THE AUCKLAND EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, JULY 16, 1887.

fOTI^MMEN*.

Ruby's Reward.

8r 51B S OMBfiB SHELDON. ' , ~n, Ita*» Bride," ..Browne Triumph," That Dowdy," efcc-

rSA PTEBXIII.(Co^^) motionless there for more than S^sTe^^ osbfaSCbiateClby '^fthcplace™dthe possibilities Precipitate her * , cruel rocks, whoso sharp and JP° B ,-he could just discern reach- oft. gloomy depths. She nP °U el'thc sensation would ll^;::S a height-to feel one's M°f dpwn, down, down. She KfdSVlong^vouldta K e to reach if ono would be apt to lose

■ ttv-;il ran through her like Aner Sam r ittle finkß closed elecncity, an ncr d Walter's, as #^S^nea>'.l}e asked, ,3,^ 3.cw her still father '*1 not really frightened ; though I t J) o'," i f Y ou were not here," she *"* J n ivS and still clinging to rfinE lay all her strength, and Inn, a i aw '.^ y , a w e -inspiring," ?*"% with a long-drawn breath; J§^|ioulcfbe.to-fairinto ever fallen here." «v but l have read of those who have mi m thp crevasses of glaciers among -ieitnow I hope," W ir responded, gently, for her colour c" she answered smiling, •liltore a more vivid idea of it than I rarbad before.'' .... "Look un" her compamou said, desxrous of chasing the unpleasant expression from her mind

«ljv wonderful!" she cried ;" I never ddhave believed it was so high, looking ~ ths arch from a distance. How very title we shonld appear to anyone standing tkre above us!" . "fe, indeed; veritable atoms or pigmies. Bnfcl have another surprise for you." "Another! How much pleasure you are pivißg me, Mr Richardson!" .Wnthat luminous light, which she had mm before, sprang into his eyes ; for theyoune man longed to tell her that she y contributed more of pleasure to his ILTe in that short- week than he had known tog all the dreary two years since Ralph Carpenter died. He looked around for their companions, tut they had moved away to soirii little distance,and were seated upon a boulder enjoying in a quieb way the grandeur of the icenery all about them. "Mayl call you by your first name just loronce, Miss Gordon ?" Walter asked, a ™fa gentleness in his tones. "I have a desire to bow how it will sound repeated smoßHttaegrand old rocks." . 1101! alhere an echo ?" exclaimed Ruby, jiarfelMteil tone, aa she comprehended Mew. "Yes, there is a very fine one ; it will rtpeatitself at least fifteen times when the conditions are favourable."

"That is charming ! Yes, use my name if you like;" and the girl bent her pretty lead in a listening attitude to catch the tcho, but there was no lack of colour in her lace now.

Walter filled his lungs and called out the me that he had learned to love so well, aid the echoes, catching up the sound, called, "Ruby, Ruby," with a strange, fader cadence, that brought a deeper flush to the owner's ■ cheeks; and an unusual lite to her heart; while it seemed to the young man as if numberless elves and sprites, invisible inhabitants of the place, iere shonfcin" it back and forth with a peculiar significance, as if in mockery of the secret they had discovered and were bound to betray. g ■■ "Isn't it wonderful?" Ruby cried ; "you can hardly believe that people are not con cealed all about you, wilfully mocking you, lea boy of whom I used to read in my first reader, when I was a little girl. I could wist believe in the existence of ghosts if ! wre alone. Now I am going to call

Aid opening her red lips she shouted out to name with all the strength of h-k unseal voice, aud those tones and tho iccompanying echoes rang in his ears toil months afterward. Hiey tried many words after that. Ruby «»& sweet bird-like notes and clapped hSv tads Walter whistled, and, gathering a Wfuluf stones, they threw them into the «mi and listened to the reverberations 'Mi they produced as they went bound 13ran rod to rock in the depths below. ,f'H wearied with the sport, they re » heir companions, and Walter pro- St b^, theirlunchbeforeasce^ JJisthey allasreed to, for even ouryoun" TOQds were very unpoetically hungry, and

CHAPTER XIV. . A NARROW ESCAPE rS°^ :Walter br°«ghfc water from I*3 iBV, 6", 1 * and which his »iof yia-d [ ou"d ™fo the other b ukefcs', and then he •£ taSfr?x t? ndedaß a sarcasm *«SSI hJX 6 ma unaged t0 & P°se of ?" i& head g Wg ' but wifch a s ™ey toss sho"ld nob Presume to, g °i thekind after my >s^..ft^thatbaskefc," Walter. might 5 dthoUgh J have region." C6S are veTy deceptive !*&Ka! t nofc difficulfc'tlie °"iy &kI SJ 6 X a dverygiddyone' ** i &^gSv yivPr0 .T e T d'" re- ? :t. •« the X?1 lam nofc aPt to there was-a "pwftae "that way dinng the g0". <«d he gave I? w mvalid that J*«» was accomnri^ °re half the hlm> hence our Breobllged to proceed alone.

This was no hardship to them, though they were sorry their friends should lose the fine view that was to be obtained from the bridge. . The top wa3 at length gamed, when Walter turned and again held out his hand to Ruby. " Let me steady you until you get ac customeS to ib," he said, and she-unhesi tatingly complied with a trustful little smile that set all his pulses bound ing. The arch was perhaps fifteen or sixteen feet in width, though, owing to the great height and the length of ibs span, it ap peared much narrower. " Oh, what a fearful height," Ruby said, under her breath, as she looked, half fear fully around her. "It seems almost like being suspended in mid-air." Then, glanc ing at the opposite side, she asked • " Has anybody ever crossed it, ?" " Yes, many people : I have been over once but I hardly think it is ft safe ex ploit, for a little giddiness, a single misstep might send one to the bottom of the ravine, while there is no way of egress on the oppo site side, as- you perceive; the rock is almost perpendicular." "I do not believe that anybody has crossed it this year," Ruby remarked, " for the moss grows like a carpet over it, and the ivy, trailing all about, looks as if not a single leaf had been disturbed." Walter called her attention to the view to be obtained on both sides of the bridge, and where they could get some idea of the immense gorge, which some violent up heaval or convulsion of nature must have opened there in the very heart of the mountain in the ages past. It was a weird yet beautiful and im pressive scene, for; the gorgeous tints of autumn were everywhere, and made bright and lovely pictures and contrasts against the «rey and moss-grown rocks. . , " How prettily that tree grows out over the edge of the rocks," said Ruby, calling Walters attention to a birch not far from them, "while those wreaths of red and yellow woodbine trailing over it make it very picturesque. Oh ! and I really believe there arc some Cladonia Raahfenna, or reindeer lichen, growing at the foot of it! I must have them—they are fine specimens and veiy rare," and without a thought of the danger lurking on every hand, intent onlyupon gaining possession of the treasures that she had discovered, she sprang for ward to gather them. c Walter did nob comprehend any danger. The roots of the tree did not seem to be very near the brink, though the upper portion of the trunk and branches overhung it. Yet, if they had but known it, the rock sloped away treacherously there, and was concealed by rank growth of woodbine, which entwined all about the tree. " Let me get them for you,' Miss Gordon,' Walter said, stepping forward. "I p&nnot bear to see you run the slightest risk." But she was already on her knees at the foot of the tree, and she looked up at him with a bright little laugh. "I will be very careful," she said. " See ! I have hold of the trunk of the tree very firmly, and these lichens are very choice and tender. I dare not trust them to your handling, as they require delicate treatment."

" They are pretty," Walter remarked, watching her white hands as she deftly separated them from the rock. x "Yes ; there is quite a wealth of them here, too, and I can make such pretty things of them with different kinds of mo.ss and dainty shells. I will send you something at Christmas to remind you of this lovely trip." ■ " You are very kind ; I shall be glad of the souvenir, but I shall not need anything to remind me of tlm day" the young man replied, thinking that he could never for get the pretty picture that she made, in her dainty blue dress and white hat, among the gold and red of the autumn-tinted woodbine.

"I wish I had a little basket; to put these in," Ruby continued, as she held up x handful of the little bright caps and looked at them lovingly.

" Put them in my hat until we go down, and then I will deposit them in the lunch basket," Walter said, removing his straw hat and bending to receive the lichens.

" Thanks," she answered, as she spread her handkerchief in it before depositing her treasures. t " Are there more that you wish to gather ?" her companion asked. He could not bear to have her remain so near that frightful precipice, and yet there did not seem to be any danger with that tree between it and b.er.

Yes, there were just a fe-v more particularly fine ones, she told him, as she stooped forward to get them. In doing so, she leaned her weight more heavily against the tree, and, without an instant's warning, its rotten, deceitful trunk, whose.sap had all gone to nourish the few thrifty branches at the top, snapped short off. Ruby lost her balance, and, with a cry of horror, went slipping down tovvard that frightful abyss, from which there1 could be no rescue.

" Oh, Walter, save me !" she cried, turn ing her imploring ayes and death-like face to him.

He sprang toward her, terror written upon every feature of his own white face, while he knew that if he shouldlive for centuries he should never forget that appealing cry, those anguished eyes and hueless lips. But even before he could stretch out his hand to help her, he saw that, she could go no farther, for her dress had caught upon the stump of the tree, while the tangled woodbine -which had grown so closely about it held her fast.

He was not five seconds in reaching her, but that would have been long enough for her to have been past all human aid, but for that ragged, splintered trunk,. and those closely interwoven vines. He reached down and firmly grasped the hand that she stretched forth to him. " You are safe," he said, reassuringly. "Wait just an instant until lean get a firmer footing, then I will lift you up." He planted one foot securely between a rock and the trunk of the tree, for he knew the danger that a single false move would entail, while neither Wee nor vines would be strong enough toTjear their united weight if he shcaild lose his balance. :

Then he stooped and put his arm around her slighb form, and drew her safely up and away from the fearfuL peril;!. that had menaced her.

It was a very narrow escape, and both were weak and faint from the trying ex perience. They stood looking into each other's face for a few moments, speechless and trem bling. Both were of the hue of death, while neither. appeared to beaw.are that Walter had encircled the girl he had saved with both arms, as if thus he woukl shield her from all future harm..

, " You have saved me!" Ruby at .length breathed, her white lips scarcely equal to the effort of framing the words, while she lifted her grateful eyes to. his. "Oh, my darling, if I had not saved you !". he began, but his voice, quivered and broke at the sense of desolation that swept over him with the thought" of what his future would have been if she had now been lying, bleeding and mangled, in that cavern below.

For a minute longer they stood, eye look ing into eye, while their souls seemed to say that henceforth they would belong to each other; though, even in that supreme moment, Walter said to himself that no word of his should tempt her to seal her gratitude with any impetuous pledge. He was conscious that he had grown to love her as a man loves only once in his life ; but he resolved that he would win lier by-the power of that love alone. He would not be guilty of taking advantage of her present weakness, or,sense of obligation' to liim, to surprise any confession., from.her ; arid yot she was clinging to him, with such

an eager, convulsive hold, that he could hardly resist folding her to his heart and soothing her with the fond words that were ready to burst from his lips, and were only restrained by the power of his strong will.

" Come," he said, as he felt how she was still trembling, " let us go down from here, or would you prefer to rest awhile before making the attempt ?" " Yes ; I must sit down for a few minutes. I am so weak that I cannot walk," she whispered, and leaning so heavily upon him that he feared she was going to faint. But she did not, and he led her a little away from the spot where she had come so near losing her precious life, and seated her gently on the ground. Then he went back to get his hat and the lichens, which lay scattered on the rock where he had clashed them in his mad fear. He even stopped to gather a few more, thinking that Ruby would grow calm more quickly if left to herself for a little while.

. When he Avent back to her, he found her sitting with bowed head in a reverent attitude, and he knew instinctively that she was giving thanks for the great mercy that had saved her from a dreadful death.

She looked up and smiled, however, as he came forward, holding out one little still trembling hand to him. "Next to God I owe you most grateful thanks," she said, with deep emotion. He knelt down beside her and touched his lips to her hand.

" Gratitude is not a word to be used be tween us, Ruby," he said, softly, and she seemed to recognise the fact, for her lovely eyes drooped quickly, and a burning blush swept over her face in spite of her pallor. ■Walter was almost sorry he had allowed himself to say so much, but he had uttered the words almost before he was aware of what he was saying. She had not appeared to resent them, however; indeed, that quick blush had kindled within his heart a hope that she might be learning to regard him with a tenderer feeling than that of mere friendship. A silence fell over them for a time, but it was at length broken by Ruby, who asked with a shyness in her manner :

" Will you take me down now, please? I am feeling much better, and—and do not say anything to Mr and Mrs Marshall about my accident; I would rather they did nob know."

" Very well, I will not mention it," Walter returned, and she allowed him to support her down the path until they came in sight of their friends, when she assumed a com posure and brightness which she was far from feeling, and kept ib up until she was seated in the carriage and on her way back to Farmer Ruggles's home. The drive home was more quiet than that of the morning had been, for Ruby and Walter still felt the effects of the terrible shock which they had received, while, too, both were conscious of a new hope and ex perience that had been born within them. At Ruby's request, it was agreed that upon their return nothing should be said of her narrow escape, and thus Robert Gordon never knew how near he came to losing his idolised sister on that bright autumn day among the mountains.

CHAPTER XV.

MR GORDON AND RUBY RETURN TO THE CITY

The next morning, during breakfast, Mr Gordon asked Ruby, with a sly smile, if she was quite ready to go home. She glanced up, caught his look, and al most unconsciously her eyes turned upon Walter.

A brilliant flush rose to her cheek when she found that he was ' regarding her earnestly ; then with an effort she recovered her self-possession, and replied, in a matter of-fact tono :

" Of course we must go to-day, Robert. Estelle will return and be expecting us ; and besides, I have adressmaker for to-morrow." " Oh, a dressmaker,"repeated Mr Gordon, dryly ; "that settles the question, then, for I never knew of anything that was allowed to interfere with the arrangements of that important personage." Mr and Mrs Ruggles received earnest in vitations to visit, the Gordons at their city home, and they promised to avail themselves of the kindness.

Breakfast over, the carriage was brought to the door, and the Gordons, bidding their friends good-bye, turned their faces home ward.

.Walter was fco drive them to the station, as Mr Ruggles's presence'was demanded at the mines, but neither he nor Ruby was in a very social frame of mind, for tho thought of parting oppressed them both strangely. Both hearts were full of what had occurred the previous day. They knew that they had betrayed, in the moment of danger, something of the tenderness which they had been learning to feel for each other during the past week ; while Walter reasoned within himself that he had no right to claim anything from Ruby. His sense of honour and pride forbade his making any formal declaration of his love, until he should attain a position that would place him above the suspicion of being a fortune-hunter. Upon reaching the station Walter took Ruby's bag and wraps and found her a com fortable seat in a car. while Mr1 Gordon re mained outside to smoke his after-breakfast cio-ar. The road was a branch, and the train they were to leave on was obliged to wait for another to pass, and thus the young people had about fifteen minutes to them selves before the final adieus would have to be said.

"I hope your trip home will be an enjoy able one," Walter remarked, after they were seated, and anxious to break the silence that seemed to haunt them so persistently. "It was very pleasant coming; the scenery is exceedingly fine all the way. But there is nothing like what I have seen here : this has -been a week ofiveeJcs to me," Ruby said, with a little sigh of pleasure, as her mind wandered back over those beautiful days. Walter's face lighted, and his face glowed with pleasure. They had been together almost constantly, and surely, if the time had passed so delightfully,.she must have been happy in his society. | "I cannot help being exceedingly grati fied to hear you say so," he addea, in a low tone; "for I felt very■ much like an in truder upon the evening of ray arrival." " How so ?." Ruby asked, with surprise. ."' Because I had come without a special invitation, although I have always had a standing one; but I feared I might inter fere with your plans, and thus mar your enjoyment." "Oh, indeed, you have not; do not think that, you have " Ruby had begun impulsively, wishing to dissipate any such fancy, but she suddenly stopped short, as if she might say too much.

"What have I done, Miss Gordon? please finish what you were going to say," Walter pleaded. The young girl was very truthful, as we have already seen. She despised anything like deception or prevarication, and so she felt, obliged to complete her sentence, even though it caused her some embarrasment to do so. ■ -.

" You have added very much to my—our pleasure," »he Confessed, with heightened colour.

There wa3 a. moment's pause. Then Walter said, in a low thrilling tone : : "Thank you for telling me this, Miss Ruby; you have made me very happy ; and—may I tell you something in return ?" ; " Yes, if you wish." ! "The past week has been the happiest of my life," the young man said, in a voice that m,adei her heart leap with a strange joy. , "Whatever cpmes to me lately whether I fail or succeed in life, in my plans and hopes for the future, it wi.ll,be a delight

ful memory—a green spot—an'oasis to look back upon as long as I live." Ruby Gordon knew from those few words and the tender, wistful tone iri which they were uttered, that Walter Richardson loved her with a love that would last as long as his noble heart should beat. She under stood, too, from what he had said, about failure or success, that he would nob feel free to tell her openly of ib until he should make for himself a position worthy to offer, her. „ . ■

A happy little smile quivered about her red mouth, and she felfc that she should nob mind waiting until he should be ready to speak. What did it matter?—they were both young. She knew that he would never fail—no one could fail who had a tithe of the courage and energy that he possessed, and she be lieved he would yet stand a peer amongst tlie noblest and most honoured.

She loved him. Yes, she was fully conscious of the fact now, and she could bo patient until he should feel free to ask her to be his wife. . .

Walter saw that little smile, and it made his heart leap for joy ; for it, to : gether with the blush which crept up to her brow, told him ■ that he was under stood.

The bell rang just then, and there was no more time for anything further, for Mr Gordon came forward to take his seat with Ruby. He shook hands cordially with Walter, saying; " I suppose you will soon return ?" " Yes, by the end of another week," the young man replied. " I hope we shall see more of you then," continued the older gentleman with a siy glance at his sister, whose heightened colour and drooping eyes he had not failed to observe.

" Thank you, sir," said Walter. " We are all fond of young company," Mr Gordon pursued, " and I, for one, shall bo glad to become better acquainted with you. Ruby, can't you second my invita-

Ruby started. She had scarcely heard what her brother was saying. Her thoughts had gone back to yesterday —to her peril, her rescue ; to how, for a few brief moments, she had been clasped close to Walter's terror-stricken heart and he had called her his "darling," and she had felt that he was all the world to her.

But she looked up as her brother put his question to her, and met Walter's earnest eyes reading her face wistfully. "Certainly," she said, trying to throw off the embarrassment of the moment, "do come to see us, Mr Richardson, when you come back to Philadelphia; my brother is, as he says, very fond of young company." Robert Gordon laughed. She had spoken very demurely, but he felt sure she was labouring: under an unnatural restraint.

"I think I have proved that beyond a doubt, by allowing this young lady to drag me wherever her swoet will has prompted this suminor," he paid, softly pinching the rosy cheek next him. "But," ho added, " the train is ready to start and I must not detain yon. Good-morning ; wo shall look for you some evening shortly." Walter bowed a smiling acceptance of this invitation, lifted his hat with one last lingering glance at Ruby, and hastened from the car with a very happy heart, and yet feeling, as be watched the train disap pear around a bend in the road, as if half the sunshine had been blotted from the day

(To be Continued.)

Mr and Mrs Bowser.

I surposE that Mr Bowser is like the majority of men in putting his best side before the public. The other morning when he left the house he knew the baby was sick, I had a headache, and the cook was disabled by cutting her hand on a piece of glass. I had told him that we wei-e out of butter and coffee and potatoes, and he said he would stop and order, them. One*; on the car he forgot all about it, and a fc 11.30, meeting an old schoolmate, ho in" sisted :

" Now, you come right up to dinner with me. I want you to see my house and jny family and have a visit." " But your wife won't be expecting com pany." v Oh, you come righ^t along. My wife and my house are always ready for any visitors I may bring home, and your pre sence won't cause us an iota of embarass ment."

At 11 o'clock I told Jane to pick up any sort of dinner for Mr Bowser, and at 12 Mr Bowser and his friend entered the house. Leaving him in the parlour, Mr Bowser rushed in on me with :

" Get into your Sunday clothes as soon as possible—dress the baby vp —tell cook to have three kinds of meat—send for a nigger to wait on the table, and run through the room and pick up things." " Mr Bowser, have you been idiot enough to bring some one home to dinner ?" "Of courso I have. What is there wrong about that, I'd like to know ?"'

" Well, where are the groceries you were to order ?"

"Groceries? I—l forgot!" "Jane can't use but one hand, while I should faint away if I tried to dress. You'll have to take him to a hotel."

" Never ! When I invite a man to par take of my hospitality I'll never skunk him off to a hotel*! It is a pretty state of affairs that my house is all upset in this manner at this time! Mrs Bowser, you. and I must have a reckoning ! I'll be hanged if I put up with such conduct as this '."

• And then he returned to the parlour, and I heard him say : " Will, old fellow, I find a note from my- Birdie (that's me) stating that she has taken the little angel (that's our waU-eyecl baby) over to her sister's for the day, and our idiot of a cook didn't expect me home and has no dinner ready. We'll have to go down to the restaurant." " That's all right. You've got a beauti ful home here." " And the nicest little wife and the prettiest baby in all the world !" exclaimed Mr Bowser as he slapped his leg.—" Detroit Free Press." > <,',

Effect of Earthquakes' on Health.

A very interesting communication to " The Medical News" has been made by Dr. #. Peyre Pocher, of Charleston, on the in fluence of the recent earbhquake shocks in that city upon the health of the inhabitants In addition to the natural alarm and fright' which were quite universal, some persons were attacked Mth nausea and vomiting, which recurred or persisted in several cases for days. Two gentlemen ojn the islands eighty miles from Charleston had th&reyes filled wi,th tears not to be repressed, but not caused by alarm or fears for their personal safety, for the danger there was not imminent. Many persons experienced de cidently electrical disturbances, which were repeated oh the successive recurrence of the shocks. These were generally tingling, prickling sensations, like "needles and pins," affecting the lower extremities. One gentleman was completely relieved of his rheumatism ; another, who for months was nervous, depressed and entirely .unable ,to attend to business, regained his former activity and energy. Several cases of mental disturbance, owing to anxiety and pro longed loss of rest, some of bhem persistent, occurred among Dr. Pocher's patients.— "Public Opinion.". , •■., ,

LADIES GOSSIP.

THE OLD MAID.

Seventeen, Twenty-eight, Fairy Queen! Getting late; Rich and rare, Rather vexed, Golden hair! Unannexed 1

Wilful maid. Years advance, Years upbraid Lost her chance; Twenty-one, Thirty-six, Will have none! Cross as sticks!

"In the first place—the latest baby.

When is a kiss' like rumour ?■—When it goes from mouth to mouth: ,

A young spark, suffering from far too strong sensation of the more tender feel ings, defines his complaint as an attack of lassitude.

Maxim, by a Sick Bachelor (flung at the unfair sex). —Want of sympathy in a woman is almost as bad as a want of beauty!

Landlady.—"The coffee, I am sorry to say, is exhausted, Mr Smith." Boarder: "Ah, yes, poor thing, I was expecting that. I've noticed for some time that it hasn't been strong."

Teetotalism forbids a man to touch any thing that can intoxicate —except a pretty girl's lips. You may taste that article after signing the pledge if you'll only do it dis creetly and wisely.

Hero lies the man Richard,, with Mary his wife. Their surname was Pritchard, and they lived

without strife; • The reason was plain—they abounded in riches, They had no care nor pain, and the wife wore the breeches.

The girl who novcr screams when she sees a snake isn't a safe girl to marry. With her calm, cool, collected, unexcitable disposition she would hit where she aimed with the rolling pin every time.

Wife—l don't see how you can say that Mr Whitechoker has an effeminate way of talking. He has a very loud voice. —Hus- band—l mean by an effeminate way of talking, my dear, that he talks all the time.

"I wonder," said a young lady, "why Hymen is always represented as carrying a torch." To which an old bachelor sneer ingly responded—" To indicate that he always makes it warm for people who marry." ,

" What is a good test of a diamond ?" asked a correspondent. About as good a test as any is to ask the jeweller you buy it of what he will take it back for. If he offers half as much as it costs it is apt to be a genuine stone.

Teacher.—"Now, dear children, as you have been good to-day, I'll give you a conundrum to answer. It is this : When wo are young we want to havo it, and when we have got it we no longer care for it."— Tommy—"l know what it is." Teacher —"What is it, Tommy?" Tommy—"lt is a wife." Teacher—" Who told you that was the answer?" Tommy—" I heard father say so."

THE GIRL IN THE TRAIN.

Most daintily dressed, in taste the perfection, ~ A sweet little face, tho' a trifle too bold; A row of white teeth, a bonnie complexion, A prtfrof blue ojes behind the pince-nez of gold.

A chatterbox: flirt, who talks of her mother. A friend whom with envy she loves to annoy, As they travel together to visit her brother, A student at college—as yet—" quite a boy.

Sho talks of her conquests at churches and dances. "Notwearing tho willow"and quite hoart whole yet," . , ■ She. confides in her friend mest nonsensical * fancies

And hints of the " ono whom she'd like to for got," .

An acquaintance she sees farther on with his brother. . ' , A nuite-by-chanco meeting, of course, but, so odd," And at each of the stations they call to each other , , , Frpm window to window, and beckon, and nod.

Andso through thejourney, hor vanity flattered, Sho laughs and she flirts .as tho' life were a dream. But ah! with each smile a stronghold is shattered, Which keeps a (?irl safo in respectful esteem.

Let mo pive you a caution, sweet maid of the train— ■ ■ If an honest man's love is what you expect, Do not meet him halfway with your blandish ments vain, Man's love 4s worth nothing without his re spect.- .-

We often hear of a widow mending her condition by re-pairing. " What is home without a mother?" as the young lady said when she sent the old lady to chop wood. The first exclamation of a bells on enter ing the cathedral at Milan was, " Oh, what a church to get married in !" Before the wedding-day she was dear and he her treasure; but afterwards she became dearer and he treasurer.

Young ladies, if you must wear pins on the back of your dresses at a dance put them in with the pointstowards the left. She was plump and beautiful, and he was wildly fond of her; she hated him; but, woman like, she strove to catch him. He was a flea.

A recent writer on natural history says the giraffe has a tongue seventeen inches long. Good gracious, how some women must envy him ! Never trust with a secret a married man who loves his wife, for he will tell her—and she will tell her sister, and her sister will tell everybody. " Tell me what first attracted you to me. What pleasant characteristic did I possess which' placed me above other women in your sight ?" asked a lady of her husband. Her brutal lord and master simply said, "I give it up." , ■

THE SWEET WIFE'S VICTORY.

Wife (to husband, who is arranging his toilet at the mirror): " Can't you' take me to the opera to-night, dear?" Husband (decisively); "No 1 cannot. Opera indeed ! Do you think I'm made of money ?" Wife (after a pausej: "I don't see any needofypu spending so much time brushing your whiskers, dear." Husband (burning round with an angry glitter in his eye): "Why not?" Wife (smilingly): "Because one brushing is enough, and you are handsome enough without going to all that trouble; it would be hard to make yourself any handsomer—at least in my eyes-than you are naturally, no matter what care you give to your toilet." Husband (after completing his toilet): "I'm going down town for awhile; by the way, Bella, on; second thought, I guess I can manage to get a couple of opera tickets, so you can consider the going settled. Ta; ta." Wife (solos—after liis departure): "I thought I would fetch him."

A Ton of Coal.

There is more in a heap of coal than most persons are aware of. 'Besides gas, a ton of gas coal will yield 1,500 pounds of coke, 20 gallons of ammonia water, and 140 pounds of coaltar. Destructive distillation of the coaltar gives 69"6 pounds of pitch; 17 pounds of creosote, 14 pounds of heavy oils, 9"5 pounds naphtha yellow, 6*3 pounds of naphthaline, 4 "72 pounds of naphthblj 2 "25 pounds of alizarine, 2- 5 pounds 'of solvent naphbha, 1;5 pound of, phenol, I' 2 pound of a'urine, 1"1 poiiiid oi aniline, 0 '77 pound oftoludirie, 046 pound.of anthracine, and o#9 pound of toluene. From feNB last-named substance is' obtained the new known as saccha'riiie, which is said to be 230 times as sweet as the best cane sugar.

MR GLADSTONE ON THE IRISH QUESTION.

Aa Important Speech.

Mr Gladstone was entertained lately at luncheon by, the Rev. Dr Parker, ob the City Temple, London, at his Hampstead resi dence, where the right hon. gentleman met a number of leading Nonconformist ministers and laymen.

Dr Parker stated that the company present were determined to give Mr Glad stone every assistance in their power in his resistance to the coercive policy of Her Majesty's present advisers. Mr Gladstone remarked that the year we were passing through, considered as one of the political and legislative life of the nation, was one of positive and absolute retrogression. The free voice of the House of Commons had for the first time been reduced to silence for the purpose of carrying retrogressive and re pressive measures, and the Government had been enabled by the voice of gentle men who had belonged to the Liberal party to appropriate to themselves the time of the House. Alluding to the relations of the Liberal party to the Nationalist in the House of Commons, the right hon. gentleman justi fied the grave language he had used five years ago in reference to the Land League. He could now see that some of the charges brought againsthis party by the Nationalists were true, that the measure for fche suspen sion of the habeas corpus was unhappy and mischievous ; but they (the Liberals) spoke according to the circumstances that were before them. They spoke the truth then, and they spoke tho truth now. He asserted that the language used by Colonel Saunder son, Lord R. Churchill, and Lord Salisbury on the subject of resistance to law in the North of Ireland should Parliament think fit to adopt a measure of Home Kule, was language even more dangerous than any ever held by the Irish leaders ab the time when their language was denounced to the country. But it was a different thing to charge them with complicity with crime. As to the alliance between the Liberals and the Irish party, it was in the pursuit of a common object,and must continue until the common object was attained. There was nothing to be ashamed of in such an alliance. Referring to the libels and the refusal of the House of Commons to deal with them as a breach of privilege or before a Select Committee, Mr Gladstone said no such horrible farce had ever been enacted in the face of the country as the proposed public prosecution. Speaking of the Coercion Bill, he said it was wanton, in sidious, dishonouring, and degrading. The discussion might be shortened if the Go vernment would say frankly that they would make the bill one against crime only, and not against combination and exclusive deal ing, and make it for a limited time, as all other Coercion Bills had been. On theques tion of Home Rule, the right lion, gentleman alluded to the report that he was determined to adhere to his plan in all particulars, and said his desire was to see tne great object attained which ho knew to be essential to the good of the country, and to find the best means of meeting every reasonable objection and.of improving the structure of "the plan of last year so as to carry with it the greatest possible amount of support. Glancing at the effect of unduly protracting the present contest, Mr Giadstone warned his opponents that if they. played their rash and ill-considered game too long they would not settle the Irish question upon the easy and favourable terms on which they had still tho opportunity of settling it.

"PARNELLISM AND CRIME."

Extraordinary "Revelations."

The " Pall Mall Gazette" of a recent date— premising, that; it is not*its custom, as its readers are aware, to do things by halves —in daringly-conceived attire endeavours to " make the'civilisecl world stand aghast at damning documents" which it brings to light. All through Avhat it calls " Our Own Revelations" it imitates .the tone adopted by its morning contemporary when characterising its terrible revelations :—

" We. produce" three " documents in jacshnile. to-day, by a process the accuracy of which cannot be impugned, and we invite" Messrs. Dillon, O'Brien, Healy, Davitt, M'Carthy and Harrington " to explain how their signatures- became attached to such letters." * * * The handwriting of the body of the third document is, of course, as we need hardly point out to those who are acquainted with the ramifications of Irish politics, that of " No 1". himself:— ■

My Dear Egan,—All fuss about our mani festo is too absurd. You must know quite well that a public man cannot always express his private sentiments. It is most important that the people of England be kept in ignorance of our connection with the Invincibles.—Yours sincerely, JOHN DILLON.

Sunday.

Mr Dear Brady,—l must congratulate you on last night's work. A few more such pig stickings will free us of the whole'nuisances.— Believe me, with best regards, sincerely yours, WILLIAM O'BRIEN. We, the ■ undersigned, desire to express to Messrs Carey, Curley, Brady, Kelly. &c, our regret at the painful necessity of publicly de nouncing a policy which has our warmest ap proval. %- T. M. HEALY, JOHN DILLON, MICHAEL DAVITT, WILLIAM O'BRIEN, JUSTIN MCARTHY, T. HARTINGTON.

The satire concludes :—One word more. These documents, ghastly and incriminat ing'beyond all precedent as, they are, are not all. Like our contemporary, we have them in reserve. In fact, we ,may say that we are prepared to supply them to order. For terms &c, apply to the manager.

Peculiar Marine Parasites.

We caught a number of sharks, and with them some of their peculiar parasites, re morse, small fish resembling catfish, which, by a sucker on top, of their heads, attach themselves to the sharks under their fins so firmly it is difficult to pull them off. In some .places a larger remorre is used for catching; turtles* The, .fishermen carry them out in boats with a line macli? fast to a ring neatly fitted around the tail. When they approach a turtle they throw the re morse toward it, which quickly swims to it and attaches itself to it so firmly that the turtle is drawn to the boat-by it. ■ One evening we seemed to run into a sea of fire. Oh,all sides the surface 6f the water was illumined with a greenish blue phosphores cent/light.

Buckets were thrown over the side to ascertain the cause, and when drawn up found to contain a number of objects re sembling corncobs in size, form and rough ness of exterior, but of a'hard,'transparent," gelatinous substance. Pyrosomaß is the: technical name for them, though' very appropriately^ as I thought, our. men called them sea pickles. An opening atone end and extending nearly 'the? whole length correspondes with the pith of a corncob; Although so solid, each form consists of a great number of distinct, living objects adhering firmly to each other. The whole mass was luminous, of a beautiful colour,' and emitted as much light as a candle. Some pf the'men "took them in their hands and had a torchlight procession around the deck. The effect was beauti ful but weird.—Brazil Cor. "Baltimore Suni"

The body of a man who had downed him-, self was taken from the water by a police man. "Does anybody know anything about this man ?" asked the policeman- of, some urchins who* were present. "We seed him just as he came up for the last time, but we forgot'to ask him what his naraewas," said one of the boys, myi

In A Paraguayan Town.

Before the time of the infamous tyrant Lopez 11, Paraguay was like the cultivated garden. It is now for the greater part little better than a jungle infested with wild beasts. In the tyrant's cruel and insane wars nearly all the men were slain. It is now a land of women and children, and once flourishing cities are falling into ruin, and so scantily populated as only to make this desolation and decay the more marked. So terrible were the wars that the popula tion is now only one-sixth of what it was twenty years ago. Describing a scene in a Paraguayan town, Mr Knight says : Numer ous women passed us, each clad in the snowy white robe of the country, barefooted, and bearing something on her head, a jar of water, a pumpkin, a bundle of cigars. I iiave never seen a Paraguayan woman without' some burden, be it only a box of matches, thus placed ; I don't think she considers herself dressed or decent without one. Every one of these fair damsels was smoking a long native cigar, also quite indispensable to the women of this race, while thesmallest female children of three years old that) toddle at their mother's heels are inveterate devotees of " ye holy herbe," as old Pur chase calls it. Few Paraguayans are really remarkable for the beauty of their features ; but their figures, the modelling of their small hands and feet, are such as no other land can, I believe, show. They stalk through the streets with a soft, supple, panther-like tread that is most beautiful, for they do not indulge in high-heeled boots and in stays, but step out as Eve herself might have done, quite unimpeded by their simple dress, which is merely a short tunic tied round at the waist, and adorned with the pretty native lace. These tunics have short sleeves' and very low necks, and reveal, the statuesque shoul ders and breast rather more than would be considered delicate in Europe. Nearly all the Paraguayan women have large dark and fine eyes, and I think they know this. What I particularly remarked was the jovial, gay nature of this amiable; and innocent race, so unlike the sombre j dignity of the Argentine character. These I Paraguayan women seem to be always '< happy and laughing, and their kindness! and good-nature towards each other is veryj descernible. The few men we met pos-1 sessed the same jovial, kindly nature, but) they are more indolent and selfish than thej ever-sprightly women, who, being now so j much in the majority, do all the work in 1 the country, and pamper and support the' nobler sex. Thus the men become con siderably spoilt, and degenerate into lazy drones, dependent on the generous fair, which cannot but prove sadly detrimental to the nobility' of this once fine race.— "Cruise of the Falcon."

The Case of Tarring a Girl's Head.

The police have at length made some arrests in connection with the gross outrages per petrated in February last near Mill-street, • county Cork. After Dr. Tanner's injunc tions to his friends not to allow the young Avomen to be seen speaking to policemen, it will be remembered that a party of ruffians entered the house of a farmer named Jeremiah Murphy, poured tar on the head of one of his daughters, and cut the hair off; the head of another. The outrage excited' such indignation that, as usual, it was con tradicted, and stated to have been exag- -' gerated. The statement about the tar was flatly denied, but it was true nevertheless. It was alleged as the reason for the outrage that one of the girls was on speaking terms with a constable named Austin, who had< been stationed for some time in a hut at: • Corilykerane, on an evicted farm. Austin and the girl had since been married. Nine-! men have been arrested by District In3pee-; tor fiill, who brought them before Mr Hegarty. They were remanded for eight) days. ■ '■-:' -'' '■' ■

Scraps for the Curious.

The Russian line soldier's pay equals only a farthing a day in time of peace, and half as much again in time of war.

A thief who stole the coat of Rev. D. H. Perry, of Brooklyn, while the latter wa3 preaching on Sunday, carried off the manu script of'his sermon on "TheW ages of Sin," which was in a pocket of the garment. Lately a large number of "temperance; drinks" were analysed by the chemist of: the Massachusetts State Board of Health, \ and according to Eastern papers, the result; showed not a single one free of alcohol.; On the contrary, one contained 443 of the intoxicant, several 40 per cent., and a larga proportion more than 20 per cent. The drinking population of the United; States is estimated at 15,000,000, and the. amount consumed by each person is mi round numbers forty - three gallons of malt liquors, a gallon and a half of wine,! and nearly five gallons of spirits per year.! The annual amount of money spent on these elevating beverages is 700,000,000d015. The Americans are a thirsty nation.

A HINT TO THE STAGE LOVER.

With Suggestions, by the Way, Far ; Love Making In Private Life.

I am out of patience with the stage lover.': Not that there is anything with the lover ( himself—oh, no. He is faultless. Hial full dress'suit sits on him as snug as a hen on a nest. His shirt front is immaculate, and! isadornedwith the conventional singlewhite stone. His patent white leathers are veryj nice. His moustache is, the ladies say,'. " just lovely," his complexion full of colour,! his eyes roll beautifully, aad his voice, thrills all who hear it with tenderness and' resonance. But he makes me very wearjn when he stands behind the lady whose suitor, he is and flings his adoration and beseech ings over her shoulder. As sweet as he is, I want to get upon the stage and kick him, and tell him to face the music like a man*' and show the enemy that he is not afraid to look""her in the eye. Make love tq. a girl while looking at her shoulders,' —gazing at her bustle and the mole on he^_ neck ! It is preposterous. The aim of aIJ; art is to simulate nature, and thenatural, human, "for sure" lover, as the children say, doesn't do it that way. At least, I never saw one. .One's experience and ob servation on this' score are necessarily some what limited, but in the dozen or so of. similar instances in real life which it hag' been my pleasure (or pain) to be somewhat familiar with I never yet knew of ft.lpve^ making a rear attack. No, my £M£ Stage' wooer, love's stratagems should be cSnfiriedt to ways and means of reaching the fenemy's territory, of ambuscading her, as ib were* where she must fight or enrrender; butf when you get her there don't shoot fromv behind cover. Don't fix your rapturous' gaze upon the mole on the back pf- her neckj, Face her like a man whose board bill ial! paid, -and who is not embarrassed by a con-' sciousness.that he is committing bigamy op; some other felonious offence, j And when yoi* have begun your front attack follow '- it up* warmly. Don't stand so far away arid give! expression to so much awe or timiatyj •Lovers in real life may be presumptuous; and:boorish. The stage lover should af least be bold.—" Chicago Herald." . J

" My dear," said Mrs Snaggg, "what igc a canard?" "Don't you know what a/ dahard is?" queried Snaggs rather- srieer irigly. " Why, the word itself < conveys its' own meaning.l" i"Does it. 'Well, really! B can't see it. What does it niean, dear?I*'1 *' '■'■' Whyj a canard is something one canardiy believe, of course." """ft!-J * ;; ' ; *|