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AN AMERICAN GIRL. your ; " I'ei+iipa," she Buid, " perhupa niece, Miru Ooiuvia, will favor Ud." Misa Ik'Iinda replied iu a deprecatory mod anoertain murmur. " Iâ€" am noi Huro. I really don't kuow. Perhapaâ€" Uutavia, my dtur." Outavta raised ii â- iniluiK face. "I don'l play," aliu eaiil. " I never leari.ed." â- You don't play!" exclaimed Lady Tlieobuld. 'â-  You don't pl»y at all I " "No," answered 0;tavia. " Not a note. And I think 1 am raili'T i;iad of it : bi'cau^e if I iriud, 1 Bhuuld be Bure to do it worae than olIiiT people. 1 would mlher," with uninipairud uboerfulnsBb, " let uoiie one blue do It." There were u few seoonda of dead silenuc A do/,n people s<'»teU around her had beiird. MluB I'llcher shuddered ', Miitb Belinda looked down ; Mr. I'ranuia BaroKl pri Her\ed Aii entirely unmoved countenance, the general impreouiou beint> thai he wan very much Bho -ked, and cuuuealed bia die- ^uiit with an < ifjrt. " My dear," said Lady Theobald, with an air of much ooadeaot-nHiun and norne crave pi'y, " I should advise you to learn. I can auuiire you tlntt )uu luid it a t;rtat a .urce of pleaBurc." " If you ixjuld assure "ih that my / would Bnl it n ;;r.ai Bouroi of pica uiitjht bcjiin," ai'.BWcfid the nu youni; pfinon, still cheerfully ; ' I iiiii afrail they wonliln t." It Bei nn.<l tl.ut f«ie had marked dis.;raoe. In half an hu'ir frciu thi bUb c«pped the climax of hi-r iiulisor 'i"ho tveuin({ b<ir;(; warm, the wiudows had bica left open, and in one of thtin. nhe stopped a moment out at the lirit<htlv m ioidit Krounds. itaruld, whu waa with h< r, jiaiiaer " Louks rather nice, docdn'l i â- â- id. " Yea," she replied. " Suppose wr on the terrace." ile )iiU({hed in an umaeed fashion not uiiilerHtand. 'â-  Buppose we do," he aaid. that's II tiood idea ' " He laughed as he followed her. • "What amuH^a you BO ?" ahc ift.jTirei. " Oh ! " be replied " I am merely think. inK cf Lady Theobald." " Well," bhe oouimented, " I think it's rather disrfapeolful in you to !itui<h. Isn't it a lovely uit;bt ? 1 didn't think you had such mounlittht ni|>btB iu Logland. What it niitht for a drive I " " la that one of the thioKa you do in Americii â€"drive by moonli|<ht ? " " Yes. Do you meau to aay yoa don't do it in Eni>land ? " " Not oftpn. la it younK ladies who drive by moonlii{ht in America .' " " Well, yuu don't suppoie Ibey ((o iilono, do you?" quite ironically. "Of oourse they hiive aome one with th.ji." " Ah ! J heir pa{)aB ? " " No." " Their mammaa .' " "No." " Th -ir govern asea, their uncles, their â- DDta .' " " No," with a little smile. He Hinilcd also. "That is another |<ood idea," he said. " Voii have a ^reat many iiioe ideas lu America." Hhe waa sdent a moment or so awinijini; her fan slowly to iiud fro by its ribooii, and appearinK to retlecl. " Dues tliiit iinan," Khe said, at leni{th, " that It wouldn't be ouusidered pru(ier in LuK'aud '.' " â-  I hope you won't hold me rnspo leibli' for KiiijliHh fallacitu," was his sole ai swer. " I lion I hold anybody n spouBil Ic for them," she returned, with Bume spiri 'â- â-  " 1 don't care one tiling about tliein." i 'lli»t is fortunate," it'll happy to say 1 lie commi iitui. " 1 itm happy to say I don't, eitbt r. I take the liberty of [iltiKiui' myself. I lind It pays beet " " I'erliaps." she said, returninij t ) the chiirge, " perhaps Lady Theobald will think tlii/ is improper." He put his hand up and atroked his mouBlache lightly, without ri'plyini^. " But it in riiit, ' aheadded, einphatioklly ; " it is ii"i ! " "No," he admitted, with a tone h of irony, " it ia not " "Are 1/1)11 any the worse for it ? ' Bhe demandeit. " Well, really, I think notâ€" as yet," he replied. "Then we won't ^o in," she said, the smile icturnini; to her lips ai{aia. CUAl'TKK .Ml. kti INMT*rl.>N. In the meantime, Mr. nnrmiatouu was improving his oppartunitles withindoors. Ua had liatened to the mnaio with the moat aeriona attention, and an ita con- clusion he had turned to Mrs. IliirnliiLin, and iniide himself very aijreeable indeed. At length, however, he arose and aauutered acrosa the room tu a table at which Luuia Gaston chanced to be standing alone, hav. ing juat been deaerted by a youn){ lady whose mamma had anmmoned her. Hhe wore, Mr. Uurmislone rei^retled to see as he adviiiiced, a troubled and anxioua e.xpres- eionâ€" the truth bidnK that she had a moment before remarked the exit of Miaa Belinda'a niece and her companion. It happened oddly that Mr. liormiritono'a tlrat worda touched upon the aiitijeot of her thought. Ho began ijuite abruptly with it : " It seema to me," ha said, " that Miaa Ootavia Basaett " Lucia stopped him with a courage which surprised herself. " Oh, if you pleiise," she implored," don't â- ay anything unkind apout her! " Mr. Burmlstone lonkcl down in her soft eyes with a good dial of feeling. " I waa not going to say unything un- kind," he answered. " Why ehould I ?" " Everbody aiema to lind a rmaon for epeaking aeverly of her, " Luoy faltered. " 1 have litard ao many unkind thinga to. night, that X am ijnite unhappy. I am aure â€" I am $urf nhe is very candid and simple." " Yes," answered Mr. Briinatone," I am â- are she is very candid and simple." " Why should we expect her to be txaotly like ourselves ? " Lucia wont on. "How Clin we be sure that our way ia better than any other V Why should they b« ungry beciinae her dreaa la ao expensive mid pretty 7 Indceil, I only wish I had such a dress. It is a tliuaaand times prettier than any we ever wiitr. Look around the room, and aee it it ia not. And ua to her not having lenrned to play on tbe piano or to Bpmk French â€" why should she be obliged to do thinga she feels she would not be clover at ? I am not clever, and have been H sort of slave all my life, and huvu been Buoldeil ii:id blamed for wbut I couM not help at nil, until I hiive fell sb if I must be a criminal. How buppy she must have been to be let alone 1 " Hhe had clatiped her little hamU, itiid though bhe spoke in a low voice, viii:t quite impa^dioiiol in itn anooiidoious way. Her britf girlish lifu lia 1 not been a very happy one, a-i may bo umly iinajuied, luidu glimpsH of me liberty for winch ahu hail Bultored ruusid her to a sense of her own wrongfl. " We are all cut out after the punao pat tern," she said. " We kiirn the Bame thinga, aud wear the stm.j driBdea, one might Bay. Wbat Lydnt Kgerton has been tnii^jht, I have been taught ; and vet what two ortiitures could be more ULlike each olhsr, by nature, than we are ?" Mr. Burmiatone glanced acroeatho room at Misj Kgertnn. She was a tine robust young woman, with a high njsu aud a stolid (xpredaionof coantenaic::. " That IB true," he rtmarked. " We are afraid of everything," Raid Lncn, bitterly, " Lydia Et^'Tton ia afrnid li ad I am .Vhen >: I from II tilt.' Mi6a urmi- iaut^h ir c in i. It her .:an to h>-ad. 1 toâ€" t and i con. all It). I.s, and .ud into "don'l, luckier for pity's sake ! " He could not have hit u|)on a speech, aud alnj he could not have uttered it more feelingly than he did. It helped her to recover heraelf, and gave her courage. " There," ahe aaid with a alight catt:b of the breath," doea not that prove what I aaid to be true ! I was afraid, tbe very moment I ceased to forget m>>-t:lf. I was afraid of you and nayaelf. I have no courage stall." " You will gain it in time," he said. " 1 shall try to gain it." she answered. " I am nearly twenty, and it is time that I should barn to respect myself. I thinkit mu>t be beoauae I have no seU-reapect that I am such a coward." It seemed that her reeolalion waa to be tried immediately ; for at that very moment Lady Theobald turnt ,1, and, ruoogni/.ing the full signitii ance of Lucia's position, was iipparautly struck temporarily doinb and iiiutionleBS. . When hhe recoverd from the snook, she made ii maieatic gealare of com- mand. Mr. Burmiatone glanned at thegirl'a faoe, and s«w that it changi >1 color a little. " Lady Theobald appeara to wiih to apeak to you," he said. Loda left her seat, and walke ) a :ro4a the room with a steady air Lit ly Thuobali dill iiol remove hiT eye fioni her until she stopped within three feel ol liir. Tlieaahe asked a rather nnnioesaary |>iedtioii. " With whom have you boeuuonvei ling?" " With ilr. Ilnriuirttoii.?." " I 'poll what suhjet',1 ? " " We are speaking of Miitii O.-tavia Has- felt." Her ladyahip glanned around tha room, as if a new idea had oixurreil tu her aad Htid : " Where i< Miaa O :tavia Ba«sett ?" Here It iii'idl bo uoulessed that Liit:ia fal- tered. " Hhe is on tbe terraoe with Mr. Barold." " Hhe is on " Hnr ladyship slopped abort in the middle of bur Bunteiiue. Tliis was loo muoh for her, Shi> left Iiucia, aud crusHtd the room tu Miss ISelindn. " Belinda," she Bald, in an awful under, tone," viiur neii;H is nut upon the torraoo with Mr. Harold. I'erhaps it would be aa well for ynii to intimate tuber that iu Kug laud it is not ciiHtoiiiary â€" that -Buliuda,go and bring her in." Misd Belinda aroae, actually lookin){ pale. Hhe had been making such slreiiuous elT>irt to converde with Miss I'lloher aud Mrs. Uurnham that ahe had beeu betrayed into forgetting htr ubarge. Bhe could auarcely believe her ears. Hhe went to the open window and looked out, and then turned paler than before. "Ootavia, my ilear," she s»id, faintly. " t'rancia I " said Lady Theobald, over her shoulder. Mr, Fraucia Barold turned a rather bored countenance towarda them â€"but it waa evidently not Ootavia who had bored him' " Ootavia," said Miaa Belinda, " how iin. prudent ! In that thin dres j- the night air I llow oould you, my dear, how ooiild you?' "Oh! I dhall not catch coll," Uotavia iinBwered. "1 am used to it. I have been out boiird and hours, on moonlight n'ghla, at home." But she moved towarda them. " You must remember," aaid Lady Theobald," that there are many things whioh may be done in America which would not be safe in England." And she made the remark in an almost sepulchral tone at warning. How Miss Belinda would have supported herself if the coaoh have not been an- nouuoed at this juncture, it would be difficult to say. The coaoh was antuunoeil, and thoy took their departure. Mr. Barold happening to make his ailieus at the same time, they were esoorttil by him down to the vehicle from the Blue Idon. When he had assisted them in and oloeed the door, Ootavia bent forward ao that the moonlight fell full on her pretty, lnoe- oovere.i head and the aparkling drops in her eara. " Oh 1' she exclaimed, "if you atay hero at all, you must conae and eee ua. Aunt Belinda, ask him to coineand aee us." iUisd llelinda could scacely »peak. "1 abail be mostâ€" most happy," she fluttered, " Anyâ€" friend of dear Lady Theobald's, of course " " Uon't forget," aaid Ootavi.-v, waving her hand. Tbe ooaofa moved off, and Miea Belioda Bank back into a dark corner. " My dear," ahe gaaped," what will he think ?" Octavia waa winding her lace scarf around her throat. " He'll think 1 want him to oall," »he said, Bereael). " And I do." CHAPTEK XIII. IME.NTIO.NS. The position in which Lady Theobald fuDud herself placed, after these occurreoct a, «as certainly a dit)i:ult aud anpleatibnt one. It was Mr. Francis Barold'n caprice, for the time bein;;, to devr-lop an intimacy with Mr. liurmidtone. 11^ hail, it seemed, chosen to become interested in him during their eojourn at Broadoaks lie bad dii>. covered him to be a d>sirable companion, anil a <;lev»r, amiable fellow. This much he conil B?ended to explain inoidentally to her laaj ship's self. " I can't say I expected to meet a nice fellow or companionable fellow," he re- marked, '' and I waa agreeably aurprised to bud him both. Never aays too much or too little. Never bona a man." To thia Lady Theobald could make no reply. Hingularly enough, she bal dia- ouvured early in her acquaintance that her wonted weapons were likely to dull their edges upon the eteely coldneaa of Mr. FrauciB iJarold's iuipa»ibiliiy. In the preaenco of this fortunate youui> mau, be- fore whcm his world had bowed the knee from hia tendereat infancy, ah<3 loat the inaj- s^V of her demetiuor. He refused to b'j alt.-cted by it ; he waa even implaoable enoutih to show openly that it bored him, and to insinuate by hia manner that he did uot iiiti-iid to aubmit tu it. lie entirely ignored the claim of reUiionehip, andacted according to the promptings of hia own inoodd. He did not feel it at all incumbent upou hiui to remaiu at Oldclough Hall, and BUbji'Ci hinietdf to thetimubouoredcuatoms there iu vugU". He preferred to accept Mr. BormidlObe's i iviiatioo to becomehie gueat at thu haudsme house he had jaet complet- ed, in which he lived in bachelor splendor. AcQonlingly he inetalled hiiiideif there, and thereby complicated luallera greatly. Kiowbridiie found itself in a ponition a^s ditiicult and far more delicate, tbau L%dy Theobald's. Tbe tea-driukiu^s in honor of that Iroubleaome young peraon. Miss Octavia liii'sctt, having been iiunguraled by her ladyship, must go tbe social rounds, according to ancient custom. But wbul, in diHoretion's i ume, waa to be doue con. cering Mr. Francis B«rold ? There waa no doubt whatever that he mist not ba ignored ; and, in that case, what ditlicaltiea presented themaelves ! The mamma of the two Mistea Egerton, who wa.s a nervoaa aud eaaily aubjugated peraon, waa so excited and overwrought by the prospects before bor that, in contsm plating it when she wrote her inviiaiiooa, she was aflHUted to tetrs. I can u-iauro yuu, Lydia," she aaid, " that I have not alepl fur three nighta, I have been ao harranded. Here on one hand, is Mr. Fraocis Barold, who most be invited, ami on the other hand ia Mr. Burmiatone whom we cannot pa.-vi over, and here ia Lady Theobald, who will turn to stone the moinuiit ahe ee^-B him â€" thongh, goudnesa know-^. I am sure he s;ems a very quiet, re- spectable mau, and stid some of tne mcHi oompliiueutary things about your playing. And here ia that dreadful girl, who ia euon^ .1 to give one cold chills, and who may do all aorta of dreadful thinga, and is cer- tainly a living example to ail respectable, well educated girln. And the bluulval of the blind ooul 1 see thtl nothing would offend Lady Theobald more fatally than to let her be thrown with Fran -im Harold : and ho<v une is tu invite Iheiu into thjsAine room, aud keep them apart, I'm sure I don't kno*. L*dy Tneobalil herself cmid nut do ii, and how can we be exitjcmd to ? Ami the r.'freahinouia on my iiiiud. too, aud Forbi 8 failiii.;oii her tei cakee, and brinjj iug up Hally Luniis like lead." That these misgivings were equally abated by enoli eulertaiuur in prospooiive niichtbe addti !ed from the fact that ihe riam.f afu-r- uoon Mra. Burnham and Mi^s I'llcher appeared upou tha acoue, to cjiisult with Mrs. Kgerton upou the dubjet^. Misd Lydia an 1 Miss \ lolet being dis. miseed upstairs to their practising, the three ladies sat in the darkened parlor, and talked the matter over in stile nn conclave. " I have consulted Miss Pilcher, aud mulioned the alfitir to Mra. Gibsou,' an- nounced Mrs. hurnham. " Aud really we have not yat been able to arrive at any coo- uluBioii." M re. Egerton shook her bead, tearfully. " Fray don't oome to ine, luy titars,,' she ' Bald, â€" "don'l, I begofyoiil 1 have thought I about il until luy ciruulatiou has all gone wruiifj, aud Lydia had been applying hot- water bottles to luy feel all uioruuig. I gave it up at half-past two, aud set Violet to writing iDvitations to one aud all, let the ooiiBetiuentiea be what thoy may." MiBH I'lloher glanced at Mrs. Burnham, and Mrs llnruham glanced at Miaa I'llcher. " i'erhaps," Miaa I'ilcber suggested to her oompaoion," it would be as well for you to mention yonr impresBioiia." Mrs. liuruham's manner became ad- ditionally cautioaa. Bhe bent forward alightly. " My dear," ahe aaid, "baa it atruok you that iy»dy Theobald h«a any â€" iuteutioos, ao tu speak ?" " Iiitenliona !" repeated Mrs. Egerton. " Yts," wiih deep siguiBoance. "Soto apeak. With regard to Lucia." Mra. Egortou looked utterly helpless " i>ear me!" ahe ejaculated, plaiutively. " I have never had time to think of il. Dear iiiu I With regard to Lucia!" Mrs. liornham became more aigniUoant atill. " And," she added," Mr. Franina Barold." Mrs. Egerton turned to Miaa i'llcher, aud saw ooiitirmation of tbe faot in her ooDut- euaiice. Dear, dear I" ahe said. " That makes it worse than ever." "It is certain," put in Miaa Pilcber," that the union woultl bo a desirable one, and we have reaaou to remark that a deep interiHt in Mr. Fraucia Barold haa been shown by Lady Theobald. He has been invited to make her house his home during hia atay in Blowbridge, aud though he has not done HO, the faot that he haa uot is duo only to some inexplicable reluctance upon hia own part. Aud we all remember that Lady Theobald once plainly iutimated that ahu anticipated Luuia forming, in the (utuie, a matrimonial alliance." " On!" commented Mra. Kgerton, with aome alight iiupatienoe,"it ia all very well for Lady Theobald to have iutentiona for Luoia ; but if the yonng man has none, I really dou'* ' ^bat her iutentiona will be likely to result in anything particular. And I am sire Mr. Francia Barold is not in the mood lu be intlaDced in that way now. He is mure likely to entertain himself with Miss Ootavia Basaett, who will take him out in the moonlight, and make hernjlf agreeable to him in her American style.' Miss I'llcher and Mrs. Ijurnham ex- changed gUucea again. "My dB»r, ' aaid Mrs. Burnham," he han called upon her twice since Lady Theobald's tea. They say ehe invites nim heraelf, ana dirlB with bim openly in the garden." " Her conduct la saob," eaid Miss i'ilcber, with a shudder, ' thai tiie bliodd upon th aide of the seminary which facaa MitsBisj- ett's garden are kept cloaed by my or Je.~d. I have young ladiea under my care whose characters are in process of formation, and whose parents reposa confidence in rae." " Nothing but my friendship for B^ilinda Baasett," remarked Mra. Burnhaixi," would induce me to invite tbe girl to my house." Then ahe turned to Mrs. Egerton. " But â€" ahem â€" have yon inoladeJ them all in your invitation ?" abe observed. Mrs. Egerton became plaintive again. " I don't see how I could be expected to do anything else," ahe said. " Lady Theo- bald herself could not invite Mr. Francis Barold from Mr. Burmiatone'g bouse, and leave Mr. Burmiatone at home. Aud alter all, I muat say it ia my opinion nobody would have objected to Mr. Burmiatone. in the brat place, if Lady iueobaid had uoi iuBiBied upou It." Mrs Burnham reflected. " I'erhaps tbn; ia true," ehe admitted cautioudly. at length. " And it must be confetised that a mau in his pusition is not entirely without his advautatfes â€" particu- larly in a place where there are but few gentlemen, and tbcae suaruuly desirable asâ€"â€"" Bhe paused there, discreetly ; bat Mra. Egerton was not 6i discreet, " There are a great many yoang ladiea in Blowbridge," she said, ehakiug her beaU. A groat many 1 And wiih hve in a family, all old enough to be out of a pchool, i am sure It id dying in the face of Providence to neglect one's opportunities." When tbe two ladiea took their departure, Mra. liuruham aeemed letleotive. Finally she eaid : " Poor Mra. Egerton'a mind ia not what it waa â€" and it never was remarkably strong. It mual be admitted, too, that there la a lack of â€" of delicacy. Tboas great, plain girla of bera must be a trial to her." Aa ahe apoke tbey were paaaiugthe privet hedge which anrrouaded Miaa Baaaeti'a houae and gardt-u -, aud a soaud caused both to glaacd around. Tbe front door bad jnal been opened, and a gentlsmen lu neat clerical garb, hia guileless eccleaiaatical countenance suffused with mantliug bluahsa of oonfudion aud doligbt. He atopped on the gravel path to receive tbe laat worda of Miaa Ot.'tavia Baaaett, who stood on ths threshold, smiling down upoD him iu tbe prettiest way in the world. " Tuesday afternoon," ahe aaid. " Now dou'i forget, because I shall ask Mr. Barold and Mias Gaston, on purpose to piay againat us. Even Bt. Jameacan't object tocrotjuel." " I â€" indeed I shall be ntixt bappy and â€" and delighted," aiammured her departiug guest," if yon will be so kind aa to - to iu- slruct me, and forgive my awkwardness." "Oh! I'll instruct you," said Uotavia. " I have instructed people before, aud I know how." Mrs. liurnham clutched Miss i'lloher's arm. " Do you aee mho that is ? 'aha demanded. " Woulii von have bilieved ii ? ' Miss I'lloher preaerved a atony demeanor. " I woiiltl b'liovo anything of Miaa Uctavia Uaaaett," ahe replied, " There woultl be uothing at hII remarkable to my mind in her tlirting wi:h the Iliahop hiiii- Sell? Why should she beBiiato toentieavour tu entagle the ciraieof St. James? ' OflAl'IEK XIV- .4 CLEBI.'Al. VISIT, It wa? ini'-ed true that the K»v. Arthur I'oppleton had apent tbn grna'or part of hii) afternoon lu Mids Ootavia l]kdse'.t'a front parlor, and that 0:Cavia hitd entertained him in such a manner that he had been be- guilt tl iuto forgetting hia uleriual visits he ill 1 intt'niji 1 to mane, and thialty com- mitted hiniitelf by a proniine to return a day or two later to play crot|uet. lis object in calling had been to rcjueBt Mi-s Bolindn's assiBtaiice iu a paruohial matter. Ilia natural timorouanesi of nature hatl indeed I'd hira to put off making tha visit for as long a lime as posdble. The roports he hail heard of Misa Octavia Itidsett had in. spired him with great dread Cons ijuently he bad preatnted hims.<lf at Idiss BaliutU's front door with secret aaguiih. " Will you say," he had faltered to Mary Anne," that it ia Mr. I'oppleton, to see Mini Bissett â€" Mias lieliiuiu Ikuiett ?" And then he bad been hauiied into the parlor, the door had cloaed behind him, aud he found himsttlf » lut up entirely alone iu the room with M'sa Ootavia Baaaett herself. Hid tlrst impulse waa to turn, and tlee precipitately ; indeed, he even went ao far as to turn, and clutch the handle of tbe door ; but aoraebow, a aeoond thought ar- rived iu lime to lead him to control him- self. Thia second thought oame with hia aeoond glaco at Ootavia. (To ba Cuntiuiiedl. CURRENT TOPICS. Some idea of the magnitude of the four new Statea may ba bad when it ia atated that their area ia about equal to that of all New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Vir- ginia, Weat Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana combined, and about three times as great aa tbe British Islee. Moue than half of the ?2,000,000 sub- scribed on behalf of the Johnstown suffer- ers ia atilt in the handa of the State Flood Uelief Uommiaaiun, and its members are at this late day diecassing how best to dis- tribute tbe fund while the people are aal- fering for the lack of the common necea- saries of life. This Commission might eaaily take tbe Qrat prize for incompetency at any townebip fair. TiiK total populatiooof Spanish Americi inclnding the Weat Indies and Brazil, ia nearly equal to that of tbe United States being over 50,000,000, of whom not leaa than 5 per cent, are European subjects and not over 3,000 nativea of the Uuited Stales. There are about 500,000 aavage Indiana, coutined to tbe interior of the con- tinent of Bcutb America, and a few small tribes io Central America, numbering not more than 5,000 all told. Thus nearly every inbabittnt of the two continents of Central and South Atnericaand the Antillea la a contributor, airectly or indirectly, to the e.Kports of the country iu whi h he lives, and to a degree a conaamer of im- pjri>ed merchauaiee. Oumcluk and seemingly unimportant paragraphs and cable:<ranH are frequ.'iitly tinding their way into public priut that in Crete the Christiana are being persecuted by the unspeakable Turk. Particulars are seldom given, but it is known that horrible atrocities are from lime to time perpe- trated upon the unhappy people. Today's ckble contains the atatement that further outrages have been committed. It is a queer commentary upon tbe boasted civilization of the I'.Hh century that tbe Europsanpowera abould quietly stand by while the cries of the people are ao loud and despairing. Woultl that one tenth tbe energy displayed iu thia country by Christian peuple in defamiog one another were diverted to tbe buccorut their brethren of Crete. Thk Maritime Congress which ia to open ita sesaiona in Washington on the Inth inst., although loat sight of by the public in the oommotion caused by the aaaembling of the Pan-American Congresa, ia one of great iiiiportanoe and more than likely will result iu more pra'.:tical benefit to the world than the other. The principal anbjectafor diaoaasiou will be : Marine aiguala in heavy weather and at night ; restriction of draught for loaded veaaela â€" a subject inaiated upon by Great Britain, where auch a restriction already prevaila ; the deaigna- tion and marking of veaaela ; life-aaving applianoes aod methods ; qualifioatioua for offioera and aeameu ; Unea for ocean aleamera on fre<iaeoted routea ; atorm warnings ; reporting and moving of wrecks and obstruoiiuua of navigation ; uniformity in the system of bu-^ya and beacons, and the establishment of a permanent interua- tioual maritime oommission. The Con. gress might also, if possible, adopt aome means to atop the racing of the Atlautic liners acrosa the ocean. They have already received warning of ita dangers, but some- thing more than warning is needed if calamity would bo prevenit'd. After all, the principal race troubles ocour in paying the bets aud walking home. THE t HISKSK MMDKN. Her skin waa tUe onlnr of aalfrou lea, Aud her iioae waa as Ilat aa tlat'joultl f)e , Autl iitiver were aouuwufh beautiful eyesâ€" Two aluitiud keruols iu .-naite auil aiztf, bet iu Ii i;.)Ui)le uf sliiittinij gaahea Antl uot in the leaat diatlgureU by lashes. Au thuu such fet'L You'tl biirtlly moot In lUe louueal walk tbrouijb tbe grautlast dtroel 1 Vou mlijlil Kt> aeukiuii Freui Nankin tu I'ekin A pair Bu remarkably small aud neat. â€"John O. Sacct, â€" When a young lady begiaa to manifest an interest iu tbe arrangement of a youeg man's cravat he wants to be as oareful aa he can pcsaibly be or he is gone. " Won't yon coino into my parlor .' Waa the diiiilor -. cttr.liHi ciy. •' Nil, l ttmtjK ynii, ' [-aid liirt iioarur, " Don't you siu I, tuo, aui lly ?" â€" Like mauy u young man, natare begins her foil by paintiug things red. The Kendala made a groat bib in " A Scrap of Paper" in New York on Monday evening. It was their first appearance in America and the public and uritict have nothing but praise to bestow upon tbebii. A Utxxl (tuiuHrUaii. I said, " Where are you goinu, Mr. ? ' ' He aaid, " Yi)u know my old friend, Mr- â€" , in Hamilton." I said "yes." "Well,' he aaid, " he has bi-en sick for a long time, aud bail to put a inortgagjuu bis place last fall, thinUiug hu would be well euuugh to pay it off by the time it came due. I'uor fellow, he IS about dead, and the mortgage due, aud it the piaoe is sold the family will be turned out of doors. I juat thought I would ruu down thia moruiug aud cheer him up a Uitle aa he was leaving, that I would pay up that mortgage ao be would know thai hia family would be comfortable when he waa gone." He continued, " Our folks are budding a big church and tbey wanted me awful bad tu give thum a big aubsoription ; but I thought I could do tbe Maater'a work better iu thia way. I aup- poae they would be diaappoiutetl." And with that he left me fur we were at Hamil- ton. ' Well, I aaid to myaelt again, after be left, "that is a good man. I wish we bail more Uke him. Still, he hasn't much of an eye to busiaesa, for it's a poor way to advertise. If hu hatl given the money to the ohurch he might have had his name in every paper from one end of Canada to the other and just what Dusineaa he was carry- ing on and what an awful good man he was-"â€" " 7'fai»/j " in thu Woo<Utock Sentinel- R6view. Had Utul Bxperleuce. Lawyerâ€"" Do you understand the nature of an oath, madam ? Witneaaâ€" " Well, I abould aay I did. My husband took off the screena yesterday, and is putting up the stovepipes to-day." After a Curtalu Lecture. " Joe, your wife looks as fresh as a morning glory." " I wish ahe waa a moruing glory," " Why BO, Joe ?" " Beuaase she'd shut up at night." Very Verdant, Hiramâ€" I thought that if I lay down in the grass you couldn't find me. City cousin (who had been hunting for him) I did tiud it hard to distinguish you. The grasa ia ao green. Even the old-time suggoation of jompell- ing railroad directors to ride on the cow- catcher of a locomotive, in order that their presence might inaore tbe exercise of great- er oare by the tniin handa, would hardly av^iil in theae days of recklessneaa aud blundering. In the case of two recent acci- decta prominent railroad ollijiala were among the paisengers; aud in one case their private car fortnod part of the eijuipment of the train. Evidently some more heroic remedy wilt have to be applied. CI usaie Cottlow, the musical prodigy of Chicago, ia eleven years old. Bhe played by ear at the age of 3, and at 1 by note. She ia a prepossessing child of average height aud si/.e. â-  «. \ N,'