Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1882 — Page 3

FOR THE CHILDREN.

THE SONG OP THE SWING. * <w»b Into my lap, little Kiri, little girl. Mnoe yon 'wistfully gazing stand; <JBmb into my lap of gray old pine, I«y hold of my hempen band. A wonderful trip, little girl, little girl. We will take in a wonderful way, Trom the wcmderful earth toward the wonderful skies On this wonderful summer's day, -Softly, and slowly, at first, we’ll stir, As the shy, wild creatures pass, •Soares bending the tops of the olorer blooms. Or moving the feathery grass. • Then up—up^up—where the blossom-clouds Shut close ’round the robin’s nest, Teepqulekl Canyon see the deep blue eggs She hides ’neath her soft, warm UreastT Wow yon can tell why the bobolink When from meadow-grass he springs, Carols with joy as he feels Os air Pass under his outspread wings! Ah, down—down—down—with n sinking swoop That makes your heart stand still! Look op—at the arching apple-boughs! And o a t—at the distant hill! - : > It may be, the trout with the self-same sigh Drops down to the depths of the pool, leaving the sun-bright ripples above For tbe shadows safe and cooL A bird or a fish or a butterfly, Or a bee in a bed of thyme— Ton shall know all their Joys, little girl, little girt, If into my lap you’ll ellmb! Gasoline If. Haskis in St. Nicholas

The Acorn.— ls an acorn be suspended by a piece of thread within half an inch of the surface of some water contained in a hyacinth glass, and so permitted to remain without being disturbed, it will, in a few months, burst, and throw a root into the water, and shoot upwards its straight and tapering stem, with beautiful little green leaves. A young oak tree growing in this way on the mantel shelf of a room is a very elegant and interesting object. I have seen several oak trees, and also a ohesnut tree, thus growing, but all of them, however have died after a few months, probably owing to the water not being changed sufficiently often to afford them the necessary quantity of nourishment from the matter contained in it. TO FIND A NUMBER THOUGHT OF. Example. Let a person think of a number, say 0 Let him multiply by 3. 18 Add r. 19 Multiply by 3• • « .••••••••• . ,57 Add to this the number thought of 68 Let him inform you what is the number produced: it will always end with three. Strike oft the 3, and inform him that he thought of 6. SECOND METHOD. f Example. Suppose the number thought of to be 6 Let nim double it 12 Add 4 16 Multiply by 5 80 Add 12 92 Multiply by 10 .920 Let him inform you what is the number produced . You must then, in every case, subtract 820; the remainder is, in this ease, 600; strike off the two ciphers and announce 6 as the number thought of.

About the Mink.— The mink is a wan'dering creature, leading a solitary life a good part of the year. If you happen to lire near water you have some chance of making his acquaintance, and will find him a very petable thing. I have known of two that were caught and tamed, and became as domestic as kittens. One of them was accidentally discovered by a gentleman who was enjoying May morning by the side of a brook which ran through his doorvard. He heard a queer little t&aintiff cry almost under his feet, and taking up a spear such as is used in killing “suckers”—all boys know about ' 'spearin g suckers’ ’ in the spring—he thrusts it at random into the bank; and out came a young mink, minus the tip of his tail, which the spear had cut off. This poor waif was apparently the only one left of a very young family,and his home had probably Seen broken up by some laborers who had been cutting a ohannel just below. He was about the size of a common house-rati and his hairy covering did not look much like the lovely brown fur of later days. He was cared for, fed with milk, and, as be grew older, with meat and Ash. Of the latter he was very fond, and would go down to the brook and fish there alone by the hour, always returning when whistled for—you know men and boys have the faculty of teaching almost any creature to obey that signal. Visitors always asked to see “the tame mink,” and at the accustomed call he would be perceived hurrying up the bank ana making all speed in their direction: but before they knew it, he was nowhere in sight. By some mysterious feat the droll little thing had suddenly made himself invisible; and all the time the good man would be looking so roguish over the mystification of the guests. He was used to the tactics of this curious pet, and knew just where he would presently por into sight. It was a very absurd proceeding, but the mink chose that way —to run up his master’s leg, inside of the pantaloons, up inside of the vest and then peep out, to the astonishment of the beholders, just under his chin, and there snuggle down—the sly-boots!— purring like a kitten.—Wide Awake.

SUNDAY THOUGHTS.

Whoever is suspicious incites treason. Hope is a fatigue ending in a deception. Beauty without grace is a hook without bait. The stoutest heart loses hope under, repeated defeat. What seems only ludicrous is sometimes very serious. An idle man is like stagnant water; he corrupts himself. 'Love is like a squirrel: at onoe enterprising and timid. A truth that one does not understand beohmes an error. In your Christian aspirations be heroes.—John R. Paxton. Christianity teaches lowly oontentment and lofty charity. Christ is the contemporary of all the ages.—J. P. Newman. Recollection is the only paradise out of wbion we can be driven. The energies of the soul slumber in the vague reveries of hope. Justice is the bread of nations; they are always famishing for it. In this world one must put cloaks on all truth*, even the nicest. Ail truth* sre not to be uttered; still, it is always good to hear them. Gentle msnners in a lady are worth all the beauty that was ever seen. Bold, cheerful leadership, not denunciatiou, is the need of tne day. Fear of hypocrites and fools is the great plague of thinking and writing. Strong thoughts are iron nails driven in the mind that nothing can draw out. Forgiveness is almost indifference; while love lasts forgiveness is impossible. The love of God imposes on us no impossible conditions.—Frank E. Clark. We salute more willingly an acquaintance in a carriage than a friend on foot. Often the virtue of a woman must be very great, since it has to suffice for two. There are people who feed themselves with tneir grief until they get fat on it. Every one of our actions hie rewarded or punished, only we do not admit it. The most completely lost of all days is the one on which we have not thought. We must laugh before we are happy, lest we should die without having laughed. When we say theTe is nothing new under the sun. we do not oount forgotten things. We do not judge men by what they are in themselves, but what they are relatively to us. Can one better expiate his sins than by enlisting his experience in the service of morals? Infidelity builds no homes or ternEles. It only destroys, tears down omes and temples. We require an inner life, not mere action, bat life, the life of life, not life from galvanism. Do not feel proud at having sup ported your misfortune. How could you not have supported it?

In great suffering you shut yourself up like an oyster. To open your heart by force would be to kill you. Take up one by one the plain, prao tical duties that lie closest to your hand and perform them as fast as you can. There is but one happiness—duty. There is but one consolation—work. There is but one enjoyment—the beautiful. Instead of complaining of the thorns among the roses, we should be thankful there are roses among the thorns. The song of the nightingale and the howling or cats are two manners of expressing the same feeling; but they are not mutually intelligible. From selfishness men make severer laws for women than for themselves, without suspecting that by so doing they raise them above themselves. In youth grief is a tempest which makes you ill; in old age it is only a cold wind which adds a wrinkle to your face and one white lock to the others. Melancholy, when it is not a physical languor, is a kind of convalescence during which one thinks one’s self much more ill than during the illness. Th is is one of the sad conditions of life, that experience is not transmissible. No man will learn from the sufferings of another—he must suffer himself. Holiness is power. Tie poorest man who is gre it in prayer, is perhaps a greater man in affeotlng the destinies of the world than the Emperor of Russia. Suffering is a heavy plough driven by an iron band. The harder and more rebellious the soil the more it is turned, the richer and softer the deeper it is cut into. Suffering is our most faithful friend; it is always returning. Often it has changed its dress and even its face; but we can easily recognize it by its cordial and intimate embrace.

SCIENTIFIC GOSSIP.

Yeast mixed with about one-eight of pureglyoerine will keep well for a long time if placed in a cool cellar or chamber. This country hae one medical man to every 600 inhabitants, while Canada has only one to 1,200 inhabitants. Great Britain one to 1,672, and Germany one to 3,000. The inauguration of the statute to the mathematician Fermat will take 81ace at his birthplace in Taro-et-faronne on Aug. 20. M. Bert rant will represent the Frenoh Academy on the occasion. A curious fact appears to have been determined by MM. Arlong, Cornevin, and Thomas. They have proved that if a cow is inocculated against anthrax during gestation her calf obtains immunity against the disease. Daring the months of August and September there will be an exhibition in Brussels of gas-heating appliances, in order to give an idea to the general public of the economical Value of gas for industrial, domestic and oulinary purposes. There is eminent medical authority for the statement that unripe or very old potatoes contain a certain quantity of splanine. This may produoe serious results, if the potatoes are boiled With their skins on, and if they are eaten in large quantities. M. Chauveau says that heating (according to certain rules) blood infeoted with bacteria makes it a vaccinating liquid <?uite as sure as that of M. Pasteur. The temperature 43-44 degrees sufflcies. In any hour enough vaccine matter for 500 sheep can be prepared from one guinee pig. In examining tallow in Paris the sample is dissolved in chloroform when gelatinous matters, fragments of skins, calcium phosphate of lime* and other non-fatty matters remain undlssolved. The French stearine makers take 44 degrees as the lowest possible melting point for tallow. Salting, M. L. Fourment asserts, is not necessarily fatal to trlchinse imbedded in meat. These parasites may live in salt provisions for 15 months. Salting, indeed, often serves to preserve the vitality of trichisse, as it protects them to some extent from the destructive influence of heat Mr. H. W. P. Wilson flndß that in many plants the exoretion of carbonic acid decreases at once if a supply of oxygen is excluded.. Hence the view that the carbonic acid exhaled by {riants has its origin in inter-molecu-ar decomposition, independent of the oxygen of the air, is not at all tenable.

The Sewer Inspector of Cleveland lately opened a dogged sewer and found that the roots of a tree had grown and forced their way into a socket joint, and, penetrating the sewer completely filled it up. The roots had clasped themselves so firmly about the pipe that it took the united strength of two or three men to remove them. Another canal is contemplated by the French Government. This waterway is intended to connect the Meuse and the Scheldt, and place in cheap communication the collieries and blast furnaces of the north with the mines and iron-works of the east. A restoration to Dunkirk of the trade which had been diverted to Antwerp is anticipated if the canal is finished. Magnesia in limestone. M. Pichard says, is quickly detected by its alkaline reaction. If the stone when pulverized does not at once react upon red litmus paper a portion is heated on platinum toil at the spirit lamp to a temperature below dull redness. Pure limestone remains unchanged, but if the one-ten-thousandth part of magnesia is present an alkaline reaotakes place. Compound armor plates—iron faced with steel—will very probably be adopted by the French Government for new men-of-war. The steel resists penetration, and the iron backing gives the desired tenacity. Steel alone when struck fractures and falls to pieces. Heavy shot easily passes through a considerable thickness of iron. Iron and steel combined make a surprisingly strong resistance to proFrom the annual report of the Royal Society, London, it appears that the Council unanimously agreed to award the Clarke memorial medal for 1882 to Prof. James Dwight Dana, LL. D.,of Yale College, New Haven, Conn., “in recognition of his eminent work as a naturalist, and especially in reference to his geological and other labors in Australia when with the United States exploring expedition round the world in 1886 to 1842.” A Belgian engineer is said to have invented a process by which he can weld steel at a red heat.' He keeps an essential portion of his method a secret. It seems, however, that he carefully polishes the surfaces to be united, smears them over with some sort of liquid, raises the temperature of the metal to redness, and then , oins the pieces. After severe teste >ars welded in this way were in no nstance broken at the point of juncture. The first screw boats ever built in America, and, so far as the Engineer knows, the first iron hulls, were the Anthracite and the Black Diamond, constructed on the plans of Capt. Ericsson and employed in carrying cdal through the Delaware and Raritan canal. The first sea-going proKller built iu America was the frigate inceton, also after Capt. Ericsson’s designs but under the superintend* ance of Capt. Stockton. This vessel was a full-rigged ship, and it was the intention to use steam only as occasion might require and as an aid to the sails.

WHAT PASSE. OR WIT.

In the wild West: These hot nights in Leadville folks are frequently covered with nothing more than a revolver. Circus jokes: The jokes of the circus clown must he made up of kind words. For, you know, “kind words never die.” The book agent is a heroine: “Her Face Was Her Fortune,” is the title of a popular novel. She was evidently a book agent and traveled on her onesk. Banking: Well old fellow, what are you doing now?” “Nothing; hnt I’ve a big scheme on foot. Lots of money in it.” “A-ahl What is it?” “I’m going into a banking house.” “A-ahl After dark?” Wordswoth improved: “Heaven lies übout ns in our infancy,” says the poet. The inference is that as soon as we get big enough to talk we oan be relied on to rely about ourselves. If we do not our enemies will lie about us. Cause and effect: Eminent provincial tragedian—“ Come hlthorr, sweet one. Your mothorr tells me that you shed teorrs during my soliloquy in exile last night!” Sweet one-“ Yes, sir. Mother kept on pinching me ’cause I was so sleepy 1” An enthusiastic Briton: First John Bull, ‘ H admiral Seymour’s the boy! Ht wouldn’t give mush for Harahl when the Had mi ral’fa done with ’im!” Second J. B. “Them’s the very words Hi said mettelf this hevening. Hi ’ope the Hadmiral will bring ’ome the ’arem!” A good oatoher : “Is that animal a success?” Inquired a neighbor of a farmer who had recently purchased a watch dog. "Well, I guess so; he oanght right on the first day.” replied the owner, proudly pointing to a mouthful of pantaloons debris near the dog s kennel. Novelty demanded: “By exclaimed Brown, “did you read this heroio act of a gunner on the Invincible, who picked up a lighted shell and put out the burning fose?” “Pooh!” replied Jones, “I saw that feat at the Boston Theatre last winter; give us something fresh.” Highly intelligent darling: “The robbers can’t steal my mamma’s earrings, cause pappa’s hidden them.” Interested lady visitor: “Is tint so, dear? Why. where has he put them, I wonder?” “I heard him say he’s But them up the spout, and expects ley will stay there.” Simile: Miss Walnnt Street, of Philadelphia, turns up her nose at Miss Michigan, of Chioago, at Cape May, because the latter says tbe form er is “stuok up.” “Dear me,” lazily says the Quaker City maiden, “That Western girl’s feet are like the hand of Providence—they cover everything. Happily twisted: When Sir George Rose was dining on one occasion with the late Lord Langdale, his host was speaking of the very diminutive church in Langdale, of which his lordship was patron. “It is not bigger,” said Lord Langdale, “than this dining room.” “No,” returned Sir George, “and the living not half so good/’ Water privileges: “You advertise that there is a fine stream of water on the place, bnt I don’t see it.” remarked a stranger who wanted to rent the place. The landlord said: “Just work that pump-handle a little and you will see a fine stream of water. You don’t expect to have the Niagara Falls on the place for fifteen dollars a month, do you?”

Fun at the expense of courtesy: “What shall my song be to-night?” said Miss Tibbs at the tea table. We are going to have a musloale. I think I shall try ‘Within a Mile of Edlnboro.’ ” “Seems to me,” said Jones, the undaunted, “1 would try something I could come within less than a mile of.” Miss T. says she thinks Lieutenant Jones is horrid. ... Death of George Washington: “When did George Washington die? asked an Austin teacher or a large boy. “Is he dead?” was the astonished reply. . “Why, it is not more than six months ago that they were celebrating his birthday, and now he is dead. It’s a bad year on children. I reckon his folks let him eat something that didn’t agree with him.” Under false colors: “Wife,” said a New Haven man impatiently, “why do you let that child run around today so dirty, so much like a little monkey? I ran him in neighbor Jones’ yardjußt now, the worst looking object I ever saw.” “Was he over there, though?” was the responded inquiry. “Well, he’ll pass for Mr. Jones’ dirty brat to long as he is there. I’m not going to worry.” Congress water: A stranger dropped in one morning before breakfast at a Washington drug store and called for a bottle of Congress water. The intelligent clerk ducked behind the counter and promptly produced a bottle of old Monongahela. The customer tasted it, and then, depositing his glass, remarked* “Du you call that Congress water?" “That’s it,*’ answered the pill oompounder, smiling pleasantly. “Every Congressman who comes in here drinks it/ Costly: A certain young man brought his affianced down from the country to see the sights. One day while they were passing the confectioner’s the swain noticed in the window a placard bearing the announcement: “Ice cream sl\ per 'gal.” “Well” said the young man as he walked into the saloon, “that’s a pretty steep price to charge for one gal; but, Mula, I’ll see you through, no matter what It costs. Here’s * dollar, waiter; ice cream for this gaL”

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

A Tin-lined Butter-tub makes a first-rate cake box, or by taking off the wood on the outside or putting on a short wire handle you will have a very serviceable tin pail. This pall Is particular good to use on the stove to neat water In. Gooseberry Jam.—Simmer the fruit in a very little water, press through a sieve, and return to the kettle. Then add to each pound of the pulped gooseberries three-quar-ters of a pound of sugar, and boll half an hour, stirring constantly. Fruit in honey.- Fruit may be preserved in honey. Put tbe fruit first in to a jar, then put honey over it, and seal ah-tight; when.the honey is poured from the fruit it will have the flavor and appearanoe of jelly, making a delloious dessert. To Make Gooseberry Catsup take ten pounds of gooseberries, seven pounds of sugar, three pints of vinegar; add cinnamon, cloves alleploe, to suit the taste; boll slowly for two hours, putting the sugar In list and letting it boil for a short time only. A Nice Tomato Dish.—One of the nioeet and simplest ways of dressing tomatoes is to out them in halves, lay them in a baking dish, cover each piece with some bread crumbs, a little pepper and salt and some flnelyohopped parsley, pour a little oil over and hake in a good oven. When washing lisle-thread gloves for your husband or son do not use soap: instead of that put a teaspooaful of ammonia in one quart of water. If washed in this way, there is no danger of there being spots and streaks in the gloves, as there would almost oertainly be if washed in the usual way. Currant Catsup. Take four pounas of stemmed red currants and one and one-half pounds of brown sugar. Cook until thlok. Be oareful not to bum. Then add one teaspoonful of salt, one of pepper, one of doves, one tabiespoonful or cinnamon, and a pint of good vinegar. This is a good recipe.

Gooseberry Jelly. Plok the fruit before quite ripe; put into a dish and place in a kettle of hot water; cover closely and boll until the fruit is tender. Strain the same as ourrant jelly, and to each pint of juice allow a pound of sugar; Doil twenty minutes, turn into jelly oups and set in the sun for several days, or until stiff. Protect from insects ana dew. Raspberry Jam.— Three-fourths pound sugar to every pound of fruit. Put the fruit on alone, or with the addition of one pint ourrant Juice to every four pounds raspberries. Boil half an hour, mashing and stirring well; add the sugar and cool twenty minutes more. Blaokberry jam is very good made in the same way, only omitting the ourrant julos. Common Tomato Sauob.— Cut up some ripe or preserved tomatoes in halves, place them In a stew-pot with a few strips of lean ham, some sliced onions, thyme, laurel leaves and a little beef liquor, and stew them half an hour over a slow fire; then add two or three spoonfuls of beef liquor, and boil. Afterward pass through a sieve, add a little butter and serve up. A stong good-sized table is almost a necessity in the oellar. Jan that are too heavy to be lifted on and off shelves may be set on the table. Many cellars are sometimes infested with ants and other bugs. One way to keep them from orawling over the jars is to take the tin cans iu which peaches or tomatoes came, set the legs of the table in the cans and fill them half foil of water. Currant Jam.—Pick free from stems and leaves, weigh and orush; But in a porcelain kettle and plaee on le back of the stove where they will gradually heat: then let boll twenty minutes and add sugar in the proportion of three-fourths pound to a Eound of the fruit. Boil one-half our more, stirring most of the time. When done put into small jars or glasses and either seal or secure like jelly with paper. Currant Jelly.— Look over the fruit and see that it is perfectly clean; crush and set on back of tie stove until heated through; strain, and for every pint of Juice measure a pint of sugar, put the fruit Juice on to boil and the sugar la a pan in the oven to beat. Let the juice boil twenty-five minutes, skimming as needed. Then stir the sugar, which should be very, very hot, and then boil five minutes longer. If the sugar was thoroughly heated, five minutes boiling would be sufficient, but it will be-best to test it before pouring out, by trying a little on a spoon. If the Juioe jellies as the spoon is turned from side to side it Is done. Uses or Borax.— Lady readers who have not tested the magic properties of borax have been losing a great help and comfort. If onoe used, you wifi never be without a bcttle on your toilet table. It removes stains and dirt from the hands better than soap, and at the same time softens and smooths the skin. It is splendid for washing the hair, and will, without injury, cleanse brushes and combs in a few moments. For washing purposes saves both soap and labor. It will extract the dirt from articles of delicate texture without rubbing, it being only necessary to put articles to soak over night, and they need only be rinsed in tne moralng. Two tablespoonsfol of pulverized borax dissolved in a quart of water, to which water enough is added to oover a pair of blankets, will cleanse them beautifully. It also saves great labor in washing paint. It is said to drive away ants and roaches, if sprinkled on the shelves of safes and pantries.