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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times, 1889-2-28, Page 3- "ROUGHING IT IN THE BUSH." PUBLISHED By EIMER, ROSE & CO., Tenoneo.1 CHAPTER -XXII. Conuntiere) thghtfully ; "11 we do not soon Oh, ler I—oh, dear V' sobbed )many ; tre litg°11: ttairtemitreweVf" °haw° to °Pend 44 an' I not there to hilp them 1 Anpoor At last we came to a era where two die. tinot blazed roads diverged. "What are we to do new ?" said Mr T-----, We stopped, and a general oonsultetion was held, end without one dieaentiog voice we took the branch to the right, which, after pursuing for about half -a -mile, led us to a Log but of the rudeet desoription. "Is this the road. to Demmer ?" we asked a man, who was chopping wood outside the fence. " guess you ere in Dammer," was the answer. My heart leaped for joy, for I was dread- fully tatigued, "Des this road lead through the English Line T' "That's another thing," returned the woodman. "No, you turned off from the right path when you came 'tip here." We all looked very blank at each other. "Yon will have to go back, and keep. the other road, and that will lead you straight to the English Line." Row many miles is it to Mrs. .N--' V' "Some four, or thereabouts," wee the oheeringerejoinder, "'Tia one of the last clearings on the line. If you are going bath to Douro to.night, you must look sharp." Sadly mad dejectedly we retraced our eteps. , The distance we had trodden in the wrong path, while led on by hope and anticipation, now seemed to double in length, ass with painful steps we toiled on to reach the right road, This object once attainable, soon led us to the dwellings of men. Many times did we stop to inquire the way to Mrs. N—% before we ascended the steep, bleak hill upon which her house stood. At the door, Mr. T— deposited the sack of provisions, and he and young 0— went across the road to the t man of an English settler (who'fortunately for them, prOved more hospitable than Hannah J ), to wait until our errand was ex- ecuted. The house before which Emilia and I were standing had once been a tolerably comfort- able log dwelling. It was larger than such buildings generally are and was surrounded by dilapitated barns and etablea, whioh were not cheered by a solitary head of cattle. A black pine-forett stretched away to the north of the house, and ternainated in a diemal, tangled cedarewamp, the entrance to the house not having been construoted to face the road. The spitib that had borne me up during the long oourney died within me. I was fearful that my visit would be deemed an impertinent intrusion. I knew not in what manner to introduce myself, and my em- barrassment had been greatly increased by Mrs. S— declaring that I must break the ice, for ahe had not courage to go iu. remonstrated, but she was firm, To hold any longer parley was impoesible. We were standing oia top of a blink hill, with the thermometer many degrees below zero, and exposed to the fiercest biting of the bitter, cutting blast. With a heavy sigh, I knocked slowly but decidedly at the crazy door. I ss.w the curly head of a boy glance for a moment against the broken window. There was a stir within, but no one an- swered our summons. Emilia was rubbing her hands together, and beating a rapid tattoo with her feet upon the bard glitter- ing snow, to keep them from freezing. Again I appealed to the inhospitable door, with a vehemence which seemed to say, "We are freezing, good people; in mercy let us in 1" Again there was a stir, and a whispered sound of voices, as if in consultation, from within; and, after waiting a few minutes longer -which, cold as we were, seemed an age -the door was cautiously opened by a handsome, dark eyed lad of twelve years of age, who was evidently the owner of the curly head that had been sent to reconnoitre ws through the window. Carefully closing the door after him, he stepped out upon the snow, and asked us coldly but respectfully what we wanted. I told him that we were two ladies, who had. walked all the way from Douro to bee his naamma, and that we wished very much to speak to her. The lad answered us, wtth the ease and courtesy of a gentleman, that he did not know whether his mamma could be seen by strangers, but he would go in and see. So saying he abruptly left us, leaving behind him an ugly skeleton of a dog, who, after expressing his disapprobation en our presence in the most disagreeable and nnquivocal manner, pounced like a fa.mished wolf upon the sack of good things which lay at Emilia's feat; and our united efforts could scarcely keep him off. " A cold, doubtful reception this 1" said my friend, turning her back to the wind, and biding her fece io her nauff. I thought so too, and began to apprehend that our walk had been in vain'when the lad again appeared, and said that we might walk in, for his mother was dressed. Emilia, true to her determination, went no farther than the passage. In vain were all my entreating looks and mute appeals to her benevolence and friendship; 1 waa forced to enter %lone the apartment that con- tained the distressed family. I felt that I was treading upon eaored ground, for a pitying angel hovers over the abode of suffering virtue and hallows all its woee. On a rude bench, before the firo sat a lady, between thirty and forty yeara of age, dressed in a thin, coloured muslin gown, the 'nest inappropriate garment for the rigoul of the season, but in all probability, the only, decent one that she retained. A subdued melancholy looked forth from her large, dark, pensive eyes.. -She appeared like Ono who, having discovered the full ex- tent of her misery, had proudly steeled her heart to bear it. Her countenance was very pleasing, and, in early life (but she was still young), she must have been emineritly hand- some, Near her, with her head bent down, and shaded by her thin, slender hand, her slight figure nercely covered by her scanty clothing, sat her eldest daughter, a gentle, tweet -looking girl, who held in her arms a baby brother, whose destitution she endeav- oured to conceal. It was a touching sight; that suffering girl, just stepping into woman- hood, hitline agaieet het young bosom the nakedneee of the little creature ehe loved. Another fine boy, Whose neatly patehed elothee had not One piece of the miginal stuff apparently left in them, stood behind his mother, with dark, glistening eyea fast- ened upon MO, as if amused, and wondering ' who I Was mod what'business L could hav� there. Apale and attenuated, but very pretty, delicately -featured little girl wee seated on a low stool before the fire,-Thie was bid jenny% darling Ellie, or Elose. A rude betletead, ef home manufacture, in e corner of the room, overed with te coarse woollen quilt, contained twe little boysi who bad crept into it to conceal their wants from the eyes ot die stranger. On the table lay a Miss Mary, the tinder thiog Oh, tis hard, terribly hard upon the orathurs, au' they not 000tt to tue like." "Can nothing be done for them ?" said L " That is what we want to know," return- ed Emilia, " and that was one ot my reasons for coming up to D . I wanted te con- sult you end jenny upon the subject. You, who ',ere an officer's wite, end 1, who am hetletan officer% wile and daughter, ought to qevioe some plan of rescuing this einfor. turista lady and her family from her present totem eituation," The tears sprang to my eyes, andI thought, in the bitterness of ray heart, upon any own galling poverty, that my pockets did not contain even a angle copper, and that I had imarcely garments enough to shielkt me from the inolemenoy of the weather. "Well," continued any friend, "yon see, Mre. Moodie, that the ladies of P— are all anxious to de what they can for her; but they first Want te learn if the mieerable cir- cumstances in which she is said to be placed are true. In short, my dear friend, they want you and we to make a pilgrimage to Dummer, to see the poor lady herself'and then they will be guided by our report." "Then let us Ion no time in going upon our own minion of merov." "Ooh, my aear near; you will be lost in the woods 1" said old Jenny. "It is nine long mike to the first clearing, and that through a lonely, blazed path. After you are through the beaver -meadow, there is not a single hut for you to rest or warm your- selves. It is too much for the both of yees ; you will be frczen to death on the road." Early the next morning, my brother-in- law, Mr. T—, called. upon my friend. The subject next) our heart was immediately introduced, and he wag called into the gen- eral intim:AL-His feelings, like our own, were deeply intereeted ; and he proposed that we should each provide something from our own small etores to satiefy the pressing wants of the diatressed family; while he promised to bring his cutter the next morn- ing, and teke us through the beaver mea- dow, and to the edge of the great swamp, which would shorten four miles, at least, of our long and hazerdous journey. Alt was now reedy. Kissing our little bairns who crowded around us with eager and enquiring looks, and charging Jenny for the hundredth time to take mycelia care of them during our absence, we mounted the putter and set off, under the care and pro- tection of Mr. T--, who determined to facoompany us on the journey. It was a black, cold day ; no sun visible In the grey dark sky; a keen, cutting wind, and hard frown. We crouched close to each other. " Good heavens'how cold it is 1" whis- pered Emilia. "What a day for Hach a journey)" She had- %tamely ceased speaking, when the cutter went upon a stump which lay concealed under the drifted snow; and we, together with the mina of our conveyance, were !scattered around. "A bad beginning," said my brother-in- law, with armful aspen, as he !surveyed the wreck of the cutter from which we had prom - tea ourselves so muoh benefit. "There is no help for it but to return home." "Oh, no," said Mrs. S— ; "bad be- ginnings make good endings, you know. Let us go on; it will be far better walking than riding gam a deadful day. My feet are half -frozen already with sitting still." ti But, my dear madam," expostulated Mr. T—" consider the distance, the road, the dark, dull day, and our imperfect knowledge of the path. I will get the cut ter mended to -morrow; and the day after we may be able to proceed." "Delays are dangerous," said the pertiu- acious Emilia, who, woman-like, was deter- mined to have her own way. "Now, or never. While we wait for the broken ont- ter, the brokenhearted Mra. N— may starve. We can etop at Colonel C—'s and warm ourselves, and you can leave the cutter at his home until our return." " It was upon your' account that I pro- posed the delay," said the good Mr. T—, taking the sack, which wan no inconsider- able weight, upon his ehotilder, and driving his horse before bine into neighbor W--% stable. "Where you go, lana ready to fol- low." When we arrived, Colonel C—'a fam- ily were at breakfast, of which they made us partake; and after vainly endeavoring to dissuade us from what appeared- to them our Quixotic expedition, Mrs. C— added a dozen white fish to the contents of the sack, and sent her youngest son to help Mr. T along with his bertha's, and to bear us com- pany on our desolate road. Leaving the Colonel's hospitable house on our left we again plunged into the woods, and after a few minutes' brisk walking, found ourselves upon the brow of a snoop bank that overlooked the beaver -meadow, containing within its area several hundred sores. The first step we made into it plunged us up to the knees in the snow, which was drifted to a great heighei n the open space, Mr. T— and our young friend 0— walked on ahead of us, in order to break a track through the untrodden snow. We soon remitted the cold creek; bub here a new difficulty presented itself. It was too wide to jutnp across, and vee oould see no other way of wining to the other aide. "There must be some sort of a bridge here spout," mid young C--, "or how oan the people from Demmer pass constantly during the winter to and fro. I will go siting the bank, and halloo to you if I find one." In a few minutes he gave the desired sig. nal, and on reaching the spot, we found a round, slippery log fixing across the streem by way of bridge. With sonic trouble, and after various slips, we got safely on the other side. To wet our feet would have been to ensure their being frozen ; and as it was, we were not without serious apprehen don on thet score. After crossing the bleak, snowy plain, we licrambled over another brook, and entered the greet swamp which ocoupied two miles of our dreary road. It took us an hour at least to elear the great swamp,. from which we emerged into a fine wood, composed chiefly of maplc-trees, The sun had, during our immeraion in the dark !shades of the swamp, bursb through his leaden shroud, and cast a oheery gleam along the rugged bolea of the loftytrees. Gelae squirrel and chipmunk occasionally bounded acmes our path; the dazzling anew which covered it reflected the branchee above us in aft enollesa variety of dancing !Madmen. Our spirita rose in proportion. Young 0— burst out singing, and Emilia and I laughed end chattered as we beundeel along out narrow road. On, on for Ileum, the tante interminable forest stretched away to the right and Left, before and behind "It its pant twelve, Maid my bnobher de titz peeled potatoes, and small pot; was YOUNG FOLKS. o lin oo the fie, to receive thie their ocant7 and onlY daily meal. There Woe A Chilel'e Mietake. sixth of p am air atient ahd endoring ;suffer- I Ng in the whole group, that, ae ,1 gazed. Said a dear little girl, and I heard her my- heart- etrieken upon i, my fortitude quite gave way, itnd 1 bunt nato tears. self, ence, and, rather proudly, asked to whom shelf, Painful ail. Mehe Moiled for a book op the very top N-- first broke the ahe Md tbe Pleasere of speeking, I Made a "Unw wieh might live like the hirde and deepera,te effort to regalia my popeposure, and the flower With nothing to do through the beautiful told her, bue with inuch embarassmentt my , menet ; adding thet I was so well acquainted hours , with her nd her children, through Jenny, Or else like the atm, that has only to shinei a that J could not ooneider her as a stranger ; Or denvoienwith the shadows duet hide in the that I hoped that, &SI was the wife of an alleer, and, like her, a resident in the beetle But no 1 I must study from morning to night. Long slime I muse add ; there are oopiea to ad well acquainted with all its trials and privations, he would look upon me as a write' To school I must go, and for, oh, such a fried. She seemed surprised and Annoyed, and. Itime found no small difficulty ia introducing the It's just like a terrible mountain to climb. Dear 1 dear 1" and the child, with a pitiful object of my vieit ; but the day wee rapidly declining, and Lknew that not a moment t was to be lost. At first she coldly rejected And a hrrartit'Tiereintg sigh* to her grammar all offers of service, and said that she was tat down - contented, and wanted for nothing.. I appealed to the intuation in wino 1 e- Then flaeheda fair sunbeam full into her As if face, held herself and her children, and implored her, for their sakes, nob to refine help from challenging frowna in !so lovely a place. friends who felt for her distress. Her "WhY, darling," it laughed, all a -quiver g maternal feelings triumphed over her as- ith lee, sumed indifference, and when he saw me "If you want to see work, you Mint travel weeping, for 1 oould no longer restrain my with me I never am idle the swiftwolling day, tears, her pride yielded, and for some But I go to my task in the spirit of play ; minutes not a word was spoiten. I heard from her the large teaAnd wherever I'm ordered there straightway m, as they alowly fell daughter's eyea, drop one by one upon her Chem up, little maid 1" said this voice from thesikty. There win heard a quick flurry of wings over. head From an army of birds; and, as southward they sped,. Came, song as a bugle, the leader.bird's ng " -feu are wrong, little lady 1 I'm sorry you'r e wrong ! And I can't stop to tell you," he sang a,a he fiewe ''But no one is happy with nothing to do 1" And the flowers 1 A rose peeping in at the pane, Breathed gently this message: "In annlight aud ram, We children of earth, dear to all who behold, Wear meekly our splendonre of crimson or gold. And, born in the purple, we royally spend Our fragrance in blessing, until our Iivea end. We seem to be idle, I grant, but you know There's never a flower that has not to grow; A growing, (tear child, meatus tweeting, see, As I, when 1 whisper so softly to thee." She picked up the book ; it had dropped from her hand. "At least," said onr pet, "I oan this under- stand: God gives all His creatures some duty each day. And mine is, perhaps, just to trust and obey. rrt not think of the mountain before me to climb, Bat cheerfully mount it one step at a time. -Margaret E. Sangster. garment& At last the poor girl sobbed out, "Dear wartime, why conceal the truth? Yon know that we are nearly naked and starving," Then came the sad tale of domestic woos: the absence of the husband and eldest son; the uncertainty an to where they were, or in what engaged; the utter want of means to procure the common necessaries of life; the eale of the only remaining (tow that used to provide the children with food. It had been sold for twelve dollars, part to be paid in cash, part in potatoes; the potatoes were nearly exhausted, and they were allowanoed to so many a day. But the six dollars she had retained as their kat resource. Alas 1 she had Sent the eldest boy the day before to P to get a letter out of the post - office, which she hoped contained some tid- ings of her huaband and son. She was all anxiety and expeotation-but the child re- turned late at night without the letter which they had longed for with such feverish im- patience. The six dollars upon which they had depended for a supply of food were in notea of the Feriner's Bank, which at that time would nob pats for money, and which the roguish purchaser of the oow had passed off upon thin .distreesed family. " Ellim" said I, anxious to introduce the sack, which had lain like a nightmare upoa my mind, "1 have something for you ; Jenny baked some loaves last night, and sent them to you with her beet love." The eyes of the ohildren grew bright. "You will find the sack with the bread in the passage," eaid I to one of the boys. He rushed joyfully out, and returned with Mrs. and the sack. Her bland and affec- tionate greeting restored us all to tranquil- ity. The delighted boy opened the sack. The first thing he produced was the ham. "Oh,' said I,. "that is a ham that my sister sent to Mre. N— ; 'tis of her own oaring, and she thought that it might be acceptable." Then came the white fish, nicely packed in a clean cloth, "Mrs. C— thought fish might be a treat to Mrs. N— as she lived so far from the great lakes." Then came Jenny's bread, which had already been introduced. The beef, and tea, and sugar, fell upon the floor without any comment. The first Scruples had been overcome,- and the day was ours. "And now, ladies," said Mrs. N---, with true hospitality, " since you have brought refreshments with you, permit me to cook something for your dinner. ' The scene I had just witnessed had pro- duced such a choking sensation that all my hunger bad vanished. Before we could accept or refuse Mrs. N --'a kind offer, Mr. T--- arrived, to hurry us off. The setting stin gleamed along the ground; the necessity of exerting our utmost speed, and getting through the great swamp before darkness aarrounded us, was apparent to all. The men strove vigorously forward, for they had been refreshed by a subetential dinner of potatoes and pork, washed down with a glass of whiskey, at the cottage in which they had waited for us; but poor Emilia and I, faint, hungry, and foot sore'it was with the greatest difficulty we couldkeep up. I thought of Rosalind, as our march up and down the fallen logs recommenced, and often exclaimed with her. "Ob, Jupiter 1 how weary are my legs!" Night closed in just as we reached the beaver -meadow. Here our egos were greeted with the sound of well-known voices. Jaime and Henry 0— bad brought the ox-aleigh to meet us at the edge of the bush. Never was splenaid equipage greeted with such delight. Emilia and I, now fairly ex- hausted with fatigue, scrambled into it, and lying down on the straw which covered the bottom of the rade vehicle, we drew the buffalo robes over our faces, and actually slept eoundly until we reached Colonel 0—'a hospitable door. It was nearly midnight when Emilia and I reached my humble home; our good friends the oxenbeing again put into requisition to oar- ry us there. Emilia went immediately to bed, from which she was unable to rise for sev- eral days. In the meanwhile I wrote to Moodie an account of the gene I had wit - nestled, a,ncl he raised a subsotiption among the officers of the regiment for the poor lady and her children'which amounted to forty dollar. Emilialost no time in making a full report to her friends at P.-----; and before a, week passed away, Mrs. N --- and her family were removed thither by several benevolent individuals in the place. A neat cottage was hired for her; and, to the honour of Canada be it spoken, all who could !afford a donation gave cheerfully. Farmers left at her door, pork, beef, flour, and potetoes ; the etorekeepers sent grooer- ies, and goods to make clothes for the chil- dren; the shoemakers cootributed boots for the boys; while the ladies did all in their power to !vadat aud comfort the gentle crea- ture thus thrown by Providence upon their bounty, While Mrs. N---- rentained at P -- she aid not want for any comfort. Iter children were clothed and her rent paid by her benevolent friends, and her house sup- plied with food and many comforts from the same !Source. Respected and beloved by all 'who knew her, it would have been well had she never left the quiet asylum where for several years she etajoyed trabquility and a reopectful cotnpetence from hot othool ; but in an evil hour ehe followed her worthless length on the emootto hard floor; and goon they had joined nature in her afterpoon nap And the insect world won the day with the litme and hem RoWard and Laura were the children of Chrietien parents, whose greatest) desire for them was thee they, too, should be followera of the bleseed Jeeus. But there was °tie subjeet upoet which their father and mother did not talk muck to thera, and that was the Babied of giving, Not that they were not generoue people, for they were and alwaya gone freely to every good cause. They had their children give, too, and every Sabbath morning hended them each a Dicke or a, dime, which they dropped into the con- tribbution box without) smother thought. Like all other children, Laura and Howard liked to earn little money eornetimea, and Leura, woeldleelp mamma withal° mendiug e.nd Howaed would keep her fevorite flower, bede free fesein weeds, for there is no employ- er so generme as e. raother, But the thought never entered their minds that they should give the money for which they had Worked to any object Papa could provide such offerings, and their own money was to be used for their own pleaenre. That is HOW THEY. DIVLDED about the Way it would have been enlivened if it had been pnt into words, but the subject was never discussed because it was so well understood. A short time before that hot summer aft- ernoon, however, they had received a new idea. Their minister had preached a ser- mon to the children on giving ; and be made it all ao plein to them, how, and why, and what we should give to God, that the then iog hyinn, "What haet thoudone for me ?" had a new meaning to them as they thought how great were God's gift!) to them, how small theirs to him, After that they were more careful of their earnings, and mamma, laughing, said she feared they were getting minerly, for she received so many offers of help that her ingenuity was oftentimes taxed to keep them occu- pied. Their bueiness was "strictly cash," and as soon as a task was completed and paid for, away they would rnn to deposit their earnings in their savings -batiks What was to be done with all this money they did not know, but they did know that the more they put in them the more they would have to give away when the time to divide it came, tor they were going to follow the plan of giving one-tenth. At last the time came. One do the dinner -table papa looked at menanta and said, "It is terrible the way. those poor peo- ple in the south are suffernm." EY NELLIE HELM. It Was a hot summer afternoon. A gen- tle breeze stirred among elle tree -tops and occasionally mane down into the !garden and fanned the flowers that drooped their heads under the sun's fervent heat. It was very bot out there, where something seemed to be quivering in the air, but under the wide ver- anda, where the sun could not penetrate, it was cool and comfortablt. A hush pervaded everything, as though ne.ttil e were taking her afternoon nap, and the only sounds to be heard were the distant buzz and hum of the insect world and the click, oliak of "jack - stones" on the hard floor of the veranda. Then a yoice was heard to mingle with the click, click. "It must be fine to make a will like that." "Like what?" asked another voice. "liVhy, didn't you hear papa tell mamma about old Mr. Smitla's will. Yott know he died the other day.' "The Mr. Smith the boys call 'Stingy Smith,' Howard?" "Yea, only he wasn't stingy, Laura, 'cause he gave away all hie money in his will, and he had loads 9f it." "Bus," said Laura, "he never gave any- one a, cent if he could help ib, while he was alive; I heard mamma say so one time." "Hs must have been saving it," said How- ard, "to put it all in his will so it would be worth while to make a will. I tell yon, it must be splendid to give so much money away." "But he's dead, Howard," said Laura, with her hands full of jack!). "I guen he thought he might as well give it away, 'cause he can't have it any more, anyhow. Laura was a little girl, but she sometimes spoke very plain truths in a very plain way. "Why, Laura, aren't you ashamed to say such a thing," said Howard; if he is dead his money's going to do lots of good, 'cause he gave it ell to moieties and things." There was a pause in the conversation and the click, click mingled again with the buzz and hum. Then Laura looked up and said; "Do you know, Howard, it seems to me if 1 bad lots of money like Mr. Smith had, I'd rather give it away whille I was alive, so ISS to see the good it would do, than to just die and not know anything about it." "But what would you live on Laura, if you gave it away when you needed it your. ?" "Ob," said Laura,_ "I'd keep enough for, that; anybody would." Laura. was nearer right than she knew. Howard was silent for a few moments and the jathe began to fly again. Then he turned to Laura and said, "Anyhow, Laura, I wish I had some money to give away, don't you 2" "What would you give it to?" asked Laura. "Oh, lots of things," replied Howard; "missionariee and hospitals and poor pee- ple and -oh, lots of things. But I haven't, and I suppotse I never will have enough to do any good," and a cloud passed over the bright face. "Bat, don't you know, Mr. Freemen said last Sunday that aotnetinaes the little things help the moat, and he reed about the wid- otvta mite." "Yes, I know," said Howatd, "but don't you remember that lemon we had e,bout giving a tithe (a tithe its a tenth, our teacher eta), and a tenth of such a little as I have in't anything at all." " Then you oan give more than a tenth," fsaid praotical Laura. ' "4 Bub the Bible sap a tenth is enough," husband to the Southetn States, ancl agaitireplied Howard, who, like a great noirty suffered all the woes which drunkenness ether& was for following the Bible rule to inflicts upon the wivee and ohildten of its the letter in thin particular at tenet. With degraded victim& such authority Laura could not argue. She Oro ien commune) soon gathered up her jacks and, walking to the farthet on of the veranda, threw her - Chinamen till fetid their way into the self mato a deep chair and closed her eyes, States oYer the Canadian border, whie lloWard stretthed himself out full "What is the matter, papa? asked Laura. " My daughter," he answered, "hundreds upon hundreds are sick and dying with that terrible disease, yellow fever. We can have little idea of what a dreadful thing it is to feel that our dear ones all about us, and strangers as well, are siok and dying, and we are likely to be the aame any hour." " Cen't anything be done for them, pi - p5?" "Nothing to prevent the spread of the disease, dear," he replied, "but they are asking for money to help care for the sick and contributions are being sent thenfrom all over the land." "Oh, Laura," exclaimed Howard, who had been listening intently to what his father said, "bet's send them our money, it might help a little." Yes, indeed, Howard," replied Laura, pushing back her chair eagerly, "bet's get it and count it now. It will be giving it to God, won't it, mamma?" "Yes, dear," she answered with an ap- proving smile. "Whatever is done to re• lieve the suffering of God's children is done for Him." So they ran for their banks and were soon poring over their content. It required all the arithmetic tney were able to master to divide it into piles, nine -tenths in one and one-tenth in the other. At laet it was ac- complished, but they were evidently not pleased with the division, as they looked from the little pile to the big one and back to the little one. It didn't seem right, some- how, to keep so much for themselves and give so little to the One who gave them snob rich gifts. They sat in silence for a moment, then Laura said, softly : "Doesn't it look mean, rloward ?" "Yes, Laura, it does," be replied. "1 am going to divide mine differently," and he commenced to take from the larger pile and add to the smaller one. Still Laura eat looking from one pile of hers to the other and over and over in her mind rang the words LATEST FROM EUROPE ETJDOLI"S STRAAGEDEATIL Another Atgount et Rbe bleeelog irrogedy ito be Officially trountmed, COLOGNE, Feb. 21, 1889.-Tne "Prneiriar. ter Zeitung" publithea vsbat it claims to be the only authentic account ot the Crown . Prince Rudolf% sleuth, Rudolf, it nye, in December last declaeedt that rather than see the Beronese Venom,. marry a young French financier, who was. encouraged in ine auit by her family, he would resign the enconsion to the Crown and live abroad as a private gentleman. Arrengeinents for the lady's marriage con- tinued, until on January 2, the Baronets suddenly vaniehed. On the evening of the next day the Crown Prince's absence was noticed, and at ten o'clock at night Count flown gave dtrecione to search the forest. A YOBESTilt DISCuYEBY, The foreeeer Werner saw light in his hut, and ars he lived alone he was surprised, void finding the door 'vetted be broae it in and flaw, stretched on the humble couch, the bodies of the Crown Prince and of the Baroness. The laver had taken strythnine, while the Crowe Prince had shot binateli with -Werner's gun. •THE FRENCH 0111518. LONDON, Feb. 21 -Premier Floquet and hie minittry have been toppled over ac last for the moment, se you know, and every wise man who makes a specialty of pro- pheaying is concentrating his attention on the question as to whioh way the Gaulle cat wail jump. Nine ont of ten agree that Boulanger's day bee mane ; that he did the overthrowing of his duelietie opponent Floquet, and that a few weeks wilt !Mow him riding ire° power and Europe in a blaze. The real wise man, in truth, hi he who knowe that as far as France and her politics are ooncerued he knows nothing. Alnaost anything is possible except the immediate triumph of Boulanger. DEATH OE 0. J BRYDGES. The Great .Railway Manager Drops Dead in Winnipeg. The whole city of Winiiipeg was shocked and startled the 'other day at the an- nouncemerm that Mr. C. J. Budge& land commissioner of the Hudson's Bay Company, had dropped dead at. the hospital. Mr. Brydges had been in tete best of health and attended to hie nanal bueineas affairs during tbe day, and in the afternoon paid his cus- tomary visit to the Winnipeg General Hos- pital, an inatitation in which be took the deepen interest, and the prosperity of which was largely due to his untiring exertions. On reaching the hoepital he took a seat in the board room. Mr. Clarke, clerk of the hospital, told him there Was nothing requir- ing attention, and he said he would come back on Monday. Mr. Clarke then resumed_ ' his work, hia back being towards Mr,. Brydges. Almon immediately he heard Ile. Brydges' feet elip on the floor, and turning:, around he saw Mtn gasping for breath with hie head leaning over the back of the chair., Be raro to hire, lifted his head and called hie name, but no response was made. There happened to be three or four docters in an, adjoining room, who w ere quickly summon- ed, but when they reached the room the speak of life had- fled. Mrs. Brydges had accompanied her hus- band. to the hospital, but had gone to visit another chariteble inatitution, intending tea call for him on her return. The cause of death was apoplexy of the brain, from which he had a slight attack in the morning, but on taking a restorative easily recovered. It is noticeable, as a curious incident, that on the Friday evening previous, while at a dinner with Justice Bain, at which Sir George Baden-Powell was present, there were thirteen at the table, and this was mentioned by sevetal, who asked who was to be the first of them to die. "I Wing, I bring rich gifts to thee, What haat thou brought to me ?" At length the looked up, her face beam. ing with happy decision as she said, "How- ard, I'm going to give them the large pile and keep the small one for myself, and even that seems very little to do when I thirk of all I have beside'.' " You're right, Laura," Howardanswered, "and I'll do as von do." So he dividel his money as before, and after returning the portion they were to keep to the banks, with happy faces they carried the remaind- er to papa, who gladly took it in charge and sent it on its way. -jChioago Interior. His was the Real Thrn4. They were discussing charity after the table -had been cleared and the cigars brought on, and one gentleman was inveighing with some sarcasm against benevoleet folks who make donations and have their naMes published in the papere. " Neatly all chari- table acts," said he " have vanity as their motive. For my part I bato Oh tenta tion. I remember once when / was traveling in the southern part of the Suite, where nobody knew me I came upon a lonely little way station where, in the waitirg-room, there' was fastened to the wall a contribution box for the benefit of sufferers through a recent flood. There was not a soul there, nobody saw me or knew my name and I went and dropped a five -dollar gold piece into the box and slipped away unseen, unknown. Now, sir, what I contend is that myeecret offering was a atore meritorious one, intrinsically considered, than tr it had been made on a, public subscriptit, 'ddiatewith a loud flourish Gals' Wrttia4 • Girls should look to their handwriting, for it may serve them at some future crisis better than the shorthand or the type- writer. There is a lady clerk in the Department of the Interior, Mrs. Avery by name, who has a snug ani easy plan of aixteen hun- dred dollars a year, chiefly on account of the extroardinary excellence of her penmanship. It is she who is selected to copy the letters of the department which are regarded as of the greatest consequence, such, for example, as are to receive the attention of the presi. dent, who frequently compliments tdre. Avery's admirable ponmanahip. Considering the advantage it is to many girls to write a good hand, it ie strange that more of them do not try to acqeire this ac- complishment. Of lace years, our school- boys do a great dear more writing than they did formerly. Much is done in echool now by the way of dictation, and in many schoole the pupils have pencil or pen in hand almoat half the time. But it would not be true to say that ,the girls of to -day write more legibly and neat- ly than their mothers did. It wouid be well if they pool far more attention to this matter than they do. Bub thy !Mould make a serious study of it -acquire the hab- it of taking the best posture ; teeth to use the muscles to advantage, so that they may not easily become tired; and then practice, as one who intends to bettome a professional musician praotion. When a piece of writing gate worse and worse, page after page, it is became the writer did the work with only one end of the musoular of the aorntinsteed of employ. ing the whole of its emanate e.nd hartnoni- one meohieery. Mrs. Avery, it is said, writes as easily at ehe does legibly, She writea as well at the end of her day% work al at the beginning, and her fingere never athe.---[Youth's Cenni panion. of trumpets." "You are quite right," eaid taw of nis hearers, "that was genuine modest etarity, and 1 don't wonder that you brag of ii (Wasp. ^ Rouse Plants. Drynesa of atmosphere is or e of the great. eet enemies of the window gardener, and to have success one Must contrive to have moiatnre. Dust -though named last, is not the kaat of house -plant enemies sheltering the plants while the room is being swept, showerings, and above all else, to wash small haves, thoroughly, will keep off the dust. Plants breathe through their leaves, and if we expect them to grow and 'reward our care with an abundance of bloom, we must see that they meet their requirement& If one raises house -plants they will find that like other pets, they 'have to be fed, to be watched over, and petted. Then see how they will brighten, and thrive and put forth their lovely, varxed colors to repay you. Why he Danced. There is a story of an Imperial Hightlen waltzing thrice in the seme evening with an English lady at the Court of Berlin. She naturally felt and frankly expreased herself highly flattered by the compliment. I aid not intend it as a oomplimentr' was the answer. "Then," said the lady, emnewliat rebuff, ed, Your Highness must be very fond of dancing." cleteet dancing," was the still uneatie- factory roman& ,t Undeterred by hes ill success the fait English woman still prosecuted her inquir. e& "What, them may I ask, can be Yotir Imperial Elighnees' motive for deneing 1" "Madan," was the emelt ed personage's reply, " I dance to perspire 1"