Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker 
NORTH-EASTERN MICHIGAN. 
A little girl i aB1 indeed, 
And little do I know; 
Much help and caro I yet shall need, 
That I may wiser grow— 
If I would ever hope to do 
Things good, and great, and useful too. 
Bnt oven now I ought to try 
To do what good I may; 
God never meant that ench as I 
Should only live to play, 
And talk and laugh, and eat and drink, 
And sleep aud wnko, and never think. 
I may, if I had bnt a mind, 
Do good In many ways; 
Plenty to do tho young may find, 
In thcflo our busy days; 
Sad would it be, tho’ young and small. 
If I were of no use at all. 
One gentle word that I may speak, 
Or ono kind, loving deed. 
May, though a trifle poor and weak. 
Prove liko a tiny seed; 
And who can tell what good may spring 
Prom a very little thing 7 
Then let mo try, each day and hour. 
To act upon this plan— 
What little good is In my power, 
To do it whilo I can; 
If to bo useful thus I try, 
I may do better by-and-by. 
A few items relative to this country may not 
be out of place in yonr journal, and if 90 here 
they are. I will speak of this locality, and of 
that part of Michigan north from Detroit and 
east of a line drawn from that city to Saginaw 
Bay, via Corunna and the Saginaw River, which 
may, and should, be termed the eastern penin¬ 
sula of the State, terminating as it does in a well 
projected and prominent point, or peninsula, in 
Lake Huron. 
The physical character of this large tract of 
country is as follows;,—For a distance back 
from Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, and St Clair 
River, say from fifteen to thirty miles, the sur¬ 
face is very level and heavily timbered, the soil 
sometimes sandy, but more generally a clay. 
Then, back from this, comes a narrow belt, usu¬ 
ally a few miles wide, of higher, sloping, slight¬ 
ly rolling, and magnificent land; and back from 
this belt a higher, more uneven and more or less 
hilly eonntry, which evidently has been the 
longest elevated above the ancient water. There 
are 6andy tracts of soil, but more generally it is 
clay. Back from St. Clair River and Lake some 
parts of the country are yet pretty new, but set¬ 
tlements have penetrated all through. North 
from the railroad now building from Port Enron 
directly westward, the great body of the coun¬ 
try is yet a wilderness aud a lumber country. 
There is a chain of settlements and scattered 
villages on its eastern side, on the shore of Lake 
Huron; in places they have penetrated well into 
its interior, and along the northern side of the 
aforementioned road in some places the settle¬ 
ment i6 considerable. But in the main It is a 
great wilderness, roamed by deer, bear, wolves 
and even yet by many elk. The land has bnt lit¬ 
tle elevation, and only a few limited tracts arc 
hilly. The Cass River and its tributaries drain a 
great part of this region, and on aud around its 
head waters are many Immense marshes sparlog- 
Thii coun- 
Tue Falcon was a bird much honored In the 
days of chivalry, but in these latter times of 
utilitarianism aud gunpowder, has been de¬ 
graded from its honorable position, and made 
to take its true place among the feathered 
tribe. He is, in fact, only a hawk,—a blood¬ 
thirsty, rapacious, unscrupulous robber, the 
hated enemy of all the leathered tribe, and the 
legitimate aim of every old shot-gun, in the 
hands of man or boy, that can be fired olf with¬ 
out the danger of bursting. 
There are a great many branches of the hawk 
family, but, like many aristocratic families among 
men, they have all sunk very low in public esti¬ 
mation, the unenviable characteristics of tho 
tribe rendering them unfit associates in a well- 
ordered and peaceful community. The rearing 
Anna Strong was a sad littleboaster. Though 
she meant to speak the truth, she was so vain 
and thoughtless that no one could believe her. 
She always wanted a long lesson. She would 
say “lean learu it all —it is not too hard for 
methough, when her class was called out to 
recite, she was very often sent back to her seat 
to study. 
If anything was to be done at home or at 
school, Anna would always say, “/know how 
— please let me do it;” even if it was a thing 
she could not do at all. 
Miss Eaton was Anna’s teacher. One day 6he 
wished some ono to point to the names of the 
cities on a large map, so that all the girls in the 
class might know where to find them. 
“0 let me do It,” said Anna; “I know how 
as well as cau be.” 
“ Yes, you may do It,” said Miss Eaton ;’but 
Anna could not point to a single name that"her 
teacher called. 
“You are like a silly little pigeon I used to 
hear about when I was a little girl,” said her 
teacher. 
A bright-eyed little girl, raising her right hand, 
said, “ 0 please tell ns about the pigeon.” 
“The story,” replied Miss Eaton, “is, that 
when the pigeon first carno into the world, all 
the other bLrds came and offered to teach her 
how to build a nest. 
“ The cat-bird showed her its nest, all made 
of sticks and bark; and the sparrows showed 
her theirs, which were woven with moss and 
hair. But the pigeon walked about in a very 
vain way, and turning her head from side to 
side, said; 
“ ‘ I know how to build my nest as well as 
the best of you ! ’ 
“ Then the blackbird showed his nest, which 
was fastened to some reeds and swung over the 
water; and the Urtle-dove Baid hers was easier 
to build than all, for it was quite flat, and made 
only of sticks laid together. But the pigeon 
turned her pretty head as before, and said, 1 1 
know how! ’ 
“ At lust the birds left her. Then the pigeon 
found that she did not know how at all; and 
she went without a uest until a man took pity 
on her and built a pigeon-house, aud put some 
buy into it. 
“ Now, children, though the story of the 
pigeon U only a fable, and not true, yet you 
may learu from it a very useful lesson. 
“Little boys and girls who are vain boasters, 
are laughed at by others, and only deceive them¬ 
selves. Like the silly pigeon, they say, 4 1 know 
how!’ but they often find to their sorrow, when 
it is too late, that they do not. 
“Remember, dear children, that when you 
once learn to do anything well, you will not 
need to boast of it.” 
and employment of the falcon in the sports of 
the field was esseutlally an aristocratic preroga¬ 
tive, and could only be maintained in those 
times when the iron rule of despotism rendered 
the mass of men mere tools and machines to 
minister to the wants and caprices of the few. 
The march of civilization, and the invention of 
artificial means whereby tho feathered tribes are 
made to fall before death-dealing fire-arms, have 
rendered the services of the falcon as useless as 
they certainly are cruel. Fine ladies do not now 
Indulge in the cruel sport of sending a rapacious 
hawk in pursuit of a poor fugitive songster of 
the forest, and clap their hands over the success¬ 
ful seizure of the prey. 
Falconry is a very old amusement In Europe 
and Asia. In the middle ages It. was the favorite 
sport of princes and nobles; and as ladies could 
engage In it, it became very prevalent, as a gen¬ 
tle kind of hunting, In which wives, daughters 
and lady-loves could engage equally with their 
husbands, fathers and lovers. The falcon was 
trained with the greatest caro, taught, to pur¬ 
sue the bird, as soon as released from tho hand, 
aud return with it. to its keeper. The falcon 
was generally blinded until the game appeared 
In sight, by having the head covered with a 
leather hood. This hood was removed when 
the game appeared In sight, and the bird which 
was taught to perch upon tho wrist was Imme¬ 
diately released to commence the chase, while 
the spectators looked on in the greatest, excite¬ 
ment, cheering the falcon by various well known 
signals. 
ly scattered over with small spruce, 
try, on the whole, does not promise to be one of 
the best for agriculture, but there are often con¬ 
siderable tracts, and small ones from the size of 
a small farm to a few hundred acres, that have a 
very good and fertile soil. And there are tracts 
of hard hemlock land, where the numerous lit¬ 
tle hillocks, caused by the overturning of an an¬ 
cient growth of trees which have rotted away 
and been replaced by another, still remain. On 
the western border of this region, at Corunna, 
coal has been developed, and no doubt iron and 
copper, If not other valuable minerals, will yet 
be found. All of this wilderness Is destined to 
be settled, and Its occupation Is progressing, 
but it will be more of a stock than grain-grow¬ 
ing country. 
The climate of the region at, large, of which I 
have been speaking, is similar to that of West¬ 
ern New York. Tho average amount of snow 
is a little less, and the winters, on the whole, I 
think not quite as severe, although the differ¬ 
ence is not great. The summers arc very agreea¬ 
ble and pleasant; usually not over warm, and sub¬ 
ject to chilly days. The barometrical changes 
are greater, have a greater range, and on the 
whole are more rapid and frequeut than in West¬ 
ern New York. 
This great region, in the main, grows well 
winter wheat, corn, oats, potatos, and barley. 
There is scarcely any spring wheat raised. Win¬ 
ter wheat usually is a pretty good crop, much 
outdoing at the present day Western New York, 
throwing all such drawbacks as the weevil 
[midge] aside. Last year wheat was a good 
crop; this year It will average little more, if any, 
than half the yield of the previous year. The 
slimness of the crop this year is due mainly to 
winter killing. Oats, barley, and potatos prom- 
probably the northern woods abound with them, 
and they are migrating hither. Another item, 
and one for horsemen to consider, is this: Two 
or three days since, whilo driving my horse, 1 
had occasion to discharge a gun from the vehi¬ 
cle to which he was attached, immediately after 
which he manifested signs of deafness, and has 
been totally deaf ever since. Ever before he had 
been lively and apparently all right, never man¬ 
ifesting indisposition lu the slightest degree, 
and there Is uo doubt but It was due to tho dis¬ 
charge of the gun, tho report of which was not 
unusually loud. I have once known of a horse 
being made deaf by a band of music. Will the 
deafness be likely to prove temporary, aud what 
treatment will avail ? w. 
per day, by working in the shop of his trade. 
In Algeria, tho whole of the government work 
is done by these military artisans, who, as well 
as the State, are gainers thereby. The men. thus 
earn extra pay, and the government get work 
done better and cheaper than they could do by 
employing the people of the country, besides 
treasuring up the vast advautugo of always hav¬ 
ing a corps of workmen at command. The sys¬ 
tem of regular organized workmen is the true 
secret why the French army get on so well when 
In service. In the English anuy we have noth¬ 
ing of the kind, except as regards the tallorsaud 
shoemakers, and (in cavalry regiments) the sad¬ 
dlers and farriers. There are many good work¬ 
men who enter our ranks, but through want of 
practice they soon forget what they know. 
In Algiers I have seen a wholo pile o i bar¬ 
racks, large enough to contain three thousand 
men, that was built entirely by a regiment of the 
line, from the digging of tho foundations to the 
making ol glass for the barrack windows, and 
not a day’s drill or maneuvering had been neg¬ 
lected while the work was going on. Through¬ 
out Algeria, miles upon miles of excellent pub¬ 
lic roads have been made entirely by the troops, 
the men being paid a small additional sum by 
the State while so employed. Thus the govern¬ 
ment gained by getting their work better and 
very much cheaper done than could have been 
effected by private contractors, while the troops 
gained a very comfortable addition to their regu¬ 
lar pay .—All (he Year lienond. 
SODA WATER.-ITS HISTORY, 
Few of our readers who frequent the soda 
fountains are probably aware of the manner in 
which the beverage is made. Soda water is 
simply pure water impregnated with carbonic 
acid gas. It is known by its agreeable, pungent 
taste, by Its slightly exhilirating qualities, and 
its bubbling and scintillation. The water to be 
impregnated with the gas is placed In a strong 
vessel, usually made of iron or copper, called a 
fountain. The gas, after being passed through 
water to pnrify it, is conducted to the fountain, 
and, ufter sufficient agitation in contact with the 
gas, at a high pressure, the water becomes im¬ 
pregnated, aud is then what is known as soda 
water. 
The first experiments were made by Venal, 
In France, in 1750, and published in 177(5; by 
Priestly, in 1788; and later by Bergman, Black, 
Van Ilelmot, and others. The first manufactory 
in the world was established at Geneva, by Goss, 
an apothecary of that city, whose annuat sales 
amounted to 40,000 bottles of “Eau do Salts.” 
In 1700, his partner, Mr. Puul, founded an estab¬ 
lishment in Paris, where were compounded not 
only tho principal mineral waters of France, but 
even those of foreign countries. From this time 
upward, laboratories multiplied all over Europe, 
and the manntactyrc of simple agrated water 
is now conducted on so large a Ecaie In all civi¬ 
lized countries, that a very large amount of in¬ 
ventive talent has been successfully employed in 
improving the necessary apparatus. 
THE DEAD SEA 
In modern times, masses of bitumen are only 
occasionally found tloating In the Dead Sea, at 
long and irregular Intervals. The Arabs on the 
western coast affirm that it is thus found only 
after earthquakes. The only two known recent 
Instances of its appearance seem to confirm this 
report. After the earthquake of 1885, a large 
quantity of asphaltum was cast upon the shores 
near the southwest part of the lake, of which 
one tribe of the Arabs brought about fifty kun- 
tars (ewt. ) to market, aud a large amount was 
purchased by the Frank merchants of Beirut. 
Again, alter the great earthquake of January, 
1887, which destroyed Sated, a largo mass of 
bitumen (one said like an island, another like a 
house) was discovered floating in the sen, and 
was driven aground on the west side, not far 
north of Jebel Usdum. The neighboring Arab 3 
swam off around it, and cut it up with axes, so 
as to bring It ashore. It was carried off by 
camel loads, and sold for four plasters (about 
twenty cents) the rutl ot.* pound. In this way 
one tribe received more than five hundred dol¬ 
lars, while ethers sold to the amount of two or 
three thousand dollars. Except in these two 
instances, the Arab shiek who acted as our 
guide, a man of fifty years old, who had always 
lived near by, had never known of bitumen ap¬ 
pearing in the sea, no.-r heard of it from his 
fathers. 8eetzen also relates, in 1807, that old 
men told him they remember its appearance only 
two or three times during their lives. 
PRUSSIAN AND AUSTRIAN SOLDIERS, 
IMPORTANT FACTS, 
“Malakoff,” the well-known correspondent of 
the London Times, in a letter to that paper, da¬ 
ted Frankfort-on-the-Main, May 26, says: 
“The Prussian soldiers we met, and every 
town is now crammed with them, present in 
general a soft appearance, as compared with 
either French and Austrian soldles. We visited 
the famous fortress of Ehrenbrcitstuln, opposite 
Gohletz, and saw there several regiments under 
inspection, and ready to march to the Saxon 
frontier. They were composed of as good ma¬ 
terial as any country in Europe, perhaps, could 
turn out, and they were well equipped. Prus¬ 
sian uniforms and Prussian firearms are, in fact, 
not to be criticised; but the men did not look 
soldierly; they stared about and were gawky 
and militia like; their accoutrements lacked 
compactness, and when they marched they 
showed a fault which is the despair of all old 
generals—they support their knapsacks on their 
backs with the hand. 
‘‘The Austrians we saw, on the contrary, 
looked hardy and machine-like; when they 
passed they stared neither to tho right nor to 
the left; they walked upright aud lithe, like the 
French, but they looked so expressionless, so 
impersonal, so unlike the ordinary individuals 
one daily associates with, that t he only impress¬ 
ion left on the mind was that ol a remorseless 
machine, made to execute orders without know¬ 
ing why. As to the physique of the men, the 
Austrians are the tallest, but this appears not 
to be an advantage in war, since we recollect 
having seen the little piou pious of the French 
Amy put the tali Austrians to flight at Solt’erino. 
“ The soldiers of the other Germanic States, 
as far as we have seen them, although fine look¬ 
ing men, have a most miserable lenue, and ap¬ 
pear infinitely more like loose militiamen than 
the Austrians. 
The number of languages spoken 1ft 3,064. 
The number of men Is about equal to the num¬ 
ber of women. The average of human life is 33 
years. One-quarter die before the age of 7. One- 
half before the age of 17. To every 1,000 per¬ 
sons, one only reaches 100 years. To every 100, 
only 0 reach 05 years; and not more than 1 in 
500 reaches the age of 80 years. There arc on 
the earth 1 /XX),000,000 of Inhabitants. Of these, 
33,333,3315 die every year, 3,000 every hour, 00 
every minute, or 1 for every second. The losses 
are abont balanced by^i equal number of births. 
The married are longer lived than (he single; and 
above all, those who observe a sober and Indus¬ 
trious conduct. Tall men live longer than short 
ones. Women have more chances of life pre¬ 
vious to the age of DO years than men, but fewer 
after. The number of marriages Is lu proportion 
of 75 to 100. Marriages are more frequent after 
the equinoxes — that is, during the months of 
June and December. Those born in the spring 
are generally more robust than others. Births 
and deaths are more frequent by night than by 
day. Number of men eapable of bearing arms is 
calculated at one-fourth of the population. 
THE BRAVE BOY 
Two boys of my acquaintance were one day 
on their way from school, and as they were 
passing a cornfield In which there were some 
plum-trees full of ripe fruit, Henry said to 
Thomas: 
“ Let us jump over and get some plums. No¬ 
body will see us, and we can scud along through 
the corn and come out on the other side.” 
Thomas said; “ I’m afraid. I do not like to 
try It. I would rather not have the plums than 
steal them, and I guess 1 will run along home.” 
“ You are a coward! ” said Henry, “ I always 
knew you were a coward, and if you don’t want 
any plums you may go without them; but I 
shall have some very quick.” 
Just as Henry was climbing the fence, the 
owner of the field rose up from the other side of 
the wall, aad Henry jumped back and ran off as 
fast as his legs would carry him. 
Thomas had no reason to be afraid. So he 
stood still, and the owner of the field, who had 
heard the conversation between the boys, told 
him he was glad to see that ho was not willing 
to be a thief; and then asked Thomas to step 
over and help himself to as many plums as he 
wished. Tho boy was pleased with the invita¬ 
tion, and was not slow in filling his pockets with 
the ripe fruit. 
Winch of these boys was brave— the one who 
called the other a coward, but ran away himself, 
or the one who said he was afraid to steal, ana 
stood his ground ?—Penny Gazette. 
USEFUL BOLDIERS, 
In the French army overy recruit is supposed 
to know a trade on joining the army. If he has 
not yet learned a trade he Is taught some occu¬ 
pation after joining his corps. Should Ife be 
lguorant of reading ai.d writing — or knowing 
these, should he wish to improve his education 
so as to qualify himseli for promotion —he goes 
to the regimental school for four hours every 
day when he is not on guard or on fatigue duty. 
HU schooling over, ha is put to work at some 
trade or handicraft, or should he not know one 
Le is put to learn one. In every French regi¬ 
ment there are regular gangs of butchers, bakers, 
cooks, carpenters, masons, gardeners, builders, 
laborers, cart drivers,watch makers, silversmiths, 
tailors, shoemakers, blacksmiths, and what not. 
All these trades or handicrafts are under their 
regular head men, and every soldier, when he 
can work may and does gain a certain sum 
Divorce. — The New York Nation takes the 
ground that we need a general marriage law lor 
the whole Union as much and more than we 
need a general system of coinage. “ All Ameri¬ 
can men and women,” It says, “ought to bo 
married, and all American childreu to be bom 
under the same law.” It may be added that so 
lax are the laws of divorce lu some of the 
States, that the reverend Doctor Hovey, of 
Newton, has lately published a little volume In 
which the Christian law ol divorce Is made ob¬ 
ligatory on all Christians, anything in the laws 
of the States to the contrary notwithstanding. 
By this rule, crime or death can alone dissolve 
the marriage relation. 
