HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times, 1888-12-27, Page 2A CANOE.
In the euniMer ot 18090 1 left Thunder Ben
with a party ot engineere ceennissiotted by
the Candi= Ge1,m:orient to examine ehain
of lakes lying between L 4te Superior end,
ke Winnipeg.
Carte benche as t ncelloment had been
given to our chief enguieer, Mr, Lydgel'in
and, perhe,ps, no surveying outfitwas ever
much mere luxurieus then our, Not to
mention tents of all sorts and sizes; blankets
in great pleaty, and the orclitiery rations of
pork, ileur •and tea, we nad kege of syrup,
barrels of eugar, finking of butter, and no
ess than one hundred and forty-four dozen
oicanned etuff, mainly salmon, lobsters and
earclines.
"For lunch," expleined Lydgely, when
old Peli, the weather-beaten, second m com-
mand, inquired, " What's this nere tin -ware
for ?"
Lunoh 1" roared Pell, Lunch Well,
am &me 1" Then with a no affectation of
sorrow, he went on, "By gracious, /en in a
fix,—didn't bring a dresesuit for dinner!
And I've forgot my napkin -ring 1 Rigs,"
looking round on, us chain bearers, " I hope
you've got hairmil and blackin' in plenty for
three months,"
Notwithstanding which sarcasms, I never
observed that Pell shrank from the contents
of the "tin -ware" or from tlae'sweets. 'It's
a man's duty to get such disagreeable stuff
out of the way, eomehow," he used to say.
I have mentiened the extravagance of our
equipment), because it directly caused the
adventure I am about to relate. The party
was an unusually large one, consisting of
four engineers, fifteen rod men and chain.
bearers and about fifty Ojibway Indians,
from the Kaministiquia River. Our travel-
ling was done in great "Northwest Canoes"
of bark, each from forty to fifty teet long,
which carried our enormous supplies easily
in addition to their orews.
Large the supplies needed to be, for the
appetite of our Ojibways was almost incre-
dible. Three pounds of pork a day to eaoh
man were but grease for his consumption of
flour and hard -tame. They hankered, LLiter
the special flesh•pots of the whites, also. A
favorite amusement) of Lydgely's was to
bestow a pound or so of butter, a box of
sardines, or a pint pannikin of syrup on each
of the nearest Indians, when he entered the
commissary's tent for "refreshments' as he
too often did.
To bolt the butter au naturei, to take
down the sardines with their oil at a few
gulps, to drink off the syrup like water,
diverted the Ojibways not lees than the per-
formance did Lydgely. Hence a consider-
able group usually managed to be near the
commissary's tent when the chief engineer
thirsted.
One consequence of his habits was that,
within a month, tte good things provided
for the Whites had largely gone to comfort
the Reds, who engaged to live on pork,
flour, tea, and what fish they could catch.
At the same time their gorgings had so re-
duced the staple supplies, that it became
necessary to put them on stated rations or
send a hundred miles down rushing rivers
to Fort William for more food.
Not to delay operations, Lydgely yielded
to Poll's advice, and put the Indians on an
allowance of two pounds of pork, and as
much flour per dey to each AMU. Pampered
as they had been this ration seemed to them
sadly meagre, end, on the second morning
ef its issue, there was trouble in camp.
Hamel, our Canadian commissariat officer,
gave out the food at daylight. At half -past
six, when Lydgely called " canoes," as was
usual at the beginning of the day's work,
‘tilsei Indians did not budge. The chief en-
gineer roared at them again, but still they
made no move. Pell went to discover the
reason why they were disobedient.
" Nossin for eat," said their spokesman,
called by us " Kaminietiquia Jim." They
had devoured the whole ration for breakfast,
and. were,
therefore, doomed to go without
more for twenty-four hours, which were to
begin with a hard days paddling.
"They've eaten all their grub," cried
Pell.
"The beasts 1" roared Lydgely, whose
temper was very reprehensible, and strode
toward the Ojitrways in a rage.
They bunched up together. " Kaminis-
tiquia" or "Big Jirn" stood out before the
others. He was a very bad Indian, "having
associated too much with civilized people,"
Pell used to say.
"Come along," yelled Lydgely, and reach-
ed out as though to grasp Big Jim. There
was the flash of a knife —Jim drew back his
hand with the gleaming weapon as though
to plunge it into the chief. We chain -bear-
ers hurried forward. But Lydgely in an in-
stant let out with his left, and sent the noble
red -man eprawling. That put an end to the
discussion.
The fifty Ojibwews stalked obediently to
the boats, Bind Big Jim brought up the rear
with a cheek that looked distinctly the worse
for wear.
I was one of Pell's assistants. In the ca-
noe which he captained, Big Jim always took
the bow -steering paddle,—these great crafts
of bark are alwaye guided by steersmen in
both bow and stern. Lydgely went with
no that day to explore part of an unknown
river which we intended to traverse. It
flows, winding, out of Lake Kaskabeesis to.
ward Hudson's Bay, and we had heard that
its course wan broken by great falls. Early
in the forenoon we entered the stream, and
went hurrying along with a brown current
occasionally broken by short chopping rapids.
Oar dozen Indians had been sullen all the
morning. "We're going to have trouble
with these chaps, said Pell, "they'll upset
us, maybe, or Flay some confounded trick,
you'll see. Instead of exchanging short,
plaintive -sounding sentences and various
grunts, as was their custom, they were ab
solutely silent. We watched them furtively
but closely, fearing that their intentions
might be perilous to us. But not an indica-
tion of bad meaning did they give.
Big Jim, standing in the bow, piloted to a
marvel, distinguishing in thne many sub-
merged boulders whieh we could not see till,
flashing past, we made out their dim forms
beneath the water that lapped shallow over
their dangerous noses. With his frequent
motions of head, and interjections of warn-
ing for the etern 'steersman i with adroit
movements of his paddle forcing the canoe
to glance aside from all dangers, Big Jim
seemed to be coacerned solely with his
tidy.
Along we flew, the little waves slapping
on our sides, the motion inspiringly swift,
sunny, bine September sky overhead, the
broke, all red with pernbina, berries, reced-
ing like long ribbons.
No travelling is soexhilarating as the run-
ning on is very ewift and somewhat
broken eurrent in a light, staunch draft 1
"We're not very far from the lane," said,
Pell, pointing to a white cloud that hung
in the blue spreading from a slowly rising,
misty pillar off to the emit. At that mo-
ment we were running almost due north,
nd to euppese that the cloud Wag from a
my: •he our river, implied 4 sharp turn
ne canoe had been approaching the
a is as though the Indians meant t lend
not far away, But as P411 spoke, Big
Jim turned round, threw up his paddle and
epoke to the mew, Hie eye wee fairly
blozing, and his bee, 1 theught, wore 4
malign joy as if be had been soddenly ins
'finked with 4 eel:tense kir revenge. The
ilndiaas Answered him with a anrnrieed
etepped paddling, looked into each
other's emcee with 0P144 alarm.
I They were curiously excited, seeming at
onee elated, defiant, and yeb somewhet
daunted,
" Wagh !" cried Big Jim, with a come
mending gesture. and straightway dug his
big paddle in, Next instant all the blades
grasped the wester together ; the bow turned
toward the farther shore i the stroke wee
now much faster, and the Indians chattered
unceesingly. Qaestioning etch other, we
three whites could see nothing to fear, nor
anticipate :way danger for oursewee for WhiCtil
(41r Ojibwaye could escape.
Quarter of a mile ahead. our further
passage Beamed barred by the shore, but
dint indicted merely a turn to the east.
Suddenly we rounded it, and there, sheer
before us stretched for half a, nsile or more,
an astounding slope of water, smooth mostly,
as if nuning over glass. Apparently term-
inating the slope was that pillar of mist
paliabing from belownhen smokily rising and
spreading wide on high.
Scarcely had we comprehended th t
situation when the canoe was fainly o
the slope, and ratting to what eeemed
iuevi-
table death.
Lydgely sprang to his feet, ann made a
step toward the stern, intending, probably,
to wreat the ;steering paddle irons the man
there. Pell seized him. "No use," he said,
"too late Sit down 1"
Ledgely obeyed. We were too far in for
retreat. To turn and struggle against the
current was clearly impossible. It swept us
on with astonishing speed. A large stream
at once so swift and so smooth, I have never
seen before nor since.
Have you ever observed shallow e ater
running down a plat ed slide some feet wide
with quick incline? It seems to shoot along
in parallel streaks, it hurries millions of
minute bubbles in its volume, its surface is
broken only above splinters in the boards
beneath. Such was the current clown which
we flew, only this was deep and irresistible.
Little waves no longer slapped against the
canoe, it kept an even keel, it was quite un -
tossed the water was noiseless about us, we
might heard our hearts beating, but for
the quick stroke of the paddles, and the ever.
increasing roar from beneath the white cloud
toward which we rushed. The Indians had
now become still as death • their bronzed
faces had a tinge of pallor, 1 thought; each
man strained forward, peering intently at
the mist; feat -urea rigid, eyes ablaze.
Big Jim, in the bow, stood motionless,
paddle lifted from the water in an attitude
uf intense attention. We white men looked
at each other helplessly—there was nothing
to say, nothing to do,—blank with the sense
of our utter powerlessness, we could only
wait to see whab would be the result of a
situation so amazing.
Pell spoke but once :
"It aint suicide they're meaning," said
he "for they aint singing their death -song.'
he,
were moving at far greater speed
than the river, for the Indians kept up a
spurting stroke giving the canoe steering
way, which enabled the man astern to edge
her slightly towards the north shore.
Yet she left no wake; five feet from the
canoe it was confused with the stream.
I had a feint idea that the Indians meant
to land on the shore we were nearing, but
this was dispelled with close approach,—
the bank was of smoth-faced rock, stratified
so evenly that 1.1) looked Like a board fence
going backward, and, level on top, rising in
height with every moment of our progress.
Right to its edge the current ran swift and
smooth
Once more I looked toward the mist in
despair. What was beneath it? We had
heard that the river's leap was somewhere
very great, That the dreadful jump was
close before us seemed certain, from the
cloud that overhung, and the roar that
swelled upward.
Gazing, I became aware that the smooth
slope on which we slid did nob last to the
brink of the fall, but ended in at least,
one vast roller, as wide as the in,
itself,
—a huge bank of water that surged, round-
ing on high, with appalling massiveness.
It was already near enough to form the
down -river horizon. What was beyond?
Short was the doubt,—in another instant
the great canoe sprang to the curving front
of the billow, and went climbing giddily
aloft.
Poised on the crest, for an instant, I saw
nothing but another immense, smooth wave
and the pillar of mist still farther beyond.
Down we plunged into the vale of waters,
and swung on high again as steadily as be-
fore,—to see, in front, a short, ragged rapid
ending in a few yards of smooth water close
to the moat astonishing plunge that mind
can conceive.
In that one look from the summit, I
could see past both sides of the mist•piller,
bow a lengthy ohasm stretched far away be.
neath the fall, the width of the gorge dwarf-
ed by the height of its perpendicular walls,
at the feet of which, on either aide, a long
ribbon of emerald green sod was laved by
the stream till lost in the distance. Such
an overpowering impression of being at ft
dizzy height was gained by that instant's
view, that I scarcely noticed the &mange
chant into which the Indians had suddenly
broken.
Next moment we thrashed through a cur-
ling, breaking wave that drenched us to the
skin, and went scurrying into tile slapping
waves of an ordinary rapid. With the fam-
iliar motion I looked ashore. And there,
close by us, was a spectacle scarcely less
awful than the plunge we were nearing!
The rock wall close to us was cleft cleats
down, and in the wide cleft was a whirlpool
that abeolutelii shrieked as we flew along its
extreme edge. Looking across its funnel I
could Bee that, from its farther lip, the river
sent a narrow branch roaring through a long,
deep gorge.
Still we kept straight on. We were now
eo close to the fall, that I could see the long
emerald ribbons at the foot of the chile
almost beneath us. Big Jim, etatueeque
in the bow, seemed on the lsrink of the
abyse
I looked at Pell,—he thrust his big left
hand kit° mine and gripped it heed,—
Lydgely held his right. We looked once
more, with never a word, int() etch
otherai eyes. Then I closed mine for very
horror.
That instant I expected the headlong shoot
of the canoe. But there was a strong jerk
and ewerve instead. I looked Again.
Ds that instant, alniost on the fairs crown,
we had swept into the eddy then ran back-
ward toward the whirlpool with racing
speed, atid, sooner thaii Call Write it, we
had skimmed along the northern edge f the
dreadful limed, ehaken free of it "draw,"
arid were slashing dowe the easy rapid
twelve Miles long, by which the narrow
north branch makes the atone deeeent as the
fella before rejoinhog the river.
Free of the whielpool the Wiens' feirly
howled With laughter and pride at the sue -
eerie of their tash expiate
We learned aftetavarci that the feat had
been aocoznplished bat thrice before within,
the memo' of the eldest "Adieu, en the
lest of which occasiens Big Jint had been in
the canoe, He had hang been ambitioue to
repeat the perfermenee, and eusmeeded, to
our sorrow, in inducing his eompanional to
make the attempt by way of preemies:1 'joke
on Lydgely. The Indian sense of humor is
very peculiar, -4,11, W. Thomson,
Confeeeing ty Telephone.
From time to time one may notice events
that bring out, with unusual force end aim-
ness, the feet that greet inventions are
chief among the conditions that shape mod-
ern life. This is reeognized in regard to
civilizing elements with which people have
long been familiaressuch as the radroad and
the telegraph, but is not so commanly 00
ceptecl with respect to an innovation like
the telephone. Yet that little instrument hi
most remarkable for the new relations into
which it brings men and their affairs, and it
incessantly calls for novel adjustments of
our ideas and actione. The legality of con-
tracts by telephone has been an issue for
the courts, and but recently we mentioned
a ease in which a defendant submitted him-
self for judgment by telephone and received
sentence in the same way. More lately,
again, the point has arisen whether gam-
bling carried on by telephone can be lawhilly
and effectively stopped. In medicine num-
erous instances have occurred wherein it is
unnecessary for the doctor to see his patient,
the prescription or advice being such as the
telephone shows to be desirable. And now
the Catholic Caarch is broil sled to decide
as to the efficacy of a oonfession by tele,
phone. The question has been referred to
Rome by the French bishops, and among
the Italian priests also the aubjeot is an un-
settled one. Some authorities hold that the
telephone can be used for censure, but not
for absolution; while others confiner that as
the telephone annihilates distence, the con-
fessor and the penitent are actually togeth-
er. Evidently the question goes far deeper
than the disputes of mune oe,euistry, and
touches all thet serves tcnsurround a solemn
act wi.h sentiments of awe. And how sol-
emn itself, after all, is the thought that the
telephone is thus among the inetrumentali-
ties that release us from the clogs and bonds
of physical sense and lift us to a realm
where mind and soul, as if clarified and dis-
embodied, can have freest communion.
A Life Saving Dress,
The problem of a life saving dress which
shall be what the name implies is one that
has often been attempted, but in one
point or other is as yet unsolved. A Mahn
gan diver claims, however, to have disteetne
ed a solution.
The dress is a combination of a diver's no
and the famous Paul Boyton rig. It diffe
from the latter in that it is not inflated, ane.
resembles the former in that a helmet with
contrivances for seeing and breathing forms
part of the outfit The principal garment
resembles a child's nightdress, being wide
enough at the neck to admit the body, and
possessing arms and legs. The neckband is
fastened with a simple contrivance, and it is
claimed that by means of a series of overlap-
ping folds in the janction between the head.
piece and the lower garment a person incedred
Can breathe freely. e
Around the waist isia peculiarly constr
ed life preserver, oaps.lble of supporting
times the weight of a large man., and at
feet are leaden soles, the object of whic
to malutain the wearer in an uprightposi
in the water. It is claimed that a pe
can •rig himself or herself—the garme
t-
jhe
is
rion
on
t is
, fitted for women as well 'as ol
two minutes, and that when mice finessed
sinking is an absolute impossibility. The
inventor claims that fully 50 per cane of
people who are suppoaed to have been
drowned are in reality killed by exposure.
To obviate this difficulty the rubber suit is
constructed with a view to retaining the
heat of the human body and at the same
time to protect it'from the water.
What Are You Farming Lor?
Row many of our readers cam give a
satisfactory answer to this question? Come
to think it over, what are you farming for?
Why are you not in some other business?
Do you love farming and find as much profit
in it as your friends and relations find in
other occupations, or are you just farming
because you can't do anything else 1 Now
we believe that these things are worth
thinking about. Here we have a great
proportion of the people in this country
living on the farm. Da you think why they
are there? Are they just living along with-
out knowing just why they live as they do?
We were led to think of Ibis matter by
hearing a man say, with a sneer, that
farmers lived in the country beca.use they
couldn't do anything but farm. He is wrong,
we know, but his words started a new train
of thought. "What are you farming for ?"
It is a plain, fair question. Let the farmers
of America answer then question fairly
and honeetly, and we believe, the answer
would make one of the grandest and most
complete arguments for farm life that can
ever be written. We propose , to investi-
gate the matter. We inviteour friends
when renewing subscriptions for next year,
to state in few words or line why they
are formers. _ et us have the facts. Do we
live on the farm because we have to? We
will keep a reaorct of the enswere, We
believe the story will %Eton/sill a good many
of the croakers.
A Story About Nilsson.
When Christine Nilsson first appeared in
public, twenty or more years ago, she was a
bony and freckle(' Scandinavian lass like
scores one sees in Western Owns. Now she
is a magnificent woman, commanding in
carriage and countenence. Occasionally her
temper gets the better of f her on the stage,
and once, in Chicago, fain knocked over
the piano stool and ettunpOd angrily because
something had gone wrong. If she proved
E
t
herself ungrateful to for er benefactors, re.
tribution ceme quickly in the treatment
which the met at the hads of her first hus-
band's relations, upon whom she had lavish.
ed princely donations.
She is a women of ncble impulse, which
was once illustrated at he house of a retired
Chicago millionaire neci New York. A dis-
tinguished company ltad been invited to
meet her at dinner, Oi entering the dining
room she dropped her iost'a arm, hurryirig
in am gementto the eta ely yonng butler, and
seiztiag hint effusively by the hand, engaged
hies in conVersation, hile the other guests
stood wishing mid the,entertainer looked on
in `astonishment. ei That Man„" she explain-
ed. to the group, Wbbn they were sleeted,
"is the ten of a kind of nobleman on whose
estate my father wol2red as a day labourer
when *e were children. Fortune has
smiled on me, while it has frowned on tny
old jilaymate, whont0 I find here under each
chaaged eircumstendes."
"Wes if: the gial's father who broke off
the etigagemeht ?" hatpin(' Yanking.
"Nd," replied the jilted lever, "it Was
het little brother."L-Neve 'Zeck Life.
YOLTNGI. FOLKS.
HUGH MASTERS' CHRISTMAS EVE.
NAVA lirennintwn.
"Well, now I say that' e meaneen pusley 1
I'd go,' VI was you, any how, Glad I &int
got no old graneher with 4 lot of money to
to have to stay't home for 'n anyhow 1
wouldn't if 1 had,"
" 1 waet to go j SS' awful, Will, but I guess
ean't. Fether amid Oen, an' 1 e'neRe it 18
sty. Whet are ye goin' to have, anyway ? '
Will thrust his hands into his pockets,
threw back his head, and gezed vacantly
at the undulating line of purple hills sharply
outlined against the red gold of the evening
$ky. •
0-h—everything ; jest evwer.y.thing.
Groinnter skate on the pond with awful hand-
some Japalanterne ; n some'll elide down
Bilker's hill, lot's on 'em boys 'n girls ; an'
there's the Christmas tree in the church, n'
presents fer e -v -e -r -y -one on us—you'll have
within or nutiaer on that tree, 'n your name -
'II be called out'n you not there to get it—an'
music, 'n fuel 1 know, clancin' s'like 's nob;
'.there's to be supper, too, after the tree, so
Tom jeet told me. Jest think 1 piles o' cakes
'n goodies. Oh, I'd jest go '11 was you. I
wouldn't stay to home for no old gremtlser.
Besides, nobody ever touches any body here-
abouts. He'll be jest exactly 40 safe without
ye, Say, Hugh, come Meng, do now."
Hugh Masters dug the toe of his leeway
cow -hide shoe into the crisp snow, and shook
his head slowly.
" I guess I must'nt," he send, but I
want'er awful bad."
" Oh, you just wait till granther goes to
bed, an' then let yourself down off the shed,
'n come along. 1'11 go'n get supper 'n then
wait for ye down by the big hemlock round
by the Dark Turn. Now be sure an oome,
for 111 wait for ye."
Before Hugh could answer Will had
darted away down the road, and was out of
hearing.
Hugh took up his pails and entered the
qtable to attend to his evening chores. His
father, mother, and votingersisterhad gone,
early isi the day, to the home of an uncle
who lived in one of the larger villages some
ten miles away, leaving Hugh, a strong
fourteen year old boy, to attend to the
°bereft and take care of his grandfather.
" Grandfather Masters" was a cheery old
man, who divided his time between a big
flock of poultry and the newspaper, and
who was reputed as having a " whole bag
of money" stowed away in a little tin trunk
under his bed, and because of this report
Bugh'e father had told him not to leave
the house until the family returned on the
following day.
The Christmas merry making at the little
village of Feirfi eld, a mile away, had been
greatly exaggerated by his friend Will.
There was to be a Christmas tree at the
church for all the Sabbath school scholars,
to be sure; and a company of young men
and ladies had planned tor a small skating
panty; besides, it was understood that Miss
Latimer, the belle of Fairfield, was to give
a party, and had hired the "Fairfield String
Band" (one violin and one bass viol,) for the
occasion. Bat how was the lonesome boy
to know this, as he strained the milk by the
dim light of si flaring candle, and rinsed the
pails out by the ice covered spout? So
discontent crept in and took possession of
his mind, and he muttered to himself;
"Will's right 1 I think it meaner'n pusley,
too."
Grandfather Masters nodied over his
paper, and at last drew off his spectacles
and declared it was time to "lay his old
hetes down for a little rest." Looking up
411 Hugh, e ho had risen to bring bisgrand-
father's °audio, the old gentleman said,
with a side glance towards the door; "Bei -
tor sort o' lock up tight to -night, my boy.
We live among honest men. but still we'd
better keep the latch string out o' sight, I
guess, seeing as we are alone."
"Alt Agile," Hugh answered, and as his
grandfather stood waiting for him, he
hurred about, secured all the doors and
windows, and, taking his candle, went up to
his own room.
The little window moved easily in ite worn
casing, and for mace, it seemed to Hugh,
was not frozen down. So he pushed it up,
pub tho stick under it, and leaned for out
ver the sill. Ah, what a glorious night
ic was: Clear, crisp and sparkling; no
moon, but starlight that fairly danced
on the snow.
"By jolly 1 but I wishtt I could take a run
down to the village for anhour or so," Hugh
muttered aloud. "I wonder, now, what
earthly harm it could do. Grandfather's
well, an' sleeps sound, and nobody ever
comes anigh. Ob, dear !I went to go, but
I s'pose 1 musn't Oughe to run down and
tell Will not to wait. It won't take but a
moment, so guess I'll do that, 'n then I can
come back—s'pose I've got to."
Hugh crept out onto the low shed roof,
and dropped down into the soft snow at the
back. A quick, vigorous run, and then
Will's shrill whistle and Will's voice call-
ing out, "good for you, Masters 11 knew
you wouldn t stay cooped up in the house
ika an old woman or a settin hen. Here's
ten cents to buy candy or peanuts, and we'll
haws no end of fun. Say, whet are ye
haesgin' back for ?''
" Well I—er—I—say, Will. I jest came
down to tell you 1 didn't want ter go, an' you
needn't wait."
".Didn't want ter 1 he !he! That's a great
note. I know better'n that. 111 bet you're
afraid
o . tgo. Think you'll get strapped if
youd
Now if there was anything on earth that
Hugh hated, it was to be accused of coward-
ice, and directly at Wills taunt his pride
was stung, and added only another incentive
to his desire to go. "I ain't atraid of nothin',
you know that s'well as I do, but—" then, as
a vision of his grandfather came before his
eyes, he hesitated, looked up at the stars over-
head, looked backtat the black little opening
among the trees that meant the heavily shed -
owed road that he must take if he wont home;
looked down past the Dark Turn towards
the village and decided that he would run
down with Will for a little while ' - not to
key for the oakea and goodies, ofcourse,
but just to see the lights and hear the mut&
for a minute.
"Well, Wilt, I've made up my mind—
not-to go."
These were the werde he heard hitnself slay
ing, and quick as a flesh the thought came
to him, that as he had made such a blunder,
he had better brave 11 one, and with a
"good-bye," he whirled and cleated away
under the sombre hemlocke. He did not
sleeken his epeed until he had reached his -
own yard. Then he stopped suddenly, and
stared in blenk amazement. Did his eyes
deceive him? Hsi rubbed them to see ff he
could, be dreatning. No, his were wide °nen,
and there wee the kitchen deer that he had
locked seetirely, wide open also. And—
could 15 be? Yes, he was ewe he horst the
mind Of 'Mews Within. One thought of his
grandfather, and the brave boy—fdr -fsigh
was, 0 brave boy, even 'though he haclezot
given up his holiday in o, Manly wey--;
eaugt up a elender stick of weed, and daehs
ed iho the home and ineo his grandfather's
roma One glance showed hien the Whole
sitnetion. A abort, stalky man, whose face
was masked with a torn bandazino, loeuclker-
chief, was bending above his grandfather,
demanding the whereabouts of the money.
long, keen dirk glittered in one upraised
band, while with the other he tigatened his
grasp on the old man's throat.
With a howl that might have done honor
'to a Comache, Hagh eprang upon him, and
dealt the man a stunning blow. The man
reeled backward, bub caught himself, and
darted out through the open door, Hugh
following closely. At tine door the boy hest-
tated. He could not eemture this man
singlehandea, and ho might turn on bun
5nd sheet, for of oourse he was well armed.
All this took but an instant to comprehend,
and Hugh swung the' heavy door together
with a bang. He W44 none to quick, how-
ever, for the thief, recovering from his first
surprise, beceme conscious that he had been
attacked by a single boy, and had turned
upon him and fired. But the ball amok
the swinging door and glanced off harmleasly.
Hugh bolted the door with shaking fingers,
but when he ventured to take a peep out
of the window, he had the eatisfaction of
seeing the man sneaking away down the
shadowy road.
Going back to his grandfather, he found
that he was unharmed, save for the fright
and pretty severe choking that he had re-
ceived.
"Well, Hugh, my, boy, I thought you
were never coming, ' said the old man,
fumbling around his neck with trembling
hands. "You see the rascal woke me up
by hittin' that seed box agile' that very tin
box that's got the money in it Then he
came at me, an' I kep' hollerin' to you and
I thought you just never would hear. Why,
don't you know, lad, that that trunk has
got all the money to pay for my grave -
atone an' your schoolin." There's considerable
upwards of a thousand dollars there, money
that I've made raisin' poultry since I give
up the farm, and if you had'nt a Woke up
just in the nick of time, it would every
cent of it a been gone."
Hugh hung his head and said nothing.
'And he might a choked me to death
into the bargain, jast as like as not," the
old man went on. "Powerful blow, that
you gave him. I'll tell you, my boy, I'm
going to give you the money to buy that
shot -gun that you're hankerin' arter so,
and Pll get it out for ye as soon en over
to -morrow's sun comes up, so as that tramp
won't be a watchin' out for us. I tell you
what, a boy of fourteen that can down a
tramp like that, orter hey euthin to
remember the night by. An', anyhow,
there's a plenty there. I laid out to buy
you a good suit o' clothes an' send you to
school at the vilage a spell, an' then send
you to the agricultural college. E don't allow
as boys get any too much learnine I
know I never had enough. But why, for
the gracious sake, hey ye got yer boots on,
hehR?u'gh
straightened up his head and look
ed his grandfather sgner° in the face. He
had made up his mind to " make a clean
breast of it. His grandfather would not
give him the gun, of course, when he knew
all about it—and he did want that shot-gan
very much—beside, he would not, probably,
ever give him any of the money, now, to
pay for the schooling, bat he had determin-
ed to tell the truth, come what would. But
his grandfather was old, and very badly
shaken with fright, and so he said, "Grand-
father, I'll tell you all about it when the
sun comes up, cause I think you had bet-
ter sleep now, an' I'll put more wood in
the kitchen fire, an' jest set up an' keep an
eye out for that burglar of our n."
Grandfather Masters slept late in his
room the next morning, and Hugh slept
soundly out on the kitcken lounge, until
the sun came in and danced over his nose
and peeped down into his closed eyes.
Then he awoke with a start. There was the
fire to build, the cattle to care for, the
coffee th Maki:: for breakfast). It ‘90.9 noon,
and the familiar jingle of bells, as old Fan,
the family horse, jogged up to the door, be-
fore Hugh had found time to explain last
night's proceedings to his grandfather.
There was a perfect; buzz of voices, now,
exclamations of horror, oh's and ah's of
sympaehy and words of praise for Hugh,
but when the noise had lulled a little, he
walked up to his grandfather's chair and
told the whole story. 'An' you needn't
give me the gun, an' I don't deserve no
schoolin' neither," he added, with a little
quiver about the lips.
"1 sorter s'picioned as how you's ont,"
Grandfather Masters said, taking the boy's
hand in his own. " I've been a boy my.
self, and I know just how tough it comes to
have to stay at home. An' seein' as you
have owned it up all fair an' open, I'll give
you one of them there new -fashioned Water-
bury watches, so you can have the time
when you begin sohool. An you neednat
thank me, neither," he added, as Hugh tried
to stammer out a few words of thanks. "1
shouldn't have a cent on it to give to any
one, if you hadn't a come back to stay with
your old gramdther, instead o' goin' along
with the rest o' them to the Christmas tree.'
An Aid to Science.
Curiously enough, the first raft built by
Mr. Leary, and which resulted so disastrous-
ly to its projectors as a financial venture,
proved an invaluable aid to science, it will
be remembered that it broke up off Nan-
tucket during the severe storms of late De
°ember, and since then almost up to the pre-
sent time these logs have been met by vessels
and their exact position noted and forward-
ed to the hydrographic office at Washington.
All these reports have been carefully collated
and competed, and the result is that the
nentral office oan novv furnish mariners with
a chart showing the courees of various ocean
currents that could have been obtained in
no other way. Indeed, eaoh log in Mr.
Leary's raf b became a speoial messenger of
the office, doing the same work on a gigantic
scale on which the Government of Shia and
other countries have been engaged with
floating bottles.
Diner— What kind of chicken do you call
this, waiter? Waiter—Dab am Plymouth
Rook, Bah. Diner—Ah 1 I'm glad it has his
toric interest: I feared it was an ordinary
cobblestone.
One of the semi-annual revolutions is going
on in Hayti. President Telemaque was as-
sassinated last September. Gen. Legititne has
seized the reigns of power and is trying to
oompel the Aseembly to meet at Port au
Prince in order to go through the form of
electing bit. Two-thirds of the Aosenably.
men refuse to come. Opposition to raegitime
is deVeloping under Gem Rippolyte, Who is
oolleating a large force, Legitime, however,
has possession of the navy—two gunboets--
s,nd is blockading the porta. He has in-
volved hitneelf in a serious scrape by seising
an American vegetal, the Haytien Republics,
A petition has been presented to Seeretary
Bayard asking for his ihterfereince. Hayti
ia in a State of atiarohy half the time an
the liVes and property of Anierioann and
ethet foreigners are colastantlY in Peril.
There Will be no busk of pretext for interior,
mice when the Wish to intefere arises.
ROW to GOt St %Oh.
It may be literally or only metapb
ly true that, all thines come to hi
knows how to welt, bub experience
quite Clearly that its Mlle cases sow
at least oome more quiekiy under th
enoe of judicious and not too modest
tioning, then they would otherwise
done. In the case of Miss Kate Gillette
example, a Verniout 'wheel ma'am, w
wanted a watch and had no money to b
one, She might have lid smell unction
her soul as wet to he found in quotiug to he
self tho refrain that ell tillage, inoludin
watobes come to het who linowe how to
wait, bill Mise Gillette was one of those who
think that a measure of actiou /111180 itocom.-
peny the waiting or the hitter prooene may be
prolonged indefinitely. She was a practical
minded girl and ono who backwardness in
asking will never be allowed' wrong her
1.
interests. So with shrewd i England
commonsense she determined' make her
appeal to the pocket of some no nown bene -
fader, tbrough the medium of his stomach,
and the gentle influences of Thanksgiving
Day. Her first step was to secure a fine
plump turkey, and, she carefully prepared the
same with her own fair hands. Then she
got paper, ink and pen, and after some
effort produced the following petition,
i
which s noticeeble as an exempla of etraight-
forward hopefulness and direct statement :
I am a young echool teacher and have no
watch. 1 have taken a winter ochool.
What shall I do without a watch? I hope
some good Republican will remember me
next Christmes. I don't like the Democrats,
bus if one would send me a present I should
think better of them. I don't think they
like to give presents'do they? I am a Ver-
mont girl, and hope to hoer from thoee who
eat this turkey,
KATE GILLETTE.
:This epistle was carefully folded and
wrapped in several other pieces of paper anp
was then laid away inside the turkey, with
a parting blessing, no doubt, and earnest
hope that it n ould prove an open
sesame to some generous heart. The
turkey went so the village store, and
was shipped thence, along with many an-
other fowl of the Beane species to the good
city of Boston ; and to the Quincy Market
there. There it laid in one of the stalls,
plump and tempting and weighing fifteen -
pounds, looking so very nice that when His
Honour, the Mayor of Boston, passed that
way it caught his eye, caused him to feel it
here and there with inquisitive forefinger
and finally to decide on its purchase. It
was accordingly sent to his home, and in
due time was handed over for the attentions
of the cook, who in the course of her inves-
tigations came upon the mysterious little
bundle of paper. This of course she unrolled
and read and handed over to the young
ladies of the house who with great hilarity ,
bore 15 tv th,eir papa. At first he thought
5 a hoax, but finally determined
to be the sort of person Arian 'Gillette was
looking for. So he sent a telle,gram to the
postmaster of Radcliffe instructing him to
buy a handsome gold watch to accompany
which he wrote the following epistle.
CITY OF BOSTON, EXECUTIVE DEPT.
' Nov. 30, 1888.
MY DEAR MISS GILLETTE :--On Wednes-
day last I bought a very nii turkey,
weighing 15 pounds in Quinc Market.
When it was being prepared r cooking
your note placed inside the turkey -came to
light. I assure you it was a great surprise
that your appeal to Republicana and your
pronounced dislike to Democrats shonl
iato the' hands of the Mayor of Bps ,es.,
life longpamocrat. I assure yote- enteca
the Mayor of Boston during his offiei ' as
lie •
has recognneed the ,elairrl8 of both Dem .
and Republinana. We are all citizens of
good old city -*nett have the welfare of the
city at heeirt. I believe in you, Miss Gill-
ette, and excuse your (Malik° ot Democrats
because it has been cultivated by that one- •
sided State in which you live, always pro-
nouuced Republican. To show you that I
am sincere 1 send you a watch, which I hope
you will accept from the Democratic Mayor
of Boston. Please answer, and I hope that
my Democracy rosy not prevent me from
holding a place in your affections.
Tne result of all which was that Miss
Gillette got her watch, and is more inclined
than ever to believe 11 10 be good polioy that
if you don't happen to have whist you want
it will at least do no harm to ask for it.
The King's Daughters.
Some little time ago one of those excellent
ladies for whom New York is justly famous,
was burdened with the conviction that there
were many good women, with loving,
tender hearts, and willing hands, who would
gladly do more than they were doing in the
name of Christ, for any of their fellow
creatures in need of assistance, if they only
knew how, to do it. She thought about the
subject a great deal, and at last an idea,
came to tier, which she foliowed our,
until it has issued. in one of the
noblest associations in the land. This ix
" The King's Daughters," an appropriate
name, taken from 2ad, Corinthians vi, 18.
"1 will be a father unto you, and ye shall
be my sons and daughters, eaith the Lord
AlmightY," and Psalm xlv., "Tho King's
daughter is all glorious within.' The
King's Daughters wear a distinguishing
badge in the form of a silver Greek cross
on three points of which are cut the letters
"I. H. Mel' meaning "In His Name."'
The cross is fastened to the wearer's dress
by a purple ribbon, the sign of royalty.
The King's Daughters have a motto also,
and a very good one it ig, too. This ig it
" Look up and nob down,
Look forward and not back,
Look out and not in;
Lend a hand."
Could there be anything more simple, an
pretentious; end yet beautiful? The order
is made up of independent seta of ten, each
of which elects its own officers and chooses
its own form of benevolent e . There is
the greatest freedom in the spects, the
only points where unanizni is required
1 being the badge and motto and the deter-
mination to promote the welfare of others Of
well es one's own.
The Czerewitch, the eldest son of the Bali
peror of Russia) has been visiting the Ger-
man Emperor in Berlin, and of mune, a lot -
of exciting flummery hag been going on. The
esoripllions of the young man vaty to an
amusing degree, but it appears that in reality
he is not wonderfully thoughtful, not leatned•
nor full of aspirations or desire to raise his
'people. Ile is only an ordinary young man,
with coarse, black hair, dark complekien,
not otter bright, kind in disposition, though
with a fell appreciation et his own iMpokt-
Mee, said fonder of reading than anything
else. Tho Inieerable attacks of illness which
make his life a burden at times account for
his objection to society. It is believed, by
the gossips that 'he *ill go bizek to Russia
ail the accepted future brotherehnlaw d th`t
GermanEinptecir, in Willa 0400 01)4 of th
Emperor's Blisters is not particularly to be
envied.
;le