Plymouth Democrat, Volume 15, Number 10, Plymouth, Marshall County, 11 November 1869 — Page 1

YOUTHS' DEPARTMENT.

POETRY.

cony HARVEST.

BT T. TOWK9KKD TROWBRIDGE. Tin fields are filled with smoky haze. The eolden spears Of the ripening ears PW from the cre-ted. and pennoned maize; AH down the rustling rows are rolled The portly pumpkins, green and gold. Altogether "Ti very fine weather, l is a the aimanac foretold. In early ?nmmer the hrhrand crow Made ruth let raid On the sprouting blades : The weeds foaght Ion with Ue fannera hoe: . . r-CCoous anuirrein have had their O! all the rood man"s toil and care ; The -hy flelI-mone Has tilled her bouse. And the blackbirds are ilockinir from no one know where. lint now his time ha? 'omo ; hnrrah '. To the fields, mds! to-day Our work will be play. lax rue r!acKrird.- scream, and the mad crows caw, am me tmrrei oid on the wild cherry limb W e 11 take from the robbers that took from him ! Come alonir. one and all. ooys! Big hoys and small boye, Lon?-arrned Amo. and Joel, and Jim ! Hi iicMo to reap, or blades to strike. Be Tor.- they have lost In stin and frost The nouri.hinr juices the cattle like, Sucier and stalk must be cnt from the hill ; suironnn them, and bend them, then hit with a win Lft standing too Ions. They grow woody and stron?; The corn iu the shock will ripen still. Carry your stroke, lads, close to the ground, tct the stalks upright. And pack them tight In pyramid.- shapely and stately and round. Oive the old lady's kirts a genteel spread ; iIojH; well the shoulders, so as to shed The Autumn rain From the nnhusked grain. Then twist a wisp for the queer little head. There she is, waiting to be embraced! Beach round her who can ! Twill take a man And a boy, at least, to clasp her waist ! ver a hug like that Now draw Tightly tbe girdle of good oat-straw! With the pi urn post waul That ever wa laced, Uoea the narrowest nightcap ever yon saw. We bind the corn and leave it snug. Or rest in the shade Of the shocks we have made. To eat our landman, and drink from the jug. The children come bringing the bands, or play llide-and-go-seek in the corn all day ; And now and then race With a chinmonk. or chase A scared little field-mouse scampering away. A . d we cnt and bind; till at night Where a field of corn in The misty morning Waved, in the level September lightAll ov.-r the shadowy stubble-lanu, Bm Mooks. like Indian wigwams, stand. ( onipact and seenre, The; leave them to cure. Till the merry husking -time is at hand. Tln-n the fodder will be to stack or to hou". And the ears to hnsk. But now the dusk Falls soft a the shadows of cool pine-boughs ; i ir 'ood day's work is done; the night Brings wholesome fatiime and appetite; I n comes the bailoon Of the huge red moon, And home we go. singing gay songs by its light. MISCELLANEOUS. Electricity the Vital Force. TrtK science of chemistry has done much of late to define the character of the subtile elements of nature, yet there remains much undefined and probably un-di-rinable. A controversy has existed for a long time between physiologists and electricians as to the nature of the vital force of the animal economy. While the hitter contend this force is but a condition Ol electricity, the former deny the identity of the two. It is an admitted fact that there is a vital principle pervading every species and variety of the animal kingdom, without which it could not exist. Our object is not only to show the analogy existing between it and the common electricity, but further to prove the identity of the two. This power is 30 distinctively defined in some OI the lower animals, that there can be no mistaking its identity. Several species of fishes are now known to scienmen to possess electrical power to a remarkable degree. The torpecS is fish of enormous muscular and nervous power, having incorpol in his body, a well defined battery capable of emitting tremendous shocks. The gymnotus or American eel, is from live to six feet long, and the most powerful electric fish yet discovered. This dread monster of the deep coils himself up in the mud. and gathers around him a school : small fishes. By his electric discharge he renders them powerless and devours them at pleasure. The eel is constructed upon the plan of the Voltaic battery or pile. He has ninety ' ries of tubes or piles arranged horizontally from head to tad. These tubes contain an albuminous fluid, highly saturated with saline matter. This natural aniaeel battery is connected with bundles of nerves proceeding from the brain, anu distributed throughout the electrical appar1 toe in multitudinous ramifications. Ordinarily, this fish presents no more signs of . trinity than a Voltaic battery, at rest : but when it is excited its power seems almost unlimited. Then a full grasp by the h ind of the monster has been known to destroy human life, and even the horse ii is been killed by its voluntary shocks. A done inspection of the physiological structure of man discloses a perfect Voltaic battery or pile. And the arrangement of its sohds and fluids is peculiarly fitted to tne generation and discharge of electricity. To the brain, spinal cord, and great sympathetic may be traced the source of electrical power. The brain is the prime bat-l.-ry or reeer oil of electro-magnetism, ted at the pleasure of the voluntary miad. J'.y means of the multitudinous ramification of nerves, a perfect system of telegraphing is established throughout the entire organism. These nerves, both the motar and sensitive, polarize with the brain, producing direct and reflex action. Through this media, lHth motion and nsation are communicated. It is in tact the direct source of all mental operation, familiarizing man with the woiid of things and phenomena. The proofs in reference to men's electrical identity are s., incontrovertible that no intelli-tr-nt physiologist -r naturalist can doubl that the vital force of the body is electricity. It is a demonstrable fact that curreati of electricity are constantly passing from the human system. 80 strikingly is this ilhntrated tint, in some instances, a Tap oi the hand will trausmit an electric shock perceptible to the elbow. A positive hand ht-d on a negative brain is frequently unbearable, causing a sensation similar to that made by an electric machine. The sparks, external, and the crackling of the body so perceptible at times, are but electrical phenomena. This vital principle is so identified in certain penew that gas will ignite by contact with the tips of their fingers. The same illumination can be accomplished by every on.; if insulated and charged with electricity, which only increases the volume of that already in the body. Further proof is given in paralysis or loss of power in the limbs, which can be traced to an ab nce of the vital force. In this conm tion, if the paralyized organ be placed in an electric circuit, its vitality is re-established. No stronger proof can be given of their sameness, than in the direct institution of one for the other. Telegraph Journal. As an example of the pride of Englishmen, the Domino tells the following story: While Marshal Sebastian! was French Minister in this country, he sat next Lord Palmerston at a city dinner, and, after istenmg to all that was said in prvse of England in the various speeches delivered during the evening, he remarked to his neighbor, 4 Oh, my Lord, if I was not a Frenchman I should wish to be an Englishman.' 4 And I,' coldly replied old Pam. It tfieux Pam), 4 if I was not an Englishman, should wish to be one."' At the American Social Science Association in New York, a paper was read by Frederick Kapp, one or the Commissioners of Emigration, in wnich he states that about 50 per cent of the emigrants go to the country, and 75 per cent of these latter go West, comprising the healthy, industrious and wealthy. The average attendauce at the Rerlin churches, on Sun lays, from the first of January to the last of September, 1869, was thirty-two persons.

The

VOLUME XV. HOW I WOT RICH AGAINST MY WILL. BT MAC A BONE. After battling for many years with misfortune, misery, reverses and disap pointments, i have squatted in St Louis 1 am now a rich man a nabob. The :isessnr has assessed me at i.U00. J 1 1 A 1 have "Mac Arone Castle" nearly com pleted, and a crowd of upholsterers am suodIv merchants solicit mv natronaere. Piles of sweet scented notes daily beg the favor of my society to dinners, suppers and evening parties. And yet u teas not alien so. I can recollect when I was as poor as poverty v. hen I vainly solicited employment whereby I might live honestly and decently. rsobody would listen tome; nobody cared for me. Bankers looked suspiciously at my appearance, uierirymen crave me a mess of "cold shoulder." They could in ike nothing out of me. Grocers and sa loon-keepers eyed mc with mistrust when I asked for five or ten cents' worth of their wares. My tailor would have the money in advance lor a suit ot clothes I badlv needed. Unable to do anything in St. Louis. I. with two friends companions in misery resolved that we would try our luck in Kansas City. Their names were John Smith, a vender of patent ricrhts, compiler of directories, and projector, of advertising dodges; and Al bert Robinson, a Bohemian, who was for some time local reporter on one of the St. Louis dailies, but at the time I speak of, out of situation, money, friends and hopes. Kobinson had a manuscript of hve hun dred and forty pages of foolscap, entitled " Millertsm Exposed; or the Perpetuity of the Earth." It was a well-written, log ical treatise, and would have made him a reputation to be proud of. But no pub lisher would undertake to print it for the poor fellow. We three packed up our little valises and took a cheap passage on one of the boats IÖT Kansas City. I here we were more fortunate. Smith obtained a clerk ship in a dry goods house, Robinson se cured a position on one of the morning papers, 1 became talesman and book-keeper in a grocery boose. We had about seventy-five dollars a month. It was not much ; but it enabled us to have a little reunion once in a while, talk of the past and df vise projects for the future over a quiet glass of beer, in a retired room just off from Main street. After a long chat one evening on our hopes and tears. Smith said : " All nonsense, my dear fellows ! we have neither of us the means of making a fortune. But an idea strikes me could we not get the credit of being rich?" "And to what purpose?" I suggested. 44 It gives one a position in the world. A large inheritance augments the consideration ;n which we are held. Then everything becomes easy." " I rt collect," said I, "cfan uncle of mine, who went out to California at the time of the gold fever, and he has never returned nor been heard from since." M That's just it. We'll bring your uncle to life or rather, we'll kill him. Ingots, gold-dust, shares in mines and crushing mills, shares in railroads, banks and government securities, will have a grand effect No doubt there are many returned gold-seekers of that time, fortunate and otherwise, from St. Louis to St. Joseph along the river towns, that remember your uncle or have met him in the gold-field3." " Let us kill him !" continued the two scamps, 44 and leave the bulk of his fortune three millions and a half of dollars to Mac Arone." We laughed heartily at the joke, and had another round of beer. I thought no more of the circumstance, and you may guess of my astonishment when I took up the paper, on which Robinson was local,' and read among the city items : 44 A Lucky Fellow. We learned yesterday, from a party of gentlemen just returned from Montana, of the death of Mac Arone, Sr., one of the most fortunate of miners, who was attracted to the gold regions several years ago. He was mortally wounded by a party of Indians, and after being carried to Helena, had just time to make his will, and leave the bulk of his savings some $:,500,000 to his nephew, Mac Arone, who now occupies the humble position ot book-keeper at Brown & Co.'s grocery house on Main street. We wish Mac Arone, Jr., joy of hi- good fortune ; and as he was always a hearty, jovial kind of a fellow, he has now three and a half million additional claims on our regard." The evening papers and the other morning papers rehashed the item, and the two fellows retailed the story with all the seriousness imaginable. The next day people came in groups to compliment me. My employers wanted mc to go in partnership with them and extend the business. I disavowed the report, as a matter of course, but nobody would believe me. Many in Kansas City knew my uncle well they had met him in different mining districts of Montana and California. Some had been fellowtravelers of his from one place to another. All put him down as a lucky, shrewd, intelligent miner. Among the numlicr of these visitors was one not the most agreeable. With the whim of a young man, JI had some time previously ordered a fashionable suit of clothes to go out in. It was nearly worn out, and 1 was yet owing about half the price of it. There had been for some time ia.t a coolness between the tailor and myself. His importunities I wished to avoid. The rumor of my legacy made him hasten to find me. Such was the penalty I paid for the folish pleasantry of my friends. 44 Good day, Mr. Snip," said I with some embarrassment, 44 1 suppose you have come for those fifty dollars that I owe you f " By no means, my dear Mr. Mac Arone ; I never thought of it. You do not imagine I would tl ink of dunning you for such a paltry trifle ? No, sir ; I came to solicit you for the manufacture of your mourning suit." What mourning suit f" " For youi uncle. No doubt you will desire two suits for a change silk hat, craped, white shirt, black studs, etc." "Just now, Mr. Snip, such an order from me would be impossible." "I hope you don t think, Mr. Mac Arone, of withdrawing your patronage. You know my materials are prime, my workmen first-class, and my prices as moderate as you can find them even in gt. Louis." ' I tell you again, I have not yet re ceived " " I beg of you, my dear Mr. Mac Arone, not to speak of money I am not pressed it will come soon enough" and Mr. Snip, who had already taken out his scissors, passed his measure round my waist. I va certainly in want of clothes, and therefore permitted him to take his measurements. No sooner was he gone than another individual entered. He liegan . "Jir. Mac Arone, you must no me a ?eat service. Buy my house and lot. ou are rich very rich ; you want some real estate in Kansas City. Forty thousand dollars are nothing to you, and at present I am in urgent want of money. I expected Mr. Mardcash to buy it, hut he docs not decide, and I have some pressing engage im nt s to settle." M f llllV trMIP li.illu.. mlml n . . m ... ... ... . ! ' ' " It is no nonsense. It is a safe invest ment. In two years it will be worth double the amount. I have your word,"

Plymouth Democrat.

and he left without giving me time to re piy. So well did he circulate the report of my purchase, that very soon Mr. Jtlardcash, apparently m had humor, honored me with a hurried visit. He at once remarked " Mr. Mac Arone, I cannot do without that house. I thought it was already mine. 1 offered thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars for it, believincr that the owner would soon and surely come to terms. But there is no hope of starving you into an agreement; so without further preliminaries, I want to offer t ou an advance of fifteen thousand dollars on your bargain. Fifteen thousand dollars coming to me! 1 scarcely knew what to make of it I, who had so much trouble to procure work; 1, who had to toil so incessantly for seven ty-five dollars a month : Although but little acquainted with business, I saw in a twinkling the advan tage to be derived from my position, and replied : 44 It is impossible, sir, for me to give you an answer just now. Keturn by hve o'clock. Meantime I will consider the matter. At a quarter before the appointed hour Mr. llardcash was before me. 44 1 had no wish forthat house," said I, "and did not even think about it when the owner came and begged me to buy it As it suits you, and as any other win uo as wen ior me, 1 accept your öfter." " xou snan dc pain in two weeKs, in paper on St Louis," said the purchaser, delighted with my promptitude in busi ness. Paper on St, Louis I I was so little ac customed to financial nomenclature and proceedings that I imagined I should send it thither for payment. I accordingly wrote to a lianking-housc not far from the post-otlice, stating that I had certain funds to invest, and asked ad vice on the safest mode. It appears, the phrase 44 certain funds" has different ac ceptations "on Change, according to the name and the position of him who employs it. The news of my inheritance must have reached St. Louis. No doubt it found its way into the 44 Missouri State Items" of he papers. Terhaps the mercantile agen cies became posted. "Certain funds. situated as I was supposed to be, was a modest manner of specifying a considerable amount. At least l"supposed so, on receiving an answer from the house to which I wrote. They said my letter had just arrived in ime to take one hundred and fifty thou sand dollars' worth of Iron Mountain Railroad stock just offered on 'Change. If I thought tltat too much, a large profit might be immediately realized, as it had rapidly gone up. A Postscript m the writing of the President, who was an oily, hypocritical financier, congratulated me on my accession to fortune ! A hundred and fifty thousand dollars ! The letter fell from my hands. The amount frightened me. I telegraphed in stantly to my correspondents that so larcre a sum was beyond my means; that I had no remittances as yet from Helena, Mon tana, and that I was not then able to satis fy their claims. A reply came in a couple of days, sayng that in accordance with my implied wish, they had disposed of the stock at a profit of seventy-five thousand dollars, which was placed to my credit. They begged of me not to be uneasy, as they were aware that in consequence of the troubles on the overland route (the Union Pacific Railroad was not yet in operation), remittances were slow from the Wes . The prospectus of a new German bank was inclosed, in which one hundred shares were secured for me. Seventy-five thousand dollars ! Did the clerk put in a few cyphers too many? My situation became embarrassing. I was overwhelmed with congratulations, particularly when I donned the suit of black the black silk hat, with broad crape, black kids, black tie and studs, dainty boots, et cetera. The editor of one of the newspapers thought himself obliged to give a biographical sketch of my uncle, and asked me for additional particulars. I was besieged with annoying questions of every kind. In what way would I furnish my house? Samples of doth, groceries, etc., etc., were submitted to mc for inspection. 1 never knew oi so many churches in course of erection that were short of funds ! so many public institu tions with depleted treasuries ! so many orphans who wanted fathers, and widows who wanted husbands, at the impover ished asylums, who would bless my bounty ! Missionaries told me harrowing tales of the poor children in Timbuctoo dying of cold in the dog-days. Pews were tendered to me in twenty-seven churches in St. Louis and Kansas City. I would be a second Peabody. I would be the Roths child of the West, the Astor of the Missis sippi Valley, the V anderbilt of Missouri. Lucas and Shaw were nowhere, compared with what my piles of correspondence made me. But I was ruined in postage stamps and stationery. In the midst of all my riches, whether real or imaginary, I had no money ! Fortunately, from the moment I was held to be rich no one would take a cent from me. Everybody counted upon the honor of my patronage. At last I decided on going to St. Louis. Immediately on my arrival I went to my bankers, who received me with all the warmth due an inheritor of great wealth. " I regret," said the President, 44 that you mistrusted that speculation : for railroad stock has again gone up. No matter, however, you have some left." "Will you have t:.' goodness," said I, 44 to tell me precisely how much all these funds are worth which you have bought for me ?" "The calculation is easy," and taking oul a pencil, he ciphered on the back of a blank check for a few minutes, and then said ; 44 Four hundred and twenty thousand dollars I" I opened both my ears and eyes. " 10U say four hundred and twenty thousand dollars are you quite certain ? " Perfectly." Not wishing to appear too startled, I replied briefly : "That is well. You spoke also of a bank ?" "Yes; the establishment of the bank has met with some difficulties ; but the affair is not less good. We are on the eve of terminating it, and scrip is well up." " Could that scrip be also sold ?" " Yes; and holding as you do, one hundred and fifty shares one thousand dollar shares which are tolerably up, you can realize thereby eighty thousand dollars." "Although as yet I have paid nothing?" . "Undoubtedly;' 44 All right, since you say so. Now, I would like to make a good and safe investment 4 the whole, be so kind as to tell me what you think." 44 You will need a home hero. Reserve enough for that, and invest the balance in five-twenties, seven-thirties and ten-forties and other safe enterprises that will arise, and the coupons and profits will insure you a nice income." " By disposing of what T have, in the way specified," said I, " what will be the net annual income?" M About twelve thousand dollars a year on all your investments, which might be judiciously used in increasing it." "Twelve thousand dollars a year! I guess 1 can manage to live on that," COB tinned V "When can I receive it?" 44 To-morrow, if you confine the transaction to onr house." 44 That, of course," was my rejoinder ;

PLYMOUTH, INDIANA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1869.

" what other idea could inspire me with so great a degree of confidence ?" The president of the bank bowed, and asked me to have a glass of champagne. Will it be believed ? in the midst of all these treasures I felt a certain embarrassment in asking for a small amount, of which I stood in the greatest need. I had not a dollar in my pocket With some confusion, I asked : " Can I, without indiscretion, beg you to advance me, for the time being, a small sum, which I need in my progress through this city?" 44 Certainly, my very dear sir. Our safe is at your disposal. How much do you want ? three, four, or ten thousand dollars? "I do not require so much just nowone thousand dollars will be sufficient After I got the United States bonds, and other securities, and the thousand dol lars I wanted so pressingly, I arose to de part. 44 May I beg you," said the 'president, leading the way as I was going out " may I beg you to continue your favors to our house r " Certainly, sir ; you well deserve it," I replied, conscious of having the vouchers of a twelve thousand dollar in come in my breast pocket, one thousand dollars in greenbacks in my pocket-book, and sufficient securities beside to secure a lot and build upon it a residence suitable to my tastes. 44 1 have another favor to ask of you," said the president ; " come to tea this eve ning, my wife will be so happy to meet you." 44 1 regret that other engagements just now call my attentions for the day, and will deny mc the pleasure." To-morrow any tune ; my house you mav consider yours ; you will always be welcome." 44 Thank you. Good evening." As I parted from the banker I began to realize my wealth my impoitance. Se curities for a princely home an J a princely income ! I had no doubt that I was destined to resuscitate the noble house of Mac Arone from the dark ages of oblivion. I was now possessor of an income of twelve thousand dollars a year. When I landed in St. Louis, I had not where to take my trunk, and not much more than its 'bus hire in my possession. But now I ordered a hack from the court house square, and taking my trunk from the Pacific railroad depot, I put up in a nice room at the Southern Hotel. For several days I was tormented with importunate visits. The entire staffs of the four newspapers called about fifty times to solicit my subscription. Begging letters lay in piles upon my table. Invitations to suppers, evening parties and soirees, rose around ine in odoriferious pyramids. Hungry editors came to ask me if I didn't want to run on the inde pendent ticket for Congress, or for Mayor at the next election. I could have tlieir support. They could mold the American, German and Irish elements in St. Louis, as the potter molds the plaster clay. About a week after my arrival at the Southern Hotel the waiter brought me up the cards of my friends Smith and Robinson. I ordered them to be shown up. They were astonished at my situation. It s the devil to be permitted to see you," said both, nearly together. 44 Yes ; I am besieged by persons with all sorts of solicitations and projects ; but you my dear friends, you will be always wel come, lou are jusi in lime 10 come wim me to see a site I have purchased, and where I am about to have erected a regular mediaeval castle. It will cost about one hundred thousand dollars." 44 1 suppose ii must be some considerable way from here," said Smith, with a signifi cant nod. Not far from the Fair Grounds," said I. 44 Let me take you there in my car riage." 44 Your carriage ?" 44 My carriage." 44 You have a carriage ?" 44 Yes, and a spanking team I bought two days ago." My two friends retired to the window where they whispered to one another, looking all the time very lugubrious. 41 Mac, said they, turning to me, 44 do you know that your uncle is not dead." 44 1 don t know if he be dead, said I ; 44 for I am not very certain that he ever lived." 44 You know that this story about your inheritance is all a joke?" 41 1 am also persuaded that only you and I believe so," was my answer. We have done you wrong, rejoined the twain ; 44 great wrong in what was intended only for fun. It cost us much sor row." The friends thought I was forced to leave Kansas City by the pressure of creditors, who expected pay on the strength of the joke. 44 On the contrary ; I thank you cordial ly for it" said I. 44 It is our duty to disavow it ; wc arc going in public to declare ourselves guilty." 44 1 entreat you to leave things just as they are. A few days more of credit will prevent the necessity ol displacing my funds." Smith and Robinson regarded mc as completely deranged. 44 Come, 1 said, 44 let us lose no time ; the carriage is ready. I will tell you all as I go along. Smith I have secured you a good 4 posish ;' and, Robinson, I have made arrangements with a publisher for the getting out of your book." Truth, however, always comes out. Some were on the watch for express packages from Montana for me. Well-advised people shook their heads when speaking of me. The rumor so quickly raised, tumbled down with equal rapidity. ,4 The best of it is," said some, " he has ended by falling into the snare he laid for others. For my part I never believed it." I comprehended the situation by finding on my table some twenty notes. They were all nearly of this style: 44 Mr. Snip presents his respectful compliments to Mr. Mac Arone, and, having an urgent need of money, begs that he will be so good as to pay, in the course of the day, the little account which he has the honor to inclose." My ai 44 Mr. My answers were all alike : Mac Arone thanks Mr. Snip foF the bill which has been so long looked for, and herewith sends the amount" Only one letter contained no request lor money. It was from a friend whom I had almost forgotten. Fearing that I had been duped, he wrote to lend mo five hundred dollars shojild I wish to remove from a place where so many rumors were circulated prt judicial to my character. My reply gave the necessary explanation, which I concluded thus : 44 1 am rich; not by an inheritance, in which I never believed, but because it was determined, in spite of my protestations, that I should be rich. I have, in reality, t)een made very rich I scarcely know how. This is what I would wish you to say to those who would talk of me. I owe more than fortune to my singular situation, since it has assured mc that I have a friend on whom I may count in adversity, should it ever visit mc. For another week I was a common topic for public conversation. " He has loen fortunate, if you will ; but I say he is a clever fellow, who has known how to take advantage ot circum stances. is not cvcrylnxly who could maneuver in this way" For my part, I was for a moment tempt cd to applaud ray own genius; but a little reflection convinced me thct talent had nothing to do with it I quietly took my

place in society as the possessor of Iwelve

thousand dollars a year, and still Keep it. Moralizing on mv sudden change of po sition. I can only look upon it as one of those stranee freaks of fortune which all the world allows to be unaccountable. Western Monthly. aem How to Breathe. There is one rule to be observed m taking exercise by walking the very best form In which it can be taken by the able bodied of all ages and that is. never allow the action of respiration to be carried on through the mouth. The nasal passages are clearly the medium through which respiration was designed by our Creator to be carried on. 41 God breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life " previous to his becoming a living creature. 1 he difference in the exhaustion of strength by a long walk with ihe mouth firmly closed, and respiration carried through the nostrils instead of through the mouth, is in conceivable to those who have never tried the experiment. And indeed this mis chievous and really unnatural habit of carrying on the work of inspiration and expiration through the mouth instead of through the nasal passages is the true origin of almost all the diseases of the throat and lungs, as congestion, asthma, Dronchitis, and even consumption itsell. That excessive perspiration to which some individuals are so liable in their sleep ; which is so weakening to the body, is solely the effect of such persons sleeping with their mouths unclosed. And the same unpleasant and exhaustive results are occasioned to the animal system from walking with the mouth open, instead of, when not engaged in conversation, preserving the lips m a state of firm but quiet compression. As the heart and velocity of the blood through the lungs depend almost entirely upon the quantity of the atmospheric air inhaled with each inspiration, and it is unavoidable that it should be taken in volume, by the mouth, while it can only be supplied in moderate quantities and just in sufficient proportion to serve the purpose of healthy, respirative action while supplied through the nostrils, it is clear that the body must be much lighter and cooler, and also the breathing is much freer and easier when the latter course rather than the former one is adopted. Children ought never to be allowed to stand frith their mouths open ; for besides the vacant appearance it gives to the countenance, it is the certain precursor of colds, coughs and sore throats. Exchange. m m The Imp of the Trirate Bottle. Medical men in all parts of the world have startling facts brought to their knowledge in reference to family affairs. It is fortunate for the peace of households that doctors, as a rule, set a guard upon their tongues, and that it is deemed a breach of professional etiquette to disclose the secrets they learn in the course of their practice. Sometimes, however, a habit becomes so common that it is no longer possible to keep silence respecting it. It saps the vigor of thousands, causes u nspeakable anxiety and misery, sows dissensions in innumerable households, and finally hurries the unhappy victim into a premature grave. Unless the evidence of medical men is to be rejected, such a habit is now running its course among us. The indications cannot be misunderstood bv the professional eye. Every doctor has had cases produced by it within the range of his experience. And it is scarcely possible that his skill can be exercised upon a more insidious or hopeless malady. We refer, of course, to the custom of dramdrinking in private, under pretence of taking a 44 wholesome tonic " as a restorative of the system. The tonic, no matter under what false name it is sold, is generally a mischievous alcoholic stimulant, which, by the spirits of evil let loose from a bottle by a traveler in the Arabian Nights, proves the bane of young and old, the curse of every household into which it enters, and the ruin of every woman who is foolish enough to place herself beneath its spell. The 44 mysterious maladies " which alarm the heads of households are frequently to be traced to the deleterious compounds sold as 44 bitters," and warranted by the makers to cure half the diseases flesh is heir to. The basis of these mixtures is nothing but whisky, flavored and disguised to give some excuse for the pretext under which it is sold. Analysis will show that what is represented as a glass of healthy bitters is almost always the Circean cup, ('estined to acquire an increasing inlluence over the unhappy dupe who drains it, until at last she becomes hopelessly degraded. The victims are chiefly women ; for when men want to drink, they can find plenty of chances of doing it openly. They can ask for whisky over a counter without exciting scandal. Hut a woman cannot walk into a bar-room and call for 44 bourbon " or 44 rye." It is for her, there fore, that preparations of bitters, under all sorts of fantastic names, are scattered broadcast over the land. She is innocent of any ill intention in taking them. She is not aware that she is really ruining her constitution by imbibing daily doses of alcohol. But in the course of time her husband notices that her health Is failing. Her nervous system is deranged, her appetite disappears, she rises in the morning tired and feverish, her head is always aching, her hand shakes, and she is subject to constant depression of spirits. The husband looks on at these symptoms with pain and grief, but he is at a loss to account for them, because he does not suspect the demon which lurks in the apparently harmless bottle of 41 bitters " stowed away in the cupboard. He tries change of air, but it does no good, and no wonder --the fatal bottle goes with his wife, in her trunk. At last the doctor is called in, and he at once detects in the unfortunate woman all the disastrous effects of hard drinking. We have heard on flood authority that th patient is sometimes discovered to bo on the very verge of delirium tremens ! The horror of the husband, when this fact comes to his knowledge, may be imagined ; but although his wife may be temporarily cured,' the evil ascendancy too often returns, and the flower Of her life is cruelly poisoned. Any.medical man in large practice would vouch for it that we do not exaggerate the deplorable wreck of mind and body produced by this kind of dram drinking. It is extending everywhere, although not under identically the same disguises. In France the concoction may be called a 44 water," in England 44 spirits of orangeflower," but everywhere it is the same baleful compound -alcohol is present beneath all the artifices that may le eniidoyed, and when once a woman has sold lerself to the evil spirit her freedom, her hnnimiess. and her health are alike sacri ficed. She may not know what she is doing. She feels thi.t her strength is failing, and she finds that the habit of sipping at the black bottle infuses into her for a time new animation. She may sincerely believe that the fatal draught is really composed, Jas its makers assert, of some life giving herb or plant She ascrilics her declining health to any and every cause but the right one. Consequently she goes on tippling until it is too late to undo the mischief which has been wrought. The bottle of 44 bitters" is" often replenished, and each dose inflicts a new blow upon her constitution. I'ut the taste for it increases rap idly, until in the end it becomes unconquerable, and the wretched slave to the bottle has remorse for her companion until the last hour. It is a melancholy picture, but it woukl startle all of us if wc

knew how often the physician is compelled to gaze upon it. The secret potations of the drawing-room are not less disastrous in their consequences than the more vulgar carousals of the drinking saloon or the bar-room. Tobacco and whisky are now doing harm enough in almost every community, without women abandoning themselves to the same malign influence. Beware of the bottle, no matter under what shape it may seek admission into the household! The only safe tonics are to be found in regular hours, good exercise, simple fare, and a needful proportion of sleep. The truth is as old as the hills, but it is not superflous to enforce it once more, when city life and quackery combined arc destroying the energy and vivacity of youth, and bringing down gray heads in sorrow to the grave. New York Times.

The Plague of the House. Theologians have been extremely puzzled to determine what the great Jewish law-giver meant by the terms, 44 leprosjr of the house" and "leprosy of the garments." That it was something highly detrimental not only to the house and the garments, but to the occupants, may be inferred from the injunctions given for its destruction. The house was to be vacated and cleansed : the stones affected were to be removed out of the city ; the walls were to be scraped, etc. And if, after the prescribed treatment, the leprosy remained, the house was to be destroyed, and the stones thrown into some unclean place without the city. Garments affected with leprosy required equal care in their purifi cation. It is now very generally believed that the leprosy of the house and ot the car ments is the mildew of damp and moist places, which the microscope reveals to us as a lungus or plant growth. Two varieties of leprosy are mentioned in the Levitical account namely . kredlvth,y and "greenish." The former is commonly known as the dry-rot (Afervlius lirhrymans of botanists), and appears wherever there are moisture, warmth, and a stagnant air. It is quite universal in its prevalence, but is found more frequently in wood and organ ic substances, placed under the conditions above given as in the hollow places of trees, in the frame-work of ships, and in the timbers of houses. At first it resembles a spider's web, spreading, by means of fine white threads, from a common centre. Gradually, it becomes consolidated into a yellowish-white mass, like a cushion, and may be seen in great numbers in the crevices of the wood or wall infected. As the vegetable grows toward maturity, these masses become covered with reddish vines, which emit drops of water, and hence the name lachrymam (weeping). At maturity, this plant sheds an immense growth of seeds, so minute as to float unpcrceived in the air, but having such vitality that when they fall into a congenial soil, they immediately take root. thus the fungus spreads with amazing rapidity in places adapted to its develop ment. The destructive eflects of this plant upon wood are well known to ship and house carpenters. The tenacity of the fibre is destroyed, and the wood falls in pieces like sand. Ships, once affected, are soon rendered useless, and houses fall into irremediable dilapidation. It is only by the complete removal of every germ that the work of decay can be arrested ; and for complete restoration, the sunlight anu iresn air are lmuspcnsanie. The 44 greenish " color is doubtless due to another fungus, more generally seen than the 44 reddish" namely: mildew or common mould (pcniciUium glaucum). This plant inds a proper soil in every place where moisture, warmth, shade, and stagnant air exist together, and even where but the two conditions, moisture and warmth, co-exist. The housewife finds it in the cellar upon her preserves, in the crevices of the loaf of stale bread, fringing a pumpkin-pie, covering the vinegai, and among her linen which has been packed away .when damp. The farmer finds it in every shady nook, upon his Sunday boots, on old harness and saddles, on the damp hay and grain, in the granary, on vegetables, etc. It is prolific to a most extraordinary degree ; its germs fill the air of our rooms, penetrate our lungs, fill our clothing, and wherever they can find a place for germination, take root and multiply so rapidly as often to excite the surprise of those most familiar with it Like the 44 reddish," the 44 greenish " leprosy is destructive of house and garments. Every article upon , which it grows will sooner or later undergo decay, and become useless, except where a ferment is necessary to its utility. But these forms of leprosy are not, unfortunately, always confined in their injurious effects to our household surroundings. They often attack, when the weather is propitious, various crops, the wheat, the grape, the potato, and in a few days cause immense destruction of property. But even this is not the limit of their evil eflects, for the thrush of children, and many of our most fatal diseases, are traceable tothegrowth of these fungi upon our throats, within our stomachs, liver, and even our blood. This leprosy within our houses and garments has never attracted the attention it ought. In many dwellings, especially of the poor, it prevails as a permanent pestilence, and not only destroys in time the tenement, but also its occupant. In our best houses it may be found insidiously spreading decay and death where and when least suspected. It should become universally known that dry rot in the wood, or bricks, or stone of our houses, and common mould or. mildew upon our clothing and food, means a tendency to destniction of house and family. The remedy for this domestic plague is simple and effective. In sunlight and dry, fresh air, these fungi cannot grow to maturity. The lesson is a most important one to all housekeepers, and especially those having damp, unventilated rooms. How common it is to find such apartments occupied as bed-rooms, especially for children ! No room in the house should be left unaired, and, if possible, unsunned for a single day. Living and sleeping rooms should always have a southern exposure, and the sun and air should be freely admitted the live-long day. If the plague clings to the wood-work and garments in spite of cleaning, the summary measures recommended by Moses liad tetter be applied namely, destroy the house, and cast its fragments into an unclean place without the city. Btnineni Physician, in Hearth and Home. Hints to Housekeepers. From my reading of some of the best authorities on the subjects here referred to. I have come to the following con elusion: Vessels intended to contain liquor of a higher temperature, should be con structed of materials which arc the worst radiators ot heat. Thus, tea urns and tor. pots are best adapted for their purpose when constructed 01 ponsneu meuu, ana worst whenconstructediof black porcelain. A black porcelain tea pot is the worst conceivable material for that vessel, lor both its materials and color arc good radiators of heat, and the liquid contained in it cools with the greatest possible rapidity. On the other hand, a bright metal tea pot is best adapted for the purpose, because it is the worst radiator of heal, and then-lore cools as siowiy as s sible. A ljolished silver or brass tea urn is belter adapted to retain Ihe heat of the Water than 011 of a dull brown n.lo,r such as is most commonly used. A tin ket tie retains the heat of water boiled in it more effectually if it be kept clean and polished, than if it be allowed to collect

NUMBER 10.

the smoke and soot to which it is exposed from the action of the fire. When coated with this its surface becomes rough and black, and is a powerful radiator of heat. A close stove, intended to warm apartments, should not have a polished surface, for in that case it is one of the worst radiators of heat, and nothing could be contrived less tit for the purpose to which it is applied. On the other hand, a rousrh, unpolished surface of cast iron is favor able to radiation, and a fire in such a stove will always produce a most powerful effect Cor. Gennantoirn fttajiqpft. FACTS AND FIGURES. There are 12,000 nuns in Spain. New Hampshire has thirty-six news papers. A clergyman the other day took a $o,uuv weuuing icc in .cw lorK. Belle Bovd, the noted Southern spy. has been sent to the California State In sane Asylum. Paris will have, on the 1st day of Jan uary, 1870, a dry goods store employing Lwu salesmen. New Hampshire has a stage-driver who has held the lines for thirty-seven years on one route. It is estimated that over a million bush els of peaches were shipped from Alabama during the past season. There are three times as many men engaged in selling liquor as in preaching the Gospel or teaching school. A New Bedford marble worker has an order for a couple of tombstones for the tombs of two hens. A wedding guest in New York estimates that out 01 82 marriages which he attended last season, only 19 were 44 love matches." Bishop Kinosley, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, expects to ordain nine native Chinese ministers on his reaching China. Katkoff, the most eminent journalist of Russia, was, fifteen years ago, an apprentice in a house-painter's shop in Moscow. Vermont's funded debt is $1,07.",000 a net reduction during the past year of $l--7,042, and since the clcse of the war of $002,500. The total number of voters on the English parliamentary register last year was 1,20:5,170, and the number who voted was 825,519. A tofng lady, who has been studying finance for some time past, wishes to know whether the day rate of gold affects the nitrate of silver. Victor Hugo is 07, Alexander Dumas GG, George Sands 05 years old. The three great French authors have sons who are celebrated authors themselves. A family of seven brothers and sisters, the youngest of whom is sixt3'-eight, have resided together all their lives, m Knox county, Tennessee. A novel feature of the Danville, Va., Fair, was a pistol shooting match, participated in by n number of young ladies, Miss Blla Yates taking the premium. In McIIenry county, 111., there arc 11 cheese factories, which use the milk of about 3,400 cows, and the past season have made- about 1,000,000 pounds of cheese. Lord Palmerston never visited the most important seaport of the British Emp5tn, T.i vprpnnl. Which tl roiln-oi' l.o.l brought within four hours of ßroadlands, his country abode, until the year before his death. A writer in the Pro idence Journal, addressing Senator Sprague, says : 44 Gov ernor, you have no idea how much money one able-bodied, industrious man can lend. in the course of a day, if he is so disposed." Springfield, Massachusetts, has an en thusiastic Christian who attends eleven religious meetings a week, works at his trade every day, and goes twenty-six miles by rail to his work, and finds time to read his Bible and his newspapers. The new Roman Catholic Cathedral in Boston will probably be finished in 1871. It will cover an area of 55,000 feet. It will have a chime of bells, and its chief tower will be 300 feet in height. The style of architecture is the early Gothic. In a bayou near Natchez, a short time since, two field-pieces, loaded with slugs. stones, balls, etc., were discharged into a crowd of alligators fighting over the carcass of a sheep, and twenty-one of the reptiles were killed. Fall Biver, Mass., has a bank with $400,000 capital and only eleven stockholders, a majority of whom are named Brayton. There are four thousand shares, and of these one gentleman owns twentynine hundred. An eccentric capitalist in Buffalo offered a man, presumed to be lazy, seventy-two dollars and some groceries if he would wheel a barrow containing one hundred pounds of stone a certain distance twice a day for twenty-four days. Tbe offer was accepted and the contract taithtuiiy exe cuted. A par of iron one inch in diameter will sustain a weight of 28 tons, a bar of steel 50 tons; and, according to computation, based upon the fact that a fiber only l-4000thofan inch in diameter will sustain 54 grains, a bar of spiders' silk an inch in diameter would support a weight of 74 tons. TnE statistics of the last General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church shows: 39 dioceses ; Mahopi and clergy, 2.GG2 : candidates for Holy orders, 349; total number of baptisms, 00,790; confirmations, 59,940 ; communicants, 195.183: Sunday School teachers, 21,478 ; scholars, 188,138; amount of contributions for three years, f 11,000,000. There is living in the town of Weal minster, Mass., a maiden lady 78 years of age, who, though totally blind and par tially deaf, lives entirely alone. She builds her own fire every morning in an open fire-place. She prides herself upon having had over forty offers of marriage, still she prefers to live on with no company save an old cat. A rem ark able fossil skeleton has been discovered at Horse Shoe Bend, Cal., that measures twenty-six feet from the jaws to the hips, with teeth 'hat are three and a half inches broad, and two smooth horns projecting backward thirty two inches in circumference at the base and five and a half feet long. The skull weighed five hundred pounds, and surrounding tinskeleton were alout fifty skulls of human shape, hut small and apish. Wisk men are puzzling themselves to account for the fresh water which conn 1 up through an iron tube, sunk fifteen feet through the constantly shifting sands of Cape Cod, from sixteen to twenty feet from high water ami not more than three feet above it. The water in this tube rise and falls regularly with the tide, yet more than 100 barrels have been pumped from it at one time without finding the slightest trace of saline matter. It is of such fine quality that vesst is supply themselves for a sea voyage from this well. A prisoner who escaped from the Auburn jail, in Maine, a few days since, showed much ingenuity in making the false key for his purpose'. He borrowed a Kair of scissors from a prisoner, oslensily to mend some clothing, but used them in cutting uj) a tin dipper, out of which be cut Ids BUM key, BSnag a nail for the handle. The tin is of many thicknesses, and tils the lock precisely. The handle was Bande by winding a black c loth neatly around the end of the key, on which the constructor worked in white thread the patriotic legend, 44 1776."

0 VKR TJIE FENCE. BOT. Over the fence ! a trnrdVn fair How I would love to lie marter there I All that I lack is mere preienM, I coold leap over the low white fence. CONSCIENCE. Tbl- Is th'"1 way that crime commence'

Sin laid sorrow are over tnc a-ucc. BOT. Over the fence I can to-.- my hU. Then I can go In for it that i all ; i'kkinp an apple up near the tree Would' not be really a theft, you see. rosscirarr. This h a falsehood a woak pretense, Sin and sorrow are over the fence. bot. VTlioe is the voice that thu speak so plain ! Twice have I heard it. and not in vain,1 Ne'er will I venture to look that way, A Lest I shall do as I planned to-day. CONriEN'CE. Thi- i? the way that all erln?- commrncc, Coveting that which is ov.-r tbe fence. TRUE STORIES A ROUT ROLLV Ftn TIIK T.ITTT-E OXHS. TnEUE was once a Poll Parrot who loved to pick chick en -bones. She would sit upon the back of a chair, holding on by one claw, while she grasped a chickenbone with the other: and then she looked very much as if she were playing a flute. Kitty liked chicken -bones, too ; and whenever she saw Polly enjoying one, she always thought that she ought to have it herself. She was a sly puss, and at lat bhe thought of a way to get Polly's bone from her without being bitten by her strong, black beak. Polly had a violent temper, so that when she was angry she did notkn v what she was about. Kitty made the eat of this. She would jump up into the s nt of the chair unon the back of which Polly was sitting with hci bone. Then, watehing her chance, Kitty would raise her paw and gently tap the end of her bone. Polly would get into a great rage at once: she would scream out, and try to bite Kitty, and this would make Polly drop the bone. Then Kittv would quietly jump down after th- bone, and scamper oft with it. Wasn t she a sly Kittv - IT. Polly had a irru'l.' against Kitty for getting her chicken-bones. So one day, when she saw Kitty lying sound asleep on the kitchen-floor, with her tail straight out behind her, she c imbed down from her caire. waddling across the room to whore Kitty was peacefully sleeping, Polly seized her tail in her beak. She bit pretty hard, and Kittv irave a piteous mew, and fled from the kitchen. in. After Kittv had had her tail bitten, she never went to sleep in the kitchen with out keeping one eye open to watch Polly. roily would start tor Kitty s tail, nut as it took her a long time to walk across the floor, Kitty would lie quite still and take a nap until Polly had reached her : then Kitty would jump up and run to the other end of the room. Kitty would then lie down and calmly wntcli Pollv waddle back after her. onlv J ' w r to have Kitty airain jump up and run back just where she was before. Polly would scream and bob her head up and down in a great rage ;"but she "ever seemed to make ui her mind that she could not catch Kitty. Polly would keep waddling back and forth after Kitty for an hour at a time ; and I really believe Kitty enjoyed it as I TOryfgood j"ke. IV. It was funny to hear PoKy scold herelf. She liked to get up on the windowseat and rap with her beak on the pane ; but we were afraid she would break it ; so we always scolded her when she did to: and at last he learned to scold herself. This is the way she would eo on : Rap, rap. rap; 44 Naughtv Polly, naughty Polly!" Rap, rap, rap ; 44 Naughty Polly I " Kap; 44 Naughty, naughty Polly!" Rap, ran, ran, rap, lap; 44 Naughty, naughty. naught-, niugJity Polly '" We could always tell when she was not allowed to be ; because, as she waddled hrotnrh the hall, she would call out 4,( back, Polly ; go back !" v. Once Polly climbed idto a neighbor's pantry window, and began picking to pieces some bread and vegetables tiiat had been laid on the shelf, ready for dinner. The folks found out that she was there, but did not dare touch her, for fear of being bitten. They sent over for one of us to corne after her ; but, by the time we arrived, the nice slices of bread were all crumbled, and the lettuce was all bitten and torn. Polly was sometimes very loving, espe cially to my sister Anna. Anna would take her, and hug her dkm up tofcef boaoaa. Polly would spread her wings, and make a cooing sound. At these times she was as gentle as a dove ; but, when her anger was arousM, woe to the incautious hand that approached her! Lucky for that bejel if it were not bitten to the .bone. He Nursery. A Lesson of Perseverance. At a recent Sunday school concert in an Eastern city, an anecdote was related to the children which is too irood to Ik It illustrates the benefit of perseverance in as strong a manner as ever did a Rrucc. One of the corporations af the city beim: in want of a boy in their mill, a piece of paper was tacked on one of the posts in . a prominent place, so that tin boys could see it as they passed. The paper read, " Roy wanted call at the office to morrow morn ing." At the time indicated a host ol boywore in waiting at the gate. All were admitted, but the overseer was a little perplexed as to the best way ol choosing one from so many, and said he, 44 Roys, I only want one, and here arc a great Many, h w hall I chOM ' After thinkings moment, he invited them all into the yard, ami driving a nail into one of the large trees, and makinsr a short tick, told them that the bov who could hit the nail with a stick, standing a iittlc distance from tintree, nVNdd have the place. The boys all tried hard, and alter three trial- 1 Kh, signally failed to hit the nail. The beya were told to come again next morning, and this nine neu mc gate was opened, there was but one boy, who, after being admit ted. picked up tin 'stick, and throwing it at the nail, struck it every time. ' How is this"" said the everseer, What have you been doing?" And the boy, batting up with tears iii his eyes, said, " You see, sir, I have a poor old mother, and I am a,poorboy; 1 have no father, sir, and I thoncht I should like to get the place, and so help her all I can : ami after going home yesterday, 1 drove a nail into the barn, and" have been trying to hit it ever since, und 1 have come down this morn nur to try again." The boy was admitted to the place. Many years have passed sin then, and now that bov is a prosperous and wealthy man, and at the tunc of the accident at the Pemberton Mills, he was the first to step forward with a tritt of one thousand dollars to relieve the sufferers. His suecess came by perseverance. The rairired-school system in London is to a very small extent, a substitute for the free-school system iu America. There are iu London of these ragged schools attended on Bundav, day and evening ;ibout (K)v), and it is calculated that about 50,000 children, taken from the gutters and slums, and aller, attend the schools. There are about 5UO paid teachers, while at least 3,000 charitable pencils volunteer as teachers, without charge or emolument. About 1,000 ol these children stund r cu larly during twelve months ol the year, and those who are found industrious and honest, as they grow up, are furnished with means to go to Australia from t In 1 1 , 1 . . I -of the Ragged School Union. For one ihe attendance is as follows: Sunday v h.H.ls, &24K); dav school-,, 17,331 ; week cvcniiu! schools, OHIO. Tin attendance was ?tl rv school- Lighten! hundred s holais were phu d in Mlualiom by the cx rttons of the union during the year. Sixteen thousand chütlren attend the public schools ol St Louis.