Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 1, Number 47, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 20 May 1871 — Page 6

6

IS

..iss ^2"rr

[From the Homo Journal.] WO UNDKD.

BY HUTTER A. BENEDICT.

The DFTV WIM a.« lonesome as thin In A robin had broken hi* wing, But,

dreaming

of mimmcr-tlme bUsKcs,

Was sadly ownylng to sing,

IPhesoriK was a pitiful trilling, mlnccllntt of paxslon and pain,

4

11

siilil—my eyes overfilling Vlth tear*, as low lilies with rain—

?Hh, darling, the Father hath sent thee, A wounded and fluttering thing. To flnl my hosom nepenthe

From pain and new power to sing."

To-day rny red robin Is swing:-is In sunshine that foldeth th« hills, •/And breezes all v« with his sin :lng

Bear to me his jubilant trill'.

And I say, but for me the poor darling Had died where the daisies belong, WJth moan like thn moan of a starling-

And earth missed forever his song.

I, too, am sore-wounded and sobbing, With puis*-* that quiver and ache, With lx)Wm in bitterness throbbing,

And lieart-»trings all ready to break

And low at your feet I arn lying, Too feeble to »oar or to sint? 'And—sad from my soul—I am rryinn, x'Glve wine of ne]entht', my king! •vuive wine or ^Cnthc of day,'sthat

1

inherit

N'''wireless

:in,irfless

measure of pain—

th*-' death of my spirit, th to tuy body and brain.

'i.'iyro no one to fiy to, dawn, and tor «lew, shelter to fly to l-aven under but yo.i.

rtr

on wlU tive to me power

f.*-

i... ih«

^or wreaths of the bay,

hour

^k®hi1shall hold sacred th *tfhe hfyou, forever and aye? fed and

A wife an'*iarndise it would

I'or

»heHotnnlay Evening M.-ul.j

A

Horrible Night.

*Y Sf'II'IO Mlf'KIIKRKNST.

I am a bank clerk, and have the reputation of ibeing a remarkably smart young mail. I have a rule for com(ounding Intorest which is far ahead of any other known rule, and which Mr. Bates, the school toucher, says, is unsurpassable. It is my own invention, which makes it tho inoro valuablo in •iy eves. I .simply mention this to *how that my smartness is innate, and «:ot acquired. By tho way, I see that a Kir. Durvien or Parvin, who has lately printed :t book on tho "Circulation of Specie" holds that all ideas are acquired, but I do not agreo with him. His «nind is probably biased, however, as lie lives in England, where they have sj»ocie to circulate. Did he but live in our noble republic he would have more liberal views. But thi.s cn ptuwanl, as we say in the French. iuerv. Will not the German now become tho fashionable tongue? In my Opinion the English is a decidedly vulgar language. Why could not our revolutionary forefathers havo devised new lingo when they rebelled, and bad their hand in at changing things? More than all, it is dooced tiresome to ttavo it callod tho English.

The bank in which I pass my timo is in rather a small town, and is tho only caie in it, but wo do a very fair stroke erf business. Wo are not a National— only a bank of deposit—but the two inilleis, tho foundry linn, tho store keepers, and tho County Treasurer all do business with us, so we make a pretty good thing out of it. We havo a good strong saTe, and people generally like to deposit with us.

There aro only three of us. Me, Mr. Collins who is the proprietor, and an Otileo boy named James, who is a very rtr kind of a lnv, but of a poor family, though pious. When I say poor, I mean pecuniarily poor. They seem to tie all richt morally. An -Miomaly.

Mr. Collins is also a very "'ir kind of person, but rather a cold-blooded man. For instance: Not long ago I composed a few verses of poetry addressed to a young lady friend of mine, named Miss Jane Poolittlo, and showed diem t« him. They were written in my most ornamental style and as legible as print, but ho pretended it was difficult to make it all out, and was a longtime over it. When he handed the pwper back to me, I asked him what he thought ol the eflbrt, and the only anR\vcr he gave me was couched in a monosyllable—the most vulgar he could have used. I was perfectly horrorstricken. but had to pass it over. My months salary was about due. I only mention this, however, to show that ho hiis'iio soul. The versos too, were road ly very fine.

Hut he has great confidence in me. IMt bough then' is a lack of poety in his nutur. be can appreciate talent when CKeroimsJ in a wordly way, alout dollars and cent* and all that. lie has frequently trusted me in matters of considerable imjKrta»ce, and they have loon transacted well, lie novet left mo in sole charge of tho bank, however, Iml once, and a description of that night is the object of this sketch.

Just be lor* train time one evening he received a telegram from the city demanding his immediate presence there to attend to a matter in which he was vitally interested. Before starting he gave me the keys of the safe, which he always carried, showed me how th® diing was locked and gave me numerous instructions about how to leave things grnewtiJy for the night* Oor aafb Is rvally a brick vault build up fltrm the cellar cnclo^ln^ a strong iron safe. Between tke two doors there is a sqjROe atx^ut three feet deep.

At our tfroal cloning fcour, flveo'clock, I put the books and money away, closed everything safely, and went home to «i pp«'r. 1 live with my t&other who is a1 pretty good kind of a woman, though nuher old-fkihlonad. 1 ren.eiub*r distinctly tliAt she had slap-jacks that cvenliig, whlck. though vnlgar, are decldodjvgood eating. Mind, I do not uttwly throw off or abandon vulgar or nmr»o people or things simply becausa th^ an1 Tuljjar or «Tanv\ They muat boX»lfr*te«A, for th^'Y aro o|ten useful.

and at tlmea really acceptable. For instance, ttlap-jacks and mothers, to hungry gentleman.

After I had eaten as much as I thought wan good for ma, I put a cachou in my mouth to hide the amell of molasses, (I always want inolaasea on slap-jacks) put my flute in my pocket and eallea on Miss Doolittle. She is a very fine pianist, and we occasionally have some very sweet duetts. A favorite piece of ours is the "Battle of Prague," we do it very nicely. When she puts her tiny foot on the loud pedal and gives us the cannon's roar, It is extremely effective but the telling part is in the "cries of tho wounded," for then I oome in beautifully with my flute, expressive of the intense suffering of the poor creatures who have got badly hurt. Really, I have known her pa and ma to be so much affected by my playing that they have been forced to put their handkerchiefs to their faces and leave the room. And when thev got the door fairly closed they would break out into hysterical laughter. It was too much lor their nerves. At least that is the opinion of my friend Dr. Tallman. It rather bothered mo at first, becauso they laughed every time thoy left the room, so 1 put the case to the doctor, who readily explained the caso, namely, that their nerves became so excited that they became hysterical, and their laughter was the natural consequence. In fact, an effort of nature to restore an equilibiium.

On this evening I really surpassed myself on tho cries of tho wounded, and introduced a few unearthly cries— screeches, Mr. Doolittle called thom— showing how a fellow would feel if ho got hurt in a very bad place, when I suddenly remembered that a package of government bonds, a special deposit, had been received that day, placed in a drawer ol our writing table, and forgotten when I locked up. Suppose a firo should break out! Horriblo thought! Immediately I unscrewed 1113' flute, put it in mv pocket, snatched a kiss from Miss Doolittlo and hurried off to the bank. As Iran I anxiously looked to see if any signs of fire were visible in that direction, but reached the bank before it broke out. In fact there was 110 firo that night, else I would have suffered untold agonies—but I must not anticipate.

I found tho package all right, and proceeded to put it away. I first opened tho vault door, went insido and locked it up. This I did, fearing a thief might possibly be in the office who would, of course, rush into the safe and spoliato it should I leave both doors open. After locking the outer door behind me, I unlocked tho inner, put the package uwav, re-locked it and turned to open the outerdoor when—

Horror of Horrors! The key was gone! In a moment I was frantic. Naturally I am very cool and selt-pos-sessed, but the situation was so horrible that for tho timo I was entirely overcome. After beating at the outer door until my fists ached, I kicked at the safe door until m}' boot heels were wrenched off in the vain hope that I might force the door in and escape that way if it were possible. But soon I became utterly exhausted and sank down upon the floor. After recovering my strength to a certain extent I gave vent to the loudest yells I was capable of but oven that was of 110 avail for no one heard me. Suddenly it occurred to me that I would soon exhaust all the air in the small space in which I wras con lined, and that I would die of asphyxia. Being remarkably good at figures I essayed a mental calculation to ascortain how many cubic feet of oxygen and things in the shape of air I had at my disposal, and how long it would support life, but I had already become confused, and could not get the figures right. Calling to mind the account of a fellow who beat his head against a wall when he was in a scrape, I knocked my head against the iron door six or eight times, but it didn't appear to do any good. It didn't seem to give ino a singie'new idea, so I desisted. But it cooled 1110 down considerably, and thinking death was near I drow from my insiuo breast pocket my diary and wrote in it a few lines to my mother, and then, as well as I could in the dark, (lashed off a burning, thrilling, address to Miss Doolittle expressive of my intonse love for her, my horror at dying such an ignominious death, and my regrets at leaving earth in such a hurried informal manner, without bidding her adieu, and then in earnest composed myself to die. lleing ol an intensely poetic nature, I naturally thought of "tho dying swan whose song is then tho sweetest, and taking my llute from my pocket I breathed through it a sweet'sad melody that would have brought tears into a grirtln's eves—if there be such things as grittin's. I rendered the "cries of the wounded" most beautifully, and added variations which, if Mr. Doolittlo could have heard at his daughter's piano, would have driven him clear out to the woodshed in sympathetic grief. But he could not "hear thom! Alas! no! Bitter tears coursed down my checks at the thought.

I think those tears were my salvation, fort hey awakened my manhood. What! cried f, shall I sit down like a dog and die? Never! One mere endeavor, and if I die, then shall I expire bravely. Might I not force otT the lock? Happy thought, I will try it. But no it was too strong. Pick "it? I had no wire, oh, horrors! Must I then die? I, so young, so good looking, so talented! And die like a rut in an air bell? Oh, most ungenteel of deaths, I cannot endure it. Such were thesoliioquiesthat went Hashing through my brain.

Like a sudden parting of tho clouds on an April dsv showing the ever-glo-rious sun, so did a bright idea rush out of my brain, and, to use a figure of speech, illumine the blank darkness of my living tomb. Tho key the key! Oh! happy, thrice hapnv thought! Was it an innate idea, or wnlsjierecFinto my •ar by my guaniian angel The latter is the" more poetic idea. I accept it.

With a cry of joy I thrust my hand into my pocket, and, with a louder cry brought forth the kev. Oh joy, 0I1, happiness, oh blessed life! In a mad ecstasy, a frenxy of thankfulness I nresstsd the key to my bosom, showeivd burning kisses upon it, held it aloft and wildly, madly danced,and finally, with a whoop of thanksgiving, thrust" it into the lock, turned it, and while its blessed joyful echoes were ringing throoirh the ortic*, -stepped out a ftijjp man..

pRoKRsaon llrxLKT says: Science is, I believe, nothiug but trained and organized common sense, differing from the latter only a« a veteran may differ fmni a raw, recruit and its methods differ from those of common seuac only so for as the oiufrdsman'scut and thrust difter from manner iu which a savage wields his club. The primary power is the same In each cam, and perhaps tho untutored savage has the atorv brawny arm of the two. The real advantage lays in the point and polish of the swordsman'a weapon in tne trained eye, quick to spy out the weakness of the advorsacy in the ready hand, "prompt to follow it on the instant. But, after all, the sword exercise is only I the hewing and poking of the clubman develojwC

member

i-if i'

tkrkk-HAUTE SATURDAY EVENING MAIL. MAY 20. i87i:

THE OLD KENTUCKY HOMEThat entertaining and varlooily yj_" vacious newspaper, the Cburier-Journal of Louisville, Ky-t credited with the following melodrama of real life, which, although relating to occurrences nearly thirty years oW, Is qualified with modern interest by

th*

recent death of the much re^poc1®" Kentuckian who acted the husl)*11" 'n the play. It waa some time iu the y®H' 1843 or 1844, saya the story-teller, there came to Louisvile, apparently from some eastern State a young 8*" seeking employment as milliner or dressmaker. She gave the name of Lizzie Carlton, was a brilliantly handsome brunette, not yet out of her teens, and, in going about from one fashionable establishment to another in pursuit of an employer, had the escort of a man who was, or pretended to 1*, ueRJ and dumb, passed as her uncle, and disappeared mysteriously from the city PS soon as Lizzie had found work. This latter attainment was realited in the establishmen of Mrs. Williams, a fashionable modiste on Front street,and there the young stranger so effectively commended herself to confidence and promotion by her industry, deftness, and amiable character that,

after

about

a year's apprenticeship, she WHS appointed superintendent of her employer's large business. In this new position tho prospered as notably. The "lady customers" oi the "magitm ua modes" at first patronized her for her beauty, and then befriendod her lor excellent conduct and character and thus in duo time, sho was received by some of them in their houses as a guest, and admitted to social ad vantages quite above tho apparent sphere of her birth. Profiting by these privileges and addine creditably to them by becoming a

of the church in which her

patrons wore prominent, Miss Carlton at last began receiving honorable attentions from gentlemen im lined to unmercenarv wedlock, and particularly from on© whose pecuniarv means and social position wore not inferior to his enviable recognition as an active churchman I'

was to

suitor alone

that the milliner's superintendent at last gave ear and he, in chivalrous disregard of his family's haughty objections, wooed, won, and married the charming brunette. After this consummation tho bridegroom's relatives saw fit to relax their aristocratic prejudice atrainst the portionless "bndo from Nowhere," as they had called her the happy girl was frankly received into the best circles with all the honors of a life-membership, and the prospect opened before the married pair seemed fraught with every blest assurance of a future as fair as love and luxury could make it. Tndeed there was not a shadow on their way for nearly a year, but after that came a revelation and a disaster such as in these present days, happily, would be impossible. One evening when the husband, suffering from temporary indisposition, wras receiving tho tender ministrations of his devoted wife, a servant announced that there was a gentleman in the parlor, who. while declining to send his card, desired to see the lady immediately upon important and private business. The announcement greatly surprised the master and mistress of the house, of course, but the latfer, quickly supposing that the guest must have made some mistake about ttio names, volunteered to answer the summons and set the intruder right.^She left tho room in order so to do,ani the husband was listening through,his open door for sounds .of retiringtfaptst^f"*.' when, to his aniaze'ment anureffor, a piercing scream suddenly rang from tho parlor, and he flew thither to behold his wife fallen senstless at the feet of a stranger. The latter, not much more at ease than the paralyzed man confronting him, made an awkward effort to offer some commonplace explanation, and then with as much dclicacy as the situation permitted, introduced himself as Mr. a plant er from Mississippi, in pursuit of one Melinda Cass, who belonged to him, but had escaped from his household several years before. And vhat have we to do with Melinda Cass?" asked the bewildered husband, half believing himself the victim of some fantastical illusion. "Why, this is she!" was the startling answer, as tho Mississlppinn pointed to the figure fainting between them. I have been looking for her a long timo. and now sho must return with me." He spoko but too truly, and what he could and did prova The wife of the Louisville millionaie—the formor milliner's apprentice—was an octoroon, and a fugitive from thedesti113' of her race. There was a heart-rend-ing scene in tho luxurious Kentucky home when the truth was realized, and paroxysms of grief were internitted only by vows of eternal devotioi from the maddened husband, and self-accu-sations of deception by the sbbing wife. No thought of separation was entertained for a moment. Certain old and trusted friends of tho gen-lemen were called in it was privately resolved to repair the Mississippian's less to the latter's satisfaction and at secret meeting at the Gait House, on tie following morning, the sum of $7008lianged bands, and he of the plaitation returned homo immediately. Hie rescued wife, however, did not Ion? survive the shock. What little of hir history remained after that may IB left behind the veil of family privacy. Tho husband survived, to contract, jtiarriaire again this time with a p:rtner less subject to tho disapproval »f his kindrtd and, but for tho revivalof it inspired just now by his own nortal departure, the strange story of h& first wife misht bo unwritten for*the p*esent generation.

consequently, there would be a far greater range of activity tor ereatures of the same size. Other certain deductions from telescopic observations show that the winds of Mars are more violent than those of the earth, and that therefore the structures mf the inhabitants must be so architecturally fashioned as to resist the pressure of lateral forces—hurricanes, tor instance. It is also inferred that the creatures who inhabit it are faster in their motions than ours and undergo more changes—lead, in taet, "fast lives," that they, in consequence, range over .greater tracts of territory than do we, and that aerial navigation is their normal mode of locomotion. Mr. Proctor, an English «auant, who has recently given to the world a graphic account of the physical condition of Mars, as well as a comprehensive chart of the planet's divisions of land and water, oioserves that "a Daniel Lambert on Mars would be able to leap easily to a height of live or six feet, and ho could run faster than the best of our terrestrial athletes." From this illustration it is easy to understand that the dwellers in Mars do not walk. Their bodies are light as air, they rush through space! a species of flying creation, to whom miles are but brief intervals, and with whom a journey of a hundred leagues would bo the pastime of a summer's day.

SNAKES AND MONKEYS. Brehm gives a curious account of tho instinctive dread which his monkeys exhibited toward snakes but their curiosity was so great they could not desist trom occasionally satiating their horror in a most human fashion, by lifting up the lid ol the box in which the snakes were kept. I was so much surprised at his account that I think a stuffed and coiled-up snake into the monkey-house at the Zoological Gardens, and the excitement thus caused was one of the most curious spectacles which I ever beheld. Three species of cercopithccud were tho most alarmed they dashed about their cages, and uttered sharp signal-cries of danger, which were understood by tho other monkeys. A few young monkeys and one old Anubis baboon alone took 110 notice of the snake. I then placed the stuffed specimen on the ground in one of the larger compartments. After a time, all the monkeys collected round it in a large circle, and, staring intently, presented a most ludicrous appearance. They became extremely nervous so that, when a wooden ball, with which they were familiar as a plaything, was accidentally moved in the straw, under which it was partly hidden, they all instantly started away. These monkeys behaved very differently when a dead fish, a mouse, and some other new objects, were placed in their cages for, though at first frightened, they soon approached, handled, and examined them. I then placed a live snake in a paper bag, with the mouth loosely closftil, iii

0110

of the larger compartments.

One of the monkeys immediately approached, cautiously opened the bag a little, peeped in, an'cl instantly dashed away. Then I witnessed what Brehm has described for monkey after monkey, with head raised high and turned on one aide, could not resist taking momentary peops into tho upright bag, at the dreadful object lying quiet at the bottom. It would almost appear as if monkeys had some notion of zoological affinities, for those kept by Brehm exhibited a strange though mistaken instinctive dread of innocent lizards and frogs. An orang, also, lias boon to be much alarmed at the first sight of *h. Dcacent of Man," by

Charles Darwin.

1

MARS.

I seems curious to lind scion# not only intelligently discussing thepeeuliarities of tho planetary system but, at least so tar as one of the plaiets— Mars—is concerned, actually 9ttling all doubts on the subject of fts physical similarity to the earth upon which we live, ancl reaching tho almost certain conclusion that the race tl*t inhabits our earth could, after becoming accustomed te tho change frod one planet to the other, live in Man without serious discomfort. Astrenomv, whereof the tund of knowledge daily increased by new telescopic okeervatlona, traces »pm Mars the qhaiges of sea and land—tho latter predbmB&ting —tho seas being of the general yp® of the Baltic and Mediterranean, Or the most part narrow, straggling, inland' seas. There are no great oceans on the^ abrface of Mars, and in conseqna*« our sense of the term, no contiwnte. Observations of thft changes of tie seasons also show that at the poles that planet lies pvennial snow, wheh decreases in quantity as the sumntfr advances, ana increases with the oming back of winter. A vast deal tf rain falls on 5lar». and very often tie configurations of the planet are obrur*d to tne vision of the astronomers )v the clouds. "RIP year on Man is tfioo as long as ours, "and the force ot fravitv on the planet Is mocJi less tha» hjilf what it is with tt». so that the wcght of 1 an intelligent objv!s of tho same mass there isiuuoh 1 cidcnt, from less than half what it is here, ai.fl that.J donkey wa#.9 mem

THK efforts of the Methodist authorities to cover up the bad places in the management of their Book-Concern in this city are so transparent that people generally believe matters much Avorse than they have been represented even by Dr. Lan dian. The discussion growing out of these unfortunate affairs brings to light far more unscttledness if not positively irritation and discontent in that body than was generally supposed to exist in it by outsiders. The centralization of authority is distasteful, and the authority is used not unfrequently in a despotic way. The Episcopacy "is undemocratic, and the Bishops havo their personal infirmities of prejudice, temper, ambi'ion. and narrowness. The itinerancy is growing more and more disagreeable with tho ministers and people, and new views are spreading slowly but steadily especially among the young preachers. Tho old methods chafe, and hundreds of the best people hayc lost their faith in the practical system of revivalism, camp-meetings, and the preaching whose chief staples are exhortation and noise. Wise men predict far greater and more radical changes in tho Methodist church than lay delegation which was but the entering of tho wedge, or rather the dawning of the new day. When the church gets rid of the "Episcopal," and becomes trulj' democratic and unsectariau, it will become one of tho most inportant factors iu the religious lilo ot America.—Golden Age.

SOMK years ago there was a good deal of excitement among the pooplo of a certain town in County, Vermont, on tho subject of religion, and almost every man in the place was more or less awakened to a senso of sinfulness, and made a public declaration of his intention to lead a different life. Among the rest were three principal men of the village, whom we will call M. B., and G., who being all present at one of tho meetings, took part in the proceedings, to the great joy of the faithful, and much to the astonishment of "the rest of mankind" then and there assembled. M. rose first, and and having made a general confession of his unworthinoss, said, in conclusion that he had always intended to be an honest man, but if he had wronged any one, he was willing to make lull restitution. B. followed, speaking in pretty much the same manner. G. arose next, and spoke of bis sins and wickedness in quite as strong terras as the others had done but coming to the "restitution" clause he remarked, with a caution characteristic of himself:

If there is any man that I have defrauded, I shall be happy to sit down and talk It over with him."

THIS—the denominational part—calls to mind the reply of an old Pennsylvanian who "struck oil,"sold a portion of hia land for a great price, and went to the bank to get bis check CM bed. ©n being asked what "denomination'* he would havo his money iu, he promptly replied:

A UuIa in Presbyterian to suit the •M woman, but the hefiot it in FroeWill Baptist.—Hnrjer(s Drawer.

THE Phil£de* phia Bulletin, speaking of the intelligent juror of that city who would ratter go to jail indefinitey "than sit on the lory with a nigger," saya: "It is imposlDlo to avoid congratulating, first, the .respectable negro jurymen who narrowly escaped association with such a man, and second, the commonwoalth, which neven could have secured verdict, unless by aejury of which such a ry or loer."

JAPAN.

The three thousand eight hundred and fifty islands that make up Japan bear a population of about thirty-four millions the greater portion fs a simple peasantry, whose principal occupations are agriculture and fishing, and who are no better than serfe. They subsist on the mere necessaries of life every thing else they produce being the right of their lords tha daimois, the wealthiest of whom is said to have a revenue of three or four million dollars a year. There is no middle class in the country districts, and feudal Europe may be seen over again in the castles and the miserable towns and villages that cluster around them at a respectful distance. The lowest outcasts of Japan are the "Christians," the tolerated descendants of the native Christian families who were not quite destroyed in the great persecutions of the seventeenth century. They aro condemned to the extreme degree of legal infamy, penned within walled towns in a quarter like the Jews' Ghetto of tho midd'e ages, even in a prison wlnn they are not numerous. The police watch them till their last sigh is drawn, and remove and secretly disposeof their bodies, lest Christian rites should bo held over their remains. It is at least a curious fact that the Japanese Genesis aCmits a Trinity and incommeasurablc periods of millions and millions of years during which the generation of'the world proceeded. The historical era commences in mist about six hundred and sixty years before the Christian era. It is impossible here to enter into Japanese' history, but wo may give a few of the dates. In tho third century of our reckoning posting was established, and saki (rice-beer) introduced in the fifth, silk was first made in 543 "the wheel which shows tho south" was sent to the Mikado from the court of Petsi in Corea, and in tho seventh centurv coal was found.

M. Humbert, Swiss ambassador to Japan,says that the Japanese scenery frequently recalls the Swiss, and adds that the Japanese who travel tell him that 110 country reminds them so forcibly of their own as Switzerland. I11 some of the narrower channels between the numerous islands there is a great resemblanco to the Rhino above Boppart but there is 0110 large engraving of a landscape in Southern Nipon which is exceedingly liku hundreds in middle Germany, while another in the same district is quilu an English woodland scene. As to tho climate, the atmosphere is perhaps the most transparent in the world the brilliancy of tno sky is incomparable, and the air is pure and fortifying. Of all the countries of tho extreme East, Japan, in its middle region, tho south ot Niphon, Sikoff, and Kiousiou, is the country which pleases and suits Europeans best. Earthquakes are frequent in the hot season, but they cause 110 disasters.

Although the first Europeans that landed in Japan (in 1542 and 1545) were tliePortuguese,who had a factory in 1611 at Firado, the Dutch have had most influence. In 1611 the Netherlands East India Company obtained a concession, and soon after discussions between tho colonists arose, and the Japanese began anew to persecute the Christians. The Portuguese were ejected between 1635 and 1639 with the aid of the Dutch, who were established in their place after the massacre of thirty-seven thousand "Japanese martyrs." From that time until 1854, Japan was closed to all other Westerns. Dutch is the language of diptomatio rrlatiO)» wJtl« irtmtitfers. and, nioro extraordinary still, is tlio tongue in which military drill is carried on.

One of the fundamental differences between our ways and those of the Japanese is that their domestic life is passed 011 the floor. We stand aud walk on it at intervals, while the greater portion of our indoor time is passed on furniture. But the Japanese sit, and eat, and lie 011 the floor, and their furniture, both as to height and amount, is toned down to this habit their tables are enlarged stools their fires are not fixed, but are taken about in braziers the eternal tea-kettle rests in a little papiermache vehicle like a housemaid's nox, somewhat larger than the similar one (all over drawers and nooks) which forms the ncccssaire of these ceaseless smokersof microscopical metallicpipes. This also explains the leaving of tho shoos at the door the place, if not holy, must be kopt clean, and besides, is luxuriously soft, the floor being constantly covered with yielding mats of rice-straw four inches thick and very carefully made. Besides being a carpet, a tablecloth, and a sofa, this mat is also tho mattress on which the bourgeois passes the night, wrapped in an ample bed-gown and a largo wadded quilt, with most freouontly only a billot of wood under his hea'd. Tills system is, however, very favorable in tho struggle for existence to what the French euphoniously call the domestic kangaroo. But all this applies only to tho Dourgeoisio. The manners of the nobles are not seen by Westerns. In fact, in Yeddo there are two distinct societies in presence of each other the nobles, armed and privileged, are secret and retired, being almost self-im-prisoned, as in immense citadels, while the lower classes, open as day, lull of bonhommic and cordiality, appear to enjoy perfect liberty while com subject to the Iron rule of the noibles,

Every man carries about writing-ma-terials, a brush, a stick of Indian ink, and a roll of mulberry paper, side by side with his pipe and tobbacco. Men and women employed different styles of writing (hirakana) while the women cannot read the men's (katakana). The "calisthenics" of the ladies take the form ot fencing with bent iron lances, but they do not know what needlework is. Books are respected equally with the monuments of ancestors. They are fond of periodically applying moxas, which parallels the former use of bleeding in this country. For this aud for acupuncture, which is also a popular habit, there is a special class or surgeons. The bath, hot or cold, is universal, and the shampooers, who are in great reouest, are all blind. The ragmen in the streets pick up the waifs with long ohop-sticks. The wrestlerssome of whom are monsters—form a kind of tribe apart who improve in strength from generation to generation.

HARD WORK.—There was an immerajon to take place on tho banks of a dbrtain river. Several colored converts had already beqp baptised, when the officiating minister lea another into the water. Moving cautiously Into tho stream for suitable depth, it happened, wfortunately, that the location of the "stepping-on plaoo" was miscalculated, ana all at once minister and convert were floundering in the water fifteen or twenty feet deep. The preacher succeeded in clambering back on ths ledge of rocks without much trouble, but the darkey, frightened out of his wits, struck wildly across tho stream. Arriving at the opposite shoro, he crawled, heavy and weary, upon a log that projected into the water, and shaking himaolf like a wet dog, and looking back with intense disgust, ho exclaimed: "Some white man's gwine to Lose a nigger by dis foolishness yet!''

GRACK GRKKNWOOD, in an admirable letter to Horace Greeley on the woman question, meets some of the great agriculturalist's positions as follows:

I sincerely hope, my dear sir, you will be able to raise your proposed Amazon iun army ot ''one hundred thousand scientific, skillfol, thoroughly qualified cooks." Cookery is un excellent calling, and sorely needs recruits still I cannot see in it a very tempting opening for the exceptional womaa of talent and ambition. You don't offer bounty enough in the way of wages. Then the great cooks of th'e world are and always have me leen, men. We humbly yield the point of vour supremacy in this science, as iu the highest walks of dramatic literaturo. You have Shakspearo and you have Soyer. Dumas is as great in tho cui.tine as in study. I doubt not Mr. Greeley can turn from dashing oft' a leader to concocting a chowder, and that the two products of his genius will be alike masterly. I doubt not that lie could serve up a pudding and an nti-protec-tionist, with sauces oqualiy hot and spicy, and do a duck as brown as a Democrat.

Now, my dear Mr. Greeley, could there be such an amazing American product as a female Soyer, would you rather that one of those boloved daughters of whom you speak should be that queen of cooks, than to see her a second Portia, .111 eloquent advocate, able to stand before judge and jury, with countenance modest yet unabashed, there to defend some poor sister in peril of her life, or to denouueo the despoiler of women's innocence and peace, the desecrater of a happy home, with somewhat ol the power and more than the pathos of a Curran? Ah! would you not, if such a thing wero possible, sooner have her worthily succeed her father as a fearless champion of social and political reform, as a quickener of noble, healthful thought, an inciter to brave living for thousands of her young countrymen and countrywomen, than to know that she could cook a potato like St. Bridget herself, than to have her namo to a soup of 1111imagincd deliciousness and nutritiousness

A CROW STORY.

Severdl years since, a warm SabtyHmorning, while the Rev. Dr. Jt'il well-known fisliing-town in Mass/husetts, was holding forth, atameA'ow, which had been taught to utter o^e expression only, and that a wickfi 0110, flew into tho church, and iJghting 011 tho pulpit, saluted tho iiinistor with, "tiamn yo!" whorei»»on tlio frightened, as well as hor»r-struck, parson "drew oil'" and gav«r'the gentleman in black" a wilder that sent him to the floor/ Nothing daunted by this, howevei the crow was soon on his pegs agaai, and looking up to tho reverenu gentleman, repeated his salutation witli such an emphasis that he took tq/iiis heels, and together with his congregation, who wero as much frightened as their minister, scampered froiM tho sacred edifice in double quick time.

Ono little old woman, whoso seat was in a corner, did not see fit to follow tho example of the shepherd or his flock, but firmly kept her position upon seeing which the crow advanced to her, and hopping up on the seat in front of her, again gavo vent to its lavorito expression. The old woman, not a little astonished at this impucio»«ctJ,'mui evidently caking him for an evil spirit in the form of a bird, yellod forth at him: "What do you damn me for? I don't belong to this church

And giving him a rap with her umbrella, sho cleared tho coast, leaving the church to silence and to the crow.

AN ANXIOUS PASSENGER. A stranger recently took a train west on tho New York Contral at Albany. When the train arrived at West Albany ho hailed tlio conductor, and in a stuttering voico inquired: Is th—this Pal—-l'ala—Palatine?" "No," replied tho gentlemanly conductor, "I'll inform you when wo arrive there." At Schonoctady tho stranger mado tho same inquiry and received a like answer. At Amsterdam and Fonda ho repeated his inquiry, much to tho discomfort of mind of tho conductor, who thought tlio man ought to romember t'-.at ho would bo informed of the fact when the train did arrivo at that station which the stranger was so anxious to roach. At last the train stopped and tho conductor dosiring to accommodate tho stuttering passenger, took the pains to find him and informed him that—"this is Palatine, sir," —to which the stranger, stuttering, repliod: "Th—tha—thank you, sir. Tho—doc—d«c—doctor to—to—told me to ta—ta—tako a pi—pi—pill when I got he—ho—here." And he did so. The passengers (who had rodo during tho trip and had observed the ntraner's anxiety) broke out in a roar of aughtcr, and tho conductor, though somowhut staggered, "slid out on his ear."

HK TALKED Ruiimsn.— It is relatod of tho King of Swedon, thafc when at Vichy, his Majesty contracted a casaal acquaintance with a man of business of good standing on tho Paris Bourse, and of high financial aud industrial capacity. At length tho King took a fancy to the latter, and used to walk about with him. They talked of finance, reforms, improvements of every shape and kind. One morning Charles XV. exposed at full length his plans for making some railways In Sweden and Norway. Meanwhile the experienced financier evinced some impatience, and finally burst forth —"Stuff and nonsense! What rubbish!" Then he stopped short, and added—"I beg your pardon, sire but the fact is, I arn not accustomed to such distinguished company." The king, though not accustomed to such plain speaking, laughed and "showed himself a man of spirit."

THK Illinois Legislature is affected with the "ring" distemper quite as badly as that of New York. Some of the operators who figure in it, are interested in the State Capital job, and others represent elevator monopolies and railroad conspiracies and between them the session was spent without passing tho bills that were necessary to carry on the State government, wfflfr many of those that wero passed •wye, vetoed as unconstitutional. Govenjpr Palmer haa decided to call back thff** recreant Legislators to the capital, agd try onoo more to get some honest work out of them, which, it would seeaa, ia.a task quite as hopeless as to get chickens from glass eggs.—Golden Agn.

ANTICIPATE the triumptamt Hbur when this head which often aches witbr wearineaa ahali be encircled with., ftiocrown of glory, think of the timo when the hands that aro worn with toll shall grasp the palta branch, and the fee* thatare weary with this pilgrimage sWU stand upon the sea of glass, when our constant occupation shall be to glorKy him who has uplited us from tho miry clay and set our feet upon a rock, tyjd* established our goings for over,