THE HERALD.PUBLISHED EVERT THURSDAY
PLATTSMOUThT NEBRASKA.OI-FIC-Hi
On Main Str-- ct between 4th and 5th,second Story
OFFICIAL. PAPER OF CASS COClfTY.
Terms, in Advance tOne copy, one year , (3.00One copy, six months j00One cepy, three months . !m
HENRY BCECK,
l1vl nitutx--e,SAFES, CHAIRS,
Lounges, Tables, Bedsteads,Etc-.- . ETC., KTC,
Of All Descriptions.
METALLIC BURIAL CASES.
Wooolen CollinsOf all sizes, ready-mad- and sold cheap for caeh.
Wilh in:iny thank for past patronage, I inviteall call and examine my
LARUE STOC K OK
"iit-ni- t iti-- o mid Collin.janJS
MEDICINESJ. H. BUTTERY'S,
On Main Street, bet. Fifth and Sixth.
Wholesale, hi.. I Kelail Dealer in
Drugs and Medicines, Paints, Oils,Varnishes. Patent Medicines.
Toilet Articles, etc, etc.
f'iTIiESCKU'TK tNs carefully comotinded atail hour, day anil night. 35-l-y
J. VY. SHANNON'S
Feed, Sale and Livery
Main Street, Plattsmouth,
I am prepared accommodate the public with
Carriages, Buggies, Wagons,AND
A No. Hearse,0a Short Notice and Reasonable Terms.
A II A C KWill Run to the Steamboat Land-
ing, Depot, and all parts ofthe City, when Desired.
jant-t- f
First National BankOf Plattsmouth, Nebraska,
SUCCKSSOll TO
Tootl, Iliuuiii Clurlc.,I'!H Kitz;eraldK. (J. IVEVA. W. M. f.AliHl.lNJohn O Koirke
bKALen in
i--
to
Neb.
to
I
President.Vice-Preside-
Cashier.Assistant Cashier.
Tlii Hunk is now open for husiness at their newroom, corner Main and Sixth streets, and are pre-pared to transact a general
BANKING BUSINESS.
Stocks, Bonds. Gold. Governmentand Local Securities
BOUGHT AND SOLD.
Deposits Received and Interest Allowed on Time Certificates.
DRAFTS DRAWN,Available in any part of the United States and in
all the .'riueipal 1 owns and Cities oi fcuropc.
AGENTS FOR THECELEBRATED
INMAN LINE anil ALLAN LINE
OF STl-lV31i:S- .
IVr-o- ns wishing to hriiig out their friends fromCuroe can
rn: hasb tii kkw rno rs'riii-oiil- i to PlaltismoiitliExcelsior Barber Shop.
.r. C. BOONK,Main Street, opposite Brooks House.
HAIR-CUTTIN- G,
Shaving and Shampooing.KSI'ECIAL ATTENTION (ilVEN TO
i rn; mi.iici:s iiAiitCall and See Boone, Gents,
And get a boon in a
nll-l- y
GO TO THE
Post Office Kook Store,H. J. STEEIGHT, Proprietor,
roa tiiir
Books, Stationery, Pictures, Music,
TOYS, CONFECTIONERY,
Viplin Strings,Newspapers, Novels,
Song Books, etc., etc.
POST OFFICE BUILDI.NU,
PLATTSMOUTH. NEB.
NEBRASKAJNO. A. MACMURPHY, Editor.
VOLUME X.
NEWS OF THE WEEK.Compiled from Ttlegrams of Accompanying Dates.
Monday. Dec. 7.ArTEK several consultations and confer-
ences tietwecn the iron manufacturers andpuddlcrs of Pittsburgh, the latter struck onthe 5th, and nearly all the iron works arcclosed and many workmen arc thus thrownout of employment.
Fubthek troubles are reported in themining regions of Pennsylvania, growing outof the needy condition of large numlicrs ofunemployed miners. Lawlessness and crimeare the order of the day in many localities.
The 'longshoremen's strike in New York isended, the stevedores having come to an ami-
cable understanding with both men and shipowners.
Kino Kalakaca. and his suite left SanTrancisco for Washington on the morning ofthe 5th in sjiecial palace cars.
A i) ispatc'ii from Rome, Italy, reports an-
other rising in the Tiber, and a threatenedoverflow of the low country.
Tiik funeral of the lute Mayor Havcmeyer,of New York city, took place on the 5th.
Tuesday, Dec. 8.Retokts reached New Orleans on the night
of the 6th that large bodies of armed negroeswere on their way to Vicksburg to take pos-
session of the Court House. On the 7th Gen.Emory received a dispatch that a riot andlighting began on that day. An AssociatedPress dispatch of the same date says analarm was sounded at 9 o'clock in the morn-
ing that the negroes were marching on thetown. The citizens gathered eti nutate,armed immediately, and advanced to meetthe negroes on the Baldwin Ferry road.They were encountered on Grove street, justoutside of the city, about 300 strong. Thecommander of the citizens warned thenegroes to distMirse. but they refused, andimmediately firing commenced on both sides.The negroes retreated about a mile, andagain made a stand in an old breast-wor- k
and house, but were soon routed. The lossin this engagement was one citizen, OliverBrown, killed, and altout twelve or. fifteennegroes killed, several wounded, andabout twenty prisoners. On the Hall's Ferryroad altout 250 negroes were found and routedafter a short engagement, with several killedand wounded. The attack was made for thepurpose of reinstating a colored man namedCrosby into the office of Sheriff. It . was re-
ported that the negroes were burning cotton-gin- s
and dwellings in the neighborhood.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has deniedthe writ of mandamus sought by McDill'scounsel to compel the State Board of Can-- "
vassers to award McDill the Congressionalcertificate from the Eighth District.
The New York Court of Appeals has de-
cided in the case of Mr. Tilton against Mr.Beecher that the defendant has a right tohave the bill of particulars asked for la thecourt below.
Wednesday. Dec. 0.A tkai n on the Kansas Pacific"Railway was
stopped by obstructions on the track at Mun-ci- e.
Mo., on the 8th, and five armed men en-
tered the express car, uncoupled it from thetrain, and compelled the engineer to haul itaway from the passenger car, when theyrobbed the safe of Wells, Fargo & Co. ofabout $30,000. The passenger car was notentered nor were the passengers disturbed.Some firing was indulged in, but no one washurt.
Paris dispatches say the Rothschilds haveadvanced 20,000,000 reals to the Spanish Gov-ernment, and the bankers of Madrid 150,000,-0(H- )
reals more. Rumors prevail that DonCarlos is negotiating with ex-Que- Isabella.
Thursday, Dec. 10.Dispatches from India announce that theTh e latest news relating to the Vicksburg
troubles is to the effect that the excitementis subsiding and business generally hasbeen resumed. The Governor's procla-mation denouncing the alleged riotous pro-ceedings and calling on all good citizens toaid in upholding the laws of the State, issuedon the 7th, was responded to by a proclama-tion by the Mayor of Vicksburg, who claimedthat there had up to that time been no riot-ous assemblage in that city; that the meetingof the unarmed taxpayers who requested theresignation of irresponsible officials who hadfailed to execute bonds was quiet and order-ly, etc.
The Proctor-Moulto- n libel suit has beencompromised, Moulton paying the costs,amounting to about $5,000. Miss Proctorsolemnly avers that there was no truth inthe charges made against her as to her rela-tions with Mr. Beecher, and Mr. Moultonadmits that he spoke merely from hearsay.observation of the transit of Venus in thatcountry had been entirely successful. Over100 photographs had been taken. Successfulobservations at Cairo, Suez and Thebes hadalso been made. At Shanghai the weatherwas overcast and the sun obseured.
The Grand Jury which indicted Harrington and the other defendants in the late 6afe- -
conspiracy trial in Washington having beendeclared illegal, the defeudants have beendischarged.
Krlday. Dc. 11.Cable dispatches state that observations
in re a rd to the transit of enus failed inOrmsk, Orenshurg, Kasan, Uralsk, Astrachan,Kertch and Tiflis, but were successful atTeheran, Hobartstown, Adelaide and Mel- -
lHrne, Australia, and at points in India,Japiwi and China.
Ezra Cornell, the founder of Cornell College, died on the 9th at Ithaca, N. Y.
Rev. W. K. Hu.ntingtox, of Worcester,Mass., has been chosen Bishop of the State ofIowa by the Episcopal Convention recentlyin session at Davenport.
The Iowa State Grange met at Des Moineson the fcth. About 200 delegates were present. The annual address tmta the numher of subordinate Granges in the Stateat 2,000 an increase over last year of 162.One hundred and nine smaller Gransreshave been consolidated. On the 10ththe Treasurer reported the receipts last yearat $:E5,:Kt.S2: exienditures for laat vear.$M,-iO.1-; balance on hand, f 1,883.11. TheMate Agent reported the business of hisoffice for the year at 90,000. The saving tothe Grange by the State Agency is over $27,000. The Committee on the Railroad TariffLaw reported that it was not -- the law theywanted and had proved impracticable.
The Actual number of negroes killed in thefight at Vicksburg on the 7th is now reportedat 150.
Saturday, Dec. 12.In the trial of Count von Arnim at Berl
the fact has been devclojicd that hia tccrct.iwas instructed by Bismarck to act nd a rupon his conduct.
A Washington dispatch says the Administration approves of the course of GovAmes, of Mississippi, in endeavorinc to bud--
pre6s the disorders existing in that Statewithout calling for the assistance of the Federal Government.
The trial of Jesse Pomerov. the bov-mu- r-
derer, has been concluded in Boston, the 1urvbrisging in a verdict of murder in the firstdegree, with a recommendation that he beimprisoned for life.
AJi earthquake shock was distinctly felt in
17, 1874.
the upper part of New York city, along theHudson River, and in Connecticut on thenight of the 10th.
The trial of the 6uit of Tilton againstBeecher has been postponed until the firstMonday in January. Judge McCue has decided that the plaintiff shall be limited as tohis proofs of specific acts of the alleged crimeof the defendant to those named byhim in his bill of particulars, but shallnot be prohibited from introducing testimonyrelating to declarations, documents, confessions, etc., in which alleged confessions no par-
ticular time or place shall have been referred to.
The Michigan Board of State Canvassershave concluded their laliors, and announce the loilowing result: loiai number of votes for Governor, 221,443; Bag- -
ley, 111,519; Chamberlain, 105,550; Carpenter, 3,937. The balance of the State ticket isabout the same. Congressional majoritiesFirst District, Field (Rep.), 1,956; Second,Waldron (Rep.), 1,530; Third, Willard (Rep.),1,201; Fourth, Potter (Dem.), 1,039; Fifth,Williams (Rep.), 1,158; Sixth, Durand (Dem.),,63t; Seventh, Conger (Rep.), 1,9G;
Eighth, Bradley (Rep.), 2,276; Ninth, Hubtiell(Rep.), Constitutional amendments Yes, 39,-28- 9;
No, 124,034. Woman suffrage Yes, 40,- -
187; No, 125,857. The vote of Manitou andPresque Isle Counties was not received.
Miss Julia A. Garretson has been electedState Lecturer of the Grange in Iowa, in placeof Mr. Wilkinson, resigned.
. CONGRESSIONAL.The second session of tbe Forty-thir- d
Mongrel's opened at noon on the 7th Vice- -
President Wilson presided in the Senate andSpeaker Blaine In the House An order wasi;recu to in tne senate ttxtng ine nour or meeting
at twelve o clock dully until otherwise pro-vided Certificates were presented of theelection of George F. Edmnnds, of Vermont,and William W. baton, of Connectic ut, aw bena- -
tom for the term becrinninji March 4, 18T5 Acommittee was appointed to notifv the Presidentof the assembling of Conirress The President"Messase was read in both houses The jointSelect Committee on the District of Columbiapresented a bill placing the District under con-trol of three Regents, appointed by the Presi-dent Bills were introduced to revisetbe law for the collection of customs dutie; forhe relief of in the grasshopper dis
tricts of Kansas and Nebraska: appropriatingJilOO.ono to purchas? food for starving settlers onhe frontier The reports or tne recn'tary oihe TreaiMirv, Department of Justice and Comp
troller of the Treasury were presented and orderedprinted Adjourned.
In the House four new memliersMessrs. Schell and Chittenden of New ork.Carpenter of Sonth Carolina, and Finck ofOhio were' sworu in A bill was readto repeal the law known as the
Press-ga- g law The President s Message wasread and ordered printed The Legisla-tive. Executive and Judicial Appropriation billcalling for $19.fi-H.4M- ; the Navy Appropriationhill calling for Sl..l7ti.lH: the. Army Appropria-tion bill calling for $J7,701 . m ; the Indian Ap-propriation bill railing for JI,8Sl..ri07. and theFortification Appropriation bill calling for $ S50,- -000 were reported from the Committee on Ap-propriations and made the special orderfor Dec. 15, Dec. IB. Dec. 17. Dec. 18 and Dec. SBrespectively A hill was passed appropriating$:w.Uin to purchase scales for the use of the Post-offic- e
Department A bill was introduced ex-empting from the operation of the law requiringprepayment oi posia;e cases woere mc uui-ri-tion- s
were taken prior to January, 1875. ...Adjourned.
In the Senate, on the 8tli, bills wereintroduced to reduce the salary of the Presidentof the United States, after this term, to $25,000
er annum ; for the construction of Cnited Statesiovernment telegrapn lines nerween vtasning- -
ton, D. C, and Itoston; amendatorv of Sec. 10 orthe National Currency act of 1H4 and Sec. 9 ofthe act of July 1:1, li6 A memorial was received from various publishers asking for achange of the Postal laws Adjourned.
In the House, on the 8th, a report fromthe Special Committee on the Arkansas troublesof the testimony taken during the vacation waspresented ann ordered printed ...rsuis werepassed reducing the allowance to Bank Ex-aminers and fixing the rates; to prohibitSenators, Representatives and Delegates toCongress from acting as counsel or otherwise in suits, or proceedings against theI'nited- - States. . ..Among the bills introducedwere the following: For the extinguishment ofthe Indian title to the Black Hills Reservation,Dakota; to substitute t'nifed States notes forissues or National Banks; for an additional repr-esentative from Nebraska; for free banking; toregnlate elections in certain Southern States; toamend the act to enforce the right of citizens tovote; repealing the iacrease of the President'ssalary Adjourned.
In the Senate, on the Oth, several memorials were presented, among them one fromthe citizens of Kansas for an extension of timeto homestead and settlers on pnbliclauds who have been afflicted by the locustplague ...A list of standing committees
as sunmitted and agreed to, jnessrs. uavis.of the Committee on Claims, and Dennis, ofthe Committee on Agriculture, exchangingplaces Among the bills introduced were: Au-thorizing the Secretary of War to ascertain theexpenses incurred by Kansas in resisting the Indian invasion of 1874: relating to pensions andiroviding for the payment of arrears of pensions
. .Adjourned.In the. House, on the 9th, the bill in
reference to the railroad bridge at Omaha waspostponed until the second Tuesday in February
.Various parts of the President s Messagewere referred to appropriate committees ...Thebill to continue the Board of Audit, to examineand audit the unfunded or floating debt of theDistrict of Columbia, was amended and passed
.Adjourned.In the Senate, on the 10th, a joint reso
lution was agreed to appointing the lion. GeorgeBancroft a member of the Board of Regents oHthe Smithsonian Institute, in place of Gen. W.T. Sherman, resigned. The House hill appropriating $:.0CO for the purchase of scales for thefostoflices, was amended and passed The
to bind one hundred copies ofthe Revised Stattftcs. without index, was passed
.Executive session and adjournment till the14th.
In the House, on hc 10th, a bill wasintroduced and referred directing the Freedmen'sBank Commissioi.era to declare an immediatedividend and to institute snit against tbe Trus-tees, officers and agents of the companv, with aview of holding them ersonally liable The Diplomatic and ConsularAppropriation bill (1,M,785) was madethe special order for the M TheSenate amendment to the bill appropriatingf.Tn.(fir scales required in carrying ont the lawfor the prepayment of newspapers was con-curred in. and' the bill passed The Speakerannounced the following appointments to fillvacancies on committees: On Arkansas Affairs.Scudder. of New York: Judiciary. Finck, ofOhio; Civil-Servic- e Reform, Chit tendsn. of Newlork: Centennial. Schell. of New York: Invalid Pensions, Straw-bridge- of Pennsylvania;Education and Labor, also on Expenditures inthe Naval Department, Carpenter, ol SouthCarolina Adjourned.
Senate not in session on the 11th. Inthe House, bills were passed allowingthc home-stead and n settlers in Iowa, Minne-sota. Nebraska and Kansas whose crops weredestroyed. by grasshoppers in 1874 to leave andre aosent irom tneir lands tin Mav. inre, withoutprejudice to their rights; Senate dill for the
of George Bancroft lo fill the vacancyin the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institute. ...A resolution was adopted directing thearrest of Richard B. Irwin, now in New Yorkcity, agent or the Pacific Mail Com Dan v. for contempt in having failed to oher the summons ofthe Committee of Ways and Means, who soughthis testimony In the investigation into the PacificMail subsidy begun at the close of the last session of Congress. Mr. Irwin had promised to beon nana oy ine ism.... Adjourned.
TIIK MAKK K TS.December 7, 1871,
N aw York. Vnlton 14(15"c. KIout G wdto choice, f.Vl.V5.7S: white wheat extra. S5.75fri6.25. What No. 2 Chicago. tl.loai.H; IowaSpring, $1.111.12; No. 2 Milwaukee Spring,ti.l&l-l:itt- . Rye Western, 9j(?t;7c. Barley$1.501.52. Corn ?lc. Oats Mixed West-ern, 7l?t7o,'4c. Pork New mess, $J1.0Ur3i!l.2T.hard l:l$i&13Xc. cheene 12'4M5c. Wool-Comm- on
to extra, WfyXrc. Bfrr-- $KUxfJM.O.). Hoqs Dressed, $8.87' i 9.00; -- live.jo.Bi!,7.oo. Shee-p- L.ve, $4.75ftiri.50.
CmcAnn.Beeres Choice. fl.V.Wis.eO; good"I " .V'M; tnciiiiim, :j.75C(t4.2.; butch
tork, 5: stock cattle, $2..V). fogs Live, good to choice, fti.85
iffi.J". arup uood to cnotce, $ l.O04.ti24.Butter Choice yellow, :tt:tsc. Eggs Fresh.25rti2tc. Pork Mess, ne. $19.50rtl.7S. Lard
$13.05(13.15. Cheese New York Factory,14s15c: Western Factory, 14sl4Hc.Flour White winter extra, $.V00aa.5o:spring extra. $4.12V45.50. wheal springru. , e'iwic. tsOnt iio. X, 74Hi74HcOats No. 2. MVffrSSVc. Rue No. 2. ftluiftiUcBarley No. 2, Woot Tub-washe- d.
4o57c; fleece, washed. 40S47c: fleece, an.washed. 27 14c. Lumbei First-cleu- r, $50.00g.uu; secona--iea- r, i40.ma,-w.i.- ; com-mon boards, $11,003,12.00; fencing. $11.0012.00;"A" shingles, $3.0x.3.25; lath, $i.00(2i2.2.--.
Cimcins ATI Flour $5.00fft5.50. V7h en t R edll.08tjfcl.12. Corn New, 70Ci72c. Rue SI.070.1 .OH.
OaU 57ab0c. Barley $1J015. Fork $19.75
PERSEVERANCE COXQUEUS."
St. Louts.- - CallU Fair to choice. $4.50516 00.Hog Live, $7.57.75. Fltiur XX Fall. 4.3Ta4.50. Wheat No. 2 Red Fall. $1.( WHILOM. Corn
No. 2, new, HldtMtc. (Mttt'So. a, !735c. RyeSl.0Hffil.07. Harleu No. 2. $l.:K&1.35.orl:-Mc8- 8,
MawicE.-Kor-Spr- ing XX, $5.255..Wheat Spring. No. 1, Wl H-'- c : No. 2, WO
.xil4c. Corn No. 2, 7fr.7:lc. Oa4-- No. 2, M'454c. Rye No. 1, OS'Joc. JiarUy No. 2,
$1.31(31-32- .
Wheat No. 1 Red. $1.104l.im;No. 2 Red, $1.05'4ai.06. Vorn New, 71 V47"JcOats No. 1, 57'45rtc.
Detroit. Wheal Extra, $1.15!41.:6. Corn74H75c Oaf 54'455c.Toledo. Wheat Amber Michigan, tl.owa
1.09V4; No. 2 Red, $1.0H1.04. Com Mixednew, 69K&70c. Oats No. 2. 55Hao6c.
RuFFAiiO. fleeces $4.:10766.00. TIoqs Live,$6.9J7.40. Shetp Live, $1.01 K&J.25.
East Libbrtt. Beeves Best, $6.fS07&6.75;medium, $5.7.VT((i.S0. IIoq Yorkers, $4.25H.rtO; Philadelphia, Hheejt JJest,$4.7K&5.25; medium. $1.00a4.50.
ALL SO UTS.
The newspapers indicate that moremen are trying to live by their wits thancan do it honestly. They recite count-less and varied incidents of petty swin-dling. Up the Hudson a man goes intohouses with a woful tale of sudden pov-erty, and asks for a loan on a gold ring.lie would not permanently part wiiu non any account, as it is a hallowed keepsake, and he only wants a dollar until liecan return and redeem it. He has thusdisposed of hundreds of brass rings at abig profit. An operator in Connecticutstarts lamp shade stores as a cover forliorrowing money, and then decamps.An Ohio knave sells cows of a supposednew breed to farmers, showing onlyfictitious photographs. He collects asmall sum " to bind the bargain, andleaves the rest of the payment until thecows arc delivered which of coursenever happens. The old dodge of foolingfarmers into signing promissory notes,under the delusion that they are simplyputting their names to an agreement ofsome kind relating to patent rights, andthen selling the notes for collection, hasbeen revived in Western Piew rorK. Anafinally a seller of a new grease-extracto- r
in IJulfalo cleans one of a pair of gloveslust to show how it works, and then
refuses to make the pair mates in cleanliness for less than ten cents. N YSua.
The Cincinnati Enquirer remarks:A young man of the town who parts
his hair ill the center is said to havemade a slight mistake at the opera lastnight. In order to obtain a clearer per-ception of a high note he reached in hiscoat-tai- l pocket and brought forth whathe thought was an opera-glas-s, but whatmuecu proved to ue a revised compila-tion of a derringer. People inhis imme-diate vicinity were surprised and some-what frightened to see him elevate theordnance to his eyes and steadfastly gazedown into its dark caverns of death. Itwas upon first impression thought to bea cool, deliberately-planne- d suicide, butwhen he quietly put it back in his pocketand brought the real article into requisition lhc horror melted from before theireyes and it became apparent that it wasonly a mistake after all. A few hairswhose beat lay on tne larrxmra siac oithe young man's skull had by some meansgotten on the starboard side. Hence theslight aberration of mind."
--A scene was enacted at the Hahnemann r air yesterday anernoon wnicnwas not down on the bills. B.very fashionably-dresse- d lady, from whose earshung diamond drops, and on whoselingers sparkled gems of the first water,was detected stealing some children'sunderwear. .The services of a detectivewere secured, and the kleptomaniac subjected to a custom-hous- e search, whichrevealed the fact that her pockets werestuffed with fancy articles of variousdescriptions which she had pilfered fromthe dincrent tables. Ihe managers oithe fair, with a magnanimity much tooliberal in the present era of crime, allowed the woman to take her departure,with the injunction to keep away fromthe fair for the future. Unicago inter- -
Ocean.The Sing Sing (N. Y.) Republican re
lates the following incident: "OnWednesday afternoon of last week, asMr. Noah Barnes was engaged in theback yard of his residence on Libertystreet, he came across a live turtle. Onpicking it up he was greatly surprisedat finding the names James Ryder andStephen Aayles, 1833, scratched on theshell. Upon bringing tne turtle to tnevillage, and showing it to the above- -
named persons, they remembered thecircumstance of the cutting of the namesin the turtle's shell over torty-on- e yearsago, when they were young men."
The Louisville Courier-Journ- al estimates the aggregate of the tobacco cropin the United States this year at 105,000hogsheads and 6o,000 cases, as comparedw ith 2G5.000 hogsheads and 140,000 casesin 1873 and 272,000 hogsheads and 145,000cases in 1872. Adding in the stock leftover, the total supply this year is 200,860, , , .f.i-- oo j.o :nogsneaas as compareu witn otjtto m1873 and 373,03 in 1872. Calculatingthat the rcqur'renients will be the sameas ia previous j cars, the supply left in themarkets October, 1875, will be only 2,000hogsheads, as compared with 135,000 thisyear and 1 15,000 in 1873.
The Aslieville (N. C.) Expoxitor says:Bald Mountain is again on the shake.
A few nights ngo five or six terribleshocks were felt at the distance of sixmiles. Glasses on the tables were madeto rattle. The shocks were equal to thoselast winter. Maybe she will burst atlast."
A philosophical tailor in Harrisburg,la., advertises that when people "withsallow, irregular, and homely faces" areclad in garments of his making theyare. looked upon with love and venera-tion, their countenances being regardedas tlic iudcx of pure and compassionatespirils."
A big brother, in Pottsville, Pa., hasbeen brought lo shame. His sister had abeau who was obnoxious to him. Onedark night on the steps she seemed to beanectionalely kissing this beau goodnight. The brother crept up softly andkicked hard, and down fell an elaboratescarecrow.
' A gentleman said to bis gardener:" George, 'the time will come when a manwill be able to carry the manure of anacre of land in one of his waistcoat-ptickcts.- "
To which the gardener replied:" 1 believe it, sir; but he will be able tocarry all the crop in the other KH,ket."
A newly-marrie- d couple in Connecti-cut recently started out on their wctUingtour accompanied by a small-size- two-year-ol- d
infant, which they had hiredfor the purpose of deluding the publicinto the belief that they were old stagers
Rivers, a man on trial in Lancaster,N. II., for marrying too many women, issaid to have remarked that he had ratherserve a reasonably short term in theState Prison than to live with any oneof his five wives.
An Oakland (Cal.) married lady hasmade f60,000 on the purchase and saleof mining stocks during the past year.She don't ask her husband for pin-mone- y
any more, Dut sne blutls him when heproposes to borrow of her.
A preparation warranted to banishwrinkles is among the latest of the toi- -
et delusions.A Vermont man hasn't missedthe family clock a single night for
thirty-eigh- t years.Never wait for anything to turn up
but go and turn it upfyourself.It requires no particular skill to make
a oiunuer.
NEWSPAPER ENGLISH OF 1884.
Picked np a paper here to-da-
And, by my conscience, I must say.That they do write in the funniest way!Some time ago, over my cup.Went sound asleep just woke np;Must have been well, let me seeEighteen hundred fifty-thre- e.
Cow came along bell wonld tinkle;Roused me up second old Winkle;Fell asleep, by their say so.One and thirty years ago.'Bout that paper? I was struckAll in a heap, sir inst my luck;
"Miss Susan Smiler'Il eloeuUNext Thursday evening." I stood mute;Never, in all my life, bad beardOf such au outlandish, barbarous word.Elocnte! Elocute! I declare!Bit my whiskers; pulled my hair;Looked in my Webster "t wasn't there;Gave the thing up in wild despairSaid to myself, it's mighty quair!
Pretty near choked myself with rage;Papers set forth on another pageWonderful piece of local
" People up town are going to enlhime m
And then the thing got worse and worse, ."To-morro- w the people ait niter suf"July 4th happy to state
People all going to ttselarate ,""Think I'd better shut np shop,
" Mr. A. B. is a philanthropfAnd then, look here; why, bless my eyes,What in the world is " Bistnarckize "
Eyes of mine, yon can't be trusted!" Coal-oi- l factory all combusted;" Circumtreneh your favorite fruits;" Mexican Empire re volute;"
And since the davs 1 went to school.What sort of a thing's a " perpeiulicnUrReading along why, bless my fate!Here's a man who's going to ra."Why, what on earth this paper about?(io stark mad if I don't find out.Must he French, and yet. I vow.Never heard of the word till now.
Folding paper, undecidedDear me! some oue's " homicided."Laid down paper right away;For, bv my conscience, I must say.That thev do write in the funniest way.
R. W. Lothrie, in Bonlon Transcript.
TBAPrER Em."They say three removes are equal to
a fire, and by that count I've been throughfire some several times, and I can't sayI've come out, like Shadrach and Mesh-ac- h,
without the smell of it on myclothes; but, with it all, I never did ex-pect to lc landed in a place like this,dropped, as you may say, right in themiddle of a howling wilderness, withpanthers and bears and wild Injuns fornext-doo- r neighbors."
This speech was flung out with directaim at the person of a tall, sun-browne-
one-arme- d pioneer, who sat in the door-way of a Minnesota cabin, at a time whenthat extreme portion of the State couldbe much more accurately described as ahowling wilderness than at present. Theclearing was small. Solid walls of full-grow- n
timber rose on every side. Greenstumps were thicker than the potato andcorn hills with which they were inter-spersed. A single lonely wagon trackled away through the woods to the settle-ment down the creek, and a wildernessof tangled vines and bushes and brilliantwild flowers crept in on every side.
The timber of the cabin was not yetseasoned by weather. Great tree trunkshad been hastily hewn down and piledinto the form of a house, with tufts offresh hemlock and spruce and pine cling-ing to their sides.
No other chimney smoke rose withinsight of this settlement. It was entirelyisolated. The open door showed a rudeinterior, where a pretty girl with baredarms was kneading bread at the far sideof the room. She was "brilliantly fair,with a mass of wavy brown tresses likeglistening flax. A younger girl, Hanny,was leaning by the door-pos- t, watchingher father clean and load his gun. Shehad learned to make cartridges, andcould put in a priming and ram it downwith a will. Hanny kept a young grayhawk in a cage a fierce creature thatsnapped at every thing that came nearit. She petted, too, a little bear cub herfather had once brought her home for aplaything, after killing the mother.
Hanny in relation to her sister Bessiewas like darkness compared with light.She was a resolute, fearless child, with abrown skin and a mass of straight darkhair. She could ride the wildest colt shehad ever seen, either with a saddle orwithout; it made little difference toHanny.
An old man, large of frame, but weakand powerless in his limbs,-sa- t bent overa fire of chips upon the hearth, thoughit was midsummer.
Against the cabin wall hung an oddassortment of arms and equipments,fishing tackle, the skins of wild animals,deer antlers, and in one corner a heavyhunter's saddle with girth-strap- s andstirrups. In one of the three windows,fitted with solid plank shutters, stood asweet-scente- d geranium growing in a potwhich Bessie had brought with cherishedcare all the way from the old Massachu-setts door-yar- In another stood a sewing--
machine and a little case of booksEhen Gardner had conned over manytimes in his leisure moments, for he wasa " reading man" and had his headcrammed full of notions, but the virtueof adhesion to places did not belong toJiben. Lvery little while all through litehe had heard a voice bidding him ariseand depart into a new country, and thoseappendages, wife and children, had followed on with tears and lamentations atleaving friends and kindred and dear associations all behind, liut a nappy indifference to such nancrs cenerallv be-- t J
longs to the born pioneer like EbenGardner. He fulfills his destiny. Amighty man he was, tall and strong as ason of Anak. lears before he had losthis left arm in a planing-mil- l and hisreputation was all the greater because oft. He could do more plowing and mow
ing, could slay more trees and let moredaylight through the forest in a giventime with Ins-o- ne arm than the averageMinnesota settler could with two. ISowthe blue eyes shone in his tanned faceas he watched his wife, a tall, slim womanin a faded calico, moving about in theact of sweeping the cabin floor and easing her mind at the same time, as recordedabove.
" I know you must let off steam aboutonce in so often, Celinda, said he, ramming the'eharge well down in the gun-barr- el
meantime. It does you good,and it don't hurt me. I'm a patient man,and I can grin and bear it. lou knowthat old saying, Celindy, about a scolding woman and a smoky chimbly
" It's all very well for you to try andturn it off with a slur on women," saidMrs. Gardner, her sense of grievancedeepened by the provoking kind of banter in which Eben was skilled, " but it'swhat I never expected when I married,to be dragged out here, like goods andchattels, among rattlesnakes and wildInjuns. I can't sleep in my bed at nightfor thinking the red-skin- s are crawlingtnrougn the bush."" Red-skins- ! pooh!" exclaimed Eben,polishing away at his gun-barr- el withthe sleeve of his hunting-shirt- . " Therehasn't been an Injun raid on these partsfor more than five years, and am t likelyto be, with a fort only twenty miles offlull oi Government troops to protect thesettlers. You may sleep like the deadfor all the red-skiji- s will do to you.".
"And you may pooh-poo- h once toooften, Eben Gardner, and then you'll seethe beauty of living twenty miles froma fort and Lncle Sam s troops. I neverdid set up to have the gift of tongues,nor to prophesy, nor to see visions, nordre&m dreams ; but when I do predictthing it's pretty apt to come true. Then,let alone the Injuns, how nice it is tolive a day's journey from Sabbath andsanctuary privileges, without a neighborto speak to, and no doctor if j'ou lay attne point ot death.
n
" You wouldn't need a doctor if youwas at that point," said Eben, malicious
EJRAPLATTSMOUTII, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER
ly, " and all the way in between you area darned sight better off without one."
" Of course I don't expect any relig-ou- s
sympathy from you," returned Mrs.Gardner, her resentment having simmereddown now into melancholy, ' and 1 don ts'posc you'd mind it a mite if there wasa snake's nest right under your bed. Butyou might think of the girls. Whatschooling, or privileges, or chance will thegirls ever have in this lonesome spot?"
" 1 brought the girls out to tins newcountry on purpose to give 'em a chance,"returned Eben. " If they had staidthere in Windham with their Aunt Dorcas, who is always straining to be genteel, they d have dried up into old maidsunless they took the ninth part of a manbetween 'em. I brought the- - girls outhero to learn to ride and shoot and dosomething besides strumming on theplanner and wearing their eyes out overthat tarnal cVochet work. And as forhusbands, they are as thick here as blue-berries. Hanny there is the girl for me.She could ride a streak of lightning ifshe could get it bridled and saddled, andTrapper Eph has got his eye on Bess.lullo, Bess, don t you think this is a
good country? What is your opinion ofEph?"
" It s a horrid country, returned a tall,pretty girl, kneading away at the bread,with her beautiful white arms bared.
tnd you needn t talk to ine about Eph."" Well, my lady, let me tell you Eph is
as likely a young lellow as you everclapped eyes on, and the best shot be- -
wecn this and the l'acihe coast, lhereain't a man in this whole region that'shad the experience in ranging Eph has.He s teared and respected wherever he sknown."
Eph has never been out of the bushfurther than this blace," said Mrs.Gardner. " What does he know morethan an Injun? You wouldn't marryyour girl to a savage? It would be l.keharnessing a tame horse to a wild mus-tang pony."
" You may call him what you've amind to," returned the pioneer, " Ephis every inch a man ; not one of yourwhite-livere- d counter-jumper- , to besure, but a man a girl ought to feelproud of."
Don t blow Kph s trumpet, lather,said Bessie, tossing her pretty head. " Itis like the blowing of the wind."
" You may go further, my girl, andfare worse," responded Eben, with atouch of anger.
" If you hadn't any feeling for yourwife and daughters," struck in Mrs.Gardner, "you might have thought ofthe old man. It was too bad to pull himup by .the roots, and bring him 'way offhere to die in the woods, far from hishome and Ins old neighbors.
Die!" repeated Eben, contemptuously. " Why, nobody ever dies in thisclimate. He'll live to be rising a hundred, and hearty and smart to the end.You're sound, ain't you, father soundas a nut?" continued Eben, raising hisvoice so that it might reach the old man,who sat most of the time in a doze.
" Yes, to be sure," returned the oldman, in a wavering treble. "I'm soundall but my bones. Tlley ain't what theyused to be. And my teeth are gone, andmy sight is failing, and I'm a little hardo' hearing."
' Why, there's the pha bc-bir- d singingin the open," said Eben, raising his headto listen. 44 1 like to hear the little fellowtunc his whistle. It makes me think ofthe time I was a boy set to watch thecorn-field- s at home."
The sharp report of a rille resoundedthrough the woods. "That's Eph," headded, in a startled tone, "l know thebark of his rifle as well as I do my own.What has brought him back here at thistime of day? By good rights he oughtto be thirty miles on his way toward thereservation to barter for skins."
t that moment the graceful, litheform of the young trapper leaped like acat out of the woods, lie held his cockedpiece in his hand. His hunting shirt ofbuckskin. With gayly-die- d fringes, wasopen at the throat ; his head was bare,his eyes glittered and his bronzed lacewas strangely pale.
Eben sprang to his feet. "My uod,Eph! what's the matter?"
"The red-skin- s: lhc young man,throwing back the dense clusters of c urly '
brown hair from his forehead, almost;hissed the words through his blanchedlips.
"Oh, the red-skins- shrieked Mrs.Gardner, as she caught the words in theinterior of the cabin.
"Be still !" said Eben, sternlv; and liestood up and clutched his rifle.
1 heard at Brashear, Enli added.bringing his words out with wonderfulcoolness and precision, "that the reddevils were out on the war-pat- h afterplunder and scalps. I turned in mytracks. I covered every step of the way.I crept through the woods. Five milesbelow the bend, at Tuttle's, they havemurdered all the pale-lace- s and set lireto the settlement."
"And Tuttle's babies, the twins thempretty flaxen-haire- d poppets he was soproud of?" asked Eben, in a kind ofgasp.
" Brained 'em," returned Eph, laconically, "and the girl fifteen years old."
Bessie uttered a fearful shriek. Ihewomen were clinging together in a fright-ened group, and the old man's bewil-dered, half-vacan-t face made a patheticbackground. A terribly giitn look cameinto Eben's face.
"There's one that'll die hard if theycome on to Jjiese diggins, Eph. Whereare they now?"
"On a straight trail 'for this clearing.They'll slop at Sandy "Pellew's shanty tofill their tkins with whisky, but it won'tkeep them back above half an hour."
" I knew my laying awake nights wasn'tfor nothing," moaned Mrs. Gardner;" and now the red-skin- s are right uponus."
"No time for wailing and lamentation,mother," returned Eben, his lace soften-ing a little. " It's a tussle.I was a short-sighte-
d cuss; and if everwe get out of this scrape alive you maylay on the lash without mercy. I putmy trust in that tarnation fort full ofGovernment troops sent out here to pro-tect the settlers."
"There's oniy God to trust to now,"said Mrs. Gardner, solemnly, " and I shallbegin to pray. Human help can't in nolikelihood reach us."
"Do. mother, pray strong; and Epliand 1 will back up your prayers with allthe powder and ball there is in the cabin.Darned pity we haven't got more thanfifty round! Every shot must pick off ared devil. But before you begin to pray,mother, just set out that demijohn of oldrye."
"Not much," returned Mr3. Gardner,with decision. " There's life and deathin this business. You are two to a hun-dred, and you must go lo work w ith coolheads. hen 1 see you need it, I'll dealround the liquor."
"That's good grit, mother. You weremade for a pioneer's wife, after all."Bessie was sobbing behind her grand-father's' chair.
" What's the matter?" asked the oldman, holding on to the arms of his chairwith his trembling hands, and lookingaimlessly around, with a dim sense oftrouble. The terror and confusion hadjust made a faint report to his mind.
"The red-skin- s are burning and kill-ing in the clearines, father. They'll beupon us soon. W'e. must barricade andst and to cur guns. Eph has gone to drivein the cattle and horses."
"Red-skins!- " repeated the old man,with half comprehension. " BrotherStephen was out with Jackson in the
TERMS: $2.00 a Year
NUMBER
Seminole war. You remember, don'tyou?"
" Yes, I remember, but that was longago. They're here, father, right upon us.I didn't think they would ever be, butthey are. But don't get frightened,father. I'll take care of you as long asI can, and defend you with the last dropof my blood."
"es,"said the old man, looking upwith wistful childishness, "you said you'dtake care of me as long as I lived, Eben.You said I needn't fret my head the restof my days. Life is like a tale that'stold. I shan't trouble anybody long. Youalways held to your word, Eben, whenyou was a boy. You was the most truth-ful of the lioys, and I knew I could trustyou when you said you'd take care ofme."
"My God! I will," exclaimed Eben, ina tone of agony, " so long as my life isspared. They shall trample on my deadbody before they touch a hair of yourhead, father."
Eph had hastily driven the cattle andhorses into the sheds. Everything wasput in a stale of siege. The heavy plankwindow shutters were barred, and it wasthrough the small openings of these,which made a dim twilight in the interiorof the cabin, that the two frontiersmenproposed to iepul.se their assailants.Eph's mouth was drawn into a grim, Iiardline, but there was a kind of glow abouthis fine dark eyes. He felt a wild joyhe could but half conceal, for his oppor-tunity hail come lo defend the girl heloved wilh the whole force of his impet-uous, half-tame- d nature. At least hecould die with her, and to a being likeEph that alternative was far better thanliving without her.
Hanny had been busy on her own lineof defense. She was supple and spry asa cat. Flushed with excitement, thechild's dark face was almost handsome.
" What be you about, Hanny?" askedEben.
"Getting my gun ready," said Hanny,coolly. She had rummaged out an oldfowling piece from some corner of thecabin. "You know you said yourself,father, I could make a first-rat- shot.You have always been wishing for a boy.I'll he your boy, father, and stand closebeside you, and we'll show the red-skin- s
some tall shooting."" You're a trump, Hanny, a regular
little brick," choked Eben, feeling alump in his throat; and lie passed hishand softly over the girl's thick hair.But that old gun is no good. You shallbe my other hand, and help ine load.Only, child, when the firing begins youmust get behind my back."
"Hist!" said Eph, listening with hishead bent low. " I hear I hem comingthrough the woods."
Bessie, in the obscurity of the cabin,flung herself down at Eph's feet.
"Oh, Eph!" she moaned, "you toldme the other night you loved me, thatyou had never loved a woman before. Ifyou love me still promise that you willkill me before I fall into the hands ofthose savages before they do to inewhat they did to poor Mary TutUc. Oh,don't let them scalp me, Eph! Put yourrifle to my head and blow my brains out.I am a coward or I could do it myself,for there is a sharp knife hidden here inthe bosom of my dress. Promise me,Eph, and I'll reward you if God sparesus."
Eph's face was portentously pale. Hegave her an indescribable look, and said,curtly, " 1 promise."
A dark living stream came flowingout of the bushes and undergrowth. Allthat could be seen were waving plumes,and the glow of war-pain- t, and gleaming,murderous eyes, and the shining gun-barre- ls
held before them ready for adeadly spring.
" The bloody cusses have drove alongall the cows and horses they could gob-ble," muttered Eben, "and hoppled themon the edge of the woods. They expectto find only women and children and theold man at home. They don't dream ofthe warm welcome we've got ready forthem, Eph. There, now they begin tosmell mischief ; the shanty looks tooquiet. Who's that big, brawny fellowcrawling ahead?"
" Big Pine-Tree- ," whispered Eph, withhis eyes to the opening. " He and hisbraves killed every settler in SloeuinV alicy last year. Don't fire yet; lay low.Let 'e in creep up closer. We must pickour men every time."
There was a blaze, a sharp report, acloud of smoke; then a yell went upfrom the savages, as they sprang to theirfeet, that shook the tasseled corn like agreat wind.
"How many bit the dust that time,Eph?"
Eph held up two fingers."Let me load for you," whispered
Hanny. "lm your other arm. lakethe old gun; it won't kick this time."
Eben looked oyer his shoulder, andsaw Bessie crouching on the floor behindnun.
" Go comfort your grandfather," saidhe, sternly.
The old man sat ga.ing with pale, va-cant face and bewildered eyes at thescene before him. A low, monotonousmoan, like the. cry of some animal inpain, issued from his lips. Bessiedragged herself to him, put her armsround his neck and drew his head downon her bosom. M is. Gardner had hung agreat kettle ot watjerover the fire; it wasall she could do. She crept to the bedon her knees, with her apron over herhead, and began rocking back and forthin the intensity of silent prayer.
The yells and hoots and howls of thesavages were like the beating of stormwaves on the shore. Every shot fromthe inside of the little fortress told fatally upon the enemy. There were wil 1
wai'lings and death-song- s from a bandchosen to carry oil the dead and wounded.
" Only two rounds left," whisperedEph, wiping away the powder and smokefrom his eyes.
The decisive moment of the assaulthad come. There was a scrambling offeet up the side of the cabin, and thesound of dull, heavy blows on the roof,which, fortunately, was made of timberor great thickness, just squared by tneaxe. Eben mounted the ladder to wardoil the assault in that quarter as best hecould with his one arm, while, resoluteand rigid as a man of iron, Eph, w ithhatchet in hand, took up his station atthe door, where the trunk of a large hemlock tree had been brought to act as abattering rani. The red-skin- frenziedby their losses, had attempted lo kindlea lire under one corner of the cabin, butthe ground and fuel being damp from recent showers it failed to ignite.
There was a dense cracking and snapping and bursting asunder of the planksof the door from the terrible concussionof the missile directed against it. Theblows of the assailants uon the roofmingled with those below. It was anorgie of demoniac noises. There mayhave been shrieks and wails from w ith-in- ,
but they were drowned in the tempest that raged without.
At last they had succeeded In kindlinga slow fire under the angle oi tne nousewhere the wind drove the flames againstthe wall. A suffocating smell of smokebegan to creep in between the legsHanny had dropped her gun and was nowpassing boiling water up the ladder toEben, who, judging from the unearthlyyells of the half-intoxicate- savages, wasusing it to good enect.
" It's time for the whisky," said MrsOardner, in the bnei pause while L,pistood waiting, and she lifted the jug tohis lips. lLj took a long, deep pull, andthanked her with a look! Splinters fromthe door flew about in all directions. It
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groaned in a kind of agony. Slowly thetough plank yielded until then; was anaperture large enough to admit a heada head with'a pair of snaky, glittering,evil eyes. Eph, standing a litlle in theshadow, brought down his ux. It clovethe skull of Big Pine-Tre- e through boneand brain. Then followed the vharp re-
port of a rifle. It was the last Ephknew. His arm dropped lax and nerve- -
ess at his side. His head fell forward alittle ; he sank to his knees, and finallyfell prone.
Bessie uttered a heart-rendin- g cry."Hark!" said Mrs. Gardner, holding
her back, for she would have rushed toEph at the risk of her life. "There'ssomething coming through the woods.Its either the judgment-da- y or anearthquake."
It was it crashing and rushing andrending through brush and undergrow thwitli the steady, even, measured beatol horses' hoofs pressed to their utmostpeed.The loss of Big Pine-Tre- e bad disor
ganized the attack below for a moment,and the breach through the door was notyet large enough to admit a man's body.Eben was engaged still in it close bond- -
d light upon the rool, dashing theloiling water upon the foe and using it
at the same time to put out the lire. Ina moment's breatliingspaee he happenedto look toward the wood, where theopenings in the trees rendered visinieany moving object behind them. 1 henhe raised his voice in a mighty bhoul.
1 lie soldiers! the soldiers! he cried.Deliverance was close at hand.
When Eph fecblv came lo consciousness his eyes seemed half full of blood ;
there was u strange whirring in his head.His limbs were of as little use to him asf they had belonged to another body.
Some one was fumbling and feelingabout his side with a gf-ntl- hand, andthen he heard Eben's voice.
'Tncre may lie two or three ribsbroken; 1 can't tell yet until we get himin to the bed; but 1 know the wound
ain't mortal. He's young, and lough aspine knot. Idine, hurry
along; bring nic some bandages out ofthe client; tear up a .shirt if there isn'tanything else hanoy."
It was a minute or two h
ould concentrate his strength on theict of opening his eyes. Then all wasnst a mist ot pain; lor lie was con
scious oi a terrible acne soincwiicre..But presently be saw a patch of the cabinfloor with sunlight lying on it and knew,though be did not see them, that a groupof men were gathered about the door.lanny was by the lire-plac- e feeding her
rraudl'ather something out of a bowl.Where was he? Who was supportinghim? With this thought Eph feebly di-
rected his gaze, upward until it restedu Bessie s face. Mie was holding his
head in her lap and he saw that a littlepearly tear was stealing down her cheek.
n an electric Ilasli all the past cameback to him. " What has happened tonic?" He motioned out the words ratherthan spoke, for his tongue and lipsseemed made of cast iron.
' You got hurt. Eph," and the tearsdropped down on his face; " but 1 hopenot much. You won't die, Eph, you're soyoung and strong. Father says it isn't amortal wound and he is a kind ol naturalbone-setter.- "
There were other questions' in Eph'seyes to which he could not give voice..... ... r. ." Ihe soldiers came, irom tne ion,Bessie went on, "just as the lire gotunder way and was about to smother usall. They drove oil" the red-skin- s andare chasing them now through the. woods,only a few that staid to help father outout the llames. Uul you saved us, I'.pii,when you held them back from breakingdown the door. Not any of us are hurt.Father didn t get a scratch. Oh, what amiserable coward I was! I could donothing to help; but you, Eph youwould have given your life to save us."
Bessie s face quivered, and she covered it with her trembling hands. Ephnever removed from her hU eyes. Hisgaze was profound, searching, inscrutable, going down into the very depths olher being. With all bis impetuositythere was in him something of the deepreticence of the savage.
" Do you want me to live?' he said, atlast. And then he added, slowly; "Ididn't want to live any longer alter w hatyou told me the other day. You couldn'tlike au ignorant fellow brought up likea bear's cub in the bush."
A painful crimson tide swept over Bessie's neck and cheek. " Eph," said sdic.
I was a foolish, silly girl, not worthy ofyou. This day has taught me lhc valueof a brave, true man " Then she benther head lower, and added, in a w hisper," You are dearer to me than life, and Imust have been loving you all the time.
Eph's face was transfigured. Hestretched out his hand. Bessie under-stood the motion, and clasped it in hers.Then, with a great sense of weaknesscoming over him, he fell asleep.
Eben was examining the old man forthe third or fourth time to see that hewas uninjured. "Hearty, ain't you,father; only a little shook up?"
The old face smiled vaguely. " I knewyou'd take care of me, I'ben. You al-
ways held to your word."" Well, Celindy," to Mrs. Gardner, who
had been waiting on the soldiers, givingthem such supplies of food as she had athand, "you was right about the red skins,after all. I shall stick by the shanty,though. Me and the old man, we'll stay,and Hanny too, I guess. That girl, she'sworth her weight in wildcats. But ifyou feel scary about staying, you mightgo and stop awhile with your sister Dor:cas until we get. cleared dp a little more.I can't breathe in a thicker settled placethan this. I must have lots of fresh air;and, now I've lit the Injuns ami overcome,I've drove down the stake for a goodlong spell."
" The Lord has given us a great deliv-erance," said Mrs. Gardner. "It was indirect answer to my prayer, and youwon't hear me complaining any moreafter to-da- There nothing like look-ing death in the face to bring folks to-
gether and make them of one heart andone mind. Here I rai-- e mv Ebenezer.We'll stay and civilize together, Eben,and the wilderness shall blossom as therose." Harpcr'n JJiz-ir- .
A fiig-antl- Project.
The project of converting a portion ofthe Sah'ira Desert into an inland sea con-
tinues to find favor, and it is understoodthat thorough surveys with a view todetermine the precise mode of accom-plishing this object are underway by theFrench Government. As to whether theresult aimed at is desirable or not is atpresent a question of considerable dis-cussion. On the one hand, the replacingof a large amount of desert waste bywater, and making peaporls of interiorpoints in Algeria, and the expected res-
toration of an ample rain-fa- ll to variousparts of Northern Africa, are viewedwith favorable anticipations. On theother hand, it is maintained that the seawill be simply an immense evaporationbasin, which "will soon be clogged upwith salt; or that a seuious interferencewill take place in the amount of heatedair carrie 1 across the Mediterranean,which at present prevents the extensionof the Alpine glaciers. Should this beinterrupted, it is feored that increasedglaciation will ensue, possibly restoringa large portion of Central Europe to itscondition during the reindeer epoch.Whatever be the result of thisgrcnt en-
gineering operation, it is extremely prob-
able that it will be attempted by theFrench authorities. Harper' h Magazine.
