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The Wingham Times, 1885-08-28, Page 7OUR YOUNG FOLKS. Two Heroes, school Etany. By, patsy 'I'—, Of alk the beautiful creations of Dickens, of alt the noble and heroin forme (and there are many) which we have learned to love so well, there are two which stand alone as ex- amples of courage and heroism; yet whose pethetio hiptoriee are in no way linked to. gether, pave; as both serve as modele of sub. lime self -forgetfulness. They are Thomas Pinch and Sydney Carton. Poor, awkward, threadbare, gentle Tom Pinch! The butt of the thoughtless and ill natured, thelaughing- stook of the youngladiee;and the unconscious dupe of his employer himself; the pack -horse as it were, on whom wereheaped the burdens of other's selfishness and all the indignities and insults which cruelty and malice can suggest. And yet hie heart is so pure, so free from guile, that he suspects it not in others; but rather sees all men glorified in the light of his own lofty ideal, Some of A the sincerest martyrs have been crucified on Invisible crosses, burned by invisible flames, and it sometimes ooats-more to perftrm a simple act of self. denial than to achieve many a victory in honor of which the trumpet of fame has resounded. "The greatest battles are fought on the battle -field of the heart,* but the hero who like Tom Pinch c to con- quer his enemies her thetforoe of a pure heart and an example of unselfish devotion, ie ig- nored by thus whose tests are outward deeds of daring and acts of physical courage. Tom Pinch is not unhappy—far from it. He considers himself the moat favored of mortals for does he not enjoy the patronage of Peck - sniff himself, and has he not the opportunity of hearing the pearls of wisdom which fall from that worthy gentleman's lips? And then there is alwee s the organ in the village church where he can sit and play softly to himself when Mr. Pecksniff doss not require his services. But who can describe the an- guish of that gentle, trusting heart, when he is told that the man whom he has been accustomed to reverenoe and respect, whom he has taken as his model of all that is honorable and upright, is a scoundrel and a sneak. "The star of Tom's whole life from boyhood had become in a moment put- rid vapor. It was not that Pecksniff, Tom's Pecksniff, had ceased to exist, but that he never had exiated." His soul rises in the strong revolt with which the right must al_ ways meet the wrong; but this terrible shock to his faith in humanity in no wise tarnishes his own character. He lives on, as nobly and unselfishly as ever, crushing out of sight his dearest hopes, that no shadow of a cloud may touch the happiness of his friends. 'It is pleasant to think of him, honored and be- loved in his sister's home, where young voices whisper loving words in his ear, and gentle hands minister to his wants. Sydney Carton is a man of a different stamp. There is nothing particularly roman- tic about him, and his appearance is untidy —nay, even slovenly. We see him in the court room of the Old Bliley, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, and his wig put on just as it happened to alight on his head after its re- movalf, apparently oblivious to . everything around him.Again pacing the streets of London until far into the night, and return ing to his miserable • lodgings by the gray light of early morning to weep bitter tears over his own worthlessness.• "Sadly, sadly the sun rose; it rose upon no sadder sight than the man of good abilities and good emo- tions, incapable of his own help and his own happiness, sensible of the blight on him, and resigning himself to let it eat him away.* The years pass on, and the storm which has been threatening France at last bursts in all its fury. The tumultuous times of the French Revolution call for prompt action and physi- cal courage. Mere passive unselfishness will not save the life of a friend, and Sydney Car- p ton, all the nobility of his natute at last avowed by his deep and tender a notion for Dray Darnay, has determined to save the life of his friend—the husband of the woman he loves. The atep which he is about to take needs the concentration of all his faculties and the mustering of all the courage he pos. sesses. He may have valued his life as little as others valued it, and yet with the near prospect of death, life grows suddenly sweet, and the most miserable of God's creatures AA will cling to their wretched existenoe rather than brave the unknown terrors of eternity. In the black prison of the Conoiergerit, Charles Dernay awaits hie fate. It is not easy for him to compose himself with his be- loved wife's fade fresh in his memory. The hours pass on—eleven gone forver, twelve gone forever, one gone fon:Ver. Suddenly he is interrupted in his meditations by foot- steps outside his cell, and a man enters. It is Carton. There is a bright, attentive look on his face quite foreign to it. Darnay divines hie purpose, and, resisting him, is struck down insensible by the man who has come to lay down his life for him. The changes are quickly made, and the supposed Carton is borne out by the prison officials,'rco afflict ed," as one of thorn remake, " io find that his friend has drawn a prize in the lottery of the Sainte Guillotine." And now the hour has arrived, and the prisoners, with bound hands aro conveyed to the guillotine, that instrument of vengeance by which perished the flower of the French nobility. (f . t1 Brave and steadfast to the last, Sydney Carton passes away, and the peaceful lips seem to say ; " It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done ; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known." Marriage and Progress, A keen observer of human nature and a man of world-wide experience was heard to say recently : "There never was a time when marriage was more believed in than now. Never were wiles treated better and loved more—never were children happier than now. It is the ambition of the average individual to have a good and happy home. Our towns are filling up with pleasant and elegant homes. The fireside was never more popular than at present." It is unnecessary to say that many student of our civilization have arrived at different conclusions. There is a respectable olaas of observers who report different data, especial. ly from the great centers of population, where it is claimed the` marriage is becom- ing popular. Granting that there is an increased tenden- cy to celibacy, as civilization becomes more complex than it was in provincial times, sev- eral clauses may be found which contribute to this result. It has been currently claimed that infidel ideas are in the ascendency and that merrier nas been robbed of the sanctity which obtained in olden times. • There are students who hold that the belief that mono_ gamy is distinctively a Bible institution has much to do with its perpetuity and health- ful growth. However this may be, I believe that there are other important fedora in our civilization which must essentially regulate the number of marriages and greatly deter- mine what classes will marry. It would be interesting to have some clever disciple of Buckle unfold the question in its fullness; but I will merely outline the thought. The question to which I refer is that o - the effect of steam and this rapid transit civ ilizition upon celibacy. I aocept, in great part, the proposition of Mr. Buckle, that the price of bread governs the number of marriages in a given country. Ther a will not be many marriages where the conditions of success are difficult, and whatever renders greater the incompatibility between mar- riage sed moderate means must greatly de- crease the number of marriages. Has steam not enlarged our ideals of good living? Has it not lengthened the catalogue of our noes. sities and increased the diffieuity of obtaining an adequate matrimonial status ? Arapid glance at a long list of the new aeon pani- menta of culture, which could not ha a ex- isted previous to railroads, is sufficient to convince a casual observer that the " price of bread "—rather the price of necessities, actual or ideal -is much higher than it was fifty years ago. Parisian trousseaux may be ordered by galvanic speech and reach their destination in some distant Western, city more quickly than the old fathers could have sent their humble home -spun across a few dozen counties. Theaters have sprung up at every village of a few thousand in- habitants, Summer resorts and long bridal tours are the innovations of yesterday. Costly house decorations and rare treasures of art are brought by lightning express. Mr. Jones will not marry. The man does not care to ignore the ideal of his fellows, which have become the prevailing fashion—en- larged into necessities by the increased facilities of the age. He is now ready to complete the whole world, whose coemo- politsn customs have revolutionized old ways of liviog and even made modern economy more expensive than the luxuries of his an- cestors. Pearls and Diamonds. A London expert tells me that of old the world received each year new diamonds of about $250.000 in value on the averefge. Suddenly, from South Africa, comes a new supply, exceeding $20,000,000 worth each year for ten years. In consequence, the price of diamonds has steadily fallen from $15 to $3.75 a carat. Of course,'it is known that when they go over a comparatively insignificant number of carate diamonds take a leap into the thousands. Brazilian diamonds are very fine stones, but no stones found there, or in the South African diamond fields, are as lustrous and beautiful as the gems in the gala decorations of,;Eaat India princes, and those which have been obtained in India during the past century by conquest and purchase. These came mainly from the min, sof Colconda. The ex -Khedive of Egypt, Ismail Pasha, is said to have the finest collection of de - monde, rubies, and emeralds in the world— aggregating several hundred thousand dol - len! in value. Large rubies of a lurid, his - trona red, without a blemish, aro scarcer than big diamonds, and are consequently more valuable, Ex Queen Isabella of Spain is to have the finest pearls in the world; and the unaccount- able loss of many of the most valuable gems in the spanish crown jewola sot the tongues of Spanish courtiers going. Ki. g Alfonso, Ieabella's affectionate son, probably thinks his mamma's continued absence a pearl be- yond price. A TREAQHEROAS MURDER. Beath of the Duke of Burgttntly. The Duke of Burgundy went to the Castle of Montereau by the gate next the fields ; he summoned all the chief lords and two `hundred men at arms, together with one hundred archers, to accompany him. He had also with him the lady of Giac, who had strongly urged him to go to Montereau, say- ing that there was no treachery to be dread- ed, He was very fond of that lady, and had entrusted her, as also part of his jewels, to one of his most faithful servants, Phllip Jenequin, When Sir Tanneguy Duchatel name forward to tell him that the Dauphin was ready and waiting for him, the Duke answered that ho was coming; he then call- ed for those who were to accompany him, for- bidding all others to follow. Thus surround- ed, he went as far as the first barrier of the bridge. Then came the people of the. Dau- phin, who renew'ed all the promiess and oaths previogsly made, adding, "Co;ne to- wards my lord, who awaits you on the bridge," After these words, the duke having asked his servants whether he might safely venture on, they answered, that considering the many promises made by such notable per- sons, he had nothing to fear, and that they would try their chance with him. There- upon he moved forward, preceded by some of his attendants, and he entered the first barrier, where he found the Dauphin's men who said to him once more, "Come to my lord, he is expecting you." To this he an- swered, " I am coming t " He crossed then the second barrier, which was immediately looked behind him. Stopping there he saw Sir Tanneguy Duohatel, whom he touohed in friendly guise on the shoulder, saying at the same time to my lord Saint George and to others of his people, " Here is the man whom I trust ' He thus moved on to the Dauphin, who was leaning on abarrier, armed cap et -pie, and girt with hie sword. The duke knelt on the ground in an attitude of respect, bowing moat humbly to the Dru- phin; but tills one answered without showing any sign of friendship, reproaching the Duke for not having joined:in the war against the English, and not having withdrawn his sol- diers from the garrison as he said he would. Then Sir Robert de Loyre took him by the right arm and said, " R'se my lord, you are only too honorable." The Dake of Burgundy had also his sword on ; when he knelt down the weapon was somewhat backward, and as he moved his hand to bring it in front, Sir Robert de Loyre exclaimed " Do you dare lay hand on your sword in the presence of my lord the Dauphin ? ' At these words Sir Tanneguy Duchatel drew near; it is report - e 1 that he made a sign and saying, " It id time 1" he struck the Duke of Burgundy with an axe he held in his hand so violently that be made him fall on his knees. When the Dame felt him:elf wounded he endeavored to draw his sword and defend his life, but immediately others struck him down, leav- ing him for dead, and quickly a man, nam- ed Oliver Leyet, assisted by Pater Frothier, plunged his sword into the Duke's stomach underneath his hauberk. The Mystic Power. There is a subtle, mysterious influence about some persons that is truly remarkable. One of the singular features about it is that those possessing it have little or no control over it, and those affected by it have no power to resist it. What this power is or whence it comes, is the mystery. It is generally believed that mind has in- fluence over mind, independent of the will of the person concerned. A great many say they can feel the pressure of certain ones without seeing or knowing they are near, while almost everyone is more or less affect- ed by tee pressure of others, either strangers or friends. Thus it may be traded down to what is generally called like and dislike. The plain truth is that there is often less mutual affection between comparative strangers. It is generally supposed that twins are devotedly attached to each other, but such is not the case. Even the Siamese Twins were constantly quarrelling, and had it bean pos- sible to get away from each other, would have done so most cheerfully. Occasionally twin•brothers are found who apparently are only happy in each other's presence. Such instances are rare, however. So?entiata call h magnetism, spiritualists say it is the affinity of the soul, but those who have it do not bother themselves about its nature or cause, being satisfied w.th the effeot. It is the same influence that renders proaohers, actors, and leoturers popular. To think that the success of therm before the pub- lic is due to what they say, or the way they say it, is a mistake, It is this mystic pow- er, and it makes little difference about the elocution, the quality of voice, or the nature of the discourse. Solite of the popular actors have moat marked defects in their voices. The uncultured preacher, one who has never seen the inside of a college, very often preaches all around those who aro accounted profound scholars. Those preachers who aro noted revivalists possess this power in a greater or lose degree, according as they are more or less successful. It is said Dr. Sunderland, the elder, was so wonderfully endowed with ye power, that he quit preaching en acoount of it. He feared that persons were drawn into the folds of the church by his influence who did not realise what they were doing. fIe is said to have been able to direot aotiona of portione. simply through will power, and that without the aid of words or signs. Henry Ward Beecher is filled with the same power, but not to as great a degree as Dr, Sunderland, He has the faculty, how- ever, of transmitting it to the written page, so that those who read may feel his influence as well as those who see and hear hirtt. The question that arises just here is whether it isgood to possess such power or to be influenced by it. There are plenty of instances where it has done a great deal of harm. It is the strength of the libertine the chief agent of the conspirator, and the talisman of arch deceivers. This does not prevent it from being pro- ductive of good results. It is the power of God to influence the wicked, and that which renders music churning and social inter- course agreeable, It is not at all strange that occasionally it should be turned to an evil purpose. Bad uses aro made of things given to support life, but that does not ren- der those things unfit for proper use. It is the use to which means are put, and not the means, that is evil. This mystic power is as much a gift as any of the special talents, and its exercise no more sinful than that of the other gifts, if only exercised properly. It is not love, but it is often mistaken for it. This is a serious misteke, and one that is very difficalt to correct, One of its pecu- liarities is that it is not mutual. The preen who possesses it to such an extent as to be able to greatly influence others rarely feels drawn towards those who are attracted by it In instances where it is mutual it forms a strong bond, but where it is one-sided it is very unreliable. It is the secret of the conjurer's spell, the mind -reader's skill, and spiritualist's power. To be effective these must possess it t', ex- cess, in whioh case it becomes a dangerous thing, as it glees them control over rot only the physical life of persons but also over their soul life, The Mourning gowns. Mrs. Gen. Grant's costume is made of the finest Henrietta cloth and heaviest crape. The skirt is of crape, perfectly plain. The overskirt is draped very long on the left side, with a heavy crape revers, raised to the right side. Postilion waist, with a Ierape fichu from the throat to the waist, finished at both ends with a crape bow. Collar and cuffs of crape. The bonnet ie poke shape, with a long orape veil that reaches to the bottom of the dress. Mrs. Fred. D. Grant's dress is he wily trimmed with crape. The skirt is made with a deep kilo plaiting with three bands of crape. Long drapery on right side, raised very high on the left, and faced with broad bands of crape, folds running down the left side. Pretty draped back, raised very high in the centre, forming two graceful points, The waist has a broad fichu of crape gathered in at the waist, with a belt ooming from be- neath two revers of crape. The collar and cuffs are also trimmed with crape, A close - fitting bonnet, with long crape veil. Mrs. Sartoris's dress is made Henrietta skirt, with two plaitings, with band of crape on each. Overskirt raised very high on both sides, falling very low in the front, which has two bands of crape down the cen- tre. Two jabots lined with crape form the back drapery of overskirt. The waist has a very full fichu of crape, with two revers lined with crape. She will wear a close -fitting bonnet and crape veil. Mrs. Jesse Grant's dress is a kilted skirt with bands of Henrietta and crape running lengthwise, a short draped overskirt, with loops of crape forming pocket pieces on each side. The drapery, falling low on the left side, is raised high on the right, combining into graoeful folds in the bank. Waist is a plain postilion, with jabot from the neck to the waist. C tllar and cuffs of crape. She also wears a close -fitting bonnet with orape veil. Why He Obtainsd a Substitute. A very good story was told the other day of a young man painfully conscious of an exterior scarcely worthy of his character. Accompanied bythe young woman he had married, he stepped into a photographer's and drew the artist aside. He wanted their " piotur's" taken, but had a epecial favor 1 to ask. " Her folks," he exclaimed, "go a good deal on style. They never saw me, and. if I send them my face they'll be dead agin me. I'm a sight better than I look, and, when people Dome, to know me, they vote me a brink. Now then, what do you say? Will you stand in? Sao's willing. Those big whiskers of yours'll take them at once and create harmony. You look like a solid capitalist, and they'd take me for a petty larceny thief 1" Of course thephotograph- er could not refuae a favor so flatteringly proposed, and the distant relatives, no doubt, in duo timo,were gratified with his portrait side by side with that of the young lady, Every human boing is either a helper or hinderer to his fellow -mon, e/ea se-steels; GARNERED WiTTIQISM$. 1 Peru used to be more like an old job prints ing press than she is now, whenshe had her Incas, "A good base -ball player gets a better salary than the governor at Rhode Island,' Well, he has a larger field to work in. Love may be blind, ae all old poets have sung in unieon,lbut there 1e no authenticated instance of young Love kissing his grand. mother by mistake, Au exchange wonders how all the lawyers get a living. They don't bother; that is to say, half of turn don't get a living although they are dying to do it. You cannot blame a German for his fond- nese for lager. A language which calls for each an awful strain oa the throat as his does is the party to censure. " You don't mean to say that you wish your wife would turn into a pillar of salt?" "Not exa'otly, but—" "But what?" "I wish she wasn't quite so peppery." She—How quiet you are to-dayl You have scarcely spoken a word. He—Hush, my darling. Don't you underatand? I'm —I'm "unepeakably happy 1" A fly is said to have the ability to jump two hundred times its own length. One may therefore readily see how futile the attempt must be to strike a fly when the latter is in practice. Although we don't see Judge Lynch, he must be hanging round somewhere, for the statistical man of an esteemed contemporary reports that r.•inety-nine people thas far have been provided with free executions. Clara—I had a lovely compliment paid me laat evening by Mr. Featherly. Ethel—Nal What was it, Clara? Clara —He spoke of my hands. e e said I had the hands of a Venus de Mito, Wasn't it sweet in him ? Things one would rather have left unsaid : She—Would you mind putting my lawn tennis shoes in your pocket, Mr. Green? He —I'm afraid my pockets are hardly big enough, Miss Gladys ; but I shall be delight- ed to carry them for you. A man never finds out what a contemptible man his wife has married until he begins -to hint that a 75 -cent straw hat for himself and a $17 bonnet for her own use hardly seems a fair way of dividing the money hebad saved towards the expenses of a summer vacation. A young woman now serving out a sentence, for burglary ie, jell has received several offers of marri ige from apparently respectable , oung men, two of whom are farmers. They evidently think that the sentence of the judge was not sufficient punishment for the girl's crime. Spanish soldiers are encour ged to play on the guitar. The government realizes that the boldest enemy would shrink from encountering an army with go tars. Be- sides, while practicing, the Spanish (oldie r forget how long it is since they received any pay. " That boy of yours is not adapted for the undertaking business," explained the under- taker to the boy's fatter, who inquired why he had been discharged. "What's the trouble with him?" "He hasn't a realizing sense of what is due the sfflieted. Day be fore yesterday Mrs. B. buried her fourth husband. I sent the boy up to learn at what hour she wished the eFremony to take place, and he asked her what her regular time of clay was for burying husbands, I expect to lose her trade entirely." How He Saved Himself. About three years ago, I was working nn a five story brick building in New York city. The scaffold which I was working on was near to the top story. Well, as I was bang- ing away at my work, I became conscious of a swaying motion. I had just time to look e up and take in the situation at a glance, when the scaffold began to give way beneath me. Instinctively I threw up my hands and clutched the end of a rope which was hang- ing above my head, when the whole thing fell to the ground with a crash, leaving me suspended in midair. Here was a situation calculated to try the nerves of any man. Seventy-five feet from the ground with noth- ing to sustain me but asmall rope, Glancing at the pilo of rubbish below me, I realized that should either the rope or my muscles give out and should I fall on that debris scatterea below, the shook produced would j r my system terribly, This I determined to avoid, and I was not long in forming a plan to save myself from an awful fall. I let go the rope, and—" The crowd breathed hard. " Yer don't mean ter say that yer fell all that distance 'Ultra hurtin' yerself ?" " No, sir ; I let go and fell till I came op- posite the second story window---" " An' what dyer do then ?' " Jumped in at the window." The crowd breathed freer. " Didn't it take yer breath away to fall so' far ? " inquired one. "No ; bet as the morning was a chilly one I had put a bran new coat on. After I had jumped into the window I looked for my coat but found that of it I had only three button -holes :eft The remainder had been torn off by the projections of the building as I was making my descent."