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About The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 1883)
,ul AI THE JOURNAL. -WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7, 1883. IaUd t tie Ptoei, Cotemtai. Het., u wool eluimittir. GROWING OLD. A little faltering here and there, A little less of brave intent; Specks on the things that once were fair. As day by day the years are spent A little lingering 'twlxt the lights. To muse on things that once were dear, , . Or marhap from the hard-won heights ' To hide a sad, regretful tear. A quickened vision sharp to aee In every sweet a hidden sting A something of grim prophecy, With heart-sick doubt andquestiouiag. The path behind lies steeped in sun. Such magic hath a backward glance; But when with hopes and wishes done. Tossed on the wave of circumstance, We take the devious way. alone. Comes haunting fear of dangers hid; The shadow of the great unknown Falls dark across the coffin-lid. -Elizabeth A. Davis, in YouUi' Companion. THE TWO MISS SMITHS. In a certain town in the west of En- land, which shalL be nameless, there welt two maiden ladies of the name of Smith; each possessing s small inde pendence, each residing with a single maid-servant, in a small house, the drawing-room floor of which was let, whenever lodgers could be found; each hovering somewhere about the age of fifty, and each hating the other with a restless and implacable enmity. The origin of this aversion was the similar ity of their names; each was Miss C. Smith, the one being called Miss Cecilia, the other Charlotte a circumstance which gave rise to such innumerable mistakes and misunderstandings as were sufficient to maintain these ladies to a constant state of irritability and warfare. Letters, messages, invita tions, parcels, bills, were daily missent and opened by the wrong person, thus exposing the private affairs of one to the other, and as their aversion had long ago extinguished everything like delicacy on either side, any informa tion so acquired was used without scruple to their mutual annoyance. Presents, too, of fruit, vegetables, or other delicacies from the neighboring gentry not infrequently found their way to the wrong house; and if unac companied by a letter, which took away all excuse for mistake, the' were ap propriated without remorse, even when the appropriating party felt confident in her heart that the article was not in tended for her; and this not from greedi ness or rapacity, but from the absolute delight they took in vexing each other. It must be admitted, also, that this well-known enmity was occasionally played upon by the frolic-loving part of the community, both high and low; so that over and above the genuine mistakes, which were of themselves quite enough to keep the poor ladies in hot water, ever' now and then some little hoax was got up and practiced upon them, such as fictitious love Tet ters, anonymous communications, and so forth. It might have been imagined, as the were not answerable for their names, and as they u'ere mutual suf ferers by the similarity one having as much right to complain of this freak of fortune as the other that they might have entered into a compact of forbear ance, which would have been equally 'advantageous to either party; but their naturally acrimonious dispositions pre vented this, and each continued as angry with the other as she could have been if she had a sole and indefeasible right to the appellation of C. Smith, and her rival had usurped it in a pure spirit of annoyanct! and opposition. To be quite jiwty however, we must observe that Miss Cecelia was much the worse of the two; by judicious management Miss Charlotte might have been tamed, but the malice of Miss Cecilia was alto gether inexorable. By the passing of the Rcfrom bill the little town wherein dwelt these bellig erent powers received a very considera ble accession of importance. It was elevated into a borough, and had a whole live member to itself, which, with infinite pride and gratification, it sent to Parliament, after having ex tracted from him all manner of pledges and loaded him with all manner of in structions as to how he should conduct himself under every conceivable cir cumstances: not to mention a variety of bills for the improvements of the roads and markets, the erection of a town hall, and the reform of the sys tems of watching, paving, lighting, etc., the important and consequential little town of 15 . A short time previous to the first election an event which was antici pated by the inhabitants with the most vivid interest one of the candidates, a country gentleman who resided some twent miles off, took a lodging in the town, and came there with his wife and family, in order, by a little courtesy and ft few entertainments, to win the hearts of the electors and their friends; and his first move was to send out invita tions for a tea and card party, which in due time, when the preparations were completed, was to be followed by a ball. There was but one milliner and dress maker of any consideration in the town of B -, anil it may be imagined that on so brilliant an occasion her services were in great request so much so that, in the matter of head-dresses, she not only found that it would be impossible, in so short a peried. to fulfill the com mands of her customers, but also that she had neither the material nor the skill to give them satisfaction. It was therefore settled that she should send off an order to a house in Exeter, which was the country town, for a cargo of caps, toquets, turbans, etc., fit for all ages and faces "such as were not dis posed of to be returned:" and the ladies consented to wait, with the best patience they could, for this interesting consign ment, which was to arrive without fail on the Wednesday, Thursday being the day fixed for the "party. Bilt the' last coach arrived on Wednesday night without the expected boxes; however, the coachman brought a message for Miss Gibbs, the milliner, assuring her that they would be there thenext morning without fail. Accordingly, when the first Exeter coach rattled through the little street of B , which was about half-past eleven, every head that was interested in the freight was to be seen anxiously look ing out for the deal boxes; and, sure enough, then they were three of them large enough to contain caps for the whele town. Then there was a rush up stairs for their bonnets and shawls, and in a few minutes troops of ladies, young and old, were seen hur rying toward the market-place, where dwelt Miss Gibbs the young in pursuit of artificial flowers, gold bands, and such like adornments, the elderly in search of a more mature order of deco ration. Among the candidates for finery no body was more eager than the two Miss Smiths; and they had reason to be so, not only because they had neither of them anything fit to be worn at Mrs. Hanaway's party, which was in a style much above the entertainments they were usually invited to, but also because they both wore turbans, and each was afraid that the other might carry off the identical turban that might be most de sirable for herself. Urged b- Ihis feel ing, so alert were they that they were each standing at their" several windows when the coach passed, with their bon nets and cloaks actually on ready to start for the place determined to reach Miss' Gibbs1 in time to witness the open ing of the boxes. But "who shall con trol his fate?" .Tnnt Mico Piw.;i; stepping off her threshold she was ac-1 costedby a very gentlemanly-looking person, who, taking off his' hat with an sir really irrestible, begged to know if he .had. "the honor of seeing. Miss Smith," k a', question which was, of coarse, answered in the affirmative. "1 was not quite sure." said he, "whether I was right, for I had forgot ten the number; but I thought it was sixty," and he looked at the figures on the door. "This is sixty, sir," said Miss Cecilia, adding to herself, "I wonder if it was sixteen he'was sent to?" for at number sixteen lived Miss Charlotte. "I was informed, madam." pursued the gentleman, "that I could be accom modated with apartments here that you had a first floor to let." "That is quite true, sir," replied Miss Cecilia, delighted to let her rooms, which had been some time vacant, and doubly gratified when the stranger added: "I come from Bath, and was recommended bv airiend of. yours; in- Ideed, probably a relation, as she bears ine same name isuao doauua &uiu.u. "I know Miss Joanna very well, sir," replied Miss Cecilia; "pray walk up stairs and I'll sh.ow you the apartments directly." ("For," thought she, "I must not let him go out of the house till he has taken them, for fear be should find out his roitako.") "Very nice rooms, sir, you see; everything clean and comfortable; a pretty view of the canal in front, just between the baker's and the shoemaker's-, you'll get a peep, sir, if you step to this window, hen it'suncommonly lively; the Exeter Ti and Plymouth coaches, up and down. rattling through all day long, and in deed, all night, too, for the matter of that A beautiful little bedroom, back, toosir; yes, as you observe, it certainly does look over a brick-kiln: but there's no dost, not the least in the world, for I never allow the windows to be opened. Altogether, there can't be a pleasanter situation than it is." The stranger, it must be owned, seemed less sensible of all these advan tages than he ought to have been; how ever, he ensraed the apartments; it was but for a short time, as he had come there about some business con nected with the election; and, as Miss Joanna had so particularly recommend ed him to the lodging, he did not like to dislodge her. So the bargain was struck; the maid received orders to provision the garrison with bread, butter, tea, sugar, etc, whilst the gentleman re turned to the inn to dispatch Boots with his portmanteau and carpet-bag. "You were only just in time, sir, ' observed Miss Cecilia, as they descend ed the .stairs, "for I expected a gentle man to call at 12 o'clock to-day. who, I am sure, would have taken the lodg- mgs. "I should be sorry to stand in the way," responded the stranger, who would not have been at all sorry for an opportunity of backing out of the bar gain. "Perhaps you had better let him have them I can easily get accommo dations elsewhere.1' "Oh! dear, no, sir; dear me! I wouldn't dosuch a thing for the world!" exclaimed Miss Cecilia, who had only thrown out'thls little inuendo by way of binding her lodger to his bargain, lest, an discovering his mistake, he should think himself at liberty to annul the -agreement For well she knew it was a mistake; Miss Joanna, of Bath, was Miss Charlotte's first cousin, and hating Miss Cecilia, as she was in duty bound to do, would rather have sent her a dose of arsenic than a lodger any day. She had used every precaution to avoid the accident that had happened by writing on a card "Miss Charlotte Smith, No. 16 High street, B , op- Eosite the linen-draper's shop;" ut the thoughtless traveler never dreaming of the danger in which he stood, lost the card, and, trusting to his memory, fell into the snare. Miss Cecilia, had been so engrossed by her anxiety to hook this fish before her rival could have a chance of throw ing out a bait for him that, for a time, she actually forgot Miss Gibbs and the turban; but now that her point was fained, and she felt sure of her man, er former care revived with all its force, and she hurried along the street toward the market place in a fever of apprehension lest she should be too late. The matter certainly looked ill; for, as she arrived breathless at the door, she saw groups of self-satisfied faces issuing from it and among the rest the obnoxious Miss Charlotte's physiognomy appeared, looking more pleased than anybody. "Odious creature!" thought Miss Cecilia; "as if she supposed that any tur ban in the world could make her look tolerable!" But Miss Charlotte did not suppose it; and, moreover, she had just secured the very identical turban that of the all turbans that were ever made was most likely to accomplish this de sideratum at least so she opined. Poor Miss Cecilia! Up-stairs she rushed, bouncing into Miss Gibbs' little room, now strewn with finery. "Well, Miss Gibbs. I hope you have something that will suit me?" "Dear me, mem," responded Miss Gibbs, "what a pity you did not come a little sooner. The only two turbans we had are just gone Mrs. Gosling took one and Miss Charlotte Smith the other two of the beautifullest here they are, indeed you shall see them;" and she opened the boxes in which they were deposited, and presented them to the grieved eyes of Miss Cecilia. She stood aghast The turbans were very respectable turbans indeed; but to her disappointed and eager desires they appeared worthy of Mohammed the Prophet or the grand Sultana, or any other body, mortal or immortal, that has ever been reputed to wear turbans. And this consummation of perfection she had lost! lost by a neck! missed it by an accident that, however, gratify ing she had thought it at the time, she now felt was but an inadequate com pensation for her present disappoint ment But there was no remedy. Miss Gibbs had nothing fit to make a turban of; besides. Miss Cecilia would have scorned to appear in any turban that Miss Gibbs could have compiled when her rival was to be adorned with a con struction of such superhuman excel lence. No! the only consolation she had was to scold Miss Gibbs for not having kept the turbans till she had seen them, and for not having sent for a greater number of turbans. To which objurations Miss Gibbs could answer: 'That she had been extremely sorry, indeed, when she saw the ladies were bent upon having the turbans, as she had ordered two entirely with a view to Miss Cecilia's accommodation; and, moreover, that she was never moro sur prised in her life than when Mrs. Gos ling desired that one of them might.be sent to her, because Mrs. Gosling never wore Iturbans; and if Miss Gibbs had only foreseen that she would have Eiunced upon it in that way, she. Miss ibbs, would have taken care that she should never have seen it at all," etc, etc., etc all of which the reader may believe, if he or she choose. As for Miss Cecilia, she was im placable, and she flounced out of the house, and through the streets to her own door, in a temper of mind that rendered it fortunate, as far as the peace of the town of B was con cerned, that no accident brought her in contact with Miss Charlotte on the av. As soon as she got into her parlor she threw off her bonnet and shawl, and plunging into ;her arm-chair she tried to compose her mind sufficiently to take a calm view of the dilemma, and deter mine on what line of conduct to pursue whether to send an excuse to Mrs. Hanaway, or whether to go to the party in one of her old head-dresses. Either alternative was iaMpportable. To lost the party, the game at Loo, the distincfhad too much spirit to be beaten out of Lion of being seen in such good society it was too provoking; besides, very likely people would suppose she had not been invited; Miss Charlotte, sh6 Wad no doubt, would try to make them believe so. But then, on the other han'., to wear one of her old turbans was so mortifyinfi they were so very shabby , so unfashionable on an occa sion, too, when everybody would be so well-dressed. O, it was aggravating vexatious in the extreme! She passed the day in reflection chewing the cud of sweet and bitter fancies; recalling to herself how well she looked in the turban for she had tried it on; figuring what would have been Miss Charlotte's mor tification if she had been the disap pointed person, how triumphantly she. Miss Cecilia, would have marched into the room with the turban on her head; how crestfallen the other would have looked; and then .she varied her occu pation by resuscitating all her old tur bans, buried in antique bandboxes deep in dust, and trying whether it were pos sible, out of their united materials, to concoct one of the present fashionable shape and dimensions. But the thing was impracticable; the new turban was composed of crimson satin and gold lace, hers of pieces of muslin aud gauze. When the miud is very much en grossed, whether the subject of con templation be pleasant or unpleasant, time Hies wit'i inconceivable rapidity: and Miss Cecilia was roused from her meditations by hearing the clock in the passage strike four, warning her that it was necessary to come to some decision, as the hour fixed for the party, accord ing to the primitive customs of B , was half past seven, when the knell of the clock was followed by a single knock at the door, and the next mo ment her maid walked into the room with what do you think? the identi cal crimson and gold turban in her hand! "What a beauty!" cried Susan turn ing it round that she might get a com plete view of it in all its phases. "Was there any message?" inquired Miss Cecelia, gasping with agitation, for her heart was in her throat "No ma'am," replied Sue, "Miss Gibbs' girl just left it; shesaid it should have come earlier, but she had so many places to go to." "And she's gone, is she, Susan?" "Yes, ma'am, she went directly she said she hadn't got half through yet" "Very well, Susan, you may go; and remember, I'm not at home if anybody calls; and if an3' message comes from Miss Gibbs, you'll say I'm gone out, and vou don't expect me home till very late.' "Very well, ma'am." "And, I say. Susan, if they send here to make any inquiries about that tur ban, you'll say you know nothing about it. and send them away." "Very well, ma'am," said Susan, and down she dived to the regions below. Instead of 4 o'clock, how ardently did Miss Cecilia wish it was 7. for the danger of the next three hours was im minent. Well, she understood how the turban got there it was a mistake of the girl but the chance was great that before 7 o'clock arrived Miss Charlotte would take fright at not receiving her head-dress, and would send to Miss Gibbs to demand it, when the whole thing would be found out. However, no message came: at 5 o'clock, when the milk-boy rang. Miss Cecilia thought she should have fainted; but that was the only alarm. At G she began to dress, iind at. 7 she stood before the flass in full array, with the turban on er head. She thought she had never looked so well; indeed, she was sure she had not. The magnitude of the thing gave her an air and indeed a feeling of importance that she had never oeen sensible of before. The gold lace looked brilliant even by the light of her single tallow candle; what would it do in a well illuminated drawing room! Then the color w:is strikingly becoming and suited her exactly Miss Cecilia, we must here observe, was quite gray; but she wore a frontlet of dark curls and a little black silk skull-cap, fitted close to her head, which kept all neat and tight under the turban. She had not far to go; nevertheless, she thought it would be as well to set off at once, for fear of accidents, even though she lingered on the way to fill up the time, for every moment the dan ger augmented: so she called to Susan to bring her cloak, and her calash, and her overalls, and being well packed up by the admiring Sue, who declared that the turban was, "without exception, the beautifulest thing she ever saw," she started, determined, however, not to take the direct way, but to make a lit tle circuit by a back street, lest, by ill luck, she should fall foul of the enemy. "Susan," said she, pausing as she was stepping off the threshold, "if any body calls you'll say I have been gone to Mrs. Hanaway's some time; and, Susan, just put a pin in this calash to keep it back; it falls over my eyes so that I can't see." And Susan pinned a fold in the calash, and away went the triumphant Miss Cecelia.. She did not wish to be guilty of the vulgarity of arriving first at the party, so she ling ered about till it wanted a quarter to eight and then she knocked at Mrs. Hanaway's door, which a smart foot man immediately opened, and, with the alertness for which so many of his order are remarkable, proceeded to disengage the lady from her external coverings the cloak, the overalls, the calash; and then, without giving her time to breathe, he ntshed up the stairs, calling out, "Miss Cecilia Smith," while "the butler, who stood at the drawing-room door, threw it open, reiterating, "Miss Smith," and in she went But, oh, reader, little do you think, and little did she think, where the turban was that she immagined to be upon her head, and under the sup posed shadow of which she walked into the room with 30 much dignity and complacence. It was below in the hall, lying on the floor, fast in the calash, to which Susan, ill-starred wench, had Earned it; and the footman in his cruel aste had dragged them both off to gether. With only some under-trappings on her cranium, and altogether uncon scious of her calamity, smiling and bowing. Miss Cecilia advanced toward her host and hostess, who received her in the most gracious manner, thinking, certainly, that her taste in a head-dress was peculiar, and that she was about the most extraordinary figure they had ever beheld, but supposing that such was the fashion she chose to adopt the less astonished or inclined to suspect the truth, from having heard a good deal of the eccentricities of the two spinsters of B . But to the rest of the company the appearance she made was inexplicable; they had been accustomed to see her ill-dressed and oddly-dressed, but such a flight as this they were not prepared for. Some whispered that she had gone mad; others suspected that it must be acci dent that somehow or other she had forfotten to put on her head-dress ; but even if it were so the joke was an ex cellent one, and nobody cared enough for her to sacrifice their amusement by settiag her right So Miss Cecilia, blessed in her delusion, triumphant and happy, took her place at the whist tame, anxiously selecting a position which gave her a full view of the door, in order that she might have the indes cribable satisfaction of seeing the ex pression of Miss Charlotte's countenance when she entered the room that is, if the came; the probability was that mortification would keep her away. But no such thiag Miss Charlotte the field in that manner. She had Waited in patience for hr turban, be cause Miss Gibbs had told her that having mauy things to t-eud out it might be late before she got it; but when half-past six arrived she became impatient, and dispatched her maid to fetch it The maid returned with "Miss Gibbs' respects, and the girl was still out with the things; she would be sure to call at Miss Charlotte's before she came back." At half-past seven there was another message to say that the turban had not arrived. By this time the girl had done her erra'ids, and Miss Gibbs, on questioning her, discovered the truth. But it was too late the mischief was irreparable Susan aver riug the truth, that her mistress had gone to Mrs. H-maway's party some time with the turban on her head. j We will not attempt to paint Miss I Charlott's feelings: that would be a vain ' endeavor. Rage took possession of her 1 soul; her attire was already complete, all but the head-dress, for which she was waiting. She selected the best tur ban she had, threw on her cloak and calash, and in a condition of mind bor dering upon frenzy, she rushed forth, determined, be the consequences what they might, to claim her turban and ox pose Miss Cecilia's dishonorable con duct before the whole company. By the time she arrived at Mrs. Hana way's door, owing to the delays that had intervened, it was nearly half pat eight; the company had all arrived, and, while the "butler and footmen were carrying up the re freshments, one of the female servants of the establishment had come into the hall, and was endeavoring to introduce some sort of order and classification among the mass of external coverings that had been hastily thrown off by the ladies: so when Miss Charlotte knocked she opened the door and let her in and proceeded to relieve her of her wraps. "I suppose I'm very late," said Miss Charlotte, dropping into a chair to seize a moment's rest, while the woman drew off her boots; for she was out of breath with haste and heated with fury. "I believe everybody's come.ma'ara," said the woman." "I should have baen here some time since." proceeded Miss Charlotte," but the most shameful trick lias been played me about my my whv T declare I really believe"" and she bent for ward and picked up the turban the identical turban, which, disturbed by the maid-servant's maneuvers, was lying upon the floor, still attached to the calash by Sukey's unlucky pin. "Was there ever such a triumph? Quick as lighting the old turban was off and the new one on. the maid, with bursting sides, assisting in the opera tion; and then, with a light step and proud heart, up walked Miss Charlotte and was ushered into the drawing- room. , sm ' J As the door opened, the eyes of the rivals met. Miss Cecilia's feelings were those of disappointment and surprise. "Then she has got a turban, too! How could she have got it" and she was vexed that her triumph was not so com plete as she had expected. But Miss Charlotte was in ecstasies. It may be supposed that she was not slow to tell the story; it soon flew around the room, and the whole party were thrown into convulsions of laughter. Miss Cecilia alone was not in the secret; and as she was successful at cards, and therefor in good humor, she added to their mirth by saying that she was glad to see everybody so nierry. and by assuring Mrs. Hanaway, when she took her leave, that she had spent a delightful evening, and that her party was the gayest she had ever seen in B . "I am really ashamed," said Mrs. Hanaway, "at allowing the poor wo man to be the jest of my company; but I was afraid to tell her the cause of our laughter, from the apprehension of what might have followed her discov ery of the truth." "And it must be admitted," said her husband, "that she well deserves the mortification that awaits her when sho discovers the truth." Poor Miss Cecilia did discover the truth, and never was herself again. She parted with her house, and went to live with a relation at Bristol; but her spirit was broken, and after going through all the stages of a discontented old age ill-temper, peevishness, and fatuity she closed her existence, as usual with persons of her class, unloved and unlamcnted. English Magazine. The Newhaven Fishwives. Moat picturesque of all the figures to bo seen in Edinburgh are the Newhaven fishwives. With short, full, blue cloth petticoats, reaching barely to their ankles; white blouses and gay ker chiefs; big, long-sleeved, cloaks of the same blue cloth, fastened at the throat, but flying loose, sleeves and all. as if thrown on in haste; thegirls bareheaded, the married women with white caps, standing up stiff and straight in a point on the top of the head; two big wicker work creels, one above the other, full of fish, packed securely, on their broad shoulders, and held in place by a stout leather strap passing around their fore heads, they pull along at a steady strid- inor rrnit nn hill Hnil ilnwn onrnrincr e ., -r .-, j j, rweights that it taxes a man s strength merely to lift. In fact, it is a fishwife's boast that she will run with a weight which it takes two men to put on her back. By reason of this great strength on the part of the women, and their immemorial habit of exereisino" it: oer- 3 , . haps also from other causes far back in the early days of Jutland, where these curious Newhaven fishing folk are said to have originated, it has come about that the Newhaven men are a singular ly docile and submissive race. The wives keep all the money which they receive for the fish, and the husbands take what is given them, a singular reversion of the situation in most com munities. I did not believe this when it was told me, so I stopped three fish wives one day, and, without mincing matters, put the question direct to them. Two of them were young, one old. The young women laughed saucily, and the old woman smiled, but they all re plied unhesitatingly, that they "had the spending of all the money. " It's a' spent i' the hoos," said one, anxious not to be thought too selfish, "it's a' spent i' the hoos. The men, they cam home an' tak their sleep, an' then they'll be aff agen." "It 'ud never do for the husbands to stoop in the city, an' be spendin' a' the money," added the old woman, with se vere emphasis. Whoever would see the Newhaven fishwives at their best must be on the Newhaven wharf by seven o'clock in the morning, on a day when the traw lers come in and the fish is sold. The scene is a study for a painter. The fish are in long, narrow boxes, on the wharf, ranged at the base of the sea wall; some sorted out, in piles, each kind by itself; skates, with their long tails, which look vicious, as if they could kick; hake, witches, brill, sole, flounders, huge catfish, crayfish, and herrings by the ton. The wall is crowd ed with men, Edinburgh fishmongers, come to buy cheap on the spot The wall is not over two feet wide, and here they stand, lean over, jostle, slip by to right and left of each other, and run up and down in their eager haste to catch the eye of one auctioneer, or to get first speech with another. The wharf is crowded with women an armv in blue, two hundred, three hun dred", at a time; white caps bobbing, el bows thrusting, shrill voices crying, fiery blue eyes shining, it is a sight worth going to Scotland for. if. H., in Atlantic Monthly A 3!oribuiul Mania. A few days ago a tall aud nervous man attracted considerable attention among Montgomery-streeL stock-bro kers. He spent fully an hour in tne ' street and e-itcrcd in that time a major-, ity of the brokers' offices. In each ' office he remained only a few minutes, j i After staring all about the walls and without inquiring for anv one, he would in each instance start out suddenly and for the purpose of a new visit. An inquisitive reporter found him. in the Pacific Stock Exchange building, where he was apparently transacting busi ness. Non-communicative at first con cerning his strange conduct, he event ually confessed to a weak superstition J in the efficacy of horseshoes. In his cravat he wore a large and handsome gold horseshoe, aud his general auu ins general an- - r "There may be nothing in it," he said, "and I have been ridiculed more than a little for my superstition; but I cannot shake it off more than a gam bler can resist superstitious belief in dreams. I don't know of any particu lar difference in the ability of thestock- brokers whom I have to-day visited, so iar as ine placing i money fiue, win all other things being equal, I prefer to add luck." A bystander smiled, overhearing the conversation, at which the superstitious stranger seemed a little nettled, but he controlled his temper, while the reporter glanced around and detected four horseshoes, three well worn in service and oae a fancy design, hang- design, ing in various parts of the room. A visit to the broker's office revealed the fact that notwithstanding the "timely warning' given iu a once-popular song to "never take the horseshoe from the door," horseshoe ornaments are becom ing less and less popular in San Fran cisco places of business. More horse shoes were seen displayed in three offices in the Pacific Exchange huildiug than in all the rest of Montgomery Street. There is no horseshoe in the chamber of either the San Francisco or Pacific Stock Exchange; none, so far as the reporter could detect, in any lead ing banking institution; none in any fire or marine insurance office in Cali fornia Street. Considering how numer ous horseshoes were as a supposedly potent charm against or bribe to ill-luck a very few years ago, this general lack of them was sufficiently striking to prosecute his inquiries farther. Several jewelers concurred in saying that horsehoe jewelry in San Francisco is becoming antiquated, and is consid ered almost a by-gone style. Tur quoises are still tke rage, and they will carry almost any design, but the manu- . facturers are wary about putting tliem ( into horseshoes. In one entire stock of jewelry the reporter could find only two very small horseshoes, and these "were , on comparatively cheap turquoises. I'll bet two to one," said a jeweler, 'that I shall lose on what horseshoe jewelry I have." "Why?" "Because it has gone out of style practically. It has not been whistled out as speedily as the Kate Castlcton bonnets have from San FrancNco with For goodness sake, don't say I told you." Horseshoe jewelry ha I a run up to about a year ago. and it had enjoyed a considerable period of popularity, . but people have really tired of it, as thev do of everything ; es, just the same as they will of turquoises later." The florists who were next seen would not express any opinion as to the present or prospective popularity of floral horseshoes. It is understood that the horseshoe shape can be made up quite protitable, more so than some other popular designs. Horseshoes still seem to hold their popularity at weddings. A singular freak was that reported by one florist who saw at a funeral not far distant not long ago, a floral horseshoe of white pinks and im mortelles stained perfectly black. The effect he described as at once novel and striking. "1 could not keep my eyes from that piece even during the sermon," he said. "I did not know what to think of it. The departed had been a lover of fast horses and a good judge of blood stock, and I presume that the gift came from some man to whom the rapid rattle of hoofs on the track had been as much music as to the ears of his dead friend. I noticed also that even the clergyman looked at the horseshoo more thanonce. But what was the harm in wishing the poor fellow good luck? Everyone did that when he was alive and "why not when he was dead? When stocks were booming and the Stock Exchange localities were daily crowded, horseshoes were just in their glory. The question was, so an inform ant told the reporter, just what kind of horse ought to have worn the shoe to give it luck. It was from the outset considered by the superstitious unlucky to hang up the shoes of racers. Still, one invester tried to get a shoe from Maud S, and sent letters to eastern friends to persuade them to try to get him one. The shoes from that dainty beast were too precious. They were kept H3 moraentoes in the East, or as the eastern college men would say, as "memorabil." They were gilded and preserved with records painted on them. Cinderella's slipper was never more coveted. But the majority of those few superstitious enough to listen to the horseshoe myth preferred the shoes of slow steppers, "because slow steppers are more sure." Shoes that had plodded through San Francisco streets until they were worn thin in the service of help ing to propel horse carts were hung up in richly furnished offices. Some were decorated with ribbons. The most were left plain. Now the decorated and plain horseshoes have mostly gone the same way to the rubbish pile. They are ruled "out of style." What comes next? San Francisco Chronicle. A Turkey Charmed by a Snake. A correspondent writes from Agua Limpia to The Los Angeles Times as follows: Last week in my cow corral was a little snake four feet long, and in his mouth was a cotton-tail rabbit. The rabbit was a common-sized one, aud its head was down the snake's throat to the shoulders. It was a fear ful sight and frightened the cows, also the boy who shot it with a Winchester rifle. Two days after I heard a turke' making an alarm. I went to it. and a turkey, half-grown, had its feathers all the wrong way, and its head near the ground, and was within fifteen or twenty inches of a black rattlesnake and was getting nearer. Neither of them noticed me until I disturbed the snake with a stone, taking him by sur- firise. The turkey seemed to be re ieved. What the snake would have done I do not know, but it seemed to me that he had the turkey under his control, and would, in a very short time, nave struct it A rather singular accident hap- Eened to Mr. Keeny, at Moscow, Ida o, recently. While riding horseback he observed lying on the ground a small package, and, dismounting, pieked it up and got into the saddle again. He proceeded to examine his find, when a revolver exploded in the Eackage, the bullet narrowly missing eeny, and lodged in the horse's head, killing the animal instantly. A band of sheep in the mountains near the head of Tukannon River, Washington Territory, was attacked by a cougar recently, and nine sheep and a fifty-dollar beck killed. The mountains in the vicinity are said to be full of cougars. Chicago Tribuue, pearance and manner indicated com- dot,s yot,s matter mit Schlausen tortable circumstances. lm;- Schlausenheimer's AlarulBg'Gleck. There has been considerable excite ment in Harlem concerning the arrest of Schlausenheimer upon the charge of assaulting Ollieer Dyouisious O'Brien. Bender, the butcher, a relative of Schlausenhciiner, has furnished me the following account of the affair. I transmit it verbatim : Now I glaim dot bluck vas simbly sooccessful shtubbornness, und shtub bornncss vas unsooccessful bluck. But Pointer, de assurance achent, und mine selef ve get a arguments up on dot vouee. A tisopedient moole," says Pointer, "vot vill not shtir a shtep, he vas shtub Vorn, but a prafe man vat will nefer gif up de sheep, he vas Mucky." "Yes," says I, "he vas blucky if he .soocceeds. If he don't soocceeds, den i, on on ; hnn,iaf mi. h aav tJ U Ml IIVtllWU h? SUVV1W Ulli Now bluck vas a fery goot ting to naf, if it vas mixed mit a leedle gom mon senses about halef und halef. Gommon senses mitout. bluck don't nefer aggomblishes only chust a leetle; but bluck mitout gommon senses ag gomblishes a goot teal doo much, und ' ought to pe locked up mit a lunadics asvium Veil, Schlausenhciiner, you know, he chust geeps eferytings mit himself yet He don't nefer told his vife someting aboud notings already. Von day 1 says: "Schlausenheimer, maype it vas pet ter if you told your vife cfcryting about sometings und someting about efery ting. Your vife vas your bartner." "Veil, siie's got to pe a siltnt bart ner," says he. "Not doo silent" says I. "Vomens has some rights dot a man vas pound to exbect." "I don't-believe no such nonsense," says Schlausenheimer, "not a pit Dot vas vomen's-riots. dot vas. und of all kinds of riots visky riots, election riots, under efery Oder kind of riots dem vomen's riots was de vorstest of dem all." "Look here," says I, "dot's not a fair arguments, pecause you tidn't bronounce dot right It vas'n't ri-ote it vas ri-ete. Den Schlausenheimer gets mad. "Ri-ots or ri-ets," says he, "I vouldn't haf it in mine house. I vas pound to haf eferytings harmoniousness if I haf to preak de proomshtick, und dot settles it." Veil, I didn't said noting more mit him, but I said mit mincselt, as I valks avay: "It vas gwite efitent nadure intented dot Schlausenheimer should pecome a f erst-glass itiot, und Schlausenheimer he don't got no opchections." Veil, he puyed himself von of dose alarming-glocks, 3'ou know, vot vakes vou out at fife o'glock in de mornings. , He puts him mit de mandel-bieces dereon, und he goes mit de pedt derein. Mrs. Schlausenheimer she gets in de mittle of de night up, und dot glock vent off vay off de mandel-pieces vhile Mrs. Schlausenheimer vas py de next room looking for a matches. Schlausenheimer chumps up und he knocked Mrs. Schlausenheimer town in de mittle of his sleep. He hit her on de hcadt of de shtairs, und dey bot" rolled to de pottom toged- der town heels over packvards. Mrs. Schlausenheimer, you know, grabbed him py de tark, mit de hair from his lieadt, pecause Schlausen heimer, he tinks, you see, dot she vas all de times de bugular vot he vas chust treaming about coming to shteal his glock at five a. m. in de morning. Ven they got mit de pottom of the shtairs de glock struck von und Schlau senheimer he shtruck de odder von. It vas de polices vot runs mit his glub in to put de fire out back! he hits Schlausenheimer pack again mit his headt. If he had any prains dot times dey vouldt come out. It vas a good ting somedinies to pe apsent minded; und Schlausenheimer's miudt has been apent ofer since he is porn. Veil, he shust hit him vonce; but it vas sufficient und enough was as goot as a briest He knocked Schlausenheimer into de mittle of last veek. He losed a whole veek's vork py it und he is sick more as a mon't apout a year aftervards. Dot bolices vouldn't took no ox cooses; but he took Schlausenheimer. He took him so gwick you can say Chack Ropison mit de shtat ion-houses. Veil, de chudge of de shtation-houso he s:i3': "Vot's de sharge?" Dot bolicemans vas aggrafatet, so he says: "Salt on a bolices." De chudge vas exaggerated, und he says: "Fine, fife tollars." Schlausenheimer vas indignatet, und he says: "Dat's a fraudt, und I vouldn't put up mit it" So de chudge gifs him fife tollars more fine, for content mid de court Now, I don't plame de chudge mine self, because he called him a supcrani- matct olt shpnngheister, und he ought to toldt his vife all apout it pefore he puts him rait de mandel-bieces, und dot's de vorse tings you couldt call de chudge, anyway. You know vot dot shpringheister vas in Inklish? Veil, dot means a monkey chumping-chack-up-a-shtick, ven you bulls him mit a shtring. Now, dot's de vay mit Schlausen heimer. He didn't vant to lose his money, so he loses his demper, und de chudge found it fife tollars abiece. But if dot chudge couldt only find Schlausenheimer fife tollars efery times vot he loses his dempc, in less as a year dot chudge vouldt pe a millionaire und Schlausenheimer he vould pe a boor-house. The Continent. The Bottom of Lake Wlnnipiseoyee. Captain Eugene Sullivan, a sub marine diver, from Boston, who recently made an unsuccessful search for the body of E. L. Duuklee, drowned in Lake Winnipiseogee, saw some things of an interesting character while underwater. What is known as Eagle Island, he says, is really the top of a hill, which rises some one hundred feet from the bottom of the lake, with just the brow of the hill protruding from the water. This hill is very steep, and is covered with clifl's and ledges, many of which aro from thirty to forty feet high. At some distance from Eagle Island is a vast plain thickly covered with eel-grass and literally alive with eels of all sizes. Captain Sullivan also encountered large shoals of horn-pouts near this plain, and, in fact, reports fish of all kinds to be very numerous, and in some cases very large. The "finny denizens of the deep" seemed to take kindly to the human intnider on their domains, and swarmed around him in large numbers, nibbling at his armor and carefully in specting even portion of "the rare curiosity from up above." The diver also discovered a spring of very cold water bubbling up from the bottom of the lake, and surrounded with quick sands, into which he walked and com menced sinking, but was promptly pulled out by his men above when the proper signal was gven. Of course, if the bodv of a person who has been drowned should rest on the quicksands surrounding one of these springs, it would speedily be engulfed never to appear again, and perhaps this will stand for one reason why bodies of many persons lost in tho lake have never been recovered. Nearly two hundred persons have been saved from drowning by Charles Shanon, a watchman on a Philadelphia dock, during his present employment He has saved as many as cightoen in one day. Philadelphia Press. The Boston Traveller says the oaly thing bangs arc good for is to coacefi mosquito bites. " " KASTWARn. Dallv Express Traii.8 lor Omaha. Cal cugo, Kmum City, tit. L011W. aud nil points East. Through cars via l'vorln to Iutlluii apoUs. Elojjmt Pullmnn l'nliwe Cum a:ul Day coaches on all through trains, and lMnlnjr Iom castor MUsouri luvur. Throuuh Tickets nt tho T mri st V.&tca haggogo wld 1h chock. t t dtKtinatio:. Any information ac to rate;, rouUs er tlmo tables wiU lio chevrfully furnished tipou, application t uuy agent, or to I. S. KUSTIS, General Ticket Agent, Omaha, Nob. NOTICE Chicago Weekly News. -AND SOLUUBK, 2TEB, JO'JRML FOR $2.50 a Tear Postage Included. The OBIOAGO WEEKLY NEWS is recognized as a paper unsurpassed in all the requirements of American Journalism. It stands conspicuous among the metropolitan journals of the country as a complete News-paper. 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