Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 December 1883 — Page 7

The Republican. RENSSELAER, INDIANA.' G. E- MARNHAT.T., - - PUBIJSHXB.

Flora Baker, a colored woman of good character, residing at Newport, Rhode Island, has been left a large estate by her former owner, Weed WWoolridge, of Richmond. The merchants of Dallas, Tex., remonstrated with the prosecuting attorney and grand jury against the prosecution of the gamblers, on the ground that it would ruin the business of the town. A Newburgh (N. Y.) man named Schofield has constructed, during his leisure time, a “centennial table,” on which he has worked 3,600 hours. It is composed of 500 pieces, containing 200 different kinds of wood, and is valued at SI,OOO. Professor Huxley said recently at the Landon Hospital Medical College that, in the granting of degrees, the tripartite qualification of medicine, surgery and midwifery should be insisted upon, and that to allow anyone to practice without it, at the present age of the world, was “perfectly monstrous.” It is a curious coincidence in connection with the Alfonso matter that it was on September 29, 1833, that Queen Isabella ascended the throne of Spain. On September 29, 1868, King Alfonso’s mother had to fly and take ref-ugd in France, and it was on September 29th that King Alfonso met the recent insults from the French crowd. Berlin in 1816 had a population of 195,000, Ldndon had one of 958,863, and Paris one of 713,966. Six years later Berlin had 1,250,000, London 4,000,000. and Paris nearly 2,300,000. Berlin, therefore, increased more than sixfold, London about fourfold, and Paris about threefold. The population of Berlin reign of King William has more than doubled. Curtis McGregor, of Caddo Peak, had his arm mutilated by a gun. It was amputated near the shoulder. He was able to sit up and walk about the room, but complained from the first of pain in the amputated hand, and declared there were bugs in it. This continued until the eighth day after amputation, when friends exhumed and examined the amputated arm, which had been buried in a box with a cloth wrapped about it. A large bug was found in the hand as stated by McGregor. y Seated upon the hearse w’ith the driver in a Philadelphia Chinese funeral procession was an official who carried an immense banner, which he now and then waved as a warning to the demons to keep a respectful distance from the coffin. Another man flung abroad strips of paper written over with mystic puzzles, intended to excite the curiosity of the demons, and keep them so busy with picking them up and trying to read them that they would forget what they came for, and let the pale sleeper in the coffin alone. On arriving at the open grave the bearer of the banner waved it vigorously to keep the demons back while the grave was filled. Dreams are coming into play as detectives of lost property. An old Irish lady dreamed that a distant kinsman was in possession of an estate in Pennsylvania which was’ ’righfffilly hers', came over, brought suit and recovered it. So a citizen of Memphis died recently, having two policies of insurance on his life which coaid not be found among his effects. Finally, a friend of the deceased had a dream in which he saw the lost policies, and on waking went to the place indicated and found them. Perhaps, in time, professional dreamers will be appealed to as successfully for the Recovery of lost articles as clairvoyants are now, or as Connecticut detectives for the unraveling of dnmes. - - Some idea of the relative importance of the chief harbors and ports of the United States can be had from this statement of their entries and clearances for the quarter ending June 30» 1883: , ? ' .Entered. Cleared. IX s ' Xjl* ron». Baltimore. 84 26,119 78 17.577 Boston 251 1102.193 224 89,597 New Ortwins 59 19,046 51 15,951 New Y0rk.......... 738 2:46,051 429 225,949 Passamaciuoddy... 40 33,180 63 37,320 Philadelphia. 168 82.828 100 57,458 Puget 50und....... 167 72,190 164 63.273 San Francisco 102 80.449 94 Hl. 616 From this it appears that New York ranks first, Boston second, San Francisco third and Philadelphia fourth, according to the total tonnage, while the position of the last two is reversed if the number of vessels is considered. At present New York gets the liou’s share commerce of the Atlantic. ■ - :. : . Thebe is on exhibition at Virginia City, Nev., a monstrosity of a trout 'caught in Mariette Lake. The trout is exactly 'Sixteen inches In length, and is

perfect ip ’form in all parts except the head. The under jaw projects exactly one inch, by measurement, beyond the upper one, and the tongue about half as far. The upper jaw curves down, lite the beak of a parrot. It has teeth on the sides, but none in front. The head, when viewed from the front, much resembles the head x>f a sea-lion. In front are two indentations that seem to be perfect eyes, while on the sides ol the head are the real eyes, though probably they are sightless, as a sort of film covers them and one is much higher on the head than the other. It is likely that while young the fish met with an accident of some kind; a big trout, perhaps, snapped its uppef jaw, though there is now no sign of such mutilation in the skin which covers the beak-lie jaw. The trout will be properly preserved as a natural curiosity. “ A druggist in Paris, having been convicted of adulterating sulphate of quinine, has been sentenced to a year’s imprisonment at hard labor. In addition he is to pay a fine of a thousand francs, his name and crime are to be published in twelve political and twelve professional papers, and, should he ever re-open his store, to the door thereof is to be affixed a sign : “Sentenced for adulterating sulphate of quinine.” This is severe punishment; far more severe, probably, than would be regarded as just in this country. But the crime was an infamous one. It was stealing from the sick man his only hope of recovery. And the incident is one which druggists, lawmakers, and the public here would do well to take to heart. Complaints are not infrequently heard of various drugs being poor in quality. Physicians are forced to direct that their prescriptions be filled at certain stores, that they may be sure of the strength of the ingredients. Some druggists seem to be running a race to see who can sell quinine pills at the lowest price per dozen, and they advertise each competing reduction with great flourish of trumpets. But when the price goes down, does the quality remain at proof T~ Or would universal and rigid examination of drugs of all kinds show that many dealers deserve to share the Frenchman’s fate ? An interesting address was recently delivered at Chicago before the Association for the Advancement of Women, upon “Mourning Garb.” Dr. Julia Holmes Smith, of Chicago, was the author of the paper, which was well received and applauded. The expression of grief is common to all peoples, she said; the more primitive and barbarous the people, the more barbarous their customs—agony, fasting, wringing the hands, gashing the body, cutting off the ears, knocking out the teeth, etc. But this is always immediately succeeded by frantic joy and a discarding of the symbols of mourning. The Chinese wear white as a mark of hope, for a short time only; the South Sea Islanders, black and white; the Persians, withered leaf color, while blue is an emblem of the sky and consequently of hope, is worn in Syria, Armenta and neighboring countries. The Egyptians wear yellow; Jews and Christians black, “the midnight gloom of sorrow for the loss sustained.” In the opinion of the speaker mourning should not be worn, because if the grief is real the influence on the mourner is bad; children should not be subjected to its influence; it is often an extravagance; and frequently expresses sham sentiment or is merely a concession to fashion. The .wearing oLthe mourning garb has the effect of keeping the attention fixed upon bereavement, and so delaying the healthy reaction which is essential to life’s duties. The ladies present expressed their agreement with the lecturer, pledged themselves not to wear it and to persaude other women to dispense with it. It will greatly depend, however, upon whether they can make itunfashiouahle.- As it Mnot for the interest of the dressmakers and milliners to make it unfashionable, they will have the fashion-makers opposed to them.

Chief Cities of France and England.

The population of each of the principal cities of France and England in 1881 is given in the “Statesman’s Year Book” as in the table below: FRANCE. ENGLAND. Paris 2,269,023 London. *4,764,312 Lyons 376,613 Glasgow..,. . +647,095 Marseilles 360,099 Liverpool..... Bordeaux. 221,305 Dnhlin i 418,152 Li11ie...... 178,144 Birmingham.. 400,757 T0u10u5e.....;.. 140,283 Manchester.., 393,676 Nantes..,'. 124,819 Lced* 309,126 St. Edenne 123,813 Sheffield 284,410 R0uen......'.... 105,906 Edinburgh.... 236,002 Le Havre 105,867 Bristol 206,503 Rheima.... 93,823 Bradford...... 180,439 Roubaix 91.757 Sal'Old... 176,223 Amiens...,. 74.170 WolverliainpNmcy.... 73,755 im,3W Toulon 79.103 Hull 1d.519 Angers 68.041 01dham....... 132,511 Nce .... .. 66.279 Newcastle-on-Brest 66,110' Tyne........ 145,276 Limoges 63,765! Dundee*..... - 140,231 Nime-s 63,552 Brighton...... 128,4'17 Portsmouth... 127,963 ♦This is what is known as "Police London,” ita- broadest definition. The London covered by “Mortality Bills” contained but 3,831,719 inhabitants. fGlasgow and its suburbs. JDublin County, mos| of the pppulation .of which is in Dublin and its suburbs. London apptially consumes 1Q5,Q0) pheasants. J Salt is the African delicacy* • rs *

ORIGIN OF POPULAR PHRASES.

Nickname. —The word “nickname** comes from an Anglo-Saxon root, identical with the German necken, to tease, to banter, The English, “nickname” is equivalent to, the German neckname. In the same way the German word spitzname Comes from an English root, obsolete in modern German, which in English has been preserved as “spite,” and the German word spitzname is perfectly identical in sense to the English spitename. Villikins and His Dinah. — This song, which was immensely popular in low concerts and in the streets, at New York and other cities, was written many years ago by a young man, a native of Birmingham, Eng., named Harry Horton. He used to sing it nightly at an amateur theatrical meeting held at the Bed House, New John street, in that town. Horton removed to London, where he soon after died. He sanguthe song at some of the London ‘ music rooms. It was very popular, and was soon brought upon the stage. But before it was heard at all in London, it was popular about the streets of Birmingham. A “Robinson.”—A name common in France, and lately introduced in the United States, Tor a garden party. The origin of the title is as follows : Some twenty or twenty-five years ago an enterprising restaurateur in Paris hit upon the idea of taking an island in the Seine, near St. Cloud. On this island grew a tree of such gigantic dimensions that a table with Beats for five or six persons could be placed among the branches. This novel dining-room became a great attraction to the boating population of the Seine, which flocked in crowds to the new restaurant. To this retreat the proprietor gave the name of “L’ile de Robinson” (Crusoe), and the word “Robinson” is now applied to any open-air entertainment of a simple and inexpensive kind. Who Killed Tecumseh? —Te origin of this saying, which was popular in the United States during the presidential campaign of 1836, and is still, popular in New England, is said to be as follows: In the campaign .1736 Martin Van Buren, of New York, and Colonel Richard M. Johnson, of Kentucky, were the Democratic candidates for President and Vice President. One of the “bearing questions” of the canvass was: “Who killed Tecumseh?” The friends of Johnson claimed that he charged up to the great Indian leader, while surrounded by his warriors and shot him dead. The Whigs, on the other hand, derided Johnson’s claim to be the hero of the battle, and brought forth several claimants for that honor. Among others was Colonel Skinner, who had emigrated to Texas. The Colonel was put Upon the Western stump to settle the disputed question, and he did it in this style: “Fellow citizens,” said the Colonel, with a knowing look, “I was at the battle where Tecumsey was killed— I was! I commanded a regiment there —I did ! I’me not gwine to say who did kill Tecumsey—l won’t! But this much I will say, Tecumsey was killed with one of my pistols. Gentlemen, I leave it to your knowledge of human nature to say if a man would be aptlo lend out his pistols on an occasion of that sort.” To their credit, the “boys” were not willing to be convinced by that way of putting the case.

Legal Humors.

There are many stories, some of them, undoubtedly, apocryphal, told to illustrate the peculiarities of Western Judges and lawyers, in the days when “the West” was a name to designate the border-land between civilization and barbarism. Years ago, when the Illinois Legislature was not in as high repute as it now is, a man was convicted- in that State of highway robbery. The Judge, named Davis, was what Dr. Johnson would have called “a liearty hater” of thieves. In passing sentence upon the prisoner, he began by reminding him that, though he was a young man of natural endowments sufficient to ’make him a reputable member of society, yet he had been guilty of a most wicked crime. In uttering this scathing prelude to the sentence, the Judge got so warmed up, that when he came to close, he somewhat mixed the State institutions. “Prisoner at the bar,” he said, “I shall sentence you to sevqn years in the Illitaois Legislature!” “The penitentiary, your Honor,” suggested the prosecuting attorney. “Seven years in the penitentiary,” said the Judge, correcting himself, and at the same time muttering, “But for the life of me I can’t see but a slight difference between the two.” Judge Purple, of Peoria, was an able jurist, but he had eccentric ideas of what “doing well” at the Illinois bar meant. While visiting Washington, the Judge was asked by a Boston gentleman as to the success of a young lawyer who had “gone West” some five years before. “He is doing well, sir,” said the Judge. “He is? well, I am glad to hear it,” continued the gentleman: “you think he has a good practice and is making money, do you, Judgft?” “I don’t know anything about his practice or his business, but he is doing well." “How is that, Judge? You say you don’t know anything about his practice or his business, yet vou think he is doing well.” “I mean just this,” sajd the Judge, “that any man who practices law here five years and keeps out of the penitentiary is doing well whether he has muoli practice or Youth's Companion.

Honorary Colonelcies.

Frederick the Great of’Prussia, at one period of bis life, was in debt to his tailor to a considerable amount, and that worthy despairing of payment, devised an ingenious method of squaring accounts. He obtained an audience of the King, and called his attention to the numbers of foreign potentates who visited his court. These personages, he represented, would doubtless be much gratified if Frederick would create them Generals and Colonels in his redoubtable army. A uniform would be necessary .and if the King would let him have the order he, woiil4 at, oce,

cancel his bill. Frederick consented, and - the tailor speedily recouped his losses out of the uniforms he made for -foreign grandees. .

Birds That Think.

“Do birds think ? Let me tell you of a little bird I once owned. The little bird was a female mocking bird that had a nest of young ones about a week old. The baby birds were never healthy, inheriting weakness from their father, who had asthma. Early one morning I was awakened by the mother-bird standing on my pillow pouring into my-ear the most mournful notes I ever heard. I knew something was wrong and arose at once.. The mother flew to her nest, then looked to see if I was following, which I was. As soon as I bad reached the nest she took hold of one of the- baby bird's wings, pinched it gently with her beak and watched it eagerly, I think to see if it moved. Then she took hold of one of the little feet and pinched it in the same manner, and finding it did hot move, she looked up at me in a pleading way, as if she wanted me to try and waken them. I reached my hand out toward the nest. She stood aside and looked on with as much interest and feeling apparently as any “I examined the lifeless little bodies, and when I withdrew my hand the mother hastened to hover over the little ones, seeming to think that if she could warm them they would awaken. In a few minutes she hopped off the nest, looked at her babies, held food close to their mouths, and coaxed and called them, but in vain. She flew all around the room, as if in search of some untried remedy. Several times she perched on my shoulder, and looked so distressed and pitiful I could hardly keep from crying. I put her in a cage, and hung her in the sunshine to see if she would become quiet. She took a bath, but still remained nervous and seemed anxious, and by and by grew so restless I had ,to take her out of the cage and let her go to her nest again. , “She stood quite a while looking at her dead children. Then she went over all the little bodies—pinching them gently and watching them closely to see if they moved. When she saw no signs of Jife she seemed puzzled. She seemed at last to make up her mind the little ones w’ere dead. And one by one she lifted them tenderly in her beak and laid them side by side in the middle of the room. She looked at them lovingly a moment, then flew to her empty nest and gazed wonderingly into that. Finally she perched on my shoulder and looked into my eyes as if to ask: What does all this mean ? What a lesson of love and de votion that little bird taught! She always fed the little ones before taking a mouthful herself, and sometimes she would stand coaxing them to take one more mouthful, and finding they had enough would swallow it herself.— New York Journal.

Fine Work on the Prairies.

So great has been the emigration to new Territories that the government at times has found difficulty in, surveying land fast enough. Their are now, for example, whole counties in Dakota yet to be surveyed and laid out. All this work is under the general charge of the Surveyor General of the government. The work is generally given out by contract. It now costs about SBOO to survey a township and lay it out in sections of six hundred and forty acres each. Stones, wooden posts or mounds, as the case may be, are employed to designate the section divisions, together with four “proving holes.” There is wonderful skill displayed by those accustomed to the prairies, in finding thpse mounds and proving holes. They readily detect them in the long prairie grass, where the inexperienced eye and foot fail to find them. Your admiration is excited as your prairie guide drives or walks right up to these sectional marks, which you, yourself, are unable to discover until they are pointed out. The contractors under the Surveyor General generally perform they work in a very satisfactory manner. They are closely watched and the landmarks are carefully saved by the incoming settlers who wish to keep them preserxed>iD. order ta avoid the expensive suits which are so often had over farm boundaries in both the new and older regions of the country.— W. Judd, in American Agrlculturist

A Good Enough Thing.

“Father,” he said, as the two stood on Jefferson avenhe, looking around, “that is the Board of Trade building over there.” “Yes, yes—l see; good big place to trade in.”. - ■ -- -■ - “That’s where thev speculate.” “They do, eh?” “Yes; if you were to give me SI,OOO in cash I’d go over there and buy wheat ‘ at 95, wait a few days and sell for sl, | and divide the profit with you.” “Idecla’!” said the old gian, as he reached into his pocket. “It’s an easy way to make money, father.” “Yes, James, it looks that way; but after all, I don’t see as it beats plattin’ six acres of ground, wuth $35 an acre, into a buryin’ ground of 400 lots at $5 a lot. Guess we’d better stick to our graveyard.”— Detroit Free Press.

Moses and the Students.

For many years Moses, a negro, was a seryant at the University of Alabama, and waited on the students very faithfully; but he was a most notorious hypocrite. 'He was on that account commonly called “Preach” among the bays. One day he was passing a crowd of" students, when one of them, out of mischief, called to him: “I say, old Preach, what are you going to do when Satan gets you ?” “Wait on students,” was the ready reply. . :

In a Car.

“Which side of the seat do you want to take—the right or the left?” asked a man of ‘his wife as they entered a Wabash passenger car the other day. “ WeH,” she replied. “I think it will | lie right for me to take the left, and then it will be ‘left for you r td take the rjght A—Foss I Hfoyne. Soosiar.J, < J

THE BAD BOY.

“Say, mister,” said the bad boy to he grocery manias he came in buryng his face in a California pear, “it- ia nighty kind of you to give away such lice pears as this, but I don't see how sou can afford it. I have seen more ’.han twenty people stop and rend your sign out there, take a pear and go off shewing it.” “What’s that,” said the grocery man turning pale and starting for the door, where he found a woddsawyer taking a pear. “Get away from there,” and he drove the away and came in with a sign in his hand, on which was printed. “Take one.” “I painted that sign and put it on a pile of chrdmoe of a new clothes-wringer, for people to take one, and, by gum, the wind has blowed that sign over on the basket of pears, and T suppose that every darned fool that has passed this morning has taken a pear, and there goes the profits on the whole day’s business. Say, you didn’t change that sign, did you?” and the grocery man looked at-the bad boy with a glance that was full of lurking suspicion. “No, sir-ee,” said the boy as he wiped the pear juice off his face on a piece of tea paper. “I have quit all kinds of a graven image. But I went to the Sullivan boxing match all the same, though,” and the boy put up his hands like a prize-fighter, and backed the grocery man -up against a molasses barrel, and made him beg. “Oh, say,” said the grocery man, confidentially, “there is a rumor that our minister is a reformed prize-fighter, gnd an old maid that was in here yesterday says that he has been fighting with your pa. Do you know anything about it?” “Know anything about it ? I know all about it." It was me that brought flbout the meeting between them,” and the boy dodged away from an imaginary opponent in a prize ring, and tipped over a barrel of ax helves. “You see, me and my chum have a set of boxing gloves, and we go down in the laundry in the basement and box with each other, evenings. Since I got the Irish boy to box with pa, last summer, and he pasted pa in tie nose, pa has not visited the laundry to see us box, but last night the minister called to talk with pa about raising money to pay the church debt, and they heard us down stairs warming each other with the gloves, and the minister asked pa what it was, and pa ' said the boys were having a little innocent amusement with boxing-gloves, and he asked the minister if he thought there was any harm in it, and the minister said he didn’t think there was. He said when he was in college the students used to box in the gymnasium every day, and he enjoyed it very much and got so he didn’t take a back seat for any of them. He said the only student that ever got the best of him in boxing was one who is now preaching in Chicago, and he was the hardest hitter in the college. Pa asked the minister if he wouldn’t like to go down cellar and see the boys box, and he said he didn’t mind, and so they came down where we were. I felt really ashaiped when the minister came down, and was going to apologize, but the minister said he considered boxing the healthiest exercise there was, and if our people would practice more with box-ing-gloves and dumb-bells there would be less liver complaint and less need of summer vacations. Me and my chum boxed a couple oi rounds, and the minister told us where we made several mistakes, and then pa got excited and wanted the minister to put on the gloves with him, but he said he was out of practice, and he did not know but it would cause talk in the church if it should get out that he had been boxing with one of the members, but pa told him nobody would ever know it, and it would do them both good, and so the minister took off his coat, let his suspenders hang down, rolled up his sleeves, and they put on the gloves. I tell you it was fun for us boys, and I enjoyed it better than a circus. Pa is a pretty hard hitter, but he hasn’t got the wind that the minister has. Pa pranced around, and the minister kept his face guarded, cause he didn’t want to have to preach with a black eye, but pretty soon pa mode a pass at the preacher and took hiffi ‘biff ’ figfit oh the nose, but he rallied and landed one on pa’s stomach, and made pa grunt. The blow on the nose made the minister perspire, and he was more excited than I ever saw him when he was preaching, and he danced around pa until he got a good chance and then he landed one on pa’s eye, and the other under pa’s ear, and pa gave him one on the eye, and they clinched, and the minister got pa’s head under his arm and was giving it to pa real hard, just as ma and three of the sisters of the church came down cellar to see ma’s canned fruit, and the mintiser got pa’s leg tangled and threw him k against ma and they both went into a clothes basket of «et clothes, and ma ■ yelled ‘police,’ and she scratched pa on the side of the face, and the minister fumed suddenly and one glove hit a deacon’s wife on the bangs and knocked the hair off; and the minister was ex cited and be said, ‘Whoopi I’m a bad man. This makes me think of when I was on the turf,’ and the woman yelled murder. Ma picked pa out of the clothes basket, and held his head, and wiped his bloody nose cn a pillow case, and pa was mad at the minister for striking so hard, and the minister said he shouldn’t have struck hard only pa pasted him on the nose, and pa said it was no such thing, and referred to' my chum, who was referee, and the women all said it was a perfect shame to see a minister descend to become a slugger, and I guess tbey are going to bring the minister np before the committee and bounce him. We all got on our coats and went up stairs, and finally ma furnished some coart plaster for the minister’s’ nose, and lie went home with two of the sisters, though they insisted that he should wear soft gloves, so if be got i on a boxing tantrum on the way home he couldn’t hurt them. The minister felt real bod about hurting pa, and savs that he will never attend that church agajn, as he should feet ’ all the time as though the minister would be liable toescape from the i pulbit find knock him opt in one found. 1 If the women had kept out of th® cellar

nobody would ever have known any* thing about it, bni it is all over town now. Say, do you think it is right for a minister to hide his talents under a bushel, or should he put on the gloves when members of bis church wjant him to?” “By gum, I don’t know,” said the grocery man. “But if I was a minister, and could box, and ivent to put op any scollops over me, I would, at least I think I would, from the light I have before n)“ now, knock his two eyes into one. What’s the use of learning te box, and then allow folks to boss you around. J have seen some ministers go ardmad in a meek and lowly manner, taking slack from every Deacon in church, and being made to feel as though he was an object of charity, who could whip the whole congregation in a fair, stand-up fight, and I sometimes think if such a minister would get on his ear and knock* a few of his persecutors down a couple of pair of stairs, they would have more respect for him. But it is fashionable for ministers to seem to be dependent sort of people, and I suppose it always will be.” “Well, I must go and get a couple of oysters to put on pa’s eyes to take out the black,” and the boy went out and put the sign ‘take one* on a pile of dressed chickens.— Peck's Sun.

Important Society Hints.

It is no longer considered en regie to kiss a bride at a wedding. Take it out on the bridesmaids. Both dress and demeanor should always be appropriate to the occasion. Even a full suit of the deepest black will not excuse joking with the sexton at a funeral. 1 When making a morning call carry your hat with you to the parlor and hold it in your hand until you depart. The .city is full of sneak-thieves, and hatracks are their favorite prey. At dinner do not throw the bones under the table. This rule may be relied on, for it was one of those made by no less a personage than Queen Elizabeth for the government of her court. When invited to dinner accept or reject the invitation the same day. It is no longer considered good form to sneak aronnd and ask your host’s cook what the bill of fare is to be before replying. > If you use tobacco do not put a fresh quid in yonr mouth just before entering a strange house. Some parlors are not “furnished with cuspidors, and frequently raising the window interrupts conversation. Never call upon a lady simply because she asks you to “como again.” Wait for a more urgent hint ‘Tome again” is a mere superfluous conventionality, like the word “obey" in the marriage service. A presentation to a lady at a ball does not authorize you to claim her acquaintance afterward unless she first shows some desire to renew the intercourse. Such presentations are like sUmmerresort engagements, mere formalities. At an evening party carefully note the location and size of the house and the probable value of the furniture and bric-a-brac. If there are evidences of wealth and refinement on every side, devote your attention to your host’s unmarried daughter. — Philadelphia Call.

Examining a Witness.

Tact is an admirable quality, and its value is never more clearly shown than in the examination of witnesses in courts of law. Here is an instance. A Scotch lawyer, Henry Oockbnrn, and Jeffrey were acting together in a case which turned upon the sanity or insanity of one of the parties. “Is the defendant,” asked Jeffrey of a witness, “perfectly sane, in your opinion ?” The witness, bewildered by the word “sane,” of whose meaning be was ignorant, gazed vacantly at the lawyer and gave no answer. “Do you think the defendant capable of managing his own affairs?” asked Jeffrey, changing the form of his question. The witness gazed more vacantly. “I ask you,” continued Jeffrey, “do yon consider the man rational?’* The witness scratched his head. “Let me tackle him,” said Oockburn, seeing that was making a failure of the examination. “Hae ye your mull (snuff-box) wi’ ye?” he asked, in the broadest of Scotch. ; "Ou, ay,” answered the awkward fellow, being put at his ease by the simple request, and, handing his snuff-horn to the lawyer, who, taking a pinch, said: “Noo, hoo lang hae ye kent John Sampson?” “Ever since he was that height,” answered the witness, indicating by ,a gesture the height. “An’ dae ye think noo, atween you and me,” asked Cockburn, in his most insinuating brogue, “that there’s onything intill the creature?" “I would not lippen (trust) him with a bull calf,” was the instant reply, amid the laughter of the court, delighted with Cockburn’s tact in extracting the fact from the thick-headed fellow. —Youth'B Companion.

A Pretty Sight

The piazza of St. Mark in Venice, a broad, open square, is the great resort of Venetians in the evening for conversation, ice-cream eating, coflee drinking and music. In the daytime it is the resort of myriads of pigeons which are fed at the expense of the state, and which have been held sacred ever since the aid rendered by one of. them at the taking of Tyre, 700 years ago. They are very tame, and a lady traveler writing home says that one of the most beautiful sights phe saw in Venice was a little girl of 3 years, daughter of an officer of the United States frigate Congress, seated on the ground surrounded by pigeons. Her attendant had scattered corn all over her, the p ; geons were struggling one over another on her lap, on her shoulders, piled up on her head, and out of this fluttering mass of soft plumage peeped the child’s sweet, half-surprised baby face.— Good Cheer. No street in the world, perhaps, possesses more value to the square foot than Fifth aveppe, Kewj York, the