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V ' ...Mst-f-mv-iXt-. i ?-. t. ,) ". -.-Vy---.IV .1 " ' J. -if? if r V I r I t V F0ET3T. SAYJSAZ DATS AT1Z2 f CESU1. " lasting of Ohm) anas to wi aad past, . ne taraey, im wmamt; , m turn, Aad piss, and confections, art Ht at last, . Bj taa chiidrw whs shovelled taeat in s ast ; And assay child ha stayed awake At night with a eertaia tasaillar ache, ' Which foUowi oa aatinf an taa aaonga Of padding aad turkey, and all taca stat. ' That famy old hambar, atrtas Untie, Whom the hoys and glrie krre so wl, . H had the sense to go aa eleev out, Aad ne'e ap tba chimney or hp tha spont ; ad tha hoys aad girls ara serum to const Aad trying to taekoa tha whole aasoant Of the Jolly eld lot . Of the presents they get. And we'U kelp to reckon them ap m the ipot, ttetele and Baste and Maria declare That their elegant dolla hare lost therr hair, Aad atsrked their races, and braised their eyes. And suffered other aushsps on this wise: . Jimmy's ham hat lost hia tall, woolly dot, so cartr and frail. Has shed aboat a tesenn fun Of hia principal ornament, aansly, wool ; And Johnny dram , TerrteT has eonw Aad la mate and dam' fur Johnny's peaeM ia the seek of Ha bead. In order thst hs ' The better miht ate The talde of the dram. And ee And oat where the round came from. WREN YOU WERE SEVENTEEN. Warn the hay tn mown, Majje, la tba yean ton ago, Anl whils the western '.icy was rich With eaneet's res-: glow, Then hand la h close-linked we passed The dewy between, A ad I wa ooe-ead-twenty, H ag. And yoa were seventeen. Tour TOlce was low and sweet. Haggle ; - Tear wavy hair was hrowa : Tsar cheek waa like the wild red rose . That showered Ha petals down ; Tour ayes were like the b!se speedwell, With dewy BMtstnre sheet When I wss one-end4weoty. Hag, And yoa were seventeen. . s The spring was u oar hearts, Maggie, Aad all Its hopes were oars ; And ws were children la the Be Ida, Among the opening lower. Ay 1 Life was Ilka a Manner day Amid the woodlands green. For I was one-and tweaiy, Mag, And yoa were serenteen. The yean have come and gone, Maggie, With aonsfaine and with shade. And allvered is the silken hair That o'sr yowr ahoalder strayed In many a soft aad wayward treat . The fairest ever sees When I wasoas and -twenty, Mag, And yoa were seventeen. Though rentl v changing time, Maggie, Haa touched yon in bis flight, Toar voice has still the old sweet tone, Toar eye tbe old love-light ; And years can never, never change The heart yoa gave, t ween, When I waa one-aod-twenty, Mag, And yoa were seventeen. MISCELLANEOUS. Pittsburgh. BY JOSH BILLINGS. Pittsburgh ig located on the land aide of tbe Ohio river, and kontainsapopulashon iuiiy equal to its nze. To a stranger, the bfzzncss done here would seem tew be all smoke, bat it is really the most manufaktring place in Amerika. The principal krop raised here, oat of me ground, kale. The atmosphere is cmnpozed of oxigin and kole dost, which girea the face of natur, and man, and lovely woman a brunette look. The best steddy bozziness for a no be ginner to go into here iz the clothes wash ing bizziness, a common paper collar has tew be washed four times a day, and even then show signs oph colour. Pittsburgh is celebrated for the wealth and refinement of its inhabitants, and the butyoT its wimmin sex. I saw more pretty sex here in 30 minutes than I ever did before inthe whole or mi eventful life. If I was an inconsolable widdower, T should at once move to Pittsburgh and commence married life again. Yesterday I saw mi first stern wheel steam bote. I thought for sum time that it was a stationary saw-mill, in the middle of the river, but after a while discovered what & condem phool I was. Anecdote of A Dog. An English lady tells this story of a dog's intelligence : I had expressed my wish for a real collie dog in the hearing of an honest cottar belonging to our parish ; and one morning, being out in the garden, I saw a stout lassie coming up to the house with a large basket on her arm. On entering the kitchen, I was greeted with 44 Here, mistress, my father nent ye a ' fulpie" (little whelp) a' the road tra Htrathdon." While delivering her message she untied the cover of her basket, and out rolled a black-and-tan PnPP7. as broad as he was long. Lie was christened w Collie," and soon grew both in size and in favor with all in the house, especially with myself and "old Joseph," the minister's man, who divided his affections pretty Surly between Collie and one of my little girls. One morning, when Joseph was at his break fast and Collie and little Nellie were both standing beside him, I came in to give him a message, when Nellie began her old trick of pulling the poor dog's taQ. Growl after prowl of warning produced no effort, for the offender was very young ; when, in an instant, after a harder pluck than usual, the dog turned, and before any one could interfere, he had seized the whole of her arm in his mouth. My first feeling was to pull open the dog's mouth, but old Joseph cried out, " Na, na, mis trees I lat him be, lat him be V It was a trying moment. The child's screams made me very nervous, and there stood the dog with his large jaws holding the little fat arm as in a vice, and the long white glistening teetT showing on each tide. "Dmna move, mistress, said the old man again : Collie kens what he's doin' ; he no hurt her." And old Joe was right. Collie held fast the little arm that had been his tormentor, but when Nellie, finding that she was not hurt, became quieter, Collie gave her one expressive look from his large brown eyes, slowly opened his jaws and released the arm, without one scratch on it He had given her a lesson, which she never forgot, to respect his feelings with regard to his taiL rotas!. XecesMry la the Soil. Professok Yoklkcb thus speaks of the use or the superphosphate or lime on soil not well supplied with potash : M On one of the experimental plots of the Escrick Park I used mineral superphos phate alone, and, to my astonishment, no effect whatever was produced by its ap plication. This is an interesting result, seeming, as it does, to indicate that the great deficiency of potash, which ia characteristic of the sod in that experi mental field, entirely prevented the dis play of the usual functions which we know perfectly well superphosphate of lime discharges on land of a better charac ter than that at Escrick. The superphos phate (or, rather, the phosphoric acid) in that manure did not act, simply because potash was not present to form part of the substance of the clover-plant You ran, I think, readily understand that Place before a man ail the dry food which tends to entice the appetite, and at thje same time withhold from him drink, and yoa will find that he cannot assimilate the dry food. You may give him every de scription of dry food that can tempt him to eat, but if you keep from him for any long time that unimportant substance, as we are too apt to consider it though it is, in fact, a most essential thing water, he will ultimately perish, Potash - is non-essential as regards many clay soils, because many clay soils contain abundance of pot ash ; butf is most essential on poor sandy noils, because, generally speaking, these soils are very deficient in the necessary amount of potash which is required to bring clover crops to perfection. The mixture of potash, salts, and superphos phate yielded the largest weight of clover and rye-grass per acre which was obtained on any of the experimental plots. Further, it was astonishing to notice that not only was the weight of the first cutting larger in the case of this particular plot than on any of the others, but the second cutting also yielded a much larger quantity." There are two shops Just opposite one another in the Rue de Rivoli, the most fashionable shopping quarter of Paris, in which the same goods are sold. The one, on its sign, offers " the only genuine pro ductbeware of counterfeits ; " and the other declares, Every article that dees not come from our house is a counterfeit' There are two sausaee dealers in a differ ent neighborhood of the same city, one of whom has painted on his glass window, over a pyramid of sausage : At ten cents a pound; to pay more is to be robbed;'' while the other puts his saus ages Into an obelisk, and paints above it : " At twelve cents a pouna ; to pay leas is to be poisoned." An Irish absentee is said to have sent thU comforting mesaare to his steward Tell he tenents that no threats to shoot you will rflTiry me." By Alfred IXorsley. THE (JTJEEB CUSTOMER. . A CHBISTtta 8TOBT. Ik a shabby little shop in a shabby little street, a man sat stitching away as if for dear me, by the light or a single candle. The name of John Todd was over the door, and John Todd himself it was who sat upen the shopboard, keeping time to his nimble needle with an occasional snatch of a song. If there had been a song of the trowsers, as well as of the shirt, he might with great propriety have sung that for it was on a Dair of those garments that he was employed. As it was, however, he did not confine himself to any one particular melody, but sang a verse of one and then a verse of another, as the fancy took him. Immediately above him hung a disreputable-looking old blackbird in a wicker cage who lis tened to the performanoe with an air of grave attention, as one who was qualified to be critical, and occasionally gave an encouraging chirp of applause. The singer was a merry little man, no longer young, out smi miie tou acuve ; who twinkling gray eyes and a cheery smile which it was pleasant to look upon. On the present occasion be had just got through "Jock o' Hazeldean," and the "Banks of Allen Water" (which the blackbird applauded immensely), and had begun " Mary of Argylc," when the shop door suddenly opened, and pulled him up short in the very middle of a very effect ive shake. The person who entered was a short, stout individual,with his hat very far back on his head, a pen behind his ear, and a parchment-covered note-book in his hand. " Well, Mr. Todd," said he, showing the while the end or a stumpy pencil ; " ready for me I su noose." The little tailor's cheerful countenance fell, as he renlied "I'm very sorry, Mr. Sprague, but I'm the fact is L can t say l am quite ready to-night" "Then, why the doooe aint you ready r" amiably inquired Mr. Sprague, tapping the floor viciously with his fat cotton umbrella. " You're aweer, I sup pose, that to-morrow's Christmas day ; and you're also aweer that to awoid un pleasantness at a gay and festive season, I collects the rents the night before. Then why aint you ready !" " To tell you the truth, sir," said John humbly, "Tve had a disappointment this morning a little account I was to re ceive" "Yah!" said Mr Sprague savage ly. "That makes five on cm, all been disappointed 01 a uuie ac count Gatamon! Now look here, Mr Todd. This is Toosday. I m a man of mv word, and if the rent ain't ready Thurs day, brokers is the word. I've had trouble enough with you, and I ain't goin to, no longer. So now you've got it'r "I'll do my endeavors, bit. eprague," said John Todd humbly. "But which way I am to turn to find the money, the Lord only Knows r " YouTl turn out, Mx. Todd, it you don't find it" And with a coarse laugh at his own wit Mr. Sprague departed. Poor Todd looked much depressed. After a few minutes he unconsciously commenced " The harp that once through Tarn's halls," but the attempt was a fail ure. Even the blackbird turned his back in disgust and after a few bars John gave it up, and stitched away in sorrowful silence. He might have remained so for perhaps half an hour, when the door again opened, and a little old lady in a black bonnet and cloak, and a basket on her arm, and a muff nearly as large as herself, peeped in. " Do l intrude, nr. road ? au i quite by yourself. Dear me!" " Yea. Miss Pinnifer, for want of better company, quite by myself." "xe-es!" said miss rinnner. "And very busy I see. Always busy! Coat, I resume r " No, ma'am, trouBers," said John Todd. " Oh t" said Miss Pinnifer, with a little scream, and covering her eves with her hand. " Very indiscreet of me I beg pardon, I'm sure." "Dont mention it, ma am: replied John gallantly. " It's of no consequence. Yes, I am rather busy. Miss Pinnifer. They're for a Mr. Brown, an old gentle man who came in last Thursday. He or dered a suit of black and said he'd fetch 'em himself this evening, and I'm a little ehmd, you see. Ye-es I" Miss Pinnifer had a habit of aying "Yes," when spoken to, irrespective of anything in particular. She used the word to indicate various shades of feeling ; but in a general way it was expressive of a mud surprise and admiration wnicn en couraged the speaker to proceed. Mr. Todd proceeded accordingly. " 1 hope he won t come lust yet tor 1 ve got nigh on two hours' work to finish the job. He's a queer customer, very. Never saw him berore in my uie, and ne comes and sits down In that very chair, and talks and asks questions as 11 he Had known me ever since 1 was so nigh r au aDout the children and Mllly and everybody" " Strarure " said Mist rinnuer. Lten It be f Yes, that must be it !" " Eh T said Mr. Todd, lnqrnnngiy. " Now. mark me !" said Miss Pinnifer, laying a rather bony finger impressively upon the queer customer's trousers. Mr. Todd marked her accordingly. "Did he ask anything about me?" "1 dom rcmemoer mat ne die, replied Mr. Todd. "I dare say not Indeed, that rather confirms my previous idea. I know their ways, Mr. Todd." " I beg your pardon, ma'am," said John, in much bewilderment "Whose ways might you be alluding to?" "Hushr said Miss i'lnnuer, witn an air of profound mystery. "You don't know who may be listening t us at this moment detectives 1" " You don't think, ma'am" " Yes, I do ; I do, indeed, Mr. Todd. I haven't the smallest doubt that I am at this moment the object of a private inquiry. You must know, Mr. Todd, though I dont often mention it that I'm engaged in a Chancery suit, and the defendants are horribly wicked people. They've done it before, I know they have. Not content with keeping my poor broth er and myself out of our property, they have us watched and annoyed in every possible way. You'd hardly imagine the number of lodgings we've been to, Mr. Todd, and the people were always so po lite and friendly at first, and after a few weeks they quite changed, and were quite rude and unpleasant They'd been set against us by the detectives, you know. It was all lverytwell to say it was the two or three weeks' rent we might be owing, but I knew better than that Andow they've traced me here. Dear, dear, what shall I dof" " But are you quite sure" " O dear, yes, certain. It's been going on for a long tima There was a pale young man in spectacles stared at me all church time last Sunday. I thought at the time it was only rudeness, but no doubt he had hia instructions." At this moment the conversation wps interrupted by the arrival of the queer customer himself. He was an elderly gen tleman with a rubicund complexion, and a very good-natured expression of counte nance, and certainly did not look like a de tective. Ashe entered the shop. Miss Pinnifer dropped her veil, and drawing herself up to her full height af four ect six, faced the intruder with excessive dig nity. The stranger politely raised his hat to the lady, and then turned to John Todd. " Well, Mr. Todd, and how do you do to-night? Am I too early for my little matter of business ?" "Well, air," said Mr. Todd, "I wont say but what I'd rather you'd have come an hour later. The coat and waistcoat have been done some time, but the trous (Mr Todd remembered the modest pres ence of Miss Pinnifer) the other gar ments are not quite finished. " Never mind, Mr. Todd, it's of no great consequence. I'm ia no especial nurry. Butl'm going to ask you a &vor. I shall surprise you now, I dare say. Poor Todd was so bewildered by the re markable communication Just made to v: v. iTiaa Pinnifer cnnrjled With the singular present appearance of that lady (the was standing with one foot advanced, i . tAnw unit na the stranger, and i J V avwBBsaja S3 q held her rwaS acroee.bcr chest, in a kind ox HE 4 ; f boxing attitude), that he knew not what to answer, and could onlv reply -con fusedly. " Don't mention it" The stranger, answering rather the spirit than the letter of his words, con- unueu - - . . " To-morrow's Christmas-day. For twentv vears n&st I've been a wanderer on the face of the earth, and this is the first Christmas-day, during all that tune, I've spent in England. I have no friends, not so much as a dog or a cat, and I don't like the idea of spending Christmas by myself. Will you take compassion on me, Mr. Todd t You've a Christmas face, and I've a notion I could enjoy Christmas very well in your company. Will yoa take compassion on a lonely old man, and let him spend to morrow with you and your lamiiyr John . Todd was in much perplexity. His warm heart felt for the lonely stranger. by whose frank address he was much pre possessed, un the other hand, there was Miss Pinnifer's statement, and John could not quite get rid of a vague apprehen sion that the stranger might it admitted, take advantage or an unguarded moment to handcuu -tbe family au round, and bear them away to perpetual imprison ment ; last, but not leastwas the consid eration that the larder was by no means sumptuously furnished, and that the Christmas fare was likely to be of an ea- .1 : . I mi 1 . peciauy meagre ucauripuuu. i uc lost re flection dictated his reply. " It yoa re really in earnest, sir, it ud be unbecoming ia me to say no, when you do me the honor to ask it But we poor folks don t live like the gentry, you know, sir, at the best of tunes ; and this year we ve got even shorter commons than usuaL We've hearty good-fellowship, sir, but very little else to keep Christmas with." "And hearty good-fellowship is the very best dish at the Christmas feast," said the stranger. " Beef and pudding are not to be despised, but they're only secondary, after alL Well, you haven't said no,' so I shall consider myself accepted. I've dined off a baked potato before now, and I shall find enough to eat never you fear. What's your time ? One o'clock- very good." " This ladv and her brother reside in the house, sir, and they were going to club their Christmas dinner with ours, if you have no objection." " Objection ! L my dear Todd ! you for get that I'm only a visitor. Objection! certainly not The more the merrier, I say. Madam, your most obedient Miss Plunder relaxed so tar as to cour tesy with dignity, still, however, keep ing her muff available for defence, if neces sary. " well, that s settled," said the stranger. " And now I've got some little matters of business to attend to, so I'll wish you a good night Good evening, madam. Don't distress yourself about the trowsers, Mr. Todd." With these words the unknown de parted, leaving Mr. Todd and Miss Pinni fer dumb with amazement The latter recovered her speech first, with the ob servation, "Did you ever?" Mr. Todd looked at her for a few moments. At last he ejaculated, slowly and distinctly, " No, l never I" " What a very singular - person, Mr. Todd. You're quite sure you've never seen him before?" " Never to my knowledge till the other night" said Mr. Todd. . . There's more in this than meets the eye," said Miss Pinnifer. " You' still think, ma'am" " Well, no, not entirely. I must say I expected to see quite a different style of person. But there's no knowing. I shall be on my guard." "If he isn't a detective, what can he want to come here for?" said Mr. Todd. " It's tbe most extraordinary thing I ever heard in my life. I don t know what Milly will say to a strange gentleman com ing to dinner : but I couldn't help it could I now ? I'd better tell her at once, and get it off my mind." " IH say good night, then," said Miss Pinnifer. " I've left my brother too long alone already." Mr. Todd wished her good evening, and dived into a small parlor behind the shop, where his daughter, Milly, sat sewing, with three younger brother Todds, mak ing more or less noise, around her. " Milly Todd deserves a paragraph all to herself, as the pleasantest possible speci men of a good little English girL She was not a beauty, but better than a beauty in the possession of the more lasting come liness which is derived from a bright smile, a sweet temper, and a pair of clear, earnest eyes, made none the less expressive by the near neighborhood of a saucy little retrovue nose. Her wavy brown hair had not a ripple out of place, and her plump little figure was encased in a well fitting dress, .which, though it bore the marks of long service, was neatness itself. In fact take her altogether, but that is precisely what you would have wished to have done; orstif vou did not you must have had very bad taste indeed. There are some women one always wants to kiss at first sight and Milly was one of them. John Todd entered the room in a high state of excitement "Milly, my girl, here's a most tremendous go ! ' "Why, father dear, what ever is the mate?" "flatter enough, my dear. Here's a gentleman coming to spend Christmas-day with na. Invited himself, and accepted with thanks." " He wont have much of a dinner, then, father, dear; but he's welcome. Let me guess who it is, not old Mr. Bellamy ?" " No, my dear, it isn't old Mr. Bellamy, nor young Mr. Collins either, though I dare say he'll find his way here in the course of the afternoon, eh, Milly ? No, this is quite a stranger; quite the gent'e man, too, I can tell you." "But what mah him want to come here, then, father?' "Well, my dear, that's more than I can tell you, except .that he said he was a stranger and had no friends, and that he thought from my face that he could spend a merry Christmas here. That's all non sense, of course ; but the long and the short of it is, he's coming." " Nonsense, indeed, for anybody to like my dear old father's face," said Milly, kiss ing him. "It's handsomer than half the young ones now, and I like the gentleman for saying it No friends ! that's very sad. Poor old gentleman, I'm very glad he's coming ; but I wish we had a little more to give him." " That's where it is, Milly ; so do I ; but we must make the best of it What have you got?" "Well, father, I've a nice bit of beef, and Miss Pinnifer is going to bring some sausaces. I'm going to make a pudding, but it 11 be only a kind of a make-believe to please the boys. They wouldn't believe it was Christmas, you know, without the pudding. It isn't much of a dinner to set before a visitor, father." " Never mind, my dear," said her father. "I wish it was more; but we must make it da Make the pudding as good as you can. Let me see. I know I haven t much in my pocket only eightpence. Well, my dear, every; little; helps. I shan't want my half-pint of beer to night" " Dear old father ? No, no ; you're not going without your supper, sir, I can tell you, for any amount of grand visitora I know what I can do. I've got half a crown up-stairs that I had put by for something else, but it doesn't matter, and that will help us out capitally." With a bright smile, though with a little choking at the throat (for the half-crown had been saved by pennies to buy a neck tie for a certain Charley Collins, whose acquaintance we shall make by and by), Milly rose to 'mek. her hoard; but her father stopped her. "No, no, dear, keep your money, we may want it worse before the week's out I didn't want to have told you bad news to night but perhaps it's best told, after all." Having taken the plunge, John pro ceeded to tell his daughter of Mr. Sprague's visit and the terrible threat with which he had departed. The announcement E reduced a very depressing effect Even rave little Milly had tears in her eyes, and her younger brothers, seeing her dis tress, howled dismally in vague sympathy. At this juncture the shop-door was heard to open. A mas entered bearing on his ahoalder a huge hamper, which he set down on the floor With a bang. "Par UOLUMB COLUMBIA, cel for Mr Todd." And without another word he departed.- - . The whole of the Todd family gathered round the big hamper, and contemplated it wun silent astonishment. y? ho can it be from ?" said Milly, a little angramat ically. "I wonder what's in it?" said John Todd, junior. "I hope it's some thing to eat," said Tommy Todd, an epi cure of nine. Willie Todd, aged tlx, sucked his thumb and said nothing. Prob ably he thought the more. " Hadn't yoa better open it, and then you'll Jtnow au aboat itr said John Todd,- - "Dear old father," said Milly; "he's always right - 80 we wilL John Todd, junior, produced a knife, and the - hamper was speedily opened. The first glance revealed nothing but straw, and the hearts of the youthful Todds sank almost to zero. But the straw was quickly removed, ami then was revealed, hrst a most remarkable turkey, a turkey, if possible, inconveniently stout, with a red ribbon round its neck and a rosette on its breast Second, a roasting pig, which for size and fatness might have been brother, or cousin at least, to the turkey. -1 don t suppose there ever was a roasting pig quite as broad as he was long ; but if ever there was such a pig, that was the one. Last came a hare, or which it is only necessary to say that he did no dis credit to the turkey and the pig. Before the party had recovered from their delight and surprise, the door again opened, and another man, bearing another hamper, came in. "Name of Todd here?" said the . man. "Right; with Mr. Brown's kind regards, and paid." The door had hardly closed upon the porter when the youthful Todds, regardless of the " Glass, with care," in large letters on the top of the basket, rushed at it and had it open in a trie. A fragrant smell arose from it, proceeding from sundry whitey-brown paper parcels arranged in trim order with in. Milly opened them. One was found to contain currants, another plums, another spice ; in fine, all the ingredients for a monster pudding of the richest character were there. A noble packet of tea waa the next thing that came to hand, and then a goodly store of apples, oranges, nuts, almonds, and raisins. When these were removed there was still a layer of some thing solid at the bottom of the basket, which, being investigated, proved to con sist of a splendid plum-cake, and bottles of brandy, gin, and rum with one of ginger wine. The little Todds executed a pat de all sorts round the hampers in a perfect ecatacy of delight, and Milly and her father, though less demonstrative in their transports, were hardly less excited. Be fore they had recovered from their fresh surprise a scuffling was heard outside the door, as if something waa rubbing against it Milly opened it, and found outside a boy, whose face was just visible over an enormous bundle of holly and mistletoe. He struggled into the shop with his bur den. "Please 'm, Mr. Brown's compli ments, and thought you might like a little oily and miz tor the Christmas decorations. O my ! aint it prickly neither." Whereat he dropped it in a heap on the floor and disappeared. "Now. father dear," said MUly, "you had better shut up the shop I'm sure you won't be able to do any more work to night Isn't it wonderful? just like a fairytale!" "And Mr. Brown's the good nuryr said John Todd. "Isn't he a -noble gen tleman? Well, I think m shut up, dear. He said he wasn't in a hurry for the things, and I dont feel as if I could bring my mind down again to trousers to-night " That's a dear old daddy " said Mil " And now then you shall have your beer and your pipe, and sit in the corner, and see us put up this lovely nouy. isn t it beau tiful! What a dear old gentleman Mr. Brown must be ! I declare I quite love him already!" "Halloa i ' said Mr. ioqo, -wnatu Charley Collins say to that ?" Muly rushed at him, and shut ms moutn with a kiss. 'Be quiet, do, yoa wicked old man, that's quite a different thing, yoa know it Is." And she forthwith began, with the assistance of her brothers, to decorate the homely room with the Christmas ever greens, it was worm a day s pay 10 any body (say the Lord Chancellor, as his wages are tolerably good) to see MiUy's lithe little figure stepping from chair to chair, or standing like a lively little statue, on the ricketiest of tables, her arms held high above her head, and her dainty little white fingers flashing among the dark green holly, and deftly insinuating sprigs of mistletoe into artful places where no body would expect them. And when at last, having hung holly and mistletoe in all possible, and two or three impossible, places, she sprang lightly to the floor, with her sunny lace Hushed, and ner nair the least bit tumbled by her exertions, and led out her father by both hands for the first kiss under the mistletoe, I don't wonder that the boys hurrahed, I believe I should have done it myself under the same circumstances. I'm afraid, by the way, that I've done those boys great in justice. It may possibly be imagined, as I have not chronicled their remarxs, inai they were silent O dear, na Quite the reverse. The fact is, they not only all three talked at once, but they all talked the whole time, with an effect which it is easy to imagine, but exceedingly difficult to describe. Had Providence- made me three first-rate short-hand reporters, in stead of only one gentleman or medium size, I might have attempted it ; though even then I (we, I should say) should have found much difficulty by reason or the idiomatic nature of the young gentlemen's conversation. The number of " golly s " and " crikeys " with which it was embel lished was. I regret to say, much above what is considered correct in polite society, and (like the organ-man s monkey, who never would dance but to the genteelest of tunes) I find I never can spell those vulgar words. At last the merry party re tired to rest the boys to dream of roast pig, and Milly of Well, never mind, vt o won't intrude, but dont yoa wish yon were Charley Collins ? n Christmas morning came at last, as it generally will, if you only wait long enough ; and a very respectable sort of Christmas morning it was. Bright and clear and cold, with the snow on the ground crisp and hard, the sort of weather that makes one wish one was a street boy, and not too dignified to cut in on a good long slide ; the sort of weather that makes you button up your great-coat to the chin, and case your hands in your thickest wollen gloves; the sort of weather (I hone) that makes yoa give a kindly thought to your poorer brothers who have no great-coats to button, and no warm f loves to cover their frost-nipped hands, 'ile on the logs, by all means; heap up the blazing fire ; do honor to the dainty cheer, and pass round .he rare old wine. But little they know or Christmas who think to win its magic gifts of light and life and joy by such means only. A sin gle spark, lit by your bounty in a poor man s hovel, snail sned a warmtn that the roaring fire in your own mansion cannot give a warmth that goes straight to the heart The frugal meal, spread by the rich man in the poor man's house, shall bring to the giver a sweeter sense of en joyment than the most sumptuous ban quet spread ror seir alone, liappy he who has found the golden key who knows, and uses the knowledge, that the treasures of Christmas happiness are reached through Christmas charity. The whole of the Todd family woke np in a thoroughly Christmas state of mind. and tbe younger members (as might per haps, be expected, considering the nature of their dreams), with a perfectly fero cious appetite two or three appetites each, indeed. Breakfast over, the junior branches were dispatched, under the care of dear old Todd, to church, while Sister Milly remained at home, and devoted all her energies to the preparation of the an ticipated banquet I am inclined to think that Milly nad never seen, rnucn less cooked, such a dinner in her life; but cooks, like poets, are born not made; and with the aid or miss i'mmrer, and the simultaneous use of all the fireplaces in the house, Milly got on splendidly, and astonished herself with her success. It was in a moment of confidence, engen dered by the close and intimate relation ia which they were thus placed, that If ia Pinnifer imparted to Milly 1 secret . 11 TENNESSEE" FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1870. Milly, my dear," said Miss Pinnifer, want your advice." " Hadn't yoa better ask father?" said Milly, conceiving that his counsels would probably be of greater value than her own. 1 "No, my dear; no, I think not In a case of of this kind, I don't think he would be a judge. I want to know, dear, Whether I look best in my black satin spencer and pink muslin skirt, or in my Stuart tartan. Take time to consider, my dear." - "They're both very nice," said; Milly. " The tartan for choice. I think." " Do yoa, dear ? Now I was thinking, do yoa know, that the tartan was rather rather old-looking. One doesn't want to make one'saelf quite a middle-aged per son. you know, dear." "Of course not," said Milly; "but I always thought the tartan so very becom ing. What makes yoa so particular to- dav?" " Well, dear, I really hardly know how to tell yoa. Bat we girls never can keep our little secrets, can we?" the dear creature was fifty if she was a day " the 1. ; s,- r -sr. im to 1, o a. a vu m-uuus vi iui. Brown, dear." Milly looked at her inquiringly, but with a roguish twinkle in her eyes. The old lady continued. " The object of Mr. Brown's coming, my dear, is, as you are aware, enveloped tn mystery. He most have an object you know, and I have reason to imagine strong reason, I may say that that object is myself." -" You dont say so! " said Milly. " Pray accept my best congratulations. Has he declared his intentions ?" " Well, no, dear, I cant say he has ex actly declared himself in words at least ; but if you had only seen how he looked you couldn t mistake his expression, my dear. He looked at me with a positive smile, quite lover-like, I assure you. And then he insisted on coming to dinner." " Well, dear, I'm sure I'm very pleased," said Milly. "We've all been puzzled to account for his wanting to come, and I dare say that's it Yoa won't forget old friends when yoa area grand lady, will yoa?" . . e sat -1. naven 1 accepted mm yet, my aear, said Miss Pinnifer, "and I shan't either, the first time of asking. It doesn't do for a girl to make herself too cheap. Hell have to be very attentive, I can tell him, if he expects to have any chance witnme. O dear I U dear ! ne s beginning to burn I" The last words referred to the turkey. which was under Miss Pinnifer's especial care, and which she forthwith began to baste violently. "I've had a good deal of attention m my time, you see, my dear, so perhaps I think the less of it on that account. It isn't to be expected, vou know, with my experience, that I should be dazzled by a Mr. urown. isn t ne iat, aearr " Is he ?" said Milly : " I ha vent seen him, you know." "Mot seen nimr said miss nnnuer. "What do vou mean? My dear, I was speaking of the turkey." rtt, i ;i ifiiiir The conversation was interrupted by the return of the party from church. The younger Todds were found considerably in T. . . 1 , irni v: . , me way 01 we cooaery, uu .aiuij mi on me happy expedient of sending them to the baker's to fetch the pig. Forthwith they departed, with pig written plainly on their countenances, and raced all the way to the shop, upon the understanding that the tail should be the prize of the winner. Johnny, the eldest, as might have been expected, came in foremost to tne great grief and discouragement of his brothers. till he magnanimously promised them that they should have the tail after he had done with it Rather more quietly than they had set out, the trio returned from tbe baker's. Johnny and Tommy Todd car rving the dish between them. Willy, the youngest, much wanted to carry the cover, but the more mature wisdom of Johnny suggested that perhaps the pig would keep hotter with it on ; so Willy had to content himself with walking behind as near aa possible, and sniffing the fragrance of the savory burden. When they reached home, Mr. Brown had just arrived, and their father and Milly were endeavoring adequately to express their appreciation of the hampers. Mr. Brown seemed pleased by the interruption, and patting the boys' Leads paternally, asked them u they were good boys. Johnny and Tom my, though a little abashed, answered manfully (with a view to sixpences) that they were, but Willy, who was of a ner vous temperament began to cry, and promised irrelevantly that he wouldn't do it again. , Dinner-time speedily arrived, mucn 10 the satisfaction of everybody. A few min utes before the appointed hour came a young gentleman with a very stiff shirt collar, and a rather bashful expression of countenance, whom Milly's blushes at once designated as Charley uollins. Al most before Charley had been formally in troduced. Miss Pinnifer came upon the scene, dressed in the black satin spencer, and pink muslin skirt, with, little blue bows pinned on all over her, and leading by the hand a solemn looking individual, whom she introduced in a tragedy tone as Mv brother." The individual thus al luded to did not trouble himself to salute the company, but dropped into the first chair in his way, and fixed his eyes with strong glare upon Mr. lirown. ine party arranged themselves round the table, and began to do fall justice to the good cheer. For some time there was but little conversation, everybody being too busuy employed to talk, wnen suddenly Miss Pinnifer's brother paused m the very aci 01 convey ing a large piece of turkey to his mouth, and pointing with his fork, and the morsel still on it at Mr. Brown, said "Halloa I" Mr. Brown looked a little un comfortable, when Miss Pinnifer hastened to explain, "You'll excuse my brother, sir, he's of unsound mind." And then leaning over two of the little Todds, and seizing her brother by the collar of his coat, she shook him violently, and said in an impressive voice, "Robert, behave!" Whereupon Robert became much de pressed and "behaved" accordingly. After the excitement caused by this little inci dent had subsided, the dinner proceeded with great smoothness, and the little par ty, which at first had felt some little con- stratnt was rapidly unoenaing unaer me rmial influence of the Christmas cheer, t last came the crowning glory, in the shape of the pudding. And such a .pud ding! It was the very largest-sized pud ding within the memory or the oldest in habitant: so big, indeed, that Milly couldn't bring it in herself, bat had to ask Charley Collins to neip ner. Ana ricn 1 I should rather think it wast It was a regular millionaire of a pudding. Miss Pinnifer's brother again created a little confusion by insisting .on eating pepper with it and shedding tears when tbe cruet was taken away from htm : but when at last he was prevailed upon to try it with out seasoning, he sent up his plate three times, from which I infer that he was by no means such an idiot as was generally supposed. At last the dinner came to an end as dinners will, the more's the pity and the party drew round the Ore in a cosy semi circle, and aet to work regularly to enjoy themselves. The kettle was put on the fire, the spirits and lemons and sugar were brought out, and Mr. Brown volunteered to brew some punch (which he did as though punch had been his daily drink from his youth up), and then, when every body was served, the pipes and tobacco were brought out and Mr. Brown called upon John Todd for a song. And John sang a song, and another, and another after that, to- the most tremendous applause, even the . blackbird drop ping his critical airs for once and applauding as londlr as anvbodv. And then Mr.- Brown sang a song; after wnicn Uhariey uollins sang a song witn a remarkable chorus, which waa sung by the whole strength of the company with sucn good-wui tnat the people next door couldn't hear tliemsel ves talk, and knocked at the wall with a poker as a gentle hint for peace and quietness. And Muly her self sang a song, and then Miss Pinnifer's brother murmured some thing which was understood to mean that he also would favor the company ; bat being asked the name of the song, he replied, after much consideration, "More pudding." 80 to make ap for his fortcomings Miss Pinni ; fer volunteered, and. after repeating five times that she had a cold (which wasst tine) and that the hadn't a not inner voice (which was), she began, with intense expression, "Will you. love me then as now f The direction of her glances made it quite a personal matter between herself and Mr. Brown, whs should by every rule of propriety have sung in reply, " Dearest, than Til love the more." But he didn't Probably he didnt know the song, or, still more probably, he wouldn't have sung it y m tnem at - - -Asa aught protection against the too oppressive glances or Mas rutinftr, Mr. Brown . entered into conversation with Charley Collins, who bad by this time got rid of his bashfulness, and ap peared, as he really was, a light-heart ed, manly young fellow. Charley had conceived a great liking to Mr. Brown, and was very confidential with him ; so that Mr. Brown was speedly made aware that his young friend was a clerk at the moderate salary of eighteen shillings a week; that he nad had an offer of a situa tion where he could earn two pounds, but that security to the amount of three hun dred pounds was required which put it out or the question. Charley Collins eould not help a half-sigh as be stated what might be, and yet could not be, and Mr. Brown could easily- understand that the situation ao temptingly offered, only to be perforce refused, was just enough to give Milly and her lover the start in life for which they were waiting. The merriment by no means flagged as the evening wore on. Mr. Brown was the life and soul of the party, cracked jokes, asked riddles, told stories, kissed Milly and Miss Pinnifer under the mistle toe, and generally proved himself the prince of good fellows. Forfeits were played, and blind man's buff, at which lat ter game Miss Pinnifer gave rise to grave suspicions as to her ratr play by persist ently refusing to catch anybody but Mr. Brown, and holding him an unnecessarily long time when caught After blind man's buff, a dance was proposed, and carried out with great success, John Todd per forming on the violin. Miss fmnlcers brother had been rather gloomy during the previous amusements, but he now be gan to enjoy himself immensely, dancing away by himself in the very middle of the room with a funeral expression of coun tenance, and occasionally tumbling over one or other of the young Todds, who had rather indefinite notions of dancing, and were a good deal in the way. But he didnt mind, not he ; he picked himself up and went at it again as if nothing had happened. One by one the dancers stopped, exhausted ; and at last the fiddle stopped, too; but Miss Pinnifer's brother still continued to dance. without a smile on his countenance, and without any apparent intention of ever leaving off. Indeed, I think it highly Srobablethat he would have continued ancing to this moment, had not his sister by certain whispered blandishments, in which the word " pudding " was plainly audible, persuaded him to leave off, and finally got him to bed. The youthful Todds about this time be gan to show signs of weariness, and were with some difficulty induced to retire to rest, Johnny Todd with the inestimable pig's tail under his pillow. The remainder of the oartv gathered around the fire, and chatted quietly. Mr. Brown seemed to have suddenly grown silent since me children's departure. At last after a pause in the conversation, he said suddenly " Mr. Todd I've a proposition to make to you. Dont go, Miss Milly what I'm go ing to say concerns yoa too. This lady and gentleman are friends of the family, and I don'tlinind speaking before them. Mr. Todd, 1 m not a young man 1 ve been knocked about a good deal in my time, and I mean, if I can, toave a little com fort in my old years. 80 I'm looking out for a wile, and I haven't seen any young lady so much to my liking as Miss Milly there." At this startling announcement Milly turned red and pale by turns, Charley Collins clenched his fists, and looked un utterable things; and Miss Pinnifer be came perfectly rigid, with only energy enough to turn op her eyes to the ceiling, and to murmur in heartbroken accents, " Cruel kerrewel man ! " John Todd attempted to speak, but Mr. Brown continued, " Hear me out please ; and then give what answer you like. I'm not a young man, as I said before, but I'm easy-going, and I believe I should make a good hus band. I've worked hard in my time, but I've made twenty thousand poundf, and now I dont intend to work any more, but just to enjoy myself. My wife will have a good time of it mind yoa.' Balls, con certs, parties, if she likes 'em, she shall have 'em, and that's all about it Now, Miss Milly, what do you say? Will you be an old man'b darling?" "Mr. Brown," John Todd began, but Milly interrupted. "No, father, let me speak. Mr. Brown, I thank you for your offer, and I dont doubt it s kindly meant But I've given my heart away already (as you might have guessed to-night,) and I cant give it twice." "Iknow, I know," said Mr. Brownadly, " But it's weary waiting, Milly, all through the long years, and a boy-and-girl fancy soon dies away." "Ours isnt a boy-and-girl fancy, then, Mr. Brown, for Tm quite sure it'll never die away. Never, never, never ! Will it Charley ?" Charley did not trust himself to 8pe k; but a warm pressure of the hand answered Milly well enough. " Dont decide in a hurry, Miss Milly. There are many things to think about, ypu know ; your father, now. He ought not to work as he does, at this time of life, and his eyes are failing already. Now if you'll marry me, your father shall have a good house over his head, a nice little cottage in some quiet country place, and need never do a stitch of work again. And the boys shall have good schooling and a fair start in business. It's worth thinking of, my dear." Poor Milly felt utterly miserable. She had not the smallest idea t f wavering, but Mr. Brown had artfully contrived that by being faithful to her true love, she should appear to deprive her father and brothers of a host of blessings, all of which it was in her power to bestow. She could only sob out " " It's very cruel," and burst Into tears. John Todd bad made repeated efforts to speuk, but now he broke out in a tone that bore down all interruption " Mr. Brown, for the kindness we've re ceived from you, I'm obliged; and I don't go from it But I'm not obliged, sir, by your coming into my house, and trying to steal away my daughter's affections from a young man as truly loves her. It aint fair, it ain't manly, it aint honorable. And when yoa go and try to work upon her feelings along of her old father, that she'd give her right hand for, it's mean and cruel and cowardly, that is what it is. And I toll von what air I wouldnt take another kindness at your hands, no, not if I was starving. I'm a creaky old man, sir, I know I am ; and my sight's failing, as you say ; but I've work in me yet, thank God, and I'll work my fingers to the bone before I'll bid a child of mine marry for monev without love." " And perhaps youH let me say a word, Mr. Brown," interposed Charley Collins. " It aint much, it's only a matter of opin ion, and it'll relieve my mind. It's my opinion, sir, that you're a canting, two faced, hypocritical old humbug !" " I'll trouble you to say that over again presently, young man," said Mr. Brown, who seemed to recover hia cheerfulness under abuse. "It might be useful, if I wanted a character, you know. Wen. Mr. Todd, then that's your answer, is it r " It is so, sir !" said John Todd, with great decision. " And yours, Miss Milly ?" Milly's reply was of a rather remark able description. 8he quietly turned round to Charley Collins, and put her arms around his neck. "And yours, Miat Pinnifer. I beg pardon, I quite forgot I badnt asked yoo.a qUS Pinnifer looked as if ahe wished he had. .n -w.H" said Mr. Brown, "after an, , rbips it's lust as well as it is ; and rre ii.i l 1 he satisfaction of making my own &tiuiintnre from a totally new .point or mc. I really had rjoldea I waa snch a very iirrieasant person, Let me see now. HERALD. Tm mean, and Pra cruel, and I'm cowardly. That's Mr. Todd's idea. Mr. Collins says Tm a hypocritical, canting, double-faced dear me, what was it ne topped up with 7 " Humbug." said Charley, boldly. " Old humbug," corrected Mr. Brown, sternly, " l m not going to let yoa off any of the adjectives, my young friend. Yoa, Miss Milly, were of opinion mat 1 was a wretch." "I didnt" say so," said Milly. "No, my dear, but yoa thought so, and that's much the same. Dear, dear ! if your poor mother had only lived to iiear her brother Tom called ail these horrid names, 'pon my word I believe she'd have boxed your ears au rouna. " Uncle Tom 1" exclaimed Milly. "You're never Tom Hawkins!" cried Mr. Todd. - V "Yea, sometimes," said the stranger, meekly; "generally, I may say. Allow me to introduce myself, ladies and gentle men ; Thomas Brown Hawkins, at your service. As for my character, I'm a mean, cowardly, cruel a regular tragedy ancle, in fact' " My dear uncle," said MUly, " of course we didn't know. And yoa were only in joke, after alL" " Well, my dear, l m not so sure or that; but a man mayn't marry his grandmother, yoa know: and I rather think there s a similar roouah prejudice as regards nieces. 80, on the whole, perhaps it's just as well you didnt say yes. - j "I'm sure 1 heart uv peg your pardon, brother-in-law," said Mr. Todd. "You woat bear malice for words said under a mistake, I'm sure." Well. I'm not auite certain whether will or I won't" said Mr. Hawkins. "I should like to punch that young rascal's head for calling me an old humbug, but a uu bvusju a buuuiu ct sue wuibi ui is. " I m very sorrv. sir. began Charley. "No, your're not my dear boy; or if yoa are, you needn t be, saw mt. uawK- ids. is was an oiu man a suu a rather think I saw the fun of it better than yoa did.' Bat i bad always beard yon were dead. Hawkins, said Mr. Todd. "Many a tuna my poor wife used to talk and cry over her only brother, who was thought to nave been drowned at sea. " I ought to have been, by rights," said Uncle Tom. " I've been in three ship wrecks, but I was preserved, probably for a higher and drier tats, I ve been a dig ger, and a storekeeper, and a good many other things besides. . 1 11 tell yoa all my adventures, one of these days. And now I've made as much as I care to make. Yes, that twenty thousand pounds is a fact Miss Milly. and I've come to England to enjoy myself with my nephews and nieces. So you wont marry me, eh ? Milly shook her head saucily. " Well. then, as I've set my heart on a wedding, I suppose yoa must marry some body else. I think I know somebody who'll find that security, Mr. Charley, thoue-h. vou did call me a canting old hum bug. No thanks ! don't lrke-'em ; always makes me feel as if I was being tickled and wasn't allowed to laugh. Muly, little woman, if you're very good, you and I will take a run out of town the very first finejlay, and see if we can't find that same cottage we were talking about small garden in front, and the name of John Todd on the door, you know." In spite or uncle lom i objection 10 thanks, there was a simultaneous outburst of grateful joy, the overflow of happy neaxia. jonn loaci squeezed uu urumer-in-law's left hand, while Charley Collins violently shook his right, and Muly, with both arms around his neck, kissed him re peated lr. Miss Pinnifer wept so violent ly that her small pocket-handkerchief looked as if it had been recently washed, and not recently dried. The excitement rather increased wan diminished in intensity, and Uncle Tom was in a fair way to be literally smothered with caresses, when the door suddenly opened, and Miss Pinnifer s brother, m a white and peculiarly airy costume, siaisea into the room. The unfortunate man had waked from his first sleep with an uneasy sense that the promised pudding, with the hope of which he had been beguiled to rest, had not been duly furnished; and he had therefore risen at once, without the formality of dressing himself, to claim his due. There was an exclamation of aston ishment followed by a shout of inex tinguishable laughter, and then Miss Pin nifer, with much presence of mind, seized the table-cover, and hurriedly draping it round the intruder, march :d him back to bed. For a little while longer the little party sat around the fire, talking of the hard times past, and the pleasant times to come; and hearing the story of the tempest tossed life, come to an anchor at last And then the time for "good by" came, and as with loving kisse? and hearty hand shakes, they said "good night," the chimes from a neighboring church tower rang out midnight and Christmas-day was over. And uncie 10m, revereuuy doffing his hat aaid, "Thank God for a merry Christmas." " Amen !" said Charley Collins. "Amen!" said John Todd, "with all our hearts, amen!" Thank God for Christmas! So say we alL and God help him who cannot say Amen! For peace and good-will, for the onickened pulse of charity, lor quar rels reconciled, and love renewed, the golden gilts 01 unnsunas, uou ne uiauaou. Thanked, not alone with our lips, but with our hands and our hearts, by spread ing these golden gifts, that others may thank Him too. None is so poor but that once a year at least he may be a " rich uncle" to somebody; none so joyless but -s . J 1 aV-t that he may catch a reflected ray of hap piness, by doing semething, be it ever so Little, to make merry Christmas in the heart of another. IMiday No. of London Society. Lire and Dead Weight of Animals. Tan amount of meat obtained from a domestic animal sold by its live weight is very variable, and experiments have re cently been made in Liverpool to ascertain the proper allowances to be made. From the statistics to be derived from the public daughter-houses or abattoirs of Paris and Brussels, it appears that the race and the condition of the animal, besides many other circumstances, affect the result and that certain animals yield as much as 70 per cent of meat while others only give 50 per cent The mean weight of meat produced, however, is calculated at 58 per cent of the live weight in beef cattle. In the case of sheep, the proportion ia from 40 to 60 per cent From experiments made, it appears that the different pro ducts obtained from oxen and sheep are as follows : An ox of the live weight of LJ23 pounds yields meat T71.4 pounds; skin, 110.2 ; grease, 88; blood, 65.1 ; feet and hoofs, 2; head, 11; tongue, 6.60; lungs and heart, 15.33; liver and spleen, 20.05 ; intestines, 66.15 ; loss and evapora tion, 15432 making the total of 1,322 pounds. The product from a sheep wiirhinff 110.2 pounds are as follows: Meat, 65.1 pounds ; skin, 7.714 ; grease, 5.51; Hood, 4.408; feet and hoots, aa4; nead, 4.408; tongue, lungs, heart, liver, and nln-4 408 : intestines. 6.612: loss and evaporation, 19.836 making the total of 110.2 pounds. To Bon. a TtnntiT. If you wish a nlain stuffing, pound a cracker, or some bread-crumba, very fine, chop raw salt pork very fine, sift some sage ana any outer tweet herbs that are liked, season with nenner. and mould them together with the yolk of an egg; put this under the breast and tie it closely. Set on the turkey in boiling water, enough to cover it ; boil very slowly, and take off the scum as it rises. A large turkey will require more than two hours bouing; asmau one, an hoar and a half. Garnish with fried fnrrwmeax. and serve with oyster or celery sauce. -In Adams county, I1L, several days ago, a woman attempted to fill a lamp whilst burning, when the oil in the can took fire and exploded, throwing the burn ing oil all over herself and a little son, burning the mother so that she died after lingering in horrible suffering for five daya. The life of the ton was despaired of. Thn nnahand and another son were badly burned. The house took fire, and but for the timelv arrival of the neighbors all would have been roasted alive. VOL. XV.NO. 21. YOUTHS' DEPARTMENT. . "MAYN'T I BE A BOTr . " Mayn't I bs a boy r" aaid oar alary, Tbs tears in her irreat a ves nine, . " fm only a wee Hule Isssts . There" a aathiag a woman can tow " Tla aa; I heard Coada Joha say so He's home from a rre at toiler, too Be said sojnst bow In ths parlor: ' There's nothing a awm can do." My wee Bttle lassie; my darling," -aid t, patting back her soft hair, " I want yoe. my dear little maidea. To smooth away all molaera cars. Who Is It when pa comes home weary. That runs for his alrppersand rawaf What eyes dsea he watch for at morning. Looking oat aroa their kshsa of brown? u la there aotliing yoa ean do, my darling J What waa it thai naaaM ikt - ' Kv own little sanbeam Is coming, I know, for ths room is as bright. " And there ia a sseret, my Mary ' Perhape yoa will lean it some day . Tbe hand that fcs willing and nvlng Will do tba most work aa ths way ; Aad tha work that is sweetest aad dearest 1 he work that so many ne'er do The great work of making folka happy Can be done by a lassie like to. 7ns Cbsyrsgntlssianst. , CUFF0BLVS CAP. . v BT TAANCI8 LBS. " WnxT and I are going out to grandma Denise's to-day , but I suppose yoa cant go with us, ueneral I Clifford looked up quickly from the ship he waa drawing, "Why notf Ton laote I have been wanting to go out there for a month," said he. " Rftjrcaa'tlgoi" " Oh I we are going in about five min ontes, and it isn't likely yoa can find your cap in that time. . Peter Shangle is here with his old donkey, and we are going to ride over, but he wont wait," answered Fred. "My eapln cried Clifford, starting up In great confusion. "Ma, where is my cap?" , "I dont know, my son," replied Mrs. Gabriel, with a discouraged sigh. She had been asked that same question so many, many times t " Where do you (Unit it is? Where do yoa guess maybe it is, perhaps ? " persisted Clifford, looking helplessly around the room. " Clifford, dear, don't yoa remember I told yoa this morning yoa must find your twigs for yourself hereafter ? returned his mother. " But just only for this once, ma! The boys won't wait; there is Peter now! Begin to-morrow with me, and then 111 put my things in their places, and know just where they are every tune," minora pleaded. But Mrs. Gabriel shook her head, with that little Quick shake she never took back. " All aboard. General Disorder ! " called out Fred from the doorstep. " Lucy, don't yon know where my cap is?" cried jlinord, nan distracted. "Boys, do wait one minute." . "You must not go away leaving-your paints and paper scattered over the table," said Mrs. Gabriel, looking very indiffer ent, but wishing with her whole heart it was best to help him, "but just only for this once." "Time's up I" shouted Fred from the tail of Peter's old cart. Go 1 " cried Peter, flapping the bits of rope he used for reins, and touching up th dnnkev with a mnevine branch. Clifford rushed in a dark closet under the hall stairs, and lying down on a trunk cried out his disappointment; and when he came from the closet the first thing he saw was hia cap on the floor behind the hall door, that, standing open, had hidden it before. " Here ia mv cap. ma : I hadnt lost it." said he, going in the sitting-room looking nink and subdued like a rose after a shower. But his tone suddenly changed to one of horror. "Why, baby Gabriel! Ma, just see what she haa done!" he cried. M m-m-m !n answered the baby, shut ting her eyes tight and shaking her curly head. " Grandpa's beautiful ship, ma. It was almost finished, and now see here ! Baby has wrinkled it aad spit on it and torn it and spoiled it Why didn't somebody see to her and take it away ? I can't possibly do another before grandpa's birth-day." "She couldn t have got the picture it it had been In Its place," replied Mrs. Ga briel, calmly. "It was nothing to me." Clifford felt very unhappy, out ne nad cried out his tears ; so he sat down by the window and looked so sorry that his mother's heart ached for him. But she did not say anything, for talking had not cured him and she thought it best to try another way, and let him see what would happen if nobody did the work that be longed to him to do. I suppose r Ten aad v my are ou to grandma s by this time, pretty near. I shouldn't wonder if they are under the peach tree eating peaches this very min utelike enough, perhaps," thought Clif ford, mournfully. "And grandma always, 'most, makes me a little pie and gives me some maple sugar when I go there, and all the milk 1 can drink possibly." Then he took out his watch to see 11 there had been time enough for his broth ers to be really enjoying these delights already. "Mother I cried he, when he looked at it, n my watch has stopped ! I didnt wind it this morning. What shall do? Now Aunt' Elizabeth won't give me the chain I " "I suppose not ; I am sorry, said his mother, quietly. Poor Clifford 1 lie reit as mougn every misfortune was happening at once, tor when Aunt Elizabeth gave him the watch on his birth-day, she had promised him a chain for it if he would not let it run down for three months. Two months nad passed, and this was the first time he had forgotten it; but he knew very well it was also the first time his mother had not asked if he had wound it. Presently Lacy broke in upon his mel ancholy thoughts. "Clffordrshe cried from the garden, " come out here, quick ! Hurry !" Clifford jumped through the low, open window upon the piazza. What is , Joucyr wnerer- ne asked. Willv'a rabbits! They are gone! Somebody left the door open," answered Lucy, "and we cant find them Benny and L We've been looking every place. We s' posed you hed gone to grandma Denis V Clifford's heart choked him. He re membered leaving the door of the pen un fastened while he went for a cabbage leai; and then the oysterman came, and running in to see if bis mother wished any, he for got to go back. " It is the fault of that lazy oysterman this time," thought he, trying, like his grandfather Adam, to excuse himself. "If he had gone to the kitchen door, as the way waa for him, and not called me, ;I shouldn't have forgotten tbe rabbits. And Willy might have stayed home and seen to them himself.'' But these excuses did not ratisfy his conscience as he looked behind every shrub and clump of flowers In vain search tor the lost pets. At :at he gave them up, and went back toward the Louse. "Who broke Fred's shovel?" said he, suddenly stopping short. " I," answered Benny, complacently. " I was pounding for mi eatafeUow to come and it broked. It waT good for nothing." " Yea, Benny broke it trying to make a caterpillar come oat from under the door step, said Lacy. - "How came Benny to have itr" asked Clifford, fiercely. "Father doesnt allow any of yoa little ones in the tool house; yoa know he don't," Benny, nodded. "I didn't. It was right here, and it broked. It wa' good for nothing," he repeated. Clifford, did not say a word more. It was he who had taken the shovel from the tool-house and dropped it carelessly on the walk. He went to his mother in despair. "Ma," said he, " would aa many things as this happen every day if yoa didn't pick up after me?" . , "Yes; yoa haven't-left your thiiiS about to-day any more than usual," she replied. M God has put certain thiaga for each of as to do, and if we shirk them, somebody has work aa well as f i own, or else it goes undone. It ia " Do yon retTy irrppose, ma, hanxhr " my crp to part w God's work fct a asked Clifford, doubtfully. - I am sore ef R. And it is a maca your duty to do that as it Is the duty of your father to preach Christ's gospel and visit the sick. This ia what Jems himself says about ft: He C4J3 faitofal ia that which ia least ia .faithful also is mock, -- This was not all new to Cluljrd, and yet he seemed to hear it for the first time. He had never really felt before the trouble hia disorderly habits made for others. So he sat looking very sober for a long time. Then he drew a deep breath and said cheerfully. "I guese I can break myself if I try I real hard, and I have made up my mind I will, too." 771 CkOctren'i Hmr. FACTS AND FIGURES. Bctfalo boasts of a seventeea-year- old bigamist. - A BnooxxTK dog fancier haa made ISOL- 000 in two years. v LouisTnxn has a negro chUd with ten fingers on each hand. MoBMOHrax, it Is said, haa thirteen thou sand capable military men, Oh a train that reached KaoxviHe, Tenn, from Virginia, lately were 47 ba bies. Chicago built two thousand five hun dred houses during 1369, at a cost of $10, 000,000. Br the recent death in this country of five misers; nearly three million doQsri will be put afloat. A CKiisn factory at Cheshire, Mam, manufactured this year 10231 pounds of cheese. A la wra of Atlanta, Ga., received a counter-pane as a fee from a woman in that city, in a divorce suit. Moss rafts floated down the Mississip pi river during 1S69 than are remembered in any previous year. CnfccntATi has had a corn husking match. In nine hours one Hess husked 149 bashela to his opponent's 145. A woxAic in the northern part of Maine, who is the mother of twenty children, haa been granted a divorce on the ground that she has no affinity for her husband. A mam in Gloucester, a few days since. while smoking his pipe on the street, stum bled and fell. The pipe was broken off and the stem driven into the roof of his mouth an inch and a quarter. TTbarly three hundred Parisians took the oath as candidates before the recent special elections, merely to secure a grata- ' itoua advertisement of their names and business in the official journal. A tathxb lately dropped his daughter and an umbrella from a Jersey City ferry-boat into the water. A ferryman res cued the young lady, the old gentleman confining his attentions strictly to the um brella. A chabmtko girl of Boston is aboat es tablishing a female barber shop. Ten sylphs are being put through a tuitionarr course of lather for the opening. A sweet shave will cost twenty-five cents, and a seraphic shampoo half a dollar. A lady in Utica, N. Y.. carried to a newspaper an account of her own suicide by drowning, and. after the item was pub lished. In flesh, blood and bones she ap peared at the editor's sanctum and de manded a contradiction. A Nnw Havxx policeman got so sound asleep upon a door-step, a few nights ago, that the chief, who happened along, could not wake him np, but took his cap, bearing his number, to the police station, where it still awaitsthe call of the owner. Tub bunding statistics of St. Paul for the year 1869 for buildings and im provements foot up $1,395,727, against $1,- -000,500 in 1868. Of this amount nearly $600,000 has been laid out in dwellings, $300,000 in business blocks, and $300,000 on public buildings. Is Hungary a landowner was lately at tacked by one of his servants in a forest and killed. His right arm was then cut off, and a piece of paper, with the follow ing words, placed upon it : " Here hast thou the hand with which thou hast whipped me." The murderer waa ar rested. Thb Maine Farmer makes the following estimate of the crops of that State for the past season: Hay, 800,000 tons, (equal in quality to 1,000,000 tons produced in 1868); corn, 900,000 bushels; potatoes, 400,000 bushels ; wheat, 200,000 bushels ; barley, 800,000 bushels; oaU 2,000,000 bushels. "It was in St. John's church, Richmond, in the Virginia Convention of "75, that Patrick Henry delivered his celebrated oration and uttered the immortal sentence, " Give me liberty or give me death." The place is still pointed out where he stood. The celebrated Virginia Convention of 1778 that met to ratify the Federal Consti stitution, assembled in St. John'a Lord Palxzbstoit, eleven years ago, expressed the opinion that the sues Canal scheme was the "greatest bubble ever imposed upon the credulity and simplic ity of the country." Robert Stephenson, the great engineer, who had conquered the difficulties of the Kilsby tunnel and built the Menai bridge, indorsed Palmer- ston's opinion, stating that the canal was nhvairallv imrmaaihlft." An Ohio clergyman, several years ago. received a bright new cent as a wedding fee. The other day he met the bride groom, who mentioned the circumstance. and said: "My wife was a comparative stranger to me at the time we were united in wedlock. I had not learned her value. and paid accordingly. I find her a jewel? so here is an additional fee," at the same time handing the astonished minister a $20 gold piece. PnctcB Napolboit recently sent hia eldest son, Victor, seven years of age, to a private school in the Rue Canmartin, in which there are about fifteen pupils. The principal asked the father how he should address the boy, as "Alonsetg nenr" or "your Highness." "Call him simply Victor," said the Prince. "But on the lists of honor for attention and good conduct?" "Oh, then, Victor Na poleon ; but when his companions give him a blow or he returns it, Victor, short ; and in no case whatever Monseigneur." Pete wood is of great value in North Carolina. They have discovered a new way of making turpentine. 1 ney cnar pine wood in a retort, and tne production from a cord of wood is said to be ten gal lons of turpentine, worth $4 ; eighty gal lons of oil, $23 ; fifteen gallons of black varnish, $7.20 ; 100 gallons of wood acid. $5, and 40 bushels or charcoal, Desiuea considerable inflammable gas; but be sides this, the product has a market value of $48.50; all of which is obtained at a cost for wood and laoor or 9 i(i. Thb manner in which De Lessepewon his wife was a very singular one. He had brought to ladies in France a great number of Jericho roses, and was dis tributing them at an evening party. He stopped before the young brunette who is now Mrs. DeL, and said s "It is not in my power to make this rose bloom afresh every one knows the legend of Jericho rosea, but express a desire in accepting it, and I swear that it shall be accomplish ed." " I desire whatever yon wiah," mur mured the young girl. - well,- saia lh Leesepa, "I wiah yoa to be my wife." Aad she is. Thb exports of tea from Shanghai and Japan during the period which elapsed between June 1 "and October 11, 1869, amounted to 8,889,591 chests to the Atlan tic ports of the United States, aad 47,252, 538 chests to Great Britain. During the same period In 1863 the exports to the United States were 5,395,141 chests, and to Great Britain 53,22833 chests. Of the exports of tea from June 1, 1869, to the United States, 122,260 chests were of black tea, 8,213,912 green, and 633,413 Japanese. It is also announced that 19 bales of raw silk had been shipped from Yokohama to New York, by way of San Francisco and the Pacific Railroad. Of the 1,095 mountains La the moon, measured by Beer and Madler, thirty-nine are higher than Mont Blanc, and six are 20,000 feet high. The annular (or circu lar) mountains are highest ; Dorfel, aear the southern pole, measuring 26,691 feet, or nearly as high as the highest peaks of the Himalayas, the loftiest summits of our own globe. And there are also circular caverns, or craters, in our satellite which are 24.000 feet deep ! and some are 100 to 130 miles in diameter. The Albany Time prints the follow ing advertisement : Whereas, my new hat was taken from a rack in a barber-shop, on Broadway, last evening, and an old one left In Its place ; now, this is to give notice that If my bat Is not returned, to me, at the address pasted inU, before sundown toiay with the cost of this publication, I will foward to the wife of !h. .rnn who took it the letter found r-- ,, . m .V. concealed m uc iuuug u uj