South-Eastern Independent, 1871-08-25

in a spruce stage, with vivid medallions and golden scroll work on a deep ultrama- nadst thou but known then what thou knowest now, thou hadst not thin gone alone to sot k thy fortune! Ai)d doft thou hope to fiad Iter here? As well that ss another like her! Nay, evfn tut-n, cost tfcou believe the woulu still care for thee, Etnil?' eiolaimfd the doctor, rising and going to the dressing dressing-table, - table, dressing-table, on which was erected a small mir mirror. - ror. mirror. "Alas! tli ou art sadly changed! I fear she would Hud dea.h. more attractive than thfe. "But courage!" exclaimed Dr. Pechal, fg-iia robinT himself from his d&pon dency. uhti ua persevere to tlio end! One more attempt, friend Emiiere we say t irwell to each other! Let us use well the time that remains to us!"' With which partiug exhorta'i jna to the ample ana lugubrials countenance in the mirror, the doctor turned away, replaced his library in his carpet-bag; and, it being al- raay late, we w.ii ka?c mm in unais turned possession of his room. Next morcifl?, having performed his arid toilet, this unpleaiant and mysterious man appcar-?d upon Bioadway. the pen pen-etra'ing - etra'ing pen-etra'ing glare of his spectacles, as he shuffled onward, was ever and anon di reeled at some passing face, whenever it seemed to come within the range of his wiurd and preternatural intelligence. For himself, such attention as he received was not complimentary. What a turning of tatik-s, could they have recognized in this uncouth individual the man who had re duced mortality to a working formula! But their non appreciation troubled nun not ; he was perhaps used to it. Having reached the Fifth Avenue HotcL the doctor paused, and looked about him somewhat wearily. Wnat besought was apparently no nearer than ever. For all that, his ilestiny was even then upon him; it was coming rapidly up the avenue rine background. Yet, so unconscious did the doctor appear that, were it not an established fact that Destiny never makes a mistake in her appointments, and is always tunctual, it would seem a mere chance he did not miss her altogether. 1 he stage Contained but one passenger a charming young lady. To look at her was a ruUaed aud exquisite enjoyment. She was the flower ot gentle breeding; and an indescribable, scarcely-perceptible aroma, peculiar to such flowers, hovered about her like an evanescent mist. The contrast between her very dark hazel eyes and straight, hue eyebrows, and the amber tint ot her crisp and vigorous hair, made her beauty more striking than it would otherwise have been. Her complexion was clear and luminously pale, the skin drawn smoothly over the rounded flsh. All the refinement and faschiation of her face seemed to culminate in a petfect little nose, with delicate nostrils a&d pointed tip. The curve of her lips might have seemed haughty, but that there hovired always about them the remembrance or the promise of a smile. bwavetl by i know not wnat mysterious impulse, this nre creature turned in her seal iut as the stage was passing the upper corner of West Twenty-third street, aud looked straight at a foreign, ill-conditioned figure that happened at that moment to be standing there. The figure, at the same moment, raised a heavy and woe-begone countenance to the stage win tow. and the shining specta cies aud dark hazel eyes met. Perhaps the extremes of human nature presented no wider contrast. The young lady recoiled with a refined little shudder. "What a dreadful thing!" Then she gave a startled little scream. i or ihj oreadtui thug had suddenly frozen into an awful stare, rapidly shift ing into an expression of wild delight. lie had made a clumsy rush lor the stage door, wrenched it convulsively open, and flung himself, panting and perspiring, upon ODDoslle. Within the narrow limits that Filth avenue stage extremes had met at last ! And what did the hiirh-bred ladv do ? First impufse scream for help, or spring from the vehicle ! But the next moment pride cast out fear bullied it into sub submission, - mission, submission, rat her. Ten times more almared, reason of her high-wrought organiza- zion, than any ordinary pers n could have been, no outward sign, sive bloodless lips. betrayed it. She sat stern and motion less as a little statue, except that her heart beat so. It was all thrown away on Dr. PechaL He was at that moment too thoroughly impregnated with pleasurable emotions to admit of any other sensation. His first act, after recovering wind, was to draw firth the inevitable pocket note-book. From its pages to the pale little face and back again, he gazed with artless delight, if comparing as excellent likeness with the original. One might detect, more over, in his expression, the secret self sat isfaction of the successful artist But, more skillful than his fellows, this man had drawn his portrait first, aud by its means discovered the original atterwurd. The comparison satisfactorily concluded. artist pocketed his work, and surveyed sitter complacently. he the ask is had tor. so that age of no chnl 1 ing he " How fortunate," he ejaculated, at last, vou have turned out to be a woman! i ful Had you been a man " The doctor seemed loath to contemplate so teartul an or. " the life, are For alternative. "Crazy!" thought the young lady, and irrepressible shiver of horror ran through her. But being a woman, resumed the doctor, forcibly, all may be welL Pray, take an interest in me ! Believe me, I am stranger to you, and our individual welfare depends exclusively upon each other." " Do I understand you to say you are ac quainted with me, sir?" demanded she, catching at the first hop 'ful straw. " Ah, none better," replied the doctor. You are not yet quite twenty am I not fifty? You are rich am I not poor? Your name is " Here the doctor paused. The young lady s hazel eyes were black witn expectation. " Caleph ? ' hazarded the doctor, with an insinuating grin, yet with an undertone of anxiety in his voice. lhe young lany started, and blushed to forehead. A moment she looked at doctor earnestly with an indescribable expression ; then burst forth into a most de licious little laugh. " Well, now, jou mutt know me, though don't remember you, I'm sure. And how strange that he never spoke of you either! no, blushing again; "l m not that only Mabel Chapel still, if you please, with ravis-hing sweetness. "Chapel Mabel Chapel, repeated the doctor, retiring behind his spectacles. It seemed to be all he heard, as it was cer tainly all he understood, of this remarkable little speech. " Chapel ah, yes. yes : now certainly is wonderful !" And again broad smile of delight disclosed those awtui teeth. Then he recovered himself, and turned address his lovely companion oce more. But the rattle of the wheels over Fifth avenue pavement drowned the the conversation for the present. "Oh. nursie. he was so dreadful!" said MabeL piteouslv, as old ChrL-tina, the domestic of the family, was combiog out her hair tuateveLing. Christina had had the sole care oi JUi JUi-tipVfi - tipVfi JUi-tipVfi amlipr Vtni.- pver nincn twe.ntv vpjtra there had been any such hair to be carel for. Think not of him, my Ma'tclein," ad vised the old lady. "He was some crazy, ru:;aivav man." " That's what I thought at first." reioined MabeL "But, nursie, he seemed to is that a of be the I wife their io tive the I self: she two Hew in and you ine out to from neck and

know all about me, even my enticement to Charlie, that no one knows, ou know; 4 hy,'' siid Mabel, blush ing at he reco lec lection, - tion, lection, "ha adJres"d me as Mra.CalepU; and, when 1 told him I wasn't married yet, the horrid thing sa.d I must mry him and ritjlit oil', loo, or we would bolh be dtad! And then he went on and ttlked about all torts of the s'.rangest, most in incomprehensible - comprehensible incomprehensible tiling?, and read something to me out ot a dirty note-book e had about group3 and t'to law, and distribu distributions, - tions, distributions, and literal identity s, and I don't know what else. Wasn't it terrible ?" " But he i3 gone he returns no more," said nursie, soothingly. An, but he does return " said 3laoci, disconsolntcly. He's coming here to morrow night ; he said he must como any way to get my answer. Think of it ! And I old him to come, then, because Charlie will he here, you kaow, ai.ii he cm talk to him." " What name has he, my Slabelein?" in quired Chribtiia. v . Oh, some thrmrji csme ; I irmemU it reminded me somehow cf your list name, r ursie Lapcch.' There was a ' pech ' about it, and ob, yes, I know, it was 1'echal ut. 1'echaL Christina started so that, for almost the first time in her lifa. she nulled Mahpl'a hair. " Ah !" screamed Mabel ; then, catching sight of the old lady's face in the mirror, wh v. nursie dear, what's the matter? ' '.Nothing, my Liebchen. nothing: onlv I that the name reminded old Christina of a time long ago.before thou wast bom, Ma bcl in wnt-n she, too, was engaged to be married. Ah, that was a happy time!'' sighed nursie. " lea m. all about it, dear," said Mabel, persuasively; all matters of the heart were to her of paramount interest and import ance. "There is little to telL Liebchen. He was stout, handsome and brave ; he wore a studtnts cap. and lougbt with the Schlager. He was wise, also; he knew more than an the protestors. And he loved his Christinchen; and to me he was very dear, said the old lady, simply. "But why didn t you marry him ?" de manded Mabel Ah, that is a sad history, Mabelein Thou kno est we once were wealthy, and had rank. But a time came we had lost ourfor une we were poor and unfortu nate. But he was brave ; he said : ' I will go, Christinchen, and see. I will make fortune for us alL And he went, but I never after saw him, and I think he died, for I believe not he would ever forget his Uhristitchen. Poor, de tr old nursie, said the tender hearted Mabel, with tears standing in her sweet eyes. "And was this before you came to us 7 " Ye Liebchm ; your father and mother were then boarding at our house ; and your dear mother, who is now dead, liked me and I her ; so when yon went away, she took me to be nurse and to kelp her. i said : ' If he comes, I must leave you.' But never came, and I am always here Poor, dear, old nursie, thought MabeL again, an hour later, as she lay with her cheL-k upon her hand, waiting for sleep. Ana she never told me ot it before! Well, some day perhaps he will come back and marry her, and then she will be as happy as 1 shall be. Do pleasant dreams always go by con tranesr " Do you mean to sav, sir," demanded Uharlie, who sat with Mabel 8 little trem bling hand in his, " that you have evolved law which regulates the time, place. and circumstances, of the death of every human being?" "It Is precisely that," replied Dr. Pe chal, ccaimed at being so well understood. Were the room not so dark, sir, I would you to look over my little book. All explained there." The doctor, calling late in the evening. come upon Mabel and Charlie Caleph sitting together in the dusk ; and, being a somewhat abrupt gentleman, he had en tered upon his business at once, without waiting even for candles. iut how do you know your law is true? a.-tea Mabel, defiantly. Is it not then logical ? said the doc " The insurance companies have gone far as to establish the average age at which death comes: if a man die here at sixty, somewhere must die a boy of twelve, the balance may be preserved. Is it probable that this balance should relate to alone ? Is there not also the balance one sex against the other, of light againF' dark, ot nation against nation, ot temper ament against temperament? Not even here can we draw the line: the farther we search the more the conditions that arise : trait, however subtle; no feature, how insignificant but bears directly, how ever lightly, upon man's destiny. What could be more clear, more inevitable ? " Charlie and .Mabel were silent ; a strange seemed creeping around their hearts. he doctor s voice, all apparently remain of him in the darkened room, sounded solemn and mysterious as he gave - a a in as a its to in " cv. in of all utterance to the thoughts which had been all his life revolving. Wholly bound up in the contemplation of his aw- theory, his words were not without an impressiveness even more powerful than unary eloquence. -it is mated strange, resumed he, ton that mankind, continually prying after mysteries of science and the laws of should never have set themselves to learn the most important and yet the simplest law which tells them when tbey to die, and wno snail die witn them. no man dies alone. There is a mys terious chain, tormed ot innumerable aud invisible links, binding his life to that of others, be their number more or less. He one of a group ; and the breaking of one chain is the dissolution of tueir common life." "Can nothing hinder this law if it be law? demanued Charlie. It is seldom possible " replied the doctor. - lhe only satety lies in mar riage, which constitutes a new condition things annulling the old. But it must no ordinary marriage. To be efilcacious, most exacting conditions have to be fulfilled. Of the many, it is only needful should mention two : the husband and must belong to the same group, and names must be composed of the same letters, differently arransed. And this." added the doctor, " bears upon my errand nignu Mabel shuddered, and drew nearer to Charlie, who passed his arm around her waist. Dr. Pechal proceeded : I have discovered, by the most exhaus calculations, that before this hour to tomorrow - morrow tomorrow my death, and that of all my group, is destined to take place. My cal calculations - culations calculations also showed that one at least of group must be a resident of this city knew there were but three besides my one, whom I was personally ac acquainted - quainted acquainted with" the doctor cleared his throat" was not to be thought of. thoueh once might have saved us all ; of the others remaining, one I knew to be a woman, and, trusting she might be the Yorker, I came here to seek her. ard the person of this young lady I have found her. She is a member of my group ; she, as her name proclaims her. is destined to Eave us both by uniting her uesmiy to mine. or the it as fail but in is rule the not and and to in very very and Analyze our names siMa find them literally identical ; and for rest, me proots are easy ana irre irrefragable." - fragable." irrefragable." Here the doctor paused, and. holding one of his fat hands, seemed duskily summon Mabel from her lover's side. Charlie groaned, and removed his arm her waist; but her's was around his in an instant, and her voice was clear firm: so in ca will

A Soft Blow A gentle breeze, A Rooted Sorrow The toothache. FoKETiioronT and Prudence both say insure your Hie. lake their advice, and insure in the Washington. There are fourteen Americans studying at the tnivemty ot Ltij-sic, and sixty seven at Berlin. Make friends with life insurance, that when you are old it may comfort vou. Insure with the Mutual Life, of Chica; Florida punishes her criminals by prison diet of ham and eggs. They have to turn out the military three or four times a week to keep the outsiders from breaking into tue penitentiary. The following is from the Terre Haute Jd'til : "If the pirty who plays the ac cordion in this vicinity at nights will only change his tune occasionally, or sit whore w.i can scald him when the engine has steam on, he will hear of something to his advantage," A witkss under cross-examination, who bad been tortured by a lawyer for several hours, at last asked for a drink of water. " There," said the Ju ige, " I think you better let that witness go now, as you have pumped him dry." A GEJiTLEMAX of Dubuque sent up little red balloon labeled so that it should be known who sent it and where from. In less than a week he received a letter from Akron, Ohio, that it had arrived there, five hundred miles from where it started. Font young Scotchmen living in Kan sas City, Mo., advertise in the Edinburg aeolrman that they "find it difficult to conform to the usages of American so society," - ciety," society," and, in order to " revive the good old associations of former days," long to correspond with "a limited number of bonnie lasses of culture and refinement in their native land." As "oracle " at New Orleans, discours discoursing - ing discoursing on the wpnders of the Mississippi, mentioned the iron coffla of De Soto, containing the golden trumpet given him by Queen Victoria. "What!" exrlaimed one; "not Queen Victoria?" "Yes, sir. Queen Victoria." "Why; she wasn born then by two hundred years or more." " 1 don t care u she wasn t," was me bold reply ; " I reckon she could leave it in her will." 1 he Rochester Democrat U slightly sar castic on a railroad line in thU vicinity. It says that a gentleman took the train a tew days ago on what is termed the "Huckleberry road." running between Avon and Jlount Morns. Alter me train started from Avon he discovered that he had left a valuable dog behind, but on ar riving at Mount Moms the lost dog was found sitting at the station awaiting the arrival of his master. Loc.ic. Tia ft ange, hot true, that a common cat 11 a got Un lail just think of thatl Iron'! re it, eh? The fnct la plain. To prove it so I riae t' explain. We ray: A cat baa bat one tail Behold bow logic lifts the veil: Vocat ba- nine tills: don't joo fee Out cat baa oue tail more th n she? Now add tbe one tall to the nine, You'll dnd a tall ten-tailed fell e. As Holmes bas said in his "One horse Shay," Louie ia logic, that's all I say. A foreman of one of our factories was aggravated by the action of a new hand who failed to perlorm his duty right. although repeatedly explained to him. He told him what he thought ot men who did as he was doing ; mentioned the torrid zone, and dipped to the very roots of the English language for vigor of expression, and men suddenly ana quietly wiinarew on being informed that the anxious lis tener wus a deal mule. JJanoury Acute. Elizabeth Stuart Phelps tells us that "the average young woman spends enough inventive power, enougn nnanciu shrewdness, enough close foresight, enough .perturbation of spirit, enough presence of mind, enough patience of hope and anguish of regret upon one season's outfit I had almost said upon one single street suit to make an excellent bank cashier, or a comfortable graduate of a theological seminary." A correspondent writes to an ex change, inquiring " what is the best treat treatment - ment treatment to prevent the development of hy hydrophobia - drophobia hydrophobia in dogs," and is answered as fol lows : Don't really know about the best, but if you will give your dog water enouch it is pretty certain he can t have the disease. The satest way to insure mm an abundance of this indispensable fluid is anchor him in about- seven feet of water, so that his head will be from lghteen to twenty-nve inches Deiow me surface. In tnat way he can drink as much as he wants. Any surplus he may hance to swallow will do more good than harm. Apropos of the stage of life behind scenes, the Philadelphia Telegraph says: We have heard Mr. Murdoch tell of a choice lot of patriots he was leading in some place or other, who had, with infin ite care, been uriuea to maKe certain ex clamations in a set order. But brains to adapt themselves to the situation they had not. Mr. Murdoch made an inadvertant transposition of his own lines, and the fol lowing snort out, empuauc uiniogue waa result: Hero Would ye be slaves? Shouters We would! we would! Hero (finding it too late to cry back, and tni9t- ine to luck) Would je be free men? Shouters We'd die first ! Doing zood under difficulties is thus il lustrated in the experience of a missionary the American Sunday School Union, in Western State: "At the nrst settlement came to I found that there had never b--cn Sundav-shool in that region, and the people could hardly understand what I wanted. One had never seen a Sunday- school, and thought there must be some trick about it Having some books with me I proposed to give him one. No, sir. don t want it: i can t anoro it: ior I know, if I take it, there will be some sort of officer alter taxes on it.' l wrote on me 'No tax to be collected on this book,' and then he consented to take it" At a recent meeting of the Chamber of Commerce ot South uradtora, England, it was reported that the growth of wool in Australia was increasing every year. The total imports of sheep and lambs' wool into Great Britain amounted to 191,5Cl,:iS9 pounds in the first six months of 1871 atrainst 160821,340 pounds in 1870 and 144,174,733 pounds in lUG'J. In these to totals - tals totals the Australian wool amounted to 134,- i3,2SJ pounds dunne corresponding pe pe-iinls - iinls pe-iinls iu 1S71 seaintt 135.028 213 pounds in 1870 and 103,772,827 pounds in 18ti9. The value of the imports of wool from Austra now amount to from $7,500,000 to $10,- 000,000 a month. Tub other day the rare sight was pre sented here of a soft Lobster just out of is old clothes, and his cast-oil shell by side. He was foolish enough to creep a lobster net iust before he took off his overcoat, and was captured soft and fresh. Lobsters cast their shells once a year, dur during - ing during their growing period. Some time be before - fore before they are very restless and uneasy, nrobablv from the pain of the tight fit, the animal struggles to relieve him himself. - self. himself. Soon the shell is split across bick, the back, the claws are drawn out first next the feet which comes hard, then head and the eyes, and lastly the taiL The whole operation involves a good deal shivering and pulling. In drawing out legs and claws, as in his ferocious com combats - bats combats with other lobsters, if he breaks off a limb, he always does it at the second joint; not he is a gone lobster by bleeding to death. Cape Ann Advertiter. a is to is is if to on It in the the to in and in

Not long ago, tlio steamer Ecliptic Drought to Xtw i ork, among other pas sengcrs. a la', lrowy niaa, lather short, aud evidintly a:or.-:xcer thmiUof what nanonslity, oiyin-r u his f .ciiltarity vrith languages, it xs not easy to dic.oe. Ha was not an e-imc'.ng man, ws super- naturally conceited, s uie said crazy. He wore a pair cf unusually stiny spectacles it was believed to assist him lu 8tarin. His hair wan low' tangled and sandy, overhDjin!j; hb coat-coliar, and pushed bark leutnd his ears. Ilia iuegage con sited of a ragged, black carpet-bag, which no one susnecU J ot containing clothes. 1 he captain L-mselt was not sacred trom tae lrtruive impeiiinence 01 tins man. The second dcy out, at dinner, he stared umntcn.pu'&ly lor ten minutes at that of ficer, and tlen said : " Yon must be a Scotchman ! The captain's little hobby was to be taken for an American ; so he bowed some what stiy, and continued his couvcrsa titm with the American banker s wi'i, at his right. lae trow-y loreigner drew irom his pocket a creasy note-book, piloted his way through several pages with his dirty fore finger, i ill he trrivea at a certain entry; then, w.th a powerful assertativeness : " You are lory -eight years oia to-day r The canfcua was a young-looking man. perhaps not wnwjlinely so, especially in the tyes of h.s fcir ncht hand neighbor. So he looLed up ra:her severely at the foreigner, and atid, grutsy : "01 coarse," pursued the other, absorbed m tu note-book - all here, sir. l calcu lattd your -roup some time ago; it coin prises four, and possibly five. I met one las year in Turkey a very pretty little ?iri- Wnersaboiits will you be seven weeks irom 10-cay, captain r patience began to grow The cantcin' thin : but Le com uandcd himself to reply. albeit somewhat te&uly : 'uire fair wet iter, oil the southern coat of Irelt. 1." The frowsy foreigner was charmed. He bubbled over with an unclean smile : his teeth were dreadf jL "KigUt! cuite right r he exclaimed, rubuibg his fat hcuds self approvingly "You will be drowned off that coast, sir; steamer founders, or you are washed over board cannot be sure which. At thia sally, ery one, except the cap tain, either laughed or smiled. He, strange to say, turned pate and frowned slightly. u r. : . !.-; . ni.w n, The fortign lunatic calmly n placed his note book anC resumed his dinner. Could it have bepn a coincidence that. seven weeks from lLat day, in a heavy sea on the southern corst ot Ireland, (Japtain McAlcnuy, cf the Ecliptic, was wathed overboard and lost? Curious, at all events ; Moreover though, what has this do with it? vLe little daughter of a prominent oQcial in Constantinople died the same da, after the crisis of a long and paintui lever. The conceited foreigner was not, there fore, an agreeable companion. He was no respecter of persons ; for he used up even custom house oiacer in ihis wise After ttansfiximr him with an indignant and prolonged glare of his spectacles Why, yoa should have been dead two years ajo. Your tune expired in tne sum mer of lt3G9. I saw one of your group condemned to be banged lor mnraer in June of that yew. end I cannot be mis taken in you," said he, referring to his note hook. against cne. Ah, rmil ! why didst thou thine eyes when Destiny ofi'ered thee lhf rrtnfit exart intArnrptntinn jv-mlH she loved thee, EmiL Yes my friend; but that was twenty years ago ! The cistom house officer glared back in eavae atnaement. " E f 't warn't f my wife child'n," Le began, menacingly; but rat toreigner s trow cleared up imme immediately, - diately, immediately, as if his mind were relieved from immense load o: perplexity. " My dear sir to be sure ! How could of all men, make such an oversight? And now I recollect his sentence was commuted imprisonment for life. Let me your wife? ah, yes! she belongs also with the young Frenchman ; and that Jew, think, must oe a connection. Well, well, you're safe for six years yet" And the maniac departed in total apparent uncon sciousness of the blnck wrath distorting custom-house oQcer's black visage. Landed in New York, he grasped his racged, blacx carpet-bag, and walked to South Sea LoteL On his way he stop to purchase a directory, and barely escaped b ting knocked down by the sales salesman - man salesman liecause he informed him the only thing in his rxse was to marry a cer certain - tain certain African lady, a resident of Guinea Arriving at the hotel, he engaged a room three days, and registered his name as Pechal, Ironi Belgium. He eyed the gen manly clerk tearchingly. " Your hair tutt bs dyed, sir," said he last, firmlj. The gentlemanly clerk drew himself up baughuly. -The doctor glared, and shook trocy head. "No use, sir; it won't save you. No immediate danger, however ; your group remains ti;i me next oecaoe.' In short, Dr. Pechal was not merely dis agreeable he was awful He entered and locked his room-door. opened the buxk rarpet-bag and poured conteuts on the table nothing but books ! There were a volume of lo logarithms, - garithms, logarithms, life-insurance reports, works on phrenology and phyiology, metaphysical compilations, directories of various cities, at the very bottom of the bag, a large manuscript volume, whose contents the doctor only knew. He placed these paraphernalia of research a semicle upon the table, seated himtelf the concavity of the arc, and worked away steadily for at least three hours, con cluding by writirg down his results in the manuscript volume, and making an eliouiia eliouiia-tion - tion eliouiia-tion thereof into the greasy note-book. Then he leaned back, ran his thick fingers his hair, and ruminated. The manu manuscript - script manuscript book lay open on the table. It was entitled " Todes-Gesetz," which appella appellation, - tion, appellation, shou'd it ail'ird no enlightenment to reader, places him on an equality wi h, us say, nine people out of ten. It was with closely-written pares of myste mysterious - rious mysterious and enifmatical import, in a dozen different languages, and, for the most unimportant to the present history. the last entty, ad transcribed into the greasy note-book, rnay possible be of some assistance. Here it is : " Group comprises four. Distribution two to one each In Belfast, America, possibly Trance, possibly Asia. "Distribution as regards sex male, two ; females, two. "Incidence of law (as calculated from of logarithms, 'Natural Sine') four frou date, subject to following im impediments - pediments impediments aud exceptions: 1. Amalgamation to have occurred be between - tween between two of thU group ; or "2. Such amalgamation to take place within the net four days, provided that Literal identity of surname exists be be-t - t be-t wee u the two. "Outside contracts no obstruction to c.uree.'" Besides thi3 there were sundry personal ptions and date, and numerous refer- th of as the his no the the I But yet sir, that a to the encea, citations, end commpnta whinh as well be p&tsed over for the ores- rest iu ua utore vo me point, and as discreet, to listen to the doctor's runiinoionfl: Poor prospects, Emil, very poor ! Al Allowing - lowing Allowing thee everything that the person in New Yor. is a woman. is unmarried is willing to marry thee still are the cnancea as lime-honored to literal identy an infinity ago,

Evkbt faro bank and keno home, hitrh or low, wfcether fair in its d alings, as fan fan-is - is fan-is understood in the gambling world, or a recognized system of robbtry, as most of intm are proved to be, has a class of em ployes, variouy known as 41 ropers-in,' "pimps." " pinea " or "skinntrs." Th last-named U rui is the one now in general use, and is the most appropriate of the list, for once in the hands ot one of these sharpers, the victim is fairly " skinned of everything valuable. Broadway Ciro uauKs ana seno nouses nave their "skin nera"at prominent hi .tela and places of amusement, and the smaller gamesters of me cowery keep their ttxils la constant attendance at concert siloons and beer gardens. The unwary Etrauger at a first first-class - class first-class hotel finds himst If in the companv of a w 11 -dressed, chatty, light hearted fellow, who dt slants glibly on every topic of the diy, until he has made himself a favorite, and is on sufficiently good terms with the "pigeon" to lead him to the plucking place. The " skinner " of the Bowery is neither so well-dressed, chattv. Jtnr r..n.,.v. i . u: -7 , I 'r uva nv iuuauug, uui. uis eAjjcnence nus v.ugni mm now to deal with his victims, and he is. m the main, as successful as his more aristocratic brother. Walking up Broadway lsst Thursday evening, when in front of Niblo's Garden a repoiter of the Tribune heard one of two men exclaim, But I tell you I don't understand the game." The "pig. on" was protesting, and the " skinner " calmed his fears with, " 1 11 call the turn for you ; I'm goingto put a little on it myself" If he did put any os it himself; the banker swept it in to be returned at a future time. The victim's funds were swept in without a doubt, never to be returned ; the " skin skinner" - ner" skinner" receiving his precentage on the amount and stalking off after fresh vic victims - tims victims There is not a hotel on Broadway that is not zealously watched by one or more of these " touts." Their prey gener- mur consists oi w estern and oouihera to a " merchants, visiting New York on business and their brisk times are cot sequently in me spring ana autumn. Tneir prototypes ot the Bowery, a class of men bv no mean 8 prepoeessing.may all be si en ia a sin single - gle single evenings' stroll through the beer gar gardens. - dens. gardens. A few nights ago oue of these men attempted to ingratiate himself with a Tribune reporter, but failed, and within -a few momenta afterward was in close and amicable conversation with a ward de detective. - tective. detective. This was near the Atlan Atlantic - tic Atlantic Garden. Almost any evening these two tie thitf and the rietective may be seen lounging about the bar-rooms of the Atlantic and adjacent beer gardens. On Saturday mon ing they were quiet ly Btrolling around the Toombs. Tiiis "bkin "bkin-ner - ner "bkin-ner " is well known, and is considered a very successful member of the fraternity. The detective is not attached to the Sixth Ward, though most of his time is speut in its saloons. Another young man, noted for his persuasive demeanor, makes it a point to walk through the Atlantic Garden every night at 11 o'clock, and introduce himself into the company of some sti an anger, - ger, anger, as though mistaking him for an ac acquaintance. - quaintance. acquaintance. On dcovtring his error he modestly asks the name of'his intended victim. Being furniohtd with some or ordinary - dinary ordinary surname, he icquir s with much impressiveness, "Ah, but you hav a title ?'' If republican simplicity disdains ti have a handle put bef re his name, this persua persuasive - sive persuasive "skinner" casts down his eyes, and afiects to understand why his iutendnd " pigeon" refuses to rev. al himself in the full tplendor of a European title. The chances are in favor of some vain foul taking the whole thing in down-right earnest, and allowing himself to bs flit flittered - tered flittered into the idea that he is in good com company. - pany. company. If the "skinner" succeeds in placing himself on g.od terms with the gullible mortal, the getting of his cash, if he has any, is mi rely a matter often or fifteen minutes' time, as he is speedily carried off to the faro bank to which his etcort is at attached, - tached, attached, and there robbed. It is a notorious fact that this business is done every day in the Fourteenth Ward, aid complaints of robbery are frequent. Still the houses re remain - main remain practically undis nrbed, and the "skinners" are usually ou the best of terms with the police. Where these fellows who take the meanest part in plundering fools, and re receive - ceive receive the least share of the profits come from, is a matter that puzzles even astute pollosinen. The one last mentioned above is believed to be a German f good family, who came to this country with a pocket'ul of money which he lost to the men who now employ him ; whila others have been thieves from infancy, and will remain so to the end of their lives. JV. T. Tribune. In Maryland they have a colored man whom they style the African Fire King. Recently he gave an exhibition of his " powers " to a select company. After ap applying - plying applying a red hot snovel to the bottom of one of his feet, without making any im impression - pression impression on him, also licking the shovel, still red hot, with his tongue, without even drying the saliva in his mouth, and taking a red-hot anthracite coal from a stove, without scorching his hand or fingers in which he held it, he asked if there were "unbelievers" present. One individual stating that he remained unconvinced, the Fire King, as the story goes, put a shovel in the stove and partially filled it with shot, and when the shot got pretty hot he stirred them with his naked fingets till the lead had melted. He then took the shovel in his right hand and poured the hot melted lead in his left band, and then poured the burning solution into his mouth, kept it there till it cooled, and spit it out in a lump. After this latter per performance, - formance, performance, the "unbeliever" expressed himself entirely satisfied. The Fire King said "that was only a $20 performance; if they would make him up $50 he would show them something worth seeing." The Governor of Ohio has received a letter f-om Dundee, Scotland, making in inquiries - quiries inquiries as to the suitableness of that State for a Scotch colony, which is about to emigrate bodily to this country. shut all An unpoetical vouth described his fiancee's hair as frizzled in front, and fri-1 And caseed and scrambled at the back. an I, see I sir, the ped sate for th at his the old and, in in into the let filled part, But table days " law"s descr may cm. quite is and

"Whether your hateful theory be a truth or a falsehood, neither it nor you shall ever part us. Do you suppose I care so much for my life here as to tell, for its sake, all that is most sacred and precious to me? You have much to lesrn, with ail your wisdom. Did it never occur to you that there is a Life, somewhere, waich no theory of yours can ever rtachr And that very death, by which you seek to en enslave - slave enslave me, shall be the means of my tri triumph - umph triumph over you!" The doctor was awe-stricken and silent, and Charlie, who could scarce beii.ve this to be the modest and tender little girl whom he had loved, and thought he knew, looked up at her with a reverence he had never lelt btfoie. " You are right, dar darling," - ling," darling," he murmured, but sighing heavily. Death is better thnn such a life as thitl" "It is an alternative of death," she an answered, - swered, answered, "one of the) body, the other of the toul. But do not sigh, my love. What this man says is false ; no divine law cocld authorize such a consummation. i do not believe his thory !" At this, Dr. Pechal, who had been edg edging - ing edging toward the door, advanced again into the room, and spoke with emphasis: "You say you do not b. he ve my the theory - ory theory ? Very well ! The proof is at any Jate easy. Twenty-four hours will show ana I, at least, am ready to die in defense " what l have spent my lite to veniy. As he turned to depart, the door opened. admitting a glare of light Christina wi'h two tall wax candles. The doctor was dazzled, and shaded his face with his hand. Christina looked keenly at him as she pkced the candles on the table. "It is already so dark, Fraulcin," said she, " and the gentleman is here," turning to the doctor, "I thought the candles would be pleasant to you." At the sound of her voice. Dr. Pechal started, and seemed strangely agitated. He jeered earnestly at the speaker through his ipectacies. "Ton may go, Christina." said Mabel. "Christina!" cried the doctor, in tremulous voice, "Christina! Christina Lapeeh ! can it be thou ?"' He stretched toward her his stumpy hands, which shook as it with an ague. Christina gazed at him as if he were ghost At last she gave a low cry, pathetic and loving. " Ah ! Emu, my own Emil ! alter twenty years, hast thou come back to me?" And what did these ridiculous old crea tures proceed to do, but fail into each other's arms and blubber like two chil children, - dren, children, putting the younger lovers to the blush with the fervor of their emotion. bursting freshly through the cerements of lifetime! So the candles had at least as much to do with Dr. Pechal's destiny as the om omnibus. - nibus. omnibus. Several other dusky points were also illuminated by their light. As soon he had recovered himself, and things had regun to settle, the doctor recognized Cnarlie Caleph the fourth member of the group. A remarkable coincidence! and, alter moment's reflection, " Sir, I have not yet learned your name except the first one, What is the last ? ' " Why. Dr. Pechal!" exclaimed Mab.l. largi-eved wonderment, " how can you help knowing his name, when you ad dressed me in the omnibus as Mrs. Ca leph?" Upon which it transpired that the doc tor had, in fact, known nothing er her of her name or engagement ; but had haz ards d a name containing the same letters his own, feeling that in case it turned out to be the correct one, he would lay strong claim to the possession of her hand. The little game at cross-purposes whicii had ensued, eudmg in a solution which answered the purpose equally well had banished his first guess from his mind. Mow, as the reader has long ago divined, appearance as the surname of our friend Charlie at once established hit right Mabel by the ruling oi that very law which had at first seemed so adverse to their happiness. And Dr. Pechal, it is needless to remark, was more than ready to forego his china one whom he already regarded with ridiculous awe, for the sake of her who, lost through so many years, he had long ago given up as married and done for. And thou art rewarded for thy constan Christinchen," siid the old hypocrite. sententiously ; "for, hadst thou bten mar married, - ried, married, and our union impossible, so, also, would have been the preservation of our lives. Charlie s eyes had a quiet twinkle them ; he was thinking what a constant man the doctor had been lately. "The law has been very lenient to all us," perorated the doctor; " seldom do the members of a group posses the qualifications for intermarriage, or the op portunity to pront by the privilege u tney have it." "I'm afraid, doctor, said Charlie, "you'll never forgive those unfortunate candles for depriving you of the chance to prove your theory correct ; though even if you insist upon it, it is not too late." No. no!" said Dr. Pechal, rather gruflly ; " after alL there would be no sat satisfaction - isfaction satisfaction in it; for not one of you would remain alive long enough to confess your your-"that - "that your-"that selves convinced?' And, as far as they are concerned, the theory still lacks confirmation. Apple- Journal. to "

Did you ever hear of the man who har harnessed - nessed harnessed a pair of kites to a light carriage, arranged a set of strings so that he could manage tbem, and took a ride one hun dred and 3fty miles long f His kites were like the common paper kites all boys make, only they were twelve feet high, and made of linen. And it really happen happened - ed happened in England fifty years ago. Putting V-w; 10 useful work seems somcljting liTCfying to lead butterflies into industrious ways; and yet, when yoa think about it t iey have been useful a good many times. More important to the world than the Englishman's carriage-drawing kite was our own tfen t rankiin s kite, it was not famous for its beauty, for it was only a silk handkerchief s' retched across two slicks, but it is immortal as the means of a great discovery. Vou must know that Ben's kite flour flourished - ished flourished more than a hundred years ago, be fore the days of lightning rods and tele telegraphs, - graphs, telegraphs, when the wisest man did not know as much about electricity as the merest school-boy knows now, thanks to Ben and his kite. Been was much inter ested in electricity and had a shrewd sus suspicion - picion suspicion that lightning was the same thing. He determined to find out about it So oneday when a thunder cloud was coming up. instead of running into the house ana getting on a feather-bed, as I've seen peo people - ple people do, he went out Into the field and put up his kite. When it was near the cloud, he tied a key to the end of the hempen string and waited. Pretty soon he saw the loose fibres of the kite string stand np; instantly he touched his knuckles to the key, and received an electric shock. That settled the matter. As soon as he found out the nature of lightning, to protect houses from its pranks he invented the lightning rod. When the lightning leaves the clouds it rushes at once the nearest way to the earth. If a house is in its track, so much the worse for the house; the lightning hasn't time to turn out But when men out ud a nicely pointed red over the house. expressly for a path for the lightning, it very amiably accepts me xmoness ana travels down the rod instead of through the house ; which is more satisfactory all around. Perhaps you never heard of another useful kite, owned by a man called Steeple Jack. He lived in Edinburg nearly twenty years ago, and his business, as yoa may guess from his name, was repairing hiiih steeples, upon wmcn no one else could go. No steeple was so tottering that Jack would not mount it; and this is how he did it: He just put up his kite and managed to catch the cord on the top of the steeple, then Jack who was lithe and thin would climb this tiny rope, seat himself on the top, and do his work. His History - tory History does not state how he got down from his airv perch. It is not necessary to tell our city boys anything about Chinese kites, since the Pacific Railroad brings us so many of them that every other boy has one; but the country boy may like to know that they are as unlike the American kite as possible. In the first place they have no tails. In the second place they are of the moet fantastic shapes and georgeous colors. They are made and painted to represent fishes, owls, dogs, dragons, cats, roosters, and funny little men, and, though they are not artistic, they can be recognized. They are made of thick paper laid over split bamboo sticks, and it looks funny enough to see these grotesque Oriental toys sailing .over our sober American towns. The flying of kites is as much a nation national - al national game in China as base-ball is in Ameri America. - ca. America. It is not mere fun either, for the kite kite-string - string kite-string i3 prepared with pounded glass and other things, so that it will cut Then there are match games between the kite kite-flyers, - flyers, kite-flyers, in which the object is to cut each other's string and let the kite down. Trav Travelers - elers Travelers tell us that the little boys run after the fallen kite in China exactly as they do in America, so I conclude that " boys will be boys" the world over. In America, kites come down and go home at dark, like good children ; but in China they have lighted lanterns hung on them, and fly them as late as they please. " Kite time " comes, I believe, in the spring and I would like to have some one tell me who regulates the time for the various games. Tney succeed each other regularly as day follows night First there are kites, and by the time every boy has one, down to the baby, they suddenly go out," and every boy has his pockets full of tops, box-wood and other wood, ivory, Iron, and tin. Balls drive out the tops, and themselves disappear before mar marbles. - bles. marbles. And while I write, every boy in the city, I'm sure, is stalking over the ground on stilts. Our Young Folks.

This reptile is not nearly so terrible as is generally supposed. 1 rue it possesses venomous iargs, and its b'te is very dan- geroU!, though not o:"teu filial. But with the true apathy of its r piile nature, it very unwilling t J use its formidable wea weapons, - pons, weapons, and will at ail times rsther glide away than bite. I have talked for days together through heath lands that abso absolutely - lutely absolutely swarmed with vipers of all shades or col r and all Sizes. As my foot brushed aside the tut;s ot heather, a viper would crawl out ot mem, ana clMe soltiy away or a gentle rustling would point out the spot where another had already taken s arin, ar.d was escaping from th;j presence of the intruder. Not once did a viper even offer to attack me, though I must often have actually touched their bodies. and I feel sure that unless I had actually trodticn on, or in some way injured tnc reptil", it would not have attempted to use lis iangs. Only once did I see a viper in the atti tude of attack, and this was under pe culiar etruuiubuuices. iv flowing utat i took an unaccountable interest in these reptiles, a man summoned up courage to bring me a young living viper. Of course I paid him, and then had the mortification cf finding that the poor rep ile was quite disabled, the man having crippled it by a blow from his stick before he dared to meddle with it When it was placed on the ground, it tried to crawl away, but being unable to do so, erected the sound por tion ot me Douy and stood on me defensive, striking at everything which came near it Uut mis was simply acting on me deten sive. If it could have crept awey, it would nave done so ; but being crippled, and un able to escape, it endeavored to use its fangs as the only mode of protection. have seen the common grass-snake assume a similarly menacing attitude, and strike as if it possessed the poison fangs of the viper. t ew persons know how loth a poisonous serpent is to use its fangs, except for their legitimate object, that of taking prey. It ill endure a very large amount ot rough handling before it will strike, and rarely if ever win uo so unless provoked. The late .Hr. Waterton was so well aware of this fact that he was accustomed to handle the most venomous snakes with perfect un un-Dunitv. - Dunitv. un-Dunitv. He has been seen to take a num ber of rattlesnakes from a box, carry them into another room, put them into a glass case, and afterward replace them in the box. They sprang their rattle a truly fearful sound and hused, but mode no attempt to bite their captor. He told me that any one could do the same, and that if the serpent were only approached very gently, and taken up without being tightly grasped, it would not ev n think of biting, its sluggish reptile nature not being suf ficientiy roused. Acting on this principle, when he was in the wilds of Guiana, he trusted his bare feet in places where the most deadly snakes in -the world abound. and would take up, examine, and release again serpents whose bite was Crrtain death. The same rule holds good with the viper. One of my friends, when a boy, caught a viper, which he took for a harm harm-1 - 1 harm-1 .-ss snake. He chased and caught it in his bare hand, twisted it round his neck, and brought it home. He then exhibited the reptile to his friends, laughing at their folly at being afraid of so harmless a rep reptile, - tile, reptile, and played all kinds of pranks with it, the viper not using its frangs until he tied it in a knot, and drew it so tight as to hurt the creature. Its patience then gave way, for which it could in no wise be blamed, and it bit him in the hand, teach teaching - ing teaching him for the future to discriminate be tween a viper and a harmless snake. The reader may well learn here what he ought to have known before. There is no possibility of mis aking the two reptiles when the distinction is once known. 1 he viper has a black, zigzag pattern running along the center of the back, looking like black chain ; and on the head there is a black V, standing, we may suppose, as the initial of Viper. The black chain down the back is, however, an unfailing mode of detecting the viper, even if only lew lucnes ot his Dooy do visible. Ca&stWi Magazine.