Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1887 — A Funny Little Boy. [ARTICLE]

A Funny Little Boy.

How funny a grave little boy can be and what an interesting thing it would be if one could only manage to fathom some of the blind depths of his mental processes! A young dame was supervising the sunning of her baby in a quiet Back Bay street the other morning, when in her walk she encountered a small and serious boy. He brought the carriage to a halt and made a long and apparently satisfing inspection; then he turned to the mother, and said: “Is this your baby, ma’am ?” “Yes,” said she, “it is.” “Ah! And how old is it?” “Eight months.” “Eight months! Ah! Well, will you wait a minute please?” And then master boy dived down into his pocket and brought' up an assortment of little cards with the numbers printed upon them, and, selecting one upon which a fat eight stood out, he presented it with a severe bow, saving: “Well, will you take this, then ?” and walked imperturbably away. —Bouton Beacon.

The “Favorite Proscription” of Dr. Pierce cures “female weakness” and kindred affec- . tions. By druggists. . v ° ... The subject of the spontaneous com-bustion-of wood lias been discussed at various times by the French Academy of Sciences. Among the most interesting statements made on these occasions is that of M. Cosson, describing an ae- . cident which occurred in his laboratory, it appearing that, while he was working in his laboratory, a portion of the boarding of the floor spontaneously took fire; the boards were in the vicinity of an air-hole, fed with warm air from a stove about fifteen feet away, on the floor below. A similar accident hajj occurred two years previously, and in consequence M. Cosson had the boards adjoining the air-hole replaced by a slab of marble* the boards which subsequently ignited adjoining the marble slab, and although the heat to which the boards were subjected was very, moderate, being only that of air at r i7 deg. F., still the boards Blowly carbonized, and being thus rendered extremely porous, a rapid absorption of the oxygen of the atmosphere had resulted, and sufficient heat had then resulted to originate combust on. A similar instance of spontaneous fire is said to have occurred at l’assy a few days before, due to the action of the warmth from the air-hole of a stove upon the woodwork, thus showing the danger liable to rise from this source, and the necessity of attention to the same on the part of builders. Sf-lf-ielcsioN is ever averse to inquiry, though by inquiry alone can the charm be dissolved. A man who fines a good deal to talk about—a police judge. .

I In the United States'Senate, during ar*1 cent debate* Senator Vest, of Missouri, pail a high trihut 3 to the merits of St. Jacobi i Oil. Other prominent men ,have also found i it prompt in its cure of rheumatism and | neuralgia. Price, fifty cents a bottle. One of the forest’curiosities of the Isthmus of Darien and lower Central America i% the tree-killer ( maiapalo). This starts in life as a climber upon the , trunks of large forest trees, and, owing ■ to, its marvellously rapid growth, soon redches the lower branches. It then begins to throw out many shoots, which entwine themselves all arpund the trunk and branches, and also aerial tendrills, which as soon as they reach j the ground take root. In a few years i this gigantic parasite will completely , envelop the trunk of the tree which has ; upheld it, and kill it. The whole of the inner dead tree wjll then rot away, leaving the hollow maiapalo standing alone and flourishing.