Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 January 1882 — Page 2

NEW YEARS HYMN.

, MY J. G. WHITTIER. r4T A —f- * Biaroatb thdjlropnlfeht and the snow :X- ties deadtaky latMt year: The wintefyinda are wailing low, J grieve not with the moaning wind, Asif a lombefell; Before me,even aabehind, Uod Is, and all la well. HUe light shines'on me from above, His low voice speaks within— The patience of immortal love f ; vntwearylng mortal sin. Not mindless o£ the growing years, of careAmLioaa and nain. My eyes are wet with thankful tears Fok blessings which remain. Be near me in mine hours of need, To soothe, to Cheer, or warn, And down these slopes of sunset lead, as up the Mils of morn!

?TLEI TRAVELER. The day I Met thia little friend of iniue (whom I never shall forget) I had just left some other friends, and I was sorry that my pleasant visit to them was over. Iha lalong journey to take before '•!’ reached home, and I was to take it alone. I did not mind this, in . one way, for I have grown used to traveling by myself, but I felt lonely enough that day after the cars had started. However, I was lucky 1 in having a most Comfortable section in the sleeping-car,, and was well provided with books and lunch and pleasant thoughts. 80, after I had looked miserably out of the window at nothing for half an hour, I began to settle myself comfortably for the day or two I inust spend in the train. There were several passengers, but no one whom I had ever seen before, and it was some time before I lost the feeling that 1 was with a company of unknown people, and uegan to take an interest in my fellow travelers separately. There were the usual young couple in the very Dew clothes, who tried to make us believe they had been married these ten years, and there were two elderly women who 7 knew each other and were journeying together, loudly talking over parish and neighborhood matters by the way. Not far from me was a round, red-cheeked old lady in a somewhat fantastic dress, with a big bonnet all covered over with ends of narrow ribbons and lusterless bugles. J am sure she had made It herself and was proud and conscious of it. She had a great deal of small luggage m the copartment with her, and I thought she must be changing her her home, for she never could be taking so many and such curious looking packages for a visit. Beside these people there were four or five business men and a catholic priest, and just opposite my place was a little girl.

For Home time I supposed she belonged to some one in the car, and had I chosen to sit by herself for a While and look out of the window. Then I thought her father must have left her to go to some other part of the train, where he had found some one to talk with. But two hours went by, and it was toward noon, and I watched the little thihg grow sleepy and at last put her head down on the seat, and the doj] she bad held so carefully slid to the floor. I picked it up and carefully ■i placed it on her arm again, so that she might find it when she waked. I had noticed that the conductor had spoken to her, and I thought I would ask him about her when he next came along. She did not' sleep very long; the -stopping of the train startled her, and when she opened her eyes I smiled at her and beckoned ner to come to me. So she climbed on the seat besidd me, still holding the doll, and I asked her wnat its name was, and if she was .alone, apd where she was going. She Ippked up gravely into my face and told me'the doll’s name and her own, and then she did not say anything else. *Bhe was .younger than I had thought at firsthand set she was grave, and sober and saddened. “Isn’t your papa with you?” said I; nut she only snook her head and looked up at me again as -she sat beside me. I was strangely drawn to little thing; she puzzled me, and she’ was so Wistful. She seemed contented, and we both looked out of the window and talked now and then about the things we saw. She satin my lap so she could see better. After some time she said to me, “Mother Is dead,’,’ In a half-question-ing way, is if she expected me to say semething; but what could I say except that I was Sorry?—though there waa an that wonder in her face at having been brought in contact with so great amyftfry. Thisnew, undreamed-of, unoomfarfeble ohange was almost too much for hpfmipd to recognize at all, - out she hacj.been chocked by it, and ’eVerytillngVas different from what it Used to be. She knew that at any rate. . ■ ■

,“Poor; little girl.” said I. ( ‘‘She said she was going to die,” the child told me^tijiwatching me with bei*ead and'curious dyes as if everybody 'knew the secret of it' all and would n# tell hep. , “You will know all about it when ybu are older, dear, and you will see her again by-and-by,” I said, but she shook her head. ' ' „ “She jpn’t coming back any more,” , she,told me, aa if she were sure of that at atty rate. ' t : “I am going td have my lunch now,’ mid I. H andiyou will nave some too, 4 mnhfyou?”c < , , She was very hungry, and I was more fnufiil' plan, ever, for the fact of her friendliness grew mote and more n; plain. She hid very nice ways; she , eyidqhtly had bedn brought up carefully, and there was a quaint dignity and reserve about her; she did’nothing iu a hufryi asirshe'liad never been with otber ehlMten at all, and had learned umv Childish impatient ways. I noticed ~ Aer diqtibes, wipci> wene, beginning to » SpjF orn antl jOUtgrown, but were '» VeTy clean aud| well-kept. It was on the 1 ciSfge put she still wore what Jgkfasb have been her last summer’s hat, leghorn hat trimmed with white ribbon. and over .her shoulders she had fi vneof the dmallestof plaid shawls fol■dted corner-wise 1 and pinned over neats, ly. ■_ Hhe hgd some mittens, but she had r off and put them together; tfie conductor came in, ev jnueA ehHgeri to you, 1 ” lie said to ««;...«£ *wimt co take her out and give her some dinner when we I stonpeSTbOl Tgola dispatch that some thing Was wrong up the l line, and I had 1

to fly around as fast as I could. I only got part of a cup of coflee myself.” ‘ls she under your care?” I asked. The conductor moved the litte girl to a facing mine,>nd bent over to “rine-s left alonA in tlje world. Her father was a friend of mine, a freight conductor on the road, and be was killed pretty near two years ago. His wife was a nice little woman, and the company helped her some, and she sewed and got along very well for a while, but,she never had any health, and she died last Sunday, of the pneumonia, very suddenly-buried day before yesterday. The folks in the house sent a dispatch to a sitter in Boston they’d heard her speak of, and she answered right off that she’d take care of the child. They can’t sell off what little stuff there is until they hear from her. My wife told me how things were, and I spoke to the superintendent and he said I’d take her on free. I’d a taken her home myself and welcome, but as long as she has folks of her own she’d better go to them. I don’t believe much in fetching up other neople’s children, but the last thing I told my wife as I came out of the house was, that if I didn’t like the looks of the woman that comes for her I would Just fetch her back again.. She’s the best little thing I ever saw; seems', as if.she knew what had happened and was trying to make the best of it. I found this Pullman wasn’t full, and I thought she could move around in here more than in any of the other cars. There ain’t much travel at this season of the year.” “I’ll take the best care I can. of her,” said I; . “I’m going to Boston;” and the conductor nodded and touched Nelly’s cheek and disappeared. She seemed to look upon everybody as her friend. She walked with unsteady, short steps to the other end ol the car, and the bride,who was a pleas-ant-looking girl, spoke to her kindly and gave her some candy, but I am sure that presently the child said, as she had said to me, that her mother was dead, for I saw the girl bend over and flush a little, while her eyes filled with tears. I dare say she thought of her own mother whom she had lately left, and she put her arm around the child and kissed her, and afterward seemed to be telling her a story, at which she smiled now and then.

I read fora while, but in the middle of the afternoon I fell asleep,and when I waked again the car lamps were lighted, and I looked for the little traveler, who was standing in the passageway of the car. She had taken off her hat,and there was evidently something wrong with it, for she was looking at it anxiously and trying to fasten something that had bioken. 1 tried to beckon her to me, but in the seat Just beside her was the priest, a stour, up-sympathetic-looking old gentlepiail, and 1 was half-amused and half-touch-ed to see her give the hat to him and shots him where to fasten the strap of Ir. He was evidently much confused —he even blushed ;but he did what she asked him, with his clumsy fingers, and then j»ut the hat on tor ner as she stood before him and bent down her head as if he would have had to reach up to it. She was going away then, but he stopped her and gave her some money fro u his pocket; she came a step or two nearer to him and held up her face to kiss him, and then he looked out of the window a minute ano afterward turned and looked appealiugly. It had been like a flower dropped into bls prosaic life, I imagine; he was evidently quite surprised and pleased by so touching a confidence. It mmt have been a long, dull day for a child to spend, out she was as good as possible, and did not give anybody the least trouble. We talked with each other about her and felt as if she was under the care of every one of us. I could not help thinking how often we are at each other’s mercy as we go through this world, and how much better it would be if we were as trustful and unsuspicious as this little child and only looked for kindness at our neighbor’s hands. Just as it was growing dark she came to me and put her hand into mine and gave it a little pull.

“Come and see the birds,” said she, and I suddenly became aware of the chirping of a robbin somewhere near us. It was a sunny sound to hear in the winter twilight, with the rattling of the train and shriek of the whistle, for it is generally the note of the robin i who was going to sleep on his nest in an apple tree, or high on an elm bough, some early summer evening, But Nelly led me toward the old lady with so many bundles, and I found one of her treasures was a bird cage, and there, sure enough was the red breast, a fat fellow with smooth feather?, who winked and blinked at us and stopped his chirping as we stood beside him. “She seeptis pleased with him, the little girl does,” said the bird's owner. “I’d like to have her seethe rest of my I birds. Twenty-three I have got in all;

thirteen of .’em’s canaries. The woman in the other part of the house is takin’ care of ’em while,l’m gone. I’m going to Stockbridge th Spend thanksgiving with mymiece. It was a great piece of work to get started, and I didn’t feel at first as if I could leave the birds, but I tnew Martha’s lolks would feel hurt if [ put them off again about coming. But I had to take the old robin along with me. Some folks said it might be the death of him, but he’s never been one mite scared. His cage Stands in a window at home where be sees, a sight of passing,. He’s the tamest thing you ever saw. Now I’m so fur on my way I’m glad I did make up my mind to start, though it’ll be bad getting there lathe night. I think a change is good for. anybody, and then I’m so tied down most of the time with the birds that I don’t get out much, and there’s nobody to fetch in the news.” “Why don’t you fetch up a few car-rier-pigeons with the rest of your family?” skid I, and this seemed to amuse her very much. “Bakes aliveil don’t want nomore,” said she; “but then I’ve said that all along; allthe folks that keeps canaries in our 'plkce Comes to me if anything < [ails ’em. I was telling this little girl if I’d known I waa going to see her Pa , have brought along ajnice little linnet for her; he’ll sing all day long; 'but he and the one I put with him is always fighting each other, and all my other cages is too full a’ready. I reckon you’d be good to the little bird, would | you not, dear?” I The little traveler smiled eagerly, I while I suddenly thought of the five I sparrows that are sold for a farthing of I this world’s money, and yet they are 1 worth so much to God.

I think we were all anxious to see what kind of a woman the aunt woulc Im, and I was half afraid she would look hard-hearted, and I knew in that case I should always be sorry ' when I thought of the little girl whose hand I was so sorry to let go. I had looked after her at night. I had waked a dozen times to look at her sweet little shadowed face as she slept with the doll held fast in her arms. At the station in the morning I found some one who came to meet me, but I could not go until I saw the aunt. I waited with the conductor for a few minutes, and I Was beginning to fear 1 imi’t say good-by to my little traveler and never know her i fortunes. Every one of the passengers had given her something, I believe—pietiire-pa-pers and fruit and candy, and I do not know what else —and I had even - seen the old priest kiss her good-by most tenderly.and lay his hand on her head in what I am sure was a heartfelt blessing. I do not know whether it dome good old Latin benediction, or a simple longing that God would be near to the lonely child and that His saints would defend her as she goes .through the world to heaven. I was glad when I saw just the woman I had wished and hoped for, coming hurriedly toward us—there was no doubt that it was all right, She was sure of the child at a glance. I had fancied all the time that she must look like her mother. “My dear baby! ’ the woman said, with a sob,and caught her in her arms, while the little girl, with a quick, instinctive love, put out her short arms and they Clung to each other without a word. It was all right, as the conductor said again, half to himself, arid half to me. After a minute the woman said brokenly that she thanked him for his kindness. Poor Ellen,she never knew she was sick till the news came she was gone. He must tell people that Nelly would have a good home. They stopped to talk longer,and Nelly stood gravely by, but I had to hurry away, and after I was in the carriage 1 wished I could go back to kiss the little thing again.

Children’s Drolleries.

Chambers’ Journal. Not long since a correspondent sent to a provincial paper an anecdote of which his six-year-old boy was the hero. He says: “I keep a shop and sell fancy goods. A gentleman came in to buy something. It was early, and my little boy and 1 were alone in the house at the time. The gentleman gave me a sovereign, and I had to go upstairs to my cash box. Before doing so I went to the little room next to the shop a ; nd said to the boy : ‘Watch the gentleman, that he don’t steal anything;’ and I put him on the counter. As soon as I returned, he sung out; “Pa he didn’t steal anything-r-I watched him.’ You may imagine what a positune I was in.” Children's questions are often no Ifess embarrassing than they are abusing, as may be instanced in the story of the mercenary little boy who overheard a conversation respecting a wedding that was soon to take place. At breakfast the next morning he recalled the sub* ject by asking the following question; “Papa, what do they want give the bride away for? Can’t they sell her?” At a whale exibiton a youngester is eaid to have asked his mamma if the whale that swallowu} Jpuah had as large a mouth as the one before them, why didn’t Jonah. walk out at one corner.

“You must think Jonah was a fool; :ie didn’t want to walk out and get drowned,” was the quick reply of a younger brother, before the mother could answer. It is related of another infant inquirer who was looking with great interest at a foaming pan of milk, that he suddenly exclaimed: “Mamma,, where do cows get the milk from?” "Where do you get your tears?” was the answer. After a thoughtful silence, In which the mention of tears had evidently recalled certain associations, he again broke out: “Mamma, do the cows have to be spanked?” On seeing a house being whitewashed, a small boy of three wanted to know if the house was going to be shaved. A lady, when admiring the stars on a bright night in a tropical climate, was suddenly asked, in the most Innocent way, by her little son of five years old if those were the nails that held up heaven. A boy who had always refused to eat oat meal, in spite of nis mother’s urgings that it waa a strengthening diet, suddenly surprised her one morning by eating a liberal plateful and calling for more. Upon his mother asking for an explanation, he replied: "I am bound to eat oat meal till I am strong enough to whip Johnny Scott.” Little Freddie,when visiting a neighbor’s house, was offered apiece of bread and butter, which he accepted, but without any show of gratitude. ‘ What do you say, Freddie?” hinted the lady, expecting him to say, “Thank you.” "I say it ain’t cake,” was the impolite.,

response. The father of a family, after reading from a morning paper that the cold the night, before waa intense, the thermometer registering many degrees below freezing point, said: “Now, children, I suppose you are taught all about that at school. Which of you can tell me what the freezing point is?” “The point of my nose, papa,” was the prompt reply from one of the youngsters. A gentleman somewhat advanced in life, and who was never remarkable for his good looks, asked his grandchild what he thought of hith. The boy’s parents were present. The youngster made no reply. “Well, why don’t you tell mp what you think of toe?” ’Cause I drin’t want to gej; licked,” was the answer. A mother once showed heir child a beautiful doll, a St. John, of fine make and color. "See,” she said, “he has been very good; and Heaven always rewards the good by making them beautiful ” ’«§h,” said the child, lifting its shoulders, "Don’t bell?Ye that, mamma. This Httlc St. Joint looks very meek because he’s all glued up; but if he could only-move, you’d see!” The following remaik of a little girl showsan opinion of her elders the reverse of flattering. , Gb. dear!” she exclaimed .r, ;-r u JI. **l do wish you would sit still. 1 never saw sujfy an unhappy thing in my life. Why don’t you act like grown folks and be still. and stupid for a while?”

SWIMMING FOR PRIZES.

Some Pretty ‘Contest* in the Xhst River—AnExcitingMatchße- . X. tw’tgn Wojnen. v i New York Son. There was great sport at the swimming races the other day at the foot of east Bixty-flfth street. Many spectators were present, and they heartily applauded the efforts- of the contestants. The ladies’ race occasioned particular interest, and the recklessness with which-gloves and caramels were bet on the result wasshgiply appalling. The-races were all with a strong flood. Good tlmte, for amateurs, was made. The judges were John Wendel and B. Huitz, and the referee was E. Plummer. In an intermission between the races Miss Hattie Goes,Meta Steinburg, Clara Jackland, Eva Stubenbord, and two little f Ha, Amanda and Nellie, disported themselves gracefully and skillfully in the water in iront of the Alma Club house. The tide was running like a mill race when the contests began, and some alarm for the safety of the swimmers was felt, but skillful boatmen followed the contestants, and no accident occurred, though one youhgster had a narrow escape from drowning.

The first race was for boys; distance, 400 yards. The starters * were Louis Kahnweiier, H. Braun, G. Phillippi, A, Isaac, F. Btenglin, H.. Huller, M. Faebr, G. Schafer, and L. Samuels. There was a hot contest for the first 100 yards.' Then Schafer drew to the front, closely pursued by Braun and Phillippi. i Schafer won by a few feet in 2 minutles, twenty seconds; Braun, 2:24}; Phillippi, 2:25}. The next was a 100-yard pupils’ race. The starters were B. Schwartz, James Clark, M. Goldman, H. Crane, G. Rainer; C. Egendolph, Louis Parisette, and C. Hoffman. The youngsters had a scrambling start, tumbling overboard one after another. Clark dived first, and for the whole distance it was close work between him, Schwartz and Rainer. The order of finish was as follows: Clark, 57} seconds; Schwartz, 1 minute 1} seconds; Rainer, 1 minute 271 seconds. An exciting episode occurred near the finish. Parisette, a youngster of eight, became exhausted and sank twice and was going under the third time with a feeble cry of “Oh, Mother!” when boatman Thos. Heaney rowed rapidly up, and with the assistance of the referee pulled him into the boat. The next event was a race for young men; distance, a half mile. The starters were M. Lippman, Oscar Kahnweiler, J. Platt, A. G. Hall, J. Phillippi, 8. W. Lippman, G. Hoffman, and W. Hoffman. Kahn weiier took a header first, bi*t S. W. LtppmanquiCkly breasted him, and for fifty yards held a lead of a few feet. Then Hahnweiler overhauled him, and it was side by side for another fifty yards. Then S. W. Lippman again took the lead, and with a very pietty stroke Continued to increase his lead, and passed the finish fifty feet ahead of Hahnweiler, in 6 minutess2}seconds. Hahnweiler's time was 7:13}; M. Lippman’s, 7:22}. The fourth race was open to all; distance, one mile. In this event several crack swimmers appeared. The starters were Ml Lippman, A. Meffert, P. Seitier, A. A. Schmacher, Gus Sundstrom, andC. Hroehle. Sundstrom is a powerful swimmer, and at once took the lead. He was close pressed by young Meffert for an eighth of a mile, but from that point to the finish Sundstrom continued to gain, and, with a neat hand-over-hand stroke, passed the finish the winner in 18 minutes 50} seconds; Meffert, 19:54}; Hroehle, 20:55}; Mippman, 21:03}. There was great excitemet over the ladies’ race; distance, 200 yards. The entries were: Misses A. Leckerling and C. Struthers, both handsome blondes; and Misses Katy Hoffman, Fanny Ahrens, and Flora Henlein, pretty and graceful brunettes. Miss Lockerlifig took a header first, bobbed np serenely, and kept the lead for the fiist fifty yards. Then Miss Henlein came up nearly abreast of her, with Miss Hoffman only a few feet behind. It was close work between the three for the next fifty yards, but Miss Leckerling. With a very graceful stroke, began gradually to increase her lead,and, though cries ashore urged her competitors to renew their eftorts, she passed the finish a winner by several feet in 3 minutes 51} seconds. Miss Henlein came in second in 4:10.}; Miss Hoffman’s time was 4;12f. . The prizes were gold medals, and were presented to the winners in eloquent speeches by President John Wendel of the Alma Club.''< 7 Afterward there were tub races and goose chases, and the sport wound up with a grand “ schi tiers tech en.”

Handy Health Hints.

Don’t sleep in a draught. Don’t go to bed with cold feet. Don’t stand over hot-air registers. , Don’t eat what you do not need just to save it. Don’.t try to get cool too quickly after exercising. "" Don’t sleep with insecure false teeth in your mouth; Don’t start the day’s work without a good breakfast. Don’t sleep m a room without ventilation of some kind. Don’t stuff a cold lest you be next obliged to starve a fever. Don’t try to get along without flannel underclothing in winter. Don’t use your voice for loud speaking or singing when hoarse. Don’t try to get along with less than eight or nine hours’ sleep. Don’t sleep in the same undergarments you wear during the day. Don’t toast your feet by the fire but try sunlight or friction instead. Don’t neglect to have at least one movement of the bowels each day. Don’t try to keep up on coffee and alcoholics when you ought to go to bed. \ . Don’ t drink ioe water by the glass; take ifc jn sips, a swallow at a time. DOn’t eat snow’to quench .thirst; it brings on inflammation 'of the throat. Don’l strain your eyes by reading or working with insufficient or a flickering light. Don’t be too modest to ask the way to the water-closet when you have a I call that way. ’ Don’t use the eyes for reading or fine

work in the twilight of evening or earlywn,. r Don’t try to lengthen your dave by cutting short your night’s rest; it is poor Don’t wear close, heavy, fur or rubber caps or hats if your hair is thin or falls out easily. Don’t eat anything between meals excepting fruits, or a glass of hot milk if you feel faint. Don’t take some other persons medicine because you are troubled somewhat as they were. •Don’t (blow out a gaslight as you would a lamp ; many lives are lost every year by tbps mistake. / Try popcorn for nausea. Try cranberries for malaria. Try a sunbath for Try gingei ale for stomach cramps; Try clam broth for a weak’ stomach. Try cranberry poultice for erysipelas. Try a ß wet towell to.the back of the neck when sleepless. Try swallowing saliva when troubled wlQi sour stomach. Try‘testing fresh rddlshes and yellow turnips for gravel. / Try eating onions and horseradish to relieve dropsical swellings. Try buttermilk for removal Qf freckles, tan and butternut stains. 1 <r-' Try to cultivate an equable temper, and don’t'borrow trouble ahead. Try a dry hot flannel over thfe seat of neuralgic pain and renew frequently. Try taking your codliver oil in tomato catsup, if you want to make .it palatable. Try hard cider—a wlneglassfijl three times a day—for ague and rheumatism.

Try breathing the fumes of turpentine or carbolic acid to relieve whooping cough. .. < ‘ . Try taking a nap in the afternoon if you are going to be out late in the evening. Try a cloth wrung out litom cold water put about the neck at night for sore throat. Try snuffing powdered borax up the nostrils for catarrhal “cold in the head.” Try an extra pair of stockings outside of your shoes when traveling in cold weather. Try walking with your hands behind you if you find yourself becoming bent forward. Try a silk handkerchief over the face when obliged to go against a cold, piercing wind. j Try planting sunflowers in your garden, if compelled to live in a mhlarial neighborhood. Try a saturated solution of bicarbo-, nate of soda (baking soda) in diarrhoeal troubles; give freely. Try a newspaper over the chest, beneath your coat, as a chest protector in extreitaely cold weather.

Dining With Giants.

New York Man. Captain and Mrs. Martin Van Buren Bates, thp giants, enterained some friends at dinner in Brooklyn, last night. As the giants reached the door of the dining-room they bowed, an act which was at the Same time a greeting and a necessary preliminary to entering. It was a question whether both could sit at one end of the table, but they managed It. The first course consisted of small oysters on half-shell. It waa pleasant to behold the grace with which Mrs. Martin Van Buren Bates conveyed the small oysters from the plate away off to her lips. “This table,” said the Captain,' “ought to be about three feet higher, and these chairs high in proportion. When I was in the war I had a very hard time to get accommodations to suit my size. For instance, if I was ying down beside a camp fire in winter my head and body might be warm enough, but my legs might be in an atmosphere below srero.” “Didn’t the enemy make a target of you?” “Not so much as you might think, though my Colenel used to make toe lie down and form the men behind me out of the enemy’s sight. Later in the evening some one happened to mention Parson Brownlow. v “Oh. I knewhimwell said the Captain, “There was only a mountain between his house and mine. I used to look over the mountain and talk with him.” Captain and Mrs. Bates are small eaters. They were served yesterday with the same portions as their guests. One of their intimate friends said this was not a point ofetiquet,.hiit that they were always a« abstemious. Mrs. Bates is a trifletaller th an the Captain, but she rarely refers to the fact for fear of wounding her husband’s feelings.

The Reason Why.

Texas Sittings. A good many years ago, when a certain place in Texas was a vprv small town, quite a of prominent citizens Went out on a bunting expedition. One night when they were all gathered around the camp fire, one of the party suggested that each man should give the time arid reason for his leaving his native State and coming to Texas, whereupon each one in turn told his experience. Judge Blank had killed a man in self defense m Arkansaw, General Soandso hand lorged another man’s signature to a check, while another came to Texas on account of his having two wives; The only man who did not make any disclosures was a sanctimonious looking old man, who, although a professional gambler, was usually cajjed “Parson.” "Well, parson, why did you, leave Kentucky?” \ ; “I don’t care to say anything abopt it. Besides, it was only a trifle. Node of you would believe me anyhow.” "Ont with it! Did you shoot somebody?” "No, gentleman, I did not. Since you want to knpw so bad, I’ll tell you. I left Kentucky because I did not build a church.” Deep silence fell on tbe group. No such excuse for coming to . Texas eVer hadbeen heard of before. There was evidently an unexplained mysteiy at the bottom of it. “paraon” was called on to furnish more light. “Well, gentlemen, you see a congregation raised $3,000 and turned It |over to me to build.a church—and I didn’t build the church. That’s all.” Neck chains are worn only for full dress.

TABLE TALK.

The hair-to dreged close, fla>, and with-wry l«|le fluttness. -Potarteti basques with panier puffs on the hips are gaining favor. Shirred bodices are to be fashionable next spring and summer. Spanish lace, both black and white, is as muchthe rage as ever. Wreaths of roses'find other flowers are revived for ball coiffures. * fie date of Oscar Wilde’s* arrival is sestJtetic.T (It was Jan. 2,18&>’2. Shtin, Moire', and plush are the most popular materials for evening dress this winter. Several of Col, Mapieson’s chorus singers gotdrunkaud pugilistic in Boston, and had to pay fines in a police court. • •• The Mormons expect converts from London next month, comprising i numberof familiesand about 200 unmarried women. Judge Tourgee’s “A Fools Errand” proved a failure in the. form of a drama and the .company . which went on a tour with it has disbanded. Horace Johnson takes pride in being the first man to cross the Connecticut river on the ice every year,and nobody has beaten him since 1870. There will be an unusual demand for beautiful women next summer, as nearly every circus will, make one the feature of its street procession. A boy dropped a live coal down the back of a schoolfellow for fun at Ware, Mass., and the burned youth’s father thinks the joker’s father ought to pay SI,OOO damages. The proprietor of anew billiard room in Dallas, Texas, expresses his earnest hope that Texatis Will therein employ their “proverbial scientific psacision of the eye in making sure shots?” The Faithful delight in water brought from the sacred well of Mecca. Its analysis shows so large a percentage of disease-breeding filth that the physicians pronounce it “bottled cholera.” The empress Augusta of Germany is far from being a beautiful old lady. She is tall, painfully slender; a woman of many angles whose sharp features express a stern, hatd and hadghty nature.

A Memphis man has a wine-glass that was given to his great-great-grand-father by Wm. Penn. It was one of a dozen brought from England by Penn when he founded the colony of Pennsylvania. In the new myrtle green riding habit of the Empress of Austria the skirt is so arranged that in case of accident it may be by a single movement disengaged and prevented from encumbering the feet. Dto Barksdale of the Virginia Lunatic Asylum reports the case of a negro lunatic whose brain weighed, seventy ounces This is suppose ! to toe the largest brain on record except that of Oliver Cromwell. It is stated that the result of recent geological explorations made in Russia by official direction show the existence in that empire of phosphate deposits sufficiently extensive to supply the wants of Europe for an indefinite period. At a temperance revival at Ridgeway, Elk county, Pa., five hundred persons signed the pledge in one week. The receipts of the two saloons of the town in that week footed, up fifteen cents. * Thomas T. Hehry, who was born of slave parents In 1852, has been admitted to tbe Philadelphia bar. He i» the first colored lawyer to pass the examination of the examining board of the Philadeplbia bar. A little Texarkana girl who has been cross-eyed all her. life, awoke a few morniugs since with the defect entirely gone. Since chat tiuae tUete has not been the least symptom of its return. No remedies had ever been used to cure her? Like tbe generality of king? qud conquerors, Frederick the Great had a philosophic indifference to th#'health of others. In one of his battles, a battalion of veterans having to their heels, he galloped after them, bawling out, “Why do you foil away, Sou old blackguards? Do yon want to ve forever?” j. 1 . The wife of the new Chinese Minister, a lady of high rank iu her own country, will not enter Washington society at present. She speaks only her own language, her little feet will not allow her to go about unsupported, and ; she is, to crown all, exceedinly bashful. There is a Charley Ross case at Oconto, Wis., the kidnappers secreting a little son of Captain Dickenson, and demanding SI,OOO. A search at last accounts was being made for the boy. The father, though wealthy and not penurious,positively refused to pay the blackmail. Twenty-five years ago the city of Albany, New York, with a population of 57,000. consumed 850 pounds of opium and 375 ounces of morphia annually. 'Now, with a population of 91,000, there arO 3,500 pounds of opium *'nd 5,500 ounces of morphia sold every year in that city. i Mr. Mulhall of the statistical society of London estimates the amount earned by commerce, manufactures, mining, agriculture, carrying and banking in Europe in 1880 at £7,683,000,000, showing an increase for Great Britain of £337,090,000, against £1.218,000,000 for the rest of Europe. The Harris Community was founded in Chautauqua ,County fourteen years ago by Thomas Lake Harris, who taught salvation through self-renunci-ation, and that properly married and disciplined couples became a single being after death. The enterprise has failed, and the property has just been bought by Mr. Benjamin F. Butler, for $91,000. Albert E. Gore did not 'meet with much success as a rogue in his native town of Quincy, Mans., though he tried all manner of small swindles. He went away, was absent several years, and lately returned wearing the uniform of a lieutenant ih_ the United States navy, He said that he had grown prosperous and Belftreepectlng. This time his aoouamtances were oft their guard, and he robbed them extensively before they understood his -Same. • '