Crawfordsville Review, Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, 26 August 1871 — Page 1

Poetry.

UNDER THE STARS.

'Tww on cloudiest summer night The noon threw down her radiant llgbt The rlrcr ran. a Mirer thread, B**lde the cnrTins road that led Around the bills—Vttb laugh aod eong, A merry crown), we drove along.

Betide me sat—yon know—a friend My gaxa toward the stars did tend: How bright PI Mid. He answered YeeA* blight a* atari!" Bat, dear, you guess Thar while for me th- «tar«dld shine His ejw looked level into mine.

Jnst then, from blue moonlighted pace A «ur dropped atl Its shining race Lookc4.af(er It and blinked away In carel^M wonder: "Cnlck, I pray. And wlah, before fall», I cried. 1're wished," he quickly replied.

Bnt what he wished he would not tell Although I teased htm—" All the spell Were broken tf tb might be told But when again the scattered gold Bhonl.l sprinkle all the heavenly bine. He'd tell me, and 'twould all come irne."

And all the night the »t*rs looked down Inqnkltlre till morning's frown Of angry red obscured th-lr light. The day slow paMed. then came the night. And out they rushed in haste, pell-melt. To hear the wish be had to tell.

But all the night we danced, till they Orew pale and weary with delay And then the fragrant fields between. Wo homtwsrd rode, and all the scene Was magical—onr tones were low. Oar pace was somewhat very slow.

Yomr wish," I said, and all the dew Clang round us as If listening toe •Mr wish "-the stars bent do-n to hear— •My wish wta—von ralgbt love me, dear." .....

The star* they nut have freshed in glee, For something blinded, dazzled me.

The silvery mist in tbetr surprise— They mast hare rnshed into my eyes. For out of them rolled, crystal clear, A something vrry like a tear And Ju«t ss he had said 'twould do, Hi* wirb, sure enough, came true.

The morning stars once sang to men. And why should they r.ot sing again? Von won't believe it—bnt ttiey did To us: and when at. last he bid Goodbye, th Ir solemn light ts'd, 'Well,We saw It all, bnt we won't tell."

§ens.

—liosttm AdvtrtUf.r.

Miscellany.

How Faro Hanka and Keno Houses Ob* tain Their Victims*

EVERY faro bank and keno house, high or low, whether fair in its dalings, as fair is understood in the gambling world, or a recognized system of robbery, as most of them are proved to be, has a class of employes, variously known as ropers-in," "pimps," "pipes" or "skinners." The last-named term is the one now in general use, and is the most appropriate of the list, for once in the hands of one of these sharpers, the victim is fairly skinned of everything valuable. IIroad way faro banks and keno houses have their skinners at prominent hotels and places of amusement, and the smaller gamesters of the Bowery keep their tools in constant attendance at concert saloons and beer gardens. The unwary stranger at a firstclass hotel finds himself in the company of a wi ll-dressed, chatty, light heartecl fellow, who descants glibly on every topic of the day, until he has made himselt a favorite, and is on sufficiently good termg with the "pigeon" to lead him to the plucking place. The skinuer" of the Bowery Is neither so well-dressed, chatty, nor so fascinating, but his experience lias tnught him how to deal with his victims, and he is, in the main, as successful as his more aristocratic brother.

Walking up Broadway last Thursday evening, when in front of Niblo's Garden a reporter of the Tribune heard one of two men exclaim, But I tell you I don't understand the game." The "pigeon" was prote,sting, and the "skinner calmed his iears with, I'll call the turn for you I'm going to put a little on it myself." If he did put any o* it himself, the banker swept it in to be returned at a future time. The victim's funds were swept in without a doubt, never to be returned the skinner" receiving his precentage on the amount and stalking off after fresh victims. There is not a hotel on Broadway that is not zealously watched by ono or more of these touts." Their prey generally consists of Western and Southern merchants, visiting New Yorkon business, and their brisk times are consequently in the spring and autumn. Their prototypes of the Bowery, a clsss of men by, no means prcposessing.may all be seen in a sin-

le evenings' stroll through the beer garA few nights ago one of these men attempted to ingratiaio himself with a Tribune reporter, but failed, and within a few moments afterward was in close and amicable conversation with a ward dctectivo. This was near the Atlantic Garden. Almost any evening these two—tho thief and the detective— may be seen lounging about the bar-rooms of the Atlantic and adjacent beer gardens. On 8aturd«y mnr ing they were quietly strolling around the Toombs. This "skinner" is well known, and is considered a very successful member of the fraternity. The detective is not attached to the Sixth Ward, though most of his time is spent in its saloons. Another young mau, noted for his persuasive demeanor, makes it a point to walk through the Atlantic Garden every nistht at 11 o'clock, and introduce himself into tho company of some stranger, as though mistaking him for an acquaintance. On discovering his error he modestly asks tho ijjimc of his intended victim. Being furnished with some ordinary surname, he inquire with much impressiveness, Ah, but you have a title If republican simplicity disdains to have a handle put bef»ra his name, this persuasive skinner" casts down his eyes, and atloets to understand why his iutcudnd pigeon" refuses to reveal himself in the ftill splendor of a European title. Tin: chances are in favor of some vain fool taking tho whole thing in down-right earnest, nnd allowing himself to ba tUttered into the idea that he is in good company.

It the "skinner" succeeds in placing himself on good tortus with the gullible mortal, the getting of his cash, if lie has any, is merely a matter of ten or fifteen minutes' time, as ho is speedily carried off to the faro bank to which his escort is attached, and there robbed. It is a notorious fact that this business is done every day in the Fourteenth Ward, and complaints of robbery are frequent. Still the houses remain practically undis urbed, and the skinners" are usually on the beat of terms with the police.

Where these fellows—who take the meanest part in plundering fools, and receive the lea^t share of the profits—come from, is a matter that puzzles even astute policemen. The one last mentioned above is believed to be a German good family, who came to this country with a pocket'ul '1of money which he lost to the men who now employ him whila others have been thieves from infancy, and will remain so to the end of their lives.—N. Y. Tribum.

IN Maryland they have a colored mail whom they atylo the African Fire King. R.-ecntly he gave an exhibition of his powers to a select company. After applying a red-hot shovel to the bottom of ono ot his feet, without making any impression on him, also licking the shovel, still red hot, with his tongue, without even drying the saliva in his mouth, and taking a red-hot anthracite coal from a stove, •without scorching his hand or fingers In which he held it, he aaked if there were unbelievers" present One individual stating that he remained unconvinced, the Fire King, as tho story goes, put a shovel ia the stove and partially filled it with Bhot, and when the shot got pretty hot he Btirred them with his naked nngeis till the lead had melted. He then took the shovel in his right hand and poured the hot •melted lead in his left hand, and then *poured the burning solution into his mouth, kept it there till it cooled, and spit it out in a lump. After this latter performance, the ''unbeliever" expressed himself entirely satisfied. The Fire King raid "that was only a $20-rv rformance ii they would make him up 50 ho would show them something worth seeing.''

TUB Governor of Ohio has received a letter from Dundee, Scotland, makicg in-

Sor

iuiries as to the suitableness of that State a Sftotch colony, which iB about to emigrate bodily to this country.

—An unpoetk-al youth described his fiancee's hair as frizzled in front, and fricaaeed and scrambled at the back.

DB. FECIIAL'S THEORY.

BY JCLIAK HAWTHORNE.

NOT long ago. the steamer Ecliptic brought to New York, among other passengers, a fa', frowzy man, rather short, and evidently a foreigner—though of what nationality, owing to his familiarity with languages, it was not easy to decide. He was not an engaging man, was supernatural !y conceited, some said cr-zy. lie wore a pair of unusually shiny spectacles —it was believed to assist him in staring. His hair was long, tangled and sandy, overhanging hia coat-collar, and pushed back behind his ears. His luggage con aisled of a ragged, black carpet-bag, which none suspected of containing clothes.

The captain himself was not sacred from the intrusive impertinence of this man. The second day out, at dinner, he ttared uninterruptedly for ten minutes at that officer, and then said

You must be a Scotchman!" .? The captain's little hobby was to be taken for an American so he bowed somewhat stifly, and continued his conversa tion with the American banker's wife, at his right.

The frowzy foreigner drew from his pock a greasy note-book, piloted his way through several pages with his dirty forefinger, till he arrived at a certain entry then, with a powerful assertativeness

You are forty-eight years old to-day!" The car,tain wa^ a young-looking man, perhaps not unwillingly so, especially in the eyes of his fair right-hand neighbor. So he looked up rather severely at the foreigner, and said, gruiiy

Well, sirf" "Of course," pursued the other, absorbed in his note-book—"all here, sir. I calculated your group some time ago it comprises four, and possibly five. I met one last year in Turkey—a very pretty little girl. Whereabouts will you be seven weeks from to-day, captain?"

The captain's patience began to grow thin but he commanded himself to reply, albeit somewhat testily:

Give fair weather, off the southern coast of Ireland." The frowzy foreigner was charmed. He bubbled over with an unclean smile his teeth were dreadful. "Right! quite right!"'he exclaimed, rubbing his fat hands self-approvingly.

You will be drowned off that coast, sir steamer founders, or you are washed overboard—cannot be sure which."

At this sally, every one, except the cap tain, either laughed or smiled. Ho, strange to say, turned pale and frowned slightly. The foreign lunatic calmly rc placed his note book and resumed his dinner.

Could it have been a coincidence that, seven weeks from that day, in a heavy sea off the southern coast of Ireland, Captain McAlenny, cf the Ecliptic, was washed overboard and lost? Curious, at all events 1 Moreover—though, what has this to do with it?—the little daughter of a prominent official in Constantinople died the same day, after the crisis of along and painful fever.

The conceiwsd foreigner was not, therefore, an agreeable companion. He was no respecter of persons for he used up even a custom-house officer in this wise

After transfixing him with an indignant and prolonged glare of his spectacles— Why, you should have been dead two years'ago. Your time expired in the summer of 1808. I saw one of your group condemned to be hanged for murder in June of that year, and I cannot be mistaken in you," said he, referring to his note book.

The custom-house officer glared back in savago amazement Ef 'twarn't my wife 'nd child'n," lie began, menacingly but the fat foreigner's brow cleared up immediately, as if his mind were relieved from an immense load of perplexity.

My dear sir—to be sure! How could /, of all men, make such an oversight? And now I recollect—his sentence was commuted—imprisonment for life. Let me see—your wife? ah, yes! she belongs also with the young Frenchman and that Jew, I think, must be a connection. Well, well, sir, you're safe for six years yet." And the maniac departed in total apparent unconsciousness" of the black wrath distorting the custom-house officer's black visage.

Landed in New York, he grasped his ragged, black carpet-bag, and walked to he South Sea Hotel. On his way he stop ped to purchase a directory, and barely escaped .ing knocked down by the salesman because he informed him the only safe thing in his case was to marry a certain African, lady, a resident of Guinea Arriving at the hotel, he engaged a room for three days, and registered his name as Pechal, from Belgium. He eyed the gentl manly clerk searchingly.

Your hair must be dyed, sir," said he at last, firmly. The gentlemanly clerk drew himself up haughtily. The doctor glared, and shook his lrowzy head. "No use, sir it won't save you. No immediate danger, however your group remains till the next decade."

In short, Dr. Pechal w»s not merely disagreeable—he was awful. He entered and locked his room door, opened the black carpet-bag and poured the contents on the table—nothing but old books! There were a volume of logarithms, life-insurance reports, works on phrenology and pliyiology, metaphysical compilations, directories of various cities, and, at the very bottom of the bag, a large manuscript volume, whose contents the doctor only knew.

He placed these paraphernalia of research in a semicle upou the table, seated himself in the concavity of the arc, and worked away steadily for at least three hours, concluding by writing down his results in the manuscript volume, and making an elimination thereof into the greasy note-book. Then he leaned back, ran his'thick fingers into his hair, and ruminated. The manuscript book lay open on the table. It was entitled Todes-Gesetz," which appellation, should it afford no enlightenment to the reader, places him on an equality wi'.h, let us say, nine reople out of ten. It was filled with close.y-written pa£cs of mysterious and enigmatical import, in a dozen different languages, and, for the most part, unimportant to the present history. But the last entry, as transcribed into the greasy note-book, may possible be of some assistance. Here it is .- "Group comprises four. Distribution —two to one cach—In Belfast, America, possibly France, possibly Asia. "Distribution as regards sex—male, two females, two. "Incidence of-law (as calculated from table of logarithms, 'Natural Sine')—four days from date, subject to following impediments and exceptions: 1. Amalgamation to have occurred between two of this group or— ''2. Such amalgamation to take place within the neat four days, provided that—

Literal identity of surname exists between the two. Outside contracts no obstruction to law's course."

Besides this there were sundry personal descriptions and date, and numerous references, citations, and comments, which may as well be passed over for the present It will be more to the point, and quite as discreet, to listen to the doctor's ruminations:

Poor prospects, Emll, very poor! Allowing thee everything—that the person is in New Yoih, is a woman, is unmarried, and is willing to many thee—still are the chances si) to literal identy an infinity against on a. All, EmQ I why didst thou shut thine eyes when Destiny offered thee all the most exact Interpretation could require—«ex, name, age, condition—all? And she loved thee, Eaiil.

Yes,

CRAWF0RDSV1LLE

my

friend butUiftt was twenty years ago!

Hadst thou but known then what thou no west now, thou hadst not then gone alone to seek thy fortune!

Arid dof-t thou hope to find her here As well that as another like her! Nay, even then, dost thou believe sbe would still care for tliea, Emil?' exclaimed the doctor, rising and going to the dressingtable, on which was erected a small mirror. "Alas! thou art sadly changed! I fear she would tind dea'.h more attractive than thee. "But courage!" exclaimed Dr. Pechal, again rousing himself from his despondency. "Let us persevere to the end! One more attempt, friend Emil, ere we sav farwell to each other! Let us use well the time that remains to us!" With which parting exhortations to the ample and lugubrious countenance ui the mirror, the doctor turned away, replaced his library in his carpet-bag and, it being already late, we will leave him in undisturbed possession of his room.

Next morning, having performed his arid toilet, this unpleasant and mysterious man appeared upon Biq^dway. The penetrating glare of his spectacles, as he shuffled onward, was ever and anon directed at some passing face, whenever it seemed to come within the range of his wierd and preternatural intelligence. For himself, such attention as he received was not complimentary. What a turning of tables, could they have recognized in this uncouth individual the man who had reduced mortality to a working formula! But their non-appreciation troubled him not he was perhaps used to it.

Having reached the Fifth Avenue Hotel, the doctor paused, and looked about him somewhat wearily. What he sought was apparently no nearer than ever. For all that, hia destiny was even then upon him it was coming rapidly up the avenue in a spruce stage, with vivid medallions and golden scroll-work on a deep ultramarine background. Yet, so unconscious did the doctor appear that, were it not an established fact that Destiny never makes a mistake in her appointments, and is always punctual, it would seem a mere chance he did not miss her altogether.

The stage contained but one passenger— a charming young lady. To look at her was a refined and exquisite enjoyment. She was the flower ot gentle breeding and an indescribable, scarcely-perceptible aroma, peculiar to such flowers, hovered about her like an evanescent mist. The contrast between her very dark hazel eyes and straight, fine eyebrows, and the amber tint of her crisp and vigorous hair, made her beauty more striking than it would otherwise have been. Her complexion was clear and luminously pale, the skin drawn smoothly over the rounded flesh. All the refinement and fascination of her face seemed to culminate in a perfect little nose, with delicate nostrils and pointed tip. The curve of her lips might have seemed haughty, but that there hovered always about them the remembrance or the promise of a smile.

Swayed by I know not what mysterious impulse, this rare creature turned in her seat just as the stage was passing the upper corner of West Twenty-third street, and looked straight at a foreign, ill-conditioned figure that happenedat that moment to be standing there. The figure, at the same moment, raised a heavy and woe-begone countenance to tHo stage-window, and the shining spectacles and dark hazel eyes met. Perhaps the extremes of human nature"

presented

no wider contrast. The young lady recoiled with a refined little shudder. "What a dreadful thing!" Then she gave a startled little scream.

For tho dreadful thiug had suddenly frozen into an awful stare, rapidly shifting into an expression of wild delight. He had made a clumsy rush for the stagedoor, wrenched it-convulsively open, and flung himself, panting and perspiring, upon tha ooDoslte. Within the narrow limits of that Fifth avenue stage extremes had met at last!

And what did the high-bred lady do First impulse—scream for help, or spring from the vehicle! But the next moment pride cast out fear—bullied it into submission, rather. Ten times more almared, by reason of her high-wrought organizazion, than any ordinary person could have been, no outward sign, save bloodless lips, betrayed it. She sat stern and motionless as a little statue, except that her heart beat so.

It was all thrown away on Dr. Pechal. He was at that moment too thoroughly impregnated with pleasurable emotions to admit of any other sensation. His first act, after recovering wind, waj to draw forth the inevitable pocket note-book. From its pages to the pale little fa.ee_ and back again, he gazed with artless delight, as if comparing an excellent likeness with the original. One might detect, moreover, in his expression, the secret self-sat-isfaction of the successful artist. But, mora skillful than his fellows, this man had drawn his portrait first, and by its means discovered the original afterward.

The comparison satisfactorily concluded, the artist pocketed his work, and surveyed his sitter complacently.

How

fortunate,"

he ejaculated, at last,

that you have turned out to be a woman! Had you been a man-—" The doctor seemed loath to contemplate so fearful an alternative.

Crazy!" thought the young lady, and and irrepressible shiver of horror ran through her. "But being a woman," resumed the doctor, forcibly, all may be •yell. Pray, take an interest in me! Believe me, I am no stranger to you, and our individual welfare depends exclusively upon each other." "Do I understand you to say you are acquainted with me, sir?" demanded she, catchiug at the first hopeful straw.

Ah, none better," replied the doctor. You are not yet quite twenty—am I not fifty? You are rich—am I not poor? Your name is"— Here the doctor paused.

The young lady's hazel eyes were black with expectation. Caleph hazarded the doctor, with an insinuating grin, yet with an undertone of anxiety in his voice.

The young lady started, and blushed to the forehead. A moment she looked at the doctor earnestly with an indescribable expression then burst forth into a most delicious little laugh.

Well, now, you must know me, though I don't remember you, I'm sure. And how strange that he never spoke of you either! But no," blushing again "I'm not that yet—only Mabel Chapel still, if you please, sir," with ravishing sweetness. "Chapel—Mabel Chapel," repeated the doctor, retiring behind his spectacles. It seemed to be all he heard, as it was certainly all he understood, of this remarkable little speech. Chapel—ah, yes, yes now that certainly is wonderful!" And again a broad smile of delight disclosed those awful teeth.

Then he recovered himself, and turned to address hia lovely companion o"ce more. But the rattle of the wheels over the Fifth avenue pavement drowned the rest of the conversation for the present.

Oh, nursie, he was so dreadful!" said Mabel, piteously, as old Christina, the time-honored domestic of the family, was combing out her hair that evening.

Christina had had the sole care of Mabel's amber hair ever since, twenty years ago, there had been any such hair to be cared for.

Think not of him, my Mabeleiu,'' advised the old lady. "He was some crazy, runaway man."

That's what I thoughtat first," rejoined Mabel. But, nursie, he seemed to

VOL. XXII. CRAWFORDSVILLE* MONTGOMERY COUNTY, INDIANA, AUGUST 26, 1871.

know all about me, even my engagement to Charlie, that no one knows, you know 'why,'' said Mabel, blushing at the reco lection, he addressed me as Mrs. Caleph and, when I told him I wasn't married yfet, the horrid thing said I must marry Mm— and right off, too, or we would both be ?'*«*d! And then he went on and talked f. ..,ut all torts of the strangest, most incomprehensible things, and read something to me out of a dirty note-book he had about groups and the lew, and distributions, and literal identities, and I don't know Ht else. Wasn't, it terrible?"

But is gone—he returns no more," said nursie, soothingly. Ah, but he does return," said Mabel, disconsolately. He's coming here tomorrow night he said he must come anyway to get my answer. Think of it! And I old him to come, then, because Charlie will be here, you know, and he can talk to him."

What name has he, my Mabelein?" inquired Christina. Oh, some German name I remember it reminded me somehow of your last name, nursie—' Lapech.' There was a pech' about it, and—oh, yes, I know, it was Pechal—Dr. Pechal."

Christina started so that, for almost the first time in her life, she pulled Mabel's hair.

Ah!" screamed Mabel then, catching sight of the old lady's face in the mirror, why, nursie dear, what's the matter?" "Nothing, my Liebchen, nothing only that the name reminded old Christina of a time—long ago,before thou wast born, Mabelein—when she, too, was engaged to be married. Ah, that was a happy time!" sighed nursie.

Tell me all about it, dear," said Mabel, persuasively all matters of the heart were to her of paramount interest and importance.

There is little to tell, Liebchen. He was stout, handsome and brave he wore a student's cap, and fought with the Schlager. He was wise, also he knew more than all the professors. And he loved his Christinchen and to me he was very dear," said the old lady, simply.

But why didn't you marry Mm demanded Mabel. "Ah, that is a sad history, Mabelein Thou kno west we once were wealthy, and had rank. But a time came—we had lost our foriune—we were poor and unfortunate. But he was brave he said: I will go, Christinchen, and see. I will make fortune for us all.' And he went, but I never after saw him, and I think he died, for I believe not he would ever forget his Christinchen."

Poor, dear old nursie," said the tenderhearted Mabel, with tears standing in her sweet eyes. "And was this before you came to us "Yes, Liebchen your-father and mother were then boarding at our house and your dear mother, who is now dead, liked me and I her so when you went away, she took me to be nurse and to help her. I said:

4

If he comes, I must leave you.' But he never came, and I am always here." Poor, dear, old nursie," thought Mabel, again, an hour later, as she lay with her cheek upon her hand, waiting for sleep. "And she never told me of it before! Well, some day perhaps he will come back and marry her, and then she will be as happy as—I shall be."

Do pleasant dreams always go by contraries

Do you mean to say, sir," demanded Charlie, who sat with Mabel's little trembling hand in his, that you have evolved the law which regulates the time, place, and circumstances, of the death of every human being "It is precisely that," replied Dr. Pechal, charmed at being so well understood.

Were the room not so dark, sir, I would ask you to look over my little book. All is explained there."

The doctor, calling late in the evening, had come upon Mabel and Charlie Caleph sitting together in the dusk and, being a somewhat abrupt gentleman, he had entered upon his business at once, without waiting even for candles.

But how do you know your law is true asked Mabel, defiantly. "Is it not then logical?" said the doctor. The insurance companies have gone so far as to establish the average age at which death comes: if a man die here at sixty, somewhere must die a boy of twelve, that the balance may be preserved. Is it probable that this balance should relate to age alone Is there not also the balance of one sex against the other, of light against dark, of nation against nation, of temperament against temperament? Not even here can we draw the line the farther we search the more the conditions that arise: no trait, however subtle no feature, however insignificant—but bears directly, however lightly, upon man's destiny. What could be more clear, more inevitable

Charlie and Mabel were silent a strange chill seemed creeping around their hearts. The doctor's voice, all apparently remaining of him in the darkened room, sounded solemn and mysterious as he gave utterance to the thoughts which he had been all his life revolving. Wholly bound up in the contemplation of his awful theory, his words were not without an impressiveness even more powerful than ordinary eloquence. "It is indeed strange," resumed he, that mankind, continually prying after the mysteries of science and the laws of life, should never have set themselves to learn the most important and yet the simplest law which tells them when they are to die, and who shall die with them. For no man dies alone. There is a mysterious chain, formed of innumerable and invisible links, binding his life to that of others, be their number more or less. He is one of a group and the breaking of that one chain is the dissolution of their common life."

Can nothing hinder this law—if it be a law?" demanded Charlie. "It is seldom possible," replied the doctor. "The only safety lies in marriage, which constitutes a new condition of things—annulling the old. But it must be no ordinary marriage. To be efficacious, the most exacting conditions have to be fulfilled. Of the many, it is only needful I should mention two: the .husband and wife must belong to the same group, and their names must be composed of the same letters, differently arranged. And this," added the doctor," bears upon my errand to night."

Mabel shuddered, and drew nearer to Charlie, who passed his arm around her waist. Dr. Pechal proceeded:

I have discovered, by the most exhaustive calculations, that before this hour tomorrow my death, and that of all my group, is destined to take place. My calculations also showed that one at least of the group must be a resident of this city. I knew there were but three besides myself: one, whom I was personally acquainted with"—the doctor cleared his throat—" was not to be thought of, though Ehe once might have saved us all of the two others remaining, one I knew to be a woman, and, trusting she might be the New Yorker, I came here to seek her, and in the person of this young lady I have found her. She is a member of my group ana she, as her name proclaims her, is destined to save us both by uniting her destiny to mine. Analyze our names— you find them literally identical and for the rest, the proofs are easy and irrefr&eable."

Here the doctor paused, And, holding out one of his fat hands, seemed duskily to summon Mabel from her lover's aide. Charlie groaned, and removed his arm from her waist but her's was around his neck in an instant, and her voice was clear and firm:

"Whether your hateful theory be a truth or 41 falsehood, neither it nor you shall ever part us. Do you suppose I care so Dinch for my life here as to sell, for its sake, all that is most sacred and precious to met You have much to learn, with all your wisdom. Did it never occur to you that there is a Life, somewhere, which no theory of yours dan ever reach? And that very death, by which you seek to enslave me, g»il be the means of my triumph oyer you!"

The doctor was awe-stricken and silent, and Charlie, who could scarce believe this to be the modest and tender little girl whom he had loved, and thought he knew, looked up at her with a reverence he had never felt before. You are right, darling," he murmured, but sighing heavily.

Death is better than such a life as that." It is an alternative of death," she answeredx"one of the body, the other of the EOUE, But.do..not sigh, my love. What thilVmait says is false no divine law could authorize such & consummation. I do notffoelieve his thorv!"

At thh?"Dr. Pechal, who had been edging toward the door, advanced again into the room, and spoke with emphasis:

You say you do not believe my theory? Very well! The proof is at any rate easy. Twenty-four hours will show and I, at least, am ready to die in defense of what I have spent my life to verify."

As he turned to depart, the door opened, admitting a glare of light —Christina with two tall wax candles. The doctor was dazzled, and shaded his face with his hand. Christina looked keenly at him as she placed the candles on the table. "It is already so dark, Fraulein," said she, and the gentleman is here," turning to the doctor, "I thought the candles would be pleasant to you.

At the sound of her voice, Dr. Pechal started, and seemed strangely agitated. He peered earnestly at the speaker through his spectacles. "You may go, Christina," said Mabel. "Christina!" cried the doctor, in a tremulous voice, "Christina! Christina Lapech! can it be thou?" He stretched toward her his stumpy hands, which shook as if with an ague.

Christina gazed at him as if he were a ghost. At last she gave a low cry, pathetic and loving.

Ah! Emil, my own Emil! after twenty years, hast thou come back to me?" And what did these ridiculous old creatures proceed to do, but fall into each other's arms and blubber like two children, putting the younger lovers to the blush with the fdrvor of their emotion, bursting freshly through the cerements of a lifetime!

So the candles had at least as much to do with Dr. Pechal's destiny as the omnibus. Several other dusky points were also illuminated by their light. As soon as he had recovered himself, and things had begun to settle, the doctor recognized in Charlie Caleph the fourth member of the group.

A remarkable coincidence!" and, after a moment's«flection,

Sir, I have not yet

learned your name—except the first one. What is the last Why, Dr. Pechal!" exclaimed Mabel, in large-eyed wonderment, how can you help knowing his n£.me, when you addressed me in the omnibus as Mrs. Caleph?"

Upon .wiilcH it transpired that the doctor h«d, in fact, known-notliing either of her name or engagement but had hazarded a name containing the same letters as his own, feeling that in case it turned out to be the correct one, he would lay a strong claim to the possession of her hand. The little game at cross-purposes which had ensued, ending in a solution which answered the purpose equally well, had banished his first guess from his mind. Now, as the reader has long ago divined, its appearance as the surname of our friend Charlie at once established his right to Mabel by the ruling of that very law which had at first seemed so adverse to their happiness.

And Dr. Pechal, it is needless to remark, was more than ready to forego his claim in one whom he already regarded with ridiculous awe, for the sake of her who, lost through so many years, he had long ago given up as married and done for.

AM thou art rewarded for thy constancy, Christinchen," said the old hypocrite, sententiously,- for, hadst thou been married, and our union impossible, so, also, would have been the preservation of our lives." Charlie's eyes had a quiet twinkle in them he was thinking what a constant man the doctor had been lately. "The law has been very lenient to all of us," perorated the doctor seldom do all the members of a group possess the qualifications for intermarriage, or the opportunity to profit by the privilege if they have it." "I'm afraid, doctor," said Charlie, "you'll never forgive those unfortunate candles for depriving you of the chance to prove your theory correct though even yet, if you insist upon it, it is not too late." "No, no!" said Dr. Pechal, rather gruffly after all, there would be no satisfaction in it for not one of you would remain alive long enough to confess yourselves convinced?'

And, as far as they are concerned, the theory still lacks confirmation.—Appleton's Journal.

Home Talk to Ctirls*

Your every day toilet is part of your character. A girl that looks like a "fury" or "sloven" in the morning is not to be trusted, however finely ehe may look in the evening. No matter how humble your room may be, there are eight things it should contain, namely: A mirror, wash stand, soap, towel, comb, hair, nail and tooth brushes. Those are just as essential as your breakfast, before which you should make good use of them. Parents who fail to provide their children with such appliances not only make a great mistake but commit a sin of omission. Look tidy in the morning, and after the dinner work i3 over improve your toilette. Make it a rule of your daily life to dress up" for the afternoon. Your dress may or need not be anything better than calico but with a ribbon or flower or some bit of ornament, you can have an air of self-respect and satisfaction that invariably comes with being well dressed. A girl with fine sensibilities cannot help feeling embarrassed and awkward in a ragged and dirty dress, with her hair unkempt, should a neighbor come in. Moreover, your self-respect should demand the decent appareling of your body. You should make it a point to look as well as you can, even if you know nobody will see you but yourself.— Exchange.

Sunshine and Sleep*

Sleepless people—and they are many in America—should court the sun. The very worst soporific is laudanum, and the very best, sunshine. Therefore, it is very plain that poor sleepers should pass as many hours as possible in sunshine, and and as few as possible in the shade. Many women are martyrs, and yet they do not know it. They shut the sunshine out of their houses and their hearts, they wear vails, they carry parasols, they do all possible to keep off the subtlest and yet most potent influence which is intended to give them strength and beauty and cheerfulness. Is it not time to change all this, and go get color and roses in our pale cheeks, strength in our weak backs, and courage in our timid souls The women of Amerca are pale and delicate they may be blooming and strong, and the sunlight will be a potent influence in this transformation. —Rural 2(ev Yorker.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

A SOFT BLOW—A gentle breeze. A ROOTED SORROW—The toothache. FORETHOUGHT and Prudence both say insure your life. Take their advice, and inSure in the Washington.

THERE are fourteen Americans studying at the University of Leipsic, and sixtyseven at Berlin.

MAKE friends with life insurance, that when you are old it may comfort you. Insure with the Mutual Life, of Chicago.

FLORIDA punishes her criminals by a prison diet of ham and eggs. They have to turn out the military three or four times a week to keep the outsiders from breaking into the penitentiary.

THE following is firtfm the Terr#Haute Mail: "If the party who plays the accordion in this vicinity at nights will only change his tune occasionally, or sit where we can scald him when the engine has steam on, he Will hear of something to his advantage."

A WITE8S under cross-examination, who had been tortured by a lawyer for several hours, at last asked for a drink of water.

There," said the Judge, I think you'd better let that witness go now, as you have pumped him dry."

A GENTLEMAN of Dubuque sent up a little red balloon labeled so that it should be known who sent it and where from. In less than a week he received a letter from Akron, Ohio, that it had arrived there, five hundred miles from where it started.

FOUR young Scotchmen living in Kansas City, Mo., advertise in the Edinburg Scotsman that they "And it difficult to conform to the usages of American society," and, in order to revive the good old associations of former days," long to correspond with a limited number of bonnie lasses of culture and refinement in their native land."

AN "oracle at New Orleans, discoursing on the wonders of the Mississippi, mentioned the iron coffin of De Soto, containing the golden trumpet given him by Queen Victoria. "What!" exclaimed one "not Queen Victoria "Yes, sir, Queen Victoria." "Why she wasn't born then by two hundred years or more."

I don't care if she wasn't," was the bold reply I reckon she could leave it in her will." 1 HE Rochester Democrat is slightly sarcastic on a railroad line in that vicinity. It says that a gentleman took the train a few days ago on what is termed the "Huckleberry road," running between Avon and Mount Morris. After the train started from Avon he discovered that he had left a valuable dog behind, but on arriving at Mount Morris the lost dog was found sitting at the station awaiting the arrival of his master.

LOGIC.— 'Tis strange, bnt true, that a common cat Has got ten tails—just think of that 1 I»on't see It, eh The fact Is plain, To prove it so I rise t' explain. We say: A cat has bnt one tailBehold how logic lifts the veil: No cat has nine tails don't yon ce« One cat haa one tail more thin she? Now add the one tail to the nine, You'll find a full ten-tailed feli.c. AB Holmes has said in his

44

One horse Shay,"

Logic is logic, that's all I say. A FOREMAN of one of our factories was aggravated by the action of a new hand who failed to perform his duty right, although repeatedly explained to him. He told him what he thought of men who did as he was doing mentioned the torrid zone, and dipped to the very roots of the English language for vigor of expression, and then suddenly and quietly withdrew on being informed that the anxious listener was a deaf mute.—Dambury News.

ELIZABETH STUART PnELrs tells us that "the average young woman spends enough inventive power, enough financial shrewdness, enough close foresight, enough perturbation of spirit, enough presence of mind, enough patience of hope and anguish of regret upon one season's outfit—I had almost said upon one single street suit—to make an excellent bank cashier, or, a comfortable graduate of a theological seminary."

A CORRESPONDENT writes* to an exchange, inquiring what is the best treatment to prevent the development of hydrophobia in dogs," and is answered as follows Don't really know about the best, but if you will give your dog water enough it is pretty certain he can't have the disease. The safest way to insure him an abundance of this indispensable fluid is to anchor him in about seven feet of water, so that his head will be from eighteen to twenty-five inches below the surface. In that way he can drink as much as he wants. Any surplus he may chance to swallow will do more good than harm.

APROPOS of the stage of life behind scenes, the Philadelphia Telegraph says: We have heard Mr. Murdoch tell of a choice lot of patriots he was leading in some place or other, who had, with infinite care, been drilled to make certain exclamations in a set order. But brains to adapt themselves to the situation they had not. Mr. Murdoch made an inadvertant transposition of his own lines, and the following short but emphatic dialogue was the result: Hero—Would ye be slaves? Shouters—We would! we would! 'Hero (finding it too late to cry back, and trusting to luck)—Would jc be free men? Shouters—We'd die first!

DOING good under difficulties is thus illustrated in the experience of a missionary of the American Sunday School Union, in a Western State: At the first settlement I came to I found that there had never been a Sunday-shool in that region, and the people could hardly understand what I wanted. One had never seen a Sundayschool, and thought there must be some trick about it. Having some books with me I proposed to give him one. No, sir, I don't want it I can't afford it for I know, if I take it, there will be some sort of officer after taxes on it.' I wrote on the fly-leaf'No tax to be collected on this book,' and then he consented to take it."

AT a recent meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of South Bradford, England, it was reported that the growth of wool in Australia was increasing every year. The total imports of sheep and lambs'wool into Great Britain amounted to 191,561,389 pounds in the first six months of 18 1 against 169 821,340 pounds in 1870 and 144,174,733 pounds in 1869. In these totals' the Australian wool amounted to 134,7:35,288 pounds during corresponding periods in 1871 against 133,928,213 pounds in 1870 and 103,772,827 pounds in 18G9. The value of the imports of wool from Australia now amount to from $7,500,000 to $10,000,000 a month.

THE other day the rare sight was presented here of a soft lobster just out of his old clothes, and his cast-off shell by his side. He was foolish enough to creep in a lobster

net

just before he took off his

overcoat, and was captured soft and fresh. Lobsters cast their shells once a year, during their growing period. Some time before they are very restless and uneasy, probably from the pain of the tight fit, and the animal struggles to relieve himself. Soon the shell is split across back, the back, the claws are drawn out first, next the feet, which comes hard, then the head

and

the eyes, and lastly the tail.

The whole operation involves a good deal of shivering and pulling. In drawing out his legs ana claws, as in his ferocious combats with other lobsters, if he breaks off a limb, he always, does it at the second joint, if not, he is a gone lob3ter by ble^ing tb death.—Cape Ann Advertiser.

REVIEW.

NO. 52.

Abont Viperg. -j.~

This reptile is not nearly so terrible as is generally supposed. True it possesses venomous fangs, and its bite is very dangerous, though not often fataL But with the true apathy of its reptile nature, it is wry unwilling to use its formidable weapons, and will at all times rether glide away than bite. I have *alked*-for days together through heath lands that absolutely swarmed with vipers of all shades of col and all sizes. A3 my foot brushed aside the tufts of heather, a viper would crawl out of them, and glide softly away or a gentle rustling would point out the spot where another had already taken alarm, and was escaping from the presence of the intruder. Not once did a viper even offer to attack me, though I must often have actually touched their bodies, and I feel sure that unless I had actually trodden on, or in some way injured the reptile, it would not have attempted to use its fangs.

Only once did I see a viper in the attitude of attack, and this was under peculiar circumstances. Knowing that I took an unaccountable interest in these reptiles, a fnan summoned up courage to bring me a young living viper. Of course I paid him, and then had the mortification of finding that the poor repulc was quite disabled, the man having crippled it by a blow from his stick before he dared to meddle with it. When it was placed on the ground, it tried to crawl away, but being unable to do so, erected the sound portion of the body and stood on the defensive, striking at everything which came near it. But this was simply acting on the defen sive. If it could have crept away, it would have done so but being crippled, and unable to escape, it endeavored to use its fangs as the only mode of protection. I have seen the common grass-snake assume a similarly menacing attitude, and strike as if it possessed the poison fangs of the viper.

Few persons know how loth a poisonous serpent is to use its fangs, except for their legitimate object, that of taking prey. It will endure a very large amount of rough handling before it will strike, and rarely if ever will do so unless provoked. -The late Mr. Waterton was so well aware of this fact, that he was accustomed to handle the most venomous snakes with perfect impunity. He has been seen to take a number of rattlesnakes from a box, carry them into another room, put them into a glas3 case, and afterward replace them in the box. They sprang their rattle—a truly fearful sound—and hissed, but made no attempt to bite their captor. He told me that any one could do the same, and that if the serpent were only approached very gently, and taken up without being tightly grasped, it would notev .'n think of biting, its sluggish reptile nature not being suf ficiently roused. Acting on this principle, when he was in the wilds of Guiana, he trusted his bare feet in places where the most deadly snakes in the world abound, and would take up, examine, and release again serpents whose bite was ctrtain death.

The same rule holds good with the viper. One of my friends, when a boy, caught a viper, which he took for a harmless snake. He chased and caught itinhis bare hund, twisted it round his neck, and brought it home. He then exhibited the reptile to his friends, laughing at their folly «it being afraid of s.o harmless a reptile, and played all kinds of

pranks

with

it, the viper not using its fraugs until he tied it in a knot, and drew it so tight as to hurt the creature. Its patience then gave way, for which it could in no wise be blamed, and it bit him in the hand, teaching him for the future to discriminate between a viper and a harmless snake.

The reader may well learn here what he ought to have known before. There is no possibility of mistaking the two reptiles when the distinction is once known. 'I he viper has a black, zigzag pattern running along the center of the back, looking like a black chain and on the head there is a black V, standing, we may suppose, as the initial of Viper. The black chain down the back is, however, an unfailing mode of detecting the viper, even if only a few inches of his body be visible.— CasstW* Magazine. ,.f......

Who 13 Fail

RT ORIS."

"Come without Fail!" Such is often the final remark as two persons separate, the closing paragraph to a letter, and the emphatic substance of a dispatch. Who is this Fail whom every one is so anxious to have left behind? What has he done that he Bhould be perpetually snubbed

We are inc ined to think Fail is dealt unjustly by sometimes. Some business arrangement in progress, for instance in which Fail has a vital interest. A meeting is to be held to consider important points. All are summoned to attend except Fail, and each one summoned is etrictly enjoined to come without Fail." Clearly there is chicanery there. It wouldn't be strange if it should prove a dark and diabolical scheme to defraud Fail in some way, or at least to take underhanded advantage of him. If Fail, hearing of the way in which he had been treated, should manage to get in and burst the whole thing up, it would be serving them no less than they deserve.

A rich old covey dies, leaving an immense estate to his heirs. Fail is one of the heirs, for Fail and rich men's heirs are often quite closely related. All are summoned in great haste, yet all are enjoined to come without Fail."

We can imagine the perplexity of a lover on receiving a message like this from his mistress

Come to night, dearest, and come without Fail. ULIA." Without Fail? says Augustus, in severe and perplexed reflection '"Fail, Fail, now ichn the dickens is Fail I don't know Fail. I never heard of Fail before. What have I to do with Fail? And (clenching his fist and glaring wildly about) what has Fail to do with my Julia? Am I in the habit of bringing other fellows along when I go to spmd an evening with her, that this warning in confounded italics should be considered necessary, even allowing that I know Fail? Not much. I'll hunt up this Fail. I'll know who he is that Julia calls Fail so familiarly, without adding Mr. Without Fail, indeed! This terrestrial hemisphere will be without Fail, if I catch him."

And so it goes. Poor Fail! the most innocent soul alive, we'll be bound, i3 snubbed, insulted and threatened in eveiy way. But who is Fail ?—Cincinnati Times.

DENSITY OF POPULATION IN CHINA.— It is generally supposed that there are more people on the average to a square mile in China than in any other country. This hardly seems the case, judging from facts recently published. In Ifwantung, from which province most of the Chinese in California have emigrated.it is reported there are about 240 persons living on a square mile, and in the three provinces next inland the population is seventy to the squire mile. On comparing the coon tries of Europe with China, it appears that in Belgium there are 436 persons to the square mile, and in some provinces there are aa many as 700 to the square mile. Again, England has 370 inhabitants to the square mile Ireland, 180, and Scotland 90. The average per square mile in Europe Is less than 150, and is about 800 in the entire empire of China. New York and America can beat the world #hen they try. In Great Britain the average number of persons to a house is five, but in New York city a city paper states that there are on an average twen&y-one persons to each house

Youths' Department.

BA BY NELL.

fiorvur eyM of hss*«n Cheeks the damack roses hue Llp« the cherries ripest red, Golden sunbeams crown her beta.

Flitting Hke happy bird. "7ifl Baby prattle now heard Mamma, do 00 love me lots, Cause me love 00 velly mttts." v.

Uneasy feet »re on my c^air, Bonnaed dimple arm* so »tr, Are pressed about my neck "w tight, And I am Idwed with Mb* might Rosy cheeks the pillows press, Dolly nesr fs lala to rest Dess my dolly h*b see troop, For she looed her odder boot

si

She tared her dress snd losed her hat, When me ride her on re cat 'Sides I leabed her on zee stair. While 00 dizzied op my hair." Well, well, my darling, say your prayer. Then go to sleep with dolly there,

Now I aa ire down to Mep,'. I pray zee Ord my soul to teep. Ir I sood die before I woto I pay zee Ord my soul to tate, And ztes 1 ask for Jeans sate DCMI bess mamma anf papa too, Mytlolly and my titty too ~Bo/ton Cultivator.

ABOUT KITES AND THINGS.

Did yoti ever hear of the man who harnessed a pair of kites to a light carriage, arranged a set of strings ao that he could manage them, and took a ride one hundred and fifty miles long His kites were like the common paper kites all boys make, only they were twelve feet high, and made of linen. And it really happened in England fifty years ago.

Putting kites to useful work seems something like trying to lead butterflies into industrious ways and yet, when you think about it tliey have been useful a good many times.

More important to the world than the Englishman'8 carriage-drawing kite was our own Ben Franklin's kite. It was not famous for its beauty, for it was only a silk handkerchief stretched across two sticks, but it is immortal as the means of a great discovery.

You must know that Ben's kite flourished more than a hundred years ago, before the days of lightning rods and telegraphs, when the wisest man did not know as much about electricity as the merest school-boy knows now, thanks to Ben and his kite. Been was much interested in electricity and had a shrewd sus­

picion

that lightning was the same thing. He determined to find out about it. So one day when a thunder cloud was coming up, instead of running into the house and getting on a feather-bed, as I've seen people do, he went out into the field and put up his kite. When it was near the cloud, he tied a key to the end of the hempen string—and waited. Pretty soon he saw the loose fibres of the kite string stand up instantly he touched his knuckles to the key, and received an clectric shock. That settled the matter. As soon as lie found out tho nature of lightning, to protect houses from its pranks he invented the lightning rod.

When the lightning leaves the clouds it rushes at once the nearest way to tho earth. If a house is in its track, so much the worse for the house the' lightning hasn't time to turn out. But when men put up a nicely pointed red over the house, expressly for a path for the lightning, it very amiably accepts the kindness and travels down the rod instead of through the house which is more satisfactory all around.

Perhaps you never heard of another useful kite, owned by a man called Steeple Jack. He lived in Edinburg nearly twenty years ago, and his business, as you may guess from his name, was repairing high steeples, upon which no one else could go. No steeple was so tottering that Jack would not mount it and this is how he did it: He just put up his kite and managed to catch the cord on the top of

the

steeple, then Jack—-who was lithe and thin—would climb this tiny rope, seat himself on the top, and do his work. History does not state how he got down from his airv perch.

It is'not neccssary to tell our. city boys anything about Chinese kites, since tho Pacific Bailroad brings ns so many of

them

that every other boy has one but the country boy may like to know that they are as unlike the American kite as posablo. In the first place they have no tails. In the second place they arc ol tho most fantastic shapes and georgeous colors. They are made and painted to represent fishes, owls, dogs, dragons, cats, roosters, and funnv little men, and, though they arc not artistic, they can be recognized. They are made of thick paper laid over split bamboo sticks, aud it looks funny enough to see these grotesque Oriental toys sailing over our sober American towns.

The Hying of kites is as much a national game in China as base-ball is in America. It is not mere fun either, for the kitestring is prepared with pounded glass and other things, so that it will cut. Then there are match games between the kitefivers, in which the

object

I11

is to cut each

other's string and let the kite down. Travelers tell us that the little boys run after the fallen kite in China exactly as they do in America, so I conelude that "boys will lie boys" the world over.

America, kites come down and go home at dark, like good children but in China they have lighted lanterns hung on them, and fly them as late as they please.

Kite time comes, I believe, in tho spring—and I would like to have some one tell me who regulates the time for the various games. They

succeed

(ach (Mher

as regularly as day follows night. I' lrst there are kites, and by the time every boy has one, down to the baby, they suddenly go out," and every boy has his pockets full of tops, box-wood and other wood, ivory, iron, and tin. Balls drive out the tons, and themselves disappear before marbles. And while I write, every boy in the city, I'm sure, is stalking over the ground on stilts.— Our Young Folks.

^Insects a8 Musicians.

We frequently hear people speak of the singing of crickets and grasshoppers. These insects are very noisy, it is true, but they are not vocalists they are instrumental performers. Each one is furnished with a sort of violin, upon which it plays without any instruction. In the crickets, a portion or rib of each wing is furnished with teeth, which serves as the bow, and a hard, smooth rib answers lor the strings of the fiddle. The insect rubs one wing over the other, and then reverses the movement, and by the scraping of

1

hews

two parts together the sound is produced. The grasshoppers manage somewhat di ferently. The long hind legs are the fid-dle-bows. The inner surface of the oroad upper part of the-c legs is furnisheu with over eighty small, lv.ncet shaped, elastic teeth, and these the insect scrapes ujMJWt the sharp ribs upon the wii.g cover—of outer wing—first one and then the other. The lo*de.t instrumental performer among our insects is the Katydid, in a Jtiil ''ight, the constant!v repeated katy-did she-diu may be heard for the distance of a quarter of a mile. Tne katydid produces its note by means of its wings, which are peculiarly fitted for the purpose. In each wingcover there is a little tambourine formed of a thin, transparent memhriine, or skin, stretched in a strong, half oval frame. &

S

the wing-covera are open and shut, tnete little tambourines rub against one another and produce the sounds which give the insect its name. These notes are supposed to be useful to the insects in enabling them to find their mates. From the constancy with which some of them keep up the sounds, we think that they must be pleased with their own music. Boys just learning to whistle make a noise that, whatever it may be to others, seems very pleasing to themselves, and they keep it up for their own gratification. It may be that insects do the same.—American Agriculturist.

—The editor of the Elmira Advertiser fen poor luck buying medicine. He says: "I went to a drug-store early one morning for a dose ot morphine for a sick frieud. The night clerk objected to giving it to mo without a prescription, evidently fearing I that I might destroy myself. 'Pshaw! eaid I, do I look like a man that would kill myself?' Gaziug at me steadily for half a moment, he replied: I don't know.

Seems to me, if I looked like

you,

I should

be greatly tempted kill myself.