Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 June 1887 — Page 6

SUXRISB. / Simce profound; then faintly lx>w throhblmt* tn the air, A ttreeenoe holy, aaiutly, fiuuhrd X’oldM breathing prayer. A wavering light uncertain A aoft slow npreading wido, A dually aombur eurtafitl Drawn ellently aside. Pale my* of rafe houiplctsnenn Far down theiaky'a dim lawn, Moist llp» of rosy sweetness , Upraised to kisa the dawn. r A sudden bnrst of rsldure From bird-throats a we'ling long, Which echo elves recapture, > And flood the earth with song. A richer color allowing A flush across the gray ; A dfw'l'sr canuine glowing, Nigut.shadows lojlniaway, , A gleam at polished s, 1 ver, A glow of bnrnialxsl gold, A liquid mass of splendor, A a lory manifold. A royal car suspended, Hung swaying in the bine. The grand comation* end d. And rose tints fade from view. Oh. human heart, grown tender. With thought beyond all speech, This-sunrise i-cens of splendor No human hent can roach ; Revives hope's blessed story. Bids faith ascend on high. And view'eternal glory Where those tints never die.

STRANGER TAKEN IN.

BY CHABLIS W. CHESNUTT.

I had come to Now York to seek my fortune. The path over which I was to S untie the fickle goddess was but vaguely efined, at least in regard to .details. But I knew what I wanted to demand that wits to practice my profession. I had lust finished n three years' course in a New -Jersey medical college, during which time I had epent the gi enter part of my modest patrimony, w hich had consisted ot three thousand dollars realized from an inatuance bn, my father's life. My father had been a physician of fine skill, high ideals, and small practice, tt not uneotnmon combination. I had no mother or sisters to keep me at home; our town was abundantly supplied with physicians; and, as I did not care to wait half a lifetime for a practice which would have barely supported me during the remaining half, 1 had determined to seek my fortune elsewhere. On leaving a small town, it was natural that I should come to a large one. I knew that the greatest success, other things being ejnal, was only possible where the largest opportunities existed; and if I did not succeed in a large city, I could not reproach myself with the lack of opportunity. Hence I came to New York. I secured board nt a second-rate board-ing-house in the neighborhood of Washington Square. It was part of my plan of operations to wtndy the city » while-before hanging out rnv shingle. With this object lu view I spent a good deal of time on the streets and in public places; and on pleasant evenings I frequently sat for an hour or two in W ashington Square. Seated thgre, on one of the public benches, often in close proximity to some bottle-hosed and ill-odored tramp, I would study the strange jumble of types in ’he stream of humanity that rolled through the park, which is more’of a thoroughfare than a pleasure-ground. Most of those who passed belonged to the shabbier classes of the metropolis; you could see there every variety of New Yorker, from the above-mentioned tramp to the shabby genteel clerk, -only the wealthy and prosperous looking were seldom met with. One evening as I sat in my accustomed seat, absorbed for the moment in a calculation as to how long the human stomach could endure the food at Mrs. Van Hashelar’s boi ailing-house, when I was dimly con-Scion-i of a female figure passing by. I “ looked up. but rhe lady had gone (bo far for me to see her face. What I did see was a slender figure, set off by a blue silk dress of a stylish cut, and though walking somewhat briskly, borne along with a graceful motion quite different from the usual wabble of a woman in a hurry; a charming back, above which rose a well-turned neck, surmounted by a head of hair of the color poets are popularly supposed to rave about, -a ruddy gold, on top of which in turn reposed a most bewitching bonnet. This somewhat elal>orate description but faintlv pictures the impression she made upon me at the time. I.felt a sudden desire to see the lady's face; I was sure it would be beautiful, and I have always been a great admirer of beautiful women, or rather of the beautiful in women;—the distinction is obvious." I rose from my sent, and started down"

anoiher path, running in the same general direction as she was going, intending to execute a sort of flunk movement and meet her face to face on the other side of the park, where the two paths converged after a long curve. Just as I approached the point where the paths*" came together the lady slipped and fell, uttering a little scream. I rushed forward and assisted her to rise. “Are you badly hurt?” I inquired in a sympathetic voice. “Oh, no,” she replied, thanking me, “it is nothing at all.” But as she started off she came near falling a second time. I caugnt her an 1 placed her arm in mine.' ~ “Shall 1 call a carriage?” I asked. “Oh, no,” she said, “it is hardly worth while. I live only a short distance', and—if you will—” “Certainly,” I said, not waiting for her to finish the sentence, “I shall be very glad to assist you.” , A few minutes' walk, and one or two turns brought us to a brick house of conventional style, and I helped tier np the high stoop and rung the door-bell. As she did not release my arm when the door was opened. I could do nothing less than help her into the house. I deposited my fair burden on a cushioned arm-chair in the parlor, and, hat in hand, was beginmug an elaborate parting bow, when she exclaimed’: “Oh, do sit down and rest a moment. How tired you must be carrying poor me such a distance.” - I sat down. I may say 1: eretEai shewas~ quite as pretty as I had imagined her to be. “I suppose we ought to be introduced,” she said. “I am Miss Preston.” . “And lam Dr. Scott, at your service,” I repl.ed. Our conversation had net ad- — the door-bell here-rang, and the servant girl entered a moment later with a telegraph message. Excusing herself, Miss Preston hurriedly tore open the envelope and glanced at the.message. Her face took on a look of concern, and she said to the servant: “Katy, is papa at home?” “No. ma’am, he went to Boston this afternoon.” ~ f ~ . “ I hen telephone I ncle George’s house and see if he is at home;” and when the girl had gone out she continued, turning to me: “It’s all about my Cousin Harry. ; He Yale, ymdl wm afraid is jus t’ a little wild. He tells me that through an unfortunate mistake be has got into a scrape, without any fault of his own, and that if I don't send him a telegraph money order for ss*l by 9 o'clock, he is likely to be disgraced, a - ;d perhaps expelled from college." I murmured my sympathy. The girl returned and announced that Uncle George had gone to Philadelphia, and would not be Lack until the next night. At this intelligence the expression of concern in Mias Preston s face deepened into dismay; “Pera away—Unde George out of town

—and only >25 in the house," she exclaimed. "Oh what shall—” 1 interrupted her; “If I can venture to offer you my assistance I shall be glad to lend you the money.” “Oh. ho,” she said, “I couldn't think of accepting a loan from a stranger—or. such a recent acquaintance,"—she corrected herself, blushing. I assured her with some eloquence of speech that in n crisis like this the onli-. i nary conventionalities, of polite society i should yMfld to the exigency of the moment; nnd in the end I persuaded her to I accept a loan of $25. “Pupa will send a check when he returns to-morrow” she said, “or I will send the money by Katy, "it you. will lenyp me your card.” ' ’ I felt for my ; cardrcase, but I had left it nt home. 1 enid it didn't matter; I often walked down that way, mid would stop in in a day or two, and see if she had recovered from her injury, “Very well.” she replied with a fine blush nnd an entrancing smile, “1 shall expect you." I went home with my head in a whirl. What a divine creature! What beauty! What grace! What refinement of sentiment! And to thipk that I bnd been able I to serve this beautiful creature, nnd to , place her under an obligation to me, and , that 1 was expected to call again. I felt I I much like a knight-errant of the olden limo when he had rescued some captive princess, and hnd been rewarded for his valor with permission 1 ' to wear her colors. | My ecstatic condition was the mere evens- | able by reason of the fact that I hnd no '[ lady acquaintances in New York—barring | Mrs. Vnn Hnshehir—and hnd been for I three years immersed in the dry details of 1 my medical studies, and entirely without Indies’ society.

I concluded that two days would be a reasonable time to elapse before I called to see Miss Preston. I spent the next two days in dreamhind. If 1 sought iny accustomed sent in Washington. Square it was only to compare the women who passed with Miss Preston. It Vas very annoying to have to think of such an adorable creature in such a formal way. Deaf Miss' Preston would have looked very well on an envelope, or even as a spoken address; but to. think of her as “Miss Preston,” was maddening. I tried to supply the hiatus, and ran over all the pretty names I could think of without being able to decide upon any one which expressed all 1 thought her name ought to suggest. I suppose if I had known her name was Sarah, or Jane, or even Sarah Jane, I would have thought it very nice, but I gave up in despair the attempt such loveliness. To find relief from my restlessness 1 went up to the Astor Library nnd tried to read a bulky treatise on macrobiosis, which xvas my favorite study; but somehow the subject was less interesting than usual, and I finally found temporary distraction from my thoughts, in Onida’s latest novel. The two days finally ran out, and with winged feet I sought the home of my fair acquaintance. I was nt first a little doubtful about the plnce, as on my former visit my absorption in the young lady had been such that I had failed to notice either street or number. However, by following the same course as before, I soon found the house, nnd rang the door-bell. A servant girl admitted me, and asking my name, ushered me into the parlor. I had been seated but a moment, when a somewhat elderly woman, of angular build and severe countenance, entered the ropm. In answer to her inquiring look I said that I had called to ask how Miss Preston wits. “Miss Preston, why there’s no Miss Preston here,” she replied. I looked around the room. It was surely the same room in which I had seen her last. There was the same ugly steel engraving of Abraham Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation; the same chromo of Charles Sumner between the front windows, the pinno occupied the same corner, nnd on it stood the same open sheet of music, the latest popular catch, “When the “Chickens Come to Roost,” or some similar title. “But, madam,” I said, “is not this the residence of Mr. Preston?" “No, indeed,” she replied, this is Mrs. Ledbetter’s boarding-house,” “This is surely where I saw Miss Preton'. But perhaps I nm mistaken in the house, though it seems hardly possible.” “There are no Prestons in the block,” she said, positively. Then a thought seemed to strike her. “Perhaps you mean Miss Weston; she and her father went away yesterday.” “Was she a blonde, with dark blue eyes and very fine teeth, nud did she wear a blue silk dress?” I inquired. “Her exact description, only those fine teeth were false. They left yesterday, without paying their board-bill, Twentysix dollars, young man, is a large sum for a poor widow to be swindled out of.” I began to have an idea. “Do you know where they lived?” I asked. “They said they were going to Boston, where they were expecting remittances, and all that. But it’s my belief that they live wherever they cau get board. That sort of people don’t have any homes.” My idea had by this time developed into a theory. I remembered the stories I had read of the female sharpers of New York, I had been swindled. The sprained ankle was only a trap, into which I had - fallen, like any.common greenhorn. I made my theory known to Mrs. Ledbetter, and her opinion readily coincided with mine, which was further strengthened by several circumstances which she related. My theory became a conviction. Thad been taken in, and. I had myself to thank for it. “Well, young man,” said Mrs. Ledbetter, “yon have my sympathy, bnt I don't see that that helps either of us. Where are you boarding?” Having found out that I did not wish to change my boarding-house, Mrs. Ledbetter at length permitted me to wish her good afternoon. ,■j I was cruely undeceived. My faith in humanity had received a shock from which I feared, in my youthful pessimism, that it would never recover. Henceforth woman lost her charm for me, and in every fair face I saw a possible Miss Preston. I steeled my heart against feminine attractions: I even changed my boarding-house because I discovered in myself signs of weakening toward a pretty short-hand writer who cameto boardat Ymi. Hashelar’s. My mind was made up; 1 would live and die a bachelor. However, this sternness wore off. or, at least became softened with time, which takes the edge off the sharpest pain. I resumed my walks and character studies; but as my experience of Washington Sqrmre had been so.painfnl I got into the habit of going up to Central- Park to pursue my _°l?6eryations. One afternoon I sat? on an iron bench just at the intersection of a carriage drive and a footway, reading a copy of the Herald, which contained a graphic account of a great ball on Fifth Avenue the night “be fore. I was wondering how Jong it would be before I could gain admittance to that enchanted sphere—l confess that I am given to day-dreams—when a carriage drew near, aad an exclamation in a feminine voice caused me to look up. A handsome cart had stopped a few yards away, in which sat an elderly gentleman and a very good-tonkin” voung lady. ’ “Yes, papa,” said the lady, *ir is surely he; I cannot be mistaken.” When she spoke I recognized Miss Preston. In the light of these eyes and (be charm of. That voice 1 forget that I had been swindled, and blushed to the roots of my hair—l am

not sure that my hair did not blush, but ns it is naturally red I caunei be certain. I lifted my hat nnd advanced to the carriage, ns her attitude showed that she expected me i<> do. "Papa,” she said, turning to the portly, well-dad gentleman who eat beside her. “thje is Dr. Scott, who so kindly helped ' pie to rescue Harry from that very disagreeable predicament the other night;— my papa, Mr. Preston. We have been looking for ,yon ever'lfiffce; andTlinve been, oh, so mortified that I could not learn yonr address, i We got the directory, and looked up all the Dr. Scotts, but conld not find yon. How could you be so cruel as to leave ns under snail a burden of obligation for so long?” Ah I wks trying to collect my thoughts, ‘ mid to toll (he truth without referring to my manifestly absurd suspicions, the portly and respectable father invited me to enter the carriage. I complied, and as we drove I through the shaded diives of the beautiful I metropolitan pleasure-ground, I explained i that I had been nimble to find the bouse. “A veiy natural mistake,” observed Mr. Preston, oracularly, “for one who is not familiar with great cities. To find a needle in a hay-mow is an easy task compared with searching for a person in New York without an address!!—in which opinion I agreed with him; indeed, he could not at that moment have expressed an opinion in which I would not have concurred. But why prolong the story? I accompanied them home; I got'my money, though that was a small matter. My first visit was but one of many, and I now have an office in the basement of my father-in-law's residence. Mr. Preston is an alderman, and is interested in city contracts. He is already rich, nnd when his term of office expires we expect to move up on Fifth Ave-

nue. As my wife is her father’s only child, and will undoubtedly inherit his wealth, I am not obliged 1o enter the feverish race for money, 1 am at present engaged in the preparation of a work on macrobiosis, which I expect will make me famous. There is but one drawback to our wedded happiness—Mr. Preston is a widower and I hare no mother-in-law.

The Marriage of Cousins.

From the physician’s point of view, the evidence from the animal world is important, Hore there is almost consensus, that, while the effect of “in-and-in breeding” is to intensify points, In the long run it is opposed to vigor of constitution. It is to be remembered that every breeder takes care to exclude any animals with any known morbid tendency, while, on the contrary, in the r/enu.s homo, as Dr. Clouston remarks, there seems to be “a special tendency’ for members of neurotic families to intermarry.” The result of this will be that in some portions of the population the offspring of such marriages will show the evil results of it to an unusual extent. And thus we find that in rural, and especially in mountainous districts, where the population is small and fixed, the comparative amount of idiocy is greater than elsewhere. Statistical information is inadequate on the subject; the motion to include it in the census returns of England was rejected “amidst the scornful laughter of the House, on tlie ground that the idle curiosity of speculative philosophers was not to be gratified." In France the returns have given rise to various estimates (varying from 9-10 to 24 or 3 per cent.) of the frequency of consanguineous marriages. Mr. G. H. Darwin came to the conclusion that in London 14 per cent, of all marriages were between first cousins, in suburban districts 2 cent., and in rural districts 2| per cent. If, now, we ascertain the ratio of idiots and insane patients that are the offspring of such inarriages to the total number of patients in the asylums, xve will have some means of estimating the results of consanguinity. From quite an extended series of records it is concluded that the ratio just referred to in the idiot asylums is from 3 to 5 per cent., hence “first-cousin marriages, at any rate, are to some extent favorable to the production of idiot children.” But this conclusion must be tempered by the consideration that in a large number of such cases of idiocy and imbecility other causes for this condition are present; and this consideration leads Dr. A. Mitchell to the opinion that “under favorable conditions of life the apparent ill effeeto of consanguineous marriages were frequently almost c nil, while, if the children were ill-fed, badly housed and clothed, the evil might become very marked.” From such facts and figures xve may conclude that first-cousin marriages should, as a rule, be discouraged; but that, if close scrutiny reveals no L heritable weakness, neurotic dr otherwise, the banns need not invariably be forbidden. —Science.

The Pole and Its Torch.

When located by Sir James Ross in 1831, the north magnetic pole was on the west side of the peninsula of Boothia Felix, some fourteen hundred miles nearer to us than the geographical pole or -earth’s axis. Since then, hoxvever, its position must have changed some hundreds of miles, as, from some unknown cause, it is not stationary but is moving westward at a rate w hich takes it around the earth on a particular parallel in pne thousand to two thousand years. The needle of the compass now points due north on a meridian passing through Western Dakota or Eastern Montana, and turns to about northwest in England, though at the time the mariner’s compass was brought from China the needle pointed near north from England. The aurora borealis, like other magnetic phenomena, follows the same westward course 35 latitude, and is manifested to a certain distance from the magnetic pole. It does not reach Pekin, on the opposite side of the earth from us. though the display is often very brilliant at Philadelphia in the same latitude; but as the magnetic pole passes onward, the aurora xvill be seen father south in the opposite hemisphere and farther north than this, thus favoring each northern country in tarn xvith its beautiful j?ffects.

Not Yet.

“Does this road desire to be exempt from the long-and-short-hanl provisions of the Interstate Bill ?" askod the reporter as he entered the President’s office. “Well, not quite ypt. We are noengaged in stealing three miles of street and four acres of ground of the city, and have titty-two suits for injuries to ■pn sengers to defend; and we are ent exactly prepared io meet the Commrs- ’ sioners yet.”—Wall St.e l Xtics.

BILL NYE

Telta AH He Know, and Home Thlnxa Me Don't Know About Oliver Cromwell. Oliver P. Cromwell was born at Huntingdon, April 25, 1559. As soon as be had rested himself a little, he began to look al tout him and prepare to nock his person into a niche in history. He was a son of Robert Cromwell, And grandson of Sir Henry Crdmwell. He entered Sidney Sussex College at the age of 17 years, and began to get solid with the President. At college Mr. Cromwell was noted for his devotion to-his studies and she length of time' hc conld wear his linen without being mobbed. It is said of Cromwell that ho managed to save enough out of his laundry expenses to buy himself a matriculatipn and a house and lot on the day of his graduation. hi 1620 he married Elizabeth Bonrchier, on which occasion. he and his wife received a triple-plated butter dish, three card receivers, and a photograph album. They then settled down. Cromwell was a member of Parliament for eleven years at one pop, and only made a sliort speech during all that time. Is it any wonder that Cromwell was beloved by his constituency ? I trow not. Cromwell was not regarded as a fluent speaker, and once when he had just made a brief address, in which he had successfully called for the previous question 1 ? Lord Digby inquired of Hampden who “thatsloven was.’.’ Cromwell went into the army in 1612. He soon became a Colonel, anil in 1644 commanded the left wing which was so victorious at Marston Moor on July 2. He did not write an account of it for publication, with a large portrait of himself on a snorting war ~horse, with red nostrils, however, and thus he continued to endear himself to the people. Col. Cromwell allied himself with the Independents and against tlie Presbyterians in the great dissension which

o carted at this time. Charles 11. resigned as king in May, 1646, owing to brain fag, and in order to secure much needed rest he surrendered himself to the Scottish army, which turned him over to Parliament. For awhile Charles seemed to be on the road most of the time. Cromwell was down on the Presbyterians from the word “go, ” as Macaulay has it, and in 1648 lie fired fortyone Presbyterian Royalists out of Parliament, Col. Pride doing the ejectment act under Oliver’s orders. Tliis was called “Pride’s Purge” for many years, and you can still read on some of the old fences around here, EsPUse Pride’s Purge. Cromwell was a member of the court which, in January, 1649, tried the King and condemned him, giving him sixty days, together xvith a fine of $5 and trimmings, xvith the order that he stand committed till the fine and costs were fully paid. He then went to Ireland to suppress a small but a very liot rebellion of which Ireland xvas at that time passionately fond. The Scotch noxv espoused the cause of Charles 11., and it became a contest between the Cromwell Close Communion Baptists, who wished to immerse the land in gore, and the Royal Presbyterians. Cromwell was now made com-niander-in-chief, xvith S2OO a month and a horse to ride. At Dunbar Gen. Cromwell engaged the royal forces in a hand-to-hand conflict oh the 3d of September, 1650, at which time ho took 10,000 prisoners. In April, 1653, he dissolved the long Parliament, commonly called the Rump, telling each Bumpist that his services would not be required any longer, and that he had better go home and hoe his corn. A nexv Parliament xvas then summoned, and Cromwell became the lord protector of the commonwealth, xvith an office over the First National Bank. He was offered the job of king on the day shift that fall, but-he said no, he preferred the position he then occupied, for he hated the trappings of royalty. It is said th.it he took the ermine off the edges of Charles ll.'s reigning robe and made ear tabs for the poor, but this may be untrue. Still he had a great contempt for royalty, never having published a book on that plan. Cromwell was stigmatized of course by the Royalists, but he never lost a day’s work or a meal’s victuals on that account, as Carlyle puts it. As soon as he found that he was stigmatized he would put a moist chew of tobacco on the place, take a large drink of whisky xvith a little ginger ale on the side, and you wouldn’t know that he had ever .been stigmatized. He was long regarded by historians as a man of cruel temper and mediocre talents, but it is now thought that he xvas extremely otherwise. Col. Cromwell had his failings, it is true, and of course by many he will ever be regarded xvith loathing, aversion, and other things of that kind, but he was not xvhat.might be called a mediocre man, by any means. On the contrary, he thought the world of his wife, and invariably spent his eveniags-ftt-heme;—- —■— Cromwell died on the 3<l day of September, A. D., 1658, and people canae for thirteen miles and brought their dinners in order to attend the funeral and see xvhat kind of a sarcophagua he had* ■

The Art of Letter Writing.

Beneficient as the discovery Of printing is generally believed to have been it has been gravely argued niore than onoe that it was really an injury to mankind. The chief ground for the contention is that through the multiplication of books and newspapers mankind has been spared the necessity for original inquiry and investigation; and that the capacity therefore is gradually but surely falling. „ That there is some truth in this is more than possible;but we do- notbelieve that mankind will ever beihduced by such arguments to permit the art of printing to fall into disuse. It certainly will not with the consent of the press, and without their consent it cannot There is one of the kindred arte however. which many a man, and women, too, is often tempted t;o wish had never l>een discovered. It is the art of letter writing. It is so easy, so simple a thing to write a letter; and vet what

tremendous consequences often flow from it. What hours that might have been profitably spent have been wasted in it. What reams upon reams of paper have been thrown away. What homes have been wrecked What hopes, politically and matrimonial, have i been blasted What lawsuits have been I engendered. In a word, what untold ! confusion, discomfort and even misery' ! have been brought tfpon humanity by I the art of correspondence. ' 1 Yet conscious as mankind is of these , terrible results it will not consent to i abandon the iniquitous practice of writing letters. The papermakers and the postoffice must be kept up though hearts are broken and families separated nnd statesmen ruined. The only apparent way out js in tjie invention of an ink that will endure but for a season, and fading out’ leave no vestige behind I which photography, the microscope or I the chemist can trace. The man or the women who will make that discovery will rescue mankind from most of the evils which persistent letter-xvriting has inflicted and win the blessing of prosperity.- Detroit Free Prese.

The Visiting Dog.

The. most interesting and least ap; preciated of dogs is the dog that visits. He is usually a liver-colored animal, txvo-han'ds high ami about twenty-six inches long, with a pink spot on his nose. His ears droop and his tail almost drags on the ground, and his whole make-up is admirably suited to the requirements of his occupation. He appears to have been gotten up expressly for purposes of visiting. He is not like other dogs. He is. a sort of special dog, as it were, being of an odd pattern throughout, and if any part of him should' break it would be impossible to replace it. This dog has no calling list. He never makes calls. He has neither the time nor inclination to practice cold formalities. As an illustration of the manner in xvhich he goes visiting wo may refer to the experience of which a California avenue man had with him last week. The dog xvent and sat down on the man’s front stoop, altout the middle of tjie afternoon. He did not know anybody in that family, but he wanted to get acquainted. The

lady of the house opened the door nnd told him to go away, but he only wagged his tail, as much as to say: “We will get on nicely together when we come to an understanding.” The man of the house came home at 6 o’clock and kicked the dog into the middle of the street. After supper he went out and tried to repeat the operation, but only succeeded in kicking thin air until his leg was lame. The visiting canine was just out of range every time. The gentleman then xx»ent into the house and kicked a rocking chair and discharged the servant on suspicion of haring fed the dorp, after xvhich, with the assistance of the txvo other members of the household, he caught the visitor on the stoop and threw him over the fence. The dog then ran around the house and sat on the back door-steps, apd wagged his tail in the most pleasing and good-natured manner. He had come visiting. The man then offered to give the dog to a small boy who was passing the house, but the boy placed his thumb on the side of his pose and said: “I don’t want to rob you.” The man then told his xvife that he was going to get the dog to follow him to a remote part of the city alid then lose him. The animal followed, and xvhen the gentleman had xvalked about two miles he contrived to cut loose from the liver-colored visitor and took a street car for home. When he opened the front gate the visiting dog came doxvn from off' the stoop and wagged'his tail and looked happy and contented. He visited there continuously for several days, and then gathered himself up and went away to make some other family miserable. It is impossible to understand hoxv the visiting dog lives. His meals must be exceedingly irregular. If he gets a mouthful once in txvo weeks he is in luck. To be sure he can eat snow.-but at the best- this is only a cold bite, and not by any means a square meal. By referring to any reliable table showing the nourishing properties of different kinds of food, it-will be seen that snow is at the bottom of the list How does the visiting dog subsist? The problem is an intricate and difficult one, and is"' worthy of the attention of all students of natural history.— Rochester Herald.

A Few Quotations.

If there is a modern drama in existence in which none of the following sentences is found, we would be glad to know its name: Unhand me, villain 1 Not another word. I am lost! All is lost! - .. • Back again to the old homestead. To-morrow all the world will know that D’Arcy O’Brien is a bankrupt! You have pronounced your own doom. Fly, ere it is too late! Curses on ye all! Is it thus that we meet after all these years? No-xesource ia left .me hut, death. 5 - Mandeville Snooks, you ate in my power! Man, man; have you no pity? Would you know my story ?, Listen! Reginald! Reginald! Great heavens, .hedsugonel , - Aha! you tremble!, This, then, is the end erf all' Would that Twere dead! Hector Reilley, you see before you a desperate man. If you have no pity for me, at least consider her. h" 1 , -- And this is man I called my friend! —....-- d - ’ ■ You have sent for me—l am here. Oh, Percy, how I have longed for this meeting! Can he suspect ? ; have betrayed me! Have you no mercy ? She must, she shall be mine! So, so! all my schemes prosper. The priceless heritage of an untarnished name. , You cast me off—so Ire it. For years I have waited for this hour. Wretch! wouldydnd sdnkedadwomhff? Who will save me?— Tid Bits. ‘The Utah penitentiary is overcrowded with convicted polygamists. -- " d ' '

BASE-BALL STRUGGLES.

The Race for the Pennants— How the Professional Clubs Stand. Chicago Still Weak in Pitchers, but Will Strengthen Soon*—Base-ball 1 Rumors. [CHICAGO COBRESPONDXNCE.] The struggle for the championships of the two great base-ball organizations continues with unabated interest, although in the National League the Detroit Club is winning its games from rival olubs so easily that it seems to be a foregone conclusion that the Wolverines will take the pennant, and that without aay very strehuous effort. The same condition of affairs seems to exist ih the association race, in which the St. Louis Browns are evidently so superior to competing teams that the winning place of the pennant in that organization may be named at this writing with little likelihood fef a mistake. The following tables will show'tl'e work of the teams in both organizations up to Monday, May 23: THE LEAGUE. •fl J-k • m 21 ? Clubs. «;i o 13 ® g s■'si 1 ■ w , .. —,, ~ | | I Detroit 5 .. 5 2 2 620 Boston. si i 4 . 5 2.15 PhilaUelphia. 3.. 3.. 1 2.. 9 New Yorkl3.. 2 .. 31 4 13 1 1 3 21 7 Chicago 1 .. 147 Washington.... 3 13.... 7 Indianapolis 1 1 2 ■ - Games lost 2 5 12| B;i2 10i1318[.. ASSOCIATION. ’ L. .1. Iri- . .2o te -3 it P Clubs. Ii? | 2 §g. £ a> MIO H 4O S O St. Louis— 22464-11.22 8r00k1yn..... 2 3 0 1 3| 4 13 Cincinnati 2 2 .. 1.. 7 315 Baltimore i 2— 2 6 415 I-- 4 2 3 3 I|l4 Athletic 1 2.. 1 1— 1 4110 Cleveland j i.. i ii_ 2 6 Metropolitan 11. 1 .’.| 1 4 Games lost. 4 9121012 15;19|18 .. STILL WEAK IN PITCHERS. The Chicago club has improved but little, if any, in its playing during the past week, and all because of its unfortunate weakness in the pitcher’s box. When a ball team knows that it is weak in any one particular quarter it is going to funk. At least that is the case with the majority of ball clubs, and the Chicago team is no exception to the rule. Save upon the days when Clarkson pitches the boys take the fleld with little hope of winning. TALK OP CONSOLIDATION. It is rather significant that at this time when the interest of base-ball lovers should be held down to the winning and losing of games in the fight for the pennant that the old question of consolidating the American Association and National League into one great organization should be given the prominence it is now enjoying. President Spalding still has the idea of one great League in mind, and never loses a chance to give it a push. He has been working hard of late with the various other club presidents to gain supportets for his plans. His idea now is to drop the Metropolitans and Clevelands from the American Association, and the Indianapolis and Washington nines from the National League at the end of this season. Then the League and the Association will be consolidated under the title of the American League. The Nexv Yorks, Philadelpbias, Athletics, Bostons, Brooklyns, and Baltimores will comprise the Eastern section, and the Chicagos, Detroits, St. Louis, Louisvilles, Cincinnatis, and Pittsburghs will form the Western division. The Vesterir teams can make one trip East, and the Eastern clubs can return the visit. Each nine could thus play six games with every other club in the League. It may be stated as a fact that several League clubs are strongly impressed with the practicability of this plan, and will give it cordial assistance should there be any chance to oarry it into effect. ,

OTHF.i: ItUMORSr-'--~-c:—:-4r==== It is a fact that the Athletic, the Cleveland, the Chicago and the Indianapolis clubs are all trying to purchase Pitcher Hudson's release from St. Louis, and have offered big figures for him, but Von der Ahe has declined them all. This fact, considering that he has three such splendid pitchers as Foutz, Caruthers and King, strengthens the opinion which is becoming general in base Dall circles here that this is the last season of the Browns in the Association if they again win the championship, and that they are figuring to take the place of Indianapolis in that event next year. It is also apparent that the new scheme includes the superseding of Detroit by Cincinnati, the players of the Detroit Club to be taken charge of by the League when that town is forced to drop out, the choice players to be distributed around to strengthen the weak clubs, and the balance to go to the beat obtainable market Cuite a sensation is expected to develop under this head in a very short time. ANSON ON THB LOOKOUT. Captain Anson nor President Spalding has as yet' succeeded in securing an additional pitcher, but that Anson is by no means idle or indifferent to the wants of the club may be presumed from the following dispatch from Washington: Captain Anson while here visited Bob Barr twice and endeavored* to secure the services of that crack twirler, who has been living in quiet retirement since last fall. Barr hesitated on account of his recent illness, but Anson insisted, and it is probable that the Washingtonian will in a few days don a White Stocking uniform. He is to receive $3,000 for the season, furnlstted strttß; andttiff-exainpt fromTekerve” Another dispatch says: Surprises will never cease. The latest rumor flying around in this neck of woods is that President Von der Ahe is trying to purchase the interests of Mason and Simmons in the Athletic Club, of Philadelphia. Von der Ahe and Sbarsig met at the recent meeting in Cincinnati, and the St. Louis President , told Sbarsig that he was ready to purchase the stock held by Mason and Simmons, and that he would pay the money light down. Outside of securing George Gore, the New York Club did little to strengthen its team. It has a lot of experiments, but there is no telling what they can do. Tiernan showed up well at the bat the day he was given a trial, but beyond this what can be said of his ability to hold lira own with the team? George has also bpen given a trial in the pitcher’s position, and he proved himself a good one in every respect, and will yet make bis mark on the diamond. Then there is Boach, who certainly has not added much strength to the club. He would be-a good man to have in case the crowd wanted to gee a fine, exhibition of heavy batting, and were indifferent as to-which side did the slugging.