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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1895-12-13, Page 2M4?Pwww// In199+„,A THE VICARS GOVERNES "'ore you raking Your Walks?" sake t1 o weakness at the ,noes meant fo r a s a idly, laanin on the gats, and courtesy, ""$o,very glad to see yawl,"* Qlart s , y as indeed, She is. gazing down the trim graveled path in her earlier days sho bad been Cell". Omit leads to the WY -clad Pottage he- ed a bells, liooCed euecartvdin pe p10 slaw yond, '" I;iebodY's walks are ever as bad beiga in tiro ed, ace e -market, But clean as yours, think. And your Penelope.Proud had ailed them, ', and by so doing, had brpugbt down eternal egndeMnation on tier head, In second season she bad fallen foolishly but honestly, in love with a well-born but impeounzoup curate, and bad, ;mar- ried him in spite of threats and wither- ing/meets. ing,sneers. With one consent her family oast her off and consigned her to her fate,, deo1a ing themselves-inoap- able of dealing with a woman who could TOWS are something too delicious, fYr better than our outdoor flowers at Go ran. And so late in the season, tool" May I give you one?" says Roth, dimpling prettily at ber Praise. "Thank you. Hew sweet they are) No, no, Horace; that is altogether too large for yeux coat, Ruth, will you give Mr. Bransoombe a tiny burl? That one over there, for instance." " T don't think I see it," says Ruth quietly, She has grown Pale again, and her lips have lost a little of the childish petulant pout that abaraeter- izes thew" "Tust over there. Don't you See? Why, you. are almost looking at it, you stupid child.", " I am stupid, I am afraid,"—witha faint smile, " Come in, Miss Peyton, and gather it yourself." She opens the gate, with a sort of determination in her manner, and Clarissa, going up to the rose -tree, plunks the delicate blossom in dispute. Horace has fol- lowed her inside the gate, but, turning rather more to the left, falls apparent- ly in love with an artless white rose- bud that waves gently to and fro up- on its stem, as though eager to attract and rivet admiration. I think I prefer this flower, after ail," he says, lightly. " May I ask you to give it to me, Ruth?" His manner is quite easy, very nearly Indifferent, and his back is turned to Clarissa. But Isis eyes are on Ruth ; and the girl, though with open reluctance and ill - repressed defiance; is compelled to pick the white rose and give it to him. " Well, I really don't think you bave shown very good taste," says Clarissa, examining the two flowers. _" Mine is the most perfect. Nevertheless, wil- ful man must have his way. Let me Fettle: it in your coat for you." Almost as she speaks the flower drops accidentally from her fingers; and, both she and Horace making a step forward torecover it, by some awkward chance they tread on it, and crush the poor, frail little thing out of shape. It lies upon the gravel broken and disfigured, yet very sweet in death. " You trod. on it," says Horace, ra- ther quickly, to Clarissa. No, dear ; I really think—indeed, I am sure—it was you,' returns she, calmly, but with conviction. ' It doesn't matter ; it was hardly worth a discussion,' says Ruth, with an odd laugh. "See how poor a thing it looks now ; and, yet, a moment since it was happy on its tree." " Never mind, Horace: this is really a charming little bud," says Clarissa, gayly. holding out the rose of her own choosing: " at least you must try to be content with it. Good -by, Ruth; come up to Gowran some day soon, and take those books you asked for the other day." Thank you, Miss Peyton. I shall come soon.". " Good by," says Horace. "Good by," returns she. But it is to Clarissa, not to him, she addresses the word of farewell. When the mill has been left some distance behind them, and Ruth's slight figure, clad in its white gown, had ceased to be a fleck of coloring in the landscape, Clarissa says, thoughtfully, What a pretty girl that is, and how refined! Quite a little lady in man- ner ; so calm, and so collected,—cold, almost. I know many girls, irreproach- ably born, not to be compared with her, in my opinion. You agree with me?" " Birth is not always to be depended upon nowadays." "She is so quiet, too, and so retiring. She would not even shake hands with you, when we met her. though you wanted her to. Did you remark that? Sometimes I am dull about trifles, such as that" Yes. By the bye, she did not seem surprised at seeing you here to -day, al- though she thought you safe in town, as we all did,—you deceitful boy." "Did she not?" "'No. But then, of course, it was. a matter of indifference to hex." Of course." They have reached the entrance to the vicarage by this time, and are pausing to say farewell for a few hours. "I shall come up to Gowran to- morrow morning first thing, and speak to your father: is that what you wish me to do $" asks Horace, her hand in his. Yes. But Horace," looking at him. earnestly, " I tbink I should like to tell it all to papa myself first, this evening." Very well, dearest. Do wbatever makes you happiest," returns he, se- cretly pleased, that the ice will be broken for him before he prepares for, his mauvais quart (rheumin the li- brary. And if he should refuse his consent, Clarissa, what then? You know you might make so much a bet- ter marriage." Might I? "—tenderly. " I don't think so; and papa would not make mo unhappy" CHAPTER IX. "A generous friendship no cold medium knows." Pope. Mrs. Redmond is sitting ea a center ottoman, darning stockings. This is her favorite pastime, and never fails her. When she isn't darning stockings she is always scolding the cook, and as. her voice, when raised, is not melliflu- ous, her family in a body, regard the work -basket with reverential affection, and present it to her notice when there comes the crash of broken china from the lower regions, or when the cold meat has been unfairly dealt with. She is of the lean cadaverous order of Womankind, and is bony to the last degree. Her nose is aquiline, and, as a rule, ,pale blue. As this last color also describes her eyes, there is a depressing want of contrast about her face. Her lips are thin and querulous, and her n' ba—well, she hasn't any hair, but her wigis flaxen. Clarissaenters, she hastily draws the stooking from her hand, and rises to greet her, A faint blush mantles in her cheek making one at once. under- stand that in bygone days she had pro- bably been Considered pretty'. So unexpected, my dear cllarissa," she says, with as pleased a smile as the poor thing ever conjures up, and a lit. willfully marry a man possessed .af Te - thing. They always put a ca ;tel N to this hist' Word, and perhaps they Were right, as at that time all Charlie Red- mond could call itis Own was seven younger brothers and a tenor voice of he very purest. As. years relied on, though Mrs Red' mond never, perhaps, regretted her Marriage, he nevertheless secretly ac- knowledge to herself a hankering after the old life, a longing for the grandeur and riches or ?that accrued to it (the Pn born and bred and had thr'iv ps nein the poft goods line), and bugged the emoted- ;zing thought to her bosom that a lit- tle more trade and a little loss blue blood wruld :have made her husbander degree more perfect It pleased her when the county fami- lies invited the youthful Cissy to their balls; and it warmed her heart and caused her to forget the daily shifts find worries of life when the duchess sent her fruit and game, accompanied by kind little notes. It above all things reconciled her to her lot, when the heir mss ,of Gowran Grange pulled up her pretty ponies at her door, and running in made much of her and her children and listened attentively to ber griev- ances, as only a sympathetic nature can. To -day, Clarissa's visit, being early, and therefore unconventional, and for that reason the more friendly, sweet- ens all her surroundings. Miss Peyton might have, put m an appearance thrice in the day later on, yet her visits would not have been viewed with such favor as is this matutinal call. "Cissy is out; she has gone to the vil- lage," says Mrs. Redmond, scarcely thinking Clarissa bas come all the way from Gowran to spend an hour alone with her. I am sorry ; but it is you I most par- tioularly wanted to see. What a deli- cious day it is1 I walked all the way from Gowran, and•-tho sun was rather too muoh for me ; but how cool it al- ways is here! This room never seems stuffy or overheated, as other rooms do." It is a wretched place, quite wretch - ea," says Mrs. Redmond, with a depre- cating glance directed at a distant sofa that might indeed be termed pat- rirchal. "What are you doing ?" asks Clarissa, prem tly, fe�lmg she cannot with any Y defend the sofa. "'Darning? Why can't I help you? -1 am sure I could darn. Oh, what a quantity of socks i Are they all broken?" looking with awe upon the overflowing basket that lies 'close to Mrs. Redmond's feet. Every one of them," replies that matron, with unction. "I can't think how they do it, but I assure you they never come out of the wash without in- numerable tears." Whether she is al- luding, in her graceful fashion, to her children or their socks, seems at present doubtful. ' I sometimes fancy they must take their boots off and dance on the sharp pebbles to bring them to such a pass; but they say they don't. Yet how to account for this?' She holds up one bony, hand, derotated with a faded. sock, in a somewhat triumphal fashion, and lets three emaciated fingers start to life through the toe of it. Do let me help you,'; says Clarissa, with entreaty, and. stooping to the bas- ket, she rummaged there until she pro- duces a needle, and thimble, and some thread. I dare say I shall get on splendidly, if you will just give me a hint now and then and tell me when I am stitching them up too tightly." This hardly sounds promising, but Mrs. Redmond heeds her not. " My dear, do not trouble yourself with such uninteresting work," she says, hastily. It really makes me un- happy to see you so employed; and that sock of all others, -Lt is Bobby's, and I'm sure there must be something wrong with his heels. If you insist on heiping me, do try another." No, I shall stitch up Bobby, or die in the attempt," says Miss Peyton, valiantly. It is quite nice work, I should think, and so easy. I dare say after a time I should love it." " Should you?" says Mrs. Redmond. "Well, perhaps' but for myself, I as- sure you, though no one will believe it, I abhors the occupation.. There are moments when it almost overcomes me, —the perpetual in and out of the needle, you will understand,—it seems so end- less. Dear, dear, there was a time when I was never obliged to do such menial service, when I had numerous depend- ents to wait on me to do my bidding. But then"—with a deep sigh that sounds like a blast from Boreas—" I married the vicar." And quite right," says Clarissa with a oheeyful little nod seeing Mrs. Redmond has mounted her high horse and intends riding him to death. I myself shouldn't hesitate about it, if I only got the chance. And indeed where could any one get a more charm- ing husband than the dear vicar?" ' Well, well, it was a foolish match notwithstanding," says Mrs. Redmond, with a smile and wan sort of blush ; "though certainly at that time I don't deny he was very fascinating. Such a voice, my dear! and then bis eyes were remarkably fine." Were'—are, you mean," says the crafty Clarissa, knowing that praise of her husband is sweet to the soul of the faded Penelope, and that the =set' means of reducing her to a pliant mood is to permit ber to maunder on uninter- ruptedly about past glories and dead hours rendered bright by age. To have her in her kindest humor, before men- tioning the real object of her visit, must bo managed. at alll risks. Yours was a love -match, wasn't it?' she says, coaxingly. , Do tell me all about it." (She had listened 'patiently to every word of it about a `hundred times be- fore.) I do so like a real love -affair." ' There isn't much to tell," says Mrs. Redmond, who is quite delighted, and actually foregoes the charm; of darn- ing, that she may the more correctly remember each interestingdetail in her own " old story ;"" but it was all very sudden,—very' like a tornado, or a whirlwind, or those things in the desert that cover, ane up in a moment. First we met at two croquet parties,- yes, two,—and then at dinner at Ram- seys, and it Was at the dinner at the Ramseys' that he first pressed my. hand. I thought, my dear, I should have drop- ped, it was such a downright, not -to - be -got -over sort of squeeze. Dear me, I can almost feel it now," says Mrs. Redmond,' who is blushing like a girl. " Yes, do go on," says Clarissa, who in reality, is enjoying herself intenselyy,. "Well, then, two days afterward, to dear Clarissa), »eoauesa I have taken the bo es are the best. my ,,sorprlee, he called with sonlo bolt- I vicarage eaetom from them. ahoy els tar a ooneert, to which MY momma. 1 Prefer imperiling then; souls. to OWM�i�" Who suspeoted nothing; Melt me, !hereup the chance, of punishing me, n4 we met egaln, and it was there, right, now the pleat=is, whetherI as one might say, under mamma's Wase. l not consent to the alma polsoeing of be proposed to ilia. Ile was very Mos , my (Mikhail, rather' loan drive' my ar- qu0nt tbougb he was eblzged to (peek lsblonors into the Areas of the for all ;eatedIY, owing to the' diets who ka o comers bolawthe .Dison the I don't think I should p ohildree," saga Olarissa, oYoii But what is to become of my Charlotte Bateson has the pweetos voice in it, and naw ehe will not opine to ehurab. I am at my wits' end when. I think of it, all," I am gog to supply Charlotte's Placa for you," Says Olarlssa slyly. ' Thank you, my dear. But, You see, you would never be in time And, unfortunately, the services must begin always at a regular hour. Punctual- ity was tbe one thingI never could teach yq. u,—that, and he Catechism." " What a libel!" says Clarissa. I shouldn't malign my own teaching if u, X were yoI am 'perfectly certain I could say it all now, this very moment, from start to finish, questions and all, without a mistake. Shall I?" or it"' No, Ma ll takeyour word for says the vicar, bastiiy. '" The fast is, I have jug been listening to it at the morning school in the village, and when one has heard a thing repeated fourteen times with variations, one nat- urally is not anabitious of hearing it again, no matter how profitable it may mesinalisl o stopping now and bran and my t he was being gg of 111000 days MY deer, and well favored, no doubt. So we got married." That isthe proper ending o all pr�etty stories. ;But is it trim,"says W3arissa, with a Wilinoas real!y borrible in one 90 young, 'thatuse at that time yourefused a' splendid offer, all for the vicars sake?" Splendid is a song word," says Mrs. Redmond, trying to speak, earolessly, but unmistakably elated, yet I must confess there is some truth in the re- port to whioh you allude, Sir Hubert l itz-Hubort was a baronet of very an- cient lineage,, Demo over withthe Con- queror, or King Alfred, I quite forget whish, but 1t was whiobever owes f the oldest: that I know. He was, in , a trifle old for me, perhaps, and not so rich as others I have known, but still a baronet.He proposed to me, but I rejected him upon the spot with scorn, though he went' on his knees to me, and swore, in an anguished frenzy, that he would out his throat with his razor if I refused to listen to his snit! I did refuse, but I heard nothing more about the razor, I am willing to believe he put some restraint upon his maddened feelings and refrained from inflicting any injury upon himself.." Poor follow 1 " says Clarissa, in a suspiciously choky tone. Then I espoused the vicar," says Mrs. Redmond, with a sentimental sigh. " One does foolish things sometimes." That, now, was a wise one. I would not marry a king if I loved a beggar. Altogether, you have behaved beautifully, and just like a novel." Feeling that that moment for action bas arrived, as Mrs. Redmondis now in a glow of pride and vanity well mixed, Clarissa goes on sweetly: "I have some news for you" For me?" "Yes, for you. .I know bow delicate you are, and bow unable to manage those two strong children you have at home. And I know, too, you have been looking out for a suitable governess for some time, but you have found a diffi- culty in choosing one, have you not?" Indeed I have." " Well, I think I know one who will just suit you. She was at school with. me, and, though poor new, having lost both father and mother, is of very good family, and well connected." "But. the salary ?" ways Mrs. Red- mond, with some hesitation. ' The salary is the thing. I hear of no one now who will come fol leas than duty or seventy pounds a ye'tr at the lowest; and with Henry at ecLiol, and Rupert's college expenses, forty pounds is as much as we can afford to give." " Miss 'Broughton tivill, I chink, be quite content with that : she only wants to be happy, and at rest, and she will be all that with you and Cissy and Mr. Redmond. Sbe is young, and it is her first trial, but she is very clever; she has a really lovely voice, and paints excessively well. Ethel has rather a taste for painting, has she not?" A decided talent for it. All my family avere remarkable far their ar- tistic tendencies, so she, doubtless, .in- herits it; and—yes, of course, it would be a great thing for her to have some one on the spot to develop this talent, and train it. Your friend, you say, is well connected?" "Very highly connected on ber mo- ther's side. Her father was a lieuten- ant in the navy, and very respectable too, I believe; though I know nothing of him." " That she should be a lady is, of course, indispensable," says Mrs. Red- mond, with all the pride that ought to belong to soft -goods people. "I need hardly say that, I think. But why does she not appeal for help to her mother's rola- Mons?" Because Sbe prefers honest work to begging from those who up to this have taken no notice of ber." ' I admire her," says Mrs. Redmond, warmly.If you think she will be sa- tisfied with forty pounds, I should like to try what she could do with the children." I am very glad you have so de- cided. I know of no place in which I would rather see a friend of mine than here." Thank you, my dear. Then will you write to her, or shall I? " "Let me write to ber first, if you don't mind: I think I can settle every- thing. ' Mind?—no, indeed: it is only too good of you to take so much trouble about me." To whish Clarissa says, prettily, Do not put it in thalight ; there is no pleasure so keen as that of being able to help one's friends," Then she rises, and, having left be- hind ben three socks that no earthly power , can ever again draw upon a child's foot, so hopelessly has she brought heel and sole together, she says good -by to Mrs. Redmond, and leaves the room. Outside on the avenue she encounters the vicar, hurrying home. " Turn with me," she says, putting her hand througb his arm. " I have something to Bay to you." "Going to be married?" asks he, gayly. be.,, When I spoke of. filling Charlotte's place," says Clarissa, " I did not allude m any way to myself, but to--- And now I am coming to tbe news." " So glad; " says the vicar : " I may overtake old Betty yet," "I have secured a governess for Mrs, Redmond, Such a dear little gover news! And I want you to promise me to be more than unesally kindto her, because' she is so young and friendless and it is her first effort at teaching." " So that question is settled at last," says the vicar, with a deep --if careful- ly. suppressed—sight of relief. I am rejoiced, if only for my wife's sake, who bas been worrying herself for weeks past, trying to replace the inestimable —if somewhat depressing—Miss Prood." Has she?""' says, Clarissa, kindly. " Worry is a bad thing, But to -day she has been for seems much timet Inde d,, she said so." Did: she? " says the vicar, yvith a comical, transient smile, Mrs. Red- mond's edmond's maladies being of a purely im- aginary order. What . are you laughing at now 1" asks Clarissa, who has marked this pass- ing gleam of amusement. At you, my dear, you are so quaint- ly humorous, replies ho. ' But go on; tell me, of this new acquisition to our household. Is she a friend of yours?" Yes, a great friend." "Then of course we Shall like her." Thank you," says Clarissa. " She is very .pretty, and very charming. Perhaps, after all, I am doing a fool- isb tbmg for myself. How shall I feel when she has out me out at the vicar- age ? Not much fear of that, were she Aphrodite herself. You are much too good a abil.d to be liked lightly or by halves. Well, good -by; you won't for- get about the flannel for the Batley twins? "' I have it ready,—at least, half of it. How could I tell she was going to have twins?" says Clarissa, apolo- getically. 'It certainly was very inconsiderate of her," says the vicar, with a -sigh, as he thinks of the poverty that clings to the Batley menage from year's end to year's end. " Well, never mind; she shall have it all next week," promises Clarissa, soothingly, marking his regretful tone - and then she bids him farewell, and goes up the road again in the direction of her home., She is glad to be alone at last. Her nfission successfully accomplished, she has now time to let her heart rest con- tentedly upon her own 'happiness. All the events of the morning—the small- est word, the lightest intonation, the moat passing smile, that claimed Horace as their father—are remembered by her. She dwells fondly on each separate re - w he mlooked and spokerepeaatto such a d snob, moments QBE CURIOUS TIII1G8i FEATURES OF,ACTUAL LXk17 THAT RAVE LATELY OCCURRED. A Aiirl Soddenly elriel[en Speeehl&ss— benguyllY of it Tertie—Welgpine doUl roes £Ir—l:xlier•liii0itla la intern' growth, eta, etc.. A GXRI, STRIDDEN SPEECHLESS, Mise Agnes Eck, the eighteen -year- old daughter of Willoughby lick, of Topton, is in a trance. Two weeks ago feat Friday she was apparently fie well as ever in her life, anal she was a healthy girl. Suddenly she acid, to mother;" other; M tongue is growing stiff aniid I cannot tails," A few rain utee later she was speechless. She has not spoken a word since. On Thurs- day last ehe was found on the, floor unconscious, and ehe still remains in that condition, The doctors says she le suffering from catalepsy. LONGEVITY OF A TURTLE. When Mauritius woe ceded to the British,- in the year 1810, one of the soldiers,who had a liking for natural history, discovered a turtle in the mili- Lary barracks which competent auth- oritiee paid was then over 200 years old. The repulsive -looking old reptile is Still alive and healthy, and bids fair to live to the end of this or probably the next century. He has enormous strength, and can with apparent ease carry two large men on his back. A MULBERRY'S GROWTH. " Nonsense 1"—blushing, in that he has so closely hit the mark. " It - is not of anything so paltry I would un- burden my mind." Then you have nothing of import- ance to tell me,"says the vicar ; and I must go. Your story will keep: my work will not. I am in a great hurry : old Betty Martin--' Must wait. I insist upon it. Dy- ing1 nonsense she has been dying every week for three years, and you believe her every time. Come as far es the gate with me.' "Your command, I obey," says the vicar, with a sigh of resignation, walk- ing on beside his pet parishioner. "But if you, could only understand the trouble I am in with those Bateson you would know some pity for me," " What 1 again?" says Clarissa, show- ing, and feeling, deep compassion. Even so. This time about the bread. You know what unpleasant bread they bake, and hoW Mrs., Red- mond objects to it; and really it. is bad for the children " It is poison, says Marian, Who never does anything by baives, and who is nothing if not sympathetic. "Well, so I said; and when I had expostulated with them, mildly but firmly, and suggested that better flour might make better dough, and they had declined to take any notice of my, pro- test,—why, I just ordered my bread from, the Burtons opposite, and--" The vicar pauses. " Ani7.i you have been happy ever Prior to the period of whish we speak, Peterman lead alloweii ins beard to grow t0 a length of over four feet, but sueh,growth being very 10000000+ lent f10 finally had it shaved off, The belowrthe-knees growth alluded to 0000 was one of onlyseven years' duration and zt"w s Peerman's boast that he proposed to keep Ills hirsute, append- ges in good growing condition until they broke the long -mare record of the world. MICE ',MAT DANCED TO i\0TYSIO. A nice little; animal story is given in this month's Nature's Notes, which' In the year ,1834, 61 years ago this last spring, Captain . A.S. Allen, then a boy on his father's farm near Zebu- lon, Ga., stuck a mulberry sprout in the ground, At that time the sprout was not larger tban a lead pencil, and had been used by the boy as an ox " gad." To -day it is a tree almost nine- teen feet in circumference at a distance of two feet from the ground, and is said to be the largest mulberry tree in Georgia. THE HAIRY 330Y OF VINDIEQ. The greatest curiosity of Western France is a modern Esau, in the person of Leon Fernerod, the nine-year-old son raises the interesting question whetb- er mice have a fondness for musio, 01 is contributed by . a musician, ` who, says:—"One evening I was somewhat startled at bearing my piano suddenly giving forth sweet sounds, annfirentlY of its own accord. A mouse, so It prov- ed, bad got inside the instrument and, was making music onthe wires, Whether this was intentional on m011-' sie's part or not f Dan not say ; perhaps• be was trying to main a nest for ;ism- (elf there, borne years ago, however,. while the piano was being played in the dining room of my old home, sev- eral mice came out upon the hearth rug and began to jump about, appar- ently with delight at the sound of then music, and ono was, either Be absorbed or overcome by it that he allowed him-•. self to be carried away in a tongs by WORSHIP OF RANK. The Extent to Which It Is Carried by Some People 1;4 England. Idolatrous worship of rank is one of the foibles of English character. The Duke of Edinburgh when be was an admiral in command of a fleet, landed '• in naval uniform one day at a British port from a steam -launch, and was sur- of well-to-do parents, living in the lit- tle village of Vindieq. The boy was born in May, 1886, and from the day of his birth has been covered with a heavy growth of, curly, straw-colored hair. Several attempts have been made to remove this queer hirsute growth, but so far all attempts have been in vain. The boy' dislikes very much to be called " the hairy boy," and even his parents are said to be very sensi- tive on the subject. THE MOST OOYRIOUS ANIMAL. The most peculiar and remarkable animal in the world is the ornithoryn- ehus paradoxus; the famed egg -laying mammal of Australia. It is is shaped like an otter, has fur like a beaver, is web-footed like a swan, has a bill like a duck and a tail like that of a fox. It' is the only known fur -covered crea- ture that lays' eggs. A corresponding oddity among feathered bipeds would be a bird. that brought forth: its young alive. She is happy, suite happy. A sort of wonder, too, mixes with her delight. Only a few short hours ago she had left her home, free, unbetrothed, with only hope to sustain her, andnowshe isr- sty,retubound heartto it tandrsoul,eto cotbe dearest, truest man on earth, as she be- lieves. How well he loves her 1 She had no- ticed his sudden paling when she bad begged for some delay before actually naming her brydale day." Sh ebad. hardly believed his love for her was' so strong,, se earnest: even she (how could she? with tender self-reproach) had mis- judged him,—had deemec nim somewhat cold indifferent; unknowing'of the deep stratum of feeling that lay be- neath the outward calm of bis demean- or. Dear, dearest Horace! She 'will never disbelieve in him again ; be is her own now, her very own, and she loves him with all her heart, and be: loves just the same, and --Oh, if every wo- man in the world could only be as happy as she is to -day, what a glorious place it would bel Well, yes, my dear. I suppose' in a way I have; that is, I have ,•eased to hesdark inevitable and bcoarseness, of the bread; but I have hardly gained on other points, and the Bateaons are a perpetual scourge, They have de- cided on never again darkening the eburs!! door (their own words, my Not that it such a bad place, by any means, as some people would lead one to imagine. Surely these are dis- agreeable people, misanthropists, mea- og�amists, and such ,like heretics; or else poor souls1 they are in a bad strait, without present hope and, with- out any one to love them 1 This last seems, indeed, a misfortune. Yet why abuse a lovely world? How bright the dayis, how sweet and fresh the air, though evening is nigh at band 1 She hardly ever remembers a September so fine, so free from damp ; the very birds -- lead he thought her unloving or ca- pricious when she pleaded for. a longer engagement? (Here the tears rise un- bidden in her eyes,) 011, surely not; he understood her thoroughly; for had he not smiled upon ber afterward? So he. w':il always smile. There shall never be any 'cross words or angry frowns to chill their perfect love 1 Their lives will be a summer dream, a golden legend, a pure, fond idyl. Tbus beguiling time with beliefs too sweet for earthly power to grant, she hastens home, with each step, building up another story in,her.airy house until at length she carries a castle, tall and stately, into her father's house. WONDERFUL EYES OF INSECTS. The facets " of the eye -masses' of some species of insects are exceedingly numerous; insomecases, in feet, the rounded by a crowd of awe-struck ad- mirers. He sent an attendant to fetch a carriage, and gazed at the throne with undisguised amusement. An energetic newsboy, wbo did not allow the dignity of tbe royal presence to interfere with opportunities for trade,boldw aPProecli- ed the prince and asked him wnac paper he wanted. • The mince smiled and taking a paper from the newsboy tossed him a three- penny piece, waving him off when two pennies were offered in return. The prince then strode off in the direction of his carriage. Some of the spectators expressed as- tonishment at the liberty the newsboy had taken in selling. the paper td a member of the royal family with as little ceremony as though he had been a costermonger. The boy was roughly admonished that he ought to have more sense and better manners. One indig- nant person expressed the opinion that the police did not do tbeir duty in not preventing such an outrage. Another bystander, a well-dressedwo- man, followed the boy a few yards from the landing pier, and then touched him on the shoulder. ' I want the coin," she said, with eager interest, "which his royal highness has given you for the paper." I would rather keep it myself," an- swered the boy. "But I am willing to pay you well for it," said the excited woman. Well, you will have to bid high for it in order to get it." . "Here is a half-sovereign.Take it and give me the prince's coin." It was agood bargain, and the news- boy promptly handed her the coveted threepenny piece, remarking that bo had received a good deal of money for a Penny paper. The excited woman gazed at the coin as though it was a pearl of great price. It bad toughed the hand of a member of the Queen's family,and was associated with the royal presence! This is an extreme example of the deference paid to royal rank by Eng- lish people. Probably there are few subjects of the Queen so foolish as to exchange a half -sovereign for three- pence simply because the smaller coin had been handled by royalty. Tbe ob- sequious devotion to the great person- ages of the court is carried to lengths which are often incompatible with self - reseed. A story of an opposite character in which a lack of even civil deference is rudely shown, is told of a famous master of Balliol College, Oxford. He was out for a long walk, and came to a turn- pike gate where toll was demanded: f number is entirely beyond belief. Each of these separate " facets " is a perfect. eye, and they are ao arranged as to give their insect owner a command- ing ommand ing view of all the cardinal points and every conceivable intermediate direc- tion ireo- tion at one ane the same time. In the ant, the little creature which we have had so many " curious notes " concern- ing. there is not to exceed 50 facets in the great compound eye. It has been argued that this is nature's provision, because the ant s ends so much of its time underground.' This may be true, but what is the naturalist going to do about Blaps mucronata, the most sluggish of the European beetles? This last named creature spends 99 -100 - of its time in the dark, yet has 250, eye facets. Melee, another insect of simi- lar babits, has over 500 facets in each eye -mass. In certain varieties of the dragon flies the aggregate of facets in the compound. eye often exceeds 12,000. It appears to be a general rule, not- withstanding the exception sited above, that the swiftest insects bave the great- est number` of eye facets. The swift winged butterflies have from 10,000 to 17,000 in each eye -mass, and the Mordella, the swiftest and the most active known beetle (a resident ofBri- tain), has no fewer than 25,000 facets in each of . his enormous compound ayes. WEIGHING COMMON AIR (To Be Continued.) The wight of air bas often been test- ed by compressing it in receptacles by the air pump. That it really has weight when so compressed is shown by the fact that the weight of the ves- sels is increased slightly by filling them with :compressed air, and that such vessels become specifically "light- er " as soon as the air contained in them is exhausted. Many elaborate experiments on the , weight of air have proven that one cubic foot weighs 536 grains, or something less than 1 1-4 ounces. The above. experiment on the weight of air is supposed to be, made at the surface of the earth with the temperature at 60 degrees Fah-. renheit. Heated air, or air at high elevations, is muoh lighter. PERPETUAL MOTION. One hundred and twenty years ago, in 1775, the Paris Academy of Sciences. withdrew its standing reward of 500,- 000 francs which had been offered for a " perpetual motion machine." It was plainly stipulated in the offer that the machine should " be self -active; so much so, , at least, that when once set in motion it shall continue to move without the aid of external forces, and without lose of momentum, until its parts are worn out." During the year that the above reward was the stand- ing offer, thousands of men became insane over the problem. At last, at the time of the date given in thenpen- ing, the impossibility of constructing such, a machine having been demon- strated: the offer was formally with., drawn. No Government or society of standing now offers a reward for such a machine. BEARD GROWTH. Who knows what finally became of Chas. Peterman, the boarded freak of Jackson County, Missouri? Eight or ten years ago he was the proud pot- aessor of a crop of whiskers which ex- tended far below his knees, and of a mustaehe which could be thrown book over the shoulders and used as acloak. Turkey Bones as Pipe Stems. The latest thing in smokers' goods is the turkey bone pipe stem: "There's nothing like it," said an old pipe smok- er. "It is light; porous, and yields to the pressure Of the teeth. Smoke drawn through tb' .,irkey bone is cool and sweet. Thetructure is porous, and I suppose t1,..�t!the outside air ggots throe? h and tortes off the hot biting taste.There is no danger of a man i getting his tongue burned f he uses a urkey bone atom. Wild turkey uttin6 his hand into bis pocket he send that he had left his money at home. "My good man," he said to:the gate- keeper, 'it will be all right: I am the master of Balliol College." I don't . care what you are master of," said the gatekeeper, inexorably. "If you are not the master of twopence, you don't go through this gate." Rents in London and Paris. Some interesting figures concerning house rents in London and Paris have recently been published in the Tournay des Debate. It appears that in Paris . its population of 2,250,000 pays nearly as much rent as London, with twice the number of inhabitants. The 2,250,- 000 Parisians have only 83,000 dwell- ings to live in, while the number of houses that the 5,000,000 Londoners oc- cupy is nearly ten times as .many. In Paris, wherethe people live in flats, there are on an average over 270 ar- sons residing in each house. In Lon- don the average is only seven persons to a house. Yet for much less com- fort and space the Parisians have to pay little short of double the rent paid by Londoners. The total annual rent of Paris, says the Debate, is now 775,- 000,000 francs, or $155,000,000, while Lon- doners ondoners who are twice the number of Parisians, only pay $185,000,000 for far more comfortable dwelling aocommoda- tion. The average rent paid by con- doners is between $35 and $40, while in Paris it is nearly $70. Lively Fishing in Australia. Fishing in Moreton Bay, Queensland, is scarcely sport; it is a piscatorial battle. You are hauling up from the bottom, fathoms down, a burden which taxes all the strength and makes the perspiration ooze from every pore; yet it is grand fun for awhile. The fish bits fast and furious. • As your line after yielding its 'captive is, recast, it throws out coruscations of silver in its rapid descant. Soon your eye dis- cerns, fathoms deep, en almost impale- ablc flashing• to and fro as )£ a bur nishod platter were gyrating in an ed- dy ;assumes a, lovely pink hue as you bring it nearer the surface, and then in a twinkling a burly sehnapper of seven or eight pounds is flapping vig- orously and noisily ondeck, ome- times it is a fish at every haul, and under these circumstances not the least amusing part of the sport is the spectacle of a snore of exalted men jumping round a score of big fish,Whioh aro doing their best to convoy their amazement and indignation to an un- feeling world.