Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1876 — Page 6

Synopsis of Gen. Sherman's Annual Report.

I WwowroM.Nov.M. Gen. Sherman, in his auhpal report M By the tMlgnmeat of Maj-Gen- Schofield to the SuperinUlßdeact of the Military Asndetnv that institution le made equal to that of a divtalon command, and West Point ahould rightfully constitute i military depart ■tent, ao that Its Superintendent, aa tho •Commanding-General of the Department, may exei-dae all the powers and functions ofeuch Commander, especially to order general courts-martial, to approve or disapprove their findings, and to execute all sentences not especially reserved by tho articles of war to the President and Secretary of War. The Military Academy, in addition to Its weli-en-toMlsbed character as a literary and oelentifle should form the model for an army, analhh habits of tho youth trained therein •hould be in exact accordance with what experience has demonstrated to be necessary for the efficient government of an army in the field. Gen. Sherman says that the Academy under Gen. Schofield's administration will take rank among the first educational establish■meats of the world. “The aggregate force of the army now consists M 25,331 men, all of whom are as actively employed as though war existed. By the subdivision of territory every fort of the country is under the supervision of a general officer near at hand, with a part of the army proportioned to the supposed necessity to maintain order and peace, whereby the settlement of the country may progress and civil officers be enabled to enforce the taws of the United States. On the divisions of the Atlantic there are no hostile Indians, but troops have been actively employedin aiding United States Marshals in enforcing the revenue laws, and in protecting the weak against the prejudices of the strong In the frequent necessities of civil ■elecuona. These duties call for the highest 'qualities of firmness and prudence, and I am eure the behavior of the troops in every instance has commanded the respect of ail men. The care and preservation of public property and of the seacoast porta is a chief dutv of the troops. ‘•The chief military events of the year have transpired in the Military Division of the Missouri, where a state of actual war ' has existed for many years, and still continues. lam not yet in possession of Gen. Sheridan’s report, but, in anticipation of its i receipt, will endeavor to give a concise report of some of the chief pointe as gathered from reports and letters received during their progress. “In the Department of the Gulf the troops under Gen. Auger have been shifted from place to place in aid of the civil authorities under the same state of facts as in the Department of the South, with similar results, and have always used their -mower with consummate discretion and

rood iudemenL •* On the Texas frontier, especially the Mexican border, has long existed an unaatisfactory condition of affairs. Civil war has existed in the border Mexican States, and each fat-tion ha* at times sought an asylum on thirside of the Rio Grande; but from 'Gen. Ord's letters and reports there seems to be an organized system of robbery by small bands of Mexicans and Indians, who cross to. the Texas side, commit murders, steal horses, cattle, ete., and cross back with their stolen property to the other side where they are comparatively safe from pursuit from our troops, who rarely hear of the raid until it is too late to intercept them. I believe uo one supposes the authorities of the National Government of Mexico can be privy to this nefarious business, and it is probably carried on spite of the better people on both sides of the border. There are now in Texas two regiments of cavalry, the Eigh’h and Tenth, which will be filled up as rapidly as possible to the maximum standard; also three regiments of infantry, the Tenth, Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth, which are necessarily very small under the existing laws, Still, I hope, with increased activity, these troops will suffice to protect the border from incursions which discourage settlement and are otherwise very irritating and demoralising. “ In the Department of the Missouri, the Indians of New Mexico have been remarkably quiet, and the Kiowas, Comanchea, Cheyennes and Arapahoes, located on the reservation at and near Fort 8111, have been ■exceptionally quiet this summer, though re--qulring for reasonable security to the Kansas frontier pretty strong garrisons at Forts 8111, Elliott, Dod je and Supply, and small garrisons along the Arkansas River and Kanaa« Pacific Railroad.” Tre chief events to which Gen. Sherman refers are those reiatinit to the war with the Sioux, and alter giving, a detailed history concerning the late expeditions against them, and the death of Custer with his com- ■ mand, etc., Bays: “Col. Hazen, of the Sixth Infantry, com- - mending at Fort Buford, has started up the Missouri River for Fort Peck with four companies of his regiment to head off Sitting Bull, who is reported by the surrendered 'Chiefs to have slipped out with thirty lodges of his own special followers during the retreat down Bad Route Creek, ana to have resumed his course for Fort Peck in the British possessions. Col. Mlles reports his purpose to replenish his supplies, to turn north and follow this last desperate band to the death. “Gen. Crook organised a new column at Fort Fetterman with which he left on the 27th of October for another early winter campaign against the faction of hostile Sioux under Crazy Horse. Gen. Sheridan, in his last dispatch on this subject, uses this language, which I cordially indorse. ‘lf successful, of which I do not doubt, the Sioux war ana all other Indian wars in this country of any magnitude will be over forev r.’ “ Arrangements made for hemming in and capturing the remainder of the hostile Sioux during winter must result in comparative or complete success. Meantime no change can be attempted this year at the Agencies, but f trust next year all the Sioux Nation will be compelled to remove to the Missouri River, near Fort Randall, where they can be guarded and fed at one-half the present cost, and where, if there be any chance to civilize them, the opportunity will be far be tier than in their present scattered agencies.”

The Hung League.

The Pall Mall Gatette gives the following account of the ceremony of admission to the great secret society of China: In peaceful times the ranks of the society are recruited by volunteers, but when the league is preparing to take the field, threats and violence are often used to secure members/ At such crisis aman returning home fin ds a slip of paper bearing the seal of the league awaiting him, which calls upon him at a given hour to betake himselfito a eertain spot, and warns him that the murder of himself and his family will be the penalty of disobedience to the command. Sometmes it is also, that one of the brotherhood insults a utranger on the road, and, pretending to fly fron the just consequence of his act, leads the unsuspecting wayfarer to some lonely spot, where he is seized upon by a number of brothers and is carried away to dhe place where the lodge is held. On the appointed evening the recruits present themselves at the “ City of Willows,’’ as ■the lodges are called, where they are met by the “vanguard," who carefully enters their names and places of residence in a book.kept for the purpose. The vanguard jdan gives orders to form the “ bridge of swords," whereupon the brethren place themselves in a double row, and drawing ithsir swords cross them in the air in the form of a bridge or arch. Under this arch the new members are led, and at the Same time are mulcted of an entrance fee cash. After this they are to the Hung gate, where stand two i

generals, who introduce the “ new horses" to the Hall of Fidelity and Loyally. Here the neophytes are instructed in the objects of the society; and, finally, they are conducted into the presence of the assembled council In the "Lodge of Universal Peace." As a preliminary to the administration of the oaths, the master examinee the vanguard in the 833 questions of the catechism of the society, and then orders him to bring forward those neophytes who are willing to take the oath, and to put off the heads of those who refuse to do so. As the vanguard is supposed not to bear tho swerd in vain, few decline to take the oath, and the ceremony of affiliation is proceeded with by cutting off the queues of the recruits (thougli thia operation is dispensed with if the members are llvingamong Chinese who are faithful to the Tartar rale), by washing their faces and exchanging their clothes for long white dresses as Jokens of purity and the commencement of a new life. Straw shoes, signs of mourning, are also put on their feet to signify the death of their old nature; and thus attired they are led up to the altar. Here some questions with reference to the immediate objects of the league are put to the vanguard, and then each member offersup nine blades of grass and an incense stick, while an appropriate stanza is repeated between each offering. A red candle is now lighted, and the brethren worship heaven and earth by pledging three cups of wine. This done, the seven-starred lamp, the precious imperial lamp, and the Hung lamp are lighted, and prayer is made to the gods, beseeching them to look down upon the members, and to accept the incense burned in their honor. The oath binding them to observe obedience to the league, and to display a spirit of fraternity, devotion and righteousness toward the brethren, is then read aloud, and is followed by each member drawing some blood from his middle finger, and letting it drop into a chalice partly filled with wine. Each neophyte then, having drunk of the mixture, and repeated the appointed stanza, strikes off the head of a white cock, as a sign that so shall all unfaithful and disloyal brothers perish. And now the ceremony of affiliation is over, and it remains but for the President to give to each recruit a diploma, the book containing the oath, law, secret signs, etc., a pair of poinards, au4 three Hung coins. With these emblems of their obligations, the new members return to their homes at break of day.

The Famous Gun Trick.

Philip Astlky, noted for his equestrian amphitheater, is said to hate begun life as soldier, in which capacity, when on foreign service with his regiment, he demonstrated his ability as a conjuror, by inventing the now famous gun-trick. This consists in pretending to fire a pistol loaded with ball, and catching the ball on the point of a knife. The explanation of the trick is that in the first place the pistol is secretly loaded only with blank cartridge. In this harmless condition the conjuror slips into it a tin tube which nicely fits it, and then ostentatiously loads itwlth ball. Before firing, the tin tube is dexterously removed, and when the weapon is fired, no harm ensues; by an instantaneous maneuver the bullet is triumphantly exhibited as being caught in the required situation. It is relatea that Astley invented the trick to save the effusion of blood at the duel of two comrades in the army, for one of whom he acted as second. Succeeding in getting the other man’s second to assent to the ingenious device, the duelists fired at each other without effect, and the affair was amicably adjusted. Very clever, this. One might, however, say with Sir Walter Scott in his “ Lay of the Last Minstrel”:

But scarce I praise their vent'rouz part Who tamper with such dangerous art. Mr. Frost mentions two instances in which the gun trick proved fatal. One was that or *a conjuror in Dublin, who was shot dead by the accidental substitution of a real loaded pistol for one in which the charge was withdrawn. The other took plaoe in Germany, at the performance of a conjuror named De Linsky. He set up his wife to be fired at by six soldiers, each of whom was to bite the ball off his cartridge in charging his gun. Heedlessly, one of the soldiers did notbite off the ball, and Madame De Linsky was shot through the body. Bhedied on the second day after the accident. The catastrophe clouded the latter years of the unfortunate conjuror. In the course of his travels Houdin visited Algiers, and there astonished the native Arabs with his performance of the gun trick, which he did in a way somewhat peculiar. At one of his entertainments an old Arab admitted that Monsieur was doubtless a great magician, but he should prefer to use one of his own pistols. Houdin said this might be done next day, after he had invoked the powers to assist him. It was a severe trial of skill, there was some danger in dealing with a wary and suspicious barbarian. Next day the exploit came off. Houdin only stipulated that he should be allowed to load the pistol, the Arab handing him a leaden bullet from a saucerful from which to make his choice. This was agreed to. Houdin, as every one thought, dropped the leaden bullet into the pistol, but instead of doing so, he dropped a previously prepared sham bullet, which dissolved into dust on being fired. “ Now,” said the conjuror to the Arab, “ take the pistol and fire at me; I will catch the bullet in my mouth.” The pistol was fired, and to the profound amazement of the crowd of Arabs, Houdin took a leaden bullet out of his month, which all admitted to be the bullet that had been selected from the saucerful. To still further astonish the company, Houdin declared that by loading with another leaden ball he would bring blood out of a stone wall. All were eager to see this wonderful feat. It was performed in a way differing little from what had already taken place. Instead of dropping a real ball into the pistol, Houdin used a sham bullet filled with a red liquid, which dissolved on striking the wall. Wonder tremendous. We believe that Anderson in his gun tricks was similarly in the habit of substituting light composition balls for real bullets, and was equally successful. It is all a matter of sleight-of-hand.—Chambers’ Journal.

—A paper balloon, twelve feet long and ten feet in diameter, and stoutly corded, fell, a few days ago, in Sykes & Simpson's stone quarry, a mile and a half from Franklin, on the New Jersey Midland Railroad, Sussex County, N. J., marked as follows: “ Sent up by T. C. Brown A Co., No. 195 Cheapside, London, E. C. The finder will please communicate at once with the above firm.” The Russian Medical Gazette states that on the Ist of la«t January the Russian army possessed 2,102 surgeons, 250 apothecaries, 6,887 assistant surgeons, and 173 veterinary surgeons. This gives one surgeon for every 407 men, one apothecary for every 8,454 men, and one assistant surgeon for every 161 men. ” ,

The Cossacks.

The name of Cossack has been synonymous with barbarian ever since the war between Napoleon and Russia, when the skirmishers-of Alexander came to be regarded by Die European troops as a band of fierce, brutal savages, unrestrained by the laws of civilization, and unmoved by the instincts of common humanity. This idea of the character of the Cossack does him great injustice, according to the representation of Mr. Eu-S-ne Schuyler, who, in his travels in the ussian provinces in Asia, had abundant opportunities for observing the various peoples inhabiting these regions, and the Cossacks among the rest. He testifies that “In reality the Cossacks are mild, amiable and hospitable. They are the pioneers of Russian civilization. If anything has to be done, and brave, manly fellows are required to do it, the Cossacks are employed. When a country is to be colonized the Cossacks guard it, and themselves take part in the work of settlement. Though given, perhaps, to occasional raids, when next to some Kirghiz or uncivilized tribe, they are, in the main, peaceful and orderly citizens, brave, industrious and enduring. The women are hard workers and good housekeepers; and, during my whole Journey in Asia, I was only too delighted when I came to a post-station kept by a married Cossack, for there I was sure to find everything clean and neat, with eggs and milk, at least, and possibly something more substantial, to eat.” The Cossacks are a Sclavjc race, although their name, spelled "Kazak” by the Russians, is of Turkish or Tartar origin. It originally signified robber, or vagabond, and later took the meaning of partisan, or guerilla. Thq. “ Cossacks of the Don” dwelt, on their first appearance in history in the countrv north of the Caucasus Mountains, and from here bands moved westward to the Dnieper, and eastward to the shores of the Ural. Notwithstanding their descent from the ancient Russians, the Cossacks long considered themselves an independent people, and made war upon their neighbors, or lived at peace with them, regardless of the polity which happened at the time to govern their parent nation. Their incursions into Persia, in the seventeenth century, compelled the Czar Alexis to take effective measures for their due subjection to the laws of Russia. In 1655, their military chief, or Ataman, as he is called, was induced to visit Moscow with a party of his followers, and they were then sent against Poland and Riga—the first use made of the Cossacks in the Russian army. When the Government of Orenburg was founded, in 1735, its lines extended into the dominions of the Ural Cossacks, and the introduction of Russian posts and authorities caused great discontent among that free and warlike people. They complained of the invasion of their territory and of the exactions of the Russian Governors, and were in a continual commotion, which finally broke out in open rebellion. Their revolt was universal and determined, but was quelled in 1775, when theif leader, Pugatcheff, was executed, and the name of the river and province was changed from Yairk to Ural. Since then the Cossacks have been peaceful and contented subjects of the Czar, giving him trouble only in the matter of predatory excursions, which they continue to carry on against the Kirghiz east of the Ural River, in a decidedly ruthless fashion.

With regard to the military service of the Ural Cossacks, Mr. Schuyler states that, from the age of eighteen to twenty, the youths are obliged to serve within their district. They then are allowed a year of respite, after which they are liable to service elsewhere for a nominal period of fifteen years, although they are always released long before this term expires. “Every Cossack is supposed to be in the army, though exceptions are made in favor of a father who has three sons in the service, or in case of one out of four brothers. In time of war, all can be called upon. The actual number of the Ural Cossacks in service is estimated at over 10,000, though really not more than 8,000 actually serve at one time. It has long been the practice of the richer Cossacks to hire the poorer to take their places in the ranks, 300 rubles being paid for two years’ service in Turkistan. The abolition of this custom by the new military law was the cause of the disorders in September, 1874.” Mr. Schuyler relates that the Ural Cossacks form an ideal community. The land is free to all alike—each individual tilling the soil, cutting hay, and pasturing his cattle where he likes, providing always that he respects the rights of others, which are established by custom. The fishing in the Ural and the sea is also open to, every one. “ The days of fishing are regulated, and though all are reacy, none dare to cast a net or throw a harpoon before the cannon signal has been given by the Ataman, under penalty of confiscation of all his fishing implements.” The waters of the Ural are diminishing in volume, and its finny inhabitants are consequently decreasing in numbers; yet the produce of caviare, isinglass, Milted sturgeons and beLoza is still great. The communal system prevailing among the Cossacks insures a comparatively even distribution of wealth, and neither of the extremes of poverty or riches is found among them. The poorest man has a house, a horse and some property in cattle. When the Patriarch Nicon introduced reforms into the Greek Church, they were rejected by the Cossacks, who still held to the old faith. In 1869, out of a population of 70,000 along the Ural, only sixty-two belonged to the Orthodox Russian Church, and these were mainly Russian officials. In 1859, at which date the last official statistics of the army of the Ural Cossacks were published, out of eighty crimes, thirty-eight were committed by the Orthodox, and only ten by the dissenters. The remaining guilty parties were Jews, Mohammedans, etc. —Chieago Tribune.

Centennial Prizes.

The present system of awards has been planned with the view’ of giving every one the highest prize. The variations of degrees of merit are expressed in the written report -concerning vonr exhibit, which accompanies the medal. It works thus: You, Mr. Acorn, have an exhibit of pumpkin-seeds. You receive a medal as an award of merit for your pumpkin seeds. Mr. Butternut has also pumpkin seeds on exhibition. He receives a medal. Peanut has pumpkin seeds. Another medal is granted Peanut. Acorn, Butternut and Peanut walk home with medals hanging about their respective necks, all awards of merit for victorious pumpkin seeds at the American Congressof Nations. But whose are the best pumpkin seeds? Read the written reports accompanying the medals. Acorn’s reads thus: “The distinguishing and glorifying characteristic of Mr. Acorn’s pumpkin seeds lies in their symmetrical roundness at the larger end. Their artistic finish at this extrem

ity is unparalleled.” Butternut’• report reads: “The meritorious feature of Mr. Butternut’s pumpkin seeds lies in their symmetrical finish and artistic curve at the smaller end. as well as a peculiar fullness in the middle, indicative of a certain richness and fine flavor. The pies made from Mr. Butternut’s pumpkins, raised from these seeds, will doubtless possess a fruitiness and bouquet de pumpkin unattainable by pies made from pumpkins raised from any other seed. “ Dubbs, “ RuBBB, “ Bckubbs.” And when we come to Peanut’s report we find his pumpkin-seed commended “ for an average of symmetry at both the large and small ends* which, while neither the If rge end taken singly may have attained as regards shape, the peculiar excellence of Acorn’s pumpkin seed, nor the small end regarded as an end, taken all by itself, may equal in artistic finish the merits of Butternut’s pumpkin-seed, still the average Peanut’s pumpkin-seed, regarded As an average, may doubtless be considered a superior average than that attained by the product of either Acorn or Butternut, although in special points of merit Peanut’s pumpkin-seeds will rank one or-two degrees in the scale lower than the above-mentioned Acorn’s or Butternut’s pumpkin seeds “ Dubbs, “Rubbs, “fiCRUBBS.” You will see by this ingenious method of award everybody is guaranteed a superior article; eveiybodv gets a medal; everybody gains the highest possible prize, and everybody, especially in the piano, patent-churn, reaper, mower and sewing-machine line, has the opportunity of starting in the commendation of his wares just where he commenced before the Centennial, and fighting his battles all over again.— Prentice Mulford, in San Francisco Bulletin.

The Old Hundredth.

Tins unique psalm tune first appeared in John Calvin’s “ French Psalter,” published at Geneva in 1543, as the “ proper tune" to the 134th Psalm. Guilleaume Franc was musical editor of this work. He was a master in music, yet all that will be found in ordinary musical history regarding him is that he was an “ obscure musician of Strasbourg of the sixteenth century.” The Church owes him not a few of her finest melodies. A melody in Luther’s great psalter, published from 1524 to 1560, seems to have suggested the ideas of this inimitable choral. One ot Luther’s hymns of eight unequal lines, which was set to a melody of the Moravian or Waldensian early Church, contains the elements of the Old Hundredth. But these were reset and remodeled by Franc, who left Strasbourg and became "canteur” dr precentor to Theodore Beta at Lausanne. He subsequently settled and died at Geneva, leaving as his imperishable monument the music of the “ French Psalter.” The music was afterwards adapted to the Hundredth Psalm in the first “ English Psalter” ever published, edited by John Calvin, and printed for the use of the congregation of Englishspeaking refugees at Geneva in 1556, of which at that time John Knox was minister. The musical editor of the psalter was Claude Goudimel, of Rome, who suffered martyrdom at Lvons at the time of the massacre of St. Bartholomew because he had set the English psalms to music. The Genevan-English* psalter was reprinted in 1563-’4, by “John Day, over the pump in Aldgate,” and Andrew Hart, in Edinburg, and laid the foundation of the psalmody of the Protestant churches of the world. The words of this psalter contained first thirty-seven Esalms written by Sternhold ana Hopins, the remainder being written by ten of the refugees at Geneva. William Keith, from Aberdeen, wrote the Hundredth Psalm. The psalter, words and music, was for sometime universally used by the Protestant churches of England and Scotland. When Oliver Cromwell Sit the Westminster General Assembly of vines to prepare a new version of the psalms in common meter, for the use of the churches, the Parliament sanctioned it, the English Church at once adopted it, but the Scottish people rebelled on the ground that they had already a better psalter of their own. Cromwell had to come to a compromise with the hardy Scots. (The only other compromise he ever maae in his life was with Cameron, of Lochiel, when he and his army got bewildered in the wilds of Lochaber.) This compromise was that in Scotland a 3 umber of their favorite psalms from le old psalter might be published as second editions. This was done, and the music is thus called “old”—the Old First, Old Forty-fourth, Old Hundred and Thirty.fourth, Old Hundred and Thirty-seventh, etc.— Boston Transcript.

Weight of the Human Body.

There are few people but like to be weighed occasionally; some do it regu* larly at certain hours, before and after meals, or taking a bath, etc. Yet there are few things so changeable' as the weight of the body; indeed, it is rarely the same for a few minutes together; and if a man were to sit qn one of the plates for a whole day, the other plate would be constantly oscillating within certain limits. The state of the weather and time of the year influence our weight. In summer we grow fatter than we are in winter, such is toe general rule; yet most people believe that hot weather makes us leaner. It is true we eat less and perspire more; these are certainly two causes of loss; but, on the other hand, we expend less to keep up the temperature of the body, and moreover we drink more, and our beverages possess the curious property of increasing our fat. Beer, and even pure water, are great fattening agents. reared for slaughter get a great deal to drink, which increases their bulk considerably; the tissues are gorged with liquid, and so the weight increases, but the sys tem is weakened. In’winter, the organism has,to be provided with heat; we eat more, but also expend more to keep up the temperature of toe body; then also we drink less, so that, on the whole, the loss is greater than the gain, and we grow lean In short, we fatten when, under ordinary circumstances, we burn more of the food we have taken, and we, therefore, in breathing, exhale carbonic acid in proportion. We begin to emit less of the latter in April; its amount diminishes considerably in July, August and September, and attains its minimum about the autumnal equinox. It then goes on increasing from October, and we begin to lose the substance gained during the summer. From December to March we remain nearly stationary. To conclude, as we consume less in summer than in winter, all other circumstances remaining the same, we are heavier in hot weather than we are in winter.— Boston Tranecrii' —The poet Tennyson is now siXty-six years old, and still in the prime of thought and capacity for work.

Religious. MY THANKSGIVING. Wbilb through the land the faithful and believing In grateful (appliance bow. And all the air fa vocal with thanksgiving. My rouI! what give.t thou? Oh! looking in remembrance down the reaches Of yean inv feet have trod. No' one hath not one but aurely teaches The providence of God. Still hath the manna gathered ere my {anting. And (till the atreap* hath guabed From desert rock, at wbo«e delightful tasting My murmurs have been hushed. Aye! not alone the want* this life inherits Have been to me supplied. For higher needs, through Christ's uncounted m-rita Have been well aatisfled. Of this fair earth I own no teeming acre; Yet am I often led in fields of peace, and made to be partaker Of Heavenly good instead. Through vales where falls the sunlight of God's . flory In tender mood I roam; Or from the mount of promise read the story Of love and rest ana home. No mansion fair is mine; yet is my dwelling All beautiful and wide. * And joy within my heart is ever swelling Since I with Christ abide. And so, though I possess no erqwded coffer, Content, best wealth, is mine; And my thanksgiving. Lord, to thee I offer For riches so divine. —Frances E. Pope, in Jf. Y. Independent.

Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving.

The first public Thanksgiving in New England was held in December, 1621, about a year after the landing of the Pilgrims. The harvest having been gathered, and the severest labor of the year having ended, the .Governor sent out four men, with guns, to procure material fora feast, that in a special manner they might rejoice and give thanks. The day was, as its name would indicate, a day of thanksgiving to God for his many mercies. It was also a day of general rejoicing. In short, it was a religious festival, ’without the formality and restraint of the ordinaiy Puritan Sabbath—a festival in which religion did not exclude sociality, but in ■which the two were happily combined. As the Colonies grew in size and in numbers, and friends became scattered, Thanksgiving gradually came to be a day of reunion of families, a day when all the children returned to the old homestead to meet familiar faces and exchange friendly greetings. Still, it maintained the same general character. It was pre-eminently a day of public thanksgiving, a day when all united to praise the Lord ana to return thanks for blessings, special or ordinaiy, for peace and prosperity, for abundant harvests, for freedom from any public calamity, It was customary also to remember, at this time, God’s goodness to us as a Nation, His providential guidance of the Pilgrims to our shores, and His merciful protection of their interests. They acknowledge also the blessings of good* government, of free schools, and of liberty, equality and justice to all mankind — which blessings they fully enjoved, as they supposed. It was also a* day of private thanksgiving, when individuals called to mind whatever mercies they had received, and expressed their gratitude for he same. e All hasten to the village church, where the pastor directs their thoughts above, and urges upon them the duly of obedience to the “ Father of all mercies.” Then comes the dinner—the old New England dinner, so famed in song and stoiy; the table filled with good things ana surrounded by happy faces —for a moment, all voices are hushed, while the aged sire, vfith beautiful simplicity, invokes the Divine blessing. Again, at evening time, after the pleasures of the day, the whispered secrets, the delightful little chats, the romps and games of the children are ended, the grandfather calls them all together, and, taking down the old familiar Bible, reads therefrom a chapter, and, all kneeling, he pours out his soul in praise to God for this Thanksgiving day and all its privileges. Such was the day to our fathers—a day of thanksgiving and rejoicing. Now what is ft to’ us? Has its character changed? yes, to some extent. It is still a season of religious and social festivity, but the order is reversed. It is no longer thanksgiving and rejoicing, but rejoicing first, and thanksgiving as something secondary, and of less importance. Thanksgiving day is gradually losing its old religious flavor. All the sociality is retained, as’it should be; but the religious element is being slowly crowded out.

Again Thanksgiving day is getting to be more of a name than a reality, on the part of individuals. As the comforts of life have increased with the progress of. civilization, we have learned to take them as a matter of course, without considering from whom they come—not that we are less grateful than our fathers, but that the day of gratitude is less faithfully observed by us than it was by them. ’ Now the question arises: Which is the better way ? The original way in which thanksgiving predominated, or the modern way, in which sociality predominates ? I am sure all right-minded persons will approve the good old fashioned way of keeping Thanksgiving. Let us, as we enjoy the good things of life, remember those whose means prevent a like enjoyment; those whose wants are so numerous-that they seem to have little to be thankful'for. lie who is truly grateful himself delights to confer favors upon others. Let us, then, prove our gratitude to God by caring for his poor children here below, let us make the hearts glad, and we shall surely please Him who pitieth the poor and hath compassion upon all men. “ For the Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.” “ Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth ns with benefits.”— H. W. Pope, in N. x . Observer.

Lost Opportunities.

One of the saddest chapters of a Christian’s biography is the unwritten chapter of his lost opportunities; privileges and helps and inspirations and comforts he might haye enjoyed, and through some delinquency failed of. He fails, in his late and hurried rising, of a morning portion of God’s Word, some faithful warning, some comforting promise, some helpful truth, he might have carried with him through the day. Through the same eagerness to get to his worldly tasks, he misses of a visit to the closet of prayer, and his Savior’s benediction of peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. He misses, through the day, by timidity or pre-occu-pation, occasions for witnesses for Christ, and of the reacting strength and comfort. He misses the prayer-meeting through weariness, or the call of a friend, or the charm of some fascinating book, or the attraction of some bill of fare in earthly entertainments; and so does not enter with his brethren under the portal over which is written, “ there am I in the midst of

you." So he misses on the Sabbath of instruction and all its quickening influence; so he misses of the feast, the Master of which testifies: “My flesh is meat indeed.” Oh, these lost opportunities; charged against us on the remembering books, weakening all our spiritual forces, and robbing us of treasures inestimable for our spiritual life! Watch and pray against such losses! Be avaricious of these sacred and priceless privileges. Let no reproach stand against Vour name of such woful delinquency! — The Pacific.

Practical Kindness.

One of the most beautiful and practical instances of real kindness I ever saw came to me in this wise; I had gone into my butcher’s shop one Saturday night, and was waiting Tor my steak. While doing so a man, black with the toil and dust or machinery, came in. He was old and and homely, and meanly dressed, and I never should have looked upon him as a divine agent of consolation nad not a little girl come in and revealed him to me. “ How’s father to-day, Polly ?" he asked. “ He’s Worse to-day, and mother’s down, too;” and the weary little thing began crying to herself. Then the man stooped and said something in a low voice, to which she only shook her head and cried more bitterly. So he took the basket fromher,saying: “Run away home, Polly, or that baby she’ll be in mischief. I’ll bring the basket.” She offered him twenty-five cents but he hurried li|r away and would not touch it. Then he chose some good beef, a piece of bacon and plenty of vegetables, and, having paid for them, walked off toward p large tenement-house in sight. I gave him silent reverence as he passed me, for I knew him then as one of God’s messengers, unconsciously, but oh! how blessedly, taking a share in the ministry of angels! Opportunities like these are constantly thrown in our wav by the angel who watcheth for our souls; but “if a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily f ood, and one of you say unto them: "Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit?’ "—Mrs. Barr, in Christian at Work. .

Diplomacy in Shopping.

Guide to conversation with a dealer in bric-a-brac. You—l have just such another vase as that, would you care to buy it? Dealer—That depends. r “ About what is it worth ?’S “O, these vases are very poor Stuff.” “ Still you would give something for it.” “Besides, they are a drug in the market.” “ Still name a price." “ Well, seeing that it is you, I will give you ten francs for it.” “ Veiy good, I will take this one at twenty francs.” “ Not much you won’t.” “But then it is very poor stuff, and such vaseg Are a drug in the market.” “ Well, seeing it is you, I shall let you have it for forty francs. You won’t .have it? Well bring me your vase and we will come to terms for it, anyway.” “My vase ? I have none.” “ But you said you had one the exact match for this that you wanted to sell .to me and wished to know what I would give you for it.” “0, that was to find out precisely what these vases are worth. Good morning!” Dealer (aside) — “ Scoundrel!”

Planting Trees at the Roadsides.

There is a custom that prevails in some parts of Germany, and perhaps to the same extent in other countries, that is worthy of adoption in this country. I allude to the custom of planting trees at the sides of the country highways. This practice is encouraged by the Government and perhaps required in some cases. The trees are protected by law. The traveling public are at liberty to pluck and eat all the fruit they desire in its season in passing, and the residue belongs to the proprietor.' Now, it occurs to me that this would be an excellent custom to introduce and make universal in this ‘country. There are hundreds of thousands of miles of roads'des <n this country where there is abundant room for a row of trees on each side, and where at present there is not to be seen a tree or shrub for miles together. A plantation of trees along all these roads would soon become one of the most marked beauties in the landscape. How pleasant it would be to the eye and how pleasant to all the senses, if all our highways were converted into beautifully shaded avenues. What a grand sight to see ten miles of spreading maples, or stately linden or magnificent tulip trees. Qr suppose a man preferred, let him plant his lines with fruit trees. At twenty five feet apart one row onetoalf mile long will contain one hundred trees, which would be more orchard than is found on many farms. I think that every one must see that if such a plan could be introduced and carried out successfully it would be a most excellent improvement. But probably the majority of our farmers would look upon it as an impracticable scheme. But why ? Certainly the cost would be no insuperable objection. The growing scarcity of timber and the demand that exists for tree-planting would justify the planting of forest trees on all our public highways. An enlightened statesmanship would justify, if not suggest, the enactment of laws for the encouragement of this enterprise. If a certain amount of taxes were abated for every fifty or one hundred trees planted at the roadside, it might prove an inducement to many to plant Or a law might be passed requiring each freeholder to plant a.certain number of trees each year in proportion to the amount of land owned byhjm. This need not be a burden-that any one would feel, and yet a most desirable public good might thus be secured. In the absence of such legislation there are enterprising, public-spirited men in almost every community who might lead out in this enterprise, and their example wohld doubtless become largely contagious. This would certainly be a legitimate subject for the Patrons to discuss, and through the influence of this Order this plan of tree-planting might be made a success. But if nothing else is done, every enterprising farmer may begin the work by planting a few for * beginning, either this fall or next spring. The work, When once commenced, will most likely commend itself so highly it will be carried on to completion.— L. J. Templin, in Ohio Farmer. —The wife and children of a nigh! watchman at Fall River, Mass., would have been burned to death, recently, but for a poor little “doggie.” The house took fire when all were sound asleep, but the dog by persistent barking made out to awaken them, when they made their escape.