The true northerner. [volume], December 15, 1876, Image 6

About The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
rut; good unus sistbk.
Ttt s ft blttsr winter,
vt'ba Jenny wu tour years old -Ai
1 lived In louely farm-house
;nt-r, ftod long, and cold I
Tb" frof hmd ben ft failure
Ja tf bars there wu room to ipere,
AuJ .Tenny'a hard-worked lather
wi ml of amlous cars.
Neither his wife nor children
Bnew lack of fir or bread :
f They bl whatever waa needtul.
Were abeltered and clothed ftod fed.
But the mother, alaa ! was ailing
Tu a atrugtfle Just to live;
And they scare had even hopeful word!
Or ofcrful ainiles to give.
A rood, kUitl man wm the father,
lie lowd bin girls and boy a,
Btit be tute hands are hU nchet
IJu little far gift and toy.
80 v fcen it drew DMr the season
Tbat tuakea the world ao glas
WT-i-u J-iny knew twaa time for gifts
ii chUdwh he ai t was aad,
Tor tie thought, " I shall gi t no present
U'lim Ciirmtnia coince, I am sure ;"
Ai ! the poor man's cb.ld learn early
Jut what it means to be poor,
Yrt etlf 1 00 tlie Loir even,
Af Khe sat by the hoartluttotie bright,
Aiul her siHter told Roixl stone,
Her heart grew almost light
For the hopefnt skies of childhood
Art never quit o'ercaet,
Ai;rt she said, "Who knows but somehow
Keinertilng will come at last 1"
80 before t4ie went to her pillow
Her pretty etockiiiK were tied
Sately twther and tUly hung
Clope to the chimney-side.
Tht-r was litUe room for hoping,
One would say who had lived more years ;
Y(rt the faitii of the child is wiser
boiaeiiiues titan our doubts and fears.
Jenny tud a good little sister,
Very big to her childish eyes.
Who wu womanly, sweet and patient,
Ard kiud as she win wise.
And she had thoufilit of this Christmas
Afcd Ota btUe it uonld brlnff,
F.v: sitjre ttio crops were half destroyed,
ty the freshet in the spring.
Ho the sweetest nuts of the autumn
Shi' had safely hidden away,
And rhe ripest and reddest apples
Hoartlwl for many a day.
And at Wist stie miul some seed-cakes
(Jmny wus sleeping then).
And nulled them grutexquely,
Lfte birds, and iteasts, and men.
l.eo sis? lippel them into the stockings,
And taniifvd to think about
Tr.e jovrftil wonder of her pet
W"fc u stM3 found and poured tticm out!
And you eouldn't have seen next morning
A K'atkler child In the land
Than OUat humila farmer's daughter,
Vlit her simple gilts in her hand.
And tbr loving ulster? Ah, you know
How blessed tis to give ;
Avd tbey that think ot others most
Are tbe happiest foils that live 1
Si:e Lad done what she could, my children,
To bntfitea the Christmas day,
Arl wtMfiher her heart or J cony's
Was tightest, 'tis hard to say.
Ami tics, if yuu have but little,
is v tt I would say to you
Mske at you can of that littl,
to H ttie good you can do.
Ard thot:qb your gifts may be lmmbl?,
L no little child, I pray,
Find only an empty htocking
On the morn of Una Cdhstmas day !
T; j!sri and years sluce that sister
Went to dwell with the just ;
A,.!1 over her body the roses
Blossom and tarn to dust.
Aad .Vnny's a happy woraao,
Witti wealth enough and to spire,
AlA every year her lap la tilled
Wild presents rich and rare.
lint vfieoevcr she thanks the givers
IX favnrs great and small.
She thinks of ttie dear UttI sister
Vrt.o gav her more than thev all.
FIUWEK OF THE DAISY.
I.
It iv.is just a week before Christmas,
an J, perched oa his three-legged stool,
1a Uig counting-room of the great house
01 wurthuigton urothers, old Joe Dar
ling, rne Kaicient bookkeeper of the firm,
wan JacisbJQg Lis Saturday night a en
tries.
While th-us engaged, a hand was laid
oa hv hhoiJder, and, turning his head.
ho hrw his old gray-haired employer, the
: , l ii. a 1 1 1 .
nun? rxij iritwjr vi vue arm, oesiue mm
the Lwt time, my old friend.'
mill- fhe merclmnt, pointincr to the
ledger; " the news this evening decides
i:..' TT-l IL.' 1
vtryiuin. uoiem someinmg Happens
before the first of Jouuary, Worthington
ftrothers tcuat close doors and wind up
Old Joe started as he listened to those
uielanehoty words, aud a tremor ran
thrown him.
4 Don't say that 1 don't say that Mr.
Worthington I M ho exclaimed. And he
dabbed his bald forehead with his old
bandanna handkerchief aa he spoke.
Don't My that Worthington Brothers
will Nrapecd payment, sir.
' Worse than that, Joe," returned the
'old merchant, with a heavy sigh. "I
see no hope of resuming. The great
failures in Europe have hopelessly in
volved us so that " he stopped with a
gloomy expression in his eyes " po
that, on or before the first of January,"
lie auaeu ; tne nouse will close its
doorp. I could bear that; but, when I
think that the name of Worthington
Hrothers will be dishonored "
There the old merchant broke down.
Joe Darliag seized hLi hand, and cried,
in a trembling voice:
"Don't, don't I" dou't say that, eir I
Don't use that word 'dishonored!' It
is not so bad I"
'Iiiiin! ruin I utter niin I" groaned
the merchant.
"No, lo; not ruia! See here, sir.
I I yoi se?, I liave savetl a little "
Ati'c oVi Joe drew from his pocket
bik, with unsteady handa, certificates
of ti:rfk'..3-t in various hanks.
" Tul. it, sir ! It wns made iii your
servic' ! i-onestly made there'a not a
dirfy Kfcilt.cg in it, sir. It is yoms
aod-"
IU- il r::;ttho papers into the mer
chant'; iir.d. But Mr. Worthington
pufli:d 'ui-iu back.
"No, old friend," said the mer
chaut, suhing deeply, but speaking
iu i voice of resignation "no, that
is not the way Worthiugton Broth
ers do business. If we fail, it
shall be honestly alone after hon-orabk-
( xertion. We will not drag down
our fnendR, and you, Joe, our oldest
and hest No, the house has kept faith
and honor for fifty years. If ruin comes
wo will go down Moue. It is not our
fault. 1 will do my duty and trust in
God, Joe, to the end."
As he epoke the old merchant went
to Ins cafe and took out a roll of bank
notes. Then ho direotM
employes to bo sent for, and paid them
il up io tbo eud of the then present
week. He had a kind word for each,
and aa inquiry about every man's family
or concerns ; and then he turned to his
desk. But the men did not go.
"What are you waiting for, my
friends t Can I assist you in any man
ner V asked the old merchant.
"If you please, air," aaid the fore
most of the party, "we would like to
leave our money in your hands. Eh T
And the speaker turnod toward hia
companions, who uttered a hoarse mur
mur of assent.
"Leave your money in my hands?
said the merchant.
.Tnt v sir." was the reply. " We
hear tell how times are hard with Worth
ington Brothers, and the house in diffi
culties. Now we don't want our money
u wf. Mr. Worthincrton. Eh! Do
vnu ?"
And he looked toward those in the
rear. Another growl of assent replied.
"All which.' the spokesman added,
" coes to show, eir, that we are not in
want. Keep tne money, lur, oruung
ton."
The merchant gazed, with deep emo
tion, at the rough, honest faces.
Thanks, thanks, my kind friends!'
h said. "This croof of vour friend
ship touches me deeply "but I cannot
accept your otler. oucn a small sum,
besides, would be of little service. No,
no ! keep it, and may God bless you and
yours !
The employes retired on this, not dar
ing, it seemed, to intrude further on the
head of tho nouse.
"Father in Heaven, I thank Thee !
murmured the merchant, and, turning
away, he picked up the evening paper
to hide his emotion. As his eyes fell
upon it, a paragraph attracted his atten
tion. It announced the failure of the
bank in which the savings of his old
bookkeeper had been deposited.
With a sigh he handed it to Joe Dar
ling and said :
"I deeply regret this, my old friend.
My ruin was enough.
Old Joe read the announcement with
a sinking heart, and echoed the sigh of
his old friend.
"The Lord's will be done, sir!" he
said, "you ought to have all but I am
now penniless. Tour trouble is greater
than mine. Any letters, sir, by to-night's
mail ? Any resources or important in
telligence?
"No resources, Joe, and bad news
almost worse than all.
"Worse, sir?"
"Yes, yes. You remember my son
CJharlev : of course vou remember him.
l'ou know he went about two years since
to live with an Xandt & Co., at Ant
werp?"
" Yes, sir. What of him ? Don't tell
me ho is not dead, sir V
" No that pong is spared mo, but I
havo had very bad news of Charley, my
old friend. I wrote recently, announc
ing our situation, and recommending
his return, and Messrs. Van Zandt ic
Co. replied that he left them nearly a
year ago.
"Left them?"
"Yes, yes. He had fallen into evil
courses and they reprimanded him
when he went off, no one knew whither.
Letters were written to me by the house,
1... It L 1 i 2- J .L
uut mev must uuve nucurneu. Hom
ing has since been hoard of Charley. I
fear he has taken to more evil ways still.
He may be dead, indeed! Unhappy
that I am ! All connected with me seem
to turn out badly!"
The merchaut uttered a groan. Old
Joe looked at him with deep commisera
tion. " I am more unfortunate than you are,
Mr. Worthington," hs said, in a low
tone, "I had a son a noble bov he is
dead, sir ! You knew my Edmund !
He was so handsome, so spirited, so
bold; and he was lost at sea ! ne was on
a whaler tho ship foundered, and the
crew were lost. My poor Edmund!
We are truly unfortunate fathers, sir!"
There the conversation ended, and the
merchant and book-keeper separated.
Through the following week untiring
efforts were made to collect the re
sources of Worthington Brothers. But
slirrht success crowned the merchant's
efforts to rescue the house. Friends of
past years seemed to have gjown cold,
and regretted their inability to render
asHistaiice; and it was only by great sac
rifices that the house sucoeeded in mak
ing all its payments up to Christmas
day. In this, however, the firm suc
ceeded, and as Mr. Worthinsrton locked
his safe, and nut on his hat. he drew a
long breath of relief. Then, taking his
oiu DooK-keepers arm, ne went home
with a thankful heart, and. as thev sep
arated at the corner, he murmured :
" Let us keep a cood heart vet old
friond."
II.
Christmas morninor. and the snow was
falling and the wind whirling it around
like mad. A thousand cnblins seemed
laughing and turning somersaults and
hailing each other as they sported round
the gables and whistled throuo1 the kev-
holes and chimneys, wUd with mirth at
tne ccoing 01 Christmas, and old Joe
Darling's small house, in a remote street
of the great city, seemed especially hon
ored by tho hobcroblius. who shook tho
windows until they rattled again.
A great fire was burning and tu?
breakfast-table was set, and old Joe was
rubbing his hands in front of the blaz9
and looking out of the window, when a
voico behind him, with a rush of laugh
ter in it and sounding like a silver boll,
exclaimed:
" Christmas gift, father, dear. I have
caught you."
Old Joe turned around. As he did so
a pair of rosy lips presced his cheek and
two arms clung about his neck, belong
ing to a little fairy of 17.
"hy, you look like a sunbeam.
Daisy," ho said.
And indeed the face resembled one so
brilliant was ths light of her eyes.
Daisy wiu small, with a neat, cosy fig
ure, in a nlain. but pretty dress: and
you saw at a glance that this was one of
those little-fingered fairies, who aro the
blessings of the homes in which they
rule.
The father smilod, and fondly passed
his hand over her hair. As he looked
at her he thought of his well-nigh penni
less condition and heaved a sigh.
" Poor little lady-bird ! I have noth
ing for you !" ho said, sighing again.
Bat Daisy did not seem to regard the
circumstances as at all depressing. On
the contrary her face glowed, and, turn
ing her bright face toward one aide, sho
w'.iispered :
"I've got a Christmas gift for you,
father dear." .
"Have you! Now, you ?e gone and
worked your little fingers to the bone.
It's a cravat, or"
"No, indeed, I've done nothing of the
sort that is not your present."
Tho rush of joyous laughter iu the
girl's voice nearly drowned her words.
She seemed overflowing with some se
cret. Their talk was interrupted, how
ever, by the appearance of Mother Dar
liig and her flock, with old Uncle John,
looking wise and secretive.
Daisy had procured, somewhere, tho
handsomest Christmas tree imaginable
a bushy cedar, full of light blue
berries, and, having returned from
church, whither she went dutifully with
the rest, she proceeded with tho aid of
Undo John, her prime friend and favor
ite, to deck the wondrous tree with its
brilliant ornaments. As evening drew
on it was finished, and erected on the
sideboard its paper baskets, and pres
ents, and tapers making it a magical
spectacle to the young Darlings, who
gazed at it with open-eyed wonder.
Then the Christmas dinner appealed
and riveted all eyes. The great roast
turkey, and rouDd of beef, and flank
ing side-dishes aroused wild enthusiasm
in the young ones. Old Joe devoutly
naid grace, and the youthful members of
the Darling family, chirping like a flock
of birds, called each other's attention to
the splendid banquet.
All sat down. Old Joe looked around.
"There's one seat too many," he said.
" I set it there, brother." said Uncle
John, tranquilly.
" For whom, brother ? " Have you in
vited some friend ? "
"No, brother, I thought of our Ed
mund." The old book-keeper looked wistfully
at his brother, and then went and held
out his hand to him.
" Thank you, brother," he said in a
low voice, returning to his seat.
When the first pang had passed, it
seemed a satisfaction to old Joe to gaze
at the vacant chair, mid to think of his
son being present and enjoying thoir
happiness. And when, at last, their
dessert came and tho wine was poured
out, tho old maa looked toward the va
cant chair as he raised the glass to his
lips.
Suddenly the voice of Daisy rang out,
half choked with laughter :
" Why, we are forgetting our tree I "
she cried ; " we are really losing sight
of our tree, uncle, dear. Did anybody
ever '
And, not waiting for " anybody" to
reply, .Daisy started up, and, assisted by
Uncle John, bore the magical cedar in
its neat box covered with evorgreens to
tho'center of the table.
Night had now come, and the tapers
on the tree were lit. As the fairy spec
tacle of maDy-colored baskets, candy
cornucopias, and the presents of needle
work and books and garlands flashed
forth in the mellow light of the tapers,
the young Darlings uttered a suppressed
cheer, and " ret," in curls and pmarore,
made a desperate attempt to climb upon
the board and carry the prize at the
point of his baby spoon.
"No, Pet," cried Daisy, "wait till
sister gives you yours ! But first, Uncle
John is going to tell a beautiful etory I
Will you listen, father dear, and mother ?
It is lovely."
The laughter in the voice made all
look at Daisy. Why did the child's
cheeks flush so, and why that dazzling
light in her eyes ?
But now Uncle John riveted every
body's attention. For the moment he
was the center of excited interest for the
whole Darling family. He seemed to
leei tne responsibility resting upon mm.
He reflected for a moment smiled
dreamily; thrummed on tho table then
began :
"The tale I am going to relate, ray
dear young friends," said Uncle John,
" I must inform you, is strictly true in
every particular. It was written down
by the lung of tho Genii, and then
caught up in the beak of a great bird
called a roc and the Pnnco Camaralza
man, having been shipwrecked on a
desert island where the bird came to
feed, killed the roc, and the story has been
in tho palace of Bagdad, where the prince
lived, ever since.
At his commencement, tho young Dar
lings exhibited an astounding interest.
As to Pet, his excitement was beyond
the power of words. His eyes resem
bled two saucers his mouth opened to
its utmost width and, in the excess of
his attention, he very nearly swallowed
t I - 1 1 . . .!
uis Daoy-spoon. i o one looaeu at uaisy.
With one hand shading her eyes from
the light, and the other placed upon her
breast, she looked at Uncle John, or
furtively toward her father.
Uncle John continued:
"Having told you, my dear children.
how the story came to be known, I will
next proceed to relate it for your enter
tainment
" There once lived in the city of Bag
dad an old merchant whose name was
Barilzao. which, being interpreted is
Worthy Man. Abou-ben-darling not
ud like the name of our own family served
the good merchant Barilzac, whose car
avans brought to Bagdad all the treas
ures of the East. But misfortune came.
The caravans were overwhelmed in the
sands of the desert. The moment was
near when Barilzac would probably be
compelled to strew dust upou his head
and wander through the streets of Bag
dad, crying, 4 Barilzac, tho merchant, is
ruined !'
"This happened," continued Uncle
John, "just before the great fostivity
which comes en the twenty-fifth day of
the month of Snows. Abou-ben darling
came home that clay, thinking of the
misfortunes of his patron, and also of
tho great suffering of hia own for all
of us must suffer, my children. His
only son had been lost at sea, and the
heart of Abou-ben-dar ling was sad. He
returned to hold the festivity of tho
cedar-tree, but his heart felt heavy.
'Abou-bon-darling is miserable I' ho
said; 'there is no man more miser
able t
" As he thus spoke, his daughter Par
ibanou approivched him. The name of
Paribanou, my children, signifies the
Flawer of the Daisy. She came now to
Abou-ben-darling,! and, kissing him in
the Eastern fashion, said: 0, fathejr
dear I O Abou-ben-darling I do not
despair 1 Behold the foast is set, and
the holy cedar-tree biases; tho tapers
therein shine like stars, and many gifts
hang down from the branches of the
wondrous tree!"'
Here Pet suddenly burst forth. "Why,
it' like our tree !" he cried; only he left
out the r in " tree."
"Silence, Pet I do not interrupt!"
said Uncle John. "I continue: Abou-ben-darling
sighed when his darling
thus spoke.
" Truly, Flower of the Daisy he
said, thy cedar tree shines ; but ray
heart is dark, and there is no gift there
for me
" There is a gift for our father, said
Paribanou, or Flower of the Daisy; and,
as she spoke, there was a curious hidden
laughter in her voice. ' There is a gift
that our father will value more than all
else a package with his name on it
from a distant land !' "
They did not look at Daisy, who was
trembling, and whose hand scarce pos
sessed strength to draw a letter from
her bosom.
Undo John continued.
" And Abou-ben-darling said: 'Where
is this package, my cluld!' to which
the Flower of the Daisy replied :
" Father dear, it is here ! See, I tako
it frcm the boughs of the holy cedar
tree, and give it to you 1' "
As Uncle John uttered the words,
Daisy sprang forward with tho letter in
her hand.
"Here it is, father dear !" she cried,
bursting into tears and laughter. "It
nearly killed me not to tell you I Oh,
take it, tako it! Our Edmund is not
dead!"
And throwing her arms around old
Joe's neck sho sobbed upon his bosom,
while, with eyes full of wonder, he
read the letter from his son. Ao he read
on, he seemed to doubt whether he was
reading a real letter. His eyes closed ;
he uttered a sigh and would have fainted
had not Uncle John caught him in his
arms.
The letter was written to Daisy by her
brother Edmund. He had been picked
up in the Pacific and carried to tho
Mouth Seas by a trading vessel; thence
he had worked his way to California, en
countered Charles Worthington roaming
about in tho gold regions they had
speculated there and made great for
tunes, and were coming home on the
next steamer. That was the letter.
As Joe grew faint, Pet suddenly ran
behind his mother's apron, uttering an
appalling scream.
At tke door stood a tall young man
with a ferocious beard.
" How are yoju, father and mother,
and Daisy?"
They ran into his arms, uttering cries
and sobs. The sailor was home again,
never to leave them more; and, as Daisy
rested in her dear brother's arms with
her rosy cheek upon his breast, she said,
laughing and crying:
"Father, dear, how do you like your
Christmas gift?"
The windows shook as she spoke. It
was, doubtless, the merry goblins,
highly pleased with themselvos and
evorybody else ; and the hely night
tho happy, blessed night went on its
way full of joy and gratitude.
A year afterward, strange to say,
Christmas came again, and saw tho
house of Worthington Brothers pros
perous, and old Joe happy, and Charles
the husband of tho Flower of the Daisy.
And again the cedar tree was lit and
spread around its cheerful light, and the
loud wind laughed, and the merry gob
lins seemed to shout :
" A merry, merry Christmas !'
A Hunter Killed by Panthers.
A most remarkable circumstance is
chronicled in Hamilton, Madison coun
ty, the truth of which has been vouched
for by reliable parties. In the wilder
ness of this county there lived a sturdy
countryman named John Dunning, with
his family, in a rude hut of his own con
struction. One day early last week
Dunning saw a bear passing near his
home, whereupon he immediately pre
pared himself with a rifle and hunting
knife, and, with his dog, started in pur
suit of Brum. Night came on and he
did not return. His wife, becoming
alarmed at his absence, sent to a neigh
boring settlement and enlisted the aid of
a couple of men, who plunged into the
wilderness to discover the missing man.
After a mast fatiguing search, lasting
several hours, thoy came upon the
mangled remains of Dunning and his
dog, while near them lay three dead
E anthers. Two of them, young ones,
ore marks of having been shot by Dun
ning, while the mother met her death
while fighting Dunning, who had
plunged his hunting-knife into her vital
partfl, where it was found by the search
ers. Dunning, while following the bear,
had probably been intercepted by these
more voracious animals, and met his
death while protecting his pet son from
tho gnashing jaws of the mother, whoso
young ones he had slain. Elmira (N.
Y.) Advertiser.
The Potato Bug.
The London Spectator warns the
British farmer that the potato bug is
coming, and must be killed in the fields,
and not on shipboard. In the field the
eggs and the grubs are to be found, and
it is these which must be destroyed if
the potato is to be saved. "If he comes
in any force," it says, " that will proba
bly treble, or more than treble the ordi
nary labor spent on tho potato crop, and
we should soon have potatoes at a very
high price. However, we may be thank
ful that he is visible at all. What is to
prevent the invasion of an equally de
structive animalcule, which, without a
microscope, would be invisible in which
case, since we cannot nut our potato
fields under the microscope, we should
be simply helpless?"
L. W. NKATnxntdif was noinc In bi
ranch on the Cibolo. in AtsmwviA mnntr.
and W. H. Slaughter and soveral others
hovo in sight and began to play Indian,
just for fun. He took them for Indians
ana naitea and tied his team, and tak
ing ambuscade waited ths approach to
within Spencer rifle range. The bravest
warrior dashed ahead of his fellows, and
Neatherlin drew a bead on him and shot
him through. Galveston Kcws.
SiNoa Like a Bird. Tho delightful
affecta of thia now principle. Dr. J. IL Mc
Lean a ixmgu and Lung Heading Globule. As
the aaliYfc in the mouUt acta on the Globule a
gM la generated which eoothee and heals irri
tation of the throat aad langs, makes the Toioe
clear m a bird, euree lioaraeneea. Coughs,
Colds, and Commmptiou. Trial Doxee. by
maU, 25 cts. Dt. J. U. McLtaa. 311 Chestnut,
Ob IMUl.
Christmas Festi Titles.
tnm of decking the
AUD WU-tUWM v
houses and churches at Christmas with
evergreen is derived from ancient iruia
practices. It was an old belief that
sylvan spirits might flock to the ever
greens, and remain unnipped by frost
till a milder season. The holly, iry,
rosemary, bay, laurel and mistletoe f ur
nished the favorite trimming3, which
were not removed till Candlemas. In
old church calendars Christmas eve is
marked Templa exornantur (the temples
are adorned). Holly and ivy still re
main in England and most esteemed
Christmas evergreens, though at the two
universities tho windows of the college
chapels are decked with laurel. . It was
an old English superstition that on
Christmas eve the oxen were always
found on their knees, aa in an attitnde
of devotion, and that after the
change from old to new style, they con
tinued to do this only on the eve of old
Christmas day. This was derived from
a prevalent mediieval notion that an ox
and an ass, which were prosent at the
nativity, fell on their knees In a suppli
ant posture, as appears from the Latin
poem of "Sannazaro," in the sixteenth
century. It was an ancient tradition,
alluded to by Shakspeare, that midnight
spirits forsake tho earth and go to their
own confines at the crowing of the cook.
The Christmas celebrations in England
luive lost their primitive boisterous
character, the gambols and carols are
nearly gone by, and family reunions and
evergreen trimmings are nearly all that
remain of the. various rough merriments
which used to mark the festival. The
last memorable appointment of a lord of
misrule was in 1627, when ho hid to be
denominated " a grand captaine of mis
chiefe." Applcton's American Cyclo
paedia. The Law ef the Case.
For the convenience of those who may
desire to refer to them, we republish
the provisions of the constitution and
the United States statute upon the
counting of the electoral vote:
Tho Electors shall meet in their re
spective States, and vote by ballot for
President and Vice President, . .
and they shall make distinct lists of all
persons voted for as President, and of
all persons voted for as Vice President,
and of the number of votes for each;
which lists they shall sign and certify,
and transfer sealed to the seat of the
Government of the United States, di
rected to the President of the Senate;
the President of the Senate shall, in the
presence of the Senate and House of
Representatives, open all the certificates
and the vote shall then be counted; tho
person having the greatest number of
votes xor I'resiaeni snail oe tne presi
dent, if such number shall be a majority
ofj the whole number of electors ap
pointed, etc. Constitution, Amend
ment. Art. Xir. Congress shall be in
session on the second Wednesday in
February succeeding every meeting of
the Electors, and the certificates, or so
many of them as have been received,
shall then be opened, the votes counted,
and the persons to fill the offices of Pres
ident and Vice President ascertained
and declared, agreeable to the constitu
tion. Laws of the United States, Act of
March 1, 171)2.
The Mroftihopper Pest.
The people of Colorado are studying
the habits of the grasshopper with great
interest, since the more they learn of the
troublesome insect tho better able they
are to proviue iieienBes against its uepre
dations. It is found that when it is
known precisely what regions aro occu
pied in the summer with the egg-laying
insects, larmers in other regions can
calculate with terrible accuracy whether
or no they are likely to be visited by the
pesis in tne ioiiowing season, ana n so,
at about what time in the year ; and thus
iorewarneu, tney can so time ineir plant
ing as to forestall damage to their crops-'
For instance, there were grasshoppers
in Colorado last summer, and doubtless
there will be plenty of young ones
there in tho spring, which some other
country will got in the fall, when thev
take wing. Therefore, the Denver
News advises the farmers of Southern
Kansas, the Indian Territory, South
western Missouri and Texas to plant
early in tho spring, and mainly crops
that will be harvested by the 20th of
July, as any or all of these localities are
likely to roceive attention from Col
orado s product of grasshoppers next
season.
A Lively Corpse.
The Pine Bluff (Ark.) Pre says:
" A prominent lawyer and politician of
Pine Bluff, Uol. M Uehee, after a short
illness last week, died, and his sorrow
ing family and friends in anguish and
grief saw his eye-lids closed, as they
supposed, forever. He was to be in
terred in a metallic case after the usual
time. His funeral was about to take
place, when, on the second night of
his supposed death, after near thirty
hours, the watchers over his supposed
remains were surprised and horrified by
seeing the glass casing of tho coffin
broken open, and the appearance of tho
corpse's head thrust through the aper
ture. The Colonel spoke to know 4 what
the'devil they were trying to do?' It
is unnecessary to state that ho was soon
relievod from his uncomfortable situa
tion, and at last accounts he was in a
fair way of recovery, and is no doubt
worth many dead men yet."
Death Did Sot Tart Them.
Says tho Fort Worth (Texas) Demo
crat : "Mr. Wm. Walker, a farmer re
sidinor in Tarrant county, fifteen miles
northwest of here, on the Trinity river,
discovered two large buca deer witnin
half a mile of his farm, on the open
prairie, with their antlers securely locked
together. He walked up to them, and
with the aid of his dogs sucoeeded soon
in exhausting the infuriated animals.
who, front appearances, had probably
ueen ngnung xor nours. j.aujg
pocket-knife, he cautiou. approached
them, and was successful in cutting a
deep gash in the neck of one, from which
he soon bled to death, lhe other was
easi'y dispatched. The antlers of both
vera taken off. and so completely were
they wedged together that it is impossi
ble to separate them, trae was o ana
tho other 6 years old.
Tux race for ostrich feathers is said
to be just as great among the savages
of Africa and Australia as it is among
women of dvilized countries.
A MODEL MAIDEN.
. f '
TU sot alone that aba J fair,
' And hath a wealth of golden hair;
'lia not that aba can play and elac.
To chana a ertUo or a king ;
TU no tbat ahe U ftentle, kiod.
And weare no chorion nue behind.
Nor blb-heeUd boot, nor coree laced
To ahow her alenderneaa of waiat ;
Tia not thai aha can talk with eaae.
On wU-ulh any tbema you pleaae ;
Tla not that iha nan row, and ride.
And do a doren thing beaida ;
Tba reaaona why 1 love Mia Brown
f ihat aba never weara a frown.
Ne'er eulk. or pouta. or mo pea, or freti,
Or f uaaea about tylea " or " eeta,"
Ne'er nuraea lapdoKe by the fire,
Nor Wda her t rienda ber charms admire,
Na'er beta upon the Derby day.
And when aha'a loat omita to par t
Uy bonnets doea not bound her talk.
And la not indlapoaed to walk ;
Ne'er bullies her mall brotbera. nor
Katee ma their ehildih games a bore ;
With pigments ne'er bor cheek d6Jes,
Nor practice eoqnettlah wiles i
Needs not a maid to pack her Doings,
Nor plaguea papa for diamoud rings ;
On bucuit la content to lunch ;
Loves Sbakupeare, Milton, Pope, asvd Punch,
Never deaoeuds to vulprir alsng.
And ne'er was known the door to bang I
launch. mmmmmmm
Wit and Humor.
The third river in Scotland is the
Forth.
Capital wanted: Constantinople for
the Hussions.
Adam Smith said: " Man is an animal
that makes bar-gains. " So does whisky.
The Polish hiptorian, Bielowski, is
dead above-sky at last, we may believe.
Worcester Press.
Shakspeare in horticulture "That
which we cauliflower by any other name
would smell as sweet."
A paper says that Sergeant Bates has
written his name immortally. Yes, he
is a sort of indelible incubus.
"Matilda, I am young and rich. I
can make you supremely happy." "You
can, George, by leaving me forever."
He went his way.
If you are going to educate your son
for the life insurance business, you must
instill in his mind that modesty is not
the best policy. Yonkers Gazette.
" Do men," asks an exchange, "at
tempt to gather grapes of thorns ?" We
should say not, unless the night hap
pens to be unusually dark. Worcester
Press.
" I'd have you to recollect that I am
Mr. Falls, of Dungannon." The answer
was ready: "I don't care if you are Mr.
Falls of Niagara, you shan't ride over
my hounds."
"George, dear, don't you think it
rather extravagant of you to eat butter
with that delicious jam ? " " No, love
economical ! Same piece of bread does
for both ! "
By the way, that's a good charade
" My first (syllable) is company; my sec
ond shuns company; my third calls com
pany; and my whole entertains compa
ny." Give it up? Why, co-nun-urum,
of course. New York Graphic.
" Look, love," he exclaimed, " only
$15 for a suit of clothes!" "Is it a
wedding suit?" she asked, looking
naively at her lover. "Oh no," he
replied; "it's only a business suit."
" Well, I meant business," she replied.
' M. Colomuies, a merchant of Paris,
recently deceased, has left $0,000 to a
lady of Rouen for having, twenty years
ago, refused to marry him, "through
which," says the will, "I was enabled
to live independently and happily as a
bachelor."
"You look bored," said Mrs. Ma
goffin to her domestic husband, as he
stamped into tho house and flung him
self wearily into chair. "And so I
am," he replied, "bulletin board."
(Terrific applause and cries of " more.")
Hawk-Eye.
They have arrested a bigamist for lit
erally hacking his second wife into
mince-meat. He admits everything.
"Miserable and sanguinary offender 1"
says the Judge, sternly, "of what were
you thinking when you butchered your
unfortunate wife?" "I was thinking
that if the other one had bon there I'd
have made myself a complete widower
while I was about it."
Conversation near the marriage li
cense clerk's desk, between a clergyman
who had come to make a marriage re
turn and a iLiddlo-aged man waiting to
see one of the clerks. Clergyman :
"Good morning, my friend ; where is
that pair of boots you promised to make
me instead of the fee which you had
not the money to pay when I married
you?" " Oh, I'll make them the th;st '
chance I get ; but I'll make two pairs
u you n unmarry me again."
The Graphic's poet thus records the
death of a family oi newspaper borrow
ers, who contracted small-pox and other
diseases from their neighbor's journal :
A doting wifs and fond papa,
Seven brave and Intellectual soon.
Thirteen fair daughters, pure as ntios,
And two delightful motbere-lo-law,
r our beauteous aunts, one cousin (male),
HU nieces and three nephews (flats),
One poll and nine meloAlom cjUs
Not one remained to tell the tale !
The Citizen Soldier relates the fol
lowing: Notwithstanding the reports to
the contrary, many of our militia do
attend divine service, and some are de
vout worshipers, as many know ; but
last Sunday ex-Major L attended
church in this city, and having been up
pretty iato the night be fore at the annual
reunion of his old regiment, ho fell
asleep, and when tho passer round of
the contribution box nudged him, he
partially awoke, smiled and murmured,
"1 don t smoke, thank you. and drop
ped off again.
The Greenback Vote,
The returns of the vote for the Cooper
and Cary electoral ticket in the late
election aro incomplete. Our record is
thus far as follows :
Arkaueaft 211iNebrVa 2.HOO
Connecticut 774!Xew Hampehtre.... 31
Illinois 17,1091 New Jornoy 712
Indiana...., 8.ft;J3l New York 1.9H7
Iowa ,0lOhJo 3,oa7
Maine W.TPenonvlrania 7,704
Michigan 9,0Co' Weat Virginia 1,373
Minnesota 2,38!: Wisconsin 2,045
Miseotiri 8,4WJ
Total 71,430
Fan Ended by a Fatal Ballet.
L. W. Neatherlin was coiner to his
rancho on tho Cibolo. in Atascosa
county, and W. n. Slaughter and. sev
eral others hove in sight and began to
play Indian, just for fun. He took them
tor Indians, and halted and tied his
team, and taking ambuscade awaited the
approach to within Spenoor rifle range.
The bravest warrior dashed ahead of his
fellows, and Neatherlin drow a bead on
him and shot him through. Galveston
lex as) news.
i