Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 8, Number 26, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 22 December 1877 — Page 11

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THE THREE KINGS.

HKXRT W. LOnmiOV.

Three Kings came riding from far sway, Melcholr and Ja#par and Baltacar

Tbree iae Men out of tbe East were tbejr. And they traveled by night and they slept by day, For their galde was a beautiful, wonderful star.

Tbe «tar was ao beautiful. large and clear, Tbatailjhe ofeec^urs of the sky Became a white mi«t $a tbe atmosphere. And the Wlae men

knew

ttfat tbe coming was nesr

Of the Prince foretold in the prophecy.

Three caaketa they bore oh their saddle-bowa. Three cwktbi of gold with golden keys Their robea were of citwaon silk, with rows Of bella and pomegranate* and furbelows,

Their turban* like .bioaaomine almond-ttees»

And ao the Three King* rode into the West. Through the duxt of night over hill and dells jAnd sometimes they apdded with beard on breast. And sojnetimee talked, as they panned to rest.

With the people they met at the way-aide wels-

••Of the child that la born said Baltazar.

•'Uood people. I pray joh, tell us the newa, yt,r we in tbe Kaat have seen hia star, And have ridden fa tit, and have ridden far,

Te And and worxblp the King of the Jews.'*

And the people answered: "You aak in vain Wje know

no king but Herod the Greatl"

They thought tbe Wl*e Men were men Insane^ An they spurred their Iioohsk

acroea the

Like ridera In ha*t who cannot wait. Vw 1 *i

A ud when they came to Jerusalem, Herod tbe Great, who bad heard this thing, Rent for tbe Wlae Men and questioned them And Mtld: "Go down Into Bethlehem,

And bring me tiding* of thia new king.''?

80 they rode away and the star stood still. The only one In the Rray of morn Yes. It flopped, It stood still of it* own free will Kitftit ever Hethlehem on the hill, fee!

The city of David w^t^.Christ.WjM born}

I.And

f»

And the Three Kings rode through the irate 11 the guard, 'I hronk'b thuallent street, till their horsa* turnr

iieigbed a* they entered the great inn yard Jlut Jb« window* wer*- rioted and the door# wei*

In r* I,

And only alight in the stable bnrned.

And crnilled there in the *c« nte^ hay. In the air made sweet by the eath of kine^fe The little child In the manger lay— ,The child that would be kluj: one day _.

Of a kiugdon not human but,divine. VfT?

-111* mother. Mary of Naaareth,

They laid their offering* at hi* feet The gold wa* their tribute to a king !. The frankincence, with It* odor sweetf Wa* for tbe priest, the Paraclete,

The myrrh for the toidy's burying.

Sat watching beside hi* place of rent, W (itching the even li«w of hi* breath, »4 ,, For Joy of life and the terror of denth

IL'the ». mlnolwl MAMtUr III lllir hfKlUlt. Were mingled together In her hrea*t.

'***$ I I

And fhc mother wondered and bowed her head, And *at *t» still a sintue of stone Her heart wa* troubled, yet comforted^ inhering what the anvrel had *aW\ JE

Of an endless reign and of David'* thrsne,

Then the Kins* rod# out of the city gate. W®** With the clatter of hoof* in proud arrayfj »|Rut they went not back to Herod the Great,

Vor they knewbl* malice and feared hi* bate, 1

And returned to their home* by another wayt 1

S in W in

With ihfl closing of the doors and lighting of the fires for winter, accidentals, sociables, sowing and rending clubs begin in all inland towns and villages. We have a word or two to say concerning these stated Utile assemblies which constitute society in thous ands of our towns. I

First. As- to sewing clubs the work should be carefully restricted to such cm (broidery, etc., as cannot be done by women who earn thtir living by tbeir needle. The justice of this ouuhtto be at once apparent hut it is, as a rule, overlooked. We have laiown the plain sewing taktn from the seamstresses of a village, and given to church clubs, for a winter the consequence of which was, hungry women asking parish help, and a stained-glass window back of the pulpit.

Secondly: In reading clubs, let the time for each reader be limited by inflexible ruleIf this is not done, there will be found in every such club, at loastone dogmatic, selfish reader who will force his author and his voice upon the club, until in disgust and weariness the members tall off and the experiment fails.

Thirdly. If we may trench upon a most dHtcate topic, we would suggest that in merely social combinations, for the purpose of music, dancing or conversation, the old ca«te linea ot the town be disregarded. 1 here is no despotism more narrow or cruel than tbe aristocracy of a village. New Mood and new idea* would generally revivify it outside of the sp oalled "good society" of such a place which has been fenced in for two or three geserations, is frequently found the larger proportion tf intelligence, culture, and breadth of thonght

Fourthly. The greet want experienced by cultured men and vrotten in entail town is of books, periodicals, etfc. Which, individually, they are not able to There are very lew circulating libraries itt AmHrican towns of a population Im thai ten thousand. TV* want can be obviatet in a measure, ty a friendly combination between certain laawliea or individuata, in which f*eh coBtrifaWftee a given umber of books lo a common atock tip** hooka ut lained to thai member* in turn. wore brm*] and mnch bettsrway te &fS»formation oia book dnbt sndb as wean eommon in England before thn eatnblishinent of Mndie, in which each mwnber pajr* at the beginning a certain sam* with which as maay books are purehawd as wtn me me«ban, each me choocing book these pans in ragniar rotation fron band to hand, remaining a fornight with each readnr twenty booka may thai be read for the

of one. When the books have passed around the circle, tbey are sold to member* for tbe benefit of the club. Fines for detention and abase of book* also keep up the funds. No officer is required in this association but a treasurer. Another advantage in the plan is that books c»n be bought by tbe quantity at lower rates than singly. The same role applies to subscriptions for magazines, newspapers, etc

Esquimaux Sport*.

The people occupying Greenland, Lab* rador and the shore of the Aicttc Ocean, c&iled Esquimaux, a name applied by the Algonquin*, meaning "raw eaten,*' are oy no means cheerless In the "land of desolation." Their sports are varied, some of them ridiculous, and other* refreshing and closely imitating those oi our own people. One ridiculous pastime is an exhibition of grimaces consisting of making frightful contortions of the face oy drawing the lips into the mouth, forcing out the Chin, rolling the eyes, squinting meantime, throwing the head around and twisting tne neck in a frighiful manner, and finally rolling out Uie eyes as if they would protrude from their sockets, at tiie same time giving unearthly groans. Tne lookers on appear to enjoy the conloruona immeasurably. They have a game of Irotliug around in a circle, one aUvi aiiotiier, at a rapid gait, the winner being the one who longest endures the

race. Having to rati In full fur dress, they tire out more readily than they otherwise would. Another sport Is a rough-and-tumble with bodies bared to the

bins"

nip8*

The boys play a game at ball very aenaible and highly enjoyable. This is quite similar to the sport among American lads called "shinnyIt ia a great pastime among the little fellows, and they become expert from continued practice. While playing the g»me the boys go with heada povercd, although they always wear suspended about the neck and falling back upon the shoulders a malachi, or fur hood, ready to slip over their heads when the sport is ended. The dreaa consists of a fur coat cut ao as to fit nicely, made of deer skin fur side out. Their mantles are made of the same material, while their feet nrti encased in deer skin "tarbossa," or boots soled with bear skin, reaching up the knees. Thua rigged, they endure extreme cold, and with meat and oil diet, and plenty of exercise, are always healthy and plump.' Another sport which the boys greatly enjoy, la the driving of a long train of dogs upon their sledges. The Management of the train being dependent npon the manipulation of a whip with a bah fifteen or twenty feet long, and a Mock only aixor eight inches long, a great deal ot pmetiee la required to become efficient.

A Grecian Legend.

Wbcn Bacchus waa a boy, he jdurneyed throngb Hellaa to go to Naxia and, aathe way waa very kwg, he grew tired, and sat down npon a atone to teat. Aa he ant there, with hia eyea upon the ground, he saw a. Utile plant apring up between his feet, and waa ao mdeh pleased with it he dclenniaed to take it with him |nd plant it in Naxia. He took up and Oarried it away with him but, aa the sun #aa very hot, he feated It might wither lefoit he reached hia destination. He ibond a bird's skeleton, into which he tfiraat it, and went on. But in hia hand 0k plant sprooted ao fast that It oat of the bone* above and below. gave htai fteah fenrof its withering, and he cast aboet far a remedy. He found a lion's bone, which wa* thicker than the bfcrdla skeleton, and he amok the skeleton

with the {dust In It into the bone of the lion. Ere long, howsver, the plant grew out of the lion's bone likewise. Then he found the bone of an ass, larger still than that of the lion so he pat it into the ass's bone, and thus made his way into Naxia. When about to set the plant, he found that the roots had entwined themselves around the bird's skeleton and lion's bone and ass's bone, and as he could not take

out .without damaging the root^, he planted it as it was, and it speedily grew and bore, to his great joy, the most delicate grapes, from which he made the flrflt wine, and gave it to men to drink. But behold a miracle 1 When men fliat drank of it, they sang like birds after ttrinktog more, they became vigorous and gallant like lions but when they drank more still, they began to behave like tes.

The Champion Better-

The following story in going ufouiid in French military circ es An officer named Verditr was celebrated in his garrison tor winning every bet. None of his comrades could boast ot ever having been successful, and at last no one cared to bet with him. One day Verdier was transferred to another regiment but the fame of nU peculiar luck had already spread before him. After a supper tentiereci M" by his new comrades on the evening of his arrival, and when champagne made its appearance, General B.

Esquimaux

"la it really true, Verdier, that you win every bet 1" 5, "Yea, General." "But how the deuce do yon ad it "Oh, very simply. 1 am a physiognomist, and bet only when I am quite sure." "You are a phyaiognomiat. Well, what, for inatance, can you read now in my face?" "1 can aee," aalcl Verdi#, promptly, 'that the old wound in your aide haa broken out again." "Nonaenae I" thondred out the general. "But 'v' "No 'but,' after I assure you, air.* "Perhaps you do not like to speak of it perhaps a duel "Diable 1 You won't believe me. What will you bet "Anything you pleaae, General." "Five hundred francs?" "All right, five hundred franca* "The gentlemen present are witneaaea."

With thoee worda, the General at once proceeded to diveat himaelf, without more ado, of hia coat and shirt, and aacrutiny by nil preaent revealed the fact that there was no trace of a wound by awurd or ball.

You hare tast the bet.

After he renehed home he at onee wrote to hia chum, thrGeneral, command of Verdter** former regiment.

"Dear frtaid, the atory of Verdlert luck i* all hum bag. He has jtmtmnde a bet for five hundred franca that 1 had woond In my^de, and of coarse kwt it."

The s^ew^ came back: "YoarnalvAels sroly^amlng! Yoar wtenlng.fif* hundred frsmc* ©oet me two thoa»ant^ which Verdier bet me on the day of IN* leaving, thai h* womlA make yo« on th* gtnt evening ni meeting, take offyonrdyrtm thepreMSMC of ynorieloOoem, and that yon yoanelf wotfd •fit*

Ooleridge: Hsopiiwies can be boflton virtue alone, and must of neonnHty J&n truth for itn foandarton.

What He Should Say.

There are a number of middle-aged gentlemen who, thinking themselves endowed by nature with oratorical ability, visit Sunday schools to display their speech -making qualities. One of these genu 31 had around of four or lire schools which he visited regularly and as regular* ly bored, ending his orations invariably with amen. While visiting one of the schools/the superintendent, out of courtesy, asked him if he desired to say a few words to the school. a.,. "Wa'al, yes, I'll say Just or two," and, straightening himseu up, he began: "Well, children, the superintendent wants me to speak to yer! Neow, what shall I say—what shall I talk about?" bright little fellow, about four years of age, sitting in the front seat, who. evidently had heard the orator before, jumped to his feet, and lisped out loud enough to be heard all over the room "Thay amen, and thit down!"

Swift: The motives of the best actions will not bear too strict an inquiry. It is allowed that the cause of most actions, good or bad, may be resolved into the love of ourselves but the self-love of some men inclines them to please others, and the self-love of others is wholly employed in pleasing themselves. This makes the great distinction between virtue and vice.

at Playl.

S A IN

Aiwondtag gallep Po ', Over wide plains A wild free wll Is geod 'llld gates and rsins A dashing dance is good

Broad halls along, Clasping and whirling on Through the Ray tbroog. Bat better than these, When the great lakes ffeese,' By the eteiraharp llgh| Of a stany alght,

O'er the loeaptaatag With along free ^reep, Cutting and rluglag *j Vorward we keep I

Oa 'round and around, With a a harp clear sound, To fly like a *sh In the seal— Ah, thia is the sport for me I

The.MtrdMMt,t Storjf^.^.:^

Atlaafie Menthly. Yea, it was rather a eurioua atart that I had in buaineaa. The first thing I did, after having aaved a little pile of money, waa to aet up ahanty in Sioux City. I had all aort* of traps to allure Indiana, and I wanted to buy any kind of peltriea, scalps expected. Bat I was anew arri-

Yerdier I" val, and the noble red man couldn't be

shouted thn. General, r^suiniLng his gar- Heve in tne without help, aiid I found menu. itrndnrnthw duU. Late one night, how"Ihaveloat, bideedthiaooce. Mm may «w, na I waa sleeping among my ftock,

*rr aometimea. Hem are yoar five hundred franca." With a ehnclde the General pat the money in hia pocket.

there came a tremendous bunging at my door, and when I unbarred K, there wa* a tall fellow who seemed tome a little drunk and aaid he, "1 want a butcherknife." "AH right. Come in," aaid "I want a reliable one," say* he. "I want it to kill man with. Ghre me a good strong handle. I want knife that 1 can pttt In nad Mm it around." Says I, "I think I can suit yon. Walk in nndtnke a look." 1 knew him ky that time. H* wa* a Yirginiaa, splendid-looking fellow, nd belonged to a good family, net understood, bath* had cone wOd on the frontier, nad done grant many illegal things, nad ban forced to he*d wtth the Indiana. The ooneequoaoc waa that he apokn their Inncuaf* nad wn* pemoa ot infineaoe among ttth. Well, 1 /*lt ttHie donbtfid about |p*nii"iii, not kaowing bat what I wna the man he wn* nf|cr, bat nil the aunm I femoatmy stock of tool* nad «howedL them. Ther% waa nan, aanrly two feet long, which 1 hnd

Iiad bought for a cheese knife. Says I, "I think that would answer your purpose." "Yea, Ishould think It might, says he. "How much is it?" I told him the price—about four shillings, I think.

4Til

take it," saya he. "But I haVent any money." Under tbe circumstances, seeing he had the knife in his fist and was ready to turn it around, I thought I had better offer to trust itim. "You'd better not," eaya he. "You don't know me from any other jfentleman." "But I've got to trust you," 4pys I. "You've got the butcher knife by the handle, and Fm.at the sharpendofit. Besides, I believe I can thiat you.if Off he went, and I heard no more of him for a time, not even whether he had killed a man. Bui some weeks later he put in an appearance and paid for the knife. "And now, youngster," saya he, "I like the way you treated me when I roused you out for that trade. You didn't show the white feather. Some men, hustled up at that hour of night, would have been scared. But you behaved everyway like* gentle man, and now I want to behave to you as one. There are some Indians coming in to-day, and I'll bring them to your shanty to trade. Have you got any rum?" 1 hadn't any rUm I didn't keep it. "Well,' says he, "we must have some rum. No rum, no Injun. Oive me a couple of do) lars." I gave him the money, and went off. When he came back he had demijohn full of drink and some turn

'Pru

p. f. Tt

biers. An hour or so later the IndUns appeared, some two hundred of them. First came the warriors, with th^tr rifles, bows, and tomahawks then followed the squaws, stooping almost to the ground under their loads. My man halted them, but they didnt trade with me they didn't know me. There was a long palaver, and at laat he threatened to kill some of them If they didn't follow his friendly advice and the end of it was that they gave in, to save a quarrel. They crowded into my little shop, and drank my demtjohn empty, and bought my stock clean out, and filled me full oi peltries. I made (2,000 that season, and went off in high spirits to lose It somewhere else, and then to pick it up again. As for the Virginian, I lost sight of him, and never learned how he ended. 1 didn't even inquire whether he put his butcher knife in and turned it around. It seemed to me top delicate a subject.

A Slight Mistake.

At a" dinner party there were two sister* present—one a widow who had just emerged from her weed* the other not long married, whoae bu*band had lately gone out to India for a short term. A young barrister present was deputed to take the widow down to dinner. Unfortunately he was under tbe impression that his partner waa the married lady, whoae husband had just arrived in India. Tbe conversation between them began with the lady's remarking how extremely hot it waa. "Yes, it is very hot," returned the young barrister. Then happy thought suggested itself to him, and he added, witt a cheerful smile: "But not so hot aa the place to which your husband has goae." The look wtth which the widow answered thia "happy thought" will haunt that tung banfater tffl the day of his

ntnio hsdigeaoa* plant in the Oaacnalaa IConntutae ha* inoently Ihhhi iatflsdaoedia Fraaeebyoaeof the lend* tag snlmtisf of that ooontrr. It i* the Symphytum aapesinam, incomparable as a greea fodder for cattle, and having the great nd vantage of r**i*ling and flourishing in the driest season* and the longest poarihle dnmghta.

THE FIRST BANJO.

BookerSong, from "Christmas Night In the Quartera," by Irwin BtuaelL Go *wsy, Addle 1—folks la tired o' hearln' yon a aqaawkm*. Keep alienee fur yo1 betters—don't you heah de banjo talking About de 'powum'a tail, she's gwineto lector— ladies, listen I About dehaV, wha\isa'tdar, an1 whyde hala

I aUssin*. "V ./J

"Dar*® gwineto be a overflow," said Noah, loo kin' solemn— Fdr Koah tak the "Herald," an' he nad de ribber| 6oluinn— An' ao he sot hia haada to work a-clarin' timber-: patchea. An' 'lowed he's gwlne to build a boat to beat de' stssnksh "Natehes."

OI1 Noah Imp1a-n&i&n', an a-chlpp!n\ an' a-saw-

3w"

in' t:

An' all do wicked neighbor* kep' a-laoghin' an' a pahawin' Bat Nosh didn't' mln' 'em—knowin' whut wua gwlne to happen: An* forty dtys an' forty nights de rain It kep' a'drappln'.

Now, Noah had done cotched a lot ob ebry sort o' beae'ee— Ob all de shows a-trabbleln\ It beat 'em all to pieceet Ha had a Morgan colt, an' eebral head o' Jsrsey cattle—

T.:i

Anvdruv 'em' 'board de Ark as iootii he heered de thunder rattle. 1

Den aech an odder fall ob rain I—It come so awful* hebby, De rlbber rls tmma|Uly, an' busted troo delebbee De people all was drawnded out—'cep' Noah an' de critters, &n' men he hired to work de boat—an' one to mix

de bitters.

I *'W

d« 'poMomt

r-'

De Ark she kep' s-eaUln', an a^aaiUn' an' a sailln' 1 De lion got hia dander up, an' like to bruk de palln'— De sarpinis hissed—de painters yelled—tell, what wld all de fuaain', YOU c'u'dn't hsrdly heah de mate a bassin' 'roun' ,, an' oassin.

New? Ham. de only nigger whut wu* runnln' on de packet Got lonesome In de barber-shop, an cu'dn't stand "'de racket Ah* so. for to amuse he-ee'f, he* steamed some wood an' bent it. 1 An' soon he bad a banjo made—de fust Cat wus 1

Invented.

"t 1

Be wet deledder. stretched It on made bridge, 1 aa' screws, an' apron An' fitted in a proper neck—'twus berry, long an' tap'rln' »vr

v"':

He tuk some tin, an' twisted him a thimble for to ring it An' den de mighty question rls: bow wus he gwine to string it?J:

De *peesam had as fine a tail as dls dat I's singin' De h'ars so long, an' thick, an' strong,—des fit for banjo-strlngtn' Dat nigger shaved 'em off as short as waah-day dinner-graces An' sorted ob 'em by de size, from lltUe E's to basses.

He strung her, tuned her, struck a Jig, twus "Nebber min' de wedder"— She aoan' like forty-lebben bands a-plsyln' all togedder Some went to pattln' some todancin' Noah called de Aggers— An' Ham he sot an' knocked de tune, de happiest ob niggers. Now. aence dat tim*—It's mighty strange—deres not de slightes' showin' Ob sny ha'r upon de 'poeaum's tall a growln' An' curl's, too,^-dst nigger's wsys his people nebber los' 'em— For whsr you finds de nigger—dar'a de banjo an

Hospitality in Russia.

Russian hospitality is dazzling. The entertainments which are given by the richest nobles in St. Petersburg excel anything that can be seen elsewhere, because nowhere else can people afford to spend so much upon show. The rich elsewhere have claims upon their fortunes, and spend a good deal in improving their esstates, but a Russian draws all he can from his land and gives back little or nothing. He disburses prodigally for wines, music, diamonds, rich dresses forj his wife he keeps an immense retinue of servants, gambles largely, whatever may be his age or profession, and the surplus of his income goes to defray expenses to Paria, Nice, and the German watering placea, where he seems to set his ambition on enriching hotel keep*rs.

The Roman correspondent of 'the Cologne Gazette writes that the Order of Jesuits which, about twenty-flve years ago, when Father Beckx, the present General, commenced his rule, numbered some 4,000 members, has since increased to 9,000. Two further remarks by tile correspondent are of some interest—first, that the order has secured its entire de pendenceof the Papal See, financially' by the Peter's pence and morally by the clerical press, which it controls, and which thunders down every anti-Jesuitical movement and, secondly, that notwithstanding the imposing power of the order, it m*f be foreseen that Its relaxed Interior discipline will lead to a catastrophe within it.

Blair: The prevailing manners of an age depend, more than we are aware of, "or are Wilting to allow, on the conduct of fl» women this one of the principal! thflpgs on which the great machine of human society turns. Those who allow the influence* which female graces have in contributing to polish the manners of men, would do well to reflect how great an influence female morals must also have on their ednduct

If youd^sam of an aathmatic octoroon catching fle* with a pop-gun and whispering sweet words of comfort into an allgator's ear, it is sign that you will get letter from over the aea from a dark man who turn* hi* back on a blonde woman with a wart under h*r ear.