1881-07-30; Clare County Press

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A Sewspaicffor-€lare Commtjo
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VOLUME Hi.
CLARE, MICfflGANv^ATUKDAY. JULY 30, 1881.
IFAElMIBfia 3"©IEIHo
ez EiiEa p. AiaEBTSn.
05 X£ M nothing to do," said. Ifermer Jolm,
•* 3?o fret or fe>'bother me—
"Wera I bufc rid off this moaateinmf ttoeIs,
Whats goo§ man I could be I
M13ie pigs get out, and the sows get in,
Where they have no right to be;
Aafl tha weeds in the garden and in the es2Q-~
Why, they fairly frighten me.
w Ifc worries me out of temper quite,
And well nigh out of my head.
What a csarse it is that aman must toil
Like this ion his daily bread!" .
But Farmer John he broke his leg,
And was kept for many a week
A helpless and an idle man—
Was lie therefore mild and meek?
SJsy; what with the pain, and what 'sSffii'tho freS
Of sitting with nothing to do—
And the farm-work botched by a ehffitless hand,
Sie got very cross and blue.
BEe scolded the children and cuffed She dog
That fawned about his knee;
And snarled at his wife, though s&esKis kind
And patient as wife could bs.
He grumbled, and whined, and fireSed, and HameS,!
The whole of the long day through.
'Ji'Twill ruin me quite," cried Farmer Join?
" To sit here with nothing to «&»"!"
"His hurt got wen, and he went to -worfe.
And a "busier man than he,
A happier man, or a pleasanter Eaea, ■
You never -would wish to see.
The pigs got out, and he drove tihem back,
Whistling right merrily;
Se mended the fence, and kegt^he cown
Just where they ought to be.
Weeding the garden was jolly fern,
And ditto hoeing the corn.
"'Fmhappier far," Baid Fatmsr-ffohn,
" Than I've been since I was 'boraE"
He learned a lesson that lasts Mm \7ell—
'Twill last him his whole li§a through.
He frets but seldom, and neyestfeecaoeo
Ho has plenty of work to *flo.
461 tell you What," saya SPascaer-fftta,
** Tbey are either teaves '(SMSooIg
'Who long to be idle—rfor Mle hsafio
J3c$e the Devil's choS&nifcoofo.'"
green aad fe& birds were singing so
loud—-I had. fes tell something to some- j "neighbor to tke stylish, traps in the front
body.   Sfee looked up at me fes a mo- j "seat, and the little woman made kerself;
JM.SL    — -i_     _     ^_.--t_    jo__-|3    _j!    j tl smli-a a-maTl i-n -Hhiia  oonor   -fnvtVioc^,   from-
liaill ¥1IITI
Dick Powers dropped Ms letter ^rith a
groan. It fell fey tthe side of its Hong,
slim envelope fa, ithe. table. The envelope bore upon Ssstbaek the faint impression of a sIots holding in its bill a
aoatisg ribbon^, ajKm the. ends of \which
■was written, in •& <<gugiint, but fine little
hands, the dkeeti®as ."** W° "^x- tBiehard
Powers."    . ' .   ; _, . .;;.-.
Again the yoiapg'imrat •grcuaned,vthrow-
. sag his a?ms on. the stable -and hiding his
lifefcressedfaeepafisiBrdleeYe.    ■    :   ' •
The other ©eeo^pant-mi the room sat
x&Hh his heels, oa »l&,^a3ow<iiill:MidiHs
"smoked, raised Ms <eyeferowBs looked at
his mkexable: eim^aaaion, ahd-went"ou
omoking.        * .
The letter, holt ialfctg <upon its precis© find lady-Mfeia leases, llay f ace up-
•ward, and" the,fees betrayed ihe same
quaintly girlish handwriting, aE the
down strokes primly shaded, .each capital faneily twirled. ** Dear Richard," it
began, Quakerishly9 sand it said, tearfully, " 1 haven't iaeaird fea>m .you for so
long."^ There was a ifcoush of tenderness in every isesite;Bae§, and<a.somethihg
that told hov?- siri^pl-e the writer must
have been.' SoJ33,eis©# tt al gate rise to
a ^picture of a supt-bonnetiahdacalico
dress, a pair of feai^F^Seotipnate eyes,
and a -peaked chite: with'a. 'dimple in it.
On tho nest page the Jerttei went on
plaintively: "* Grandpa, asnft Very well
since he had that sjcksess last winter,
and when he cotighs so it#hakes him all
over. And oh FBieharcL. ran afraid he.
is nfevdr going "to Be well again.
"Wbtudn^t it be dreadflil to h'avfr him <lie
aAd me alone without yoak V Then followed ,a wealth of (eotifidence -in the
words * "Biit, if giandpa Should die, I
should come straight to you,, and oh,
how:aihsppy"we"wo^d%e theoa, wouldn't
we?"5. ^anderhig-'iOfi in this loving
©train till the end of the third page, the*
letter, closed with: "Affectionately,
your own Marthy."
By-and-by the young man iaa'the'tilted
•chair, *eying his Mend meditativelyj,,..
aaid:   .
«* Your letter don't seem to stake yora
Siappy, somehow, Dick."
tf Oh, Al! if yoti could oaly know'
$?hat a villain I am !" vas the rejoinder
m a mtiffled tone from the folds of his
eleeve.. :
At* this one eyebrow went- up and one
came dbwn., __'" Well, .it'»- very likely."
He looked lazily through the wfmdow at
jt gssoup .of loungers before the hotel opposite, and then continued indifferently:
"What's it all about, anyhow? "
"Jast read that I" was-the reply, as
I>iek passed "affectionately your -own
Marthy's " letter toward him.
Eisher read the letter through eare-
fully. "I Should say'this was a very
sweet little girl," lie remarked, musingly.
" So she* is, so she
straightening up. "She's just the
sweetest and most confiding little thing
in the world, is "Martha. That's what
hurt me bo. -She hasn't a doubt that
Tm as triie blue, because she's, truth all
the way through herself; And I'm worse
than a brute. I aari, AL"
"If the state, of affairs which now
dawns upon me dimly is as it- seems, I
rather think you; are, myself." - .
"Confound it I You're so hanged cool
it riles me," said Dick, blushing. '' Just
• imagine yourself in my place for an instant. Six years ago, when I was 19, I
-.first fell Miove, and I've been doing it"
ever since with decent intervals between.
' Little Marthywas 15, a little #ild rose,.
Vermont girl, just as. shy, and as^ sweet
and unsophisticated as that letter, and
all her other letters seem to say she is,
yet I feel like a boy of 19 in love wifch
her again, to talk about it to you. Like
the great calf that Iwas, with a dollar in
my pocket, and no prospects ahead of
me, I up and told her how I felt one day
inthe spring,.when the grass was so
ment mfe -scich a smile full of teass;
coming intssJier eyes, sad s&eh. a milk-
and-rose ^Msh. glowing uponiksx cheeks,
and I |®st %>ok her right up iia my areas
then asad Mssed her as Fd been Ipngisag
to do •8<9®r since Ifirstmetkeav six weeks
before. ^Iver since that she has considered hesFself engaged to meA*
** A fS?ecocieus youngster you were "at
1% Srassst say, and a inipe acquaintance
it m^t have been thatsested, blossomed
EESfd-fesited in sis weeks.*"
- ** Well, make fun as you please,"" an-
ewesed Dick, gloomily ^ " you ha^re the
wk&le story, anyhow, and you can't
think worse of me, thaaa 1 do of myself."
wUo, Dick, I haven't by any means
aSl^ilie story yet. As you're 25, I suppose this little girl, oaow 21, has been
fe six years hopiiag and trusting in
you. "Very likely, s&e's never permitted
■herself another lover. Why, it's pathetic ! Every year she has thought,
■maybe, you w<msM oome back; she has
■never had a sraspimcn o^ you; she has
dreamed about ycm and prayed for you.
It's a burning slaame 1 And look at you,
violently attached to ersr0" t>retty gh-1
you see, ridiEig wil;h13aem} two at atime,
dancing with i&em, making love to
them and dressing lake a dandy when
you ought to fee tn theOreen mount-'
ains, weaiissg butternut -and carrying
Marthy's mik-fsaal.""
Dick groaned in amguish of spirit,
"AndI've always told her I couldn't
afford to come alter her<<g uite yet. Give
it to me, yoa 'caift hit too hard; but,
oh I do help .rate <©u&-©f *this scrape."
-'Help you out? Well, I should
<shink you'd be glad to be in it. Just to
think of ttet little Vermont blossom,
tasting like <Gream and snaplQ 'sugarj I'll
warrant, if blossoms ever do taste; just
think of her dropping down any minute
among all 1ihe furbelows, the frizzes,
the plaints-aiadstihe powders of the ladies
in our setf
"Oh, Ikordl Al, .don't harrow up a
fellow so, S<d©n't beEeve you imagine
yet how <desp Tm. m. for it. There's
Kate Biehardson, now, when »you talk
The portmanteau was placed as snug1
about flowers; she's a tiger lily; she's a   &^e answered :  "It isat, though, it's
is.!"- said Diek,
red eactes; •she's a rtea rose; she's magnificent j 4Mr& @«&rgeous; she's radiant.
Ah, Al M^t&Sf'teassm you sea how. I love
her?" ,.-..,.
u Aiid Aef"—;jfih® question was like? a i
flame spsfuging irons p, bed of coals,
" We% E fast tiihougM I never was so
in love in my Me.   I wasn't sure about j
her; bis&'one aight. a.mcaith ago-I-, was;
;'Ca&ieC.^?4y*'  l'-..fi«ifgot all' '-aiboiit 'Mat*"
thy, and E asked her to marry me.   By
(Jeorgeil^he said sake would, and I should:
have bega 4oo happy altogether if, after
my first itesiiaspcarii, little Marthy hadn't
oeeurrefl tl© sae ^gsin. Now I?m engaged
to both of them, don't you see, and it's
a deuce of a mess.    I wouldn't give up j
Kate if I^could, and I don't see how I"
couldgwe mp Maajthy if I would."
A silence fell between the two then, in
which the falling of a cigar ash m%ht
have echoed, and the twilight, stealing
. down, came like a veil over silence.
# *        .      . # Jjt # * *
It was fally -six months  later when
Kate Bs-dhardson walked into a sleeping-
car, at Gmaaiba, followed by baggage and
a porter.    Her step wa^ so ; quick and
confident,   her accoutrements were so
appropriate,' and the porter follptved her
with so deferential an air, that*the pass-"
: engers, .snaking themselves comfortable
on either side the aisle, looked after her,
with great respect tf or her-style.    "Very
ccmmoR sectIq{ geetple; shan't 'make the
acqaaintance of  any of  them,:"^ Miss
Bichardsos. .thought as  she observed
thems im «r glance without seeming to
She paiieediieariiheaniddle of thejs^ar.
'•'Tut my things here,"   she said, td
the,-porter. ; "X have the whole section,
and ypu may pile fhem all on "the teont.
seat.". ■   . :   .'•: ■   .
She sat down upon the back seat and
spirefdher skicts' comfortably, took otit
/her silk' handkerchief ahd wiped her'
'lrps;:5s%,li6d-*»aS -efl^naang ^'a' penance,
smoothed the collar ©f her ulster, and
thought what a bore crossing the continent-was.:. The prominent setting of a
ring visible under her glove made one
forefinger noticeable,; and itmight have
beenj.tenderness or not. but she placed
her elbow on the arm of the seat and
rested, her lips upon it.
In the meantime the car was rapidly
filling. There was much talk between
passengers and porter, and from her
square of window she could see piles of
{ranks being carted forward. By and
by the caSes gave a little shake and quiver, a^ if Sousing; then a jerk, a dizzy,
gliding'motion, and then MissBichard-
soribecaine conscious that some one
spoke tp'her, Xt was a voice that was
apology - itself as it said: "Oh,
if'■'. you . please, ma'am, it's a mistake, and I've made so many mistakes;"
and it was almost a cry for help. It had
color in its cheeks and its lips, a little,
little mouth, and a shy light in its hazel
eyes'. It carried a portmanteau, and the
porter towered over all with a patronizing air.: -.-■■'.'"...■•■
MissBichardsonwfisdisturbed. "But,
porter," said.she, 'VI .had engaged the
whole" of tMs section^ I don't want any
one in with me; I shall have no place
for nay things."
The ha?el eyes were, turned piteously
upon her, but the. voice was tinged with
a bit of. dignity, albeit touched with
tears, as it answered: "Never.mind; perhaps there'S'anofcher half section tuioc-
cupiel" ." .";.-*'•'■.' ! ,
"They ain't-no other, 'thout it's a
gentleman's in the lower berth, if you
don't mind that, miss," said the porter.
The distressed fape was a picture.
"Oh, very well," Miss Eic^ardsonin-,
terposed, in a bored tone; "I suppose I
shall be able io manage, and I dare say
we shall be eomfortabie enough."..
quite small in the ©erner furthest
her grand companion, never so ranch as'
attempting to steal aglance from €he window monopolized by Miss Kichardson's
elbow. . But presently she leaned toward
Miss Bichardson. sad touched her shoulder softly. "* Tm very much <$bliged to
Jou," said she, gratefully, "and I'm sure
shan't incommode you any snore than
I can help,"
Miss Biehardson made her a gracious
reply, and bscame interested in her
book.-
At length ske yawned, a^d closed it.
The afternoon was passing. The scene
was rich inbillowy green a©d stretching
.plain, fend across the green level the day
was meEowing away io its close, the
sunlight falling- upon it like winnowing
grain, Miss Bichardson felt the timid
and confiding little touch again upon her
arm, and tamed to meet with her handsome ey^s the wistful, appealing ones
looking toward her. \
" WosG-d you let me go into the dining-
room t© dinner with you ?" asked the flute
voice •m.^i a trembl© cf apprehension
in 14. ,
<*.OIa0 SFes," said Miss Bichards©h,
smiling, "I'd jest as lief you would as
not."
"Oh! thank you so much," was the
reply, after a breath of relief. "I should
never have courage to go in^ and -eat
alone. The waiters are in such a hurry,
and I <don't know where to sit, and 1
never-can find my own car when I'm
ready to eome back,"
So it was that Miss Bichardson <came
to have a charge, and, somehow, so much
clinging timidity opposed to her own independence seemed a sorb of bond. Be-
ime the second day was out she had
given her dainty and pretty companion
abetting tap or two, sfeort and contented laughter rippled up between them,
confidential undertones of talk passed
seam one to the other, and finally Miss
Edehardson leaned forward and said:
"** I haven't any idea what your name
is. I think it ought to be Posy,,
though."
And then the small vomasa laughed aa
Mairthy—Marthy Fairchild.""
And then the magnificent gorgeous,
radiant.Kate replied, just us she would
$m#e "caressed a bird : *' Ah! "and I^hali
call you Marthy, then—shall I not,? "
Hot one dim thought- of warning had
sihe, not a single swifib ilieeling of recoil,
not an idea that she was hogging to her
■■ hsaarft atrival—-,~3h0 wjtc t.Alrl av.^y ^zrrrzA^
men with waits, and tete-a-tete, and repartee.
Btit under" the feet of those who* tread
volcanoes the ground will- sometimes
break; one cannot forever safelywalk
fche v-. ^e ~l. the precipice.; thin ice will
paKfc. . .
They were sitting side by side, al
usual, one evening"; the window framed
a calm, mild star. Sitting so silenily,
how strange if they had known each-was
saying over and over £he same name.
The star wad shining kindly—shining
and twinkling like an eye mildly shrewd,
and-then it gave plaee to another and
another, till the night sky seemed
shaken full with x iustered dust. Presently Mis & Bichardson began to hum a
liitia, in her sof t ContraHto,.and Marthy's
feicd-like-soprano took it up Hie a carol,
under a breath. , The men under the
dull lamp in the further «end of .the. oar
held their fingers on ^teir. eards for a
moment, and the fretful baby ceased its
erying. Two women hi?shed f gossiping, and stared, and, under pretense of
a ilare, the passing porter, turned down
the Same in a lamp while he stopped to'
listen.
/* Marthy," said ; Miss BiehSa-dson, *
very" gently, ".where" did .you Jeam%
that ? It?s such an old-fashioned, senti-
mental thing. I shouldn't: wonder if it
had been a love-song in 1776;" -
' "Oh, yes; I shouldn't wonder if it
had. I learned it way back is Vermont—oh, how far away that seems
now! I used to sing it with Biehard--
but that "seems only yesterday, though
it has been years and years. I've never
told • you. abont Bichard,' have I ? .His
name is Bowers, and it is he that I'm
coming to California to meet. A Ions:,
long-time ago, when Iwas such a little
girl "I scarcely remember it, some kind
of sickness broke out, and mother and
father took it and died. I can just see
mother lying wifch a white flower in her
hand as they closed the coffin lid, and
then in a day or two some woman said
Bhe wondered what was to be done with
me. Somehow or other I "got to grandpa's in among the hills, and the cows
that gave me" a living. Grandpa was
just my mother to me over again, and
there I stayed and was so happy with
Mm. I have always been a Httle girl,
and I never shall be _ anything else.
"When I am an old woman it seems as'
thoUgh.I snail.still be a little girl How
it all came about I never could imagine,,
but it was just as the flowers came up in
the spring, and as the fruit gets ripe in
the fall. Grandpa said one morning he
ghouM have a young man come to. help
me with the milling, and before night I
knew Bichard; and, somehow, I think I
must have been ripening ready to know
him, for my heart was all open to him.
from the first. He came up to me when
it .was twilight, and said he, 'Good
evening, Marthy,' and then I seemed to
fall into a flutter, and to feel that he
seemed to know it. Oh! I never can
tell you how Bichard seemed to me.
Every night, after that, as I. went along
the meadow path he oame aud sairf.
'Good evening, Marthy'—just so; and
I took to listening so hard for his coming that niy heart hurt me, and beat in
my lips and cheeks, and all the $me
grandpa never knew. One day the sky
was so blue and the air was so sweet I
was certain that something was going to
\p,pj5en, and whether it was the birds
-ilgingormy heart beatingout a rhythm
I .Io Eot Imow, but in a moment I
re "'mod to be standing , among the
ArK/em, for Bichard had taken me in his
"0h, life had jjist begun to me then,
'ill not one day since, not even the day
, ^!idpa died,' has  been  ali  sorrow;
'■> . .agh dark days there have been, too,
' in a few weeks more my Bichard
-t away, so that by and by he could
Tl'sj his ' bud of a girl'—that's what he
7cys called me!   Oh, how tender and
- - -:$ he is!   What a grand place his
.   "rt is'to live in!   What a little queen
! .  has crowned me!   His letters have
. ■ vn so loving and so sweet that one
: . Ter came without carrying me through
'.Space of heaven;   and they were
;   ",_. sorry little ones I eould write in
;   "-vreT.    So many noble women must
,r<2 loved him.   But he has loved his
\a Marthy all the time.   Ah, Miss
;' Aardson," and her earnest, reverent
Z   v3 deepened in its half whisper, "can
v .1 Imagine anything at all about what
I  M you ?"
:2To," replied Miss'Bichardson, bit-
tc -j. " for there is no romance, not one
?; ^ of it, in my life. The romance I
A: . v;as spoiled just a short time ago.
I" v> your faith in your Bichard, Mar-
t~ '} hut I have none left for man. You
I so on now and hSi. me know the
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' I \7ould rather die than lose my faith
!5chard," said Marthy, tremulously.
:ere is such a little more fco tell," she
j on then; " all the time his letters
Eae he could not afford to come; he
\7citing in hopes,  and, oh, if the
■ yes to him as to me, then to both
's a dreary,  dreary waiting.   And
.Ays, began to fret; he wanted to see
loomed before he died.   But one
Ci month ago, he died, and left me
"Crith the  cows.   Then, to show
zA how much I yet lovfid him, and
"^itle 1 cared whether he- was rich
':'\hei* he was poor, I wrote him a
Ale's* that I was coming to him at
Aad3 oh,   I  am coming' to him
.•con., "When I reach the end of
\.uy^ there he will be to take me
' Az home.   I can almost see him
-i yadt to find me again."
v -.o moving restlessly about like
\ cmfi her hands were" winding
\r.% cljout each other, her eyes
■   -zrM her chin with its  cleft
zr'ro n say of the moon.
r ". T l-ziow your Eichard," said
-   '.zHzGii by-and-by,     "He is
■- "  • -    H^p.^1 nitli blonde oven
ill     ,,..--!-,    " ,.-
;■"*
Yon. know 1 live in- Sacra-
with him
mento. too."
In a few minutes the  porter came
• along again, and Miss Bichardson gate
orders to have   only the lower berth
made, "for we will sleep together tonight, Marthy," she said, quietly.
So all the night lPng she lay awake,
with her arms around little Marthy.
All the night long, thinking and thinking, she lay with the sweet breath pf the
trusting child woman falling cn he? left
hand—the hand was now shorn pf its
sparkling ring.
"I loved him, too," she cried to herself, suddenly, and then her arm tightened upon the child-heart beating under
it, and the throb ran through her like
an appeal for mercy. The cars tramped
into and through the night, and by-and-
-by the morning, came, as fair and fresh
as though Kate Bichardson had not made
a sacrifice the night before.
When the train pulled into the depot
at Sacramento, Miss Bichardson espied
Dick Powers waiting, and by his side
was Al'Ksher. He was haggardandin
distress; he was thin, and had'grown"
five years older than when she had left
him two months -before. He."- saw hei*,
top, and ran along, by the windPw
graspjuog tha'hand she held out to him.
"Oh„Kate.! Kate-!" he pleaded, imploringly. :
Sha went to the door to meet him, and
drew him along the aisle. '' .Dick, here
is Marthy,''said she.
He looked at the wild rose blooming
so sweetly for mm, and, as he saw th^
hazel eyes brimming up with drops, the
falling corners of the shy mouth quivering, the old, sweet beauty grew upon
him again, and a hungry smile dawned
in his eyes;'
" Oh, Marthy! Httle Marthy!" he
murmured.
"At last, dear Bichard, at last I" she
cried, and he gathered her in his arms.
Al Fisher took Miss-Bichardson.home,
nnd she was gravely polite and smiling
all the way.. But it was* two years before she allowed him to draw the last
drop of bitterness out of her heart;
and, even then, she gave the last kiss
before her marriage to Baby Marthy.
Powers never would think of calling
her any name beside Kate Bichardson.
—Belgravia Magazine.   ..
Loafing.
Does the young man who persists in
being a loafer everreflect how much less
i*- would cost to be a decent, respectable
man? Does he imagine that loaferism
is more economical than gentility? • Anybody can be a gentleman, if he chooses'
to be, without much bost, but it i^mighty
expensive being a loafer. It costs time,
in the first place, days, weeks and months
of it; in fact, about all the time he has,
for no man canbe a first-class loafer without'devoting his whole time to it. The
occupation, well followed, hardly affords
time for eating, sleeping, dri . ], we
had almost, said drinking, but on reflection we will except that. The loafer
finds time to. drink whenever invited, at
the cost of friends. Once fully embarked
on the sea'of loaferdom; and you bid
farewell io every friendly sail that sails
under an honest and legitimate flag.
Your consorts will only be the buccaneers of society. It costs money, for,
though the loafer may not earn a cent
or have one for months, the time lost
might have pEocSred him much money,
if devoted to industry instead of sloth
It costs health, vigor, comfort, all the
true pleasures of Hying, honor, dignity,
self-respect,'ahd the respect of the world
when living, andj*finally, bright of consideration wjh,en dead. Be a gentleman,
then; it is far cheaper.  ■
China m a Maritime P0w<?r«   *
Much • as Americans may affecf? to despise the Chinese and their enterprise,
yet the time is coming when, without
sharp and decisive* action oh our part,
that people will be far better represented
in the ocean carrying trade than ourselves. The Chinese appear to have
awakened to the importance and value
of carriage by sea between their own
and other countries, and-mgifest a 'disposition to embark in the business as a
matter of profit. As a fair, beginning1,
they have put on a Hne to compete -with
the Pacific Mail Steamship Company.
Already the China Merchants* Steam
Navigation Company have twb steamers
engaged in the Pacific trade. This' en •
terprise, backed up by the Imperial government, is about to be re-enforced by
three new iron steamers, all of which
are being constructed on the Clyde.
While the subjects of the "Mowery
Kingdom" are making this movement to
secure the China-American trade, our
own importance in Chinese waters is
rapidly on the decfine. The time when
we could look with satisfaction xipon the
number and size of American clippers
engaged iu the China' trade is passed,
and. a once flourishing businesses rapidly
passing into ofcher hands. The annexed
figures, showing the state of trade in
1876 and 1879 between the treaty ports
of 'China and other countries, have beeii
compiled from statements made by the
United States Consul at Shanghai: Ai
, 187S-—-—«' *'*«—- 18*6 »r*
' No of      •■  ' ": w'.'lteof  *     "   "
Flag.        .yessels.
British...... 10,609
Chinese  6,982
Geruis.n...™, 1,907
AmerieanL 531*
h'rench  164
Japanese.... 151
Spanish.,.'... 816
Danish....... 197
Siamese „ 78
Dutch......... 72
Swedish   &
Fortoegi&n.. -H0
Eussia  12
Austrian.,.. ......
; If the foregoing figures be correct, the
humber of American vessels engaged .in
the China trade, in three yeais,aecrea,'ad.
to the extent of 2,616, and the;? ca:.':y-<
vail cn^sreitv to \h<s frv*-z~,ni cfi {? 1,''' \ • '"•
uduiJ. --jLiS vii. :.^e &v5v£». ■■"'3"tfVfc.ij, 'i-iZ-i
while the tonnage under our own and
soine other .flags dr leased, the, Chinese
gained more than. . ,-^per cent, in vessels, ahd more than treble their tonnage.
This,, too, ins^ite. of the active efforts of
England to secure the great bulk of the
trade. This * speaks weU for the active
enterprise of China, and is an evidence
that the people and rulers of that country are beginning to appreciate the importance of their trade with other nations.
. Americans on the Pacific eoast pretend that they have" no fears of competition from the Chinese, but experienced
merchants declare that they will not
only maintain then* position there, but
ere long^ wiH be exhibiting the "dragon
flag" Sn the Atlantic, as a competitor
for European freight: Once Started in
a" maritime career there* is no" calculating
to what extent China may carry her enterprise, no? what :a formidable competitor she may in time become for. the carrying trade of the world. The wants of
the people are so few and simple, and
their ideas of. compensation so. Hmited,
that she' could man and victual her ships
at a cpst but trifling when compared
with other countries,. In this she would
have a decided advantage, and her ship
owners, in* bidding3 for the carrying
trade, would doubtless be content with a
much less margin of profit than their European and American competitors.
China, at all events, .manifests a disposition to become & maritime power, and it
is not safe to predict that, once started on
her career, she wfll not become in a
marked degree the. common carrier of
the world Stranger things than this
have happened in the world's history.—
N. Y. Economist.
Tons.
vessels.
Tone.' -
8,126,«tf4
8,604,
5,181,643
4,353 696
3,063
1,404.865
721,026
1,587
6G1,6:8
-'27'.632
8.547
2,410.421
154,995,
228
178,749
138i208
125
117134
46,419
276
.     72,212
42,407
202
64 610
30,930
29
44,027
16,658
52
23,471
15,398
114
36,347
. 10,228
47
2
35.694
,580
Yery Gullible,
Thirty years ago Mr, Wm., HaH, of
New»York, lent a "friend" named White
$30,00(1 worth of bonds and checks as a
security in a speculation, with the understanding that they were on no account
to be converted into cash. The friend
immediately converted them into cash
and disappeared. > Not long ago he went
to HaU's house,-and in spite of Hall's
anger placated him by representing that
with the .$30,000 :w;hich,.he had appropriated to his own use he had gone to
California, had made a' large fortune
and had traveled across the continent
for thfjexpress purppse?of refunding the
money. Mr. HaH" was charmed and
entertained White royaUy at his house,,.
.White pretended to be sincerely sorr^
for the. roguery of his- younger days,
and entertained, his hpst.-vvifch graphic
descriptions of California,'' afld' amazing
" yarns about the way in which he bad-
made his * princely ffortune on the Pa-
' cific slope. HaH believed eveiy word
he said, and agreed to lend him $6,000,.
on White's turning over securities in "a
sealed envelope.", He had already paid.
him $1,200, when Mrs. Hall, rising at ^
inthe morning, carried the envelope to
the Chief of PoHce. On opening it, the
papers were found almost worthless, and
White was arrested. How"',a. man capable of being gulled after this fashion
was also capable of accumulating $30,-
000, or 30,000 cents, is a mystery tiidt
would puzzle even a phrenologist.
No mak has any time to form any de:-
inite idea pf eternity.
NUMBER 27;
STKEAIIS QB GUMHB MBBtM LTDCK.
Mow
IEaasta£22s E7aaiffii]>a|la ita <j IMeice.
Dr. D. Bethune McGartee, ^ho fose
thirty-seven years was engaged in missionary work in China'for the Americana
board of foreign missions, and is now im,
the. diplomatic .service of that county.
has given some explanationsln regard fe^
the attitude of the Chinese toward ffall-
ways. . ','-•'-'
"To understand the opposition of $_i&-
Chiuese to railroads," said Bit. McOartee,
"you must know sOTnething about theiir
superstitions." -fit China, considerations^
of good and bad luck enter into every
transaction in life.   In their conceptioQ,
luck is a sort of material substance thafc
can have a course like a wind or 3. stream.
Por instance, a house opposite -to tb©^
junction of a street, with the street  322*
which it stands, is ain unlucky positkm..
The bad luekthat may happen ioiliKr
down the opposite street" will iron sighfe
into the house.   In such a case a sigm
wiH b© put up to keep fch© bad luck awagi,
such as:
1 ''Tiie stone of the great mountain is here..
"This refers to the sacred mountain©
worshiped by the Ifigh dignitaries of Use
emphre.    Only the  Emperor may worship the heaven.   Officers of the -highest
rank worship the sacred mountains, Ihss
various powers of nature are" VbrshipsSL
by the  lower official  grades, and ■&©
common, people worship their  parents-
and ancestors.   It is not at aHueeessai^
that a piece of the Stone ol the' sacresll
mountain shall be there^ for $&^.€hmes£<*
beHeve you can humbug the^Sad luck.
byvsimply- declaring that fbg stone is-*
there.   Sometirnes. they -gti$ .np^ a baa?--
rieij tojlve§p off:® stream of had-hack.   3m
j&pnt of -every mandarin's -offi.ee Usher© Ia~
a ifiige waU caHed pih-ho^Ohangj. whicb
mesons 'the TFall keepmg off calamity.^
Sometimes measures are taken to divesfe';
Sfitreaaiof'badluck. • Ilfnofr©f-dhosse-
where a road eame opposite the bcsiTr..
door and then-came   around .the houses
It so happened that several cases, of 31- -
ness occurred in the house, and it wai„
concluded  that the trouble arose Joroaat.
G stream of 31-luck  pouring down the-:
2oad into the back door.    So they clcsecL
the door and" made thexoad zig-zag, e©
ci3 to diminish the force of the stream.
"Good luck is supposed "to flow in tho
same manner as bad- hick.-   If S xaaa'c
ancestors are buried in a good place, jc
stream of good luek Hows dowa the fs^s—
3y; if in c
bad   luck
bad piece*
thec
So
c
-.^
rather' thak take any risk. Tliey malic*
their cdMns very thick, and put packages,
'of quiekliine in among the wrappings c5'
ihi bodies so that they do"not beeoms-.
offensive] I have many a time slept in es-
room that had such a coffin in it. Yoa
must not think that these things are-
merely the superstitions, of the ignoraufe...
Divination is a recogniaed science im-.
China. The board of astronomers of the-
empire fix the lucky days fpr. marriage,,
house-building, or travel, and these are^
published jn the official almauaes* And
then there are innumerable *FungshwBm
doctors, whose -business is to decide-
questions of luck. iFungshwui meausi
literally 'wind and water/ but the idea,
is best represented, in the EngHsh by th©
word luck. The' direction of luck streams,
are always considered in building, ancl
hence it is that pagodas, arealways found,
at .the junction of rivers, the forks of:
roads', or the intersections of valleys.
"Now, . youscan imagine how mnehi
trouble( ranway building "would pause ia
China"; what "innumerable streams of"
_,gpod luck it would cut ofij, or streams o£
'ba.d lucit it woidd divert upon poor people who had carefully put "their %ouses«,
dti't-of reach/Of «uch ihfiueiic8a* "The-
Chinese d6 -not have cemeteries, an&
■tombsaire -scattered in evacy-direction)
through <the country. Nowhere': could sn
railroad be laid down without -desecrating the tombs arid lacerating the ieeHugs
ofthe people. When an-EngHsh company "built a railroad from_ Shanghai to«
Woosung-^-only fourtepn iiiilesr-people:
stood on the .track crying and beseeching
so that itwas sometimes necessary, tc^
stop the locomotive to put theni off. The-.
company never would have obtained a.
charter from the Chinese authorities had.
its intention been known. Their application was for ' permission to build a.
horse-road, which was granted Th©
protests of the Chinese authorities were-
disregarded, and the company, sustained1.
by Sir Erancis Wade, the British ambassador at Pekin, carried things with a.
high hand; There was no traffic for the
road, and finally the company sold it to
the Chinese government for'a good suaeu.
The railroad was then takei^. up."
:.,A husbajp> H#ngin one of.the suburb*.
pf New Yoi;k brought home one.; afternoon three red wagons and a.rpcking;
horse fpr the children. His ..wife .welcomed' him with deHght,' kissed him;.
and jutting her face confidingly tb his.
whispered, "Darling; you have- been
"flirting'on the train a -long" while. Now
that the girls have seen you with the.
horseand wagons-theyi know that yotn
are a ;maxried-man!" -.Smiling; dovihgly.
upon her^ he repHed^ "P bojight ai ticket;
tothft strawbeny festival ol.pl^ Mr.
Jpnes'Jthe Sunday School Superintends
ent, and,.he brought ihem alongl to. the^
.train with him." ,       .«
:- ..   -■•„;..     • ,   s*      ' '"       . ; y  ** ■■ *,       .": -  'w
"„.-!a *■";.■ 1 • \     . -t -A ^ ,     -» •    '-*';     ■■*   j   **'"   '??
. , A W^hj^gtok man seni*toa phrenolC-
<^ist one^^jpHoto pf himself drjesaec^ as au.
woman,"another as an architect/ % third!
as a jfcpfessor. Three charts wer^e sent
back. The architect was4 advised to>
marrythe woman, while the professor^
being of uncongenial temperineh^ was
Mvisediibt'td^^marr^^ *"'
If we would be strong, let us bear in
silence,-for in sflence we not only grow
strong, but also test our strength*