that way, and I'm sure I had, although you used to make a great deal of fun for us in that way in our young days."

"Well, I must confess, Sarah, I had nearly outgrown the trick, till I heard these midgets wishing this rag baby would talk, and I thought I would try to gratify them; but it came near scaring them to death, I do believe," Uncle John answered, laughing loudly again.

The children dropped their heads, their faces flushing hotly as he laughed, think

ing how they had been cheated. But soon this feeling wore away, and Uncle John often amused them by exercising his queer gift, and they were occasionally greatly pleased, enjoying the perplexity of their little visitors when at a sign from them good Uncle John would make the baby talk, say such queer things, the little girls sometimes dropping her in fear, and they laughed as heartily at them in their fright, as Uncle John had laughed, forgetting that they were once as badly cheated themselves.

CURIOUS

A FAMOUS ARMORER.-The Scots were famous for the temper of their sword-blades. A great armorer arose in the Highlands, one who was able to forge armor that would resist the best Sheffield arrow-heads, and to make swords that would vie with the best weapons of Toledo and Milan. This was the great cutler, Andrea de Ferrara, whose swords still maintain their ancient reputation. He is supposed to have learned his art in the Italian city whence he was called, and, under the patronage of the king of Scotland, to have practised it in secrecy among the Highland hills, as all his genuine blades are marked with a crown; and before his time no man in Great Britain could temper a sword in such a way that the point should touch the hilt and spring back uninjured. He is said to have worked in a dark cellar, the better to enable him to note the effect of the heat on the metal, and watch the nicety of the tempering; as also to serve as a screen to his secret method of working. Many of his blades, with basket hilts, are yet found in the Scottish regiments.

THE SEVEN SLEEPERS. -"It would awaken the seven sleepers" is a common saying; but we think half who use it do not know its origin. The legend runs that seven noble youths of Ephesus, during the persecution of the Christians by Decius, a Roman emperor of the third century, fled and took refuge in a cavern, and having been pursued and discovered, were walled in, and thus left to perish. They are said to have fallen asleep, and in that state were miraculously preserved for nearly two centuries, when their bodies having been found in the cavern, were taken out and exposed to the veneration of the faithful. Then it was said

MATTERS.

these holy martyrs were not dead; that they had been hidden in the cavern, where they had fallen asleep, and they at last awoke, to the astonishment of the spectators. The spot is still shown at Ephesus where the miracle took place, and the Persians celebrate annually the feast of the Seven Sleepers.

CURIOUS RELICS.-Another archæological discovery has just been made at York, England, that goes to show there is nothing new under the sun. This was an old Roman cemetery, in which, among pottery, bronze ornaments, coins in great number, shattered statuettes, and children's toys, was found the skull of a young woman containing a false palate of very thin gold, showing there were skillful dentists in that day. Another noteworthy feature was the discovery of blocks of stone, about twenty inches by ten, which can have served no other purpose than to mark the places of interment, thus showing that headstones are not of modern invention, as has been generally supposed.

FECUNDATION OF FLOWERS BY INSECTS. -Among the recent discoveries none is more curious than the parts taken by insects in the development of flowers. Some flowers seem to appeal to the insect to enter their open leaves, by exhibiting the brightest colors, besides secreting quantities of the nectar on which their visitor subsists. Nothing can be more wonderful than the thousands of different shapes of corolla, of stamens and of pistils; and yet all are arranged so as not only to cover the insect in spite of himself, with pollen, but at the same time to separate completely the pollen and stigma of the same flower.

1. A Scripture king, who Jehoram slew; 2. With heaving bosom, ever new; 3. Against which Papal thunder is hurled; 4. This nothing means, o'er all the world; 5. To a hungry dog-pray give him one; 6. Ithaca's king, killed by his son; 7. A sign of the zodiac here is shown;

8. In skins we dressed till this was known. The nicknames of two nations great,

I'm sure you now will find

If this puzzle you can translate,

And all its knots unbind.

THOMAS ROGERSON.

COFFEE.-Never, never boil coffee. When will people learn to heed this important injunction? It has been preached time out of mind, but seems to do no good. Look at the amount of poor coffee that is inade with its strength boiled away, what is not left in the coarsely ground mass. The better part is readily thrown off by boilingthe extractive matter, much of which is objectionable, taking its place. Steep, then, as you would tea, bringing to the boiling point, but not exceeding it. A few minutes will suffice, stirring in the meantime the surface occasionally, so as to expedite the settling.

BAKED FRESH FISH.-Bake like meat in a pan, with salt and a little water, and when partly cooked, pour over it half or a whole cup of cream, according to the quantity of fish. It will bake in about an hour; and a thickening gravy should be made in the pan, after the fish is taken up. Cut halibut in thin slices, but other kinds, like haddock, shad, etc., are best baked whole, and may be stuffed, if desired. This is a nice way of cooking, if one cannot eat fish fried, as it preserves the flavor much better than boiling.

SUBSTITUTE FOR YEAST.-Boil one pound of flour, one quarter of a pound of brown sugar, and a little salt, in two gallons of water, for one hour. When milk-warm, bottle and cork close, and it will be ready for use in twenty-four hours.

BATTER PUDDING.-Three eggs, seven tablespoonfuls of flour, one quart of milk, boiled, preserving enough to wet the flour together. Beat two eggs, cold milk and flour together, and pour them into the boiling milk. Add a little salt. If berries are used, add one-third more flour. Bake, and serve with sauce.

FRUIT CAKE.-One and two-thirds cup of butter, five cups of flour, three cups of sugar, one cup of wine, one teaspoonful of soda, one pound of raisins, one pound of currants, one-fourth pound of citron, five eggs. Spice to your taste.

LOAF CAKE.-Three eggs; one cup of sugar; half a cup of butter; one cup of cream; one teaspoonful of soda; one cup of raisins; one cup of currants; flour and nutmeg.

CREAM COOKIES.-One egg; one large cup of sugar; one cup of cream; one-half cup of sour milk; half a teaspoonful of soda; flour enough to roll.

GINGERBREAD NUTS.-One pound of flour; rub into it one-quarter of a pound of white powdered sugar, one ounce of grated ginger, and the peel of a lemon. Bake in a slow oven.

LEMON PIES.-Half a pound of sugar, one-half pound of butter, one lemon grated, and the juice added. Five eggs will make two pies.

CHEAP SPONGE CAKE.-Three eggs, beaten four minutes; add one and onehalf cup of sugar; then beat five minutes; one teaspoonful of soda; one-half cup of cold water; two cups of flour.

TO CLEAN GOLD.-Powder some whiting, and make it into a moist paste with some sal volatile. Cover over the gold ornaments and surface with a soft brush; let it dry, and then brush it off with a moderately hard brush.

BORAX AND SOAP.-The addition of three-quarters of an ounce of borax to a pound of soap, melted in without boiling, makes a saving of one-half in cost of soap, and three-fourths the labor in washing, and improves the whiteness of the fabrics; besides, the usual caustic effect is removed, and the hands are left with a peculiar soft and silky feeling, leaving nothing more to be desired by the most ambitious and economical washerwoman.

TO STOP A LEAK.-Yellow soap, beaten up thick with whiting, and rubbed into the leak, has sometimes stopped it when all other things have failed.

A Dublin merchant named Johnson was very hard on his clerks, and when a visitor left the store without a purchase he would discharge the clerk. He took up a position near the door, and as customers passed out would inquire if they had been properly served. On one occasion a lady was negotiating with a clerk for a shawl, but the sale was not made. The clerk called the lady's attention to the old gentleman, who was, as usual, standing near the door, waiting to waylay the lady with the customary question. "That old man," said the clerk, "is crazy. He may attempt to stop you as you go out, and you had best avoid him, as he is sometimes dangerous." The lady started for the door, and as the old gentleman approached her, gave a shriek and darted out. Johnson was greatly astonished, and walking back to the clerk, asked, "Do you know that lady ?" "No sir," replied the clerk, "but I think she is crazy." "You are right," returned the old gentleman, "she must be crazy."

Parson Thomas, of Dayton, O., a D.D. of good repute and fine qualities, had a son of sprightly parts and progressive ideas. This son had been visiting at the house of a female relation, where he took some primary lessons in the history of the American Revolution, and how the Americans whipped the Britishers. The lad returned home full of his new subject, and at the tea-table said to his father, Pa, be you a Britisher ?" "Yes, my son; I was born in England." "Well, we whipped you!" retorted the youngster.

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Two of our stove merchants belong to the same church. One of them sold the society the stove to be used in the lectureroom. It was a nice-looking stove, but it weighed heavily on the mind of the rival dealer. The other night the remarks turned on foreign missions, and the rival dealer planted himself in opposition to expeditions to China. He was sure the Chinese could not be converted. He said, with a reproachful look at the heater, that "the society should be satisfied with the spectacle it had made of itself in buying a

stove, without attempting to make itself ridiculous in the eyes of the nation at large."

'Twas a shawl the girl wanted. Now the polite merchant prides himself upon his good taste, and having a large stock of shawls, thinks that where he fails to suit, it is useless for any one else to try. He selected a shawl, and arranged it in the manner now worn, having some trouble in getting it to lay down in front just to his notion. He succeeded, however, and stepping back a few paces, asked how that suited. "Humph!" replied the girl, "I wouldn't be found dead in the woods with that shawl on." The shawl was restored to the box by his affable clerk.

A man who was discovered asleep among a lot of tombstones in a cutter's yard in Binghamton, said, on being awakened, that he had come in to buy a monument for himself, and having picked out one, made up his mind he would try it one night before purchasing.

A gentleman once met a very quiet newsboy selling papers. "Is there any news?" inquired the gentleman. "Lots o' news," replied the boy, "but nothin' to holler."

What is the difference between having a tooth properly drawn by a professional surgeon, and having it knocked out by a fall upon the pavement?-One is dental, the other is accidental.

What is the difference between a man who cuts off the end of his nose, and a boy who has just finished his task?-One lessens his nose, and the other knows his lesson.

Why was night-travelling before the time of railways more comfortable than at present? Because they used four-posters, and so slept soundly on the road.

What relation is bread to a sewing machine? The mother. Why the mother?Because bread is a necessity, and a sewingmachine is an invention, and necessity is the mother of invention.

When are eyes not eyes?-When the wind makes them water.