,lyi&u!.2& 
A SONG OF THE OLD AND NEW, 
where the principal complaint against them. 
It may not be so well known that at the 
South they prey upon the crop in its latter 
stages, alighting upon the stalk and picking 
off the corn from the end of the ear. Their 
depredations in this way are not so exten¬ 
sive as to do much harm. In addition to the. 
means of support in the winter, mentioned 
in the Report, they visit the fields of winter 
wheat, and compete with the buzzards 
around the offal of slaughtered animals or 
other decaying flesh. 1 have noticed them 
for years in their prompt discovery of the 
time and place of hog killing. 
In winter they collect in immense num¬ 
bers. They appear to congregate late in the 
evening and fly together to a thick field of 
pines to roost. 1 have seen vast clouds of 
them in one body at sueli times. Then, as 
indeed at all times, they seem not only to 
know what they arc doing, but to be intent 
upon some special object. a. w. 
BY A. A. HOPKINS 
Old days, glad days, happy days, adieu ! 
Blest with a beauty that is ever warm and bright! 
Old days, glad days, gladder than the now, 
Hear with you ever all our tomtere.M. delight. 
Love sings sweetly of the pleasures you have known, 
Arms clasp empty ulrthat held the forms you knew. 
Lips go hungry for the kisses that have tlown,— 
Hearts long ever for the loving and the true. 
Old days, glad days, happy days, adieu I 
Memory with pressure soft, still fondly clings 
. to you! 
Somewhere you brightly shine, all the ages 
through, 
Old days, glad days, happy days, adieu I 
Old days, saa days, weary days, adieu! 
Sad with your sorrows fcoenly cutting to the heart! 
Kycs gleam brighter fur the gladness of the new. 
Smiles Hash sunlight thus to sec you now depart. 
Hope laughs cheerily, and dries the foolish tears ; 
Bright nro the morns to he. happy nil the hours ; 
Love Will blossom into sweetness through the years. 
Lips sip honey from the daintiest of dowers ! 
Old days, s;id days, weary days, adieu ’ 
Better days arc dawning than the dead years 
over knew! 
Bright shall gleam their golden light all 
ages through, 
Old days, sad days, weary days, adieu! 
Now days, bright days, cheery days urn here ! 
Joy Sings sweetly In their cbeorlness and glow ; 
Faith smiles trustingly on every idle fear; 
Pales all the gloty of the vanished hong Ago. 
Glad days and sad days have glided on before, 
These pro the golden days, the gladdest ones of 
Time! 
Past days arc only dreams; I ho Present evermore 
Holds with tile Future all the promises sublime ' 
New days, bright days, days of gladdest cheer; 
Shine on 111 glory through I ho changes of the 
year! 
Vanish every doubt and euro; banish every 
l’ear, 
New days, bright days, days of gladdest cheer! 
HON. EDWIN M. STANTON 
The late Edwin Macy Stanton, Ex- 
Secretary of War, whose portrait we give 
herewith, was born at Steubenville, Ohio, in 
December, 1815, of Quaker parentage. A 
portion of his boyhood was spent as clerk in 
a bookstore, and in 1831 he entered Kenyon 
College. Here, however, ho spent only two 
years, and then took up the study of law in 
the otlice of his guardian, Daniel L. 
Collier, Esq. Admitted to the bar. ho be¬ 
gan the practice of his profession at Cadiz, 
O., and was shortly afterward, at the early 
age of twenty-three years, elected Presenting 
Attorney of Harrison county. 
Removing to His native town in 1843, Mr. 
Stanton was chosen Reporter to the Su¬ 
preme Court of 1 he Stale. At about this 
time he began to take an active part in poli¬ 
tics, as a member of the Democratic party. 
Three years later he became a partner of the 
Hon. Charles Silyleu of Pittsburgh, and 
was thereafter known yery prominently be¬ 
fore the Pennsylvania and United Stales 
Courts as a lawyer of uncommon ability. 
Taking up his residence in Washington in 
1850, his services as counsel were brought 
into requisition on several occasions by the 
Government, in matters of much moment, 
and he was thus first really brought into 
public notice. 
It was in the stormy times of 1800 that he 
was invited to a seat in President Buchan¬ 
an's Cabinet. Accepting the same, the loy¬ 
alty he evinced and the earnest labor he per¬ 
formed in behalf of the country were of in¬ 
calculable benefit to the Union cause. Then, 
and thereafter, through the long years of 
conflict, he was the most unflinching, faith¬ 
ful counselor the President had,—one of the 
most faithful and unswerving officers any 
government ever boasted. As Attorney- 
General under Mr. Buchanan, and Secre¬ 
tary of War under Mr. Lincoln from the 
20th of January, 1862, when he accepted 
that arduous position, he fairly lived in his 
duty. 
In personal manner Mr. Stanton was 
often brusque, even to offensive ness. And 
so stern was his sense of justice that he 
made numerous enemies. Indeed, probably 
no official was ever more cordially hated by 
many than was he. But he had the warmest 
esteem of many, nevertheless, and that his 
untiring exertions as a public servant were 
appreciated by those highest in authority 
his recent appointment us Associate Justice 
of the Supreme Court, and immediate con¬ 
firmation as such by the Senate, abundantly 
testify. Mr. Stanton’s official labors under¬ 
mined a constitution naturally strong, and 
on the 24th ult. he died of congestion of the 
heart, as much a martyr to loyalty as any of 
the brave men who fell in battle. He leaves 
a wife and four children. 
MY PEACOCK AND MY CAT, 
My peacock has token a fancy to my cats. 
Particularly docs he seem to like the com¬ 
pany of a large yellow mouser that lounges 
about the yard. As sure as he finds this cat 
stretched and snoozing in the grass, he will 
creep up to it, and bending his head till his 
bill almost touches it, he will stand for a long 
time, as though watching or listening in a 
spirit of sentimental musing. 
Kitty puss does not appear to be alarmed 
at all on discovering his presence. I think I 
have noticed him making a light peck about 
pussy’s cars. The question is, what is the 
meaning of his peculiar attentions? He 
seems, especially to watch about the head. 
Is he watching the blinking of pussy’s sleepy 
eye? Or shall we conclude that lie is really 
enchained by pussy’s soft and soothing purr? 
To-day, though there was no special sign of 
difficulty, pussy showed an evident desire to 
get rid of his company. a. 
RAFE SCHAFFER 
aA ii O L I D A Y STORY. 
BY BERTHA SIBLEY SCUANTOM. 
(Continued from Pn #0 18 last No.) 
CHAPTER III. 
Rape found her grandmother still alsccp 
when she went in, and Hannah had tea all 
ready. 
“ ’ Pears like you be a tryin’ to ketch an 
onflueiuy or anthill,’ settin’ in the garret till 
dark, an’ then goin’out into this ’ere chill 
breeze all on a hour ago, with that old 
blanket onto your head,” she scolded. 
Rape laughed. 
“ Did I wear (hat?” she said, holding up 
the faded relic, and laughing again; “ and 
Hannah, I met the Fairy Prince, or he 
might have been the Fairy Prince, if lie had 
only worn A satin doublet instead of the 
shaggy 1 raveling cloak, and a plumed hat 
instead of a tourist’s cap.” 
‘•Them books don’t do you no good, all 
about Fairy Princes, and velvet double¬ 
gowns, and mantillas, and all: I wouldn’t 
read ’em, child. And you mustn’t roam 
about so after dark. It ain’t safe, of there’s 
strange people like that about. Who knows 
but you might ’been sperrited off, or lmd 
your throat cut?” And the old serving- 
woman grew solicitous, for she had loved 
the girl when there were few beside to love 
her, and had taken her from her mother’s 
arms. 
“ Those books cannot harm any one. I 
got them from the rectory. And this legend 
1 liked best of all, for it seemed most like 
my own story. And lie wasn’t a rough man 
at all; very kind and gentleman-like.” 
Rape stopped here; she could not tell the 
Woman how nearly she owed her life to him. 
Something in her face made old Hannah 
kinder than ever to-night. She busied her¬ 
self close to the girl; she drew the faded 
curtains close and made the lire brighter, 
setting out her choicest hits of cookery, and 
talking cheerfully. Looking up at the face 
of Richard Schaffer’s wife —Rape’s dead 
mother,—a face like her child’s, only whiter, 
more timid, with less of the steady purpose 
in it that was Rape’s relic of her sturdy 
Schaffer blood. We do not know, some¬ 
times, why we are so moved to tenderness 
toward others, till afterward. 
Rape looked more than once at the wo¬ 
man’s face, inquiringly. 
“ Here, dear, you love these plum pre¬ 
serves so, 1 got some down. Your grandma 
h’uiut woke up yet, and she’ll want her tea. 
I wouldn’t wait. You’ve been busy with 
her most of the day, and she’s been more 
fretty for you, and this sea air gives one seeh 
a appertite. 1 made some of your muffins; 
it don’t take long, and I tossed ’em up a pur¬ 
pose. I’m glad you eat so hearty, too, clear, 
clear! I remember jest how your father an’ 
your grandfather afore you loved my muf¬ 
fins 1” 
She sat down and looked at Rafe. The 
instinclivu power that even the dullest wo¬ 
man has told her that the girl was growing 
to be a beautifhl woman. 
“It can’t allers last, this hum-drum life. 
She’ll find some day such a Prince mebbe, 
after all,” she thought, not dreaming that 
already the girl’s feet were in the path that 
led to the “ edge of the wood.” 
“Therechild,” she said when Rape began 
and showmen have to deal. Kindness must 
be used in teaching them, and food rewards 
are the incentives. 
city,” to wimd up with a carouse before re¬ 
turning to their cold-water quarters. But 
after terrifying several small boys and chil¬ 
dren of a larger growth, the seals were cap¬ 
tured by their keeper, brought back to the 
garden, and a fence around the reservoir 
prevents any further nocturnal excursions. 
Whether or not Smith is correct in assuming 
that “ L. 8.,” as affixed to certain legal docu¬ 
ments, means learned seal, it is certain that 
the seal is one of the most sagacious and 
easily taught animals with which sailors 
INTELLIGENCE OF SEALS, 
A Singular Bird. — The Mcgapodidce 
are a small family of birds found in Austra¬ 
lia only, and differing from all others in that 
they never sit upon their eggs, but bury 
them iu large mounds of st icks, stones, eart h, 
etc., which arc sometimes six feet high. The 
birds are as large as a small hen. Their 
eggs are very nutritious. 
The city of Brussels has lately been 
amazed and amused by the extraordinary 
performances of two seals which were 
placed in the Zoological Garden in that city. 
The night after their arrival the seals crossed 
the park, climbed a wall, dropped into the 
street, and began a general tour of observa¬ 
tion, meaning, no doubt, after “ doing the 
(Lbc Haturalist 
(g) 6 CgD 
HABITS OF THE CROW 
In the article in the Agricultural Report 
on “ Value of Birds on the Farm,” the re¬ 
marks on this well-known species of the 
Govvuhr are evidently applicable to its fife in 
the North. Doubtless its Southern habits 
are quite as destructive to injurious insects 
as its Northern. As to its merciless preying 
on the eggs and young of smaller birds, the 
charges here against it are not so severe as 
those given in the Report. But it sometimes 
displays its loudness for eggs in a manner 
more provoking t han in robbing the nests of 
the birds. It, steals the eggs of domestic 
fowls, especially of Guinea liens, as they are 
more shy and wild than other poultry, and 
go further from the house to make their nests. 
During one season it was evident that the 
crow watched them closely and broke up 
their nests to an extent that was very annoy¬ 
ing to us. I have seen it flying with an egg 
shining iu contrast with its sable plumage. 
Perhaps its destructiveness in this regard is 
counterbalanced by its inveterate hatred to 
the hawk. Its attacks upon this enemy of 
the poultry are often very determined and 
' persevering. I have never known it to con¬ 
quer so far as to slay its adversary, but it is 
manifestly a great annoyance and trouble to 
his chicken-eating majesty. The attack gen¬ 
erally engages several The war cry is 
sounded so vehemently that to their kindred 
who hear them they must convey the idea of 
a tremendous conflict. They rally from dif¬ 
ferent directions, every new-comer adding 
his caw to the clamorous jargon. While the 
hawk sits upon the tree, they keep at a dis¬ 
tance from him, whether from cowardice or 
cunning 1 know not; but the instant he com- 
i mences flight they renew the attack. They 
A show great expertness in their swoops at 
rv him, appearing to strike his back so as not 
k to become exposed to his claws, 
ig Their habit of pulling up com isevery- 
W MiOlJjSTTA-IN SCENK I^NT SCOTJb-AJNTD 
[Drawn and Eugvar> d Expressly fO' Moore’s* Rural UTew-Yorfcer, from a .Painting by Laiulseer.l 
