Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1882 — Page 7

Hugged Against His Will

A most ludicrous scene transpired in 9 place not a thousand miles from the city of Louisville one night the other week, and though a little annoying to the parties concerned, was just so innocent and funny that we cannot refrain from giving the general outlines, suppressing names of course. Two sprightly and beautiful young ladies were visiting their cousin, another sprightly and beautiful young lady, who like her guests, was of that happy age that tdrns everything into fun and merriment. Ifthe truth were told, we fear we should have to record that these three misses were just a little bit fast. They were fond of practical jokes, and were constantly playing all pranks with each other. All three occupied a room on the ground floor and cuddled up together in bed. Two of the young ladies attended a party on the night in question, and did not get home until 11:110 o’clock at night. As it was Jate they concluded not to disturb the household; so they quietlv stepped into their room through the open window.* In about half an hour after they had left for the party, a young Methodist minister called at the house where they were staying, and craved a night’s lodging which of course was granted As ministers always have the best of everything, the old lady put him to sleep in the best room, and the young lady (Fannie) who had not gone to the party was intrusted with the duty of sitting up for the absent ones, and of informing them of the change of rooms. She took up her post in the parlor, and as the night was sultry, sleep overcame her, and she departed on an excursion to the land of dreams. We will now return to the young ladies, who had gone to their rpom through the window . By the dim light of the moonbeams, as they struggled through the curtains, the young ladies were enabled to descry the outlines of Fannie (as they supposed) esconced in the middle of the bed. They saw more —to wit, a pair of boots. The truth flashed upon them at once. They saw it all. Fannie had set the boots in the room to give them a good scare. They put their heads together and determined to turn the tables on her. Silently they disrobed, and stealthily as cats they took up their positions on each side of the bed. At a given signal they both jumped into bed, one on each side of the unconscious parson, laughing and screaming, “Oh, what a man!” They gave the poor bewildered minister such a genuine hugging and tussling as few parsons are able to brag of in the course of a lifetime. The noise of the proceeding awoke the old lady, who was sleeping in an adjoining room. She comprehended the situation in a moment, and rushing to the room, she opened the door and exclaimed: “Gracious, gals, it is a man —it is a man, sure enough!” There was *ne prolonged consolidated scream, a flash of muslin through the door, and all was over. The best of the joke is that the minister took the whole thing in earnest. He would listen to no apologies the old lady could make for the girls. He would hear no excuse, but solemnly folded his official robes about him, and silently stole away. Query —Was he mad at the girls, or —at the old woman ?

The Abolition of Apprenticeship.

There are some who still deplore the fact that at'the present day the old system of apprenticeship has become obsolete; but we think that the change in our custom should not be regretted, as it is the neces-’ sary result of changed circumstances, and, taken all in all, the advantages overbalance the disadvantages. The changed circumstances referred to are the invention and universal introduction of new, improved tools and machinery. This has exerted a two-fold influence, namely, it lias upset the old routine way by which employees taught apprentices the old traditional methods, because new machinery made it necessary for the employer to continually learn himself some new way of doing a thiiig; at the same time machine work did away with the drudgery with which apprentices used to be charged and bored, resulting in a loss of much of their time without learning anything. The world has found out that it is much beter to keep boys at school a longer time, when after having received a more complete education, they will, on entering a modern shop at a maturer age, learn more of the business in three months than very young apprentices in former years used to learn in three years; and we need only point out this fact to convince any one of the advantages the youth of the present age enjoy in this country over the youth of years gone by, and over the youth in old stagnating countries of Europe. This is one of the chief reasons why we are at the head of all the world in usefiil, practical appliances, and generally acknowledged to be so. What we have said applies to most all trades, especially wood-working and carpentry, in which great improvements in machinery and tools have been introduced, which have resulted in another advantage, namely, the trade is much more readily learned, the improved tools making it easier to do good work, if the eye is only correct and the hand steady. A Cheekful Face. —Carry the radiance of your soul in your face ; let the world have the benefit of it. Let your cheerfuV ness be felt for good. Wherever you are, let your smiles be scattered like sunbeams “on the just as well as on the unjust.” Such a disposition will yield you a rich reward, for its happy effects will come home to you and brighten your moments of thought. Smiles are the higher and better responses of nature to the emotion of the soul. Let the children have the benefit of them, those little ones who need the sun shine of the heart to educate them, and would find a level for their buoyant nature in the cheerful, loving fUces of those who lead them. Let them not kept from the middle-aged, who need the encouragement they bring. Give your smiles to the aged. They come to them like the quiet rain of summer, making fresh and verdant the long, wearisome path of life. Be gentle and indulgent to all; love the true, the beautiful, the just, the holy. • _ At Charleston, 3. C., the Jury disagreed in the case of the ballot box staffers. , „

Perpetual Motion.

WILL IT EVEB BE ACCOMPLISHED. Many ingenious and learned minds have given thought to this problem, in times past, and have found very approximate methods of accomplishing some kind of “perpetual motion.” These soon gave up their schemes as not practical; but there are thousands of others, having some mechanical ingenuity but no learning—especially in the higher problems of mathematics and mechanics —who are literally “possessed” or haunted by this problem of “perpetual motion.” It is an irritant in their brains that will not let them rest. The history of the search for perpetual motion does not afford a single instance of ascertained success ; all that wears any appearance of probability remains secret, an<Mike other secrets, cannot be defended in any satisfactory way against the opinions of the skeptical, who have in their favor in this instance, an appeal to learned authorities 'against the principle of all such machines, and the total want of operativeness in all known pratical results. Published statements afford sorry examples of talents and ingenuity strangely misapplied. Some, but very few, are slightly redeemed from contempt by a glimpse of novelty. Of genius, all are deficient; and the reproduction of known fallacies shows a remarkable ignorance of first principles on one side, and of the most ordinary sources of information on the other. One of the grossest fallacies of the mind is that of taking for granted that ideas of mechanical constructions, apparently the result of accident, must of necessity be quite original. The history of all invention fairly leads to the conclusion that, were all that is known to be swept from the face of the earth, the whole would be reinvented in coming ages. The most doubtful “originality” is that which an inventor attributes to his ignorance of all previous plans, coupled with an isblated position in life. It has been attempted to .effect perpetual motion by water, mercury, sand, levers, inclined planes, Archimedean screws, Barker’s mills, water wheels, single wheels, drum wheels, multiplied wheels, and other mechanical means. One might almost desire to know what has not been put on trial to make wheelwork continually turn itself. A thousand failures do not prove the thing impossible, because a thousand persons may have taken *a wrong direction. But it proves this: that something, however trifling, is wanting; so small, it may be, perhaps, that no one has hitherto taken the trouble to look for it! Suppose it may be something to act as a lubricator, or something as a detent at a particular point. Does not this at once suggest the weakness and feebleness of such a machine for any utilitarian purpose? It must be plain that it would, at best, be little more than an exquisitely curious toy. —Illustrated News.

Shot-Making.

One of the “secrets” of the manufacture is the mixing of lead with a certain proportion of a combination of mineral substances called “temper.” The “ temper ”is fused with lead, and gives to the molten metal that peculiar consistency which makes it drop readily. If it were not for the “temper” the lead would be moulded by the sieve, and would form little pencils instead of round shot. • When “BB” shot, for instance, are to be made, the lead is poured into a pan perforated with holes corresponding to that size. The little pellets pour down in a continuous shower, and fall. In their descent of two hundred feet they become perfect spheres, firm and dense, and they are tolerably cool when they strike the water, although the swift concussion makes the tank foam and bubble as if water were boiling furiously. The shot must fall iu the water, for if they should strike any firm substance they would be flattened and knocked out of shape. It is said that this method of making shot spherical was the invention of the wife of a poor European workman in metals, who had spent months iu trying to find out how to do it without moulding. To get the little pellets perfectly dry after they have been in the “well” is the most difficult and troublesome process of the whole manufacture. An elevator with small buckets, very much like those used in flour mills, carries the shot up as fast as they reach the bottom of the “well” and deposits them in a box sixty feet above the first floor. The water drips from the buckets as they go up, and not much is poured into the receiver above, although it is intended to be a sort of dripping machine. From this receiver the shot runs down a spout into a drying pan, which greatly resembles a gigantic shoe, made of sheet iron. The pan rests at an angle which perihits the wet shot to roll down to the chamber below, and the pellets become perfectly dry as they pass over the warm sheet-iron.

Some Hints for Boys.

Avoid that which you see amiss in others. Follow the examples only of the good. Keep your ears open to all that is worth hearing, and closed to all that is not. An older person’s experience is of no value to you unless you profit by it. You are not building on the future, but on the past and present. Evil communications corrupt good manners. Nobody wants to deal with a doubleminded boy. Be industrous; the world wants boys who are not afraid of hard, steady work. “The empty vessel makes the greatest sound. < Rome boys inherit good fortunes, hut no boy ever inherited'a scholarship, a good fliaracter or a useful life. If you would be capable, cultivate your mind; if you would be loved, your heart. Never excuse a wrong action by saying x>me one else does the same thing; this is to excuse at\all. A hatchet-laced woman, of about fiftyone summers, with a wealth of freckles in her face and a snuff stick iu her mouth, got into a crowded car on Galveston avenue. There were half a dozen gentlemen on the car, but none of them offered to give her a seat. “Es cny of you galoots is waiting for me to squat in yer laps, you are barkin’ up the wrong tree, for I want you to understand I’m a lady.” A dread [that she was not in earnest caused six gentlemen to leave the car .—Galveston Newt.

Lacrosse.

Lacrosse, the Indian pastime which has become the national game of Canada and which is every year becoming more popular, is played on a level, grassy field like a base ball ground. The things used in a game are a rubber ball, about eight inches in circumference, four light poles or flagstafls, each about six feet long, and a bat or “crosse” for each player. The field for a boy’s game should be about one hundred and thirty yards long, and about forty yards wide. The four poles are in pairs, and should have*flags at the top in colors; say, two in blue, and two in white. The two poles of a pair are set up in the ground about six feet apart, the white flags at one end of the field and the blue at the other, the two “colors” being about one hundred and twenty yards apart. These form the goals, and the players should wear some kind of cap or uniform in the same colors as the goals, say half the players in white caps oF shirts, and half in blue. The poles and flags can be made at home, the bats cost about one dollar each, and any good rubber sponge ball may be used. The game is led by two Captains selected from all the boys, and, to decide disputes, there may be also two umpires. Each captain, beginning with the eldest takes turns in selecting his team from all the boys, each choosing twelve, making twenty-six in the game. The two captains do not play, and have no bats; their duty is to start the game, to look after their sides, to watch the ball, and tell their own players what to do. The umpires merely look on from the edge of the field, one near each goal. The senior captain places his men in this order: first one in front of the jpposite goal, second one a short distance H advance, and a fourth at the centre of "ho field. At the home goal he also places one man, a few yards in advance of the •53. The remaining players are placed at the sides of the third and fourth boys. Then the other captain does the same thing, and the field is filled by the twenty-four players in pairs, except two on each side. Thus, the two sides are distributed over the entire field. The rules of the game say there must be no kicking nor pulling to get at the ball, nor must it be once touched by the hands. The game is to start the ball from the center, and to throw between the blue flags. Each side tries ■ri best to to defend its own color, and to ■fit the ball into the enemy’s goal. A player may pick the ball up on his crosse, or catch it on the fly, or the rebound, and he may, if he can, run with it on the crosse and throw it into the goal.

About Water.

Where does the water come from, and where does it go ? It comes down in the rain from the clouds. But how did it get up to come down f It is a familiar saying, ‘What goes up must come down.’ Also, what comes down must have been taken up in order to come down. How does the rain get up ? Did any of the young readers —and old ones as to that matter —ever see tho rain go up ? If the streams are always running, and the great rains always pouring their millions of barrels of water into the great lakes and oceans, why do not these lakes and oeeans get full and run over? ‘There must be an outlet somewhere, I imagine I hear some one say. The water rises from these vasts sheets of water—as ii does also from the surface of the land, and in a state of vapor goes up to make clouds. Yapor is not seen, and when water goes nj in this form it is very quiet about it. But what makes the water form vapor? Here is the key question, and the answer is, the »un. The sun, that wonderful source of our light and heat, though many millions of miles away from us, is the cause of the water rising from the earth to form clouds. The warm rays of th e sun shining on land and sea silently change the water into vapor, and the vapor being so much lightei tha t the water, rises. As the vapor passe; up it reaches colder regions, and is changed back again to that liquid state, and* when collected in considerable quantities it falls of its own weight as rain. Should the aii be very cold the water becomes solid, and lulls as snow or fine particles of ice. Water, therefore, may pass through three states of liquid iu the lake, vapor or gas when going up, and a solid when falling. The rain may fall upon a mountain top and then form a small stream which flows rapidly down, and, joined by others, make a river which moves ou to the ocean. We have seen why the rivers continue to run, and a. ; answered the question. ‘Where cioes the water go as it passes on ?’ It goes to the clouds and back again to the land. There is probably the same amount of water on nnd around the earth that there was a thousand years ago—not a drop more or less. It is constantly in motion, forever doing its great work. — Farmer ’« Review. ♦ Story Telling. —“ When 1 was a youug man,” said Colonel 8., an eastern man, “we lived in Illinois. The farm had been well-wooded, and the stumps were pretty thick. But we put the corn in among Hiem, and managed te raiss a fair crop. Wie next season I did my share of the plowing. We had a sulky plow, and I sat in the seat and managed the horses, four as handsome bays as ever a man drew rein over. One day I found a stump right in my way. I hated to back out, so I just said a word to the team, and, if you will believe it, they just walked that plow right through that stump as though it had been cream cheese.” Not a soul expressed surprise. But Major S.,a western man, who had been aquiet listener, remarked quietly: “It’s curious, but I had a similar experience myself once. My mother always made our clothes in those days, as well as the cloth they were made of. The old lady was awful proud of her homespun— : said it was the strongest in the state. One day I had just plowed through a white-oak stump in the way you speak of, Colonel, but it was a little too quick for me. It came together before I was out of the way and nipped my trousers. It felt mean, I can tell you, but I put the string on the ponies, and, if you’ll believe it, they just snaked that stump out, roots and all. Something had to give, you know.” t The force of habit was illustrated in the case of the photographer who acted aS the ■taster of ceremonies at a funeral, and as he lifted the lid of the coffin for the mourners to look at the remains, whispered to the corpse, “ Now, look natural! ”

RELIGION & SCIENCE.

The South Australian Bible and Prayer Union has 1,660 members. Bishop Bowman is making alow but apparently sure progress toward recovery. Of the 160 Southern Presbyterian churches ip Texas, seventy-five have no pastors. The Sabbath should be used for the three-fold purpose of rest, worship and doing good. The Rev, Dr. William J. Reid has lust completed the twentieth year of tis labors as pastor of the First United Presbyterian Church of Pittsburg, Penn. In Nebraska, out of 138 ohurches only fifty have buildings. In Minnesota, out of 120 missionary churches, seventy-nine have no church. There is a marked increase in the number of the theological students in Germany. In 1870 there were 1,586; last year, 2,384. A French newspaper says that the Jesuits are about to undertake the conversation of Wales. On the railroad of Continental Europe the Introduction of mineral oil for lubricating purposes is proving both efficient and economical, * A The Emperor of Russia has given 20,000 rubles to the St. Petersburg Geographical Society toward meeting the expense of another polar station at Nova Zemba. The French Government is disposed to foster the various systems of the application of electricity to railroad purposes in order to obviate, as far as possible, the dangers of travel. A vein of hot water has been tapped near St. Etienne, France, at a depth of about 1,500 metres. This new geyser sends a volume of hot water and carbonic acid to a height of twentysix metres. An eniment Arabian naturalist and physician of the tenth century named Temini states that in ancient times the pitumen of Judea was used to preserve the vine from the ravages of parasites. | Varnish for writing on glass may he made of 600 grains of either, 30 grains sandarace, and 30 grains mastic. Dissolve and add benzine until the varnish imparts to glass a roughened appearance. Use cold.

Dr. Laws, of the Livingstouia Mis-' sion, writing from Lake Nyassa, announces that the New Testament is being translated into Chinyanja and Chitonga. These two translations are additions to the 32 Africa languages into which portions of the Bible have been rendered. The whole Bible has. as yet, been published in only eight of the many hundred languages oi Africa. Bir William Thomson anticipates a broader generalization than the present one, which shall include elasticity as a mode of motion. The Kinetic theory of gases requires that the molecule or atom be elastic. But he insists that until this Kinetic theory explains chemical affinity, electricity, magnetism, gravation, and inertia is and must remain a dream. Among the experiments now being conducted by a chemist at the Royal Shorthorn Dairy at Dytchleys Essex, England, are tests which will or may disclose more of the powers of carferal already well known as a filtering medium in the removal of ammonia from sewage. It has been found that all the ammonia is taken up by the carferal, as is indicated by testing the fluid after it has passed through the filter and the resultant is a material valuable for breaking up and manuring heavy land. The extensive use into which bromide of potassium has come renders the assertion of Herr Maschke of great importance. He finds that this bromide of remarkable sedative properties is largely contaminated with lead. The samples he tested were only reduced to a clear liquid after the addition of an acid. Hydrosul* phuric acid is the best agent to use in making the test, wiht the exception of, perhaps sulphide of ammonium. Lead-poisoning is a dire alternative for nervousness or sleeplessness. The Evangelistic Committee of Twenty-five of Boston, has issued a circular In which it is said: “However earnestly faithful Pastors labor, large numbers in every city cannot be induced to attend any church service, many of whom will listen to the Gospel when it is brought to them, * * * will crowd into public halls, theatres, and similar buildings, when, such places are opened for Gospel services.” It is therefore proposed to carry on meetings in public halls and tneatres. A newly-invented instrument, by Professor Heeren, for the purpose of testing milk, seems to work well. It is named the “pioecope,” and it consists of a dish of black vulcanized india-rubber, having in the middle a very flat circular depression. A few drops of the milk well mixed are put in the hollow and covered with a plate of glass painted with six shades of color, raaiatiDg from a small une flored circular spot in the middle. The colors range from white gray to deep bluish gray. The layer ot milk is seen through the uncolored spot in the center, and its color can thus be compared with the radiating colors, and its quality is judged according to the color with which it coincides. Thus the richest color, stands for cream, the next for very rich milk, and then follow formal, inferior, poor and very poor.

FASHION NOTES.

The favorite blue for children’s flannels and cheviots is the old gendarme or china-blue. For balls the dress should be of some thin tissue, silk muslin or mull or batiste over a silk foundation of the same color. Very long mitts in all shades of color will be much worn as the season ad/ances. The silk and lisle thread gloves of this season have very long The terracotta glove is a success no^i t , h - Bfcaadia * startling color and it is now sold by houses that condemned it when it was first introducOCX* a * The wearing of a jaoket bodice of cashmere, novelty silk or velvet with any kind of a skirt is an excellent plan for utilizing the skirts of dresses, the corsages of which have been worn out. The open embroideries for trimming dresses simulate the various heavy laces and cut works of the Irish, RusMon, early Venetain and Flemish points and the Florentine and Madeira work. The tendency to inorease the width of the skirt ana to loop the draperies high is marked this season. Shirrings, plaits and tuoks in vertioal, not horizontal, lines are seen on all or nearly all new costumes. Spanish laoe designs are brought out in a new gauzy fabric, all wool, black, white, and colored. This will be used for parts of dressy costumes trimmed with Spanish lace and made upon a silk foundation. One of the prettiest large hats of the season is the Tromblon. It has a medium-sized crown and a brim that ls.very wide in front and on one side, turned up a little on the other side and hollowed out in the back. The new manila and ficelle shades of ecru combine effectively with all the quaint and stylish shades of old blue, Pompeian red, terra ootta, golden brown, olive and hunter’s green. The bristling ruche that is used on the bottom of dress skirts consumes r great deal of material, eight yards of silk being sometimes cut up In its waved pleatings; the effect, however, is very good. New Paris veils called voiletteo heve long ends that float like sails. They are scarfspf gauze long enough to wind around the head and neck, and protect the complexion well in breezy weather. The severe and simple tailor-made cloth is the most popular walking costume for spring weather. The novelty for these istne use of plaques of braid instead of the trefoil curves for the frogs worn on the jacket.

Dresses of one fabric are always safe but there are no more refined toilets than the new French combination of cashmere with Louisine silk, and white muslin embroideied garniture, incongruous as these materials appear to be. Hair-dressing has come to be a simple matter now that all false hair is dispensed with. Simple.styles prevail for the back hair, such as small knobs and coils, while the front hair covers the forehead with rings and short curls, and gives the low, broad Greek brow. The prospective decadence of ijatin has brought new repped silks into the market. Among these is Bengaline soft and pliable,.yet with large cords, also the new English silks that are called Victorias, and are made with heavy repps, yet are as yielding as the thinnest taffeta. The newest caprice in French lingerie is to combine laces of two tints in one article of neckwear; for instance, flat collarettes and vests of the flax-gray twine lace have ruched and pleating ot ivory white Languedoc lace with them, and the same arrangement is seen in fichus and doubled trills. Paris millinery presents many new caprices this season, such as a saucy sailor hat called the Boston, a handkerchief bonnet larger than the Fanchon, soft crowned turbans of new shapes, and finally the climax is reached in a revival of the caleche bonnet with shired rattan top, that this generation has only seen worn upon the stage. Wash dresses of linen lawn, chamqery and Scotch ginghams, preparing for summer mornings in the country, are made as simply as even the laundress could desire, with a round basque, apron overskirt, and gathered flounces, but they are gived an elaborate effect by their garniture of embroidered muslin for collar, vest, luffs, and edging on the flounces. “Fair girl graduates” on Commencement day will wear cream-white dresses or embroidered nun’s veiling, or of mull mnslin with lace garniture. The short skirt is trimmed elaborately in front, with soft panier drapery for the back, and the waist has a surplice neck with elbow sleeves. Corsage bouquet of roses, no jewelry a white moire sash, aud white or black slippers, as the wearer chooses. The variety of grenadines is so great at present that these dresses will be more used than they have been; for young ladles the Spanish lace grenadine Is made over colored satin-no-tably terracotta red, olive green, and salmon colors; for older ladies the fine taffeta grenadine of sewing silk is used as a transparent above rich colow, while for those who prefer all black dresses two kinds of grenadine are used,'combining the plain or striped armure grenadine, with brocades that have large balls, flowers or fruits, apples, pears, or plumes brocades on relief upon a satin lustrous ground.