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i^jfatSfaj-'V^te'al!^—
Golden Locks.
The Story of a Switch.
"What do I know about such mat
ters said Squire Postlethwaite,rump
Iing up his Saxon Brown hair into a
crest on the very top of his head.
The Squire was standing in the mid
dle of the sunny sitting-room—a room
aglow with wreaths of autumn leaves
and blossoming geraniums, with a wood
fire on the hearth, which exalted a
faint piny perfume from the resinous
logs which were crackling there, and
the biggest tortoise-shell cat in New
Jersey asleep in front of the blaze.
And the Squire's wife was balancing
herself on tiptoe to sew a button on his
shirt bosom—a malicious button which
had llown olf without the slightest pre
vious notice, a very Mephistopheles in
motherol-pearl. The Squire was tall
and big and easily wheedled the
Squue's better half was round and
petite and possessed of a good deal of
feminine diplomacy and, as a matter
of course, Mrs. Postlethwaito con
tmeici.
"01'. my ch\ir,it*s the simplest thing
in ti't YurkV said she.
*'P»T it's so peifectly absurd!" per
sisted the Squire. "The klea of my
gome into one of those Broadway places
and raking tor—a switch!'"
"it's dune eveiy day my dear,** said
Mrs. Postlethwaite, dettly breaking
the thread. "And really, my hair is
getting so thin, what with crimping
and tri77ing aud everybody else wears
a false braid, or a bunch of curls, or
something, and 1 am positively singu
lar without one. And I wouldn't
mind waiting until I go up to town in
January, if it wasn't for Fanny Les
lie's charade paity. Every body will
be theie and of course you want me to
look as well as any one else, don't you
dear
The Squire could not gainsay this
leading proposition. He had married
a prettv young country girl for love,
and duriug all the five years of their
wedded lite the torch had burned clear
upon the altar of his heart.
"Of course I do he replied, heart
ily.
•'Then you'll bring me the switch,
won't you."' coaxed Mrs. Postleth
waite.
"Ti it roust be, I suppose it must
be," assented the Squire, with a
grimace.
And when he drove off to the depot,
he carried in a pocket case next to his
heart, a lock of his wife's flaxen hair
—not as a keepsake, but as a sample.
Thirty-six inches long, at least,'"
Mrs. Postlethwaite called after him.
"And crimped a little at the top, if it's
not charged extra for."
Squire Postlethwaite didn't go to
the city "every day. As a general
thing, his peach farm in New Jersey
occupied the most of his time and at
tention: but when he did mingle with
the gay metropolitan world, he re
solved to enjoy himself to the utmost.
So he engaged" a room at the most ex
pensive and aristocratic hotel he could
find, visited the Academy of Desiga,
where lie didn't understand the pic
tures at all, and went in the evening
to the theatre, where he cried over
the tragedy, and laughed his vest but
tons off at "the brisk little comedy that
served as an afterpiece, and was a lit
tle abashed at the ballet. And it is
most probable that he would have
forgotten his wife's commission en
tirely if, in the process of searching
his pocket case for a note which he
was to present for payment at a city
bank the next day, he hadn't chanced
to come across a tress of shining gold.
"Hallo!" said the Squire, smiting
his knee with one hand, "here's Pol
ly's hair! And I must go and buy the
switch to-morrow, or there'll be the
deuce and all to pay."
He went that afternoon to dine with
old Mr. Ponsonby at Delmonico's—for
the Squire had all a child's delight in
gilding and fresco and lights. Old
Mr. Ponsonby rather discouraged the
switch business when, over their
modest bottle of claret, the Squire
broached his proposed errand of the
following morning.
"I wouldn't," said old Mr. Ponsonby,
shaking his head.
"Wouldn't?" echoed the Squire.
"Why not?"
"It's running a great risk," said Mr.
Ponsonby, oracularly. I'm told that
yellow fever and small-pox,. and all
that sort of thing, are disseminated to
an alaiming extentjthrough themediunr
of false hair."
Squire Postlethwaite opened wide
his eyes and mouth.
They cut off the hair of hospital
cases, and sell it to pay expenses, yon
gee," added Mr. Ponsonby, lowering
his voice.
"No interrogated the Squire.
"Fact," nodded the old gentleman.
"And, besides, they import a deal of
it from foreign countries, where the
people are in no wise noted for clean
liness or health."
"Never heard of such a thing in my
life," asseverated Squire Postleth
waite.
"And the only way to be quite sure
about what you're buying is to see it
cut from the human head yourself,"
asserted Mr. Ponsonby, peeling a ba
nana.
"But I don't see how it can be done,"
hesitated the Jersey peach farmer.
"T don't either," said Mr. Ponson
by, "and that's the reason I advise
you to drop the whole thing."
Squire Postlethwaite shook his head
mildly. It was all very well for Mr.
Ponsonby to be thus lavish with his
counsel, but Mr. Ponsonby didn't know
how it was himself. He wasn't a mar*
lied man. His wite hadn't charged
him with a particular commission,and
wasn't expectantly wa|tinjgJor him at
home. $
"Let Mrs. Postlethwaite be satisfied
with her own hair," urged Mr. Pon
sonby, nibbling at an olive.
"Women are never satisfied," said
the Squire, gloomil}.
"Then let her learn the lesson of
contentment."
"Women never learn," said the
Squire.
But he recalled his friends good ad
vice the next day, when ho walked
into M. Emile Dupignac's "Centennial
Hair Emporium."
M. Dupignac rubbed his hands as he
hurried behind the plate-glass counter
and begged olandly to know "in what
he could have the happiness to serve
monsieur."
"I want a switch," said Squire Pos
lethwaite, a little uneasy under the
bright-eyed regards of M. Dupignac's
ten "sales-ladies," who were dressed
rather more splendidly than his Polly,
even in her church-going attire, and
wore gUttering jewelry, which our
honest ifquire believed to be real and
of great price—"and it must be of
this color," holding up the cample,
"and one yard long."
M. Dupignac critically surveyed the
lock, with his head first on one side
and then on the other.
"It is of a color truly ravishing,"
said he. "But neveitheles-s 1 flatter
myself that I can match it."'
And he biiskly opened a drawer full
of long switches, neatly packed in nar
row pasteboard boxes, and odorous of
camphor, and whisked out a mass of
pale rippling gold, which he held up
to the sunlight with Polly's lock laid
against it.
"Nature itself!" cried M. Dupignac,
theatrically.
"No, you don't"' said the Squire,set
ting his teeth together like a steel
trap.
"Comment?" demanded M. Dupig
nac.
"Put up that thing,"' said Squire
Postlethwaite, "and shut the drawer."
"Monsieur would wish it a shade
lighter?" queried the Frenchman. "Or
perhaps darker? Vraiuient. it is a mere
matter ot taste."
"Monsieur don't want any of that
sheared-off trash," said the Squire,
laconically.
M. Dupignac drew himself up with
Napoleanic dignity. "Monsieur will
perhaps allow me to assure him," said
he, "that there is no better stock than
mine upon this con-ti-nent."
"I'm not quite so green as to swal
low every thing I hear, if I do come
from the country," s^iid the Squire,
composedly. "Shut up that drawer. I
say. None of your second-hand scar
let fever and small-pox for me. None
of your dead people's clippings out of
the hospitals."
"But, monsieur—" gesticulated the
Frenchman.
"I tell you," roared Squire Postleth
waite waxing noisy as he became more
in earnest, "I won't buy a single soli
tary spear of hair, unless 1 know where
it comes from. I'll see it cut myself,
or I'll let it severely alone.'"
M. Dupignac's momentary expres
sion of dismay and perplexity gave way
to an instantaneoito illumination of the
facial muscles.
"By all means, by all means, if mon
sieur wishes it." cried he, fitting the
five fingers of one hand against the five
fingers of the other. Monsieur shall be
satisfied. I court publicity. I—Laure!"
—to one of the extravagantly dressed
shop girls—"where, then, is that poor
girl that was here this morning, wish
ing to sell her hair?—the girl with les
cheveux d'or, the head of real gold
that takes its burnish in the sunshine?
Does she still wait, Laure
Mademoiselle Laure was not quite
certain as to that, but she had the
yonng person's address. The young
person should be immediately sent
for.
"Let her be summoned at once,"
said M. Dupignac, with a wave of the
hand, as if he was a monarch, issuing
a royal mandate. "And," with a sec
ondary sweep of the arm toward a vel
vet upholstered chair—"if monsieur
will honor us by waiting bat a few sec
onds his undeserved doubts shall all be
set at rest."
"Seeing is believing," said Squire
Postlethwaite, cavaliexly. And he sat
down, softly whistling "Bonnie Dun
dee," and staring steadfastly out of the
window.
In about fifteen minutes there was a
little bustle of arrival in the next
room. M. Dupignac lifted a Notting
ham lace curtain which sheilded the
glazed upper half of the door of com
munication, and placing his finger on
his lip with a truly French gesture,
pointed to a lovely blue-eyed young
girl, dressed in faded and shabby gar
ments, but the magnificent pale yel
low hair floating like a glory down
over her shoulders.
"By Jove'." ejaculated the Squire,
"that's a splendid head of hair
M. Dupignac shrugged his shoulders.
"She offered to sell it to us this morn
ing," said "but we had not then
an opportunity to dispose of it. It is
to succor her needy mother,poor lamb!
They are poor but respectable."
"You know them, then questioned
the Squire.
"I know them well. Ah," added
M. Dupignac, sentimentally, "how
one has pity for the poor
"I'll buy it," promptly interrupted
Squire Postlethwaite. "There's no
danger of any scarlet fever or small
pax there. She's as fresh as a rose
and as clear as a pink. What will it
cost?"
"Lok at the tlckness! look at the
length of that chevelure!" cried the
ecstatic Frenchman. "It is cheap—
positively dirt cheap—at fifty dollars.
But to secure monsieur's custom—"
"I'll take it," said the Squire, with
alacrity.
M. Dupignac motioned to Madem
oiselle Laure. Mademoiselle Laure
tapped a tiny silver call-bell, and a,
white aproned man in the next room,
who looked like a barber in disguise,
went ruthlessly at work shearing: away
the long yellow locks. As one py one
he dropped them into a flat yillow
basket at his side, the girl pijt her
pocket-handkerchief to her eyes and
visibly sobbed. I
"Poor girl! poor child!" said Squire
Postlethwaite, feeling an uncomfort
able sensation of tightness in the Region
of his heart. "It's a shame—bubthen,
if she's compelled to part with it, may
as well buy as any one else. Here,vou
monsieur, just give her this ten-dollar
bill over and above the bargain. I can't
endure to see a pretty girl cry—never
could." Which,if the reader pauses to
reflect, made Mrs. Postlethwaite's
switch come very dear.
However, the Squire trudged off,
with the yellow treasure neatly pack
ed in one of the long pasteboard boxes.
For ho sat and waited for it tp be
woven into a stem, sooner than he in
any wise deceived by any article that
was not the genuine one.
"At all events," chuckled the Squire
to himself, "I've outgeneraled^ the
New Yorkers this time. I've proved
to 'em I'm not- to be put off with the
trimmings of their hospital, nor any of
their trashy imported stuff, briiuful
of shipfever and infection. To be
sure, it has cost a good deal, bit 1
don't believe Polly will grudge the
price when she hears all about it."
This was Squire Postlethwaite's last
day in the great metropolis, and to
ward afternoon he completed hi3 va
rious errands to his entire satisfaction,
and started off down Cortlandt Street
on a brisk walk to take the four-o'clock
train, which would land him within a
few miles of his beloved peach farm,
when, all of a sudden, emerghg from
a narrow side street, whom should lie
meet' but the golden-haired damsel
who had cried so meltingly at haying
her tresses cut away that self-same
morning in the Centennial Hair Em
porium And at the same moment,
with a little bob of a courtesy, [the
golden-haired damsel proved to kim
that the recognition was mutual.
"It is!" cried the Squire, dropping
two or three bundles in his bewil fer
ment."' "No, it isn't! Yes, it is!"
For the race and eyes and pretty lit
tle childish dimples on cheek and nn
were the same, but, lo and behol i! a
luxuriant braid of aureate hair, yas
coiled around and around the head
der the natty little felt hat with
bluebird's wing.
"I'm much obliged for the ten
lars, Sir," said the girl. "Gentle
isn't generally so liberal."
"B-but your hair?" stuttered our
Squire, scarcely able to credit the
evidence of his own senses.
"Oh dear, Sir, it wasn't my hair1 q«
all," said the girl. "It's just a lot that
M. Dupignac keeps on, hand, mounted
on invisible netting, and it aint clip
ped off at all, only loosened from the
net by a hook on the end of the scis
sors. Some of the customers likes it
cut direct from the head—gentlefolks
has all sorts of whims and M. Dupig
nac keeps me for a hlonde, and Mary
Ann Perkins for a brunette. Ve rolls
up our own hair boy fashion, and it
don't show unless you get veiy close.
I wouldn't have told on him, nsither,"
with a little toss of the head) "if it
hadn't been for his wanting to crib
all the extra ten dollars for himself."
Squire Postlethwaite drew,a long
breath. He began to to pain
fully conscious that he liiid not
"outgeneraled" the city peopleso com
pletely as he had imagined, alter all.
Should he go back, he asked himself,
to M. Dupignc's Centennial Har Em
porium, and punch the head (f that
distinguished foreigner or (should
he report the whole matter at police
headquarters? or—perhaps best and
most sensible course of all—shculd he
take the original purposed fouroclock
train, go back to the Jersey peach
farm, and keep his own counsel for
ever and a day
Squire Postlethwaite
favor of the latter
He went home with
switch in its box, gave it to Polly
with a kiss, and never told her of his
adventure.
decidid in
propesition.
his
(?olden
And to this day she dosen't knov
how much it cost. "Where ignorance
is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise."
Valor.
A few miles north of Tecumseb,
Mich., there is a brick school-house,
wherein reigns a muscular young
schoolmistress. She induced the trus
tees to brighten the dingy walls witl
new paper, and warned the subjects o:
her little realm that they must not de
face it. One young lady willfully and
repeatedly ornamented the new wall
paper with splashes of ink and inartis
tic penmanship.
The school was dismissed, the cul
prit detained, the door locked, and the
ferule brandished. The pupil struck
back,and a hand-to-hand conflict raged.
A brother and sister of the young
rebel 'ran home and summoned two
indignant parents to the scene of war.
The door was unlocked, the father
breathed out threateningsandslaught
er tthe mother rolled up her sleeves,
seized the arm of the schoolmistress,
and was on the point of beating and
biting her, when lo! a champion of the
oppressed entered.
It was a beautiful young gentleman
who had driven up in a sleigh to in
vite the teacher to go with him to a
concert in the village that evening.
He separated the combatants, glared
at the father, put the schoolmistress
in the "cutter," and drove away over
the hills and dales. After the concert
he gave her a seven-shooter, and bade
Iter defend herself in future like a
A Stranger In the School.
On a warm day a large school of boys
and girls were conning over their les
sons. The teacher tried hard to keep
order, to make all take to their studies,
to help those who needed aid, and to
make all happy. He opened the doors
and windows to give them fresh air
but all would not do. Some felt dis
couraged with their lessons, some felt
sleepy, some felt cross, and everything
seemed to drag and linger. By and by
the heavy tread of a foot on the door
step was heard, and,without knocking,
in walked a hard-faced man, some
what old in years, but with a firm step.
The children at first, felt afraid of him,
but they soon found that beneath his
hard looks there was a bright eye, a
pleasant smile, and a kind heart. But
instead of sitting down and staring at
the school, he sat down by the s^de of
one of the little girls who was trying in
vain to get her spelling lesson. There
were tears of discouragement in her
eyes.
"Well, what's the matter with ouv
little one?"
0 sir, I can't get my lesion. It's so
long, and the words are so hard. I can
never learn them
"Let us see. How many woids are
there in one column
"Fifteen, sir."
"And how many columns your les
son
"Three, sir."
"Very well. That makes forty-five
words to be learned. How many of these
are easy so that you can spell 1 hem at
once Count them.''
"Twenty-five, sir."
"Then you have twenty left which
you call hard. Now take the first one,
look at it sharp, see every letter in it,
count the letters, see just how the
word looks. Now shut your eyes and
see if you can still see just how the
word looks. Spell it over softly to
yourself. There, now you spelled it
right. Now do so with the next word,
and the next, till you have them all."
0 sir that is very easy. I can get
my lesson now."
Then the visitor went to a boy who
was puzzled over a sum in'arithmetic.
He was discouraged and almost cross.
"Let us see. What's the matter
here?"
"This sum, sir! I can't do it. and
every sum grows harder and harder.
It seems as if the man who made the
book tried to see how hard sums he
could put down."'
"I see. Now what's the rule by
which this sum is to be done Repeat
it. Very well, only you have not said
it quite right. Turn to it, and see.
There, now.you left out one important
link. You understand the rule. Try
tho
S
um now, putting in the part you
left out."
•O sir it's easy now. I see, and I
can do them all."
"Yes but you must not be thinking
about your ball, and kite, and play.
You must give all your mind to the
thing you are studying, and th it
will be'easy."
The stranger next sat down by a boy
who was trying to commit the declen
sion of a noun in the Latin grammar.
Over and over he had repeated it, but
alas he could not make the memory
hold it. He was ready to throw down
the book.
"Hold there, my boy Don't look so
discouraged. Take your pen and care
fully write down that declension. See
how every word is written, and what
letter ends every case. There now, is
every one right Yes! Well, shut
your grammar, turn over your paper,
and on the other side write it all over
again from memory. So How
many mistakes have you made
"Two, sir."
"Very well. Put away that bit of
paper, get another, and try it again,
till you can write it without a single
mistake. You can say it then for
writing will fix it in the memory."
Thus he went from seat to seat, and
helped all. The scholars forgot the
heat. They all bad their lessons the
teacher smiled and praised them, and
all were very happy. Just as he was
leaving, the teacher thanked the
stranger, and hoped he would soon call
again.
"Oh," said he, "just send for me at
any time, and I will come and give
any one a lift."
"Pray, sir, by what name shall we
ask for you?"
"Mr. Hardstudy, sir, at yeur ser
vice'"—[John Todd.
Price of a Wife.
In the marriage market an Indian
civilian used to be reckoned as worth
£300 a year, dead or alive. Allen's In
dian Mail observes that the nomina
value of Bombay civilians now bids
fair to rise yet higher, although the
real value will remain much as it was,
in view of the growing cheapness of
money. Owing to the flourishing
state of their widow's fund, it has
been proposed that £400 instead of £300
per annum,should be the pension grant
ed to all ladies who come on the fund as
widows after the 1st of July, 1876.
This, says an Indian journal, will be
equal to a marriage settlement, in the
ordinary manner, of £12,000 in Con
sols—a sum which not one man in
twenty, belonging to the upper, middle
and professional classes, is able to set
tle on his wife when he marries. A
counter proposition, which is even
more liberal than the original one, is
also going round for signatures, to the
effect that all the widows now on the
fund should also get the increased pen
sion, and to this amendment there is
said to be little or no oposition.
As widows on the Bombay Civil
Fund forfeit half their pensions if
they marry again, it follows that each
one of these ladies who take unto her
self a second husband will have £200 a
year to help in- keeping up her new
home. That sum is equal to a settle
ment of £6,000 or so, in the Consols,
and it is not every lady, whether
widow or maid, who can command so
useful a dowry. Thus the new regu
lation will not only raise the value of
Bombay civil servants as husbands,
but also of the widows they leave be
hind them.
Heavy Salaries.
New York Correspondence Cincinnati E'quirer.
Take a walk with me any day in the
centres of the financial, insurance,
commercial, and manufacturing inter
ests, and I could point out a score or
two of men whose salaries are over
850,000, many more who receive over
S25,000 per year, and hundreds whose
income from salary alone runs irom
85,000 to &20,000. Not by any means
does the remuneration depend upon
educational advantages. On the eon
trary, some of the highest-piic«-d
officials are s«-li made men with good
common 'cart-horse sense." Away up
town is the Supeiintendent of a large
sugai-ielineiy whose salary is $50,000
per \ear. Many years ago he came
here a poor German sugar-refiner, and
worked for day's wages. He was fer
tile in genius, experimented a great
deal, and made valuable discoveries in
the refinery process. He was rapidly
promoted in salary and position, and,
when he received and was about to ac
cept a salary of $25,000 fiom a rival
renneiy, he was offered $50,000 to
remain. In the brewer inter
est I recall peisons whose [salaries run
away up into the thousands. Two
managers of large breweries in|this city
and neighborhood are paid $25,000
each, five are paid $15,000 each, and
seven receive $10,000 per year. Many
of our railroad officials receive princely
salaries. Jewett,Receiver of the Erie,
gets $50,000 Toucey, Superintendent
of the New York Central & Hudson
River Railroad, it is said,receives$20,
000 the General Manager of the Penn
sylvania Railroad is credited with re
ceiving $75,000 the "head man" of
the New York & Boston is paid $35,
000, while few General Managers of
leading Eastern roads receive less than
$20,000. The bank Presidents receive
enormous sums. At least six leceive
$50,000 per year each nine range
fvom $25,000 to $30,000 and a number
gets from $10,000 to 15,000. The same
is true of the steamship interest—a
large number of the higher officials
pocketing all the way from $10,000 to
§30,000 per year for their services to
the corporations they represent. Life
and fire insurance furnishes a field of
great expectations on the part ot those
who aspire to become President and
Secretaries of companies. The Com
panies have always been shy of expos
ing the sums paid their chief officials.
Forrunately our Legislature took the
matter into consideration, and forced
the leading Companies to give the in
formation desired. Eighteen compan
ies responded very reluctantly. Three
Presidents received $30,000 or over
per year, three $15,000 or over, three
$12,000, and the balance run from $3,
000 to $11,807. Mr. Hyde, of the Equit
able Life,has had a "rich placer"' since
1859,when he began at $1,000. In the
past eighteen years he has received
$485,905.
The Public Debt.
Following is the statement showing
the condition of the public debt at the close
of March:
Six per cent, bonds.$ 934,877,050
Five per cent, bonds 703,366,650
Four and a half per
cent, bonds 500,000,000
Total coinbonds $1,688,143,700
Lawful money debt.® 14,000,000
Matured debt 6,062,390
Legal tenders 362,721,296
Certificates of de
posit 35,155,000
Fractional currency 23,440,512
Coincertificates.... 48,279,400
Total without interest $ 469,596,208
Total debt $2,177,802,298
27.C29.977
Total interest.
Cash in Treasury
Coin $
86,818,285
8,184,863
Currency
Special deposits
held for re
demption ofcer
tificates of de
posit
35,155,000
Total in Treasury $ 130,158,14*
Debt less cash in Treasury.... $2,088,781,143
14,107,016
Decrease of debt during Marc"
Decrease of debt since June 30,
1876
Bonds issued to Pacific railroad
cempanie?, interest payable in
lawful money—principal out
standing
Interest accrued and not yet paid
Interest paid by the transporta
tion ot mails, etc
Balance of interest paid by the
tj!**«*t*-i*-
th *&is
24,765,218
64,623,512
969,352
8,044,094
UnitedStates 25 974,829
Appended to the statement is the following:
"The large reduction ot the public debt, as
shown by this statement arises from the can
cellation and destruction ot the balance ot the
6 per cent, bonds ot the funded loan ot 1881,
held in trust lor the payment ot awards made
bv the Court ot Commissioners ot the Alabama
Claims, as provided by the 16th section ot the
act of June 23d. 1874, viz: 17,150,000, the
balance of the original investment off 15,500,
000, and $2,403,800,representing the accrued
interest thereon. The ooinage ot the mints ot
the United States during the month of March,
was: Gold, $5,873,000 trade dollars, 1896,
000 silver change, $1,674,000 total number
ot pieces struck, 8.616,650 tot*, value gold
»nd silver, $8,445,000."
The Louisiana Commission.
The Louisiana Commission, com
posed of Messrs. Lawrence, Brown, Hawley,
Harlan and MacVeigh held their first meet
ing at New Orleans on the 6th. Judge Law
rence was ehosen chairman and Gen. Hawley
Secretary. Informal calls were made by the
Commission upon Packard and Nicholls, and
the question ot uniting the two legislatures
was discussed, but no real business trans
acted.
The Louisiana Commission met a
joint committee Irom tbe Nicholls Legislature
on the 7th, but the conference was secret.
The committee made a detailed verbal state
ment ot status of the government, giving a
number of parishes and officials that had.
acknowledged allegiance to the Nicholls gov
ernment, and will, at a future interview, pre
sent documentary facts. When the Demo
cratic committee retired Packard's Supreme
Court Judges were admitted to the parlor and
begun their argument as to tbe status ol their
case. At three o'clock District Judges Marks,
Cole and Hunter, for the 4th, 5th and 9th
Judicial Districts of the State, each elected on
the liepublican ticket, had a long interview
with the Commission, and emphatically de
clared the sentiment of their di&tricts to be in
favor of the Packard government. These
three districts embrace eleven parishes with a
total population of 13'),694. An exciting in
terlude Jin the interview was the cross-exam
ination of Judge II. A.Hunter who was asked,
"Who did you vote lor?" "For Governor
Nicholls." Who did you vote for for Presi
dent?" "Tilden." How long have you
been a Democrat?" "All my life I was
born a Democrat right in this State, and ex
pect to die a Democrat." Why do you now
desert the Democratic party and support Mr.
Packard Because the Democratic party
has leit me, and does notprotect the rights of
citizens, but advocates murder, and I do not
approve of murder, and because I believe
Packard was squarely elected, and a majority
of white peeple of my district, Rapides,
Grant and Vernon parishes prefer him for
Covernor."
A Miracle Explained.
P. E. liusse 1 in the Boston Watchman.
A case of remarkable cure came un
der my observation in Manchester,
Mass., about 1850, while I was pastor
of the Baptist Church in tfiat place.
There was a worthy man and Avife in
church by the name of Day. They had
an interesting and bright little boy,ten
or twelve years of age. He came into
the house one day from school and
play, crying from pain in his hip and
leg. The family physician, having
been called in, sj oke of the case as a
serious one, and directed that the pa
tient be kept in bed, and quiet as pos
sible. Day after day, and week after
week, he called, applied his various
remedies, and took the special pains to
keep the little sufferer quiet and still.
The leg was drawn up, and daily grew
more and more rigid. The doctor ex
hausted all his skill, but with no re
lief. The family were deep afflic
tion, and the church and neighbors ex
pressed their kind sympathies. The
physician recommended, as the last re
sort, that the little sufferer be taken to
the McLean Hospital in Boston, where
he might be examined and operated
upon by the best-trained surgeons in
the country. With much prayerful
solicitude and with tender hands, he
was conveyed to the hospital.
The doctors placed him, poised upon
one foot, upon a table, held up and
carefully examined the contracted and
somewhat withered limb. The doctor
conducting the examination at last
said, "can't you straighten out this
leg, my boy?" "No, sir." "Weil, you
can try. Now I will bear down, and
at the same time you do all you can to
put the foot down to the table." The
doctor gently pulled downward by the
ankle with one hand, and rubbed the
muscles with the other hand the foot
was soon brought to the table. "Can't
you stand upon this foot now, boy?"
"No, sir," "Well, you can try." The
feet were spread,and the boy was soon
able to stand on both legs squarely.
"Now, boy," said the doctor again,
'•Can't you step along a little?" "No,
sir." "Well, you can try" and, a lit
tle steadying, he soon took one step,
and then another, and so on, and in a
few minutes he was able to walk back
and forth on the table freely. The
doctor then said to his anxious and
wondering father, "Take the boy home
there is nothing the matter with him
but the contraction and stiffening of
the muscles, growing out of confine
ment and the want of action. The boy
took his father's hand and walked
through the streets of Boston with
agility. When the cars came in at
night, I was near the depot, anxious
to know the result of the hospital ex
amination, and what was my surprise
and joy to see the lame boy—hopeless
ly afflicted, as the physician said, with
hip-complaint—step on to the platform
and run up the street with the agility
of a young antelope.
The first carpet manufactory estab
lished in the United States was in
Philadelphia, in 1791. The census of
1810, less than twenty years after, re
ported the whole product of the United
States in this class of goods at 10,000
yards, of which 7,500 yards were made
in Philadelphia. The census of 1870
shows that there were then 689 car
pet factories in the United States, em
ploying 13,000 persons and 813,000,000
capital, paying annually 04,700,000 in
wages, and producing annually goods
to the value of $22,000,000.
It is now expected that the extra
session ot Congress will be held about the
middle of May.
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