Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 November 1875 — Page 8

ACM But Story.

Last Thursday evening Eddie Gerrold, aged nine years, of Newtonville, a small hamlet in the interior of Watervljct. went into some woods In thetear of his father’s house to gather some note. He obtained a little bag from his mother at hi> urgent request, to put the nuts in, and started off for the woods in high glee. As evening advanced he did not return and his parents became anxious and went in search of him, but failed to find him. They continued their search all day Friday, and on the evening of that day returned home •tired sad footsore and almost gave the child up as lost. About nine o'clock on Saturday morning, as tnostof the residents •of the hamlet were in Mr. Gerrold 's house sympathizing with the family at the loss -of their child, “Jack,” a large Newfoundland dog, that had been an attache of the’ Gerrold family since he was a month old, •entered and seemed uneasy, and kept whining and barking al intervals, lie was put outside the door for disturbing the family, and after remaining there for some time he ran into a Mrs. Scovili's house, next door, and grasped a loaf of bread that the lady of the house had pul under the stove, and ran off with it in his mouth in the direction of the wood. When Mr. Scovill returned his wife related the incident to him and he felt surprised, as Jack has always maintained a •character for strict honesty. He in turn related tlie incident to Mr. Gerrold, and that gentleman felt pretty certain that the dog had some idea of where the child was, and new hope was inspired in the family, and they waited impatiently for the dog’s return. Finally he did roturnid about an hour and exhibited the same uneasiness that was remarked before. After trying various ruses to attract the family to follow him to tlic wood he finally started in that direction with more than half the residents of the hamlet after him. He led them through many winding paths until at last they reached a chestnut grove, and there they found the boy lying with his leg broken. Tlie boy himself told the facts of the case to our reporter, substantially as follows: Re was upon the tree ana shaking it with all his might to shake off the nuts, and lost his hold and tumbled down, his leg striking the ground with force. He fainted, and the first thing that met his gaze when lie became conscious was the dog standing over him. This was on Friday evening, and the dog never left his side, but kept barking with all his might until Saturday morning. The pangs of hunger the boy felt pretty keenly at this time, and he made an attempt to reach some nuts that lay on the ground a short distance from him. When the dog observed this he started off and returned in a short time with the loaf in his mouth, which he deposited in the boy’s lap. He ate of it with relish and then became lonesome and began to cry. The dog started off again and this time returned with his friends to him. The boy was removed home and a ■doctor summoned from Cohoes, who set lire wounded limb.— Troy (N. U.) Pregg.

A Remarkable Blind Woman.

, Blind people can be taught to perform some kinds of work as well—even better —than those who have their sight. The. probable reason of their excelling in things which they are able to do is because they have few things to do, and so, of course, can spend more time on them. But there are blind people who can do so many things that it is hard to think what kind of work they can't do. During the past week it was the fortune of tlie reporter to come into the sphere of one such person, a woman, whose accomplishments -—practical accomplishments—are almost inconceivable, and certainly very creditable. Toward the upper end of Fourth avenue, with an acquaintance of the woman in question, the reporter hied, determined to see for himself what had been told concerning her. She keeps a store at 195 Fourth avenue. The store-room is not of a very commanding appearance, but it is the very essence of neatness. It is small —very small —and here this blind - woman deals out goods to her customers. ■She sells all kinds of cake, candies, notions, etc. A customer came in while the reporter was there and made known what was desired. Away she flew to where the article was—for she has a regular place for everything she sells and can lay her hand on the right article without hesitation. She then weighed out the amount desired and took the money. It was all right—the exact amount. Another customer comes in and buys five cents’ worth of candy and hands her a quarter. Twenty cents are handed back without hesitation. On inquiring how she could tell the amount of money handed to her, she said she could tell the ucoin by feeling the size of it, and in the .same way she could tell the denomination of the fractional currency. As to bills, she was unable to tell their denomination, as they were all the same size and no difference in the paper. When money of the latter description was handed her-—w hen the purchaser was a stranger and so, of course, could not be trusted—She would show the bill to some friend to find its value. Her money-drawer is subdivided into compartments, and in each compartment one denomination of money is kept, by which mode of arrangement she can quickly make change. People do not try to cheat her, and if they would do so it is highly probable that they woufir most signally fail. To see the way she handles the money and hands out the articles, a stranger would hardly know but that she could sec, and, it is probable, would hot lielieve it was,so upon first being told the fact.

To prevent thieves from reaching and appropriating articles right before her eyes, tire greater part of the goods are kept on shelves back of the counter, against the wait Some more are in° the showcase and others occupy a position on thecounter, but are protectedfrom the snatching thief by a wire netting. Not a single thing can be touched without coming over In the purchasing of her stock she seldom gefcUrhposed upon. The goods are broughtdo her door, and when she buys a certain number of pounds of anything she weighs it on her scales before taking it. In other purchases she can tell by the'feel whether the thing is just what it is represented to be or not. If she should happen to be imposed upon by the seller, it would be a useless .waste of time for him to come to. sell to her again. Even-thing about the store is attended to by her. .'she sweeps, dusts, takes down the jars ot candy, washes the shelves and replaces *the jars in their proper positions, etc., etc. ♦Outside of the regular store work she is able to cut out, without a pattern, a dress and sew it all herself. To j thread the needle she uses her tongue. One dress which she had just completed was shown and for neatness of finish it could not be •excelled. Every button was in its proper position, right opposite the button-hoies. Bead-work seems to be her great forte, however. She makes bead flags, bead chains, houses, cradles, and, in fact,

almost everything you can think of. She said she had taken prizes at several fairs for this kind of work, She had thought of sending some specimens to the Exposition, but when she had exhibited at fain before'people would come around, admire the work, be astonished, and then as was natural would pity tlie worker of "them, the latter talk being very grating to her nature. She attended for some*>time the Philadelphia Institution for the Instruction of the Blind, and it was there that she learned her accomplishments. For excellency in fancy work she was awarded a silver medal while a scholar at the above institution. On it was inscribed, on one side: “To Mary Quinliven, for fancy W'*k, June 29 1864,” and on the other:. “Reward of Merit,” and around the edge* the name of the institution. A year ago she started the store, not knowing any. thing about business. Her friends thought she could not succeed, and tried to dissuade her from her purpose; but she was possessed of an independent spirit and desired to earn her own llting, feeling too much honest pride >bont Bung on her friends, although they were periectly willing that she should do so. She has overcome all the difficulties of store-keep-ing. and is getting alongvefysucccssfuliy. During all the time that she has been following her business she has not been absent from tire store a single night. She is very independent und extremely sensitive about being pitied. When talking of how she has succeeded in her business, she says she feels very well satisfied with her success, but if she conld only see a little, just a very little, she would get along so much better; then it would be nothing to keep store. And such is the little blind woman and the work she is accomplishing.—Pittsburgh Leader.

Insects Destroyed by Vegetables.

To a pane of the window before which we write there is fastened a dead fly, which lies with legs sprawled wildly, with head bent away, the proboscis thrust out, and the wings standing np unnaturally. It has the appearance of haring suffered a miserable death—its members being twisted and contorted as though with spasms of pain. Examining its body closely, we discover that a white mold is growing luxuriantly between the rings of the abdomen and on the surface of the wings, and that joints of the plant have fallen off upon the window-glass, covering a space surrounding the insect of nearly an meh in length and a half-inch in width. What is the meaning of these odd circumstances, and what brought the poor fly to its violent death?

It is a clear case of murder. The fly was consumed by a vegetable, a fUngus that ate out its vital organs, and is now fattening on its remains. The fungus is called Amptwa Ifusea, and is in the habit of attacking house-flies in autumn. The germs of the plant floating in the air, or lurking in places visited by the insect, settle upon its body, and, finding congenial soil, take root and develop rapidly. The wretched victim, helplessly yielding to tlie drain on its vitality, becomes sluggish, and, when at last it'is exhausted and overcome, fixes itself to some object, and, incapable of further action, perishes. Instances are often seen like the one just described, where the fly settles on a win-dow-pane, and there succumbs to the eannibal feeding, on its vitals. “The whole of the interior organs of the abdomen,” says a writer in Nature, “ are consumed by the plant—nothing remaining but the chitinous envelope, on which the mycelia (filaments) of the fungus form a felt-like layer; the fructification showing itself externally as filaments protruding from between the rings of the body.” But the house-fly is not the only insect that is subject to tlie deadly attacks of the Ernpuea. The single order of insects that at present seems to be exempt from the ravages of any of the numerous species of this fungus is the Neuroptera, which contains tlie dragon-flies, etc. The plants have been found growing (either on the ■larva or the perfect insect) on bees, ants, beetles, butterflies, moths, gnats, crickets, aphides (plant-lice) and water-insects. In some seasons the house-fly is destroyed in vast numbers by the parasites; and the dung-fly has in certain localities been nearly annihilated by it. In the forests of Pomerania and Posen the caterpillars, which work immense destruction among the trees, have been held in check by a ftingus which has killed such numbers as really to save the forests from threatened extermination. In certain seasons these caterpillars appear to suffer as from an epidemic; their bodies swell to bursting, and white threads of mold issue from them incircles between the rings. In this condition multitudes are found still clinging to the leaves on l ' which they were feeding. The species of fungus which thus proves a benefactor to tlie "forester of Northern Germany has been named by Dr. Reichhardt, of Vienna, tlie Empusa aulica.

There is a species of wasp in the West Indies that is commonly infested with a destructive fungus. It' is supposed that the germs of the plant find access to the interior of the wasp’s bodj- through the breathing pores at the side. Here they develop m luxurious vegetation, sending out their delicate joints through the surface. Individuals have been seen with plants as long as themselves projecting from different portions of their bodies. Very literally the tormented creatures dwelt under the shadow of their own vine and fig-tree; but the shadow was in the last degree baneful. The breath of the Upas is not more deadly. In time the fungus growth spreads through the body and extinguishes the life of the insect. After this the plant thrives more luxuriantly than ever—the decomposing tissue of tlie dead Laxly serving to afford it more favorable nutriment than the living structure. The particular fungus which affects the wasp is known as the Torrubia sphecocephala..

About twenty-five species of this genus are known to be parasitic on insects. Five speciis have been CTbserved in youth Carolina. one in Pennsylvania, on tlie larvae of the May-bug; and one other NorthAmerican species on nocturnal moths. One species has been noticed in Cayenne; one in Brazil, on the larva' of a Cicada (commonly called locust); and one on a species of’ant. Two species are found in the West Indies, one in New Guinea, one in Senegal, two in Australia, two in New Zealand, two in India, one in China and three in Great Britain. The destructive silk-worm disease termed muicar-diMis produced by a fungus—the botrylu baeeiana. This minute vegetable spreads through the fatty mass beneath the skin on which the worm depends as a store of nourishment when it enters the chrysalis state, and completely’ destroys the tissue. The disease is invariably fatal; but does not appear Externally until after tjie death of the insect, when it quickly projects through tlie skin. The infection is spread among the worms by particles from the i diseased {portion of a sickly individual finding their way beneath the skin of healthy worms; o'r it propagated by the

diffusion of the germs of the plant through the atmosphere. The caterpillar, chrysalis and moth of the silk-worm are liable to the disease, but it is only in the first that it occurs spontaneously. Dr. Cooke states in his treatise, on “Fungi” that, in the summer of 1826,. Prof. Seliert made a large collection of caterpillars of the moth articia tillica. for the purpose of studying their mode of growth. <On reaching their full size the insects became abnormally soft, and suddenly died. Soon after death they grew so hard and solid that if bent they Would snap in two. At the same time their bodies were covered with a beautiftil, shining white mold. On putting some of the diseased caterpillars on a tree inhabited by apparently-healthy individuals these last soon became affected like the others, and died in a similar manner. The same author relates that in the spring of 1851 from twelve to .twenty specimens of the seventeen-year locust were found, which, though still alive, “ had the posterior third of the abdominal contents converted into a dry, powdery, ochreous-yellow. compact mass of eporu-loid-bodies. The outer coverings of that portion of the insect were loose and easily detached, leaving the fungoid matter in the form of a cone affixed by its base to the unaffected part of the abdomen of the insect.” It is quite possible,,says Dr. LqAjy, that the fungus may attack the laiva or grub, develop its filaments, and produce its spores or fruit within the living chrysalis and yet not destroy the organs immediately essential to life. In this case the chrysalids might undergo their metamorphoses into perfect insects and present the appearance exhibited by these locusts.

A still more interesting example of the work of a fungus upon the body of an insect is cited by Dr. Cooke. The specimen, a cricket, was found under a log in a wood near Newark, Del: “The insect was seen standing very quietly at the mouth oi its oval cell, which is formed in the earth, having a short curved tube to the surface. Upon taking it up it exhibited no signs of movement, though perfectly fresh and lifelike in appearance. On examining it next morning it still presented no signs of life. Every part of the insect was perfect, not even the antennae being broken. Upon feeling it it was very hard and resistant, and, on making an incision through the thorax it exhaled a fungoid odor. The insect had been invaded by a parasitic fungus which everywhere filled the animal, occupying the position of all the soft tissue ana extending even to the? tarsal joints. It formeda yellowish or cream-colored, compact mass.”

Fungoid growths have been discovered on spiders and thousand-legged worms, in the eggs oi toads and frogs and on the skins of fish. Goldfish are very liable to attack from this enemy, which generally proves destructive. By changing the water constantly where the fish are kept the fungus may be extirpated, but usually it finishes its deadly work in a few weeks. But the most curious instance of a fungus flourishing on the living tissues of an animal has been remarked in several of the United States, as Virginia, lowa and Missouri. The insect affected is the larva of the moth Hepialus, commonly called the white grub. It is often very injurious to growing corn and other grains and is well known to farmers in most parts of the country. The grub descends into the earth when it has reached maturity and there passes into the chrysalis state.

Frequently, however, while still above ground spores of a species of mushroom alight upon the insect and take root within the body. As the grub goes down into the soil it bears with it the parasitic plant, which now develops rapidly, consuming the entire inner substance of the animal, and replacing this with its own vegetable tissue. Multitudes of the grubs have been turned up with tlie plow in different places, showing the plant in various stages of growth. The queerest part of all is that after the insect has been completely eviscerated it retains its original shape and size, thereby presenting the strange anomaly of a vegetable worm. In color, consistency and smell it is a mushroom; while in form and feature it is a worm. In lowa a specimen of this grub was sent to the editor of the American Entomologiet for examination that had two sprouts growing out of its head, one an inch in length, and the other one-tenth as long. Many specimens were disinterred along with this, and in all sprouts were issuing frem the same part of the body. When these parasites grow undisturbed they develop into an edible mushroom. In China, where two species of this peculiar fungus occur, they are brought to market in little bundles of eight, and •their vermicular origin and aspect detract nothing from their "popularity with the Celestials, who esteem them particularly as a dressing fob roast duck.— Chicago Tribune.

Uncertainty of Wealth.

The absence of the law of primogeniture causes a frequent change of ownership in the private residences which contribute so much to the adornment of our cities. While the head of the family lives the home may be retained—though very often a reverse of fortune compels him to seek humbler quarters—but when he dies tlie heirs are obliged to get rid of tlie too expensive luxury. How many of the houses built in St. Louis twentyyears aso are now owned by the men who erected them, or their de'scendants? How manv of later date, now occupied by their builders, will be in tlie possession of their present tenants, or their descendants, twenty years hence* Other influences beside the lack of primogeniture contribute to this, m some respects, unfortunate result. Therg. axe. more ups and downs” in life in the'new world than in the old. Fortunes are made much quicker and disappear much more rapidly. Wealth is seldom transmitted beyond the second generation, and in many instances does "not

■dast~ttaougtr-the--TTStr~Tlir~bQy~sofn “with a silver spoon in his mouth - ’ frequently has to taste pewter before his pilgrimage is over, and he may have the pleasure of being splashed with mud from the carriage-wheels of the man who was once his father’s porter. This is a free country, very free, indeed, and among the consequences of that freedom is the exceeding uncertainty of financial matters. Yet in no country is less provision made for the evil day so far aq our children are concerned. The wealthy parent brings up his sons and daughters as though there was not the remotest possibility they could ever be poor. If a rich' father should insist upon his boy learning a trade he Would be set down as a mildlunatic. If a rich mo’her ■should Instil into her daughter rigid ideas ot economy and industry she would be looked upon as either very mean or very foolish—probably both. Yet, every day we are taught the necessity of this preliminary discipline; every day we see men and women falling from affluence to 'poverty who, if properly trained, might not

have fallen at all, pr, ifthey did fall, could have risen again. It is ,a shame and disgrace that in a land where labor is supposed to be honorable, and where the law recognizes no distinction of caste, so small a proportion of the sons of the wealthier classes learn trades. No young man has a right to consider himself thoroughly independent unless he has some avocation by which, health permitting, he can always make a living. And the best and surest avocations ire those for which there is always a demand. Lawyers, doctors, preachers, professors, clerks—alllhese and their kindred are frequently a dragin the market; but how seldom is it that a good carpenter, blacksmith, machinist, wagonmaker, shoemaker, tinsmith, book-binder or printer has to travel far in search of remunerative employment. We shall riever be thoroughly republican until there are fewer genteel drones in the national hive. — St. Louie liepublican.

Married in the Snow.

A writer tells a story of a runaway couple who reached the parson’s -house in the dead of niriit, when the snow lay on the ground anti the winds howled an anthem for the wedding march. They succeeded in arousing the parson, who had been snugly tucked in his warm bed for several' hours. The good man reluctantly raised the window and asked “ who was there ?’ ’ With chattering teeth the would-be bridegroom announced his errand. Not even the piety of the parson prevented his uttering a few impatient growls at this unseasonable intemiption of his dreams. He did not tarry to put on the wedding or any other garment, but in thundering tones ordered the shivering couple to stand well off in the moonlight and clasp hands. Then he demanded theirnames. “John Williams he said, ‘ 1 doyou swear in the presence of God, as you will answer in the day of judgment, that you will take Eliza Catherine to lie your own, your true and holy wife, and that you will freeze to her so long you both shall live?” The promise was given, but the coid was growing so intense that the lady was . spared the question that had been given to and answered by the man. “ I pronounce you. man and wife and the biggest fools I have ever met,” concluded this brief and all-suffi-cient ceremony. The banging of the closing window intimated to the loving pair that they had nothing more to expect from that quarter, and they soon disappeared, wondering at the strangeness of the situation and doubtful if they were as much married as they might have been under more favorable circumstances.

Sudden Thoughts.

Honesty and happiness seem to be alike in this particular—those who have the most of either seem to make the least fuss about it. Envy seems to be a disease that everybody has and everybody is ashamed of. Adversity puts weapons into a man’s hands to fight back, while prosperity too often disarms him. Virtue and vice are so adroitly mingled in some constitutions that the man himself can’t tell which is who. It is more difficult to keep a friend than it is to reconcile an enemy. The most dangerous of all flattery is the very common kind that we bestow upon ourselves.

Although love is blind it can’t be fettered; it has enslaved thousands, but won’t be enslaved itself. We are never more than half as miseraable as we think we are. Broken hearts are scarce anyhow, and there are more cures for them than most any complaint I know of. If a man is only true to himself it will be very difficult for others to overreach him. Heroes, like Fourth of July orations, are often made to order. A success seems to be composed of three ingredients, to-wit: good luck, energy and some more good luck. Some folks don’t seem to have any faculty to get ahead only by hanging on to the coat-tails of others; this may be honest but it is poor. There is nothing perhaps that shows the veneration we all have for money more than the fact that the wealth of others is always overrated. Virtue seems to thrive the best on poor soil; where the ground is very rich, if it ain’t well hoed, there is sure to be two weeds to one corn. Tlie man who undertakes to do two things at once will be pretty sure to spill one and slop over the other. * Don’t be discouraged if your children don’t prove to be young miracles; plants of the slowest growth bear fruit the latest. I would rather trust most men with my pocket-book than with a secret. Lazy people are a great pest. They are as bad as flies, always getting into somebody’s cream or molasses.

There is no grapes so sour as those we can’t reach—Esop says so. I don’t care how cunning a man may be, he will find it is a great deal easier to cheat himself than it is other folks. An affected fool is a great deal more un comfortable to meet than a natural one. He who plays a poor hand well is entitled to more credit than he who wins with a good one. It is the intention that makes a thing good, bad or indifferent, without any regard to the result. It is often hard to distinguish between praise and flattery; the one may be honesi, the other never is. Honest praise will strengthen any man, but flattery will weaken anything except a mule. I know lots of folks who have got just brains enough to spoil them. If they had less they might possibly amount to something.

Weak men are the hardest kind to control. They have no more backbone than an angleworm. It is very seldom we see a man who is too much for tlie business he is engaged utiitti cOilltoOli TOtIiC!TIJUsinCiSS" too much for him. Success is too often the only real merit that can be found in a performance. I don’t care how much brains a woman may have, there’s lots of times in her life that she would be willing to swop them all off for beauty—N, J”. Weekly. a O —Mr. Owen Clarkin, of Pawtucket, has a griev;tnce. He visited Providence the other day, and, bent on a little trading, bought 100 cabbages at six cents-apiece. As he wanted to return in the cars he put his young son in charge of the wagon-load of produce, bidding him to drive home at his leisure. The boy. thinking agreeably to surprise his father, turned peddler and sold die cabbages one by one to chance pedestrians as the rate of three for ten cents, and finally turned over his whole stock to a huckster for two cents apiece. Mr. Clarkin’s dismay may be readily imagined when he learned what the zealous youth had done, and he is now seeking to recover his property through the medium of the law.

The Relation of Food to Work.

Dr. Du Chaumont in a recent lecture said that up to a quite late date there was .ah absence of any satisfactory theory as to the relation of food to work, and it was supposed that bodily force was due to a chemical change in' the muscles themselves, and that nitrogenous matter in food repaired the waste. But the researches of Joule, Playfair, Frankland and others on the conservation of energy have led to the conclusion that active force is produced chiefly-by the potential energy stored up in the carboniferous food and set free by oxidation. Hence it was seen that to credit the chemicalchanges in tlie muscles v ith the origination of force in the laxly was not more philosophical than to credit the force ex-" erted bv a steam-engine to the wearing away of its wheels and pistons. The lecturer then proceeded through a large number of elaborate calculations, based upon actual observation, for the purpose of showing tlie ordinary amount of productive work of which a man of average height is capable, and its equivalent in foot tons—a foot ton representing the amount of force required to raise one ton one foot high. It appears that the work done in walking three miles an hour is equal to about one-tenth the work done by direct ascent. Three hundred foot tons is a fair day’s work for a man of average height. This would be equivalent to walking fifteen miles in a little over five hours. A hard day’s work would be equivalent to walking twentyfour miles in eight hours. Dr. Parkes mentions an extreme case in which a man in a copper mill did as much as 723 foot tons in a day, his average work being 443 foot tons. The ordinary work of a military prisoner is 310 foot tons. The velocity at which work was done, and the consequent resistance, greatly affect the quantity of potential energy required for its accomplishment. For the production of any amount of what may be termed productive work a much larger amount of potential energy has to be expanded. Prof. Haughton, of Dublin, has calculated that, of the total potential nhergy produced in the body, 260 foot tons are required for tlie action of the heart. Then the animal heat absorbs from 2,000 to 2,500 foot tons, or more. According to Helmholtz, about five times as much energy is used in the internal work of the body as is expended in ordinary productive work. In the case of severe work the proportion of internal work to productive work is still greater. Supposing the work performed by a man to consist of walking, the most economical rate, both as regards the amount of food required to sustain it and the anpunt of potential energy expended on the body itself, is about three miles an hour. Both above and below that speed there is a decrease in the amount of active work as compared with the non-productive energy. A-man walking fifteen or sixteen miles a day, or doing an equivalent amount of work in another form, would require 23 ozs. of food, composed of albuminates 4.6 ozs., fat 3 ozs., starch 14.3 oz., and salts 1.1 ozs. This would yield a potential energy of 4,430 foot tons, and 300 foot tons for productive work. A mere subsistence diet for a man at fest would be 15 ozs., but with this amount a man would lose weight. About 7,000 foot tons a day of potential energy is about the greatest amount which is possible as a permanency. This would yield 600 foot tons of productive work. These calculations applyonly to men in health.— Scientific American.

Augustus the

Wayland Hoyt writestorthe Boston Journal: In the beginning of the eighteenth century there reigned at Dresden huge profligate called Augustus the" Strong. He seemed to think that the people were but common food for Kings. His oppression and rapacity knew no bounds. He was called the Splendid as well as the Strong. He would outshine Solomon. It is stated as veritable history that he left behind him 352 children. His magnificence was wanton. A gvpsv party at Muhlberg cost $6,000,000. He built the Japan Palace for one of his mistresses, the floors of which were covered with carpets of the rarest feathers. He sold a regiment of a thousand men, with horses and harness and arms, for a few choice vases of curious fashion. His private treasury—the celebrated greeh vaults of his palace—was crowded with precious stones and gold, wrought into grotesque figures; with ostrichs’ eggs decked out with blazing magnificence into fantastic shapes; with musical clocks and hundreds of other toys, collected at untold expense. I never saw diamonds until I saw them in those same green vaults. They seemed as plentiful

as the pebbles in the streets. There is a bronze room and an ivory room and a mosaic room, and a gold and silver room, and a room of precious stones and a regalia room, each thronged with various ornaments and objects worth millions, but as useless, most of them, as children’s playthings. There are caricatures formed of enormous pearls. There is the throne and court of the Grand Mogul, Areng Zeb, consisting of the monarch" himself "on a golden throne, surrounded by his guards and courtiers—altogether 132 figures—in gold and enamel. There is precious dric-a-brac enough to stock a dozen palaces to repletion. I wearied of it utterly before I had passed a fourth of the distance through the rooms. The larger share of this useless magnificence was gathered through the extortion of this profligate Augustus. But even he managed to do a noble and useful thing. Tlie formation of the Dresden Gallery of Pictures is largely owing to him. It you cannot with historical verity say the formation, at least the great extent of it is his work. In this gallery are collected 2,400 pictures, many of them the finest masterpieces.

The Indians in parts of Nevada are busy gathering pine-nuts A white man qould not -gather a sack full ii L a months but the average squaw will gather over 100 pounds a week. The cone, which contains the nut, is pulled from the tree and roasted, the turpentine beingsufflcient to burn them. This opens the layers, and die nuts are shaken out. The Indians used to exchange them tor their weight in flour, but the increased demand has considerably raised the price. They were about to bury a woman at Bradford, Mass., the other clay, but were compelled to postpone the funeral indefi. nitely to gratifv a sudden whim of the corpse, who asked to be turned on her side. The ladies present were justlv indignant at such conduct on the part of the deceased, and went home declaring that, if she was going to interrupttheir pleasure in that way, she might have her next funeral all to herself—Daniury Neum. Kansas has almost a monopoly of the cultivation of tlie castor-bean. A castor aril factory has been started at Fort Scott.

A Diamond of Ill-Omen.

A lady of great accomplishments, and one who has had considerable experience of life—none other than the wife of Capt. Burton, the. renowned African traveler—has just published a book in which sho foretells much peril to England, and especially to Queen Victoria, if that sovereign persists in retaining irfher possession the celebrated Koh-i-noor diamond. That stone has always had a bad reputation. It is said, though without sufficient reason, to have been discovered in the mines of Golconda, and that in consequence of some terrible deed of cruelty perpetrated on its- tinder his dying curse still clings to it. Mrs. Burton traces the history oi the gem through many possessors, all bf whom suffered some terrible disaster or came to a violent death. The first lost his kingdom, the second died in exile, others were strangled or assassinated in different ways. The fall of the once great Empire of Aurungzebe she attributed to’the Mountain of Light. When Nadir Shall captured Delhi he took away with him to Persia treasure and jewels of incalculable value, among them the Koh-i-noor. From the moment he reached Persia “everything went wrong.” The Emperor was soon after assassinated and his jewels stolen. Its next possessor was poisoned; the two next had their eyes put out. and so on, disaster ever following the stone till it came into the possession of Runjeet Sing, the Lion of the Punjab. He died soon after—then his son was poisoned, and at brief intervals his grandson and great-grandson also were assassinated. Anarchy followed —then came the conquest of the Punjab, and so the diamond fell into its present destination.

This is all matter of history, and has been recounted by previous writers. But Mrs. Burton does not pretend to go only over the old ground qgain. She declares that she did not know the history of the gem until she had had a dream, wherein it was made known to her. She then looked into the question, though it must be allowed that she is not quite accurate in her account of the fortunes of the former proprietors. Many of them whom she does not mention were prosperous and powerful ruters; some died peaceable deaths, and one, the monarch of the Sikhs, so far as regarding the diamond as illomened, valued it as a holy relic and bequeathed it to Juggernaut. But Mrs, Burton is a firm believer in omens, and entreats the Queen to discard the stone, which she sometimes wears. She says that Lord Dalhousie, who sent it to the Queen, died soon afterward; that the Duke of Wellington, who gave the first stroke to the new cutting, lived but three months, and that Prince Albert next fell a victim to the ancient curse. Now, it is not-difficult to understand how a belief in the ill-omen of this diamond should .have prevailed in the East. Apart from the facts connected with its history, its extreme value—since it is by far the purest diamond now in existence —would have induced some to malign it in order to possess it. But it is not so easy to Account for the credulity or superstition, call it what we may, which we find displayed in a woman of such high culture, talent and practical knowledge of the world as Mrs. Burton.—TV". F. Times.

The Dull Season in London.

A London correspondent says: “The dull season in London is nearly over and the great city will shortly awaken from its annual siesta. Dwellers in American cities can form no idea of the absolutely forlorn and dismal appearance of some parts of London during the off season. The business regions of the East which center around the Bank of England do not show so visible a difference, but among the fashionable localities of the West End the change effected in a few • weeks is marvelous. The great clubhouses which line one side of Pall Mali are as silent and deserted as the ruins of Pompeii. A glance within reveals bare walls and uncarpeted rooms, while the costly furniture, enshrouded in dingy white drapery, is piled together in confused heaps.' The sentinels in tfce yard of St. James’ Palace yawn involuntarily as they pace up and down upon their posts, and St. James street, beyond, soon again to be tilled with throngs of carriages on “ drawing-room" days and other occasions, now echoes to the voice of a club waiter exchanging civilities with a cabman on the other side of the way. Westward through Piccadilly the human tide has dwindled down to a tiny stream of people whose necessities compel them to remain in town all the year round. The parks are brown and dusty; grim King Coal has won his yearly victory over Dame Natuyg, and his grimy hands have sullied the purity of her face. Rotten Row is empty, its gay cavalcade has vanished and a few grooms exercising the horses of their masters now monopolize the stately avenues of Hyde Park. The mansions which fringe the parks are like tlie few servants who inhabit them—out of livery—while their owners are to be found at every spa and watering-place in Europe seeking a new supply of health and energy for the coming winter. Around the Parliament Houses at Westminster the stillness is only broken by the measured tramp of a- policeman, and the owls might find refuge in the gray towers of the adjacent abbey if quietness was the only requisite. Through all white-fronted Belgravia the streets are as silent as the grave and it is necessary to penetratg far toward the western suburbs before the dwellings show signs of inhabitants.”

Persecuted By a Woman.

The San Francisco Bulletin savs that a young gentleman of estimable character residing in that city and a shining light in an honorable profession unwittingly incurred the displeasure of a young lady acquaintance about three years ago. He was ignorant both of the time and manner of the offense. The young lady, however, soon macle it manifest by commencing a _ syMC mat i c espi on age on al 1 his iuc omin gs and outgoings. She followed this up with a series of letters addressed to an intimate friend of his in which the history of his private life from day to in detail. His social and misiness rchuion> wire, judging from this correspondence, as familiar to her as they were to him. All the letters were signed “ Cora Kent.’’ a name which she took no pains to conceal as being fictitious. This unpleasant correspondence was kept up with remarkable regularity for two and a half years—never less than three and frequently four letters being received each week by tlie involuntary mutual friend. All the letters were mailed ip San Francisco but each one bore alhfte-cent stamp. During this time the young man thus persecuted was unable to” identify his remorseless persecutor, and it was by the merestaccident the discovery was finally made, but the object is still a mystery. A letter addressed to-the young lady, mildly inti-, mating that if she continued her unwarranted persecution any longer she would find herself in the strong hands of the law, stopped the correspondence. <