"THE EYES OF 'ELEANORA , "
( From the dim rcclnns beyond the mountains , al
the end of our encircled dom iln , tUcre crept oat a
narrow and deep river , britjnter tuan all gave the
eyes or Eleanoia. lids r A. Poc. )
As the Hunt of a star is found ,
By day , in the sunless ground ,
Where the river of silence lies ,
So the spirit of beauty dwells ,
0 love. In the mimic wells
Of thy large and luminous eyes.
As oat of a turbulent night ,
A lost bird turns to the light
Of a desolate dreamers's room
So , forth fro'm the storm of thine eyes ,
A passionate splendor flics
To my EOVU , through the inter-gloom.
As a lily quivers and cloams ,
. All night , by the darkling streams ,
That dream in the underlands ,
So up from the haunted lakes
Of thy shadowy eyes , Love shakes
The snows of her beck'uing hands.
As clusters ot new worlds dawn ,
When the infinite night comes on ,
'In the measurless moonless skies ,
So the planet of love burns high ,
O sweet , when the day sweeps by ,
In the dusk of thy orient eyes.
-James-A'eatoit Matthews , iu The Current.
JOEMY DEIVE&
A Thanksgiving Story.
BT J. D. DILLENBACK.
The day before Thanksgiving. I was seated
In a first-class passenger coach , speeding away
at the rate o forty miles an hour , through the
lertile farms of northern Ohio. It was about
the middle of the afternoon when I relin
quished my occupation ol gazing out of the
moist window upon the dull , flat , and unprofit
able landscape , and placing my overcoat on
the back of the seat , reclined my head against
it , covered my face with my hat , and pretended
to be trying to sleep. But , in point
of fact , I had no intention what
ever of going to sleep , and sheltered by my
hat , amused myself with watching my fellow
passengers , sparsely scattered through the car.
Before recording the results of iny observa
tions , it will be in place for me to introduce
myself to the reader , and state how I came to
be on that train at that time , from whence I
came and n-hithcr I was bound. Mname is
Smith. ( Don't laugh a great many good
people have borne the name of Smith ) , and
was junior member of the wealthy firm of
Brown , Black & Co. , furniture manufacturers ,
owners of one of the largest and most profit
able factories in Cincinnati. A little more
than a year before we had hired a.new fore
man , from Detroit , whoprovedagreat acquisi
tion , being a splendid workman , a reliable
manager , and a perfect gentleman. He hnd
not been with us a mouth before he and I
were the wannest of friends , and I became a
frequent visitor at his house , where his hospi
table attentions were cordiaily seconded by his
wife and sister.
But if my feelings for George Castle , for
f Euch was his name , were those of the warmest
friendship , I was still more strongly attracted
by his sister Ella , a young lady of twenty sum
mers , ten years my junior , whose charms
soon led me a willing captive. Happily the
attraction was mutual , and I found no dif-
liculty In persuading her to appoint our wed-
ding day early in the next spring. Then ,
when once fairly entrauped , she became scd-
denly shy , and insisted on going to her father's
for a long visit , and to make the necessary
preparations for our marriage. She started
for Detroit , where her parents resided , in Sep
tember , aud George and his wife followed a
month latter , taking advantage of a lull in
business which led us to reduce our force of
workmen till after Xew Year's. Before thev
left , however , it was arranged that I should ,
come to Detroit to spend ' .thanksgiving with
them , and make the acquaintance of the old
folks. Thus it happened that I broke loose
from business wjlh some difficulty , only the day
before Thanksgiving , and eagerfy hastened to
greet my betrothed at hei own home.
But to-rcsume. Ihad just come to the sase
conclusion that a biir , shou ily-dressed man ,
four seats in front of me. was cither a pro
fessional gambler , an internal revenue officer ,
or a detective , when two ladies , who had been
seated back of me , near tfie stove , were incon
venienced by the heat and came and took the
seat In front of me , , where they fell into a
lively chat. I soon learned from their con
versation that both resided ia Detroit , and
were returning from a hasty and unpremedita
ted visit to a sick and dying fu'cuu in Ohio.
It did not take long to convince me that they
were women of wealth and intelligence , who
occupied a high position in society , and I
guessed by their appearance that both were
over , forty years old.
I hsd become so much interested in their
conversation that I failed to notice that the
train had come to a standstill in a dense
forest , till one of them paused in thfi midst
of a sentence to ask the other , "What are we
waiting here for ? I don't see anv station. "
This roused me , and I got up and went out
upon the platform , where I soon learned the
cause of our delay. In front of us was a
freight train off the track , with a disabled
engine.
I 3Iy disappointment was'most intense , and
fur ft few minutes I stood like a man utterly
confused by some calamity. Instead of spend
ing the evc'ning in Mr. Castle's element parlors
In company with my charming Ella , as I had
been picturinsr in day dreams all that long ,
dismal day , there I was , anchored in the
midst of an inhospitable forest-with no im
mediate prospect of release. Crying over
epilled milk is not oneof my characteristics ,
however , and as soon as 1 had ascertained
from the conductor that he should not back
the train to the last station , some seven miles
distant , till he had time to send a messenger
to the station four miles ahead for Instruc
tions , I started on a brisk walk along the
track , resolved to find some supper , if it were
possible. After walking over a "mile , I came to
a clearing and a large farm house , not far
from the railroad , where I met with a hospit
able reception. On learning the situation of
the train , the lady of the house at once laid
aside her scwintr and bustled about to fill a
large basket with bread , dried meat , cheese ,
douirhnuts , pics , cakes , and various other
ood things , always to be found in superabuu-
§ ance in the pantry of an Ohio house-wife ,
especially about Thanksgiving time. While
she was filling the basket , she was at the same
time makiuc a large coffee pot full of coffee
on the kitchen stove. She utterly refused to
receive money , and cut short my thanks by
directing me to divide my basket full with the
ladles on the train , giving what was left to
the men , and to leave the basket , and a tin
\ pail Into which she poured the coilee , at the
next station. Her name was Smith , and it
made me proud to hear her say it. Tims
armed and equipped against a famine , I has
tened back to the train , which I found in stalu
qito. But others of the gentlemen had been
out foraeing , and the two ladies I have men
tioned were the only ones not already supplied
with supper. ,
JfcThey declared that I was'a fittingjherald of
Thanksgiving , and a genuine knight-errant of
the nineteenth century , and were lavish in
thenpraises of the lady whose name was
Smith ; asserting that the contents of that bas
ket showed plain as proof of holy writ that she
was" a good Christian and a notable house
keeper. We grew quite social over our lunch
Tjasket , and i felt thankful for my good for
tune in finding two such pleasant old ladies
lor traveling companions.
After we had done eating , I again searched
put the conductor and learned , that we were
likely to be detained several hours longer and
could not expect to reach Detroit till the next
morning. ,
Mv lady friends received the unwelcome
tiding with a beeomine show of patience , and
\ve resumed onr conversation , which naturally
lell upon railroad accidents and Incidents of
travel. Old ladies are apt to be good Btory
tellers , and these two were by no means ex
ecutions. From railroad accidents the transi
tion was easy and natural to other casualties ,
thrilling story of a'church that fell dur-
*
*
T
f ing wrvlces and crushed more than a score o
people , related with1 graphicforpo b\r \ one o
the ladies , was followed by this question iroin
the other. *
' Mrs. Garland , did I ever tell ynu of the
misfortune that befell us ou Think'sgiving day ,
sittcen vears sisjo ! "
"No. I am Rure not. Fiease tell us about it ,
Mrs. Castle. "
"Mrs. Castle" what a revelation 1 It nms
02 that she was Ella's mother. Surely , if . '
could have had the pick of all wocuukind. ' .
could have not selected a sweeter , kinder look
ing old lady for a mother-in-law than the ouc
sitting before me. But possibly it miirlit be
some other Mrs. C.istle , and I decided to wai
and hear the btory , which would doubtless set
tle the question of Identity , after which I could
declare.myself , if my surmises were correct
Mrs. Castle was afraid I would be bored with
a long story , ' but I assured her that I should
be glad to listen for a thousand and one nights ,
making , however , the mental reservation thai
1 should want Ella's company , meantime.
Mils. CASTLE'S STOBT.
Eighteen years ago , Mr. Castle bought a aw
mill in a small village in Western Michigan ,
and immediately went uest to take chunre ol
it. leaving HMJ and the children in New York.
Georg'e was then about thirteen years old , am ]
Ella , three. He remained nearly a year to
build a house and get everything in readiness
for our reception , and then'came east and took
us back with him.
Arrived in Michigan , I found mv husband
had provided a house nearlv as largo , and
quite as comfortable , as the old homestead at
S raeuse ; but I must confess that I was not a
little homes ck for the first few months. There
was a plentiful lack of cultivated society , few
church privileges , nowhere to go , and nothing
to see. I made few acquaintances till the
jppring after we got there , when I had a severe
attack of fever. The women in the neighbor
hood promptly came to my assistance and
nursed me with much care and kindness till ]
was'fully recovered , after which I called up
on all of them and formed some warm and
lasting friendships.
Mr. Castle had a steam saw mill and shingle
mill and usually kept from twelve to fifteen
meu in his employ. Most of them were single
men , and about the roughest set of men I
ever had the-fortune to meet Yet they were
uniformly polite to me , and Mr. Castle profesied
to find in them a great many sterling qualities.
Our first Thanksgiving Day in Michigan
came soon after we arrived there , and before
we were fairly settled , so that we were unable
to devote much pains to its observance.
The next year we talked the matter over
several weeks before hand , and decided to
give a famous thaaksgiviuir dinner and invite
all Mr. Castle's employes , with the families of
those who were married. I believe I first pro
posed the plan , but there were a few of the
men that I would gladly have omitted from
the invitation.
UncleLuke was living with us then , and
both he and. my husband insisted that we
ou : ht to invite"all if we' invited any. 'The
subject rame up one evening , after tea , when
we were all seatudr in the parlor , and we had
what Uncle Xuke called quite a "council of
war" over it.
"As to Mr. Jonos and.his wife , with their
'raft of children , ' as Mrs. Jones calls tn : m , I
don't object to them , " said J , "nor to Jim
Cross and his wife , though I am afraid it will
be the first time she was ever invited to dine
with respectable people ; but there is Tom
Lover , do you think it possible , my dear , that
he can kee'p sober twenty-four hours when he
is not at work I"
' I will answer for him , " said Uncle Luke.
' I will send him out hunting with George ,
who can manage t : > keep him iu the woods till
about dinner tune. "
"Mr. and Mrs. Smith , and Mr. and Mrs.
Carter , " I continued , "are nice people. I am
always glajl to si-e. them. John Cobb and his
'Sally ilariar' and d lughter Jane , are as good
as a show ; it will be lua to watch their per
formance. Mr. Bell , Mr. Brown. Mr. Reed
and Mr. Mason can all behave like gentlemen
when they try , but John Lick and Paul Toms
aro so noisy and quarrelsome ; i am rcallv
afraid of them , "
"I don't believe they will dare to air their
profanity at my table , " said Mr. Castleand
as to their noise , we can certainly stand that
for a few hours. "
"Well then. " said I , "let us.havc them all ,
and tfy to mike the occasion us pleasant as
possible for them. I reinembcr that was your
lather's custom in Vermont. He always had
from twenty to fifty people at his table Thanks
giving Dav. "
"Yes , " said my Uusbaa.l , "it will seem like
old times. "
We were deep in our discussion of ways aad
meaus. _ hen Georiie , who had bjen playing
vith Ella , teaching her lo build hou-cs with
aer new letter blocks , suddenly interrupted
our talk with a somewhat startling inquiry :
"Mamma , are you going to ask Johnny
Oriverj"
Ths Johnnv Driver was a boy of nearly
jcorge's age , who sometimes paek'ed shingles
at the mill ; the most troublesome boy in the
3tate , and the scapegoat of the village. He
jad no parent * , no guardian , and no regular
lome , aud stopped lirst at one place and tnuii
it another till the pdople jrot tired of him aiul
sent him away. It was reported that his
lather was a prominent grain dealer iu Phila
delphia , and a very rich man , but he die.l in
solvent , and being" self-made man and an
orphan educated at a charitv school , left no
relatives to trvke charge of little Johnny , his
only child. His wife was a delicate woman ,
and died when Johnny was but a few months
old , after which the little fellow had the best
of care that money could procure , but I fear
lot much real love and attention , save fiom
it's father , whose business cures left him little
time to spend with his boy.
Johnny was eight years old when his
'ather died and left him , a friendless waif , to
he mercy of the world. He found some kind
) f a home , but when he was.twelve . years old
le ran away with a circus company aud never
returned , though he soon became so trouble
some that the manager gladly dropped him in
our little village , where he s > pemed determin
ed to stay for"the sole reason that nobody
vlshes to have him. This is the story that
bllowed him to the village , though I can only
vouch for the latter part of it.
I fairly dreaded the sight of the boy , and
would , I think , if lef to myself , have invited
a Fiji cannibal into my house almost as soon
as Jonny Driver. But I had allowed Sir. Cas-
le to manage the matter thus far , and so I
replied discreetly :
' I don't know , Georgie , I never thought of
him. "
' You had better detail two men and a dog ,
or one man and two dogs , to watch him ; if
ou do , " said Uncle Luke.
"Have you heard Johnny's last trick ? " said
"
Mr. Castle. "You know"what a selfish and
> enurious man Elder Crocker is , and how he
iroects every one to wait on him upon all oc
casions. Well , last Monday he came up to the
nill to see me for something , and asked John-
iv to hold his horse , as the anuimal was afraid
> f the noise of the machinery , He stayed and
) ored me more than half an hour , and when
je went out , instead of paying Johnnv " for his
.rouble , he said , very severely : "H"and. me
; he bridle , lad , I'm afraid you've been worry-
ng the horse. ' Johnny very cooly let go the
bridle and gave the horse a cut with the whip ,
that started him into a run , after which he
swore a fearful volley at the Elder , and walked
off , breaking the whip in small pieces as he
went The consequence was that the horse
icver stopped till he got home , and the E der
lada five miles walk iti a highly excited frame
"
of mind. He "wanted I should punish the
boy ; but I told him that I had no authority
over him , and did not want apv.
"I fear he is incorrigible , " said Uncle Luke.
ETe went to the protra'cted meeting last fall ;
and took his place on the anxious seat for the
sake of getting near enough to the stove to
yut a handful of pepper in it. It took just
two minutes bv the watch to clear the house
of over a hundred people. "
"Yes , " said I , "he Is totally devoid of rev- ,
ere lice , aud seem to delight in abusing the
voung people who have joined the church.
And then , whenever there are Indians in town.
lie Is always acting as a go-between to get whis
key for them. If the place Is burned by them
some dav , I have no doubt ws shall owe it to
Johnnv. "
pi thinlcJohnny's ears must have been tin-
cjled that night ; for having become the sub
ject of discussion in our little circle lie was
bandied without gloves , and his evil deeds given
a liberal airing. It was conceded that he was
naturidlv a bright boy , and that he had borne
personal pride , that induced him to keep his
bands and face clean and his usually ragged
clothes In sone kind of order. But no one
could deny that he was lazy , saucy , mischiev
ous and profane ; just such a boy as the vil-
\ A'1"- " -
'
- - 4
" . - , . . . . > -t " > fti. . <
lage could well afford ttKspare. Uncle Luke
roundly asserted that the bov's example and
evil Influence In the village were more than
enough to counterbalance the effect of all Ha
tnree Sundav schools , and proposed to sub
scribe liberally to a fund to hire him to leave
and stay away.
He was not a regular employe of Mr. Castle's
and consequently we did not feel in any way
bound to invite him , though we pitied his
homeless condition , and would have been glad
to do something for him , if he would let us.
Johnny's chances of getting a Thanksgiving
dinner were rapidly lessening , when Georgle
took up the cudgels in his defense and insisted
that the village people were constantly pick
ing at him , and that if the truth were known
more than half his tricks were In self dc
fense.
It was finally agreed to put It to vote , by
ballot , whether Johnny sliould be invited.
The counters were brought from the checker
board , aad It was agreed that the white ones
should be for and the black against him ; the
color which each voted being kept secret A :
the very last moment I relented , I know nol
why , unless the spirit of the poor orphans
niother.bovered near and influenced me , and
the hand which I extended with two counters
in it , one of each color , fully intending to de
posit the black one , dropped the white in
stead.
Even to this day I tremble , and mv heart al
most ceases to beat , when I think of what
mUrht have been the result had I followed my
first impulse.
"Hity-tity ! " exclaimed Mr. Castle , who
held the hat. "The ballot is a tie , and we
shall have to appeal to Ella for a casting
vote. "
Ella , who understood nothing of our late
procedure , but who seemed to consider it some
kind of a new game , on hearing her nairtts
sjxken raised her head and said very gravely :
"I like Johnny. He brought me some mice
in a box and some maple "sugar. "
"Johnny is elected , " said Mr. Castle.
"Ella mav be the best judge of human na
'
ture after a'lL I don't think the child could
be attracted to any one who was reallv vicious
at heart. "
And so Johnnv got his invitation , and said
he would come "if he felt hungry about that
time of day. "
The other invitations were all greatfullv
accepted , and all cqncerned seemed to look
forward to the festival with pleasant antici
pation. Mrs. Burke , who kept the mill
boarding house , said that she could tell who
were invited to our Thanksgiving , by their
self-satisfied look and the extra amo'unt of
food they consumed. Instead of starving
themselves to acquire greater capacity , they
seemed to have their appetites in training.
In a country village , where everyone knows
what everybody else is doing , our preparation : !
for Thanksgiving attracted no little attention ,
and I must acknowledge that fora time I felt
somewhat nervous over fuy undertaking.
But as the day approached and everything
seemed to conspire to render our plans success
ful , my anxiety wore away , and I found my
self , with the others , glad"that Thanksgiving
was so near at hand.
Thanksgiving morning ushered inwarm and
pleasant , a beautiful Indian Summer dav. and
"Mill Castle at Castle's Mill. " as Uncle Luke
was wont to style our large but very plain
house , presented an animated appearance.
Inside the house four willing women , volua-
; eers for the occasion , assisted my cook to
prepare the various viands for the grand din
ner , while I mustered into service every table
cloth , iiapkln , knife , fork" , spoon , and all the
dishes oE every kind in the house , even resort-
ins to the expedient of borrowing dishes of
Mrs. Winslow'our minister's wife , who , with
her husband , was among our list of guests.
Outside , hall'a score of men indulged in
various pastimes , such as. pitching quoits , or
shooting at a mark ; the more sober-minded of
them now and then dropping into a theological
discussion with Mr. Wiuslow , whose thoughts
never for an instant strayed from his sacred
calling. He was generally regarded as a
model of unworidliness , but Uncle Luke call
ed him a theological machine.
The ladies began to arrive before noon , and
I found my hands full in receiving and enter
taining them.
Uncle Luke and Georgie came in and devot
ed themselves exclusively to the children ,
their bit of strategy in the case of Tom Lover
having proved quite unnecessary , that g'entle-
mati coining In late in the morning , cleanly
shaved , dressad ( rather flashily ) in new broad
cloth , and as sober as a judge.
John Lick and Paul Toms also appeared in
new suils of black , In the latest Broadwav
style ( so vouched for by One Legged Dick , tiie
village tailor ) , and the laborious dignity and
severe propriety of their demeanor nearly up
set my gravity whenever I looked their way ,
albait it greatly relieved my forebodings.
The children got hungry by noon' and we
were compelled to feed the smaller ones , pre-
vailintr upxm the others by a glowing descrip-
: ion of the nice tilings up Dti the tables to wait
till dinner was readv. Little Ella went to bed ,
and was snugly esconsed in the parlor bed
room.
At two o'clock precisely dinner was an-
aonnced , and a murmur of admiration rose
Irpm the assembly as we entered the elegantly
trimmed dining room. The walls were
wreathed with evergreens and scarlet berries ,
and upon the long tables flashed and sparkled
a bright arr.iy of silver and glassware , such as
lad never been seen in the village before.
The guests , just two dozen in number ,
were seated as quickly and skillfullv as pos
sible to avoid awkwardness , as most of them
w ere unused to the forms of table etiquette rec
ognized in polite circles ; and it was while as
sisting to seat them that mv. eyes fell on John-
iv Driver , looking ragged and saucy as usual.
' . beckoned him toward me , and sealed him by
the side of Uncle Luke , where I thought he
vould be most likely to keep quiet.
Once seated , a profound silence fell upon
, he party , which was broken by Mr. Castle
nsing to "invite Mr. "Winslow to ask a blessing. ! .
The invocation was an enthusiastic out
pouring of prayer and praise that scarcely left
i dry eve in the room , and even the irreprcss-
ble Johnny was visibly sobered ; though he ex-
) laiucd in "an undertone to Unele Luke that
lis feelings were touched by the thought of
he grief that must prevail in the turkey fam-
ly to offset our rejoicing.
Then the carvers set to work upon the
roast turkeys , roasts of beef and roasts of
> ear _ and venison , heaping high every plate ,
while I poured the tea and coffee. Conversa
tion was lively , but not boisterous , and I was
urprised and delighted at the general show
of courtesy and good breeding in a company
rom most of whom I had reason toexpect
but little.
"We lingered long at the table , lavinjj '
latient siege to the bountiful store of eata'bles
hat withstood our attack , not without great
oss , but at last without danger of falling
short And , when the most persistent caters
> egan to succumb to a sense of repletion , 'Mr.
Jell arose , and in a neatly turned , ungram-
natical speech , recounted the benefits that
lad accrued to the Ullage from Mr. Castle's
enterprise and liberality , and proposed the
icalth of the master and mistress of the "Mill
Jastlc , " to be drunk in a glass of new cider.
The toast elicited much applause ; and in re-
ponse Mr. Castle recountered some of the
difficulties that he had overcome , and ex-
jlained his future plans for improving the
dace.
Next Uncle Luke was called upon , and
vhen he arose his chair rose with him , up-
etting his balance and precipitating him up-
> n a very fat lady who sat near him , occasion-
ng a burst of laughter that none of us could
restrain. Johnny had tied one end of his
lapkin to a leg of Uncle Luke's chair , and
pinned the other end fast to the coat
Uncle Luke quickly recovered himself and
Ained in the laugh , but , just as he began to
speak , he was interrupted by a great uproar
without
The bells began to ring lustily , and the cry
of "Fire ! Fire f Fire ! " resounded through the
village.
Ceremony was forgotten , and we all rushed
out into the yard , to hear the alarming tidings
; hat the. steam mill ( Mr. Castle's ) was on lire.
The men ran rapidly to the mill , and a few
of the women remained to take care of the
children , while the rest of us hastened toward
; he mill as fast as we could.
Arrived in slgh't of the mill , we found one
end of the huge structure all in flames , and
Mr. Castle .skillfully roarshaling his men , to
prevent the tire spreading to the lumber piles ;
Lhere appearing-no possibility of saving the
mill or any portion 01 it
Tired and out ot breath with running , I
seated myself along'with Mrs. Winslow uuon
a large log and watched the grand but appall-
ng spectacle of the fire. The flames rioted
la the dry pine boards , and leaned in huge
masses apparently a hundred feet into tli2
air , while dense clouds of thick black smoke
- overshadowed and added a twilight darkness
to the 'scene that was in turn lit up by the
lurid flames.
Some of the men worked gallantly in clear-
Ing away an old shed between the mill and the
lumber piles , while others carried water from
the large tank and poured it upon the lumber.
They were so near the fire that I felt seriously
alarmed for their safety , and could not help
wishing they would let the whole thing go ,
and not imperil their lives to save a few piles
of lumber , which , though representing half
my husband's fortune , were not to bfr valued
when compared to a human life.
While I was busviug myself with these re
flections , Mrs. "Winslow suddenly interrupted
them by calling attention to the fact that ,
while the mill was three stories high , there
was but one stairway , and in case the fire bad
occurred when the men were at work , it might
have been found difficult for those in the up
per story to escape. I replied that the upper
story was but little used , in fact Mr. Castle
had never made any use of it , except a small
room in the end toward us , which he had used
for an oflice till a few days previous , when he
had moved his books and papers to the houses.
Ella used to spend half her time up there , sit
ting at the window and looking but toward
the village for hours at a time. 'The window
was nearly thirty feet high , and commanded
an extensive view. -
As I spoke I directed my gaze toward the
open window thus referred "to , and to my
astonishment thought I saw something mov
ing inside of it Mrs. Winslow also saw the
same object , and we continued to watch the
opening , when suddenly a child's face came
into full view , and 1 recognized little Ella.
I ran frantically toward the men , shouting ,
"Ella-is in the mill ! Ella is in'the old ollice ! "
and the hundreds of villagers' who had by this
time assembled took up and repeated-uiy cry.
The crowd came rushing up to that end of
the mill , and stood looking upward in speech
less horror. The place where Ella stood was
almost the only part of the mill not already in
flames , and there was no possible moans of
reaching it except from the outside , which
would require a long ladder , such as could
only be found nearly hall a mile off in the
village.
My husb-ind , when he came and saw the
blessed child standing at the window , looking
calmly down at the horrified assemblage ,
started to rush into the mill , and doubtless
would have perished in the flames had not
strong hands restrained him , while their own
ers urged him not to throw away his life , for
n score of men were gone after ladders
thouzh they knew , and he knew , that all
would be over before any ladders could arrive.
I dropped upon my knees , with my eyes fixed
upon the window , and prayed as I had never
prayed before.
At that instant Johnny Driver appeared ,
with half a dozen men , carrying a large stick
of timber ; which thev set up "on end against
the building , though it scarcely reached half
way to the window. Johnny climbed up it like
a squirrel'and when he stood erect upon the
end of it an ax was thrown to him iu such a
manner that he cauirht it by tne handle. He
'
at once'began to cut a hole through the boards
by his side , and iu a morrtent disappeared in
side the buildius , while the smoke rolled out
through the opening he had made.
A great husli of expectation fell upon the
crowd. No one knew his plan , or how he was
to get through the floor above into the upper
story , if he was not at oaee suffocated by the
smoke , to fall-a victim to the fire.
Soon the upper end of a board , just below
the window , was seen to be giving way , mov
ing outward , and Johnny's head slowly
emerged above it , clinging to the side of the
building by thrusting IIL ? fingers through a
wide crack between the boards. My heart
bounded with hope , and cheer after ehear
arose from the excited crowd , which were re
doubled when he got his feet upon the sway
ing board , and , reaching his hands up to the
window sill , lightly drew himself up , and
dropped inside. He almost instantly reap
peared , holding Ella in his arms , and beckoned
tor some one to stand below and catch her.
Mr. Cattle motioned the crowd awiy from
liiui , on either side , and stooJ there with his
arms extendod , as coolly and quietly as if ic
were some play that wa > bjing enacted.
Johnny sat on thu window sill and tossed
Ella lightly from him. She fell'with terrible
velocity , but Mr. Castle caught her with that
irm but clastic grasp with which a base ball
player catches what he cills a _ "fly , " and the
icxt moment she was sobbing iu my arms , un
harmed , thank God !
The building was swaying to its fall when
Johnny sprang from the win-low , and was
) icked up and carried off , scorched and bleed-
ng. with his r ght arm broken.
The villagers bro'i ht a carriage , and plac-
ng Johnny , in it , with two men to support
lim , they tied a long ropj to the pole and over
a hundred stalwart man drew him iu triumph
: o our house.
Then the village doctor set hisarm and
dressed his hands , and he was placed in the
> e < t bed. in the parlor bedroom.
Ella did not seem any the worse for her
errible experience , but I was so overcome that
. ' did not leave my room for a week , and could
lot command my feelings to spsakof the af-
air or hear it discussed for months afterward.
Ella'must have left the bedroom unobserved
vhile we were at dinner , and missing the fam-
ly walked down to the mill and up the long
light of stairs to the office , where she was in
he habit of seeking her father. How the
mill took fire we never le.irned.
You may.be sure that Johnny had the best
of care , anil was served like a p'rince till he re
covered , which was not till after several
veeks had elapsed , his arm knitting slowly ,
vhile the burns on his neck and arms proved
0 be very severe.
Ella was his almost constant attendant and
' . was greatly pleased by the gentleness with
vhich he always treated her. I could also
"
see , though he "was very undemonstrative to-
vard the rest of the family , receiving our at-
entions in silence , and 'bearing his pains
with stoic fortitude , that he appreciated our
kindness and was trying to control his mis
chievous propensities.
Here Mrs. Castle paused and remained si-
eat for some time. till Mrs. Garland broke
, he silence by remarking that she h'ad
> reviouslv heard something about Ella having
1 wonderful escape from a burning building ,
rat she had never supposed that it was any-
thimr so romantic.
"What became of Johnnvl" she added.
"That is what I don't know , " said Mrs. Cas-
le , "though I would cive almost anything-
earn. The fire left Mr. Castle with hardly a
"
> ent in the world , bavins been considerably" iu
lebt on the mill , and we started for California , t
vhere his brother John was in bnsiness , only
about four months after the fire. He would
we taken Johnny with us , but the boy re
used to be a burden to him , and said he should ;
refer to remain in Michigan and so to school
lomewbere till we came back.
Air. Castle found a good home , where he
could attend school six months in > the year ,
and the gentleman with whom he went to live
> romised to keep us posted as to his progress ,
le did so for about a year , givinc glowing re- .
> orts of his reformation and good character ,
md then ia his last letter , he wrote that John
ny had been adopted by some Eastern man ,
md had gone home with htm to New York , ;
le did not even tell us the name of the man
, hat Johnny had gone with , nor what part of
New York he lived' in.
When we came back to Michigan , Mr. Gray ,
vith whom we left the boy , ' had removed to
> arts unknown , and we have never been able
o trace either of them.
"How like a romance it all Is , " said Mrs. >
Garland. If Johnnv would only reappear now
and marry Ellu , all the conditions of a first .
class story would be fulfilled. "
"If he is alive he is over thirty years old-
and is probablv married before this time , " re , )
plied Mrs. Castle. "But I am sure that Ella
vould willingly travel round the-world to find
lim and express her thanks. "
"I have no doubt of it , for Ella" is the { no
blest of cirls , " said I.
Mrs. Castle looked up in astonishment "Do
ou know her ? Perhaps can it be possible :
hat this is George's and Ella's friend from
Cincinnati. "
I took out one of my cards , on which was
written my name ,
:
JOHN' D. SMITII ,
and writinz the second name out in full with :
mv pencil , handed the card to hjr. '
'She tooic it and held it up toward the lamp ,
or by that time it was after dark and the cars
were again in motion , and slowly spelli'd out
, he name. Then she reached out toward me ,
deliberately took my ri nt hand in hers , held ;
hat also up to the liirht and rubbed her hand
over It , looked scarcliinfcly into my face , su.i
eizing inv hand with both of hers exclaimed : :
"You efear , old Johnny Drive.- ! " .
HERE AND THERE.
The latest piece of slang in New York
city -foddering up.'r
A Philadelphia sign reads : "Teeth
palled while you wait. "
New York is said to be the third
German city in the world.
Watermelons are. still being sold on
the streets at Alturas , Gal.
The fashionable ladies of Cleveland ,
O. , have taken to horseback riding.
Near Winterset , Canada , one day re
cently , was captured a 9 } pound trout ,
The use of bicycles and tricycles ia
to be regulated by law in Philadelphia.
The authorities at Tehama , Cal. , of
fer 15 ceuts bounty for a jack-rabbit
scalp.
A squad of soldiers now guard the
statue of Liberty on Bedloe's Island ,
New York.
One of the Florida hotels has adver
tised pine cone pillows for invalids as a
"specialty. "
It is alleged that the favorite pastime
of Philadelphia society * maidens is
poker-playing.
The average cost per scholar of the
text-books in the South Carolina schools
.is S9.46 a year.
Saratoga , N. Y. , has a woman bill
poster who handles the brush with the
skill of an expert.
A sailors' chapel is to be built in New
York by money left by W. H. Vandor-
bilt for that purpose.
It is said by competent authority that
"
men spend more money for hats"than
WDmen do for bonnets.
Nathan Hobbs , of Peen field , Ga. , who
is 96 years old , works every day and
reads withoutspectaeles.
There a're two counties in Speaker
Carlisle's district that never had u rail
road or a telegraph station.
. In New York city a half dozen young
men have resolved to not wear overcoats
during the coining winter.
The cost of the gas used during a the
atrical performance in New York city ,
one night last week , was $50.
A'cit zen of Hollister , la. , is said to
have delayed his suicide until after elec
tion so as not to lose his vote.
A movement is on foot to organize a
company of territorial militia at bpo-
kaue Fails , Washington territory.
Southern California will show a wine
crop of 17.0JO.UOO gallons this year ,
ami a ra'sin crop of 7,000,000 boxes.
A large deposit of red marble is said
to have been discovered one day last
week in Lauderdale countAlabama. .
Thirty tons of coal are required to
heat the greenhouses of one of the
best florists in .Boston dnr.ng the win
ter.
Door-knocks of the old-fashioned
kind are once more appearing on the
doors of fashionable jNew Xork resi
dences.
Iijoqiiois , the only American horse
that ever won the English Derby , is be
ing wintered on a farm near Nashville ,
Twin.
At Memphis , Tenn. , Tuesday , 18,752
bales of cotton were handled , the
largest one day's receipts in the history
of tiie city.
Several Alabama papers want the
state legislature to pass a law requiring
every man to produce a tax receipt bf-
[ ore voting.
According to actual count more than
9,200 persons paid tne r respjcts to the
president and uis wile at Hotel Ven-
dome m Boston.
An increase of § 5,617 in the average
daily receipts is noticed since the recent
reduction of fared on the New York
Elevated railroad.
A sea spider measuring twenty-two
nchcs from , tip-to-tip of its claws wit >
dredged from Oyster bay harbor , Long
island , the other day.
The greatest strawberry shipping
place on this continent is Norfolk , Va.
A farm of140 acres near that ctty is
" "
the largest one in "tho world. !
At Atlanta , Ga. . has been formed an jl j
association of young ladies who are l
sworn to do everything in their power
to abolish the * parlor-beau" fashion.
The editor of a Georgia paper "says
liberty is always pictured as a woman
because liberty to survive must be vi"--
ilant , and there is no blind side to"u
woman.
Parties will shortly engage in exca
vating lauds' about White Pla'ns , N.
Y. , in search of treasures that are sup
posed to have been buried there years
and years ago.
Recitation hours at Yale have been
changed to favor the football players.
1'his , says Tim Norwich Bulletin , is the
tirst indication of the change of the
college into a university. *
Drinking from faucets is a dangerous
thing , in Hartford , Conn. , judging from
i recent item in The L'ourant , which
lescribos a two-foot long hair snake
hat recently came through a water-
pipe in that city.
In 1880 there weie 625 Indians in
Maine , of whom 312 were males and
J13 females. Every able-bodied Indian
n the s.tate has a dog. and every Indian
.vho is not able-bodied has two , says
The Lewiston Journal.
An expert visited the Metropolitan
heater , New York , at its opening one
light last week , and ligures out the
vealth represented in "the parterre :
) oxes was § 708.250,000. and in the
ii-st tier boxes § 82,250,000-
As a family man David Wright , col- ;
red , of Columbia City , Fla. , can hard-
y bo surpassed. He is the father of
.wenty-five children , most of them liv-
ng , and his present wife is the mother - .
f twenty-seven children , nineteen of
Yhom are living.
At a recent dinner party in Boston ,
Mass. , six thousand red roses orna-
nented the tables. There was not sufi-
ient room for the dishes and the dis- :
ilay savored more of vulgarity than
irt , but the host , says The Journal , :
vas probably satisfied with his efforts
o surpass all others in floral ornarnon-
ation.
While Henry Esterwin was chopping
vood in Bethany , Va , , one day last :
veek. his 4-year-old daughter ran up
jlayfnlly and put her little foot upon
hn log , and the next instant it was
levered by the descending ax , the fath- ;
r not seeing his child in time to stay
.he blow. .
* "
- . - ,
&
'
r {
SOON .WILL COME THE SNOW.
White are the daisies , whtc ! asmllfc ; ' <
The stately corn is hung with silk ;
The roseSiare in blow.
Love me , beloved , while you may"r
And beg the Hying hours to stay , '
For love shall end , and all delight
The day is long the day is bright ;
But icon will"come the snow !
tall * . ' - _ ' *
Up from the meadow-sedges - -
Floats music by the lark's clsar can
Scarlet the lilies grow. , , ;
Love me , I pray you , while you may ,
And beg the flying hours to stay ,
For love shall end , and dear delight
But soon will come the snow I
An islet In a shoreless sea ,
This moment Is for you and me ,
And bliss that lovers know.
Love me , beloved. Soon we die ;
Joys , like swallows , quickly flv ;
And love shall end , and all delight
Tlieday is lon-r , the dav is bright ,
But soou will come the SHOW *
JTeu lor.t Mail-Express.
UNFORTUNATE DOGS.
A Decision In an English Court tliat
' Sad.-
JMalces a'liolr Owners v
An important decision regarding
dogs in the Metropolitan police district
aud , by implication , with respect to
dogs generally , was given yesterday
by the lord chief justice and the judges
of the queen's bench division. The pre
cise question before the court was , in
deed , a merely technical one , but tho
judgment involved all that was of act
ual consequence. A few days ago Sir
Hector Hay was summoned for being1
on the highway accompanied by a dog
which was not tinder proper control.
Mr. Bennett , the police magistrate ,
finding that the dog was neither muz
zled nor led , imposed a line on the un
derstanding that a case should not gc
to the superior court. On considera
tion however , the magistrate refused
to state a case , holding that the ques
tion of control was one not of law but (
of fact , and that a dog neither led nor i
muzzled was , in reality , not controlled.
The application made yesterday was for
a rule calling upon the magistrate to
state a case. In refusing the appication.
the court expressed its agreement with
the magistrate that "control" meant
actual mechanical check , and not mere
ly moral guidance. "The control. "
said the lord chief justice , "must be an
cneetivo control , and not a moral con Si1
trol. " Mr. Justice Stephen went even
further , and maintained , that dogs
must be considered as "insensible
to moral inlluences , " and "liable
to bite"any oject to which they
might take a fancy ; " unless
they were muzzled or "tied with a
string round their necks. " The words
of Lord Coleridge are not , indeed , ab
solutely conclusive , for though in one.
place he disallows any moral control ,
iu another he seems to permit whero
tho defendant can prove it. But as he
and the other judges agree that "Mn
Bennett arrived at a sound conclusion. ' *
the exception looks almost , if not quite ,
meaningless.The judgement , though.
it may be good law , seems hardly logi
cal , for if the control to be exorcised is
to "prevent a dog from biting" as .
Lor Coleridge says it is he ought to
go further and prohibit.leading , which
only restricts the area within which a
dog can bite , but neither prevents him.
from biting , nor insures that his bite
shall be harmless. Otherwise , there is
no doubt that court has rightly under
stood the meaning of the polica auth
orities. Men who becrin by looking
upon every dog as venomous , and pre
sumably a propagator of hydrophobia *
of course believe only in such control
as physical force or mechanical ingenu
ity can impose restrictions of the sort
that would render a rattlesnake harm
less. For a limited time , till the streets
were cleared of the stray curs that
constituted the real danger , there may
have been some justilication for distin
guishing rather sharply between doga
with and dogs without masters. ' But
unless the police are to be permanently
degraded into dog-catchers , watching :
for every pug or poodle that strays
through the garden gate or escapes up
the area steps , the "temporary neces
sity" ought by this time to be over.
The continued enforcement of Sir
Charles' edict serves only to try the
temper of those who do not like to lose
valuable dogs , and who like still less to
see them tortured. London Standard.
The Doves of Venice. -
One of the most charming and well-
known sights of the city of Venice ,
says a writer in The Portland Trans
cript , is the innumerable flock of doves
that , when they hear the stroke of 2
o'clock , flutter down into the Plazea
San Marco to receive their daily dole
of grain. This privileged race of doves
has been domesticated in Venice since
the year 877 , and until the downfall of
the Venecian republic these little pen
sioners were maintained at the expense"
af the government. Since that time
they have been cared for according to
i bequest made in their favor by a"be-
ievolent lady.
Who would believe that these doves
lave twice appeared as plaintiffs ia a
lawsuit ? In 1884 in a suit concerning the
ippropriation of the doves bv various
ndividuals , for purposes of sale , it was-
lecided that the birds were res nullins ,
he property of no one in particular
md hence the
property of
any persori
vho might take the trouble to catch.
hem. The consequences of this decis-
on was immediate and obvious. The
loor birds had no peace or safety ,
md were in a fair way to lose their
Ttisting lameness , the happy result of
-enturies of friendly intercourse with.
nankind. They began to fear the
Venetians bearing gifts , and soon
earned to suspect a snare under everv
landful of grain.
Fortune willed it that the subject or
he ownership of the doves of St. Mark
mould again be brought before the
ourt. and the first verdict was
cor-
ected. The judge decided that ifc was
lot a case of res nullins , but that on
he contrary , the cloves of Venice are
lomesticated animals , and also , bv
ommon consent , public property'and
ntrusted to the care of the citizens
dence -becomes , he concluded , the
luty of every Venetian to guard and.
are for these doves , noc appropriat-
ng them to his own use , but as tho
.vards and ornaments of tho city.