Plymouth Weekly Democrat, Volume 14, Number 50, Plymouth, Marshall County, 19 August 1869 — Page 1

PLYMOUTH WEEKLY DEMOCRAT.

1 PLYMOUTH, INDIANA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1869. VOLUME XIV. Nl'MBEB :.

i

S - r I ;

POETRY.

MILKING. BY CELIA THAXTER Little dun cow to the apple-tree tied Chewing the end of reflection, I that am milking you, sit by your side, Lost in a sad retrospection. Far o'er the fields the tall daisies blush warm, for rosy the sunset is dying: Across the still valley, o'er the meadow and farm, The flush of its beauty is lying. White foam the milk in the pail at my feet, Clearly the robin are caH'mic ; Softly blows th- eveatsg wind after the heat. Cool the long shadows are falling. Little dun cow, 'tis so tranquil and sweet! Are you light-hearted. I wonder? What do you think about - something to eat? On clover and grass do you ponder? I am remembering days that are dead, And a brown little maid in the gloaming. Milking her cow. with the west burning red Over waves that about her were foamiag. Up from the sad east the deep shadows gloomed Out of the distance and and found her; Lightly -he sanr. while the nolemn sea boomed Like a great organ around her, Under the light-house no sweet-brier grew, Dry was the grass and no daisies Waved in the wind, and the flowers were few That lifted their delicate faces. But O. she was happy, and careless, and blest, Full of the song sparrow's spirit; Grateful for life, for the least and the best Of the blessings that mortals inherit. Fairer than garden of Paradise seemed The desolate spaces of watter; Nature was hers - clouds that frowned, stars that gleamed What beaatiful lessons they taught her! Would I could find you again, little maid, Striving with utmost endeavor. Could find in my breast that light heart, unafraid. That has vanished forever and ever ! Riverside Magazine MISCELLANEOUS. THE DRAT. A GOBLIN STORY OF FRENCH PROVINCIAL LIFE. Drat is t ho mine of a country demos still believed in by iiwiit French nrovin rials, a "tricksy spirit,'' a srt of Puck. MMl Puck's good qualities. Within what geographical limit belie if i the Drat is confined, I am unahlc lossy. There are no trace of it in George Sami's Breton legends, or in the Ckissmi myths of Alsace and Lorraine OB the other side of Franc-. I lult if any can Im- found in Marseilles literal tire. The local super stition is probably eonflncd to tsa Souls west, that territory which was ouce Na varre, or which formed a debatable land between the Kings of France and N'avarrs. It is said to le rcrv strong in what is now the Department of IM, and was. formerly the district of Quercy in (iuiennc, the chief town of which is Cahors. The Unit is a mischief maker. Old people use him as a kind of Iwigey, to frighten truant lxy anil giddy girl. He plays his pranks chiefly by night, and the imperial objects f his malice are those who disbelieve in his existence or deny his power. When the following Stents are supposed to hare occurred, it is not v ry easy to say tin-old woman, who wins my informant's authority, not b ing particularly accurate jn her chronology. Internal evidence, however, seems to refer them to the third uuarter of the List century. The hero of the tale is just the ort of nun. in a email way, to have bseu a precursor of the tiret great French Revolution. It was a tiu sunshiny afternoon in An guat. Kauiimm t, butcher of the town of Figeac, having cloaud hi shop at the usual hour, aaunteretl out apparently for his usual evening troll Short and stout, yet well built, with an active, healthy, goodhumored look, he was just the stuff to make a village hull or tally, Of loth. It waa uot, however, his physicsl iiualities that had rendered him the wonder and scandal of the neighborhood. Having re ceived the rudiments of a liberal education from his uncle, the canon, lie was proud of bis intellectual superiority over must of Li-, fellow townsmen. His learning (for ao it might be called, coneidcring his tune, place aud condition) had made hini skepli cat. Hophisticul and disputatious. Notlaring openly to deny the existence of God, he did the next thing to it, by deiv ing the exist eiice of the Drat, lie stig luitized the popula belief as an oM wianan's superstition, aud declared that I,,., for his part, would tielieve in Uie Drat when o" S11W him, and Mot before. "Aid if I do see him," he would add, "I prom ie you he shan't getaway in a hurry." Unfortunately; (,,,r learned and Ktptical butcher had not lue reputation of being proportionate honest ; Ids customers has sore than once complained of short weight. and there were several dubious report about him. Still. bf had not as yet coma to grief in any way; or. the contrary, his business nan ss flourishing as his health, it seemed as if the Drat had forgotten him or was afraid of him. lint as he walked along at his ease that afternoon, the old nassen, sitting ou their doorsteps, sIkmmv their heads ,nd umbered, " Wt sJuill see, if we live long enough. From ao iudi vidual of the other sex he received a dif t r-ia gn eting. " nfftk, Havmounet! you're just the man i want." M What's wam..,it brother Iveraety" Ivemet and lUnounct comjiosed the guild or corporation ot ,itHt,.r buU-hers in tl... tjia'n i.l I iii . j - It . . place as to neoi a larger allowance ot i i iiieui. in in' ' nxwra ery KnxioUS ti speak with Hamounet ; and tiie latt r who im! his o n reasons, as will be seen, Cjg desirinc an interview with his fellow tra sinan, did not retpiire to Ke asked in twice. " I am right curious to know what you win say tala lime, becan ivernet. " What's ,n tin- wind now" "Beaseaodf who will d( yoii a n tifP. f Jou don't look out ; depend iiKn it," The Drat?" "Hush! Just so" "What! you're not cured of that yet thought " "Just listen to what happened this morninr in the village." " Bah ! some story invented to deceive tho, stupid peasants." " Bnrall the niagefi la?MM to ntf shop this unrnin tolo me th sUiry, and all in the s- WordK," Wan, b i s lj;ir "Vou must kiw that this morning at daybr. ak. at the vvM.rt tu. women waah their linen, uddenly a horss tp irl. No one own tfll where he carae rom." "Good ! be 'ame out cf the mud of the jmx1, that f ltcw did, as th.y that the crocodile aie liorn of t,e sjj'm(, gf the ille, after th inundation." "The Xi e. what's that" " I'll tell you another time. Hut abtit pja hortte. ilaudsome, waa he f

"Superb. And soa little iin hin, Idling thin splendid horse, which didn't look a bit vicious, jumped on him." "Aud then ?" " Well then, my dear fellow, the other baya wanted to get on too, and. as tin y climtKil up one after another, the beast s buck lengthened out, till by and by it held twenty fur of them ! " " Come, now, say twenty-three." " It's all very well for you to laugh, but that horse was the Drat.'and as SOOUM be had his load, he made for the pool, and all the poor little devils" "Were drowned? That's nothing to laugh at." " No, were saved by a very pious old woman who was passing, and just had time to make the sign of the cross. Then the Drat gave a caper, shook all the boys off, without hurting them, and disappeared." M What a flash of lightning and a smell of brimstone." " Now, what do you say to that ? " " I should like to have seen it." "Rainounct. I wonder how you can talk so, when the Drat is just next door to us, as one may say, and perhaps Imirs you talk inc.

" Let him hear ; I'll talk loud enoughno I won't either but I'll tell you a good stroke of work I know about in this very village next door, as you call it that all the drats and devils in the world won't hinder me from having a try at." " A good stroke of work ?" "Just so, and, as von are a good fellow. I'll let you in for half of it, and cure you ot your Drat at the same time. Only you promise to keep it a secret M Trust me for that." " Well now, brother, suppose you could ret Tour stx-k for not hint?, and still sell vour meat at retail for the same price -you'd make more profit, wouldn't you f " "Of course. But how could 1 1 u I know how." "What!" and the covetous butcher drew closer to his fellow-tradesman, who dropped his voice mysteriously, and Von tinned : "There's a pound full of sheep mar the village. " Well." " In that pound there is a shepherd to take care of them. "Just V" "I know for sure that this chap, instead of stavins at bis nost all nurht, iroes to court a girl at the other end of the vil läge. Kh ! What do you say to that Y " I don't under stand, exactly." " More stupid, vou. Don't you see that, while the watch is away, two handy men, lika you and me. can siip into the pound, pick "out a good, fat sheep, carry him oil without snyjaoftai or fuss, and then divide him? Nou do you understand?" "Yes, but but that isn't all right in fact, it is stealing isn't it ?" "Mere prejudice. Ivernet, don't you know that what you call stealing was highly honorable among the Spartans, who were a great people of ancient Greece?" " You don't sty so !" "Besides, I don't want to draw you into a nao action, unne tne comrary. snore scoundrels might take advantage of thu shepherd's absence and clean out the whole pound in a night. But, if the owners lote one sheep, it will put them on their guard, so we shall really be doing them a good turn." H You arc quite right. But then " " But w hat ?" "The Drat was out this morning, amino, Hamouuet, it won't do. Better say no more about it." "As you like ; I can find somebody else to help me." " Dear me ! It's a pity to lose such a net profit. If I only knew " " Now, my friend, you are too ridiculous. If your Drat is such a terrible fellow, why hasn't he ever come down upon me, who do nothing but laugh at him from morning to night?" " That's true. Why doesn't he V" " And, besides, if there's any risk, it's for me, because it's my advice " "To be sure you advise me." "Exactly. Come, now, it's hardly more than a league. Ws go at eleven o'clock, and can he back early in the morniug. It's sttisd, isn't it ?" " Yes ; it's settled. I go in." Ami the butchers parted. Ivurnet addressed a special prayer to his patron saint. To keep out of temptation? S, but to keep him out of danger in his expedition. The men met, and started at the appointed time. It was a warm night, and they took nearly an hoxtr to reach the village. When they had arrived at the farther end of it, Ivernet was, r professed to he, somewhat fatigued. "Never mind," said Uamounet, "one of us ought to stay here, for fear our man aoUM come bark too soon ; do you stav, while I go to the pound and fetch the sheep." Ivernet made a face at the idea. "Stav here by the church yard ? " " Would you rather go to the pound yourself? " " What! Alone in the country f "Nonsense, you coward:' Claimed K t moii net, losing his patience. " Slav there, naCTS JOU are; if vu see anything, whistle, to let nie know.' And off he Nlarted. or Wcriict was left alone, whether he chose or not, with only his fears to keep him company. To be sure, they made a pretty large troop. On the other side of the road, opposite the church and the church yard, was the house of .lac. pies Poriel. the sexton. No one lived with him but his wife Madeleine, who had been the ornament of his life for many years. This night, as usual, they Were sleeping quietly. But the butchers had not long separate.! when the good u ife woke, sett up, listened and gasped It WSS m. low but wierd nnd awful uimml 1 whichhe beard. Trembling and terrified. she sho,k her husband : "Jacques, Jacques!" Uaaol quoth Jacques, more asleep than awake. " Do you hear that noise in the church yard?" " Whs-at ?" and he rubbed his ryes. "Good Lord I something iH munching I Christain liones there !" " I'll nut your hone there, you old goose if vou don't leave me alone." with which amiable answer, he turned round, and tried to go to sleep aain. " You old sol," retorted his lovely spotmr, ahnmt forgetting her fear in her indi -na tion, " it's you that have brought the ftrat upon ns. "There be is !" At the name of the Drat, th sexton started up in bed. He listened, and heard the same noise which his wife had heard already. Crunch, crunch, crunch ! He was speechless with terror. Hang? came something against the door, accompanied by a tremendousoath, worthy of Satan himself. " The Drat !" cried the couple simulta neously. Jladeleine plunged her bead under the

bed clothes. Jacques plunged himself

ImkI'iIv under the bed. The male, as was proper and natural, reeorercd his faculties first. Hearing no more of the Drat for some time, conclud ing that be had gone tm, and fearing that he might come back, Jacuues took hib breeches and a resolution to run for the urate, who would beat the demon if any body could. Slowly and silently the sexton opened bis door; then making himself as small as possible, and, commending his soul to the Dirine protection, he stumbled Mid crumbled along close to the church yard wall at the best dog-trot he could raise, and found himself, to his agreeable surprise, uninjured and uninterrupted, at the curate's door. Whether the honest villagers were in the habit of leaving their doors unfastened (as some New England villagers still do), or whether a certain divinity hedged the priest and made ordinary precautions unnecessary for him, there was no bolt or bar to the curate's modest dwelling, and Jacques was making his way to the bedroom, when the shrill voice of the old housekeeper arrested him. " Who's there?" " Jacques, the sexton." " And what doe JaCtfUCS, the sexton, mean by coming here at this Indecent hour?" MI must SBC the curate tt once," said Jacques, glancing round in the dark, as if he expected to see the Drat at his heels. " Jacques, is that you ? " called out the priest from his bedroom. The sexton knew the house well enough to find his wav in the dark; the next mo ment he was at the curate's bedside, and pouring into his ears the terrible narra tivc. The curate congratulated him on bis escape, praised his pluck, and not willing to seem behindhand in courage, rose and dressed himself, in spite of his old woman's BTumblinc remonstrances, armed himsell with the largest pot of holvwater in tin chapel, and started for the dangerous spot, followed by the sexton. Poor Ivernet ! When his fright at being left alone had somewhat abated, be began to be tired of waiting for his coin rade. There was a tempting walnut branch within reach as he walked back and forward. He gathered some nuts ami began to crack them with the help of his knife and a stone. The first batch was successfully disposed of, but, in operating on the second, missed his aim and bruised his fingers The pain lorced an oath from him, and,-in his vexation, be threw away the stom without looking whither it went. I hen, sensible ot the noise which he had made he was so (Tightened at it that he dodge aura for sercra hundred vards and sere ral minutes, thus contriving to miss th sexton when the latter emerged from his house. Then he n turned to his post, but in such a scare that, though it was a warm a ft i i i AtiL'iist ntgni, tie shook in everv limn, lie started at the wind, he jumped at a bird, h cursed Hamouuet thousand times. Sud deary he saw a man, or rather the shadow of a man, approaching. " Is thai you ?" he asked in low voice. "The Drat! shrieked, the sexton, crouching down behind bis superior. "The Drat!" echoed the curate uApoff$f Vaile retro! m asanas Patrii tt r ati et Losing his head, and hardly knowing what be did. he let By. mechan ically as it were, the holy water, pot and all, ra the face ot the apparition Drenched by the water, bruised by the pot, terrified by the exorcism in the unknown tongue, the unfortunate butcher recoiled, then, with one fearful yell, " tin Drat !" he turned tail, covered three miles of ground in a quarter of an hour, and fell senseless at his own door He was found there next morning and put to lied. We may be allowed to antici pate the course of events by remarking that his fright, fatigue, and bruises, combined, brought on an illness which lasted several weeks. Still he felicitated himself at having got off so che.; ply, and offered up a six-pound candle to his patron saint, who had delivered him from the Drat. Let us now return to the startled but tri umphant officials. "Phew!" ejaculated the sexton, recov ering courage and speech, " what a stenc! of brimstone the scamp has left held in him! Don't von smell it, sir? By tin lord, if 1 were to live a thousand years, I should never forget the caper he cut when he felt the holv-water. Ami that yell What a yell he did give!" " Because it burnt him." a a T . SB "And Uiun t he run ! l iiiinK I can see him running there vt. What's that Boo-oo-oo !" The sexton remained like one thunderstruck, his mouth open, his forefinger stretched out. The priest looked in the direction of tin outstretched linger. Fear rendered him also speechless. He beheld What? A mysterious, gigantic form was coming down straight upon them. It was largt than a man, had two legs, two heads, am apparently several arms. It advance rapidly but not silently; a hoarse gur glllig groan mingled with the sound of its heavy steps. .Vlas, must their glorious victory b changed to defeat! Defeat without n BMtance, for the holy-water was expended and the very pot thrown away. Frozen with terror, they crouched against tin wall, and lifted their eyes and their hearts to Heaven." "Cursed brute!" cried a grufT voice, " I can't choke him ; he will make a row, and he htSofsAsnd heavy that I can't carry him any farther, io I shall just cut him Up here." The affrighted spectators could now make out, in the dim light, that the phantom was composed of two parts, one car rying the other, and that the form had "the outward semblance of a man," as Sergeant BuzTUa said of Mr. Pickwick. This proltable or possible ma i--as M. Vi 'tor Hugo fronU have called him threw this burtleu on the ground, drew a long knife a deed f blool was ab ut to be done! The priest and the sextoa fell on their knees; tlu-ir eyes clsed ; their nuuiths opened in a cry of horror. . diabolical laugh answered them. It w;'s sinc seconds, perhaps some minutes, before they dared to lookup; the! they Caught a glimpse of something like the phantom in its original guise, vanishing in the darkm'ss. They rssualstsd on th'ir knecR some time longer, thanking the Lord, who had a second Ihne saved them front tine terrible Drat Next day, Kamounet's customers found hi-i shop closed. He had disappeared, and Un one, not -ven the police, ever fliSTJOS ercd any traMs of him. Wherefore, fhc old wui"n of Qnerajr bsBere to this day h" was carru'l off by the Drat. Aiqrftton Journal. I v Cleveland, up t a rseent late, ov r one thousand dogs have been dmwned in tin: pound this season.

" Mr. Brown, of Chicago."

Wk have ollen heard of men having "cheek," and niiikini; a fre use ot the article go a long way. but the MlowinK rather entitles " Mr. Brown, of Chicago, to the belt. I he stry was related to us by a gentleman who was " thar." He sjits: was at the laving of the last tie, and ha. noticed among the crowd a large. kind of Half dressed man, who was constantly very busy doing nothing, but rung himself in whenever "drink-s" were called. After the last 9pike had been lriven, end a reasonable quantity of wine deposite 1 under the vest of everybody who was bibulouslv inclined. I strayed in to the private car of Governor Sta.nfi.rd. The Governor, somewhat weary with the labors of the day and the heat of the sun, was reclining on a sofa, evidently glad it was over, when in walked our friend of numerous drinks. He stopped at the loor and asked a by-stander, " Which is VTOTl'lllOl kZHMIlwiv. ; llini r uiiii, -.ii'i the person questioned, pointing to tinGovernor. The fellow walked in, drew a chair up beside the Governor's sofa, sat down in it, slapped the Governor on the knee, and said, "How are you, Governor? .My name is Brown. Mr. ttrown, from . nicago. i nis is a great occasion, Governor; we usually take a drink on such occasions as this, Governor." "Yes," said the Gvemor. "Georg', open a bottle t wine." The wine was opened, passed around and drank. "Gov ernor," (hitching bis chair a little closer), " this is a eery great occasion; now take a drink with me. George open a bottle of wine." The servant dil as directed, and that bottle was quickly disposed of, a good share of it running down the capacious thrat of " Mr. Brown, of Chicago." " Thi is a day that will be long remembered, and I congratulate you on the success of your enterprise. George, open a bottle ol wine." "George" looked hugely dis gust I'd, but obeyed the fellow had got possession, and never stopped until tin basket was empty and George announced that th wine was out. Mr. Brown then arose, shook hands with the Governor, and look rather a crooked way out of flucar, still assertiag 14 that ii was a very great occ(hic)asin." Klko, Col., adqscaii ent. Curious Illustration of Chinese Super st it ion. Tin- Shanghai Sm lAlcr says the following story has obtained large credence among the Chinese recently, and is interesting as showing the ease with which tinChinese mind grasps superstition : "It appears that Bometfane since a man and his wife, who together opened a bean shop in the 'ity d' Tai tsan, BOBBC forty miles listant from Shanghai, had ado atestic imbroglio, which resulted at length in the death of the husband by suffocation, which the wife by a combination of means effected. The IskIv was conl- J ft i ftx4 i ccmq ior a kibe nine, a comn piovunni. and at a suitable hour in the night, was placed on board a boat and sent to a Certain place in the canal and sunk, a larir' mill stone from their bean shop being used for the purpose. A few nights after the city magistrate was awakened from his slumbers by a fearful noise, as of some one beating am the 'Distress Drum' at the entrance of his Tassen. Next morning inquiries wen madfl but n one seemed to have heard the alarms but him self. The night after it was heard again, but no person was seen. The thin! night a watchman was stationed to observe what took place. The noise came again, but on being questioned by the magistrate, the watchman said it wan the wind. Go and arrest the wind, then, be aid, and forthwith issued a warrant for the apprehension of the disturber. The man charged therewith protested his inability to accomplish such a Utsk, however, but departed on his rambles and allowed the wind to snatch bis warrant from him and dash it Into the canal. Following dose afb-r, he secured it again, ml bore it all wet to the mandarin, and told him that the wind had taken refuge in the water. Where f III IslllMil the ex cited butttm ; go forthwith, ami lig him out. Away went the man again, armed and equipped for a contest, this time with both Üwfttng (wind) ami hui (water). He probed and exerted himself but a short while, before discovering its refuge ; 'twas a curious something, but n being hauled up to light was found to heacoflin, containing a dead man and weighted down by a mill stone. The nmndaria came and held an inouesl ; no marks of violence were discovered, but all the circumstances were so uspicioui that the mandarin at once, taking the mill -stone as an index, ordered a search for the perjH'tratrs. A bean-shop waw soon found, and a woman in mourning for her husband, and as the other stone of the pair was wanting in its place in the mill, ami no satisfactory account could be given of it, a comparison was instituted by producing the one found attached to Uu-cottin. No evasion could satisfy the officer that she was nt the piT pctrator of the hail deed, so mysteriously oornmunicated to him in Ihe watches of the night by the spirit of the departed. She was arrested and dragged t prison, there t await sentence, which, according to Chinese law, is decapitation. The above has recently traspired, and obtains large credence among the ignorant Chinese. It is ou such slender threads that the great superstition tai hangs, uni act an frequently by such reports that a mandarin succeeds in bringing himself Into notoriety and securing promotion." A Novel Intention. Two lads, wlm OUt of respect for tlu-ir genius shall be nameless, left Clinton for fjtica the other day, riding after llnir lather's Dobbin, sound and Well buttoned, but provokingly slow. No whipping, or yelling, or urging Could Increase his speed beyond the average trot f a cow. Par a couple of fast youths it was a ride altogether too much protracted, and the Inventive genius which haUalwnys existed in the family was callel in to levis- some method for slight ly accelerating tin locomotion f tlu'ir beast on the home trip. Virion plans were proposed ami voted down Impracticable, when tlur youngster suggested tbnt a lng crooked switch Ik; procured, and fastened hy a leathern strap to the rim of the for ward wheel ; at each rcvofUtiOU it would hit the horse, and rClievU them at least of their labor of constantly urging him. "The very.thing ! " said the other; and he immediately applied the improvement. Fr a while tilings went well, until Dob bin became at length wake up, and start cd off on a run. " Uackcty swat, rackelywat," treat. Ihe long crooked st'u-k, ami faster and faster flew the infuriatitl Dot bin. John Gilpin's rid- was a stroll, com pared to lbs flight of our great "inventors. The roadside fvk on the appearance of ribbon grass; canal Lsatts like weaver's

shuttles, and telegraph post resembled the

teeth of a fine-tooth comb. There was ao "whoa" to the concern there is nothing now of the wagon. Doctor base dressed the wounds of two boys who got run away with, who beg of us to mention DO names. Abstsrn PitjMr. "ftiUntWai Cost" W' met Muggins the other day in a quandary. He stood upon the street corner contemplating a pair of gloves which he held in his hand. We accosted him, and asked why he thus solemnly meditated f He gave a sudden start and 1 raked up. " Ah ! Ah-a-ah ! D'ye see these gloves?" We saw them. " D'ye know Smokington ? M We knew him. " Well," explained Muggins, "I was coming by Smokington's this moruing, and I saw. Stack up all over the front of his store, big signs Of '8eUin off at rout ' Thinks I to myself, 'Here's a chance;' and I went in and bought these gloves and a half a dozen linen haiulkirchiefs. I asked Sinokington was be selling to me at cost ; and he said 'Certainly.' I carricil the handkerchiefs home anil askel my wife to h-in them. She asked me what I paid for them, and when I tll In-r slu laughed, and said I'd been cheated. They were not linen at all onlv cotton ami she could buy any quantity of. them for just one half What I had paid. I wouldn't believi her. 1 knew or thought I knew -Sinok iugton to be a man of honor. I came out, and put on my new gloves. I hey ripped. Jones saw 'em and asked w hat I had paid I told him. He laughed, and said I'd been Cheated. He could sell the very same ar tide for less than half what I had paid. mm v ft - n t . 1 -now, what i want to Know is is Smokington a cheat f Has he been lying to me r We asked Muggins why he didn't go down und escort am. He wanted us to go with In i ii. and we went. We found Snmkinglon very smiling, and very busy customers plenty, and roods going offal a rush; but at length Muggins managed to draw him aside, when hi' spoke as follows : "LMk here, Smokington, old boy you've cheated me." " Kh ? cheated, Mr. Muggins? Ueallv, I don't see it." " Didn't you tell me you were selling m tlies- things at cost? and ain't you telling everybody so by the signs you re got stuck up? Smokington smiled, ami said. " Certainly." " Weil," demanded Muggins, with im mense assurance ami imrurnatiou, "do yu mean to say that you sold me, then arloves and these cotton handkerchiefs at cost r "Certainly" "Smokington ! I thought you Wert a man ot honor. u Mv dear Murrains." said the trader with a smile that was fairlv bewitching " you don't understand these things. It' .ill right. Isold you just as 1 said. Of -urse 1 could not afford to sell goods for what they cost me. I a m a Uing off at Wft To THU clstomkiis! D ye see it now? Muggins considered himself enfightenet in the especial commercial department 0 amino off at torn ; but he thinks h shall never be able to put full confidence in Smokington again. JhnVmga A Female Operator. The money article siys: "The fades operation m the street is that of a ri'h fe male spf uhtloi g'tting the best of sonn shrewd stock operators. A short turn since several prominent parties on the street starte.! to ' bull' Reading, and after a short campaign got the stock up to 101 J: The parties were generously favored with the intelligence that the -artungs of the road wi re increasing rapidly, as well as the report that freights would soon be sd runced fifty cents per ton. The public be ran to bite at these reports, and were just beginning to take the stx'k off the hands of the clique. Everything looked well, am big 'bulls began to dream of handsome dividends from the pool, when the spx suddenly commenced to tumble, and did not stop until NHf Was reached. Tiere were accusations and counter accusations of rhrating. and a big row was thrcstcned among the clique. Now it appesra that there resides in Massachusetts tin' wealth iest woman in America, whose sue delight and ambition in this world is to make money. This female operates largely in Heading at times, and is generally the owner of :10,000 shares, which she occasionally turns on the market. It is not long ago that this same female sold her stock on a 'bull' party, sinte which time, until recently, the stock has been neglect ed. The HU.OOO shares weft all bought back quietly, and the street did not suspect it, and beM for another favorable opportunity t sell. The recent 'bull' movement presented Use opportunity, and IfU.OOU shares were sold within a lew days past at 101 '8 to lo, and are now all on the street.4 tfm York- ganan. rick pock c( Holge. A fkw words in rnnard to a favorite methol adopted by oicapotkeis, known as " knacks," to successfully & their ncfiuri ou vocation, may serve to place the pub li-on their guard against the encroach ments f these light -CUgered gentry. Pickpockets, as a genera' thing, are tolerably well dressed, and so far as outward appearance is concerned, might readily pass for gentlemen. Those of the fraternity who have made the profession a sort of s"U'iic' dress with scrupulous neatness, are at times exceedingly polite, pleasant in speech, and affect such unostentatiousness that they seldom fail to make a favor able impression upon soei'ty. There arl others who do not conic up to this stand ard ; they an simply cosdederatea or " pals," t lu-ir business being t hide the plunder " fork'l " by tlu-ir superiors. The favorit' resort d' the fraternity of pickpockets for the purpose of pursuing th"ir profession was. for several years, the street cars, generally those which started from railroad depots Immediately after the arrival of the trains, or at the places of amusement at the Ihne f elsing. These thieves woultl SfllsCl crowded cars, and so well arranged were their plans that they never came in contact with each other. At the pr'snt time they deviate a little lrin the old practice. They do not always se led crowded cars They gel on the rear platforms of cars very nearly lull, and insist upon standing there, always being ready with some plausible excuse, auch a "going to get oil" directly " "only going a couple of squares," or, " it's t bot tber'." At such a time fheir plan of ipcmtion is as follows. The oar stops for one or more passengers, who havH some difficulty in effecting an entrance, Th' crowd opens tha way, and as the passenger passes onward his hat is

slightly pushed from behind so ato near-

y cover his forelu-ad. This is so adroitly locompltshed by the thief as to throw the IMUMeneer aforesaid tf his iruanl. Iff uts his band up to adjust his tile, and at the same moment the scientific " knuck " relieves him of his pocket-book, OT other valuables, which he hands to a "pal," who gels oil and disappears. I he hat tipping buaincM is quite a favorite practice, although it is not always Utende! with success. Persons who meet with su"b an event, either in getting on railroad curs, or while waiting at ticket offices in depots or at places f amuse ment, mould remember these words of caution: In case any one should feel his hat move from behind, in the manner above stated, whether on a crowded plat form or any other place, as already indi cated, let that person immediately turn around to the one behind him, and sav. ..V .... l m on that myself." Aft r that he mav fed perfectly secure from further annoynice on that iccasion. 7iJ&Mtw Bul letin. Pen Portrait of " .losh Billings." In many of his articles in broken English ".Tosh Hillings" surpasses all who have tried that class of writing. But to fully appreciate him, you must see and know him. He is about forty-eight years old, and is the quaintest specimen of humanity with Which we have ever met. Five years ago he was an auctioneer in Poughkeepste, N. Y. Kehns since moved to New Vrk "itv, when- he keeps a boarding house amused by his irrepressible oddities. As be passes down Broadway be cannot escape observation. His broad, heul form, his immense hat, and his large, eagle-like features, are always noticeable. His weakness is for chew ing tobacco and telling stories. Such (plaint, laughable yarns as be can spin are not easily put in print When the lecture season is at hand be sends out a humorous prospectus, lie makes from three to four thousand dollars a year from his lecturing, and as much more from his newspaper work. Always cheerful and genial, always witty and yet kind, he is liked exceedingly by his circle of friends. Perhaps sonn- of our readers will remember the publicity that was given a little time ago to the marriage ol one of his daughters, whose beauty had become notorious. Bhewaaaa handsome as be was ugly. St. Paul JJi.ijtatct. Finding a Mauunolh. In the year 17!H, a chief of a native tribe eras searching for ivory along the banks of the Lena, when, to his great horror and fright, he saw, in a cliff ot the gravel, a huge block of ice, and in it what he con sidered a beast of evil omen Hie became ill from terror, but on his recovery, remembering that the beast had tuskswhich were like those he was searching for, he again visited the spot. There stood, all encased in transparent ice, a creature like tin elephant in shape, nine feet high, and 16 feeflong, and with enormous tusks pro jecting for eight or ten feet, and curving nt their tips. The huge brute was hairy ; it had long, black bristles all over it, and they were from a foot to It? inches long ; it hail also long hair covering the whole body, and short fur. The chiet waited and nntchsd for live years. By the end of Una time the ice had melted, and the mammoth presented itself in its flesh and its hairy bide to th- astonished natives. The tu sks were cut offand sold. Urn neighboring inhabitants came with tlu-ir dogs and hasted on the carcass, and the wolves nickel the bones. Fortunately a naturalis1 heard of it, and collected the bom s and ecimens of the hair, 110 pounds1 weigai f which were gathered from the wet mud hank on which the mammoth rested, and the tusks he purchased. Hearned the whole to the nearest capital, St. Petersburg, a distance of 7,390 miles, where it became one of the wonders of the world, and where It may still be seen ii the museum, of which it forms a most lemarkable feature. How Far Down a Diver May (Jo. Tub greatest depth to which a diver can descend! with the greatest appliance of safety, is alxuit one hundred and sixty feet, and for this a bunch of humlr-l weights must be disposed about his p-r son. The average depth at which he can work comfortably 1 alxuit ninety feet, Which was near the depth at which tinoperations upon the Isoynl J'org- were conducted. In the water, from sixty t seventy feet deep, the men can work for two hours at a time, coming up for a ten minutes' rest, and doing a day's work of six r seven houra, An English diver, encased in one of Siebe! dresses, went down in the Mediterranean to a depth of one hundred and sixty-live feet, and remained then- for twenty -dve minutes ; and We have heard that (.re n, the American diver, inspected a wreck iu the Canadian lakes at the depth of one hundred and seventy feet ; but his experience was enough to convince hiui that In- coiiltl not wrk on it without langer of life. At this depth the pri'Ssiire of water on the hands is so great as to fOTCS the blood to the head ami bring on fainting tits, whih t he mpiisit1 volume of air inside the dress to r sist the outward pressure f the water is so great that it would speedily suflboate. Means have been !ru-l to obviate thest difficulties, but lor the present a limit has been set to t he extent to which man may penetrate the secrets of the deep. .Vn in genkms Italian workman has brought to England a sort of armor dress which would r'sist the pressure of water ; but our submarine enginers think that thiwould not obviate the dtmcoJties ariststg from the limits placed to human endurance. - K.f ttitiojt . sa ga The Comet is Here Ron more than ten years past the most .scientific astronomers of the world have told us, through publication in flu msga zincs and otherwise, that biring the months of July, August an! Sept naher, Ibis year (l.v!), the most nondrnul romcl Ihn world has , ver known WOttld r" appear. They have also assured us that it would ap proaCB nearer the earth than any cornel ever dkl before, and that either the -arth or the comet Would have to "hang1 its course, or a collision would DC inevitable. ft- this comet is said to be many thousand times larger than the 'arth, and as it is a solid mass of fire, with a tail of tire that would reach around the earth more than hundred Ihnes, it is not at all unlikely that a collision with it would prove as disas troiis to the carl h as t he late accident on the Brie Railroad lil to sonn-of the more unfortunate passengers. According t as tronomera, it eras use comet that immediately prerctled the terrible civil wars in Greece, and was immediately followed b at rrflMe rontsston in l'cr-ia and other Basten countries, a mst dreadful phtgni thai in a lew weeks swept from the face of

the earth mote thaa osse-hstfthe people. of the countries visited by it. Bouse years after, this, cxnnet appeared igain, and ws preceded ly :i mmmS terrific -i v i I war in Koine, ami followed by a plague, or scourge that piled the dead up in heaps in the streets of that proud but corrupt dty, until there were scarcely enough persons left alive to bury the dead. This comet is now visible, having made its npti arssMsi na time, than verifying the prediction of the astronomers, without postponement nunc count of feather. It may le seen wit fa the naked eye, in any clear night in ilie

northern part of the heavens, at from 11 to 12 o'clock and from that time till day light, or till the morning st-o- rises. The late heavy rains have not had the efbi -to delay its appearance and progress, or to dim its brilliancy, though it will grow brighter and brighter as it approaches the earth. Exchange. FACTS AND FIGURES. Theke is an 8 year 11 girl in Wfnjtej - port. Me., who weighs IAS pOSmda Thomas Holland, an Erie engin r, has fallen lu ir to $2:0,0HJ j Englaml. In May last not less than sixty Ann ii cans matriculated at the Beruh university. The Baptists of Germany save increased to ninety si.v chim in s and OVCff 17,000 UMUsbeiu. Tuk first Sabbath -school in Spain Ii:. been organised in Seville, with seventy -five scholars. Kohinson Ou sol's cocoanut cup ami sea-chest have been secured by the Ami unariaa society of Scotland. An Indianapolis grocer opened his new grocery by holding a prayer meet in r therein from 7 to 8 o-lock. Hon. lorn Bmuw,the new nuunurjuig editor of the New York linutt, is said t. be a Swedenborgiaa. A. mono boy eight vears of aire com mitte! suicide at Halifax, X.C.afew days since, rather than tak' a dos, ol medicine Tin ore has recently been discovered near Augusta, lie., at the point of June tion between a Mlicious slate formation anl granite. In lKliO there w re but 402 miles of horse railroad in the United States. It is estimated that there sre at h ast 4,ooo miles today. At the Washington shooting festival, the other day, Secretary Rawlins took a hand, and hit tin bull's eye live timet out of six attempts. The Supreme Court of New Brunswick has decided that msgistrate cannot sit in any cas- to which one of his relations iparty. Thk whole nunsber of lYmcnlsnl native Christians in China is about 4,iSH. Chris Uau churches are erected at all the missii m ary Brations. From IMS to 11)7, inclusive, 4.U41 soldiers in the Hrit ih army w ere hnaded with the letter D, for ileseitlun, and 1,27h Were Hogged. The .San Diego Union states t hat out of 55,000 head of cattle that started fr.-m Texas, during the past y ar, for California, not over 5,000 ranched that State. .v. nunc, valued at $500, is oflend by the managers of the St. Louie Fair, mt the b-st milch cow, to be tested on the grounds for three days during the fair N eck. It is claimed that Gnat Britain has now such extra laeilitics for shipbulding, that ia ease of any ellUTgeU V, she could send out an iron-cind daily front the works ou the Clyde alone. Tns unmix r of soldiers' orphans mnhv tsined by the Stute of Connecticut is LiN N ineteen-twentietbs of them arc in private families, the others being cared fbl in public institutions Tnn capital invested in the publication of sheet music ami musical works in the United States, is .-stunated at $6,000,000. Probably $300,000 w ill cover the snnusl importation of sheet music. A Camdkn, X. J., policeman should lcalled "dead shot.1 1I- osdy had t shoot twenty -seven times t kill little mud dog The log got tired of the fooling, and dh-d a natural death. Rum run locomotives are reckoned hi last tor about üöO.OOO train miles, th- ngfa ui some roads this may gi up to 100,000 or even BOOyOOO miles, as the wear and leal depend greatly ou cirousssSsncea At the Springfield street Chap l. Boston, the thr day, Dr. Chapin s isther, who is 80 years old and lame from a fall, was supported down the aisle by Father Clevelaad, aged ami another spry Vet eraa aged 100. The totsl rental values of London ant esthnated fr the purposes of taxation at 120,000,000 jht annum. Supposing this to be five per cent, on the capital, the real estate of the dty is worth i'4U,tHH',000, Off 2,siHi.tKK.(SK of our money. The 'Ml'st place in Loudon is the rend jug-room of t lit liritish Museum Tin officials keep the room cool by steam ; thsl is, they drive a current d" -m1 air into it by sseuus of a steam engine, and the student is thus provided it li most agrees bl- tesnpersture. Tuut have now si Saratoga young lady poSftSessing eight trunks of I-nrhnss toilettes, and 010,000 in rings, raw-rings, orooches, necklncai and other iwnament Five years ag i !. lair deasoiseNe resided over her father's .Irani shop in Sixth av nu' (few Yrk. ftV mran baby show has been held si North Woolwich, England The exhibi tion contained :mn buntes ; though there were applications form lern than 2,.roo Purses of 12. 3, and C10 i oth led Only me set of triplets ami four f twmwere rntalogued. At Catl.u h, India, recently, sa elephant bekmging to one of the Rajahs went into a tank to drink, and in doing so put his foot either n or closr i,i;i crocodile, which at once bit ii v rv severely. This so tm rag l the rtrpbnul Una he tr.nl about m til he gut his sdvermry firmly beneath bis feet in the mud, when he trampled Ins hie ... tnna A Panm rogue, whi e chaffering in a store, alistractcd a pair of silk st.H-kingv The derfc perceived it. and, when he was going out, romplslniuff f the high prici a eall-d out, MI rannirl lt yoo have those -dockings so cheap. ' The thief calmly laid them on the counter, SSfflrfasg, " V rv well, I rnnmrl take tin-mat a higher price, ' and quickly h parlcl. A new arrangement has rOHMB into op eralion at Ihe Uennsn tch tiraph Ofhot which might be extended with advantage t über cosnstries nsrni of Celegrasas, even tingle vnj, may now be regieb r d, the tlovernment tiudertaking lo guarnnle.ihcir Ognucl transmission Qusjaateed words are underline!, ami art- simph ShUfged a double rale Hitherto, the r ha IgC has been the full double priv of he whole telegram.