HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1894-2-2, Page 2A COMEDY n F ERRORS
HAP1'EP VII.
'Meaner.
Jessioa was nob the same after lade. The
Madden oataatropho had atartied her into
seriousueoo. Het -smiles and her affeotatieila
lead aline coded. With John she woe now
very ally and •tremuleue, "watehing flim
wiebfully and coloring all over if he spoke
to her. But this hardly ever heppened,and
never did lie lot his eyes meet bergs.
" Aren't you going to tell Captain Far.
either, dear Jess ?asked Flora kindly
and Jessica, °leeching het hand, replied
sadly ;—
" 1 on afraid ho luiowa ; but I am nob
going to say one word about ib unless ho
does. Oh, Flora, let tie come away."
After afew days they went ; and John
bade Flora good-bye, and thanked herder all
ahe heel done; but he took noleavo of Jessioa.
Only it little brown boy brought her "'front
ahentloman" a bunch of beautiful frail gum
eistus which grows wild at Tangier, on the
hills where fly the hoopoe and the golden
beo•eater. The girls wont away and visit.
ed Cordova, and Granada, and Seville
and the younger was always very quiet and
enbdnecl, and seemed anxious to geb home
to Emglend.
At last one evening Williams and Talbot
arrived at Victoria station in London, and
hither Dame MnNevill tomDet them
"Papa," said Jessica, "don't you remem-
ber Flora?"
,"No," said Mr, Nevill gruffly, staring at
the "maiden lady." "Upou lay word, Miss
Williams is not to be recognized.
"A rough passage is unbecoming," said
Flora, with composure.
"And rejuvenating, returned Mr, Nevill
grimly.
Arrived at home, he soundly blew his
daughter up,
"Yon deceived me, Jeesiea. You pre.
genteel that Misa Williams to me disguised.
I shall not allow your acquaintance with
her to continue. Do you mean to tell me
you two girls—girls, Jessica—have been
touring about Europe, and going to hotels
by yourselves? Da you hear me, Jessica?
Itis disgraceful."
"I hear papa, But really Flora is older
than a great many widows. And most
people thought we were Amerioano--"
"Abominable !"
"But we referred to Girton--"
"Deteetable 1"
"--and then every one was satisfied."
"I never was so vexed in my life. And
wbatpossessed you, Jessica, to go toSpain?
It ienota respectable country."
" We wore quite respectable, papa. \Vo
went to no bull-fighte, '
"Under your circumstances, Jessica, it had described herself as "gone down."
John
was the worst taste, DId you forget that l found the name he sought; read it, and gave
a little jump—" The Honorable Caroline
Talbot." How came it he was unprepared
for that little addition? Well, no matter.
Gino and honorable women are nothing to
a lover. Still a vision arose before his
imagination of a stiff, titled papa, who
might have smiled upon John Farquhar of
Farquhar Court, many acres, and a balance
at the banker's; but who would put on itis
spectacles at plain John Farquhar of the
500th, with his pay and no expectations.
However, he wrote to Miss Talbot
ceremoniously. And all clay he went
about murmuring her name, "Caro-
line!" "Caroline 1' and wishing he thought
it as pretty as " Jessica.' After
a day or two Dame a reply from the Honor.
able Caroline, who wrote a very large band
and used a very thick pen, so that John got
another little shook, having expected a
round, pretty little writing like Jessica
Nevill's,
DEAR Six,—I hasten to answer your
letter of the Orth, though it is evidently not
intended for ate. I have never been at
Tangier, nor have I the pleasure of your
acquaintance. Yoar letter is probably for
my grand -aunt, Caroline Talbot of Mont-
pellier Square, Brighton ; but as she is very
infirm it will be well to consult her phy-
sician before visiting her. I am, sir, yours
truly,
CAROLINE MARIANA. TALBOT."
This letter went at once into the waste-
paper basket, and John Farquhar sat bit-
ing hie nails and wonderiug what ou earth
be should do. His thoughts reverted to
Flora Williams. 1f ho could vetch her,
ho could doubtless catch her companion.
But, come now 1 had the two of them been
humbugging about Girton? I1 so, how
the deuce was he to find oven Flora? He
sat down and began another letter to Girton,
this time addressed to bliss Williams, to be
forwarded ; but he hesitated a little about
sending it, ao much was his fear increasing
that neither would •this letter find the per-
son to whom it was written. And ho
sat for hours staring at the envelope,
ready stamped and addressed, "Miss Wit..
hams, Girton College, Cambria e. To be
Ohpapa," sob ed Jessica, ""dan'C forwarded' —and ha lilt his net s, and an.
blame te I never even wctn"+ old sweed crossly if any one spoke to him, and
tlr. Farquhar. It eve tel • fault, It fsm't felt his heart and his hope rack unto death
g 5 within him.
any one's fault. IL does seem to me it Meanwhile Captain Farquhaes first
would be ao much better just to send epistle had been read and ridiculed by every
John the money and have done with it, p
E E1117$84148 M•, O $ ,.
marry the person ono loves, And I cio, do
hope yon will got the lady you want, who.
ever oho is, 1 knew papsu•as mistaken its
.fauoyiog you thought the stoney ao impor-
tant. Bttt couldn't we get Air, Farquhar's
Will altered1 We should so laude rather be
without alb that money. Please eomelimes
think kindly of Jea0100, who will always be
glad to know you are happy,"
When John received this letlev from the
unknown cousin, he felt for the first time a
throb of interest,ln her, "She intuit bo a
vory sweet girl, this Jessioa," leo said to
himself, "but, thank heaven 1 l 0.nfree."
CHAPTER VIII.
c'rt.L$us rN setnarl or A WIris.
John took stock of hie position, for
rrhe
now thought eeriously of going a w ig
1.1001, he bed definitely thrown away his
rightful inheritance; but acme 1 he was not
wholly without preopeots. He had certain
well•to.do material kinsmen who could put
him in the way of making a cotnpete0ae, if
be would leave the army and betake hbm-
self to commerce. Though fond of his pro -
tuition, John had never meant to stay in it
beyond his father's death, so tate idea of.
civil lite was nothing startlingly novel. Still,
beyond writing diplomatically and v
an 11
Y
to its kinemen, he did nothing rashly. The
lady of hie choice might refuse him, fu
which ease death on the battle -field
seemed the one thing needful ; or she might
prefer a poor warrior to a rich nzerchaub ;
or she might have a little mosey herself.
Not that tho last seemed probable. John
had pereneded himself that Williams was
the rich ono, and hor companion a poor
student, preparing ab Girton to earn her
own living.
" I shall get her away from there," ire
told himself ; "a college is a foolish plane
for a woman." Oh, masculine prejudice !
To dub Flora's nursery " foolish" when 10
had roared her, so pretty, so brave, so pron.
Boal, and so lively ; emancipated yeb not
etrong•minded, after the fashion of Mrs.
Geoffrey Cobbe !
Unable to find trace of the two girls in
Spain, though to ran round Andalucia look-
ing for their names is tite hotel books, John
at last deo"ded he must write to ' "the fool-
ish place " itself. Talbot had, of course,
returned thither, iter Baster holiday ended.
It was now June, and, as prearranged, John
was on leave and bad Dome to England to
go a -courting ; only not to hie cousin the
heiress.
He procured a list of the Girton students
and ran his eye over is, No mention of
Flora Williams ; that was all right, for she
John Farquhar is at Gibraltar? I hope,
Jessiea, you did not go near Gibraltar ?"
" \i'o slept at Gibraltar for a night,
papa.'
"Dear, dear met Ido most sincerely
hope, my dear, that yon did not see John
there."
" No, we didn't," quibbled Jessica ;
" but if we load, papa ?"
". My dear, you speak like a baby. What
do you suppose ,Tohn would have thought
of yon? Running about with another girl
of atxeeen, and I do declare running after
him ! Bless my soul I Don't talk to me of
accident, He would never have believed
it an accident. You shall be introduced to
your cousin, Jessica, nowhere but in your
father's house. Such conduct as yon sue
gest might have led to his even refusing
your aequeintanee I"
Joules couidm 1, she really couldn't
just then confess the Tangier escapade,
which, having unexpeotedly grown tato
tragedy,was now all the harder to describe
as a mere foolish jest, But the opportune
moment for confession never turned up
afterwards, and Jessica became an impos-
tor.
She had to listen to along account of poor
Mrs. Farquhar's death, as if she knew
nothing about it ; and the girl having
taken refuge in silence, Mr. Nevill said
testily, "I do wish, Jessica, that 1 could
get you to take a straw of interest in your
future 0usband!"
He continued displeaema, which was very
trying both to himself and to his daughter,
and Jeasics began to look worried and ill.
All this was bad enough, but far worse fol-
lowed.
One fine day a letter came from John
Farquhar•,—a courteous, a penitential, but
a very decided loiter,—barging re-
lease trout Itis engagement to his cousin.
Alas now for Jessica. •
Mr. ;Nevill was even more put about
than he had been 1,y his daughter's legacy.
He seemed gaite unable to regard the mat•
ter either calmly or reasonably. One would
have thought him a robber (now remorse-
ful) who had enriched his offspring by a
theft of somebody's diamonds.
far the young lady that his doing sa will
seoln to her desirable,""
r" Well, inolhor—then go on and beg hits
Go eeme here en Saturday and stay with ue
till Monday, ase that we may take bins to
see her, Don't you see, motlier, You and 1
aro to dine at Novili Lodge on Saturday
and Jessica has written Go say one of 1110
men leas failed, and, won't. we, for pity's
Bake, bring ewe one. Just as if 0110 sten
were plentiful as blaokberries 1 Sot really
it's, providential; we will take John Far
gala 1
dr My os ova 1"' oxolaimed Mrs. Wil•
My
lianas.
" It will be, thrilling 1" Dried Flora, t' I
am just dying to the what he'll do 1"
But, my dear child, suppose Jessioa
doesn't want to meet him?"
"r Jlten ate eau go to bed wtth a sink
headache, Nature provided that oomplaiub
for there emergencies, But my own opin-
ion le Gat Jessica will meet him, and that
it will all thine right, mother. St's the
greatest fun in the world I" cried Flora,
How Dante " that Miss Williams" to be
dining in Idr. Novill'a house after ho had
forbidden Jsssioaher further e.oquaintance?
The feet was, the child changed so much
that her father had taken fright, and by
this time was indulging her in every way
he could think of. Jessioa was fr0timg—
there could be no doubt about it ; and what
made matters worse was that no ono could
tell what she was fretting about. She grew
pale and thin ; her dimples were gone ; her
gay dresses hidden ; her tlanoing step had
become a slow s ' t and languid tread. She had
no little jests ready ; no affectations ; no
merry ooaxings and satiny whims. She sat
much in her own room, and of tett Dame down
with tear -stained eyes. Once Mr. Nevill
aught her sobbing over some dead efstus
flowers.
He read to her, walked with her, rode
with her diligently ; he was always ready
to talk to her, but their apeeoh was of prim,
bookish subjects, which told him nothing.
Neither John Farquhar nor Jessica's for•
tone was ever mentioned. At last altogot
a Dough, and the servants Bald she was
going Into a decline, Mr. Nevill took her
to town to see a physician, and the learned
mean thumped her on the obese and slapped
her on the back, and stetbosooped and
laryngesooped her till she was terrified
finally pronounced that she had nothing
the matter with her ; and asked her father
privately if she had, perhaps, boon crossed
in love?
Very nobly, Mr. Navill took the hint,
nod sent next day for Mr. Hobson, But
Jessiea would none of Jnr. Hobson ; and
when Sir Edgar Lee, lige admirable baronet,
made his lonb expected proposal, Jessica
hunted him out of the county at once turn•
ing up her little nose most disdainfully.
" Still resolved to be a single woman,
Jess ?" asked Mr. Nevill, in despair.
"I think, papa," replied Jessica, "to be
like Mies Snow is boat. And sometimes I
wonder whether I am High Church enough
to get on in a sisterhood."
More alartned than ever, Mr. Nevill,with
a sigh told her that if she wished she might
go to Girton, which is a sisterhood indeed
of a sort, but one not oblivious of holidays.
Yet Jamaica only said quietly, "Thank you,
felt
papa,us than befbut T don'tore, o now," and he
la e
" Tell me something you would like, my
love," said Mr. Nevill, clasping her to his
breast ; and Jessica brightened a little,and
answered :—
" I should like to see my dear Flora,
Please, please, please, papa, don't ask John
to marry me when he doesn't want to."
" Itel1 you what it is, Jessica." cried
Mr. Nevill ; " this is your fault somehow.
You have written him something ungener•
ous, grudging ; or stay—he has hoard of
-your going about with that bliss Williams I
Pdare say he saw you somewhere. Yes,
that must be the explanation. Well, here's
the result, and I am sure 1 hope you're
ashamed of yourself,"
Jessioa began to ory—a thing Mr. Nevill
never could stand. He was all tendernese
in a moment—and for a moment.
"Never mind, never mind, my love. You
moat give up that most objectionable Mies
Williams, who has led you into this deplor-
able anisehief, and I willwrito and explain
to John. I'll 1411111m that 'all the blame
lay with that Miss Williams, and with me
for letting you go with her, He shall for•
give you."
"Papa, please don't make any oxplana•
Mona to John. Oh, papa, let it be," sobbed
Jessica. "He loves some one else. 'That's
what 10 ie. I know it, papa." For Jessica
had pored and pored over John's letter till
she know it by heart, and till she had
one of Miss Talbot's chums, none of whom
had a clue to the mystery. But though
the jest of receiving a letter which was al-
most a love -letter from an unknown man
was too good to be needlessly explained,
ebehada guess atthe truthherself, Private-
ly she wrote to Flora :—
" My 0000 `''\'TLLIA3f5,—Who was that
malapert miss who borrowed my name to
inspect a lover in? The lover is looking for
her. I send his missive, and leave the mat•
for in your hands. Students of Moral
Philosophy never regard affairs of the
heart, Yours,
" TALBOT."
a'
pa Mr. Nevill hurried off in tete tram instan-
taneously, and brought Miss Williams back
with hint. After which there was peace
between the two families; and Mrs. Williams
and Flora received invitations for the
dinner -party.
On the morning of the day for this festiv-
ity behold a note from Flora to her friend's
father.
• Dear Mr. Nevill,—Jessica asked us to
bring some one to replace your sick clergy.
man at dinner. Oar frlead Captain Farqu-
har will be here then, and mamma thinks
you will not objoot to him accompanying us.
I fancy he is a relation of youre,eo it seems
suitable.
Oh, papa, no l" oriel Jessica, with a
blazing spot on each pale cheek, "I cannot
meet John Farquhar 1 I cannot."
" My love," said bis. Nevill, "no doubt
it is his own wish", to show that on neither
side, after all that has occurred is there any
footing of soreness or grudge."
" But I believe he's engaged to flora 1"
burst out Jessica.
" To Flora 1 Bless me 1 is that how the
wind blows? You queer girls, never to have
told ma she over knew him I Come now,
Jess ; for your fele11de sake, if for no other,
you must oblige me by being civil to your
cousin,"
And poor Jessica stood looking let her
father with piteous eyes, wishing she had
courage to confess and to explain. She
could not do hand the crept away and cried
bitterly in her own room.
"Oh, it will be hard to see them togeth-
er 1" ahe sobbed. " But f have got to bear
ft, for it was my own plan, and Flora will
expect me to be pleased. No one must
ever know how I really feel. No one 1 no
one I"
(To BE CONTINUED.)
A Woad Whloh Doe Not Shrink.
Flora, being sensible, at onoe on receipt
of this letter, ran to her mother and told
her the outlines of Jessica's history. And
Mrs. Williams, being still more sensible,
wrote a letter to John explaining the whole
course of errors. Flora, however, took the
precaution of reading her mother's letter bo•
fore posting it, and was aghast at this ingen-
ious spoiling of the comedy. She tore 11 to
pieces, and made Mrs. Williams compose
one totally different,
" You must say, my dear mother, that
you write for your daughter, who is just
read between all its fines. It was a very going to marry a man Hamel Smith, and
proper letter indeed, and there was one ts—walking out with him, mending Ilia
sentence in it which to Jessica seemed stockings, or whatever you choose."
.to contain the clue to it all. SomothinaG "lfy dear child," said simple Mira. Wil-
aboatt, "the only sort of marriage congenial
• to an Englishman" and a vague -a very
vague—hint that he had already selected
the bride for such an esprnisal, "Oh,"
thought Jessica, ' "it is true 1 I saw it at
the time, anal he confesses it now. He
loves flora l Well, it was my own plan. I
worked for it. 1 ought to be pleased, Dear
Floral She is worthy of him, if any one
ie. Anil I will bo on old maid like Miss
Snow," she ended, with a burst of ecaldi05
tear drone.
Jesslrawroto to John Farquhar, a poor "I am older them you, and I am quite sue
little note, not nearly ceremonious onetzgh It is imprudent to give this gentleman any
to please her lather, It rata thus:— hint as to ;Ionian's partiality. 1; shall say,
":Sly DEAR Corsix,-1t is much better to 'Though we are, of course, unable to answer
hams, "there ie no such person, Are you
afraid this Captain Farquhar rnoy fall in
love with you?"
";vol in the lout," raid Flora coolly ;
"but 1 aboulti greatly dislike his stumbling
that I was in love with hien. When you
have finished that sentence, mother, say
we have found out that lie mute to renew
his acquaintance with aalhot, and shall be
happy to assist him in doing so, as we
know it will ba agreeable to her,"
"No, my clear Flora," said Mrs.Wiiliams.
BRIEF AND INTERkiS'lINO.
England gave 51,503,133 totniesionariss
last year,
The highest' waterfall is the 3iosolnite, hi
California, 2,660 foot. '
Tho deepest silver miles in America are
the Comstock, 2,700feet.
The deepest mining shaft is at prisdram,
in Bohemia., 3,260 feet deep.
The finest sea mirage is the ligate Morgans,
in the Straits of t1'laesin4.
Ib ooslo 4 milis.per pound to transport
pork from Chicago to Liverpool.
The Chinese language is spoken by the
greatest number of poople,over 40(3,000,000.
Tito total value of the war material or tine
French artily amounts to nearly 3500,000,-
000•
Of 13,00) persons one arrives ab the age
of 100 years, of 600 one attains the age of
00, and one in 100 lives to tho,age of 60.
In times of war the armies of the Euro•
paan nations Dan be raised to 0,360,000 men
and the daily expenses will bo nearly $2O,-
000,000..
Single eyeglasses aro prohibited in blip
German army. Even if a soldier has ono
good oyet r needs wiinmust per-
oroe Dveboth e
Yesth the.
M. Bouton, a French scientist who is a
practiced diver, tae succeeded in taking a
photograph of his surroundings when stand-
ing on a bed of the Mediterranean
at
Baaynls•sur•1far uear theSpanishb0rder.
The senior class at Yale numbers 185
students ; of these fifty-four wear glasses,
the necessity for suoh aids to vision having,
in tiventyfive of the cases, arisen since the
students entered the oollege. The average
age of the members of the class is 21.
Lying about the weather will not be so
easy hereafter as it has been in the past.
Some ingenious person has invented a self•
recording thermometer, which makes a
mechanical record every day of the extreme
height and depth of the thermometer in
the course of each twenty-four )tours.
The bee works harder than most people
would believe. There are about sixty
flower tubes in every head of clover, and
only a tiny morsel of honey to each, In
order to get enough auger for a load the
bee must visit about 6,000 different flowers,
and well bee makes, on an average, twenty
trips a Clay.
An invitation to dinner in Japan com-
mences as follows : "I beg pardon for thus
insulting you, in begging year company ab
my house to dinner. The house is small
and very dirty. Oar habits are rude, eta
you may not get anything fit to eat; and
yet I hope that you will condescend to be
present with us at 0 o'clock."
There are now fifty-five towns and cities
in England which deeeroy their garbage
and solid refuse by burning, and 570 furn-
aces are employed for _this purpose. In
many cases the heat from these furnaces is
need to produce steam, and the power is
employed in pumping water and in running
electric light and power planta and for
other purposes.
If a train, moving at the speed of twenty -
flee miles an hour, was suddenly stopped,
the passengers would experience a shock
equal to that of falling from a second floor
window ; at thirty miles an hour they might
as well fall from the height of three pairs of
stairs ; and an express train would, in point
of feet, make them fall from a fourth story.
What is the horse power of a whale !
This is the problem whioh has boen solved
by a brace of Scottish mathematicians. A
whale was stranded on the western menet of
Scotland some weeks ago, and the interest-
ing calculation was made that power equal
to 145 horses would be required to propel
the whale through the water at the rate of
twelve miles an hour.
Cltalks,rssins,ealts and obolniesie are heaped'
about inlavisii plontitude. The eoileotions
embreoeenot only raw products, but opovi'
inonsef nearly every human iadnett'y.
no adoption of amolcelces powder in We
]tttilan army le likely to cant Italy, dear,.
Aoacrding to the Franco Mllitair•o Olio'
smokeless powder need by the Italian art.
'Wary tae irreparably damaged a largo
number of guns. The powder tae produced
enols tat offset upon the borne of the gone
Matti some live hundred 11av0 already been
condemned aid Were lave been issued to
censiderebly reduoo the amount of gun
practice, Enormousexpense will in son.
mimes) be no0ossary to restore the Italian
field artillery to its former state of sill•
cienoy, en lees a sum then 340,000,000 bee.
ing ntenoioned 00 the amount required, If
the report as to guns beingrenslored prima.
°ally ueolese through stuolcole0s powder be-
ing used be correct it will probably have
an importantMinot on the development of
these powders, whioh has received seek, a
stimulus of lata years.
HIRAM :MAXIM, -THE INVENTOR.
Possessed or lil,luetry,: Ilat:r^gy and a Won-
derful, Knowledge
yon-derful-Knowledge of Sgechanics.
Among all the scientific men whoa° re.
ooarohea have contributed to the near solo -
tion of the problem of aerial navigation
Hiram 5, Maxim, the inventor of the air
ship, stands foremost, says MoClure's Mag.
azine. As the inventor of the Maxim gun
and many other ingenious machines of less
importanoe, he had won a world-wide fame
the
enavigation of the air became
the
before
oldef objoeb or his study and investigation.
Beginning life 53 years ago, with a common
school education and jaok knife, in San
gerville, Nle., he is now the proud ppos-
sos5or of a town house in London and is
lord of the manor at Baldwyn's Park, a
stretching domain of hundreds of acres,
which he leased five years ago as well
adapted to his preliminary experiments,
Mr. Maxim is a man of medium height and
solid build, his weight being 210 pounds.
Hishair, mustache, and beard are white,
but his mental and physical energy are as-
tonishing. and go' far to explain the variety
and extent of the results he has achieved.
The work of inventing and constructing a
flying -machine, nearly every part of which,
from boiler to connecting rods, is a variation
from existing appliances, enforced by the
necessities of the occasion, is one which could
only bo undertaken by a man' of much in.
gonuity, equipped with an extraordinary
practical knowledge of mechanics. Even
with these advantages,suocese- would be
impossible without unfailing energy and
industry. All these qualities are,* however,
clearly visible in the manner and speech of
the inventor. His voice and actions show
great physiool strength, while his eyes,
which aro a deep brown, full and w'deopen,
have continuously the semi•absorbed, pre-
°tempfed look of the student concentrated
upon a problem. A courteous host, a jolly,
even boisterous, story teller, and a wonder-
ful mechanician, Mr. Maxim is in his way
as uousnal as his machine. Withal he has
a sturdy Americanism which personas
interviews with half the reigning monarch
of Europe have not in the least affected,
and he retains a pleasant conviction that
of all the spots on the map of the world
not one is so important or so agreeable to
contemplate as the good old " flown east"
Stats of Maine. The American flag hangs
in. hie hall, and he regards the United
States as the safest, in foot the only, place
in which to invest his money, a conclusion
which is nob without its impel' tooth, consid-
ering that his knowledge of European coun-
tries from the military, political and finaul
cal standpoints has been attained through -
the channels of the gun business, and in
therefore, both comprehensive and exact.
A recent issue of the Honey Grove (Texas)
Signal contained the following paragraph :
" In accordance with an established custom
of weekly papers, the 4.ignal will not be
issued next week. Ono week iu the year
can be profitably used in cleaning up, rear•
ranging, eta., and during the holidays peo-
ple are so busy on]oying themselves
that they haven't much time to road.
Wo bid our readers alien until Jan. 5.
1801, wishing all a merry Christmas and a
happy new year, and a long life of continue
ed prosperity."
Experiments are in progress at Yale to
determine the relation of muscular action
to the nerves. Tests will be made ma some
of the most celebrated swordsmen of the
country to determine the exact time it takes
the mind to realize that a certain ambit has
taken place end how long a time is required
30 make a simple ntuoouiar notion. This 13
being done to establish the theory that
what is knowing muscular strength does not
depend upon the size of the, mimics, but
upon the strength of the nerve center and
the quality of the muscle.
The quality of shrieking in dry air and
swelling under the iafluenae of moisture,
is so intimately connected with our ideas
of all kinds of wood that it is very difficult
to accept suddenly the idea ot a timber
thatis unaffected by water, as far as
dimensions aro concerned, either when
absorbing or evaporating it, says the " In•
dian Textile Journal." Saab, however, is
theme with a description of timber known
as " which grows plentifully in
Borneo, and is famous for Its strength and
durability both on sea and on land. With.
out being the heavioet known wood, for it
weighs 60 pounds per cubic foot, against
iignum vitae 83 po undo, boxwood 80
ebony 74, and African oak 62 pounds, it
has a breaking strain 1.52 times that o
English oak, while its weight is only five
per cent. greater. Compared with Burmese
teak, itis 62 per cunt. s1ron0er transversely
and 11 per cent. heavier. Milian, ori3orneo
ironwood, is a hard, durable wood of a dark
brown oolor. When seasoned it turns to a
deep red and with long exposure becomes as
bleak ebony, It resists the tareclo ttavalis (s°
destructive to timber in oalb water) and the
White ant, and is almost indestructible,
I e breaking etrain is the highest of an
known wood, and it be extensively mod for
sleepers, booms, piles, and for construction
rogturing strength and durability.
]honors .liven.
Mr, Obegwatet-" Pm hungry still, but
the biamtits are all gone, there's Ito more
create for the coffee, and the steal[ is all
gristle. Samantha, you'll dio of enlarge
tient of the heart l"
Mrs. Chugwator—"I don't know, Josiah
I've never been exposed to it this tiousel.
Probably the only copy extant of the act
of parliament of 1.6411, during Cromwell's
reign, incorporating and chartering the
Society for Instituting the Propagation of
the Gospel among the Indians of New
England, is in the possession of the Presby.
torten board of miesoons, and is on exhibi.
bion in New York. None of the persons
named in the act aro known in history, but
the society did much good work in New
England, not only among the Indians bot
also among the whites. It is reported to
have been the first missionary society to
send agents to America.
The most pernicious winds are the gam,
isle, or hot winds of Egypt. They come
from the deserts to the southwest and bring
with them infinite quantities of fine dust,
which penetrates even the minutest crevice.
The thermometer often rises to 125 during
their cotztlnuanoo, and thousands of human
beings have boon known to perish from
suffocation in the fiery blast. It was one
of these samiols that destroyed the army of
Sonnaoherib, Alexauder the Groat nearly
lost hie whole force in another and the army
of Cambyses was utterly annihilated,
A IAN WHO FLIES,
now n Prussian doors xl►re n girt, Short
Dlsinu000
Tn an at^ bolo on "Experiments 18lrlying,'
London I'batnro sive; Mr. O. Liliettiral
seems to me to stave talion a step in the
right direction by trying tolearn soaring,
The accompany, ilMstrabtous, which ora
roprotlnotlona of instantaneous photographs
token in Steglilz, near Berlin, show Olio way
he slides down a alight beano of 10 or 15.
ilk
e 'lyse ,l\tt X11 \'`
", a,�4Cu'�ailt,� �\
ern, 1.
The elope of the wings ba nob flat,'but.
slightly onrved. The experiments recorded
In its book, "Der Vogelflug," show that
the curved form has decided advanbegeo,
both as regards the amount and the dime.
teen of the resistance, The wing surface
ie 15 square meters, It is nob safe to
take a larger surface before having
learned to manage a smaller one.
aloe' l�, Gil ulnare--kti .,�
eaalrelP ! Tical rt lnoJ".
- sin ,
no. 2.
He -takes a sharp run of four or five
stops agaihob the Wind, jumps into the air
and slides down over a distance of about
2110 meters. By shifting hos center of grav-
ity to the center of resistance he eau give
the wing eurface any Inclination, and there-
by can, to, a certain extent, either elide
down quicker, or slacken the movement, or
alter tite direction. if the wind is not too
no, 3.
strong, and the surface of the apparatus
not too large, I think there is very little
danger in this kind of practice. If it is
taken up by a great many people, improve-
vienbs of the apparatus are sure to follow,
and the arb of keeping one's balance in the
air will be developed. Perhaps this ie the
road to flying. At any rate, it musb he fine
sport.
SONG OF THE INDIANS.
runeral Masse and Self-Laocratlon
Among the Omahna.
The funeral song is sung at the obsequies
of any man or woman who has been greatly
reapeoted in the tribe. Upon the death of
retch a one, men in the prime of early man-
hood meet together near the lodge of the
deceased, divest themselves of alt clothing
bat the breech -cloth, make two inoisions in
the left arca, and under the loop of Saab so
made thrust a willow branch, having on it
sprays of leaves. \S ith the blood dripping
upon the green branches banging from their
arms tend shoulder -blades, the mets move
silently in single file to the lodge wince the
dead lees; there, rouging themselves in a
lino, shoulder to shoulder, and marking
the rythtn of the tune by heating together
two small 'Willow rods, they sing to unison
the fuueraisung,
There is a violent contrast between the
bleedingaingers and their vocal utterances,
for the music in its major strains suggests
sunshine, birds, and vordure, and has a
fieet,hnppy movement. Nevertheless, there
must bo some latent harmony between the
song and Oho ceremony. Music, the In-
dian believes, has power to reach the un-
seen world. The spirit of the dead man
eau hear the song as it leaves the body, and
the glad cadences are to cheer him as he
goon from those who have boen dear to
hint on earth. He hears only, lee cannot
see—so the song ie for him; the bleeding
wounds of the singers aro expresaioua of
the loss felt by the frieida of the dead ; his
kindred can tanto note of the manifested
sympathy—the wounds are far them.
FAMINE EXISTS IN CENTRAL, ASIA
The polyglot alzaraotor of Oho Austrian
army was abundantly shown the other day
when the ancient custom of solemnly
swearing in the recruits m the presence of
the troops was revived, after having been
dleeontimted since 1888. In Vienne alone
the formula of oath to the motors had to be
administered and read out in nine lan•
guava, to -wit : German, H^ungarian,
Croatian, Bohemian, Polish, Ruthenian,
ltoumenian, Servian and Turkish, while
the religions part of the ceremony was
conducted by Roman Catholio, Groolt
Catholic sad Greek orthodox priests" Prot.
octant pastors, Jewish rabbis and Moham-
meden ulama.
Mr. Edison has challenged tate skeptical
to name one subetsume,organic or inorganic,
which is not to ho fonttd in his laborattory.
Every department of nature hes yielded its
tribute to the potent wistrsl• The bones of
birds and animals, feathers,hidom,teeth and
home, sltinbug metals Woad, eryetals,varie•
gated minerals lie mattered .in profusion ;
Wifo—" What are you corrinsg home at dainty s)tailaand coal repose among 11005800
this time in the morning for? Husband— endeeyweod;Ragout give -wend epithet -then
'cllrelr'fush," memories of the fair Babe of Bethlehem,
SEED TIOUSHTS.
Our enemies are our outward consciences.
Alover's eyes will gaze au eagle blind.
The true art of memory is the art of at.
tention.
The deadliest sin were the consciousness
of no sin.
If thou wouldat be borne with, then bear
with others.
The truly sublime is always easy and al.
ways natural.
He that will watch providonoos shall
never want providence% to watch.
The venal forbune of complaint is to ex•
cite contempt more than pity.
Observe the effects of rage on those who
deliver tbemoelvee up to the pas0ion.
Music makes the people milder and gent-
ler, more moral and more reasonable.
Fire and sword are but slow engines of
destruction in comparison with the babbl-
er.
Virtue alone ontbuilds the pyramids; her
monuments shall last when Egypt's fall.
We are often prophets to othere only
because we are our own historians.
When will talkers refrain from evil
epeakiug? When listeners refrain from
evil hearing.
Most of our misfortunes aro more sup-
portable than the comments of our friends
upon them.
In seeking wisdom thou. art wise; in
imagining thou hast .attained it thou art a
fool.
There aro many men whose tongue
might govern multitudes if they could
govern their tongues.
A11, with one consent, prate° new-born
pude, though they aro made and molded
of things past.
Bounded in his nature, infinite in his
desires, man is a fallen god who has a
recollection of heaven.
The body is bhe shell of the soul, and
dress the busk of that 4011 ; but the husks
often toll what the kernel Is.
There is a courtesy of the heart t it is
allied to love. From it springs the purest
courtesy in the outward behavior,
Reason I how many eyes hast then to see
mile, and how dim, nay blind, thou art in
preventing then.
Every man is a hero and an oraolo to eotne-
body, and to that person whatever he says
has an enhanced value.
Arley contractors Decline to heals nue
Furnishing Wood toTeaaps-
A St. Petersburg, special. says :—A.
fanzine now prevails in Central Asia. In
Samarkand wheat costs 2 rubles 10 copecks
a pooh, fit Benham" over 3 rubles and ab
Tashkend nearly 41; rabies. The army rum.
tractors have declined to go on furnishing
the troops, who now have to buy for them•
selves, at a loss of over a ruble per good on
the sum allowed them. In the towns the
people ate paying 6 and 7 oopeeks a pound
for bread, when they Dan get it, and many
have to so without. The causes assigned
aro the enormous over•ouibivation of cotton
instead of grain and the ravages of loonets
througgliout the provinces of 111hodjelt and
Djezak, combined with the oxoes0ivo dry•
nsesof the pas bsummer, Wltile,however, this
state of affairs continues in Turkestan, ex•
aotly the opposite pfobare lo presented on
the Volga. In Taehkend, for instance, a
family of live persona requires to epena at
least 50 copecks a day for bread at present
prices. 1a Seratolf and Samara, instead of
J t'uhlca or more per pond, flour coats 40
copsoks, and the same family is obliged to
sell 200 pods in order to pay its taxes,
debts and arrears of taxation. It is often
dilhoult to find buyers for more then
o. quarter of the grain In hand, and the
s peasantry to a
government torso the i y y
bank in rnneey the loans of eon and food
given to 4110M In 4110 famine years ab the
then existing raters. In other wol'ds, the
peasantry have today to give something
ltito alto Node for every poocl they receive
as relief. And this superabundance pro•
vans fn dislreots which tern in direct river,
ace and 010110vtty oemintntioation with 5atn•
arkand, whore the populace is starving,
Sir John Macdonald.
The late Premier 'of Canada, Sir John A
Macdonald, owed much of hie 0000505 as a
political leader to judicious strokes ot hum-
or, which lie knew so well how to apply.
When istrodneinthe several members
of bis Cabinet to the Marquis of Lorne,
then just arrived ht Canada to take the
position of (ioveruor•Goneraf, he seal,
speaking of Mr. Cltapleau, the new Sucre•
tory of,tato,who was glad in a magnifloont
sealskin coat, "Your Excellency, allow me
to introduce you to the keeper of the Great
Seal."
Meeting open one 000asion a learned
Canadian judge ef a vary rubicund noun'
tonanoo he said 1--"1 am delighted to see
you, my deeply read (rel) oil Mond."—
[Youth's Companion.
lYhintn 000107 bo melted—we eat it daily—
but an ungrateful her 0, can not be ; toot by
the strongest and noblest flame,