The Plymouth weekly Democrat., August 05, 1869, Image 1

About The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869

Image provided by: Indiana State Library

                
WEEKLY
DEMOCRAT.
VOLUME XIV.
PLYMOUTH, INDIANA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 1869.
NUMBER 48.
PLYMOUTH
POETRY.
THE PRINCE TS DEAD !
BY HELEN HrST.
A room in UM palace i shnt ; The kin?
And the queen are Hitting in black ;
All day. weeping servants will rnn and ring.
But the heart of the queen will lark
All tliinp. and the eyes of the king will ewim
With War that may not be shed.
But will make all the air float dark and dim.
As he looks at each gold and silver toy.
And thinks how it gladdened the royal boy :
And dumbly writhes while the courtiers read
llow all the nations his -orrow heed.
The Prince is dead !
The hut has a door, but the hinge is weak.
And to-day the wind blows if back :
ThTe are two sitting there who do not speak
They have begged a few rags of black.
They are hard at work, though their eyes are wet
W'ith tears that may not bu shed :
They dare not look where the CMM is set.
They hate the sunbeam that play on the floor.
But makes the baby lauirh out no more ;
They tool as if they were turning to stone :
They wish the neighbors would leave them alone.
The Prince is dead 1
Htarth ami Horn.
MISCELLANEOUS.
BORROWED BAGGAGE.
Ctsoi Durham was very busy on I cer
tain afternoon making an omelet At
least he celled it an omelet, but in reality
it was nothing but MMMedem "Ome
let " sounded better, but it would not have
tasted half as gix d, especially if Cyrus
had had to make one himself.
In order to understand why this young
man cooked ins own eggs it mu. t be known
that he was a medical student in Philadel
phia, and t he son of a very respectable
and by no means ungenerous physician in
Maryland, who allowed him for his ex
penscs quite enough to keep him very
comfortablv. even in a large city. Uiit
Cyrus, who always had table-board on
Walnut street for abritt the first half of
every month, had generally been accus
tomed from necessity to live in a "bache
lor hall" style for the remaining portion
of the month in his rooms on Hansom
fttfeet. He wan very nicely situated in
these rooms, und the high rent he paid for
them contributed not a little tolas slim
Mm of purse during those days which im
mediately preceded the arrival of his
monthly remittances. His - study " waa
on the second floor of what is known in
the city of Brotherly Love as the "bark
buildings," and was approached from the
long entry by a single shon flight of stairs.
This room looked out at the side on
pleasant yard, was very well furnished,
and was altogether quite too good for a
young fellow who ought to have been at
Med with any garret where he could
study unmolested Back of the large
rom was a small beilchamber, generally
tenanted not only by Cyrus himself, but
by any ou- of hi companions who might
stay too late studying anatomy or eu
chre. Cyrus was bending over his little wood
stove stirring his eggs .rapidly lest tin v
should burn, and beeping an eye at tin
MOM time on his coffee-pot, which, how -
ver, had given no signs of boiling. It
was only four o'clock, but Cyrus had had
but a flight lunch, and so wanted an early
upper. This power of having his meals
when he chose was another advantage ot
this mode of living. His table was set
with a small linen cloth (the clean side
up), a cup and saucer, and a plate. The
"omelet" was just done, and Cyrus had
given it the last scrape around the pan,
when there was a knock at the door.
"Come in f said he. tad the door open
cd and the knocker entered. Cyrus look
ed around, and dropped on the top of tin
stove the frying-pan which he was just
lifting off by the long handle. In tin
doorway stood a young lady, dressed in
the loveliest possible traveling suit, with
roses in her cheeks far more glowing than
the pink lining of her parasol.
' Mr. Durham.'' said she.
M Why, Miss Birch f cried Cyrus, (with
his face redder than any silk a lady would
dare use to line her parasol). M I had no
idea I am very glad to see you; take a
est You must excuse me bachelor s
hall, you know. When did you come on r"
Mis Fanny Birch was by no means un
embarrassed. She had 1 esitated about
calling on Mr. Durham, j id would cer
tainly have postponed bei visit had she
tlunight she would have found him cook
ing his dinner, supper, or whatever it was
But she took a seat which Cyrus placed
for her (as far as possible from the stove,
but unluckily facing it), and with a little
laugh, which was intended to rest ire her
self-pos.sc-s.sion, and which had a partial
neeese, aked him where he rappesed sin
had " eome am " from j and then, without
waiting for an answer, proceeded to in
form him that she had not con.e from
home, but was just going there (sh, lived
about keif mile from Dr. Durham's
place) from her uncle William s, where sin
had been for nearly a month.
" You know," slid she, "that he live
in New Jersey, just a little way out ot
Trenton."
Cww didn't know it, but he did not s.iv
so, but asked her if she had a pleasant
tune. She SUawt , d that it was at first,
but she got tired hs soon as her cousin
hmilv had bees omtmd to go hack to
boarding U hool ; and, a.; knew, thoae
onnecticut schools always commence
their terms right in the middle of the
tinest weather; and did all the students
keep bachelor's hall this way?
Cyrus said the most of them did; ai
any rate those who liked better and fresh
er food than they generally got at the
lioarding houses. Then Miss Fanny re
marked that she thought it was a very
food way if you only knew how to cook ;
and didn't he think that whatever was in
that pan was all burning op? Cyrus
turned round and said he thought ii was :
ami so be took the frying pan. full ot
blackened and smoking eggs, ofl' the tire,
and moved th- coffee pol a little baek.
When he sat down again there was g
little silence. He knew si r had not conn
to Oee hill! simply because they were old
friends and neighbors, and be thought it
vyy probable that she had something par
tienlar to sav, and was wondering how
she should s;tv ft, was right. After
looking out f the window, ami remark
mg that she slMri,( think the people in
the next house ,( look right in here,
dhe said :
"Mr. Durham, I gaassyou wonder whv
I came to see yaw, h pan, of course roe
are glad; but, you see, i h.ft uncle's this
morning by the boat, and sent mv trunks
on home by express, and coming off the
boot it Arch Street wharf, or somewhere
I haven't the slightest idea where I
ha l my pocket picked, or lost ayj p,,rp.
Dannie; ad I didn't know i ion in
Philadelphia who could lend me enough
to no) my fare in the ran, except you,
.ml I thought I'd borrow ionic of you
kjM M you lived in Saubom Street, but 1
f had to ring at ever so many houses before
I found von.
Now as Cyrus had exactly forty-eight
cents in his 'pocket, this was rather hard
on t ho voting man.
"You see." she continued, "that if I
take the six o'clock train for Baltimore. I
will get there about ten, and I can stay
with Mrs. Sinclair to-night. I he passen
ger cars will take me right past her door,
and father will send you the money
" Oh, don't mention that," said Cyrus,
who looked exactly as if he was returning
from the grave of a pair of twins. 44 Hut
I haven't I think not, at least but that
need make no difference I'll just step out
and get it. Oh, I'm very glad indeed no
trouble at all very glad you came to me
W 1 f A 1 1 J
j list maKc vourseii omioriauic Here lor a
few minutes. There's pipe I mean there'
some books perhaps you would like to
look at. 1 11 be back directly. Xo trouble
at all."
So off went Cyrus, with his hat on hind
part before. As for MissT.Timv Birx'
she first wished she hadn't come. But
then she thought that she couldn't help it
for she had no other place to go to. But
she thought of course he'd have money
enough tor that. " What a pity about
those eggs just as black as a crisp ! What
a funny way of living! I wonder if he
calls these things clean. He ought to have
somebody to wash his cups and plates for
htm ; but 1 suppose it wouldn t be bache
lor's hall if be didn't do it himself.
All those books are full of horrid
hones, I expect; I'm sure I don't want to
look at them. I should think he did
nothing but smoke ; pipes every where. I
wish he'd hurry back. Why, it's six
o'clock nowT ! Oh, that clock don't go I
declare, it quite frightened me. Why
don't he have his clock wound mpf
With thoughts like these Miss Fanny
heguiled a part of the time that she was
obliged to wait for Cyrus ; but at length,
tiring of examining tin- room, she ventured
to take up a book, which fortunately
proved to be an odd volume ot Macaulay,
and so she torgot the world in the fortunes
of William of Orange until Cyrus re
turned. That poor young man had a hard time
of it. On reaching the street he stood tor
a moment in doubt, and then hurried to
William IT I hit 1111 boarding house, to try
and borrow ten dollars. He knew that
five would pay Miss Birch's passage
through to her father's house ; but he could
not Offer her less than ten. Heiskill was
out. Then a tpiick run round to Walnut
street revealed the fact that Seymour had
gone out walking, Sir, with Mr. lit is
kill."' Cyrus knew that there was but
little chance of finding any of his student
friends at home on such -a tine afternoon ;
but still he hurried down to Spruce street,
to see if by chance little Myles was trying
to make up for lost time by a trifle of
study. But Myles, if he was engaged in
an v work of sen-benefit, was not doing it
at home.
"Confound it!" Mid Cvrus. "I'll try
pious Arnold."
" Pious " Arnold was so called, not on
iccount of any particular religious len
iency he exhibited, but amply because lu-
attended lectures regularlv and studied
hard in the mean time, refusing all tempta
tions in the wav ot card partus, excur
sions, or other diversions of the students.
"Pious "was at home, but was very
sorry he couldn't lend Cyrus a dollar. Ib
had (although he didn't say so) twenty
seven dollars in a little black box in his
trunk, which was exactly what was due
his landlady at the end ot the month, and
in declining to part with any of it In- did
perfectly right, for it is very doubtful if he
would have had it back in time to main
tain his reputation as the bestpaying stu
dent in Jefferson College.
Poor Cyrus was dumbfounded. Ib
knew not another soul to whom he could
apply. One of the professors, with whom
he had a previous acquaintance through
his father, might have helped him out;
but he lived over in West Philadelphia,
and there was no time to go to him. It
was now striking five, and the truin start
ed at six. He had nothing to sell, lb
had "lent" his watch to help pay for a
walnut book-ease that was one of the re
c nt ornaments of his room, and he had
nothing else on which, at such short no
tice, he could raise a dollar, lie stopped,
on his way back from Arnold's, again at
HeiskHl'fl boarding house ; but of course
he had not returned. What, in the name
of every thing that was absurd, MVM he to
dot After some ten minutes of fruitless beat
ing of his brains, he came to the com hi
sion that he must go back and tell his
shameful story, for if Miss Birch had an
other way of managing this difficulty, it
irnfl time the was about it. So he Went
home and up to his room.
Miss Fanny rose, but the moment sin
saw him she knew that he had not got the
money ; and so there was no necessity ot
his telling the story ot his shame and
poverty. She had so much pity for his
manifest embarrassment anddow nheartcd
ness that sin- slid, laughingly,
"There, you haven't, got the money.
All you students spend every cent your
(others send you as soon as it comes, and
so you couldn't borrow any. But it don't
make any difference. I have no doubt
but that it will all come out right. Such
things alwavs do."
"That may be," said Cyrus; "but I
don't see how it is to come out right. You
might go to a hotel and send home for
money."
"Wouldn't they make me pay anything
as soon as I got there ?" she asked.
44 Not if you travel like a person who
looks a if she kad money with plenty of
trunks and things."
" But I haven't got any trunks ; the)' are
all sent on by express."
44 Oh, as for that," said Cvrus, brighten
ing up a littW, " I couM lend you a
trunk." J
This method of gaining credit seemed
so funny to bothof tlu-ni that they laughed
as heartily as there was no such trouble a
money in the world. Miss Fanny de
clared, however, that sin- would n(,j .ll(
Mr. Durham lo all that bother; but Cvrus
amnred her that h waa no trouble or in
convenience in tin- least to hini.
" In fact," said he, " it's a splendid Idea I
Just think of it! Why, I can make money
out of you. I ht ve a tnu.k with books
and things that I have packed up to take
home for tin- vacation, and I should have
to send it by express. Now you can take
it right on for me, and it will go as your
baggage, and will cost neither of us any
thing. What do you think of that Idea?
" Perfectly splendid !" cried Miss Fanny.
44 And now how will I get to t he hotel with
in v baggage f
" Oh, I will arrange that," said Cyrus ;
"and now you don't know how relieved I
feel "
44 So do I," said Fanny. 41 But I knew it
would i onie out all right BOOM way I
w fob those eggs were not all burned up,
for 1 would ask you for some o tlum. I'm
awful huugry f
It is astonishing how a common rouble
and a common relief accelerates the growth
of familiarity. But then Fanny and Cyrus
had known each other ever since they
were children.
44 Oh, I've plenty more !" cried Cyrus ;
"let me cook you some you won't get any-
thing to eat the minute you get to the
hotel."
And he ran to his little woxl-stove,
where some embers still remained. Fan
ny demurred and "declared," but Cyrus
persisted ; and so a fire was quickly
kindled with light wood, and he made
fresh coffee, while Fanny took off her
gloves and beat up the eggs as well as she
could for laughing at Cyrus' funny ways
of doing things keeping his ground cof
fee in a porter bottle, and all that stale
bread, as if he ought not to knowT just how
much he wanted when he bought it.
" But then, you know, I must always be
ready for company," said the happy Cy
rus; and there was more laughing, and
some danger of spv .dies of eggs on a new
traveling dress. When it CMM to setting
outanotler cup, saucer and plate, Miss
Fanny asked, would he please excuse
but if he wouldn't feel insulted she thought
he would just rub them off a little, if
I... I... .......... l
that was hot water in one ot those spigot
over there in the comer. And when the
shining queen's-ware was placed on the
table Cyrus vowed that it had never been
so white since it had been bought.
They had a delightful meal, but no but
ter. Cyrus couldn't keep butter, he said,
in that warm weather ; but the bread was
Dutch Ctt'-e with raisins in it, and the cof
fee, with cream that was just beginning
to turn, was capital, and so were the scram
bled eggs.
Our friend was as happy as a king. He
was so glad that Heiskill and the other
fellows had been out when he called, and
he only hoped they wouldn't drop in on
him on their way back. But there was
no danger of that. Miss Fanny seemed
to remember that the afternoon was on
the wane, and rising and declaring that
she had never had a nicer supper, prin
cipally because it was so funny," .said she
must be going, and which was her trunk?
" The smallest of those two yellow ones,"
said Cvrus; "and we will write your
name on a card and tack it on the end, so
as to make everv thing ship-shape."
This was soon done, and then Cyrus
went for a hack. He knew a man who
"stood" near his college, and who had
trusted hint before, and who would do it
again. Cyrus gave him some private in
structions in regard to making it appear
that the lade had just come from the Ken
sington depot.
" that can 1m- worked, said the man:
the train's just in about ten minutes
now.
8o thev hurried back. Miss Birch was
escorted down, and the man sent up stairs
tor the trunk, bo far so good; but Mr
Macey, the landlady, a thoroughly
good soul, but a little careful about stu-
lents, now made her appearance with I
ook of anxiety upon her face.
"Going to take your trunks awav, Mr.
Durham ?" said she, as soon as the lady
was in the carriage.
Cvrus led her back into the hall, and ex
plained that it was only one trunk, and
added that he was not going to leave the
house, and Mould explain to her in a
minute. The thought of all his furniture
now came over the good ladv's mind, and
he retired, satisfied for the present. The
trunk was now strapped on, and at the door
of t he carriage Cyrus was about to take leave
ot Miss Fanny, when she remembered the
dispatch. Cyrus promised to attend to
that (tor he had just abwut money enough);
and it was agreed that it had better be
sent to her uncle, as her father lived near
ly three miles from a station. Then good
bv was said, and avav to the La Pierre
Uonae went Fanny Birch with Cyrus
Durham's heart. Yes, she had it certain
ly. He had known her and liked her,
v r so much, for years; but he had never
seen her in the full bloom of young
womanhood until to-day. She had never
before had such an intimate little bit of
sympathetic action with him; she had
never before eaten at his table!
When poor Cvrus went back into his
room, alter sending the dispatch, he sat
down disconsolately. How dark, dreary,
and common looking was every thing!
How disagreeable that little stove, and
how hot : and how stupid those dirty
dishes ! One cup, saucer, and plate he
put away, and vowed he would never
wash them. He was not a fool, but he was
young.
Then he lighted his pipe and sat down
to ruminate. There she had sat and
talked to him; there she had stood by tin
table while he was writing her name on
the card; and t here she had laid it against
the end of the trunk while he stuck the
tack through the first corner; yes, and
tun- it mm mtfU! There was no doubt of
it the card was just where he had tacked
it. What did it mean ? Oh, that stupid
hound of a hackman had taken the wrong
trunk !
Cyrus had scarcely comprehended tin
extent of this misfortune when there
was a knock at the door, ami
there entered Heiskill, Seymour, and
little Myles. They had just got in
from a walk in the country ; had had a
capital dinner about four o'clock, andj were
now here to go to work, they said, after
an afternoon of pbtv. In order to ;prove
this assertion they each lighted a pipe,
and seated themselves around the room,
with their feet upon the highest article of
furniture that they could reach.
"Whit is the natter with Off said
little M .des. " What makes him so quiet?
and why M he sitting here w ith the room
all full of the shades of evening, like a
miserable tomb ?"
Cyrus made some joking answer, and
rising, lighted the gas. After considerable
talk and general chatting, Heiskill pro
posed that the big table be cleared, and
that tiny should go to work.
44 You're professor to night, Seymour,
you know, ami try not to ask any ques
tions you can't answer yourself."
"Then let him tick to the spinal
column," said little Myles. " I don't want
him asking me to articulate a humerus
and a fibula again."
44 Oh, you needn't bother ahOHl who'sto
e demonstrator !" said Cyrus. " We
can't do any anatom) tonight. The
skeleton's gone r
In order that the foregoing conversa
tion may be understood, it may be well to
state that f ese young nu n had clubbed
together to buy an articulated skeleton,
upon which they rubbed up their anatoini
ical knowledge, each of the party acting
in turn for an evening its "professor,"
and asking questions of the others. This
skeleton was kept in a long yellow pack
ing trunk, and the hackman had taken it
oil' with Miss Birch to the hotel There
was no reason why he should not have
taken it, for it was m ar the door, and was
imbed lite onlv trunk visible upon first
eutering. CjTwl waKo lull ot lU Birch I
and the bothersome landlady that he did
not notice the mistake.
Of course, with three auch eager and
amazed inquirers as to the whereabouts of
their common property, there was nothing
to be done' but to tell, under promises of
j strict secrecy, the whole
receivetl with unlKvuidcd
story. It was
applause, and
the joke was considered far more enjoya
ble than any studying of anatomy could
possibly prove. When the laughter had
somewhat subsided Heiskill a.-ked Cyrus
what he intended to do.
44 Why, I'll have to go round in the
morning and explain that the wrong trunk
was taken (of course I shan't tell her what
is in it), and then I shall have to get that
Bill again to drive her and it to the
Baltimore depot, and instead of leaving
the trunk, he must bring it back here. I
hate the plan, for it not only gives trouble,
but nnu alot of trickery about the young
lady that I (foM like. And I was going
to send down my books so nicely ! Con
found that man ! "
" Do you think she'll open it in her
room " said little Mvlcs.
Of course not, you blockhead," snapped
Cvrus. " She hasn't the key, and besides,
! do you suppose she would open ray trunk
! :e - .
if she had f
The most astonishing surmisesjnow en
sued as to what would happen if so-and-so
should be so-and-so, and when no possible
combination of unfortunate circumstances
could be added to what had been already
laughed over,t hey descended to puns. Some
good and some very bad ones were made,
and poor little Myles, after cudgeling his
brains for the whole period of punning
time, finished the performance by wishing
to goodness that the man had been named
M Cohen," when he was alive, so that
something might be said about a "trun
cated cone." Nothing was bad enough
to follow this, and so they got out the
cards.
The next morning Cyrus dressed him
self in his best, and actually went to his
washerwoman's house to get a white vest,
if bv chance it was done. It was about
halt past ten when he reached the hotel,
and the clerk told him that Miss Birch
had gone.
44 Gone !" cried Cyrus. 44 Where could
she have gone so soon ?"
The clerk looked very hard at him,
and replied, 44 How do I know where she
went ?
However, after Cyrus had explained
how he had intended calling on this young
lady before she left for Baltimore, thus
proving that he was properly aware
of her destination, the clerk informad
him that she had left, in company with
an elderly gentleman, in time to catch the
ten o'clock train. Cyrus went home in a
state off utter bewilderment. When he
reached his room he found thre was a
note a note from Fanny, the nfat he had
ever received :
"Dear Mr. Dcrhasc, The telegram reached
uncle last night, and instead uf ending me toe
money he came himself early thif morning. I
wanted to wait until you called and thank you for
your kindness and your trunk (which 1 will tak
good care of) : but uncle thought I had better take
the ten o'clock train, because that was the only
train, until afternoon, which connected with tkw
cars for Martinville. and he thought the family
would be worried if I didn't get home until after
my trunks arrived by express. He savs he will
leave this and stop and thank you himself.
' Yours truly, F. B."
On inquiry, Cyrus found that the note
had been left by a gentleman just before
he came in, who asked for him, but
couldn't wait.
Now what was to be done? Nothing,
Cyrus thought, but to write to his father,
tell him the story, and get him to send
over to Mr. Kirch s for the trunk, and re
turn it to Philadelphia by express. This
course having been concluded upon, Cy
rus wrote and mailed the letter to his
father.
The rest of the day would probably
have been spent by Cyrus in the enjoy -ment
of Fanny's letter and his recollec
tions of her visit, had not his friends celled
upon him to know if he had got back old
44 Cohen " (for so they had baptized the
" truncated" one, since little Mvles' pun).
When they heard the rest of" the story
they were wild with delight, and the
osseous jokes that were made were worthy
of the inmates of a mad house.
41 It's such a mean old trunk," said little
Myles. 44 Nothing but a thin packing-box
any way, and I don't believe I locked it
last time. I'll bet any man ten dollars that
old Cohen's out before this time."
44 They'll open it on the cars when they
hear it rattle," said Seymour. 44 You
know people can only take wearing ap
parel, and a skeleton is not wearing ap
parel at least that one is not wearing
any."
44 If they think it's freight, and take e
out, it will result in frifFU" suggested
Myles; and then, as usual, the uproar
stopped the joking.
The next morning, about nine o'clock,
just as Cyrus had finished his breakfast
(got on credit from the grocery store
where he dealt), he received a telegram.
It was from Mr. Birch, and con ained
these words:
" You are tvaifal hrt. Vonut on immeduUtly."
Cyrus clutched his hair, stamped his
foot, clapped on his hat, locked his door,
rushed round to Heiskill's, forced from
him four dollars and some seventy cents
all he had and reached the Baltimore
depot in time for the ten o'clock train.
What his feelings, his fears, or his hopes
were during the journey is not to be put
on paper. At two o'clock he had
reached Baltimore. By half past he
was on his way in the Martinville
train to his destination. Reaching the
village, he had no money or desire to
hire a carriage, and so started out to walk
as rapidly as possible the two miles and a
half that'lay between him and Mr Birch's
house.
Arriving there, hot and flustered, he
Walked through the open door, and hear
ing voices in the dining-room, walked
quickly in, and found a coroner! jury
Hitting npon the remains of the unfortu
nate Cohen !
Wt- will now relate the circumstances
Which led to this inquest. Tin- trunk hail
been taken to the hotel in safety, and
Fanny, with her borrowed baggage at tin
foot of her bed, had slept the sweet sleep
of an innocent maiden, without being
troubled by the ghost of her quiet room
mate. Everything had gone on admira
bly, and she arrived at Martinville in good
season, where her father WM waiting for
her in a buggy. He was surprised that
she had brought another trunk, for her
baggage had arrived early that morninir;
but she explained the matter, much to his
merriment, and he ordered the station
m ister (who was also express agent and
several other things) to send the trunk
alter them in a wagon. This the man
promised to do; but having taken two
trunks up there that morning, and ex
pect ing no more jobs for thy day, his
wagofl was undergoing some repairs at
the blacksmiths, und uo he could nm
prowhHJ to iend it uiuuh before; nightfall
However, in an hour or two, along came
Silas Hoopes, a peripatetic green-grocer
and general vender, who for half the or
dinary fee offered to take the trunk to Mr.
Birch's. He was going that way, and
was always glad of an excuse to stop any
where on his route, even if it was not at
the house of a customer.
On the road Silas examined the trunk.
44 Well, I reckon," said he, 44 1 never saw
such a common old trunk go to the Birches'
afore this day. Shouldn't wonder if Miss
Fanny'd been a-buying c'rosities up to
Phily. It's light, too. Yes, that's so ; I
thought it rattled when I put it in ; I don't
doubt it's shells, or a sewin' machine.
'Tain t locked neither only strapped.
They might as well 'a locked it, for here's'a
hasp and all. I don't expect it's much,
any how, or it 'ud 'a been locked."
A slow drive of a quarter of a mile now
followed.
44 O' course, there's no harm just look
in' in, when it ain't locked nor nuthin.
Everybody else has looked, I'll bet."
Just a little ahead was a turn in the
road, and a large tree at the corner with
a nice bit of smooth grass under it. It
was just the place for bilas' horse to rest
and cool off a little ; and so the old man
drew up there. Then he whistled a little
and looked about him carelessly. Then
he stood up and looked around carefully.
Then he unstrapped the trunk. Then he
whistled a few bars more, and raised the
lid.
On the other side of a pretty thick
hedge of cedar-trees and blackberry bush
es was Squire Curtis with his gun. He
had been watching for a shot, but when
he saw Silas stop and stand up to view
the country he watched Silas. He
had long suspected the old chap, and what
was he going to do now ? 44 Oh ho ! open
a trunk, eh ! and not his either, or he'd
wait till he'd got home !"
So softly through the hedge came Squire
Curtis, and the instant Silas opened the
trunk the Squire had him by the collar.
The yell which Silas gave when Mr.
Cohen languidly stuck up histwo attenua
ted legs, which had been tightly doubled
up in the trunk, was only equaled by the
shout from Squire Curtis. The horse
started ; Silas fell backward out of the
wagon ; the Squire stood like a man of
marble ; and away went the wagon, with
Cohen's legs dangling carelessly over the
end of the trunk.
44 Whose is that ?" said the Squire, when
his voice came to him.
" Mr r-r Birch's," chattered poor old
Silas.
44 That's a lie," said the Squire. 44 He's
not dead, I know. What have you been
doing "
Silas then explained that he knew noth
ing but that the trunk was to go to Mr
Birch's; and who the 44 corpse " was, bless
his soul and bxly, he knew nothing about
it, but it might go to any place, for all
he would touch it ; and upon this he was
for cutting across the fields to his
home. But the Squire seized him,
and forced him to hurry on after the
horse and wagon. They came up with it
just as it reached Mr. Birch's gate ; and as
Silas would not go near the wagon, the
Squire had to Berns the horse's head and
turn him into the yard.
It is useless to endeavor to describe the
scene which took place in the happy
family on the portico upon the advent of
Mr. Cohen. Shrieks, fainting-tits, shouts
to take it away, and a general scene
of horror and confusion which had
never been known in that part of the
county, was succeeded by the exodus, on
foot, or in some one's arms, of all the
women, and a council of the men. Silas
told his story, not omitting in his fright
his sin of curiosity. Mr. Birch went
up stairs to question Fanny, and only dis
covered that she knew nothing, and that it
must have got changed on the cars: and
44 Oh! please never mention it again! Oh
dear! Oh dear!"
It was finally concluded to put the re
mains of the 44 murdered man" in the
stable for the night ; and the Squire, who
was the coroner for the county, declared
his intention of summoning a jury in the
morning. That night, however, Mr.
Birch, who thought that Mr. Durham
might be able to explain this (though how
he knw not), sent the telegram.
When Cyrus appeared before the jury,
told the history of the skeleton, showed
how all its joints and separate and indi
vidual bonea were neatly ioined and artic
ulated by means of wires, and pulled from
his pocket the bill and receipt ot the skill
fill artificer who had prepared the speci
men, the jury found a verdict 44 Died ot
some cause unknown."
Cyrus then repacked Mr. Cohen, and
sent him by one of Mr. Birch's men to tin
station, to await orders; taking care this
time to lock the trunk.
Mr. Durham did not go over to his
father's house right away, but staid to
supper. Fanny wis still very nervous,
and he walked out into the garden with
her to explain it all fully ; and he ex
plained it all to such an extent that she
agreed, before the conversation closed, that
when she traveled in the future it should
be with him, and they both should have
the same trunks. Jlarjxr'x Magmimx
m
The ExMrIence or a Chicago Lawyer.
New York (July -20 Correspondence of the Mobile
Keinter.
I think I remarked in my last letter that
I once met a Chicago lawyer w ho warmly
advocated marriage, and who explained to
me his reason for so doing. I or such a
man to advocate such a thing was, to say
the least, surprising ; and I listened with
breathless interest Wttüe he gave me a
brief history of his experience during the
first ten years of his residence in that cel
ebrated city.
Saitl he: 44 1 first came to Chicago fif
teen years ago. Then I w as young and in
nocent, w hich it is hardly necessarv for me
so say that I am not at present. 1 had a
friend living here, whom I had known
while he residitl in New York, and eon
ducted himself like a civilized man in a
civilized Community. As be had written
to me to visit hiinselt and his wife, when 1
came to Chicago, 1 remembered the Invita
tion when I did visit that city, and inline
diately on my arrival proceeded his
house. He w as not at home at the moment,
and so I asked to see his w ife, whom I had
known only a year before in New York.
In answer to my Inquiry for Mrs. De Vorsc,
a pretty, black eyed girl came into tin
drawing room, and received me unite
warmly.
Well, we chatted very pleasantly to
ether until my friend came in, and I really
felt myself beginning to experience a very
affectionate impulse toward her ; supposing
of course that she was his niece, or cousin,
or uncle, or something of that sort. But
in the course ot the evening I asked him
Whether his wife was at home, and if so
when he proposed to let nie see her?
41 To my astonishment, he replied, 4 This
lady is Mrs. De Vorse! I thought you
Were alrcudy aware of the fact.'
44 Of course I blushed and felt horribly
uncomfortable, and said that I was not
aware that he had lost poor Emily.
" O,' said he, 4 Emily is very well, and
has married a partner of mine. We were
divorced, you know, about six months ago,
and I married my present wife only last
week.'
44 Well, I didn't feel quite so affectionate
toward her after that, for I had been
warmly attached to Emily ; but we said
no more about the matter, and I went
away, vowing never to get myself into
such a scrape again by asking after any
body's wife. I did not see my friend's
new wife for about a month afterwards,
until I one day met her in the house of a
mutual acquaintance, and, in the course of
conversation, said to her : 4 By the way,
might I ask you to say to your husband
that I want him to come to my office some
day next week.'
44 4 1 don't think you know my husband,'
she replied, smilingly.
44 1 What do you mean ? said I, getting
rather nervous.
"'Why, my new husband is named
Smith,' she answered. 4 1 was separated
trom Mr. Ue Vorse yesterday morning, and
married Mr. smith last night.
MI left that house pretty rapidly, and
registered a second vow, to the effect that
I would never, to my dying day, ask a
Chicago lady about her husband airain.
The two mistakes I had already made, as
to Chicago wives and husbands, made me
decidedly sh' of them. But the very next
day 'went into De Vorse's store (corn,
pork and provisions), and found him en
gaged in conversation wit ha terribly angu
lar female, who looked like a compound of
a New England old maid, a Western wo
man's rights lecturer, and an Arkansas
squatter's wife. Of course I pitied mv
friend, and, when the terrible female had
departed, remarked, 4I congratulate you on
your escape ; that horrible' female would
have exhausted any man's patience in ten
moments conversation. What was my
horror when he replied : 4 1 must beg you
to speak more respectfully of that lady;
she is at present my wift a fact of which
you are, of course, unaware, as we were
married very privately last night.'
44 1 never said a word, but fled abruptly
from his presence. Once more I swore
and I went before a Notar', wdio had the
biggest kind of a Bible, so as to make the
oath more binding that never, never
would I speak disparagingly of any Chicago
woman to any Chicago man. Atter that I
felt better, and, for two weeks, avoided
making any more mistakes. At the end of
that time, however, I met the new and
angular Mrs. De Vorse, to whom I had, in
the meantime, been introduced, having the
liveliest kind of a quarrel with a big, prize
fighting looking fellow, who was appar
ently on the point of knocking her down.
Of course I flew to her rescue, and de
manded to know of the fellow what he
meant ; also if he was aware who that lady
was, and who her husband was t To
which he briefly, sententiously, but, as
it struck me, irreverently remarked
4 Hell !'
44 1 paid no further attention to him, but
t timing to Mrs. De Vorse, said : 4 Madam I
permit me to protect you from that ruf
fian's insolence f
"Instead of thanking me, she actually
slapped my face and said : 4 I'll teach you
to interfere between man and wife. That's
my husband, and we've been married three
days. It's a pretty hard thing if a wife
can't stop in the street to speak to her
husband without having sonic idiot come
and make a muss about it.'
44 Now," continued the lawyer. 44 this is
not only a true story, but it is a fair exam
ple of the continued trouble a man gets
into who lives in Chicago, and doesn't know
how to hold his tongue. You now under
stand why I hate the Chicago customs,
and why I go in for indissoluble marriages
I never made a mistake in asking a man
about his wife, the whole time I lived in
New York, but here I have got into more
awkward places, and more tights than I
can count, just because no man or woman
stays married more than a month at fur
thest." We drank weak lemonade together in
solemn thoughtfulness, and I parted from
him with the feeling that bad as it is to
be indissolubly connected with an un
pleasant mother-in-law, it is better than to
be constantly bothered by a change of
wife. F. Emeral.
A Fox's Revenge.
A man residing on the banks of the
Hudson one day went to a bay on the
river to shoot ducks or geese. When he
came to the river he saw six geese beyond
shot. He determined to wait for them to
approach the shore. While sitting there
he WW U fox coming down to the shore,
and stand some time to observe the geese.
At length he turned and went into the
woods, and came out with a very large
hunch of moss in his mouth. He then en
tered the water very silently, sank himself,
and then keeping the moss above the
water himself concealed he floated
among the geese. Suddenly one ot them
was drawn under the water, anil the fox
soon appeared on the shore with the goose
on his back.
He ascended the bank, and found a hole
made by the tearing up of a tree. This
hole he cleared, placed in the goose, and
covered it with great care, strewing leaves
over it. The fox then left ; and w hile he
was away the hunter unburied the goose,
and closed the hole, and then he resolved
to await the issue.
In about halt an hour the fox returned
with another fox in company. They went
directly to the place where the goose had
been buried, and threw out the earth. The
goose could not he found. They stKd re
garding each other lor some time, when
suddenly, the second fox attacked the
other furiously, as if offended by the trick
ot a friend. During the battle he shot
them lioth. Murray Creation.
To Ireserve a Bouquet.
Whkn a bouquet is received, I at once
sprinkle it lightly with fresh water, and
then put it in a vessel containing soap suds.
This will keep the flowers as freshly as it
just gathered. Then every morning take
the bouquet out of the suds, and lay it
sideways the stock entering first into
clean water, replace it in the soap suds,
and it will bloom as fresh as when first
gathered. The soap suds needs changing
every three or four days. By observing
these rules, a bouquet may be kept bright
and beautiful for at least a month, and
will last still longer in a passable state.
ExchaiKje.
Water cars are run regularly on the
Atlantic street horse railroad line in Brook
lyn. A huge vat on a t ar truck, drawn by
two hetreee, follows the noneeuffor can up
and down the track, sprinkling the pave
ment, thoroughly, effectually laying the
dust, and making travel on this route more
comfortable than ever before.
FACTS AND FIGURES.
Bonner has offered f 20,000 for 44 Amer
ican Girl."
The young King of Greece is said to
have become a drunkard.
Syracuse, X. Y., claims population of
41,450 an increase of 2,440 over last
year.
The Rev. Miss Olympia Brown has a
cepted the pastorate of a Bridgeport,
Conn., church.
In North Carolina any person who
hunts with gun or dogs, or Sunday, is mv
bit to a tine of .0.
The Yale studonts who drew the be-t
college rooms made about one thousand
dollars by selling out.
A bogus ltarey has been swindling
Louisville, in spite of the fact of Mr.
Itarey's death, two years ago.
Matches are now made with sodium
instead of phosphorus. It ignites as easi
ly, and is free from offensive odors.
SfNCE Lamartine's death 5,000,000 of his
photographs have been sold, and no fewer
than 800,000 cheap statuettes.
A Frenchman has purchased 5,000
acres of swamp in Tennessee, and pro
poses raising frogs for the Meniplii-t
market.
The Coliseum in Boston, minus the .lu
bilee, Gilmore and the anvils, can now b;
visited at the moderate price of twenty
five cents per head.
Twenty thousand elephants are annu
ally destroyed to furnish the manufacturers
of Sheffield with ivory for knife handl.
and other purposes.
A New Jersey horse thief, convicted
of fifteen horse thefts, v;is lately sentenced
ten years apiece for them total, one hun
dred and fifty yean.
A poor shoemaker, named Donofiue,
residing in East River street, Newark, has
'alien heir to the sum of $200,000 in gold,
by the death of his brother.
Of seventeen graduates of Dartmouth
College who died last vear three WCPe
rover eighty years of age, and five others
had passed the allotted period ot human
life.
At a recent temperance celebration, a
little lad appeared in the nfuemwiou bear
ing a flag on which was inscribed the fol
lowing: 44 All's right when daddy -solier.
The remains of George II. Steele, of
Windsor, Vt., which have been interred
for twenty-three years, were recently es
humed and found to be in ajthorough Mute
of preservation.
A divorce case is now pending in Graf
ton County, N. EL. in which the parties
have been married forty-four years, and
had fifteen children, of whom twelve art
lit w living and of age.
Visitors to Niagara Falls are notified
that a new Treasury regulation imposes h
duty of forty-five per cent., in gold, on all
fancy articles purchased on tin-Canada side
and brought over the river.
Mr. A. D. Ricn.vuosoN. w ho has recent
ly been "through to the Pacific," ntya that
if the Central L'nion Railroad becomes
remunerative, it will make its six original
owners the richest men on the continent.
The United States contain an area ot
OTer two billions of acre-, which, il
peopled as densely as Massachusetts, would
a commodate in the neighborhood of si
hundred million inhabitants.
A father, mother and nine children,
from Pennsylvania, recently passed
through Grand Rapide, Michigan, on their
way to Minnesota, the children being three
pairs of twins and one triplet.
Watchks were invented in Germany,
Nuremburg, iu 1477. The Emperor
Charles V. was the first man who owned
one, but it was too large to tarry in the
pocket. Pocket watches were invented
by a man named Hooke in 1358.
Alice Cary, the poetess, reports an in
come of $1,180 : Clara Louise Kellogg, the
prima donna, $ .VW. ; Maggie Mitchell, the
Crirbt, fl.9:c.; Florence, tin- comedian.
:,02"; Beiney Williams, the Irish actor,
fU95.
In the old burying ground at Kirk Cross
in Shetland, the curious in epitaphs may
read that the death of 44 Donald Robert
son, to all appearance a sincere Christian,
was caused by the stupidity of Law range
Tullock, who sold him nitre instead oi
Lpsom salts.
A New York letter says: "Mr. De-
eroot is putting an inn u-nse bronze cast
ing oi scenes in um nie oi uuuunwic
Vanderbilt OTCT '.he entrance to the Hud
son River freight depot in St . John's Park.
It will cost M0O,6M, and is the largest
easting in the world, l lie foundation
alone cost $so.ooo."
A man in Hamburg, Pennsylvania,
bought a wagon-load of boards atxuit
thirty years ago, and failing to get tin
price he asked, determined not to lose
money on them. Accordingly thev ate
for sale in his yard, having never been re
moved from the wagon, but wagOU and
boards are mostly rotten wood.
An Amistnnt Amessor recently applied
10 headquarters at Washington, relative to
the liability of butter and enceee mannfaf
turera for taxes on niles above $i,w3U. Tin
reply was that manufacturer.-, of butter
and cheese, including fac tories and asv..
nations, as commonly conduc ted, are lia
b! to a tax of 2 upon e very 1,000 sale
hove f Ö.OOO per annum.
Tue mud of the hard pav. r treeti of
the city of London consists, according lo
Dr. Lcihcrhv, the well known Military in
spector, of:f7 percent, of horse refuse. :t0
per cent, ot hflwded stone, and It 1"'
cent, of abraded iron from horses" hoots
and wheel tires. A chemist in Dublin Iims
obtained the same results from SB exami
nation of the mud in the streets t that
city.
the Middle ages the ares in the houwa
T re made In cavity in the centre ot th
floor, over which there generally was an
opening in the rof for the escape ot the
smoke; and when the Arc was out. or th.
family retired to rest, the place in WMCU
it was made was closed by a cover In
those davs a law was almost universally
established on the continent that tins
should be extinguished ami fanuln s b. all
at home at a certain hour in the c . amg
which was notified by the ringing of a
bell, that in England was called the Cur
few.
Tiurtekn cases t small pox were re
cently discovered in a tenement house on
Forsyth street. New York The sole
origin of these cases was traced to mm
culpable recklessness of me Henry R"s.
who keens cake baker) in that tdn i L
For thirteen days after he bernmeinfccVd
With the disease, he continued al his busi
aim nmfclsi and dealing out his mk,- lo
rarntomers At last, when his fact wns
eovcred with sores, he retired to I bed
room adjoining his shop, between which
there urns free uimmuairatioa nl air, and
his family continued the business