Daily Greencastle Banner and Times, Greencastle, Putnam County, 26 August 1897 — Page 3

TITE DAILY BANNED TIMES. G KEEN CASTLE

INDIANA

. •

HER MISSION.

Amy Randolph.) ND you think I’d really better advertise?" said the Rev. Septimus Hixon. "By all means," said Maj. Clark, "put yourself in direct communication with the general public of Snagtcwn; that's the ouly business

way.”

Mr. Hixon, a tall, pale, close-shaven young clergyman, sat in his Gothic study, with a vase of rosebuds before his sheets of sermon paper, and a stack of new pens all placed ready for use. Maj. Clark, short and stout, with a fringe of white whiskers around his lubicund countenance, was smoking a cigar on the doorstep. Mr. Hixon disliked the odor of Havanas, and Maj. Clark despised the rosebuds. But they were both mildly tolerant of the other's weakness. Maj. Clark had an idea that it looked respectable to be on social terms with your clergyman, and Mr. Hixon, who had only recently accepted a call to Snagtown, depended a good deal on Maj. Clark's thorough acquaintance with the people and the place. And, to speak truth, the beautiful, rose-garlanded parsonage was not altogether without its thorns. Mr. Hixon knew nothing about housekeeping, and the old woman, who had always managed the domestic helm for his predecessor, had just retired from business on a legacy. And the topic which Maj. Clark and he were discussing at that especial moment was how to replace Betsey Ann Snedecor. So. Mr. Hixon took the major's advice and inserted an advertisement in the Snagtown Weekly Trumpet. The irajor gave it to the editor with the dollar which was to guarantee its prompt insertion. And the Snagtown Weekly Trumpet had not decorated the breakfast table of the citizens for half an hour on the Wednesday morning of Its issue when Mr. Hixon, studying out the “fifthly’’ of his next week's sermon, was startled by a tap at the door, and in walked a lady. A young lady. And rather a pretty lady, with a flush on her cheeks as red as the Kev. Mr. Hlxon's own rosebuds, pretty brown hair and dark blue (■yes veiled with long lashes. '‘Ah!” stammered Mr, Hixon, rising rather awkwardly, “how do you do, Miss Lennox? A fine morning after the rain. Pray be seated—pray favor me by occupying this chair!" For he had seen Barbara Lennox several times, failed onee at her father's snug little farmhouse, and put down her name in his list of people to be visited frequently. He liked Barbara, and he did not think that Barbara disliked him. There are some people with whom we feel that we should like to be better acquainted. And pretty Barbara was one of these, classed on the white pages of the minister's memorandum book. So, of course, when she came to the

RATTLED DOWN ON THE CITI-

ZENS OF TOPEKA.

Damaged Their

Window*. Went Through Koof», Were Weighed anti Had a Merry Time —

Then Got Photographed.

“WILL YOU MARRY MR?" study that July morning, looking so fresh and pretty in her pink muslin dress and gypsy hat, with its wreaths of daisies, he was a degree or so more awkward and clumsy than usual. “But I can't stay,” fluttered Barbara; “I have come to see you on business, Mr. Hixon.'' “On business, Miss Barbara?" "Yes,” nodded Barbara; “I have seen the paper this morning.” "Ob!” said Mr. Hixon, reddening up to the roots o f his hair, as he remembered the advortisement. "Ah, yes! Have you any trustworthy person whom you can recommend?" "Myself,” said Barbara. Mr. Hixon moved hack his studychair, thereby seriously inconveniencing the tortoise-shell cat. which was asleep in the sunshine close behind him. "You!” said he. “Yes,” said Barbara; "why not? am such a mere useless doll in the world now. Don’t you think, Mr. Hixon, you could find something for mo to do?” Mr. Hixon rubbed his Greek nose. “There’s enough to do,” said he “not a question of that. But whether you would like that sort of work—’’ "Any work that is done for the church would please me, I know,” said Barbara, eagerly. "Do you think, by dear Miss Lennox, that you are strong enough?" du blously asked the clergyman. She laughed a merry bobolink sort of laugh. “I," cried she, “strong enough? I could do anything. Look at the frail delicate women who have successfully gone out to our foreign missions!" “Ah, but this field of labor is very different,” reasoned the Rev. Septimus. “Yes, of course,” said Barbara; "but it's doing good, just the same, Isn't jt?”

i

"You have never done anything of the sort before," said Mr. Hixon, more ■ and more puzzled. “No, but there must be a first beginning to everything,” said Barbara, ,

cheerfully.

“The compensation Is not high,” i

said Mr. Hixon, wondering what the sk > r "s h ‘*’

old ladies of the parish would say to seeing Barbara Lennox in his kitchen. “As if 1 cared for that,” said Bar-

bara.

"My work is light," added the clergyman, "and of course you would have a great deal of time to yourself.” "Oh, but I want to be kept busy,” pleaded Barbara. ”1—I am afraid you are too young,” said Mr. Hixon in desperation. “Too young!" cried Barbara. "What difference does that make?” "People might say gossiping, Ill-na-tured things,” reasoned Mr. Hixon, looking very hard at the tops of the cars of the cat, which had by this time jumped into Miss Lennox’s lap. “And much as I should appreciate your kind offer—” "If you won't take me,” said Barbara, springing to her feet with a red spot glowing on either cheek, “I’ll go to Mr. Symington, the Baptist minis-

ter.”

“I don’t think he needs one," said Mr. Hixon, also rising and looking perturbed. “Needs what?” "A maid-servant,” explained Mr. Hixon in the b'nnt way in which your Latin scholar sometimes blurts out his

facts.

"But,” cried Barbara, with very wide-open eyes, "who is talking about a maid-servant?” "You,” said Mr. Hixon. "Aren't

you?"

"Indeed I'm not." said Barbara.

"Didn’t you allude to my advertisement for a servant-maid, which appeared in this morning's Snagtown Weekly Trumpet?" asked Mr. Hixon, feeling as if the world were all turning upside down, and he were losing

his hold on creation in general.

“No,” said Barbara Lennox. "I alluded to an editorial in the same paper which called the attention of the public to the lack of workers in the

field of domestic missions.”

Mr. Hixon heaved a deep sigh. “Dear, dear,” said he, “how very rediculous.

I must have made myself—”

"What must you have thought of me?” cross-questioned Barbara, suddenly perceiving the weak side of her own position. And. without waiting for his response, she dropped the astonished cat and flew out of the study, crossing the old orchard, where the berries were winking their scarlet eyes through the leaves, and at length losing herself in the woods beyond. I have offended her," said Mr. Hixon to himself. “How clumsy I must have been! I must go after her, at

once!”

He did so. overtaking her just where a rustic bridge spanned the quiet brook below the woods. “Barbara." lie pleaded in piteous tones, "Miss Lennox—I didn't mean to say anything which could offend you!” “Oh!” cried Barbara, "I am not offended. 1 am only vexed and angry with myself!” 'Barbara!" ‘Yes, Mr. Hixon!" ‘You are determined not to try the situation?” Her eyelashes fell. “I am not worthy even of that, Mr. Hixon.” Barbara?” Well, Mr. Hixon?" If you won't be my mission Sunday school teacher, will you be my wife?” Mr. Hixon!” 'We can at least work together, Barbara, in our Master's vineyard,” said the young clergyman solemnly. "And ever since 1 have been here I have felt that I lacked something to get force and energy to my daily ministrations. 1 know now what it is—a wife! Dear little Barbara, will you marry

me?”

If—if you think I am good enough.'' said Barbara, drooping her head so that he could scarcely see the shellpink glow of her cheeks. So they took the advertisement out of the Snagtown Weekly Trumpet, and were married quietly—and Mrs. Septimus Hixon brought with her to the parsonage a faithful old domestic, who asked for no better lot In life than to work for “Miss Barbara and her husband.” And Barbara has at length achieved the great longing of her life—a mission! She is a pattern clergyman's wife, an earnest worker, a faithful missionary in the home field. And Mr. Hixon has rut the little advertisement out of the village paper, and preserves it among his dearest mementos. "I didn’t advertise for a wife,” said he, “but I got one. Eh, Barbara?”— New York Ledger.

HAIL BUI AS EGGS. PEP,CREE OF caltee more. CAMPFIRE SKETCHES.

ANY are the wonderful tales told about hailstones, their size, weight and power of devastation, but sceptical people have always looked on the writers as favored disciples of Munchausen or ardent followers of j Izaak Walton. Topeka, K'an., has, however, come to their rescue, and, with the aid of the camera, proves that some of the stories told are not "pipe

’ dreams.”

A bucketful 1 of hailstones which fell j in Topeka on June 24 last were submitted to the faithful camera, and the ' evidence cannot be gainsaid. So here are some of the wild things that hap- | pened that day. Plenty of men in To- | peka at that time will make affidavit i to the size of the stones. Many of the I missiles were weighed, and any quan J tlty of them could be found that rej quired a pound weight to balance | them. Many weighed a pound and a | quarter, while some reached the enor- | minis weight of a pound and a half. The storm came rolling in front the , west about five or six o’clock. It was j watched with some apprehension by the timid, but no danger was thought to be threatening. As the storm approached it was noticed to be peculiarly devoid of wind, the usual accompaniment of tile western storms of June and July. As it neared the city a peculiar roaring sound was heard. People sought their homes, many seeking shelter in their cellars. The storm advanced from the west, striking the city first in the vicinity of Washburn c ollege. The first dasli of the hail was small, but it was immediately followed by the big chunks of ice. Not a building was spared in the course of the storm. Ail the windows in the west and north side of the college building were riddled. Every dwelling house not protected suffered in the same manner. Kansas avenue, the main business street in the city, suffered severely, all

Winner of This Year’* Ki.i;1UIi Derby

Had Fine Arabian Itloml.

From the l»ndon Chronicle: The pedigree of Galtee More, the winner of ^ this year's English derby, goes back to 1728, when the bey of Tunis sent eight pure blooded Barbs as a present to l.oui8 XV of France. The finest of them was Scham, a symmetrical bay stallion, some 4 years old, who carried the record of his distinguished descent In an embroidered bag hung around his neck. He was attended by a special groom, Agba the Moore. Unfortunately for Scham, the king took no interest in him, and he was ill treated by the servants of the palace. At length he was got rid of, and passed into the possession of a carter, who by continuous cruelty and hard usage brought the noble animal to death's door. A humane English Quaker, a Mr. Coke, rescued Seliam and brought him to this country, still attended by the faithful Moore. Good food and kindly treatment soon made a new horse of the Barb, and restored to him nearly his pristine vigor and beauty. After passing into the possession of Mr. Williams of St. Janies' coffee house, Scham was bought by Francis Lord Godolphin, and thenceforth the horse was known as the Godolphin Arabian. The fierce fight between Scham and Hobgoblin for the possession of Roxana is the subject of a well known picture by Rosa Bonheur. The first son of this unexpected union was I>ath, whom only Flying Childers could surpass. Their second foal was Cade, who fathered Matcham. Another colt by Scham was Regulus, the maternal grandslre of Eclipse. And so the “wondrous strain was handed down” to Pocahontas and Blink Bonney, to Robert the Devil and Bend Or, until In the Derby winner we see Galtee More, the best descendant of that love match nearly two centuries ago, wh'. d brought the great Arabian’s blood inti the best racing stock -if England.

GOOD SHORT STORIES FOR THE

VETERANS.

Doping the Army Millet Mother nickertlyke Honorcil Hanna* Soldlri** l‘ay llomagu to the Great Army Mute

Dur (irand OIU

PTr^

The Fliirht of the “ConetllutIon.**

HE »ky In the south wa.s uncloinlecl, the sea was like

KFUSH

That glitters ffreen ulthoiiKh shrouded tn ice clear as

glass.

The pennants and i topsails h u n g Idly, awaiting the

breeze.

While Hull front the quarter marked widely the sweep

of the seas,

nchiiul him, like hawks that one second

repose ere they fall.

The ships of the English he reckoned, six

vessels In all. ,

They had followed him far down the

ocean, and now they were there;

Rut they, too. were left without motion,

were stranded for air.

Across the smooth sheen of the surface no ripple made way; , , . ^ To east the n oon even showed her tac»., so rare was the day. ... And once in a while rang defiant Mulls

long •twenty-four,”—

I \om the shattered stern windows giant grinned black to the core.

the

died Hull: "\\'c nre wanting our thun-

der, unhai.dlo the gun:

What irkk cun we play them. I wonder.

wliut thing can hr done. ,

We will tow with the current to nor warn.

and glv" them a chase, .

Come! 1 low n w ith the bouts and statu!

forward! Kuch man to his place.

They were off. and the hawse held secure-

lv’ the towing seemed play* ,

And the frigate forged slowly hut surely

one side, and not have anyone come 1 near. For half an hour I examined ] that mule, and when I had finished I was ready for the contractor. We didn't exchange many words, but the result of what was said appeared thq day following, when the man relinquished his contract." What was it you discovered?” the reporter for the Post-Dispatch asked. "I discovered,” replied Dr. Farrell, "that every one of those mules, and there were several hundred of them, was old enough to keel over and die of antiquity. But they had been undergoing treatment. For a month or more the beasts had been treated to hypodermic injections of a fluid especially prepared for the purpose, and which contained some arsenic. It caused them to be temporarily young again, filled them out and gave their coats a sleek appearance and made their eyes glisten. "I suspected the mules had been doped after 1 had examined that animal ten minutes, but I was puzzled when I opened the mouth, for the teeth indicated a 3-year-old. It was some time before I caught on. and when I did I marveled at the neatness of the work. Those teeth hail not only been sawed to the right, but had been rounded with a file. Then again I was puzzled. There are little black spots around the lower part of an old mule’s teeth that are missing on more youthful animals. I looked for these and could not find them, but as 1 passed my finger over where they should be I felt slight indentations, and at once realized that nitric acid had been used to burn the marks away. That settled

the business.”

THE STEPMOTHER.

Vlce-Cliimccllor lirny of Now .Icrsoy I»

Her Champion.

The stepmother lias found a champion in the person of Vice Chancellor Gray of New Jersey, says the New York Times. In a divorce case which came before him the wife was charged | with extreme cruelty, the cruelty con- i sistingof violent display of temper on several occasions where the husband j took sides against her in disputes she had with ills children by a former wife. 1

i But fl'V. “fleer otUieWmen still followed i And ?{,r Jr^of k, il, a e h s2acurledand hoi-

lowed their oar-blades around.

The captains of England peered proudly.

an,I straightened In pride. ,.

The captains of England laughed li)iidl>,

mid sung as they cried: f

"Now woe to the ship Constitution, foi

this day shall be . . .

I The day of her llrst retribution, hi i last

on the sea!”

i They had no occasion for hurry, their net Was made fast. .. ... Two short miles ahead la> theii i|uati>. tbfr*v held her at last. , I They thought that ere nightahouM come

knell of his dirge!

the

It reach him

"lie kneel and beseech

111

mmi

4

V—I-- w

-sW-.

HOW ARE THESE FOR HAILSTONES.

"The wind we shall have ere

for we are behind'

Though to Neptune he ... iiinj no help shall he lint.

And Broke smiled quite slowly al I acres,

and Dacres at him: ,

"We hare her. by all your broad a, t

unless she cun swim.

Yet night rame and no wind was blowing. The ships''," the' English' were towing, and At noon' there'Yrept out of the distance And Hull l^d^wor assistance; the

English were ten!

Then up sprang his oldest lieutenant and

orh>d. •*\Vc are saved.

We shall sac eyery star In the p mianl

Each Inch that has wayed.

Splice eables and mk, out the hedges, and see ihev are strong;: . lr _ Drop ihem down to the lowest s-a kd„

We ll warp her along

Then swift the sea-anchors uplifting, they while' Urn great frigate was drifting Broke 1 came in" his’tiag'-sh'ip. the Shannon \'L H ‘-sh and*“confusion of cannon

rang out ns they row cu.

Already new night was unfold.nj; hei

wings from the snore, .

And the grout i‘or.sli:in!'>ii was holding

her distance, and more. . ,

And when the ,lenr Dawn. ' '"h

commenced to nppear,

The crew cheered th»* foe where the} lin-

gered, three miles to the r ai.

And ere the third daylight was passing,

and twilight began,

Dark clouds on the seu-llne wete m issing. and thin ripples inn. ... , The rain that arose whirled and k»\ero,l,

and fell like it pall

Tin the ship Donstltuttan was coyer, I aim

safe from them all

But

And

Applause for a Heroic Drummer. A Bangor drummer recently saw- n woman enter the train at North Bueksport and rush through the car just as it was getting speedy. He coolly walked after her, and just before the fatal leap grasped her firmly to his manly bosom. She struggled, but he only tightened his grip, saying: “Madam, you shan't jump off the car and kill yourself.” When she got. her breath she shrieked, "You big fooi. I was only going out on the platform to wave my handkerchief to my friends.” A party of Bangor yachtsmen aboard the train applauded the drummer for his heroism fully half an hour at intervals thereafter.—Springfield Republican. Tn» nm»h. Bacon Have you seen Sprocket intoly? Egbert—No. “He's a sight. Pace all cut. arm in sling, and walks lame." “How did he do It; on his bicycle?" “No; if he could have stayed on tha bicycle he'd have been all right.”— Yonkers Statesman

the windows on the eastern side of the street being cotnpl -tely demolished. Skylights were the peculiar prey of the storm, and stores were flooded with the deluge of rai* which fell. Hoofs seemed to offer no protection, for the hail went right through in many plares. The tile roof of the public library was badly injured, and th n slat" ioof of the new Santa Fe hospital was seriously damaged. While the damage to the windows in the city was enormous and required the shipment from Kansas City the next morning of two earloads of glass, the damage to the roofs was vastly more, and many of the coverings of the houses have been so patched with new shingles that they look as though they had a had ease of smallpox. The hail storm was one of the worst ever experienced in the state and the worst ever known in To-

peka. New York Herald.

An Airy Fortune.

Washington lawyers have a peculiar predilection for running in pairs. Each of them seems to have a fldus Achates who follows the same professional line. Two of the best known practitioners of the local liar are affected this way toward each other,and nothing delights either of them more than astonishing or surpassing the other. Not long ago they were going down to the city hall together with the colonel remarked that he felt particularly good because he had just made $50,000. His companion was thunderstruck at the information and when lie recovered himself inquired how such a "fee" had been gained. “It wasn’t a fee, Billy,” returned the colonel. “You know that suqare of ground I own out near the boundary? Well, this morning I raised the price on it 25 cents a square foot."

—Washington Post.

The vice chancellor refused to regard 1 such manifestations of temper as cruel- ! ty, but does intimate that it was bad taste on the part of the man to select such a termagant for his wife. He declines to grant the divorce and presents his views of a husband's duty in vigorous fashion. "When a woman marries a man," he says, “she does not j marry his children. When a man marries he agrees that he will prefer his wife before he will consider his children. This he undertakes by the mere act of marriage, and even if they may be right and the wife wrong, the husband undertakes that he will stand by the wife and be her helpmeet and adviser to maintain her in her position. As her husband he should not take sides with his children and condemn her for hasty or ill-advised speech or action. He should support her as the 1 mistress of her household, even if she may err and be unduly energetic or even violent at times.” If New Jersey ever has equal suffrage Vice Chancellor Gray can count upon the solid support of second wives and stepmothers when

he comes up for office.

vvUh th a P ,r Hul| n kon Iy'^ld ” a ■ \v

Wi.'vc oiitfoiiflilt tit,‘in. outlri.-k", thorn. " outsailed them!" an.l slopi when- he \ r ,i Mei when the cloud* broke In sundei

,),(■ wind was still full'.

But they scanned the wide ocean in won-

1 der; no English were there.

( „, M ve ns the old Constitution! What!

’ shall this day he

The day of her tlrst retribution—her last

on the sea!

Preserve her with all great glory -she

still is sublime;

Forever she lives hi our story, a lan.imark of tint, _Thomas Tracy Route.

"Mother Kh-kerdyke” Honored. Fuhy 200 old soldiers, their families

and friends crowded into Bunker Hill, Kan., the other day to honor and pay their respects to that mother of all soldiers. Mrs. Bickerdyke. The Mother Blckerdyke day was originated by Commander Botkin as a token of the gratitude of the western soldier to an

estimable woman.

Mother Bickerdyke, while 80 years of age, is remarkably vigorous and in good health. She delights to see the soldiers and cheer them in their old age. As each delegation came into the | city they went to the home of Mother j Bickerdyke and paid their respects. She received each one with a hand-

shake and a cheering word.

Department Commander Botkin and staff, and Mrs. Griffiths, president of the W. R. C., and staff came in early this morning. The services were held in the morning in a large tent. Addresses were made by J. A. Dickson of Russell and William Russell of Bunker iiill. A hundred old veterans escorted Mother Bickerdyke to the afternoon celebration in a hack. Addresses were made by Commander Botkin, General Lewis Hand back of Topeka and Colonel Thomas Jackson of Newton. Mother Bickerdyke was presented with a silver water service by the G. A. R. of Kansas in commemoration of her labors for the old soldiers of Kansas. Mrs. Bickerdyke was Mary Ann Ball, and she was born at Mount Ve'-non. Ohio, in 1817. She came from the old pilgrim stock, intermingled with the Knickerbockers. Her ancestors came from England almost a century before the great revolution, and it is from the Virginia Balls that Mrs. Bickerdyke is descended. After a course at Oberlln college, Miss Ball studied the methods of the nursing of that day in the hospitals of Cincinnati. After her marriage she removed to Galesburg, 111., and the death of her husband left her to support two children. At the beginning of the civil war she offered her services to the sanitary commission at Chicago and, being accepted, was assigned lo Cairo, 111. She served nl)

if

'.T5 -T-

Bn? Who Shod* Hi* S|<ln. A physician reports a case of a boy who has shed his skin. On some parts of the body it came off in large patches, in others it seemed to scale off in fragments. At all events he has gotten rid of it and comes out with a brand new cuticle. No cause is assigned for this curious state of affairs. Such abnormal conditions occf oicnally occur, and must be set down merely as caprices of nature.

Can the Students Do It?

Several students from Yale and Amherst have located on the line of tha B. and A., in the employ of the timber land owners to patrol the line after trains and guard against forest fires. The part of the line between Grindstone and Houlton is divided into sections of seven miles each, and the patrol has to make two trips daily, twen-ty-eight miles In all, except in rainy weather, when he can loaf in his lonesome camp. Though more than a score of the most hardy woodsmen in this section have undertaken the job, all have been compelled to give it up. saying that no nun living can walk 28 miles a day and follow it up for a month.—Daily Kennebec Journal.

Too Good to Ho True.

“Yes,’ said the new arrival, "I am greatly surprised, indeed. I had expected to find things very different from what they are.” “Why?” exclaimed several of the girls in chorus, "don't the hotel and its surroundings look as they were pictured in the circular you received?” "They do. That's what surprises me.”—Cleveland Leader

DopIliK «lie Army iUM!! 1 .

From St. Louis Post Dispatch: A unique swindle of the government has ] recently been exposed by Dr. Ed Fer- ; reil and further attempt in that, direction prevented. Dr. Ferrell is a wellknown St. Louis veterinarian, having ' taken up the large practice enjoyed by his father, when the latter was api pointed inspector of horses and mules for the government, with headquarters

at Chicago.

According to the young veterinarll an's story a large contract for armt mules was recently advertised, and, following the rules and regulations, was let to the lowest bidder. This man said he would furnish all mules wanted at $35 apiece. “The first consignment was to arrive in East St. Louis," said Dr. Ed Ferrell, "and father appointed me to inspect them. When 1 looked at the papers and saw that $85 was the price per head I at once concluded something was amiss, for 1 knew a good mule eannot be purchased for less than $150. But. the animals I examined seemed all right; they were sleek and lively, and apparently came up to the requirements. During the first half hour that I was inspecting I noticed that I was never permitted to examine a mule very closely. The animal Itself objected and when one or two had nearly kicked my head off l began to suspect that some person was causing their deviltry. Then, finally. I caught sight of a man poking a mule with a sharp-pointed iron just as I stooped to examine a fetlock. This happened two cr three times, and I tell you my life was in danger. * The next discovery I made was that of a man poking a ‘hypo’ into a mule Then I called a halt, and ordered one of the drivers to take an animal far to

A ' MRS. MARY BICKERDYKE.

through the war, and her fame as a nurse spread throughout the armies of the north and the south. Many a brave soldier owes his life to her, and she is honored by the soldiers as is no other woman. Since the close of the war "Mother" Rlckerdyke has lent her valuable aid to many charitable missions in the east and in the west. She has been a pension agent, and in that capacity she has seen that many a deserving soldier lias got his rights. Of late years she has lived at Sallna, Kan., closing the years of a well-spent life. A Pi^oon** Wonderful Feat. A pigeon story, which is vouched for by the premier of the colony, is going the rounds of the New Zealand papers. Mr. Seddon’s family received from relatives in Victoria a beautiful pair of Antwerp homing pigoons. One day the birds were out flying, but only one returned to the cot, and nothing more was heard of the other; but some time afterwards news was received from Victoria that the missing bird had arrived safely at its former home. To reach Victoria from New Zealand the bird must have accomplished the feat of flying something like 1,000 miles without rest, and according to the dates it must have done the Journey in less than three days, which would mean that it would have to fly at a speed of from 18 to 20 miles an hour continuously.

AMERICANS WHO SWORE. Now a Common Habit, but I)i*Hn{;uMh«il

ProcedoutA Ape Disputed.

From the Hartford Courant: The fly and the mosquito season, unusually ripe, suggests the subject of profanity. Not that the subject is dependent upon any season, only there are times when some of us are more or less indifferent to it. A large portion of the words we overhear as we pass along the streets, in summer or winter, are oaths, coming to be uttered almost unconsciously by boys and men and coming to fall almost unheeded on the ears of the listener. They are more plentiful than the lies they frequently are intended to ornament; from being the mere decoration they have become the superstructure, the lie meanwhile maintaining its original proportions. Debating societies which continue to discuss, “Is a lie ever justifiable?” never take up the same question for swear words. It would be a waste of time. View It as we may, from the aesthetic or the moral standpoint, oaths have passed Into the every minute language of a large per rent of the male population. It would be necessary to modify the question for debate so as to read this way: Can an oath under certain conditions be pardonable?” Then the conditions might be such as are suggested by the mosquito season, typographical errors, a slump in the market, legislative interference with the state’s well being, teaching dullards Greek or rowing and the like. In all debates of the kind, if our memory serves us, the argument is clinched by going into history and hunting out precedents. Thus, the father of his country, who never told a lie, is on tradition's record as having uttered an oath. As wo look around we find that we have to stick pretty closely to American history for our precedents, inasmuch as "Mon Dieu,” “Gott in Himmel” and "saeristl" across the water are considered not to count. Passing, then, through the sulphurous atmosphere which is said to have surrounded "Old Hickory,” we come down to modern times without many authenticated eases. The civil war was prolific, however, it furnished two. One was when Oon. Sherman was called forward to see personally what it was that obstructed the path of his army. He hud discountenanced profanity in general. When lie reached the spot in question he found a team cf obstinate army mules.their driver not using "cuss words” because within the hearing of the general, and they themselves firm as lhe everlasting hills. After an aid had explained the driver was allowed to swear. The mules immediately resumed their journey and from that time tiie general is said to have believed severe language was a necessary part of a muleteer's equipment. That’s the story. The other instance is preserved in an immortal poem, "Sheridan’s Ride.” How the declaiming schoolboy will forever ring out these words, “He dashed down the line with a terrible oath.” Sheridan was inspiring a whole army, he was turning a crushing defeat into a famous victory, he was winning undying fame. Many an otherwise dean-mouthed officer or trainer has said that in emergencies a "good oath” is all that will bring men to their senses. But here comes Gen. George A. Forsyth in the July Harper’s and puts Poet Read In the class of fiction writers. As a young aid. General Forsyth was with General Sheridan most of the time on that memorable day at Cedar Creek. He was dose to him as he dashed down the reformed line and lie takes occasion to say emphatically that there was no "terrible oath” or any other kind of oath. Sheridan had a word of dicer for officers and men here and there and they were inspired to their heroic deeds by the very sight of

their leader.

So it may be that the story of Washington's oath is hypocritical, Jackson may have indulged in sulphur and Sherman may never have given hi? sanction to language proscribed in decent society. And thus, therefore, it may ho that just as much can lie accomplished with mosquitoes or men or type or legislatures without profanity, and the conditions under which it is adniissalile may exist only in the fancy of the benighted.

Ouoeii Wllhelralna anil Her Suitor*. Queen Wilhelmina of Holland will come of age on September 1, next when, and not earlier, she will take into consideration the important question as to whom she will choose as her future consort. She will have plenty of suitors to choose from, no fewer than six having entered the lists in competition for her hand. These are her two cousins, the Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and his brother. Prince Bernard, whose mother was Princess Sophia of the Netherlands, sister of the late king; the hereditary Prince of Wied, whose mother was Princess Maria, of the Netherlands, cousin of the late king; Prince Harold of Denmark. who is just coming of age; and the two elder sons of Prince Regent of Brunswick, whose mothed was a princess of the Netherlands. All the suitors are thus related to the House of Orange and the necessity for this condition bars any others.

Sadly Bereaved. A North Carolina paper says: “As Col. Williams was driving home yesterday lightning struck his wagon and completely demolished a four gallon demijohn of very fine whisky. The colonel has the sympathy of the community.

A Georgia author sent a short storj to 150 newspapers and magazines combined. It took all of them just three years to decline it; but he was not discouraged, and during the fourth year of its itinerary it was accepted and paid for.