MAGGIE MASON'S CHRISTMAS 
[Concluded from page 412, this No.] 
“Jessie Ahoylr, She told me her history this 
morning. Her father and mother both died in Scot¬ 
land. and she came to this country to get work. She 
had rooms down on L. street, and was working for 
David & Bremen's Jew clothing store. She took 
home some work last night, and they refused to pay 
her for it, telling her ehe had spoiled it. So she says, 
and Dr. Bojtnsaw her there in tho store last night,, 
too. May I kcep her, pipe J” And the bine eyes 
turned pleadingly toward him. 
“ Yes. little daughter/’ ho answered. “ She will be 
able to help you ahoat the party; and, by the way, you 
must tell me this morning how mnch money you want, 
and I will bring it to yon from the office to-night.” • 
“Papa, I want to tell you something by-and-by,” 
and she glanced toward John. Mr. Mason under¬ 
stood her. 
“ Wo have no further need of your services, at pres¬ 
ent, John,” he said to the servant, who immediately 
leit the breakfast room. 
“ Well, Maggie,” as she still hesitated, “ why don’t 
yon go on? Or must I dismiss Aunt Mart, too?’’ 
and he glanced at that lady good-naturedly. 
“Oh, no, papa I 1 want Aunt Mary, too. I-that 
is— I—papa, it will take about live hundred dollars 
for that party.” 
“ ' VelL . puss,” answered her father, cheerfully, 
“you are growing more and more extravagant every 
day. No—I do not refuse you, You can have it, aud 
if you want it to-day I’ll take John down with me 
and send it up to yon. 
“ Papa, I have almost given up the idea of having a 
party.” 
“ What, Maggie ?” asked her father iu astonish¬ 
ment. “I thought your heart was set on it?” 
" It was, papa; but I had a great deal rather have 
the money to do what I please with. May I, papa ? 
Only give me live hundred dollars, and I will not ask 
you for anything again this whiter.” 
“My dear li 1 tic girl,”—and her father pushed back 
from the table and stared at her, incredulously— 
“ whftt philanthropic idea is this you have got into 
your head now ?” 
“Please, papa, don’t ask me now. Only give me 
the money. I will do good with H.” 
“ Y, *« darling.” answered her father, as some idea 
of her project flitted through his brain; “yes, dar¬ 
ling, you shall have it. I will send it np by John.” 
When Aunt Mary and Maggie retired from the 
breakfiist table they proceeded to Miss Aroyle’s 
room. She had already risen, had dressed herself 
in the warm clothing which Maggie had provided 
for her iu place of her own thin and scanty apparel, 
and had done ample Justice to tho good thtDgs Mag¬ 
gie had sent up fur her breakfast. The three were 
coeeted togeth-r for a lung time; and then, calling 
the carriage, Maggie and Aunt Mary went out shop¬ 
ping. When they returned, John was deputed to 
carry their purchases up to Miss Argyle’s room; 
how lew had ever heard of it; and now, who 
would think of working even a twenty-acre 
farm without its aid? 
Twenty-five years ago there were railroads 
with locomotive engines, but they date only a 
few years anterior. The writer of this well re¬ 
members reading the account of Mr. Stephen¬ 
son’s first success in Englaud, and he has not 
forgotten when the first short line was put iu 
operation in this country. Twenty-five, years 
ago railroad connection between tho Hudson 
Kiver and Lake Erie was scarcely completed, 
the Erie and Hudson River lines wore hardly 
thought of, and iu the Great West, where the 
railroad may be said to have achieved its greatest 
triumphs, it had uo existence at all. If the last 
twenty-live years did not witness the origin of 
the railroad, it has seen its wonderful expansion, 
until this country aud Western Europe havo 
been converted into gigantic gridirons by the 
crossing and interlacing of iron bands, and all 
other modes of land travel havo become nearly 
obsolete, and a five-mile journey iu an old-fash¬ 
ioned stage coach is more to bo dreaded than a 
hundred miles in a rail car. 
Twenty-five years ago California was unex¬ 
plored and uninhabited, save by Indians and u 
few Mexican adventurers and outlaws, and its 
wealth of precious ores was a well-kept Bccret,; 
and the other gold-producing States and Terri¬ 
tories — Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Montana 
and Idaho — so familiar to every ear, had no 
existence, save as they formed parts of the great 
unexplored Far West of the Rocky Mountain 
region. 
Twenty-five years ago a hundred thousand 
dollars was regarded as a magnificent fortune, 
to which, though many aspired, few attained; 
and the number in the metropolis of tho West¬ 
ern World whose estates reached this figure 
could be counted on one’s lingers. There are 
more men in New York city to-day whose 
annual Incomes reach one hundred thousand 
dollars, than there were twenty-five years ago 
of those whose entire possessions amounted to 
Twenty-five years ago there were 
LV/j rn L! IZ 
THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, 
BY C. O. MOORE 
’Twas tho night before Christmas, when all thro’ the 
house 
Not a or eat, tire was stirring, not, even a mouse ; 
riio stockings were hung by the chimneys with care. 
In uonos that St. Nicholas soon would be there • 
The chihirun were nestled all sung Iu l.holr bods, 
Willie Visions of sugar-plains illUlOeri thro’ theirbeads; 
And mamma in bur kerchief and I In my cap, 
Ilad Just set tled our brains tor a long winter’s nap— 
\\ holt out on the lawn there arum? such a clatter, 
I sprang from my bed to sou what was the matter. 
Away to the window I fiuw like a flash. 
Tore open the shutters, and threw up the Bash- 
The muon ou the breast of the new fallen snow, 
Gave tho luster of mid-day to objects below 
When what to my wondering eyes should appear. 
Bur. a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer, 
With a little old driver, so lively and quick, 
I knew, in a moment, it must he St. Nick. 
More rapid than eagles his doarsors they came, 
And ho whistled anil shout ed and called them by name; 
“Now, Drndier! now, Dancer! now, Praneer! now 
Vixen! 
On, Comet! on, Cupid I on. Dander and Blixcn! 
To the top or the porch I To the top of tho wall ’ 
Now dash away, dash away, dash uwuy, all I ” 
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, 
When they meet with (in obstacle mount to tho sky 
So up to tiie houso-tup i he coursers they flew. 
With the sleigh lull of toys and at. Nicholas too. 
Auu then la a twinkling, l hoard on the roof 
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. 
As I drew m my bond and was turning around, 
Down the chimney St, Nicholas came with a bound 
Ho was dressed aLf in fin from Ids head to his foot, 
And bis clothes were all tarnished with ashes aud 
soot; 
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, 
And he looked Uku a peddler just opening his pack. 
His eyes — how they lwinkled I his dimples — how 
uiorry! 
Hia cheoits wore like roses, his nose like a cherry; 
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, 
Aud the beard ou tus chin was as white as the snow. 
The slump ol a pipe he heal tight In hie teeth, 
Aud tho smoko it encircled htB head like a wreath • 
He had a broad face, aud a Utile round belly. 
That shook, when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. 
He was chubby and plump, a right Jolly old elf; 
Aud 1 laughed when 1 saw him, in spite of myBelf. 
A wiuk of his eye, and a twist of his head, 
Soon gave me to Know 1 had nothing to dread, 
lie spake not a word, hut went, straight to his work. 
And filiod all tho stockings; then turned with a jerk 
And laying fils linger aside of his nose, 
And giving u nod, up tho chimney he rosu. 
He sprang to his sleigh, to his toam gave a whistle 
Aud away they all flew, like the down of the thistle; 
But f heard him exclaim, ere ho drove out of sight, 
“ Happy Christmas to nfi, and to all a good night l” 
We herewith present to the readers of the | the peace, while the latter evinced no marked 
Rural New-Yorker, a portrait of the present 
King of Prussia, Frederick William Louie, 
aversion to a contest which seemed plainly 
invited. Diplomacy failed to adjust the dillcr- 
seemed not disinclined 
to submit to the sharper arbitration of the 
sword. The present year has witnessed the 
collision and the results—auspicious to the mili¬ 
tary fame of Prussia, but deeply humiliating to 
her pretentions yet severely stricken rival. 
This great success in anna, so quickly wou, 
has given a prestige to the Prussian Monarch 
which many an abler man has failed to attain, 
lie is not. regarded as a brilliant ruler, but is 
possessed of good natural abilities; has the ad¬ 
vantages of a careful and thorough education; 
much and varied experience in the cabinet and 
iu the field; is firm of purpose; free from the 
vices of sensuality, and nuturally reticent, there¬ 
fore not likely to lose anything by ungarded 
display or unwise confidences. 
That the King is amhitlous to make Prussia 
the leading German power may be tairly as¬ 
sumed, even if he does not aim to make it tiie 
prominent one in Western Europe. That bucIi 
is the ambition ol his prime minister, Bismarck, 
is the general conviction, arid the presumption 
is that in this there is perfect accord between 
the King and his Counsellor. 
known as William I. It is, as we are assured 
by a young gentleman who was recently an 
officer in the Prussian army, a strikingly correct 
portraiture of t he original. Recent events have 
given a prominence to Prussia, in Continental 
alfairs, not before possessed by that Govern¬ 
ment since the days of “Frederick the Great.” 
fleir to the past renown of Prussia and the re¬ 
sponsible director of its policy, the prescut King 
naturally uttracts more than an ordiuary share 
of public attention, rendering this brief notice 
opportune and appropriate. He is the second 
son of FERDKRtcK William III, lately deceased; 
was born May 22d, 1707, and came to the throne 
on tho death of his brother, which took place 
on the second day of January, 1801. On the 8tb 
of the following October, he was crowned as 
William I, at Koningsburg, under llatteriug 
auspices, so far as the internal affairs of the 
kingdom were concerned. Externally the as¬ 
pects were less assuring, though no immediate 
adverse change seemed imminent. Austria, 
jealous ou the subject of German supremacy, 
saw in Prussia a real or possible rival, and 
hence was not particularly anxious to preserve 
ences which both parties 
so mnch 
possibly half a dozen millionaires in the whole 
couutry. To-day they may be counted by hun¬ 
dreds. 
Twenty-live years ago the population of the 
city of New York was a little over three hun¬ 
dred thousand. To-day it is a round million, 
and the overllpw Into the adjacent country may 
he reckoned at hall' a million more. 
Twenty-five years ago the population of tho 
Empire State was less than two and a half mil¬ 
lions. To-day it cannot he much loss than five 
millions. 
Twenty-five years ago the population of the 
entire country was only seventeen millions. 
To-day It la nearly forty millions. 
Twenty-five years ago there wore twenty-eight 
States in the Union. To-day there are thirty- 
six, with half a dozen more to bo added within 
a few years. 
The world moves; but such wonderful strides 
as it has inado within the lust twenty-live years 
former generations never saw. Every depart¬ 
ment of life has felt and seen its accelerated 
motion; ami it is almost enough to make one 
feel giddy to look back over the last quarter of 
a century aud witness the rapid succession of 
discoveries In art and science, and tho wonderful 
Increase in wealth and population. 
And what is the secret ? It Is the wonderfully- 
developed spirit of invention which has iuftiscd 
energy aud enterprise into the world, and en¬ 
couraged men to undertake the accomplishment 
of.tliingB which, without the inventor’s aid, would 
have been wild and chimerical. 
In 1840 the United States l’atont Office issued 
less than five hundred patents; in 1865 it Issued 
six thousand. This is the key to the whole 
secret. Of the fifty thousand patents issued 
during the last twenty-five years in this country, 
some, doubtless, were worthless; others were 
of little account; while a verv larsre number 
Time rolled on, sod it waa Christmas Eve. It was 
bright moonlight, clear and keen, and promised well 
for the success or their project. Mr. Mason had been 
coaxed Into the plan, and John was let Into the aecret. 
So the three ladies with a close carriage, and Mr. 
Mason and John with an express wagon heavily 
laden, turned down a dark alley and stopped at house 
after house, as Miss Aroylk indicated, aud deposited 
at the door of each a covered basket containing a 
Christmas dinner, bon-bons Tor children, and a roll of 
clothing, besides eomething substantial for a “ Merry 
Christmas.” When all was uuloaded they turned the 
horses heads and rode home under the glortons moon¬ 
lighted sky, and Maggie thought she had never been 
so happy before. 
It was yet early when they arrived home, and enter¬ 
ing the parlor, Maggie threw herself Into her favorite 
chair and thought of how many hearts Hhe had that 
night made happy, while the tears of sympathy rolled 
down her checks. Her father came softly behind her 
and took her in his arms. “Crymg, darling?” he 
said, tenderly. " Nay, rejoice | You have this night 
laid up for yourself ireaanre in Heaven.” A peal of 
the bell aroused them; and tears were yet on Mag¬ 
gie's cheeks when John admitted and announced 
“ Mr. Hall.” 
Mr. Mason turned to meet him. “See here.” he 
cried, cheerily, “ what kind of an escapade do you 
think my little girl has been engaged In ? Spent five 
hundred dollars—all for nonsense I” 
“Now, papa,” began Maggie; but Mr. Mason kept 
on unhcedingly. 
“She is the most extravagant piece of property I 
ever saw. Here she’s been und given away five hun¬ 
dred dollars for Murry Chris! ma.s, and calls it charily:' ’ 
and he groaned audibly, with such a comic look of 
despair on his face that both Maggie and Mr. Hall 
laughed uloud. Bat he continued“ My dear Hall 
never have such an extravagant daughter as I have; 
she’ll ruin yon if you do.” 
“ Instead or that, Mr. Mason, “-and Mr. Hall's 
voice trembled, despite his effort for self-eontroi- 
“ instead of that, I want your extravagant little 
daughter for my wife.” 
Bravo, Mr. Halt. ! That s coming to the point 
with a vengeance. Don’t yon think so, Maggie?” 
But Maggie's face was buried in her hands, and Ehe 
did not answer. 
“ Well, Hall, you must do your own talking,” said 
the old man, frankly. “ Maggie is old enough to de¬ 
cide for herself, aud her decision wifi be mine,”-und 
Mr. Mason arose and left the parlor. 
“Maggie, and Mr. Hall took one of the little 
hands, and drew it away from tho blushing face,- 
“ may I have it ? You have given so many ChristmaB 
gifts to-night, will yon not give one more ?” 
She looked up, smiling archly through her tears. 
“ 1 have bee n too extravagant already,” she said 
“and you do not approve of extravagance.” 
“Look at tnc, Maggie,” he said, gravely. She 
obeyed mechanically ; but her eyes fell before that 
passionate gaze, and he gathered her to his breast. 
“My own Maggie, my Christmas Gift” he said 
softly. “ .May all your extravagance ever tend in this 
direction.” 
A few months more, and Maggie came to preside 
over the princely home and generous heart of Harr y 
Hall. Jessie Abo vie had the honor of helping to 
jnake the bridal trouseeau on tho machine which was 
Maggie's Christmas present to her. And at the wed¬ 
ding Mr. Masox was heard to declare that “ his Mag¬ 
gie was the most extravagant girl in creation, for not 
content with giving away five hundred dollars she 
must also give away herself.” 
Tor Moore’s Rural New-Yorker, 
A WORD TO THE YOUNG. 
The Origin of the Stars and the Causes of their 
Motions and their I,ight. liy Jacob Ennis. [12ino, 
—pp. 885. Now York: D. Appleton & Co. 
As the title of this volume would iniliente, an at¬ 
tempt is made In It to delineate the process by which 
the stars or planets—all are considered as of the sume 
denomination vurylog only in magnitude, the earth 
included—arc changed from a fused state, their orig¬ 
inal condition, to a solid or stationary state. All 
bodies composing the system of the universe are 
regarded as nominally liquid, bat some of them, from 
chemical action In a cycle, of ages, become cooled 
aud their outer surface fixed or stationary. In this 
way what are denominated lost stars arc accounted 
for. In other words chemical action has so changed 
them that they ceased to be liquid; their surfaces 
have become cooled, and hence not emitting light, 
are denominated “lost,” The earth is supposed to 
be an example of this class. We have not room for 
quotations, and must content oursel res with referring 
the reader to the volume itself, which will be found 
interesting whether its theory of world formation 
be assented to or not. 
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS —A RETROSPECT. 
In looking back through tho dim vista of the 
past, and noting the world’s advancement, we 
can detect no era so fruitful in results as that 
embraced within the period of the lost twenty- 
Ihe years. The great discoveries in science and 
tho arts, -the numerous useful inventions, the 
wonderful expansion of commerce, the find¬ 
ing of inexhaustible mines of precious metals, 
anil the rapid growth in wealth and population, 
all tend to make the last 
Who that has been in a bar-room at night has 
not seen young men, who might bo au honor to 
society, spending their evenings and wasting 
their time in idle conversation ? Aud what is 
the cause of this? Simply that they are ashamed 
to be seen in the company of tho good aud 
learned. They are ashamed aud don’t know 
what to say. Thut is it, exactly; they don’t 
know what to say. 
Now, a remedy for this lies in reading, not the 
yellow covered trash which is seen at any news¬ 
room orsecond rate bookstore, but real, genuine, 
Bolid, useful reading—such as History, Philoso¬ 
phy, Chemistry, &c. Bach subjects as these 
will furnish you with almost endless sources for 
conversation, and also will help you to resist 
any temptation to spend your evenings in the 
bar-room. 
Now, young men, don’t bo found in any bar¬ 
room, saloon, or other like place one evening 
this winter. Stay at home; read, think, study, 
store your minds with the treasures of knowledge, 
so that when you are In tho society of the good, 
the great and learned, you wilt feel at homo rather 
than as though you were out of place. When you 
sec a person whom yon knew to he wise and 
good, don’t feel as though you wished you were 
somewhere else, but study bis character, culti¬ 
vate his acquaintance, strive to be like him, and 
when the end is reached and you find yourself 
in the company of the good and leamd you will 
always have something sensible to say. 
Onondaga Co., N. Y„ Dec., 18045. E. M. G. 
quarter of a century 
unparalleled in the world’6 history. The whole 
civilized world has felt the impetus of growth 
and expansion, and we are happy to believe that 
our own favored laud, untramcled by the tradi¬ 
tions and dead forms of tho Old World, has not, 
only distanced all other nations in the race of 
progress, but has, by its example of energy and 
enterprise, infused new life into effete und decay¬ 
ing nationalities. 
Less than twenty-five years ago the first suc¬ 
cessful experiment with electro-telegraphy wag 
made, though it had been the eubiect of investi¬ 
gation for some years previous. A wire was 
stretched from Washington to Baltimore in 
the year 1844, and soon after extended to 
New York, and very rapidly throughout the 
country and tho world, till, at length the earth 
is girdled, and time and space are literally anni¬ 
hilated, The author of this wonderful discov¬ 
ery is still in the enjoyment of a green old age, 
rich in honors and the substantial reward of hia 
genius. 
Twenty-five years ago ocean steam navigation 
was a new thing, and its practicability had just 
been demonstrated. True, years before, a little 
steamer, known as the Savannah, had crossed 
the Atlantic, But her during feat had long been 
forgotten, never, perhaps, to be recalled, had 
not tne Western World been waked up one 
morning by the astonishing notes that the 
Sirius, a small English - built steamer, bad 
arrived from London. The 8irius was soon 
followed by the Great Western—and hence¬ 
forth ocean steam navigation became a fixed 
fact. Before, there had been no steamships, 
only steamboats — useful craft on lakes and 
rivers and other inland waters — but the idea 
that steam could be made available for naviga¬ 
ting the oceans had long been scouted in high 
places. Twenty-five years ago there were no 
steamships of war, but ocean steam navigation 
having been demonstrated as practicable, the 
nations ceased to build sailing vessels for war 
purposes, and rapidly substituted steamers. 
Twenty-five years ago most of the inventions 
of agricultural machinery, which now so lighten 
the labors of the farmer, while they increase his 
gains, were unknown. Who ever heard of the 
reaping machine till it made a sensation at the 
London Exposition in 1850 ? It must have had 
Personal Recollections of Distinguished Gen¬ 
erals. By Wti.LiAM F. G. Shanks. [12mo.—pp. 
347.] New York: iiarpor & Brothers.—1806. 
Wb have here presented pen pictures and accom¬ 
panying illustrations ol' a number of the more prom¬ 
inent Generals who figured in our late domestic war. 
The author wub with tho armies at various times—an 
eye witness of many ol' the conflicts, and personally 
cognizant of the parts played la them by the officers 
whose prominent traits he professes to portray. No¬ 
tices are made and portraits presented of Generals 
Sherman, Thomas, Grant, Lee, Sheridan, Hooker, 
Rousseau, Buell, Stecdman, Howard and Logan. 
The volumo la well got up and will no doubt secure 
many readers, whatever may be thought of the cor¬ 
rectness of all the portraitures presented In it. For 
sale by Steele & Avery. 
DEPTHS OF THE SEA, 
Some Difference,— A few years ago, a little 
fellow, Eddy, not slow in roguery, complained 
that James had been throwing b tones at him. 
The teacher inquired into the matter, and found 
the charge correct. She said to Eddy: 
“What do you think you should do if you 
were teaching, and had such a boy as that? ” 
“ I think I should fiog him," was the reply. 
Upon this, James began to fear the result, 
and bo he filed in his complaint 
“Eddy throwed a stone at me t’other day,” 
said he. 
“Ah,” said the teacher, “I mu6t know about 
this matter. Is it true, Eddy, that you have 
been throwing stones at James?” 
Eddy hung his head and confessed it. After a 
little thumbing of the strings, ehe says: 
“Well, Eddy, what do think you should do 
with two such boys as you and James?” 
“I think," said he, sobbing, “I should try 
’em again 1 ” — Rhode Murid &choolma*ier. 
An American Family in Germany. By J. Ross 
Browne. [12mo.—pp.381,] New York: Harper & 
Brothers.—1860. 
Mr. Browne is well known for his dashing and racy 
style; for an observant eye, especially for the ludi¬ 
crous and a ready facility lor putting his impressions 
on paper both with pen and pencil. In the present 
instance wo think the work drags a little towards the 
close. However this may be, the book is well worth 
a perusal. Steele & Avery sell it. 
A French journal says that the soundings 
for the new transatlantic cable have enabled 
comparisons to be made of the depths of the 
dlfierent seas. Generally speaking, they are not 
of any great depth in the neighborhood of conti¬ 
nents; thus, the Baltic, between Germany and 
Sweden, Is only 120 feet deep; and the Adriatic, 
between Venice and Tricetc, 130 feet. The great¬ 
est depth of the channel between France and 
England does not exceed 400 feet, while to the 
60 uth-west of Ireland, where the sea is open, 
the depth is more than 3,000 feet. The seas to 
the south of Europe are much deeper than those 
in the interior. Hi the narrowest part of the 
Straits of Gibraltar the d*pth Is only 1,000 feet, 
while a little more to the east it is 3,000 feck 
On the coast of Spain the depth is nearly 6,000 
feet. At 350 miles south of Nantucket (south of 
Cape God) no bottom was found at 7,000 feet. 
The greatest depths of all are to be met with In 
the Southern Ocean. To the west of the Gape 
of Good Hope 16,000 feet have been measured, 
and to the west of St. Helena, 37,000. Dr. 
Young estimates the average depth of the 
Atlantic at 25,000 feet, and of the Pacific at 
20,000 feet. 
Guy Hamilton : A Story of Our Civil War. By Miss 
J. II. Mathews. New York: The American News 
Company.—lSflfl. 
A tiresome story and a great waste of paper and 
ink to very little purpose. War sensation stories 
have been so uuiuerous as to pall on the taste of the 
public. This field of literature should be suffered to 
lie fallow, a few years, before being worked further. 
For sale by Dewey'. 
Sir Brook Fossbrooke. A Novel. By Charles 
Lv eb. New York; Harper & Brothers.—1S66. 
Like all the productions of this popular author 
tbia volume is full of incideut, wit, humor, aad not a 
little of the drollery pertaining to relations of Irish 
life and character. Whoever commences reading the 
volume is pretty sure to finish it and wish there was 
more of it. Sold by Steele & Avery. 
The Christian life is not an engagement by 
contract between a master and his servant. It 
is the union of two hearts—that of the Saviour 
with that of the saved—by the enduring ties of 
the most intimate love. 
