THE JOURNAL.
"WEDNESDAY, OCT. 10, 1883.
IrUrei a.
due sittir.
the Pctt:2:i, C:lsrta, Hel.. u iwezl-
THE OLD PIANO.
' Still aild dllKk-f la th lnniMtlnuil Wltnil
latlingerinR shadows and what false per-
Of -Eastern
1UUC
treasures I sandal-wood and
With nard and cassia an& with rosea blent.
Let In the sunshine.
Quaint cabinets arc here, boxes and fans.
And-hoardod letters full of hopes and plans;
Ipass them by. I came once more to sen
The old piano, dear to memory,
' In past days mine.
Of all sad voices from forgotten years.
Its Is tho saddest; see, what tender tear
prop-on the yellow keys, as, soft and slow,
I play some melody of Ions' ago.
How strange it seems !
The thin, weak notes, that once were rich and
Strom?
G ive only now the shadow of a song--The
dying1 echo of the fuller strain
That I shall never, never hear again,
Unlossjin dreams.
'What hands have touched it! Fingers small
and white.
Since stiff and weary with life's toil and fight;
Xfearjclinging hands, that Ions' have been at
rest.
Folded serenely on a quiet breast.
Onlr to think.
O white, sad notes! of all the pleasant days,
?Hie happy songs, the hymns of holy praise.
The dreams of love and youth, that round you
ollngl
Do they not make each sighing, trembling
"string
A mighty link?
All its musicians gone beyond recan.
The beautiful, the loved, where are they all ?
Etch told its secrets, touched its keys and
wires
To thoughts of roanv colors and desires,
. With wblsp'ring fingers.
All are silent now, the farewell said.
The last song sung, the last tear sadly shed;
Yet love has given It many dreams to keep
la this lone room where only shadows creep
And silence lingers.
The old piano answers to my call.
And from my fingers lets the lost notes fall.
O, soul that I have loved I with Heavenly birth
Wilt thou not keep the memory of earth.
Its smiles and sighs ?
Shall wood and metal and white Ivory
Answer the touch of love with melody.
fxia tnou lorKet.' ucar one, not so;
move thee yet (though how I may not know)
Beyond the skies.
ifllie E. Barr, in Harper's Bazar.
STUD! OF A CAT-BIRD.
For more than eight months a cat
bird has lived in my house, passing his
days in freedom in the room where I sit
pt work, and his nights in a cage not
six feet f f om my head.
Having spent a summer in watching
his ways in his home, and acquiring a
proper respect for his intelligence, I
xiow wished to test him under new con
ditions, to sec how he would adapt him
self to our home, and I found the study
one of the most absorbing interest.
He had been caged a few weeks only,
but he was not at all wild, and he soon
grew so accustomed to my silent pres
ence that, unless I spoke, or looked at
him, he paid no attention to me. By
means of a small mirror and an opera
glass I was able to watch him closely in
Eny part of the room, when he thought
himself unobserved.
To the loving student of bird ways
his feathered friends differ in character,
as do his human ones. My cat-bird is a
decided character, with more intelli
gence than any other bird I have ob
served. The first trait I noticed, and
fierhaps the strongest, was curiosity,
t was extremely interesting to see him
make acquaintance with my room, the
first he had ever been free to investi
gate. 'Usuallj with birds long caged it is
Et first hard to induce them to come
out. I have been obliged actually to
starve them to it, placing food and
Water outside, and repeating it for
m'anj days, before they would come out
freely and not be frightened. JJot so
with the cat-bird. The moment he
Sound that a certain perch I had just
put into his cage led into the room
through the open door, he ran out upon
St ana stood at the end, surveying his
new territory.
Up and down, and on every side he
looked, excited, as the quick jerks of
his expressive tail said plainly, but
not in the least alarmed. Then he took
wing, flew around and around several
times, and at last, as all birds do, came
full speed against the window, and fell
to the floor. There he stood, panting.
I'spoke to him, but did not startle him
bya movement; and in afewminuteshe
recovered his breath, and flew again,
several times, around the room.
As soon as he became accustomed to
using his wings and learned, as he did
at about the second attempt, that there
was a solid reason why he could npt
fly to the trees lie could see so plainly
outside the window, he proceeded to
Stud- the peculiarities of the new world
he found himself in. He ran and hopped
all over the floor, into every corner;
tried in vain to dig into it, and to pick
tip the small stripes on it (The floor
was covered with matting.) That be
ing thoroughly explored the lines of
Junction of the breadths and tho heads
of the tacks, the dark mysteries of far
under the bed and the queer retreat be
hind the desk he turned his attention
to the ceiling. Around and around he
flew slowly, iiovering just under it, and
touching it every moment with his bill,
till that was fullv understood to be far
other than the blue sky, and not pene
trable. Once having made up his mind
about anything, it was never noticed
again.
The windows next came under ob
servation, and those proved to be a
long problem. He would walk back
and forth on the top of the lower sash,
touching the glass constantly with his
bill, or stand and gaze at the pigeons
and sparrows, ana other objects out
side; taking the liveliest interest
in their doings, and now and
then gently tapping, as if he
could not understand why it was im-
Kssible to join them. If it had not
en winter, his evident longing would
have opened windows for him; a pining
captive being too painful to afford any
pleasure.
But he soon became entirely content
ed, and, having satisfied himself of the
nature of glass, seldom looked out, un
less something of unusual interest at
tracted his attention: a noisy dispute in
the sparrow family, trouble among the
children of tho next yard, or a snow
storm, which hitter astonished and dis
turbed him greatly, at first.
The furniture then underwent ex
amination. Every chair round, everv
ushslf, .every table and. book, every part
of the bed, except the whito.spread, of
which hejalways stood in awe, was
closely studied, and its practicability for
Serening purposes decided upon. " Mv
esk isjrn ever fresh source of interest
since its contents and arrangements
vary. The top of a row of books across
the back is his regular promenade and
Is carpeted for his use with a long strip
f paper. There he comes the first
thing m the morning, and. peers over
the desk to see if I have anything for
him, or if anv new object has arrived.
Here he jjejs his bit of applo or' raisin;
here meal worms are sometimes to be
had; and here he can stand on one foot
and watch the movements of my pen.
Which he does with great interest- - Oc
casionally he finds an open drawer, into
Which he -delights to go, and continue
his explorations among postage-stamps
and bits of rubber, pencils and other
small things, which he throws out on
the.fjooxwith-always.the possibility of
discovering wfiat is still an enigma to
him, aTubber band to carry off for his
own use, as I -will explain further on.
The walls and the furniture under
stood, he proceeded with his studies to
the objects on the table. Amechanical
nv fcitereated him sreaflv. It moved
lily, -and the wind of his wing, alight'
s gg near it rue mrsc tune, juggicu.-.-iT
Wp tnrnad.fastantlv. amazed, to see
MSfM JtfftriMre he M ns kq
them. Fpor a moment he stood crouched,
leady for flight if the thing should males
hostile demonstrations, seeing it re
jnain sTill. he touched it gently with his
'bill. The toy moved, and he sprung
back. In a moment it was still, and
he tried again; and he did not leave it
till he hadfully exhausted its possibili
ties in the way of motion.
At another time he saw his bath-tub,
a tin dish, standing upon a pitcher. He
alighted on the edge. It was so poised
that it shook and rattled. The bird
flew in a panic to the top of a cornice,
his usual place of refuge, and closely
watched the pan while it jarred back
and forth several times. Apparently
seeing that it was a harmless motion,
he again flew down to the same spot;
and the rattle and shake did not drive
him away till he had seen if there was
still a drop of water left for him in the
bottom of the dish.
Ghe day, in his travels about the
floor, he found a marble. It was too
large to take up in his mouth, so he
tried to stab it, as ho docs a grape.
The first peck he gave sent it rolling
off, and he hastily retreated to the cor
nice. When it stopped he returned and
tried it again. This time it sprang to
ward him. He gave one great leap and
then, ashamed or his frijrht, stood and
waited for it to be still. Again and
again he tried to pierce the marble, till
lie was satisfied that it was not practi
cable, when he abandoned it for ever.
There is one mystery in the room
not yet penetrated," though it is a sub
ject "of the deepest longing:" it is my
waste-basket; the contents are so varied
and so attractive. He will stand on the
edge, hop all around it, and view it
from every side; but it is so deep and
narrow that he evidently does, not dare
to venture further. Jvery day he goes
to the edge, and gazes sadly and ear
nestly, but is never satisfied.
This interest in my doings is always
intense, and at every fresh movement
he will come down to the corner nearest
me, if in his cage, or alight on the back
of my desk, if out, and peer at me with
closest attention. Une thing that seems
to amaze and confound him is my ap
pearance in a different dress. "What
sort of a monster is this," his
manner will say, "which can change its
feathers so rapidly and so often ?"
If I want him to go into his cage or
any part of the room, I need only go
there myself and put some little thing
there, or even appear to do so; and as
soon as I leave he will rush over to see
what I have done.
Next to his curiosity is his love of
teasing. The subject furnishing oppor
tunity for a displaj- of this quality is
a cardinal grosbeak, which cannot be
coaxed to leave his cage. The latter is
the older resident and he did not re
ceive the cat-bird very cordially. In
fact, he grew cross from the day the
latter arrived, and snarled and scolded
every time he came near. The catbird
soon found out that his enemy never
left the cage, and since then has consid
ered the cardinal a fit subject for annoy
ance. He will alight on the cardinal's
cage, driving -him nearly frantic; he
will stand on a shelf near "the cage, look
in, and try to get at the food dish all
of which is in the highest degree offen
sive, and calls forth violent scolds and
screams of rage. Finally, he will steal
a grape or bit of fruit stuck between
the wires, when the cardinal will fairly
blaze witli wrath. At one time tire
cat-bird indulged in promenades across
the top of the cage, until the exasper
ated resident resorted to severe meas
ures, and by nipping his toes succeeded
in convincing his tormentor that the
top of his house was not a public high
way. Worso than all his other misdeeds,
however, was a deliberate insult he paid
to tho cardinal's singing. This ardent
musician was one day sitting down on
his perch, as ho is fond of doing, and
singing awav for dear life, when the cat
bird alighted on the window-sash, close
by the cage. The singer kept his eyo
on him, but proceeded with the music
till the end of the strain, when, as usual,
he paused. At that instant the cat-bird
gave his tail one upward jerk, as if to
say: " Humph! " I noticed the insult
ing air, but I was surprised to see that
the cardinal appreciated it also. He
began again at once, in much louder
tone, rising to his feet which he rarely
does lifting his crest, swaying back
and forth in a perfect rage, glaring at
his enemy, and pouring out his usual
song in such a flood of shrieks and calls
that even the calm cat-bird was dis
turbed, and discreetly retired to the op
posite window. Then the cardinal seat
ed himself again, and stopped his song,
but gave vent to his indignation in a
most energetic series of sharp " tsips "
for a long time.
Quite different is the cat-bird's treat
ment of two English goldfinches. On
them he plays jokes, and his mischiev
ous delight and his chuckling at their
success are plain to see. One of them
Chip, by name knows that when he
is in his cage, with the door shut, he is
safe, and nothing the cat-bird can do
disturbs him in the least; but the
other Chipee is just as flustered and
panic-stricken in her cage as out, and
the greatest pleasure of his life is to
keep her wrought up to the fluttering
point He has a perfect perception of
the difference between the two birds.
When both are out he will chase them
around the room, from cornice to cor
nice; drive them away from the bath,
which the- all have on a table, purely
for fun, as his manner shows. But
once caged, he pays no further attention
to Chip, while always inventing new
ways to worry Chipee. He alights on
the perch between the cages, crouches
down, with eyes fixed upon her and tail
jerking, as if about to annihilate her.
She flies in wild panic" against the wires,
to his great gratification. Then he ruffs
himself up to look terrible, spreads his
legs wide apart, blusters and jerks his
body and wings and tail, making feints
to rush at her, till she is so frightened
that I take pity on her and drive him
away.
One day, when she was more nervous
and he more impish than usual, I cov
ered her cage with a towel. He came
back as soon as I had left it, and pro
ceeded to inquire into this new screen.
After looking at it sharply on all sides
he went around behind the cage, pulled
at the end of the towel and peeped in.
She fluttered, and he was pleased. I
arranged it more securely, and the next
Serformance was to take hold with his
ill and shake it violently. This also
remedied, his last resource was to ostne
down on the cud of a perch with a
bounce, making much more noise than
usual; hegenerallv alights like a feather.
After each bound he would stand and
listen, and the flutter he alwaj-s heard
delighted him hugely. As long as they
lived in the same room she never got
over her fear, and he never "tired of
playing pranks around her.
If tolearn bjr experience is a sign of
reason in an animal, the cat-bird plainly
demonstrated his possession of that
quality. He learned very fast by ex
perience. Once or twice alighting on
the cane seat of a chair, and catching
his claws, taught him that that was not
a place for him. and he did it no more.
When his claws grew so long as to
curve around an ordinary perch, or a
book, after being caught once or twice.
he managed to accommodate himself
to this new condition, and start in a
different way. Instead of diving off a
Serch, as he naturallydoes, he gave a
ttle jump up. Thechange was very
marked, and he caught his claws no
more.
He learned to ask to be uncovered im
the morning, in about three days. He
would begin his uneasiness quite early,
flying back and forth violently in the
cage, and at last he would calf. Iwant-
ed to see if he would learn, ae thfc-ae-ataHle
-iMBdrVssMlffSAl
off the cover which protected him from
cold at night. For two or three morn
lags he did the same, became uneasy,
flew a while, and then called, when I at
once responded. From the third day
he called the instant he wanted to be
uncovered, showing no more restless
ness, and (Sailing again and again if I
did not move at once, at last giving his
most harsh cry, and impatiently scold
ing with rage.
To beg for worms was an easy les
son. Having two or three times re
ceived them from a pair of tweezers on
my desk,he came regularly; perched on
the books, looked at me, and then at
the cup which had held the worms;
then, ifl did not get them, opened and
closed his bill, and jerked his tail im
patiently. His great delight and mystery is a
rubber band, of which I keep two sizes;
one hardly larger than a thread, and
the other an eighth of an inch wide and
two inches long doubled. These he is
wild to get; and since he treats them as
he does the worms, I conolude that their
softness and elasticity are deceptive,
and a mystery, like the glass, which he
can not solve. At any rate, after beat
ing them on the floor as he does a
worm, he always swallows them. He
will persist in swallowing even the large
ones, and sit puffed out on his perch in
evident suffering for hours, before he
discovers that he can not digest it, and
at last disgorges it. To find a rubber
band is the desire of his heart, and to
keep him from it is the desire of mine.
At first, when he pounced upon one, he
would stand 'on mv desk and swallow
it; but after I tried to get it away, he
learned cunning. The instant his eye
would spy one, generally under some
paper in my drawer, he would first
glance at me, then snatch the treasure,
and instantly flv to the cornice, where I
can not reach him. I alwavs know bv
the manner of his departure that he has
found what he knows, perfectly well, is
a forbidden object.
Another thing interesting to observe
in the osj-bird is his way of hiding him
self, when in plain sight all the time.
He simply remains entirely motionless,
and one may look directlv at him. and
not see him, so well does his plain dark
dress harmonize with his usual surround
ings. Often I come into the room and
look about for him, in all his favorite
E laces on the cornice, the desk, and
efore the glass; no bird to be seen.
As I move about to look more closely,
he will suddenly fly up almost from un
der my hand. ' Still as he can keep, his
movements are rapid; he is delibera
tion itself in making up his mind to go
anywhere, but once decided he goes like
a flash.
When a new bird was introduced into
the room, an English song thrush, twioe
as big as himself, the cat-bird was at
first uncertain how to treat him; but
in one day he learned that he could
frighten him. The small, dark, impish
looking fellow, rushing madly at the
big, honest, simple thrush, put him into
an uncontrollable panic. As soon as this
fact was established the cat-bird became
a tyrant. He will not allow him to en
joy anything on the floor, drives him
away from the bath, mocks his singing
with harsh notes, and assumes very saucy
airs towards him.
The worst effect of the thrush's oom
ing, however, was to show me a new
trait uf the cat-bird's character jeal
ousy. The first day or two he sulked,
would not go out of his cage, would nt
touch meat, and though he has gradual
ly returned to his liberty and his meat,
he still refuses, now after two months,
to alight on my hands for his tit-bits, as
he did before.
Nothing is more interestmer than to
uuie i ut; variety me cai-uiru will give to
the cry which at a distance resembles
the "mew" of a cat. He has many
other notes and calls, beside his ex
quisite songs, but there is hardly a
shade of emotion that he cannot ex
press by the inflexion he will give to
that one cry. Whether be proclaims a
melancholy word by softly breathing it
from closed bill, or jerks it out with a
snap at the end, as though he bit it off,
when he is deprived of some cherished
treasure as, for instance, a rubber
band from one extreme to the other,
with all the shades between, each ex
presses a meauiner, and each is intelli
,. l . A a.1 A la . i
gible to a loving and observing student
of his ways. Olive Thome Miller, m
Atlantic Monthly.
Aunt Dinah and the Casern.
Speaking of Aunt Dinah reminds me
of Ben's attempt to photograph her.
After all the family had been duly
taken, they suddenly thought of Aunt1
Dinah, and rushed into the kitchen to
ask her. She beamed with delight at
the suggestion, but said, in a sort of
shamefaced way:
" laws. honey, yer don't wanter tuk
an ole body like me."
"Yes, yes, we do; come, Aunt Dinah!
come right along!" shouted all the
children in chorus.
"He, he!" chuckled the delighted
Aunt Dinah, beginning to divest herself
of her kitchen apron, " ef y' aint gwine
fer to take no 'scuse, s'pose I'll jes' hab
to be tuk. But go 'long, honey, go
'long! I's comin', I's comin' sho'; only
jes' stoppin' to find sumfin to frow ober
dis yer noddle."
Sure enough, out came Aunt Dinah
Eresently in her best plaid apron and
erchief, a yellow turban on, and her
gold ear-rings gleaming in the sun. Ben
sat her on a bench in the garden among
the sunflowers, and she made a first-rate
picture much better than Ben had any
idea of, and far finer, after all, than
Miss Molly in all her grand attitudes.
But the moment Aunt Dinah was
seated she began to look grave; she
grew, in fact, more and more solemn
as Ben proceeded to " fix things," till
at length when all was ready she had.
stiffened into a really formidable grim
ness. Presently Ben had everything ar
ranged to his satisfaction, and coming
to the front of the camera he said, in a
warning tone, and with a grand air that
never failed to strike terror to the heart
of the ignorant sitter: - All ready now,
take care!" and immediately pulled off
the little brass cap.
Aunt Dinah had been looking in an
other direction, but at these words
turned quickly toward the instrument,
and whether startled by Ben's action
or tone, or both combined, it would be
impossible to say; but she suddenly
started from her seat and fled toward
the house, looking back over her should
er with a terrified face, as sho cried:
"Run, chil'en! Massay sakes, run!
it's gwine to go off! Seed one o' dem
yer t'ings bust afore now! Done knock
eberyt'ing all to nuffin!"
The children all laughed and shouted
at poor Aunt Dinah's fright, but noth
ing could induce her to go back and
have her picture taken.
" Dis ole nigger seed too many dem
yer shootin' t'ings in de war," she said,
solemnly. " Yr kin go ef ye wanter,
jes' go right on, but I's tell yer, honey,
tell yer sho', dat ar's gwine ter go off
one o' dese yer fine days, an' den whar'll
ye be? Whar'll ye be denP" she re
peated, shaking her head, warnmgly.
" Wont be nuff o' yer lef to wipe up de
flo'." Edwin LautiUr Bynner, in St.
Nicholas.
The tricks of smugglers are ingeni
ous, but not past finding out. A pass
enger who arrived at New York from
Havana recently carried three overcoats
on his arm. A Customs Inspector was
seised with the idea that it was a rather
warm day for such am unusual amount
ef clothing, and an investigation fou4
the linings of the coats contained oa
thousand dollars worth of iewelr
which was ieclaredforfeiteeYU tsfMiT
W.mlda't TelL
The old squatter's spirit
nan while driving along
tame to a very muddy, not
rerous, place in the road.
A. gTOtlfl-
in a bufCij?
to sav U3U-
Svo.W an
)ld man
sittinjr
on a fence, he cul.d
ut:
"Mv friend, I'm bothered here.'
"So am I."
"Well, then, we are in the same boat
(That's the matter with you?"
"Shot at a man."
"Why does it bother vou?"
"'Cause I didn't hit him."
Who was the man?"
"Mv son-in-law."
"Why did you shoot at him?"
'Cause I stole his jug, an' I shot to
keep him from shootin .
"But, as I was saying, I am bothered
here. I don't know which side of the
road to take. I am afraid that my
horse will mire down. Which is the
best side?"
"Blamed if I know."
"Which side would vou take?"
"The cheapest."
"Here, now, no fooling. I want to
know which side."
"That's none of my business."
The traveler, irritated up to the dan
ger line, drew a pistol, leveled it at the
man on the fence, and said: "Jump
down and show me the best road, or
I'll shoot the top of your head off."
"Certainly, sir, hc said, anything to
oblige you. If I'd er knowed that you
was m sich a earnest fit, I'd a told you
early this mornin'. Why didn't you
send a boy on ahead with one of these
here tilegraph dispatches? You remind
me of an old feller that lives over here
at the bend. Nearly all of the boys say
he's a good un. So you want to" know
the best side of the road here, and the
beauty about the thing is that you are in
earnest. It is only these earnest meu
that set the forks of the creek afire.
Sa', do you know Big Goose Creek
forks?"
"Look here," again leveling the pis
tol, "I want you to hurry up and show
me the best side of the road. I don't
want to ruin my horse and lose my
buggy. It wouldn't take a minute to
tellme."
"Yes, I'm hurrying up," continuing
to move around, "but you see a man's
got to think these days. There was a
time when a man what thought much
wasn't respected in the neighborhood,
and that is the reason why the folks over
my way didn't caro co much for my so
ciety until lately Let me see which
side, now. I don't want to make a mis
take. Well, sir, up where the Big
Goose Creek forks is where my father
used to fish, and when I was a boy I had
the dingest fight there you ever seed,
but good day," and leaping the fence,
and keeping a tree between himself and
the traveler, he ran away. All of this
unnecessary work was done to keep
from saying to the right or to the left of
the road. Arkansaw Traveler.
A Fantastic St. Louis Romance.
A St Louis Post-Dispatch reporter
Save rein to his imagination the other
ay and started out for a pleasant little
excursion. Feeling the intluence of the
spring, however, his imagination soon
took the bit in its- mouth and bolted,
and the reporter found himself strug-
f fling helplessly with the American Col
ege at Rome and a private yacht; with
a lot of lords and ladies in England, and
a gypsum cave belonging to Jav Gould
in St. Louis; with an execution in Alex
andria and a Catholic priest in New
York. He was rescued by heroic efforts
at the end of two and three-quarter col
umns, and is reported to be doing as
well as could be expected.
I he result of his adventure was a
story in brief as follows: James Chester,
son of Sir Archibald, and a "dude" of
the first water. Lady Alicia De Vere,
sister to Aubrey De Vere, the poet, too
lovely for anything. Young people en
gaged, of course. James goes off for a
year's cruise in his yacht, after being
kissed bv the Ladv Alicia and Dante
Gabriel Rosseti in the Liverpool docks.
Incidentally he attends a wholesale exe
cution in Alexandria at the invitation
of his friend the Khedive, and buys off
one of the criminals for $5,000. An
English man-of-war comes in and the
Captain gives James a copy of the
Times, containing the somewhat extra
ordinary announcement that "His Grace
the most Reverend Archbishop of York,"
had marriod in St. Paul's Cathedral
"the Right Honorable William Law
rence Hyde, K. C. B., second son of the
Earl of Clarendon, and Lady Alicia De
Vere."
James fainted, and on recovering
went to Rome, after which, having
called on Cardinal Antonelli (who, the
reader will be surprised to learn, lived
in "the Palazza Borghesi"), he entered
the American College. In three
months he was graduated and was
made professor of theology. After
three years he came to this city and
was assigned to St. Stephen's Church,
in East Twenty-eighth Street. Among
his other duties he was chaplain to "the
Convent of the Visitation in Forty
second Street," and the "Hospital of
the Alexian Brothers in Second Ave
nue." James (now Father Chester) is
called to the Convent of the Visitation
to see a dying nun, Sister Mary Dolores.
"James Chester!" shrieks the nun.
"Alicia De Vere!" yells the priest.
Lady Alicia dies and James, as usual,
faints away. It is all a mistake. It
was Ladv Alicia's first cousin who
married K. C. B. James goes crazy
and retires to a gypsum cave belonging
to Jay Gould, on the outskirts of St.
Louis, where he died last week. In his
will he left $5,000 to St Stephen's
Church in this city, and 25,000 to the
"Convent of the Visitation."
The cold and cheerless truth is that
there never was any "Convent of the
Visitation" in this city, no "Hospital
of the Alexian Brothers," nor any
Father Chester connected with St
Stephen's Church. Priests who were
educated at the American College in
Rome say that there was never any such
man as James Chester in the College.
N. Y. Tribune,
Ancient Mounds in Florida.
Earth mounds are common near the
river banks all along this part of the
coast The most remarkable work of
this kind is on the south bank of Spruce
Creek an estuary of the Halifax. Its
base has a diameter of one hundred feet
and it attains a height of fifty feet, with
steep sides, except on the east, which is
Inclined, apparently, for a roadway.
Excavations near by reveal the source
of supply for the material in the con
struction of this mound. In these arti
ficial hills have been found specimens
of pottery, stone pipes, rude vessels for
domestic use, charcoal, skeletons and
ornaments. The mounds are evidently
the work of the same race of people who
constructed the military fortifications,
or canal beds, near Lake Okeechobee.
There is nothing to indicate the age of
the shell mounds or of the earth mounds
on Spruce Creek no timber growths of
sufficient size to record the passage of
the centuries. But on the Lake Tlirt
works the case is different On the
crests of these artificial upheavals the
live oak is growing in luxuriance. While
the age of the largest specimens of these
trees cannot accurately be determined,
it is safe to say they are from 700 to
1,000 years old. And they have had
Sxmination and continuous life since
e earth was disturbed by the hand of
man. America is called the new world
and Florida is the newest part of it for
the polyp has not yet ceased his work
of creation here. And yet it is of such
great age that many of the important
events of the old world's history are re
eent when compared with what we know
has happened in the new. JSarton it.
nna,nnau vommerowhwueu.
Fashion Notes.
Silver spider pins are now placed on
the toes of slippers.
Most of the white dresses for niornius
wear arc made with baby waists ami
sash lacks.
The ii-wcst parasols have live divis
ions, cut out about the edges in deep
triangles instead of the usual curve.".
The "dude' lace-pin is the latest
novelty. It is made of gold filagree.
with a head of pearl and eves of sap
phire. The newest white mull fichus have
the edges wrought in Irish point em
broidery, or are trimmed with Valen,
ciennes laee.
The fashions of the dav vary so that
almost any dress is fashionable if it fits
well, ha tight sleeves and drapes back
quite tightly.
Red or gold-colored satin fans are
decorated with the birds that are now in
favor for embroidery and their ivory
sticks are gilded.
Embroidered muslin is plaited into
shape as a standing collar with curved
fronts, and finished with a collarette to
hold it in place.
Bouquets are not now worn on the
corsage, but at the waist. They should
be large and loosely put together, and
of only one kind of flowers.
Plain white centers, with rows of red
or blue dots and scallops as a border .
done in tambour-woik. are among the
prettiest mull squares for the neck.
The basket bonnets now represent
great rushes braidrd together, and one
of the caprices is to trim these with
bunches of wheat or traw. same of
which is ripe and the remainder partly
green.
New kerchiefs for t?ieneck, withmou
choirs to correspond, aremadeofpaleyel
low washing silk, embroidered in gayest
colors in designs of bees, humming
birds, roses and buds, and large butter
flies with brilliant colored wings.
Swallows are great favorites at pres
ent in Paris for trimmug hats. They
are also erabioidered on dresses and
parasols, painted on ornaments, formed
of jewels and stamped on buttons. To
be chic one must bear the mark of the
swallow.
The hand-painted fans on kid or
white satin have Watteau landscapes
signed by well-known French painters,
and are mounted on white ivory sticks,
or else the sticks are of the new satin
ivory of a golden brown shade that is
now in vogue for mam fancy articles,
such as parasol handles," boxes, brushes,
etc.
One dress seen recently at Newport
was made of fine white French mull,
which was hand embroidered all over in
tiny little canoes. The skirt was made
quite full, and had around the bottom a
ruffle twelve inches deep, which was eut
up in a clover-leaf pattern on the edge
and embroidered in scarlet. Under
neath was set a ruffle of scarlet lace.
The gavety of striped and checked
flannels for tennis wear is now very
striking; some ardent players will wear
them entirely, and others will merely
utilize them as scarfs and handkerchief
knots to costumes of the new oatmeal
cloths, and a fresh manufacture known
as the Russian fibre brocade, which is
in reality white Turkish towelling, with
its looped meshes arranged in floral
designs, leaving the foundation bare.
N. Y. Graphic.
The Dying Spruce Trees in Maine.
Some weeks ago your correspondent
reported the fact of the decay and death
of spruce in some of the townships in
Northern Aroostook. The total loss of
so much valuable timber has, naturally,
excited uneasiness among those who
own timber lands in that section of the
State. la consequence of the general
interest in the subject and its impor
tance,! have taken the trouble to ascer
tain the opinions of practical lumber
men as to the cause of the decay of the
spruce trees.
Jacob Harding, of Caribou, who for
the past ten years has had charge of
townships of wild land, and who has
been in the woods a great deal during
that time, says that one-third of the
spruce down to eleven inches in diam
eter in tho five ranges of townships
west from Eaglo Lake stream is either
dead or dying. His observation is that
the youngspruce is unaffected. His view
of the cause is as follows: About eight
years ago, late in the fall, there were
heavy rains, which loosened the earth
as had never before been known. Theso
rains were followed by a protracted
gale and a severe winter, and in conse
quence the root fibers of the spruce trees
were broken, and decay followed. He
says that he has observed that on tho
northwest slopes, where the winds had
the greatest rake, the spruce suffered
the most. He says the trees present at
first, at the top, a seared appearance,
and year by year death passes toward
the roots, sometimes on one side at a
time, at other times on both.
Samuel W. Collins, who has been la
Aroostook for forty years, and was one
of the heavy operators in that section
in early days of lumbering, and up to
withina few years, gives his opinion
substantially as follows: He thinks the
spruce of Aroostook has reached its ma
turity, that the age of a spruce tree is
from sixty to ninety years, it being a
rapid growing tree, and that it is simply
old age that causes the decay. He says
that forty years ago the spruce in North
ern Aroostook was small; and in the
townships where it has been cut there is
no loss from decav. It is principally in
those townships that have never been
cut over that the rot occurs. The loss,
he thinks, in the townships where the
spruce trees are decaying is about one
third. He does not believe in the theory
of the spider and worm, but his observa
tion shows that in a very short time aft
er the trees begin to decay a worm ap
pears. Other gentlemen who were inter
viewed think that the trees are dying
only from natural causes; that the
spruce after a certain number of years
dies from old age. In support of this
theory they argue that it is only the old
spruce that are dyiUg; that the youtlg
trees are healthy umTshow no signs of
decay. They do not believe that it is
worms that kill the spruce, and claim
that in all cases it is shown that tho
worms follow, not precede, decay of the
spruce.
Mr. H. M. Prentiss, of this city, in a
well-written letter published in a recent
number of the Nortfaceslern Lumber
man, takes strong ground in favor of
the theory that the spruce are dying
from old age. He also thinks that re
ports in regard to the dying of spruce
trees have been greatly exaggerated.
Cor. Boston Journal.
Tit for Tat.
Mrs. Samuslson sent her colored ser
vant over to a neighbor, Mrs. Peter
Shinsky, to request the loan of the
morning paper.
"Tell Mrs. Samuelson." was the re
ply, "that I never allow the paper to
So out of the house; she can come over
ere and read it if she sees proper."
Mrs. Samuelson was very much dis
pleased at this message, but she did not
show any sign of resentment. A few
days afterwards Mrs. Peter Shinsky
sent her servant over to Mrs. Samuelson
to ask her for the loan of an ax to chop
some wood.
"Tell Mrs. Peter Shinsky that I-
never allow the ax to go out of tho
yard, and that she can bring her
wood over here if she wants to chop
it up."
We forgot to mention that both
ladies move in the highest circles oi
the Austin aristocracy. Texas Sif tings.
m . m
Tom Thumb was a firm believer-in
Spiritualism, and attended seances.
Whsjieyer he had the ofroiinidtj.N
MISCELLANEOUS.
No one can look into the future.
Voltaire's house is now used as a repos
itory for Bibles. N. Y. Graphic.
The Empress of Austria is learning
to set type in her boudoir at Vienna, so
as to print with her own hands some
poems she has written.
A machine has been invented whioh
takes leather scraps and turns out alli
gator skin of the nicest pattern. They
even counterfeit the smell by using
onions and kerosene oil. Detroit Free
Press.
Nearly a million feet of lumber is
annually turned into base-ball bats.
One firm alone in Michigan uses half
that amount, and employs about one
hundred men at the turning lathes.
Chicago Herald.
Tennessee is ridding itself of the
gambling fraternity. Gambling has
been made a felony, and a strict enforce
ment of the statute is causing a stam
pede among those who have hitherto
followed the profession in that State.
N. Y. Herald.
A paper published in Biddeford,
Me., contains an advertisement offer
ing for sale "a cottage of nine rooms,
all furnished, with stable, including nice
boat and piauo directly fronting the
oceau." This gives the piano a grand
opportunity.
A Vermont editor wants to know
what gives color to pure water. We
don't know what they generally use up
in Vermont, but down this way it is
generally something that is not legally
sold except under a license. Lowell
Commercial.
Four slaves were recently sold in
the public street at Tangier, only a few
yards from the British legation. Euro
pean vL-'ror; were naturally shocked at
the spectacle, and have been wondering
ever since that such a tratlie should be
tolerated within twenty miles of Europe.
A noted "dude" has died in Phila
delphia. He was a baboon in the
Zoological Garden. His postures and
gait were exactly like the current
American imitation of the London
swells, and he showed just about
enough intelligence to complete the
likeness. Philadelphia Press.
Bill Nye, of the Laramie Boomerang ;
writes that he has so far recovered per
fect health as to be able to sing after
his old manner "like a bobolink"
ami that in consequence of so much
melody the value of real estate in his
immediate neighborhood is much de
pressed. A wretched old digger of clams,
Asa Dyer, recently died at New Bed
ford, leaving several thousand dollars
in a bank and several hundreds hid
away in tomato cans and under the
flooring of his miserable hovel, of which
.$200 in greenbacks was so mutilated as
to be worthless. Boston Herald.
The New Orleans Picayune calls at
tention to the alarming number of par
dons and commutations granted undet
the auspices of the present administra
tion in Louisiana, and predicts that un
less there is great change for the better
in this respect the tribunal of Judge
Lynch will be very soon set up in every
parish.
The necessity for some regular sys
tem of railroad "time is illustrated by
the faet that a traveler going from
Boston to Denver over the Hoosac Tun
nel, Ne w York Central, Canada South
ern, St. Louis & Pacific, Wabash and
'Kansas Pacific lines, has to set his
watch no less than seven times for
Boston, Albany, Hamilton, Chicago,
St. Louis, Jefferson City ami Denver.
Chicago Tribune.
Of course Mr. Talmage must have
his say about topics of the day. In the
course of his sermon last Sunday he
spoke of "that creature with pointed
shoe-toe and tight-bandaged limbs and
elbows drawn back and infinitesimal
cane and sickening: swajrjrer and idiotic
talk, born in America, yet a poor copy
of a foppish Englishman, the nux vomi
ca of modern society, commonly called
the dude." Ar. Y. Herald.
Judge David Davis, while on his
wedding trip, said to a San Francisco
reporter: " 1'ou newspaper men are the
most persistent aud aggravating people
alive. I declare, I have not had a mo
ment's peace from them anywhere
There is consequently but one place
which I can look back upon with a
sense of enjoyment Santa Fe for
there, thank heaven, I finished my stay
without running foul of even one ol
them."
The largest block of stone ever
transported, not excepting those in the
Chinese wall aud the Pyramids, was that
from which was cut the pedestal of the
statue of Peter the Great, in St. Peters
burg. It was a block of granite weigh
ing 1,500 tons, and was found isolated
on marshv ground about four miles
from the Neva. Its shape w:is that of
an irregular prism, twenty-four feet
high, forty-seven feet long and thirty
feet broad in its largest dimensions.
In the Treasury.
A Washington letter says: The Gov
ernment has an assay office located in
the Treasury, and here, away out oi
sight, the coins of the mint are tested
aud analyzed. If of full weight or verv
nearly so, the' arc allowed to be issued;
if not not The Government assayer,
a lean young man with a heavy blonde
mustache and a high, pale forehead, has
a furnace and a full laboratory here.
The moment a lot of coins are issued by
the mints over the country, samples ol
the issue are sent to him. He analyzes
them and reports as to their quality. He
has alittle roller which will roll a twenty
dollar gold-pieco or a silver dollar out
as thin as a pin. This is then melted
and its quality tasted by means of chem
icals. Counterfeit coins are also ana
lyzed by hini, and their qualities given
to the secret sen-ice for aid in their de
tection. While I was present several
coins came in from the mint at New Or
leans. They were each sent in an en
velope, marked with the date of their
coinage and the numbet of thousands
of dollars made like them.
I next went to the carpet room, where
all the carpets for the offices connected
with the Treasury all over the country
are made. When a customs office in
Cleveland, for instance, wants a carpet
its official sends on to the Treasury of
the Uuited States a diagram of the room.
The United States in this room makes
the carpet, cuts it, sews it, and sends it
to them. It used to be that the various
officials bought their own stationery.
carpets everything and charged the
Government ad libitum. This is all
changed now. The Government buys
all these things by contract, and fur
nishes them itself. The carpet room is
like a large city council room, walled
with rolls of Brussels carpet piled upon
each other. Several women are sewing
upon carpets to be sent out They have
the two widths of carpet arranged on a
law-horse so that the two edges come
together, and then they busily fasten
with needle and thread.
In the next room women are also the
workers. There are twenty of them in
all now. A few days ago there were
more. They are making the snuff and
tobacco stamps with little hand-stamps
jo show that they mean eight cents each
per pound, instead of sixteen cents, as
under the late law. Most of the stamp
ers are young ladies many of them are
Srctty. I look at their small hands and
elicate white wrists, and ask theguide:
'Do they not get very tired pounding
and down on that paper all day?"
e replies: "xesi at nrst tney could
lardlv work the second day, but they
gradually broke themseives into it and
now they do very well. These stamps
are being changed to correspond with
'he new law. It saves the reprinting,
nd that is a great item.1
EASTWAKIK
Dally Express Tralus for Oinal.. fil
caeo, KaiKtSN City. SL LouU. and nil iii.U
Kaut. Throughcars via I'rurla ti ItiiHan
apolls. Elegant Pullmun I'uIui-m Cairn una
Dav cotches na all throuch truius, and
Dluliig Con cast ct Missouri IStver.
Thmm?h TlcVets fit tho Low. st Jtuteu
basgaco Trill Ik. checked 1 1 destination Any information as to mto?, routos or timo uiinos
will 1kj cheerfully furmihed uihu upplicatiun to any ogont, or to
r. S. KVSTIS, General Ticket Agcut. Omaha. Nob.
TSTOTICIE
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