Thomas County cat. [volume], May 09, 1889, Image 6

About Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891

Image provided by: Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS

                
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THE HOUSEHOLD KING.
No letter does he kaow In all
The lengthy alphabet.
The simplest word one ever heard
Bemains a mystery yot;
One single step he can not take
Nor can he even stand,
He can not write the little mito
k Or use his dainty hand,
Bis daily round or baby-lire
Is made or carious things;
To laugh and creep, and play bo-peep,
Untiring pleasure brings,
"Until with unrelenting hand
The sandman claims hs eyes
And then to sing this baby-king
Asleep with lullabies !
Imperative in his domain
From mom till close or day.
To lift a hand is a command
The household must obey I
A little tyrant in disguise
5 Who takes you unaware.
Who steals your heart by subtle art
And builds his castlo there.
"nd yet with all our ready girts
Or languages and pen,
Xh s artful rogue has his own brogue.
Unknown to wise3t men.
He gives u& lessons still untaught
Of both tho heart and head,
'While in his ryes a wisdom lies
Not yet interpreted I
Dear baby-heart as yet untried
In lire's mysterious way.
God kindly keep your little rcet
From paths that go astray;
The prattling lips rrom speaking guile,
These dear bands undeDled.
And make the man upon the plan
And nature of the child.
Arthur D. F. Randolph, in Wide Awake.
".REFLEX ACTION."
X7urious Power of the Nerves Over
the Muscles.
Xhe Wonderfully Delicate System of Te
legraphy Found Kxistinj; in AH Ani
mal lloclies, Simple Kxplanatlon
of Its Kssenti.il Features.
To-day I have beon watching my
two cats the black "Professor" and
his maternal ancesler playing in tho
dining-i-oom. Despite the lady's age,
jhe retains much of tho spirit of her
youth, and does not object to a romp
with her good-natured son. Now and
then feline temper will exhibit itself
in a snarl which invariably comes
from the side of the mother cat, and
then "Professor" scuttles off with tho
dexterity that is born of sheer alarm
of claws and teeth as moans of ma
ternal revenge. Like two weary fen
cers, the cats have boen thrusting and
parrying at one another this morning.
Facing one another, they have stood
like feline statues, immovable and in
sCatue-like reposd; Yet. every nerve
was on the strain. The one watches
the other, eager to anticipate attack
or retreat; and, on the slightest move
inent, tho battle roynl was begun
anew. It is this alacrity of nerve to
Tespond to the stimulation of outward
"things which is exercising my mind
to-day. Whether in cat or in man, in
worm or in mollusk, the way of tho
jierves seems to bo identical.
Underlying all tho varied phases of
'nervous action, we find one great and
guiding principle, for tho first eluci
dation of which we are indebted to
the genius of the late Dr. Marshall
Hall. Tho principle is known as that
of reflex action, and ono or two sim
ple illustrations will familiarize us
with its naturo and modus operandi.
I am crossing tho street, and hear the
sharp trot of a cab-horse just behind
me. Anxious to avoid accidents, I
quicken my step3 and reach tho oppo
site pavement in safety. What has
"been the nature and operation of the
.nervous mechanism in this case?
"Waves of sound from tho cab's motion
iir&t of all were received by tho drum
of tho ear, were transmitted to tho
inner ear, were modified and assorted,
.so as to reach tho brain as ' sensa
tions " of sound, and were finally re
ccived and dealt with by that part of
tho brain set apart for the control of
tho hearing sense. Thereupon, con
sciousness of danger to my per
sonality was awoke, probably be
cause the hearing part of tho
brain communicated with tho intel
lectual centers. At anv rate, tho re
sult of sound-waves striking my ear
was the aw akening of my mind to the
Tisk I ran in crossing tho street. Now,
-this first piece of nervous play only
rocs so far as to include tho convey
ance to tho brain of a message (or
''sensation") from tho outer world. It
Is clear that, in order to escape dan
ger, I must possess means of acting,
like an intelligent policemen, upon
'information recched," Accordingly
tho sensation of sound sooner or later
is "reflected" from tho brain centers
io othor parts of tho body namely,
tho muscles. Tho latter organs are
stimulated to greater activity, and I
-am speedily landed on tho opposite
pavement out of tho way of the cab.
"Notice, then, that this illustration
presents us with a plain, unvarnished
story of that "reflex action" which
underlies all our nervous operations,
and which, therefore, forms the foun
dation of all the acts of our own lives,
of those of my cats, and, indeed, regu
lates the acts of all animals.
When you draw back your head to
avert a threatened blow, or when your
eyelids close as some ono in play
passes his hand rapidly before your
yos, it is reflex action you again il
lustrate in ypur movements. The eye
'receives, and its nervo transmits, a
"sensation" of sight to the seeing
center of the brain. Thence is "re
jected" a nervous command to the
muscles of tho neck, or of the eye
lids alone, as tho case may be.
"When my cats are romping here and
there, each movement whereby "Pro--fessor"
escapes his mother's attack is
carried out by a similar reflex action
-of his nervous system. When you
-touch the feelers on a snail's head and
-.see them fold up in the marvelous
'fashion they exhibit, and when Anally
that mollusk retires into the privacy
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of its own apartment (as represented
by its shell) for a time,, you are mere
ly witnessing reflex action in lower
life. The sensation of touch has
been transmitted to the nervous
centers of the snail, and those
centers in their turn have issued
their commands to the muscles with
the result of producing the compulsory
retirement just named. It is with
this reflex action as though one out
side official (the sense organ) receiv
ing a message, transmits it to head
quarters (the brain or nerve-center);
while the latter, dealing with the emer
gency which has arisen, issues the
commands to other officials (muscles,
for example), and these latter carry
out the movements necessary for the
welfare of the state. Even when the
"mouth waters" at the sight of dain
ties a phase of life extremely well
seen in dogs who view from a point of
expectancy the dining arrangements
of their masters it is a reflex action
which is responsible for this piece of
physiological foolishness. The sensa
tion of sight conveyed to the brain is
"reflected" to the salivary glands of
the mouth, and these discharge into
the mouth their special fluid, which,
of course, is of service in digestion.
It is simply a matter of habit which
induces the flow of saliva when there
is nothing present to taste or to di
gest, and, so far, this action, lik
many others of higher and lower lifo
alike, is of unconscious or automatic
kind.
Study this curious principle of nerv
ous action a little more closely, and one
tecognizes that it depends upon the
existence of a tolerably constant se
ries of parts. For example, there
must be an ingoing nerve to carry in
wards a message or sensation from
tho outside world. This is the "sen
sory" nerve of science. Then, there
must exist a nerve-center, or receiving
office, as we may term it, whereat the
message is received and from which
it is reflected, or retransmitted, as we
have seen. Lastly, there is need of
a socond or outgoing nerve which
shall carry this "reflected" message to
muscles or other organs, as the case
may be. This latter nerve, because
the effect of its motion is to produce
motion of one kind or another, is called
the "motor" nerve. These three M
things are all that are necessary for the
carrying out of our life's acts. Doubt
less there is much more that is complex
in the details of reflex action, but its
essentials are as simple as I have de
scribed them. In this system of body
telegraphy wo see countless messages
going in and out from nerve centers,
ruling and controlling all the affairs of
our existence. The body, in this view
of matters, is a very busy state, whoso
officials are in perpetual and constant
communication with their heads of de
partments, Finally it must be borne in mind
that, while we are conscious of
much that we do, we are also
utterly unconscious of a vast
number of our actions. When we
come to think of it, the fact of our re
sembling Messrs. Maskolyne and
Cook's figures, in some respects, is a
tremendous advantage to us. We have
not to think about every act of life;
hence we are saved much intellectual
wear and tear. Reading and writing,
and piano playing, and walking and
many complex actions, may be and are
performed entirely without the neces
sity for thought. "Getting any thing
off by heart," as the schoolboy puts it,
is really converting something which
at first cost intellectual effort into
something which is purely automatic
in its nature; and tho things which are
most machine-like in our actions are
just those which are most purely "re
flex" in their nature. The Indian
thief tickles the sleoping man with a
straw, and causes him, in his sleep, to
roll over on his pillow so that the
valuables beneath his head may be ab
stracted. This may bo an illustration
of nefarious conduct; but it is, none
the less, an excellent example of reflex
action unconsciously performed when
human nature lies still in the silken
bonds of "death's twin-brother, sleep."
Illustrated London News.
ANCIENT FOOT-GEAR.
When Men Wore Boots Weighing About
Ten 1'oumls Each.
Workmen recently engaged in de
molishing an old house in Hanover,
says a foreign exchange, found be
hind tho casings of one of tho rooms
an unused shoe, which, from appear
ances, had lain in its hiding place for
more than a hundred years. The shoe
was in a perfect state of preservation,
the upper leather being supple and
retentive of its blacking. The stock
is what was designated in former
times "cowhide," a very thick and
tough material, such as was used in all
heavy shoes and boots. It is double
soled and heeled, all hand work, ol
course, sewed through and through,
with the stitches showing top and bot
tom. The heel is pegged on with
wooden pegs of irregular shapes, very
large, and evidently cut by hand. The
shoe is low-cut and has straps with
one hole each for lacing.
In 1887, while engaged in repairing
an old building near BagshotPark,
Surrey, the workmen discovered in an
old walled-up cupboard a large col
lection of clothing and armor, includ
ing a pair of boots. The boots are in
the most excellent preservation, and
are made of the thickest hide (lined
and padded), with very thick soles,
and large towelled spurs attached by
steel chains. The upper portions arc
of rounded leather, to cover the feet
and most of the thighs. The boots
bear the maker's name, and the place
"Paris," and seem scarcely to hare
been worn at alL They are said to
I weigh ten pounds each.
NEVER DESPAIR.
Granted the odds arc against us; granted we
enter the field,
When Fate has fought and conquered, broken
our sword and shield.
What tben? Shall we ask for quarter, or say
that our work is done?
Bay, rather, a greater glory is oars it the ield
be won!
'Tis war with the wrong of years with preju
dice pride and hate:
Against the world's decree, and the frown of
an evil fate.
Acrown to the one who wins I and the worst Is
only a grave.
And somewhere somewhere still, a reward
awaits the brave.
A broken shield without, but a hero's heart
within.
And, held with a hand of steel, the broken
sword may win!
Youth's Compamoa.
SCHOOL SUFFRAGE.
Weakness of the Present School System
as Presided Over by Slen Bliglblllty of
Women to School Offices.
At this time, when there is so wide
an awakening of women to their duties
in regard to the public schools, the fol
lowing good article by Mrs. Ellen B.
Dietrick, which lately appeared in tho
Covington (Ky.) Daily Commonwealth,
will have special interest:
"That Kentucky once had law-makers
who were men of sense is evident from
this extract from her Revised Statutes,
1852, Chapter 6, Sec 1:
'An election shall be held at the' school-house
of each school district, rrom 9 am. till 2 p. m.,
or the first Saturday or Apritof each year, for
the election of three trustees for the district for
one year, and uutil others are elected and qual
ified. The qualified voters of the district shall
be the electors, and any widow having a child
between six and eighteen years or age may also
vote in person or by written proxy, ir she has
no child, but is a tax-payer, she may vote on the
question or taxes.'
"It is rather btrange that they did
not also limit the right of school suf
frage to widowed fathers, in order to
have the scales of justice balance; but
perhaps the next Legislature will be
sensible enough to make voting for
school trustees, with that of all munici
pal affairs, equally just for all men and
women.
"Certainly, if either sex should be
given the sole right of deciding about
children's education, it should be the
mothers, sisters and maiden aunts, as
in ninety-nine out of a hundred families
the men know littlo and caro less about
what the children are doing at school.
The mother, having been educated her
self with the idea that school affairs
belong to "politics," submits, as she
has been trained to do, to tho evils of
the "system," without a protest.
"The trustees are most of them men
who, absorbed in their own business or
profession, give the school the very
least amount of thought and time that
will suffice to hurry through with that
business. A former member of the
school board says it is almost impossi
ble to get a quorum at any of the ordi
nary meetings, that it is a great bore,
and somebody ought to take hold of it
who has more time and interest in tho
subject of education.
"Now the one point on which all men.
the broad-minded men and the little,
narrow-minded men agree, is that it is
woman's peculiar duty to look after the
interests of children. After a child is
six years of age, the greater part of its
life is spent in the school-room until it
goes to the work-shop, store or factory.
With the age of six it passes from tho
mother's care to tho guardianship of the
school trustee. The guardian selects
the man or woman into whoso hands
are given the plastic souls and tender
bodies of the children for from three to
six of their working hours at the most
impressionable period of their lives, and
concerns himself very little further
about child, teacher or school-room.
"As all the decision is now left to
men, men appoint other men to wash
the windows, sweep the 'floors and
make the fires of tho school-houses.
Not because men like to wash and
sweep; it is doubtful if ono of them
would do it in his own house; but be
cause in most Covington school-houses
it pays better to pretend to wash win
dows and sweep floors than it does to
teach. For instance, thirty-five of tho
women school-teachers are paid less
than any of these male janitors, the
wages of the latter ranging from nine
ty to two hundred and forty dollars
per year more than these women teach
ers receive.
"The women having no representa
tive on the school board, the male
trustees naturally allow the male teach
ers twice as much as some of the high
est paid, and five times as much as the
poorest paid women teachers are able
to get. Women must begin in the low
est grade, and may work up to be man's
assistant, never higher, while any man
who has influence enough to get in at
ail, goes in as principal.
"Do the male teachers have families
to support?
"So do the women teachers.
"Do the male teachers do better
work?
"No one even pretends that they do.
"Have women ever been tried and
found capablo of filling the highest of
fices of schools?
"Yes. Women are eligible to school
offices generally in Illinois, Iowa. Kan
sas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michi
gan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Ver
mont and Wyoming; to school district
offices in Colorado; to any office except
State Superintendent in Wisconsin;
some offices are open to them in Maine,
and all offices in California. Ten
women were elected county superin
tendents in Illinois in 1873, many of
whom have served ever since, and have
proved themselves satisfactory, both as
to the millions of dollars that have
passed through their hands, and also in
their duties to teachers and pupils. In
Des Moines, la., Mrs. L. M. Wilson
has been city superintendent of the
public school for nineteen years, and.
Mrs. L. F. Morrow principal of the
high school for thirteen years. '
The subject ef the schools kite
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city's most vital- interest How to se
cure the regular attendance of the
thousands who either go irregularly or
stay away altogether. How to make
the schools desirable to our poorest
class of parents. Whether the edu
cation" the children are receiving is the
best investment the city could make with
regard to their nsefulness in the future.
Whether they pass their days in clean.
vnilf v rt j 1..- ,i-;i0t:wj ton, author of "Two Gentlemen of Bos
about them.orin dusty, badly ventilated, . . . , . . .. M
ones, mueousiy ugly, and injurious
alike to their health and their taste.
Whether they face a glare of light at
their writing or blackboard exercises,
or whether consideration is paid to
their eyes. Whether each child has its
correct number of cubic feet of space,
or whether from fifty to eighty are
packed in the space that would not be
too much for forty. Whether proper
ventilators are used, or a stream of
heavy cold air allowed to fall on the
heads of all children who sit near win
dows. Whether our methods are kept
abreast with the best known, or wheth
er we are still wasting time in the ig
norant fashion of twenty-five years
ago.
"What we, want woven into tho Re
public must begin with the children in
the public schools. Our constant ex
aminations, weokly and monthly, are
about as wise as it would be for a gar
dener to pull up by the roots every fort
night to "see how his garden grew."
It teaches the children that tho one
thing in school life is to mako a show
of knowledge.
"Now, let the friends of the schools
thoroughly canvass Covington, in the
first place to rouse the interest of all
the widows entitled to vote, and per
suade them to do their duty in 1890;
next, to persuade all voters to elect at
least two of our most intelligent and
motherly women to the office of school
trustee, and to see that the five new
men, who go in at that time, are the
most broadly educated, the wisest and
best that can be induced to give
their services for the welfare of the
oity."
m
Woman's Education.
Lady Aberdeen, in an address before
an educational meeting not long ago,
regarding women's education, said:
They serve on school boards and
parochial boards, they act on commit
tees, they take a leading part in "phil
anthropic, religious and mission work."
If they are to maintain this position
and it is for the good of the community
as well as for their own happiness that
they should maintain it they must pass
through a brain discipline that will fit
them to grapple with the problems and
perplexities of public life. There is no
risk that the tenderness of their emo
tional nature,1 the delicacies of their
feminine sensibilities, will bo destroyed
by a sound culture of the intellectual
faculties. Women contribute to the
management of the poor, the young,
the infirm, in so far as these are thrown
upon the public, an inestimably valu
able element of kindness and purity.
But there is not the slightest danger
that this element will be extinguished
by brain power. A strong feminine
understanding will be the best ally of
a soft feminine heart.
WOMAN SUFFRAGE NOTES
TnE Bostonian Society has voted to
admit women, 74 to 14.
The vote on the municipal woman
suffrage bill in the Ohio House of Rep
resentatives stood 36 to 36.
The lower house of the Michigan
Legislature has passed a bill conferring
school suffrage upon women.
Nothing can be more baseless than
the idea that education and patriotism
unfit a woman for the duties of wife
and mother.
A vote on woman suffrage was taken
the other day by the employes of the
Cleveland (O.) Ship-building Company.
Of 125 mechanics who voted, 112 were
in favor. The thirteen who opposed
it are foreigners unable to speak Eng
lish. The argument that women must not
vote unless she can shoulder the
musket has no foundation in reason or
in the facts of the present century.
The person of the clearest head and
purest heart is the best voter, not the
man or person of the most muscle.
The fact that three of the greatest
books of the century have been written
by women Mrs. Harriet Beecher
Stowe, George Eliot and Mrs. Hum
phrey Ward is, in the opinion of an
admirer of the fair sex, a good point for
the advocates of woman's emancipation.
Women ask for the right of suffrage,
not because they are abused, but be
cause they are half of the human race.
They want equality, not superiority.
Women can never be made men. There
is no danger of woman losing her wo
manhood. In fact, we do not dream
yet what womanhood can be. Mary A.
Livermore.
Miss Anna Gardner edits a depart
ment for woman suffrage in two Nan
tucket papers. Miss Gardner is in her
seventy-third year, and can only walk
with crutches. But she brings to this
work a clear intellect and wisdom
gained by long experience in it. She
and the cause are to be congratulated
on the post of vantage she occupies.
The women's suffrage movement in
Brooklyn is indorsed by the leading
ministers of the Congregational, ITni
versalist and Unitarian churches Eer.
Dr. Starrs, Dr. Lyman Abbott, John
Chad wick, Mr. Collier, Dr. Lyman. Mr.
Alger. Rev. Mr- Camp, and, in fact, alt
the pastors of the liberal churches.
Mr. Beecher for many years was the
constant champion of equal rights ol
wossen, and he was to be defended on
at all times for public aid. Hie advo
oacy lnlnenced others. Dr. Talssage
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PERSONAL AND LITERARY.
Of the 482 theological and religious
books, published in this country last
year, 839 were the work of American
authors.
George William Curtis never writes
at a table except to sign his name. He
writes on a pad in his hand with his
pencil, and has a copy made from this.
It is said that Mrs. Field, of Bos-
wui vceu, vvua cauu vono
can cook and bake as well as
write books and poems, and loves house
keeping. Two of the most succ essful college
presidents in Kentucky are w omen
Miss Lottie A. Campbell, president of
Caldwell College, Danville, and Miss
A. M. Hicks, president of Clinton Col-
l66-
Col. W. H. H. Taylor, of St. Paul,
Minn., the State Librarian, is Presi-
' dent Harrison s uncle. He is seventy
uto jroaia urn, uuu uuuns uia nui& ou
well that he carries the whole library
catalogue in his head.
John Howard Payne, the author
of "Home, Sweet Home." while a
junior at Union College, in 1811, started
a college paper, called the Pastime,
which became very popular with the
students.
"The Publishers' Weekly" re
corded the publication in America last
year of 4,681 books (1,111 of which
were imported). This exceeded the
record for 1887 by 194, but fell short
of that of 1886 the heaviest in the
history of American book-publishing
by 45. In England in 1888 the out
put was 6,591 as against 5,6S6 in 18S7.
In a new book upon "American
isms' 6omo of the less familiar are:
Bibibles for drinkables, Bohn for a
criD or translation, oaiaituae lor a
J state 0f baldness; to deacon, or to
place fine fruit at the top; parquet, or
the pit of a theater from its mosaic
floor; pizarro, for piazza; skulldug
gery, wire-pulling; trampoos, to wan
der aimlessly, and daisy, for any thing
first-rate.
A peculiar fact about American
literary women is that many of them
are domestic in their tastes and have
great ability as housekeepers. Lucy
Stone is a noted home-maker. Mrs.
Elizabeth Cady-Stanton's domestic
propensities are well known. Mrs.
Annie Jenness Miller, the lecturer and
j advocate of dress reform, has a hus
band who worships her. Mrs. Liver
more, the lecturer, is another good
housekeeper, and in addition to her
public and private duties takes care of
an invalid daughter.
HUMOROUS.
We undertook to print Amelia
Rives' last poem this week and failed.
It melted the type in the stick.
Lincoln Journal.
Curiosity is an essentially femi
nine virtue, but most observant ob
servers have observed that a man is
not at all un wiling to listen to the in
formation his inquisitive wife may
have gathered. Somerville Journal.
Husband "What does the paper
say about the big fire of last night?"
Wife (reading the morning paper)
"It says the boiler burst and then tho
scene that followed baffled descrip
tion." H. "Is that all?" W.-"No;
two columns of description follow
that." Yonkers Blade.
Eastern lady (in Colorado) "It
makes me sick to hear some of your
Western names. The idea of calling a
pretty town like this 'Wagon wheel. '"
Resident "It isn't a nice name, and
if we ever change it I promise to let
you know at once." "I wish you
would." "Where shall I address you?"
"Horseheads. N. Y."
A correspondent of the Writer
asks why a pound of manuscript pass
ing between author and publisher
should need more postage than a pound
of calico. The answer is simple. It
is a wise duty imposed by the Govern
ment for the protection of the most
defenseless mortals on the face of the
earth editors. America.
Rosey Boy "Why didn't you take
a wedding trip, Bloodgood?" Blood
good "Well, you see, my wife and I
came to the conclusion it wouldn't be
much of a novelty, for us. We met
first on a steamer on the Atlantic
Ocean; I proposed in Sweden; was ac
cepted in Russia; obtained her father's
permission in England; the marriage
settlement was drawn up in this coun
try, and we were married in Algiers."
Once a Week.
First lady (behind a tall hat at the
theater)- "Rather out of style, isn't
it?" Second lady (in a loud whisper)
"Yes. They were wearing hats like
that in Paris when I was there two
years ago." "Yes. I thought it was
about that old. What .flimsy material
it is made of!" " Horridly cheap. I
saw some of that in tho window of a
second-hand store marked " Lady
in front (to companion) "It's so
dreadfully warm here I will have to
take off my hat." Philadelphia
Record.
Romance vs. Cold Business. Man
aging Editor (at the banquet, replying
to toast of "The Press." Extracts
from his remarks) "That noble en
gine of civilization, whose mighty
throbs pulsate in unison with the on
ward march of enlightened progress
the guide, the educator of the masses
whose vast responsibilities," etc.,
eta, etc. Managing Editor (in the
sanctum) "Get up a column and a
half about that dog fight to-night,
sesd a man to interview Sullivan about
his last spree, and if that article on
Dandy Bar-keepers of New Tork
bm't ready by three o'clock, there'll be
trouble up there, and dea't yu fergtt
.,. " vT7 - . o. . ?
CONDEMNED CRIMINALS."
Tins Allowed Betweaa the
SMitaaea m4 Ita KxeewMe.'
The rule in England, even cases
where there is doubt that the sentence)
will be carried out, allows three Sun
days only to intervene between the
trial and the execution so that if a
man is tried on a Saturday he has very
little more than a fortnight allowed,
him to prepare; but where there i
hope of reprieve, the delay of the an
nouncement that the man is to die till
within a few hours of his execution
not only adds a torturing element to
his punishment which he has not
legally incurred, but it limits the time
of his real preparation to the one last
agitating day when his friends come
to take a final leave of him. The
matter is not one of minor importance,
as was keenly felt, we believe, by the
saintly Abbe Croze, the chaplain of La
Roquette in Paris, who ministered to
all the culprits that during a period of
twenty-five years expiated their
crimes on the guillotine. Tho French
system of leaving a man in complete
ignorance of the time when his execu
tion is to take place until the fatal
hour actually arrives told very heavily
against that good priest's efforts to
bring such criminals, as Tropmann,
Avignoin and Billoir to a fit state of
preparation for their entrance on the
dread eternity. The strange laxity of
French prison discipline allowed some
of these men to be playing cards with
their jailers till within a few hours of
their death, but it may be doubted
whether the more decent provisions of
our English custom, which dedicates a
condemned man's last day to farewell
interviews with his friends, can avail
to render that brief space of time
sufficient for the heavy responsibili
ties with which it is weighted. Black
wood's Magazine.
The Value of Longevity.
Dr. Felix L. Oswald, in writing of the
value of longevity, says :
"Can there be a doubt that Burns and
Keats foresaw the issue of their struggle
against bigotry, or that Cerrantes, in the
gloom of his misery cculd read the signs of
the dawn presaging a sunburst of posthu
mous fame?
"Spinoza and Schiller died at the threshold
of their goal; Pascal, Harvey, Macauly,
Buckle and Bichat left their inimitable
works half finished; Raphael, Mozart and
Byron died at the verge of a summit
which perhaps no other foot shall ever ap
proach. "Who knows how often, since the dawn
of modern science, the chill of death has
palsied a hand that had all but lifted the
veil of Isis' temple? Or in how many thou
sand lives time alone would have solved all
discords into harmonies! An increase of
longevity would indeed, solve the vexing
riddles of existence; it would famish the
peculiar endorsement of Mr. Mallock's con
clusion. It would give the vicissitudes ol
fortune a ohanco to assert their equalizing
tendencies, it would supply a sussing link
in the arguments of that natural religion
that trusts the equipoise of justice in the
apparent caprices of human fate.
r "The price of longevity would redeem the
mortgage of our earthly paradise" and it
can be prolonged and should be, with cars
and the use of proper medicine at the right
time.
Owing to the stress, the worry, and ths
annoyance of every-day life, there is no
doubt but that tens of thousands of men and
women yearly fill premature graves.
Especially after middle fife should a care
ful watch be kept over one's physieal condi
tion. The symptoms of kidney disease, such
as becoming easily tired, headache, neural
gia, feeble heart acton, fickle appetite, a
splendid feeling one day and an all gone
one the next, persistent cough, trouble fa
urinating, etc., should be diligently looked
into and at once stopped through a faithful
use of Warner's Safe Cure, whica has
cured tens of thousands of such troubles
and will cure yours.
Experiencing no pain in the region of tho
kidneys is no evidence that they are not
diseased, as those great purifying organs
have very few nerves of sensation, and
oftentimes the kidneys are positively rot
ting and being passed away through the
urine before the victim is aware he is
suffering from advance kidney disease,
which is only another name for Bright's
Disease.
To preserve life and to be well while yom
hve are two cardinal virtues, and it is time
well spent to give this vital subject earnest
and careful attention, and to use the knowl
edge acquired in a judicious and intelligent
manner.
m m
Go to the Foundation.
I would have the teachers study the
heart and endeavor to implant right
motives to go to the very root and
establish sound principle. Outward
goodness is a mere shell, the shadow
of a shade. There must be something
within, or it has no substance. Such
goodness will only follow religion, like
one of Join Bunyanrs character, while
it wears its silver slippers. Such
goodness falls in the hour of tempta
tion. It reminds one of the Oriental
tale Lord Bacon tells of where a cat
was changed to a lady, and sho be
haved very lady-like till a mouse ran
through the room, when she sprang
down upon her hands and chased it.
So with children; if their goodness Is
only an outward thing, when tempta
tion comes they will down and follow.
Give the right motives, sound prin
ciples, and they will be firm. In after
life the waves of affliction may howl
around them, but they will standi
serene amid the tempest. N. T.
Ledger.
m m
A Satisfactory Excuse.
Mother What time did that yeung
man leave last night?
Miss Laura Aboet three o'clock, I
think. '
Mother And jew have the impu
dence te tell me this. I would be highly
delighted to hear what excuse you cast
possibly offer far such outrageous con
duet if you have any to offer.
Miss Laura We didn't get the last
pif in the pen until then, nunmi
Terre Haxte Express.
,
AWsehiajrtoe correspondent sUtee
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