“ Wliy Is It cruel, Violet 7" lie asked. 
•* It is cruel. You know I do not want to be 
married, Felix. I do not like to be teased about 
love.” 
•• But, my darling, no one can look at you and 
not love you.” 
“ That Is not my fault. And, Felix, you should 
not call mo 'darling'; do you not know that Is 
hardly proper 
“ It I knew a word tliat, conveyed more, and 
sounded more sweetly, I should use It,” he said, 
looking with passionate admiration at the pure, 
perrect face. “ Oh, Violet, do accept me ! No one 
else in the wide world loves you half somuch. I 
would make you so happy that you would never 
regret It.” 
•• f am very happy now," she murmured plain¬ 
tively. 
*• That little cottage oTne Is so pretty, Violet. 
There Is a little nrawlng-room that opens on to a 
flower-garden — Imagine that all furnished in 
white and gold ; then there Is a little room up¬ 
stairs I should furnish as a budolr for you—a 
room that would be a lit,ting shrine for my pearl of 
pearls. My darllDg, you should have everything 
that your heart desires.” 
Mtie touched her face gently with her dainty 
hands. 
“ You would buy the moon for me If 1 wanted 
It and you could obtain It,” she said laughingly. 
*• But, Felix, I do not want the moon, aud I do 
not want to bo married. IX) talk of something 
more pleasant." 
“ Violet, my heart Is so lull of this ; tt seemed 
to me as l came along that I walked on air. I 
have loved you so long; I have no life apart from 
you; and I have been waiting so impatiently 
unt il 1 could see a chance of making a beautiful 
home for you. Now I see It—do not bo cruel to 
me, Violet, I Implore you.” 
" ft Is you who arc cruel to shadow this fair day 
by talking o£ love and marriage, Felix.” 
The words sounded harsh and cold, but there 
was no coldness on her fair face. 
“ You know that I have loved you, Violet, ever 
since we were children.” 
•• Yes, I know it. 1 should know It—you tell 
me so every day." 
** And you—you have had admirers of every 
kind, I believe, dark and ralr, tall and short; but, 
Violet, you love me best, do you not 7” 
TUc lovely face drooped over a bunch of wild 
thyme. Hoe did not answer ; but Ue persisted In 
his questioning. 
*• You love me best, do you not 7 Oh, my dar¬ 
ling, be a little kind to me !” 
There was such passionate loro In his hand¬ 
some eyes, such passionate pain In his face, that 
bhe was touched. 
“ Yes, I do love you, Felix," she said gently ; 
and then she looked up in alairn. He had clasped 
her bands In hlaand covered them with kisses ; 
Uls dark eyes were dlrn with teara. 
“ Oh, nly love," he orhd, “you hold my heart 
lu the hollow of your hand 1 If you uud said you 
did not love me, the wonts would have killed me 
as surely as ever a man was slain. My darling, 
do you not sec that If you love me you must of 
necessity bo my wife 7 You must of necessity 
be my vVite.” repeated Felix, “ or what Is the use 
of love?” 
•• It Is pleasant," she replied : “ still, marriage 
—well, Felix, you will laugh if I tell you that it 
seems lo me Hku Calling a child Into a gloomy 
house irom sunshine anil trom i lay." 
“ 'mat, is not a pleasant comparison. Violet, 
my darling," he remarked, smiling, “you will 
be very happy. Now you spend your llfo amongBt 
all sorts of pretty things. You Bhall do the same 
then. No shadow of cure shall come near you. 
You shall he one of t he most, worshipped as you 
Mil be ono or the most beautiful of wives." 
•• But, F. llx," she said Blowly, with an air of 
perplexity on her beautiful face, “ it seems to me 
that marriage Is the end of everything, once 
married, there is no dug for ono to look forward 
to, nothing, as It were, to hope lor ; It Is the be¬ 
ginning of a dull, gray, monotonous stretch of 
llfo." 
“ Vou will not always say so, Violet.” Felix 
laughed. “ You must marry—you love me. Prom¬ 
ise to marry me.” 
She was looking away beyond the green trees, 
as though she were trying to peer Into soms far- 
off future. 
*• ( do love you,” she returned thoughtfully1 
am sure that I love you—but there seems to bo 
something more wanting. 1 cannot think this la 
all that life holds tor me ; yet 1 eanuot tell whny 
it Is I want.” 
“ You love me," said Felix. I am quite con¬ 
tent. The real is not hing but tuo natural fear 
that a young girl has of a new life. Tell me again 
—my heart hui go is for the words—that y ou love 
mo, Violet." 
Slowly aha turned her eyes from the distant 
hills; slowly suer Used them to her lover’s race. 
Love him 7 Certainly she did. Ilia ardent young 
face had some of the proud, sttrn beauty that 
Immortalised t he Greek henna. There was none 
like him lu Lilford. Certainly she loved him very 
much. Why hdoiia’e to say so 7 sue spoke slow¬ 
ly, in a sweet clear voice. 
“ Most surely, Felix, 1 love you”—and the words 
seemed to till him wlih delight. Ue took the soft 
while hands lu his, and held them while he made 
her iepe.it again and again that she loved him. 
“You can never go bu«.k from your word, vio¬ 
let. No human ears to bear us ; but behold the 
great broad blue sky. Your vow is made to me, 
darling, before Heaven.” 
“ 1 nave made no vow, Felix." 
“ You have said that you love me. Violet, make 
me quite happy now, Already I am so happy 
that the air seems to Intoxicate me. Say you 
will be my wife.” 
She w,ib thinking again, with the same far-off 
look la her eyes, and she said suddenly— 
*• A coi.foge oriw. Do you mean that pretty 
villa wh .rn the ticuchrs>oui. stayed 7"— [.o be 
continued. 
THE RURAL 
YORKER. 
SEPTEMBER IN CHINA. 
E. F. MOSBY. 
Tiik Chinese In the city of Canton have a very 
delightful lime during the month of September. 
It is then that they celebrate the Feast of Lan¬ 
terns tn honor of the Harvest-Moon r whose birth 
they rejoice over. 
On the night when the September moon is full, 
each Chinese householder has to suspend from 
the highest point of his bouse at least two lamps, 
and all da 7 they arc busy preparing and palutlag 
In gay colors the lanterns, which are of all sixes 
and hues, and are made tn very curious and 
grotesque shapes. They tasteu them on the 
points of long, slender bamboos, until the roofs of 
the houses look more tike a canebrake in the 
South, or a bank of reeds by the side of a river, 
than a city. 
But as night comes on, and the moon rises 
slowly in the lovely deep-blue sky of the East, 
all that is queer or ugly disappears lu the 
faint shadows, and the colored lights In the air 
begin to slrlnc. All the great city, with its many 
low, mean-looking houses, Is suddenly trans¬ 
formed into a scene of sparkling, gleaming, 
twinkling beauty, like an Aladdin’s garden, with 
fruits of gems and precious stones, huag by a 
magic spell, high over our heads. 
on the river below are numbers of Utile boats, 
some full of flowers, some having refreshments 
for sale, or public entertainments and snows or 
plays on board, all brilliantly llHunluaud; lu 
some cases wit h rows of colored lanterns la every 
imaginable device, but always gay, and moving 
here and there like troops or fire-flies, Nor are 
the lanteriis over head still, f n r the bamboos are 
not only stirred by every light wind, but are 
swung to and fro by tbe weight of the colored 
lamps themselves, aud the roofs are 30 close to¬ 
gether, That they seem like great beds of flowers 
of light moving In the breeze. 
The people In the flower-floats on the water 
send off a continual stream of rockets, like a fiery 
rain as they dart down, alter flashing far up to¬ 
wards the clear blue heavens, and are reflected 
again lu the dark waves underneath, that seem 
to sparkle and shine too. From every house, as 
well as Horn thu floating crowds of Uuy vessels 
comes an exploslou of tire-crackers—very like a 
Fourth of July In Philadelphia—only these are 
more elegant, as they are made fragrant by tine 
shavings or scented wood, which perfume the air as 
they burn. Far on near thu outside walls of the 
city, the noise seems to die away Into a softer 
hum, and the flash and sparkle of the tire-works 
Into a ulm red glow. 
The Chinese have no bands of musicians with 
Uuurumenta like ours, but they have an lustTu¬ 
rnout that Is called a gitlern, which makes a tink¬ 
ling sound like the falling of drops from a foun¬ 
tain Into a marble basin, aud cymbals and gongs, 
whose clash and clang mingle with this, not ln- 
hai tuonlously—If one Is very far off. 
Canton la a sea-port, aud among the Chinese 
you see crowds from other countries, people from 
England and the rotted States, traders who come 
to buy tea and silks and shawls and porcelain and 
carved ivory. From the vessels all the flags of 
the different lands from which they come are fly¬ 
ing, a. ’. idd moat beautiful and brightest ol these 
1s oar,mg of the blurs and Stripes, to which the 
Chinese give the pretty name of the “ Flower- 
Flag” on account of tts pure white and tender 
blue and gay red colons like a glowing mass of 
garden blossoms. 
1 can linaglnu the pure, pule moon, as It rises 
higher and higher in the quiet sky with Its rich 
depths of purpliBh-hlue, looking down as It sur¬ 
prises at noises and the glitter aud movement, be¬ 
low; the grotesque houses, and singular, obllqm.- 
e' ed people wno prefer their noisy festival and 
glaring llluuduuLlon to the t ranqull loveliness and 
stillness of the heavens overhead. But iheauine 
quiet liarvest-.Vloon shines down on Tar grander 
scenes, wlilch surround this crowded city, and 
suggest very different thoughts,—on the shadowy 
lilUs, which as you see them from Canton, look 
like mount tina seen in u dream—ou the wide 
ocean aud ks solemn solitude, its rhythmic tides. 
CHURCH FAIRS. 
I aAVX chosen lo retain the old name at the 
head of thl j article rather than use the one which 
seems to bo rapidly displacing it—to wit. Bazaar. 
Whether the latter be more appropriate, and if 
so, why. Is a question that might be discussed with 
propriety, but, l am not at present piillologlcally 
inclined, so leaving It, I will proceed to consider 
the topic oiinou need above. 
This m:gut also bo an Interesting question to 
Investigate: When, where and by whom were 
church fairs Invented, discovered, conceived, sug¬ 
gested or planned 7 What Illogical mortal ilrst 
dared to ask Ids neighbor to contribute articles 
for a fair, and then asked him to payjfor the privi¬ 
lege of puichuahig them at double their value 7 
Who was so hoDtiul as to believe people in the 
full pc. jusslon of their reason, would pay to be 
admitted to a room where they might buy Ice¬ 
cream A_;i oysters at a higher price than that for 
which they are sold at places where no admission 
fee is charged. 
But somebody did have the audacity to try It, 
and, contrary to all rules of rea30u and common 
sense, tt succeeded. Church fairs are permanent, 
ly established as ono of the institutions of tbe 
country. And am I going to urge objections to 
them? It l know myself ! am not so unwise as 
that. There are some things In this world that, 
while they have few supporters who will not 
agree, If privately and uOtHldenUally Interviewed, 
that they cost, all things considered, more than 
they are worth, cannot be publicly opposed 
by any one w ho has regard to hla social status 
in the community where he resides. No, I do not 
Intend to object to church fairs. I know tbe un¬ 
answerable argument always advanced by the 
ladles: *• We couldn’t raise the money In any other 
wayand I admit Its force. 
Having thus broadly disclaimed any Intention 
of ct.acting to church fairs as an Institution, may 
I noz be allowed to call attention to certain 
practices usually connected therewith, that seem 
to me uuwlse. Injudicious and immoral. I refer 
particularly to the gambling carried on under 
the various disguises of chances, lotteries, grab- 
bags, aud other similar devices. 
I have seen a clergyman who preaches against 
the practice of playlDg cards for amusement, su¬ 
perintending In his own church the selling of 
chances and the raffling of the numbers when the 
list was lull, while on a table neat by a Bible was 
put up at lottery. It is ralr to say, however, that 
this lottery was not drawn That a Bible should 
be gambled for shocked the morals of some Inter¬ 
ested; so a cake was substituted lor it with the 
understanding that to the fortunate holder or the 
number that drew the cake, the Bible should be 
presented. At this lair an anti-gambler who had 
declined the clergyman’s solicitation to take a 
chance, made this proposition : That as many 
as pleased about J put up live dollars each. Dice 
should be thrown In the usual way ; he who threw 
the highest number should ret .lu his money and 
the rest be paid Into the church treasury. This 
was not considered for a moment. The dice were 
gamblers’ Implements and such a proceeding 
would bo gambling. Many parents who would 
punish a child for playing marbles “tor keeps,” 
give them money to pay for chances In grab- 
bags, take a turn at a wheel of fortune or In >v;t 
In “shares” for the •• fluest doll lu the roo:_/' 
How little do they think they are giving lessors 
In wrong-doing, that may last % lifetime. 
I will do the participants in lotteries at church 
fairs, particularly the ladles, the Justice to admit 
they have never looked upon the matter 
In Us iruo light. Usually some articles oou- 
trlbuted are so valuable, as to tind no ready pur¬ 
chaser, and conscience Is quieted, If Indeed It lias 
ever been disturbed, by the thought, “ We can’t 
dispose or It. lu any other way, and It is for the 
good of the church we are raising the money,” 
forgetful of the injunction to do no evil that good 
may come. That gambling Is an evil will be 
readily admitted. That all these practices are 
neither more nor less than gambling, will be ap¬ 
parent to any one who will give the matter a 
moment’s serious thought. Tha t they are unlaw • 
ful m this and most ot the other States Is certain, 
although, perhaps, not generally known. For » 
the Information of managers ot such schemes and 
that they may see to what penalties they expose 
themselves, we append extracts irom the statute 
Lavra of New York : 
.,e ,orson shall set up or propose any money, 
g.'TXis, chattels or things in action to he raffled 
for or to be distributed by lot or chance, to any 
p rson who shall have paid or contracted to puy 
any valuable consideration for the chance ot ob¬ 
taining such money, goods or things In action. 
Any person offending against ibis provision shall 
forfeit three times the sum of money or value of 
the anlcleBso setup, together with the sum ot 
ten dollais, to he recovered by or In the name of 
the overseers or the Boor of the town where the 
offence was committed,” 
“ No person, unauthorized by special laws for 
that purpose, shall, within this Stale, open, set 
on fool, carry on, promote or draw, publicly or 
private',\ any lottery, game or device or chance, 
of any cure or kiud whatsoever, or by w hatever 
nam. _iuy be called, for the purpose ot expos¬ 
ing, setting to sale, or disposing or any houses, 
lands, tenements or real estate, or any money, 
goods or things In action. Whoever offends 
against this provision shall be deemed guilty ot a 
misdemeanor, and, on conviction, shall be subject 
to a line equal to the amount ot the whole sum or 
value, ft' which such lottery, game or device was 
made, a: J. such amount Cannot be ascertained, 
theu to a _uo of Tweuty-flve Llundreo Dollars, or 
to Imprisonment not exceeding two years, or to 
Doth, In the discretion of the Court.” l. a. k. 
-- 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
Sonia. A Russian Story. By Henry Grevillk. 
Translated from the French bv M ary Neat. Sher- 
woev. Phila.: .1. B. Peterson As lira Price SO cents. 
This .s a very powerful Russlau story, simple, 
whlk .vmiderfully Impressive, and snows the 
authors Intelligence, agreeable humor, ready 
wit, invention, and great power in the drawiug of 
character. Sonia is a poor little Russian slave, 
knocked about and abused by the brutal aristo¬ 
crats whom she serves, until a young tutor, Boris 
Ivauovlteb, takes her under his protection The 
great value of the work consists In the delicacy 
and originality with which the really beautiful 
character ot the girl, sonia, la developed. Sonia 
a i. graceful, domestic story, displaying the 
ay thor s ready invention, Imaginative style and 
play of fancy, is careful In construction, aud most 
charmingly and beautifully t fid—giving one a 
very distinct Idea of every-day home life In 
Russia. 
-- «-»-* - 
MAGAZINES. * 
Dea- _^ 1>j._oazine for November is toll of 
just such things as most commend themselves to 
ladles. Tbe “ Kitchen ” has a whole column de- 
voted.W candy-making; there are, besides, recipes 
(or puddings and cakes, and a most entertaining 
article on ttie cabbages. 8Lv stories, a let ter on 
Etiquette by Jennie June, a sketch of Veutce 
with Illustrations, the correspondents’ class, a 
useful contribution on Toilet Soap, a chat about 
home life, a report or What Women are Doing, 
besides fashion plates, ours of modish garments, 
full and Interesting descriptions of the latest 
stylos In dress faeries, jewelry, millinery, some 
pretty designs In fancy work; and all for 25 cts. 
BRIC-A-BRAC. 
A TIME-LY topic. 
What is it that’s shouted, howled and sung 
By every clasB, in every tongue. 
By old and middle-aged and younir? 
Grandfather’s Clock, 
What is that I hear all day, 
That’s whistled from Dan to Beer- he-ba. 
That every piano ’a made to play ? 
Grandfather’s Clock* 
At night, what rouses me from bed ? 
At work, what starts my aobinx head ? 
At home, what’s hummed by wife and maid ? 
Grandfather's Clock. 
What weights for no one, works apace, - 
Confronts all lut rut* with brazen /ace. 
And springs at them from every place? 
Grandfather’s Clock. 
[Puck. 
A TiHT thing—a fork. 
a; dyes his gray head, when If he would but 
mt his gray head would die Itself. 
Surrosu the women of this country should re¬ 
fuse to work over eight hours a day, what would 
mau do tor his supper 7 —Philadelphia Chronicle- 
JBercCWC. 
“ Glass slippers ” are announced. It is doubt¬ 
ful If iho small boy finds as many p ines In them 
as he has discovered lu the old kind. “There’s 
nothing ilko leather,” after all .—Norristown Her¬ 
ald. 
For of all sad words that ever were written. 
The saddest are these, “ I got the mitten.” 
, lEdenbury Herald , 
Caution and Love.— “On! Edwin, love, here’s 
the announcement of our wedding. Listen !’* 
(Reads)—“‘On the lttUl ltisc., at St George’s, 
Hanover Square, Edwin Goidmore Tomkyns, Esq., 
M. P , or Goidmore Park, Suffolk, and 248 Prince’s 
Gate, to Lady Angelina, twelfth daughter oi the 
Earl of Sllverlakr.’ ” '* Read on, my own sweet 
love. There’s another paragraph—In brackets, I 
think.” “Oh! yes.” (Reads on.) “‘Mr. E. G. 
Tomkyns takes tills opportunity to Intimate that 
he will not be responsible for auy debts contract¬ 
ed by Ids wire without his written authority.’ ”— 
Much. 
What was it that Thaddeus of Warsaw 1-Cln- 
/i.vnati Saturday Night. What kind or grub was 
it that Henry VIII. l—WhttoAlnff Ledger. What 
did Darwin?— Kennebunk Mur. iVhom did Glad¬ 
stone 1 —Bella Lr Monograph. What did Count 
SchOuvaloff ?—Burlington Haw/cege. Now, what 
did Hamlet?—.V. Y. Bjcprvss. Wuat did William 
Tell? When aid Bonaparte? Why did Marshal 
No/ ? What did Theodore Hook 7 When did you 
slcemultar t Upon wh tt did Archbishop Trench 
and what did Captain Cook? Did DUraell? What 
did William Penn? What did Bismarck ? What 
did Leigh Hunt ? When did they take Offenbach ? 
Three or four hundred more crowded out for lack 
of room .—Boston Transcript. 
Take it down tenderly. 
Lift it with care. 
Brush it aud Bend early 
To the talalro— 
That old ulstaire 
That yon must wear. 
U-ir-X-h-h-k. 
I Whitehall Times. 
SOME Kt'KUl’EAN 1‘KICKS. 
Col. Foknky has been collecting some statistics 
with reference to me rates of wages paid at Brus¬ 
sels. Ue reports as follows: 
Get. lemon's upper servants, $60 a year and 
boarding; coachman, $90; lady’s maid, $40; house 
servants, $20 each year and found. The following 
get the sums opposite their trades, dally: Women 
luce-makers, 00 cents; talloresses, 35 to 40 cents; 
washerwomen, 30 cento, and all And themselves. 
Machinists get $1; bricklayers and masons, 50 
cents; cigar-makers, 30 cents; blacksmiths, T5 
cents; locksmiths, 50 cento a day, and all And 
themselves. 
Provisions are not very much cheaper there 
than t-ey are now in the United states. Coffee, 
30 to 80 cents a pound ; rice, 10 cents; butter, s« 
cents. sugar, 18 cents; eggs, 2 cents apiece; beef, 
pork, mutton and veal, which the poor rarely get, 
average about 25 cents a pound; ham, 45 cents a 
pound bread by the pound from 5 to ti cents. 
H. 
A>-tory used to go the rounds with “S” as 
the Lnltii . letter of each word. Here is an extract 
that will c irry terror to an Englishman’s heart: 
Humphr y Hubbard hiul heard Hephzlbah Hug¬ 
gins humming hymns hilariously, he having help¬ 
ed Hephzlbah homeward. Uumphi*ey hankered 
hugely, harboring handsome Hepbzibah heart- 
wise. He had high hawthorn hedges hiding his 
handsem. house, harnessed horses hauling har¬ 
rows, he lelng bills, helping herdsmen, hewing 
hemlocks ackllng hemp, harvesting hops, hunt¬ 
ing hawks aiming hatching hens. Hephztbal, 
helpful housekeeper, hemmed handkerchiefs, 
hoarded honey hitherto hived, heeled hose hav¬ 
ing holes, handled harpsichord harmoniously; 
happy Hepbzibah! Her nonest homely happiness 
hit Humphrey heavily. He hovered, handsomely 
habited, hinting humbly how Hephztbah hud har¬ 
ried hla heart, Hephzlbah honored his hearty 
homage. Hating, however, haphazard haste, 
Hephzlbah hung her head, halting, hemming, 
hawing, hoplug Humphrey had harmless habits, 
hypocritical, hesUauug Hephzlbah ! He held her 
hand Uopeiully, hungrily humoring her. Happily, 
Hephzlbah heeded her mresute hero. Hymen 
hitched Humphrey Hubbard-Hephzlbah Higgins, 
he hugging her, happily hysterical! Hencefort h 
husband helped houaewire hop hornpipes, hold¬ 
ing honeymoon holiday, hardly hearing* harle¬ 
quins howling hallelujahs, hntllug house-warm¬ 
ing. Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho !—Philadelphia Bulletin. 
