAS BAY.
a
a
The date of institution
precise of the He
Christmas ] festival is involved in ob- aft
scurity. The origin of Christmas as a tig
religious feast , is ascribed to the dccre-
letters addressed to Pope Telcs-
phorus , who died A. D. 138. It was at the
the most movable of Christian fes
tivals , and was confounded with the Hu
the
Epiphany and celebrated by the eastern
coi
churches in the month of April and ten
May. Under the Pontificate of Pope 'efl
Julius L. 337,352 , St. Cyral of Jenisa- ho1
urged the importance of making rc.il
Christmas an immovable festival , and
saw
obtained an order from the pope to
\ \
was
make ! a proper investigation for the pur dec
of determining the exact date. A izci
conference held between the churches
the 1 east and west resulted in the .
tion. |
adoption of the 2th of December. Gib
wh.
' the festival of Christmas
sa3's was here
at the winter of solstice
placed < , with Cor
, view of transforming the Pagan
Saturnalia into a Christmas festival ,
is ; curious to note that at the present
' manof the customs which are ob I
served at Christmas are of Pagan origin bred
described bv Martial and other Ko- int
] authors. The Christmas tree is a
p
mother example of the power and influ bred
' of Christianity to transform Pagan spirit
and ceremonies. The Christmas wh
; which is of German origin , is sim-'l abc
the symbol of the tree Isdragil , or j iiea
of life , which figured so coiispicu- j wjt
in Scandinavian m\-tholog3" . No the
festival of the Christian church sur Eas
passes ; Christmas in the exemplification con
the 1 power and inlluence of religion. no
IVherever the Christian niav be when glis
day arrives , his heart is moved with rar
common impulse of joy , peace and van
will which the season invoke" . ' end
old recall the days of youth , the ' nized
absorbed in the the
are present , a
listaut wanderer revive * kind thoughts Ger
home , and tender recollections sen gall
render absent friends more dear , and to-
one touch of nature which makes nies
whole world kin exhibits ita beat inRus
luenee. : Den
At last the supreme court m
( knocked ] the Scott liquor tax : lovr i
smithereens by declaring it unconsti-
Presumptions as mai
tutional. i
criticise the learned
seem in laymen to
judges j who made the decision , there
,
arofnovcrtholess. very many m beer
brewing , bccr-sclling , and , , one might
add Hjcerswillin"Cincinnati wiio
deeply deplore and .vigorously dis
approve of that decision. Had the
court been unanimous in its decision ,
its act would have been respectfully
regretted , and that would have been
the end of it. But it was not unani
mous. Three democratic judges con
curred in the opinion that it was un
constitutional. Two republican judges
dissented , but they gave no dissenting
opinion. Their departure from this
timed-honored custom of giving a
reason for their dissent has been at
tributed bv a republican paper at Co
lumbus 1 to the supposed fact that the
decision ! of the majority of the court
was aorccd upon , and their opinion
was written out , before the minority
were notified , and that after they were
notified the decision of the court was
speedily promulgated. The judges
f ] f the supreme court have not thought
fit to say whether or not this suspicion
was well grounded , and probably they
will remain silent on that point. Here
in ( Cincinnati the common people ,
without respect to party , criticize the
court for holding back their decision
on the case since last August , and
then , selecting the eve of the presiden
tial ! election for announcing it. Re
publicans charge the court with being
actuated 03' partisan motives , and say-
that the decision was intended to bo
a sort of campaign document. Demo
crats who regret the decision speak of
the conduct of the court as a damaging
blunder. Main' men among the demo
crats , principally lawyers , say the
decision was a sound one. As to the
saloon-keepers and brewers , the ma
jority of them arc pleased with the
result. A very respectable minority
of them deeply regret the decision and
greatly dread the consequences. The
out-and-out prohibitionists all rejoice
over it. They have always been op-
nosed to the Scott law ; "and to any
and every other law that countenanced
the trafic in intoxicating liquors in any
shape. , As everybody knows , the con
stitution , . of the state of Ohio forbids
licensing of tralic in intoxicating
liquors . , but authorizes the legislature
to provide measures for regulating the
[ J
trafic in liquors , and providing against j
the , "evils arising therefrom. " The
statutes of Ohio before the enactment '
of ] the Scott law were virtually pro-
hibitor3 % but they were not generally ' '
enforced. In fact , they were defied >
ir all the great cities. Most of the ! <
qnasi-prohibitor3r laws were repealed I
03- the Scott law. There were one or j
two in which
unimportant exceptions i
former laws on the subject were em
bodied in the Scott law. Now arises
the qettstion , since it has been declared - '
clared unconstitutional , whether that 'j
act ; of the supreme court does not revive - 3
vive all of these stringent laws that '
the Scott law repealed. And if it does
revive them , the next query is whether
the people of Ohio in their present
temper will not be more generally
inclined to enforce these stringent
laws. , The iceling that the liquor trafic
should . be subject to stringent res trie- f
tion and regulation has been growing
rapidly . in Ohio. That the wiping out ,
of the Scott law , which was a popular I
law in Cincinnati , and for that matter a
in the whole state , will intensify that , *
feeling , is pretty generally believed. 'j '
Ever3-bod3 * expects now , with more
or less dread , several years agitation
P1 the liquor question in Ohio , and no
body . can fortell where it will end.
The Scott law was framed to avoid
the form which proved fatal to its
predecessor , "the Pound law" that
of a license. It was on the very same
ground namety , that it was virtually
fj license law that the supreme court
last Thursday decided the Scott law
unconstitutional. New York Cor. lias-
ton Herald.
Marvelous Slate-Writing1.
At MoflitV gallery we saw a photo
graph taken from some writing on a
slate. This slate , which by the way is
double or pair of slates , belongs to
well-known citi/.en of 50 years oFae. .
took the pair of slates to Boston ,
after having first tied them together
tightly and attaching sealing-wax in
four places. Calling upon a spirit
medium there he asked for a genuine |
test of spirit-writing. He did not let
slate leave his hand once. He was
told to place it on his head and hold it
there with one hand , taking hold of
medium's hand with the other. Ho
could hear the writing going on. In
seconds the writing was done. Ho
Boston and came to a relative's
house in Springfield. Not till ho j
reached his sleeping-room did ho <
break the sealing-wax , and then ho
the message. The handwriting
, instantly recognized as that of a
deceased sister and brother. , This cit- /
is an honest man , and would not
knowingly be a party to any imposi
, . Spiritualism is"a subject about
which I know nothing but the facts
related are facts. New Britain
. Hartford Times.
Arabitfn Horses.
It is a c urious fact that the thorough
Arab , from which , with some
intermixture ( of what is supposed to bo - *
poorer strain , the English thorough- ' '
sprang , should be much inferior in \
andstamina to the English heros , 1 \
which : at its best has
an existence of j > '
about two centuries. Carrvino- ranch
heavier burden , the English liorse can
without any sort of effort , out-o-allop
more direct "decendant of his
Eastern ancestor. On Indian race
courses the Arab has an allowance of
less than three btonrt against En
glish-bred horses. The Arab
rarely , wins a race , even with this very ad- '
- Hi' |
vantage. The courage , docility and f/k /
endurance of the Arab must be reco - . iL"
, with every praise. Omar Pash ° ' ]
bay horse belonging to the Turkish " '
General ol that name , is said to have
galloped ninety miles , from Silistria
Varna , without a halt , carry inn- ii
messenger who brought news of Iho
Rus&iun repulse. .Veto Orleans Time * .
Democrat. ,