Connecticut western news., 1877-05-04
SCIENTIFIC.

The lndidn Girl and her Messenoer.
 Bsrd.-Once upon time, there was an Indian who lived in big woods on the
 banks of beautiful river. and he did
 nothing all day long but catch fish and
 hunt wild deer. We'll, this Indian had two lovely little daughters, and he
 named one Sunbeam, because she was so bright and cheerful, and the other
 he called Starlight, because, he said,
 her sweet eyes twinkled like the stars.
 Sunbeam and Starlight were as gay as butterflies, and as busy as bees, from morning till night. They ran races under the shady trees, made bou- quets of wild flowers, swung on grape vine swings, turned berries and acorns into beads, and dressed their glossy black hair with bright feathers that beautiful birds had dropped. They loved each other so much, and were so happy together, that they never knew what trouble meant until, one day, Starlight got very sick, and before the pig moon came over the tree-tops, the sweet Indian child had closed her starry eyes in death, and rested for the last time upon her soft little deer-skin bed. And now, for the first time, Sunbeam's heart was full of grief. She could not play, for Starlight was gone, she knew not where; so she took the bright feathers out of her hair, and sat down by the river and cried and cried for Starlight to come back to her. But when her father told her that Starlight was gone to the Spirit-land of love and beauty, and would be happy for ever and ever, Sunbeam was comforted.
 ''Now," said she, 'sI know where darling Starlight is, and I can kiss her and talk to her again.''
 Sunbeam had heard her people say that the birds were messengers from the Spirit land. So she hunted through the woods until she found little song-bird that was too young to fly, fast asleep in it's nest. She carried it gently home, put 1t into cage, and watched over it and fed it tenderly day after day until It's wings grew strong and it filled the woods with it's music. Then she carried 1t in her soft little hands to Starlight's grave; and after she had loaded it with kisses and messages, of love for Star light, she told it never to cease it's sweetest song or fold it's shining wings until it had flown to the Spirit land. She let it go, and the glad bird, as it rose above the tall green trees, poured forth song more joyful than any that Sunbeam had ever heard. Higher and higher it flew, and sweeter and sweeter grew it's song, until at last both its form and it's music were lost in the floating clouds.
 Then Sunbeam ran swiftly over the soft grass to her father, and told him, with a bright smile and light heart, that she had talked with dear Starlight, and had kissed her sweet rosy mouth again; and Sunbeam was once more, her fathers bright and happy little In- dian girl.-St. Nicholas. r5.
 Hoso Rat a0as Caught.-Do you know what sly and cunning creatures rats are! But, cute as they are, they some- Ilnes get caught. am going to tell you now rat was once caught by a clam. It happened when I was little child, and lived with my mother. W neither such thing ever happened before or since, do not know; but this is true story.
 One day, my fatber went to town, and bought some clans. When he came nome, took them down cellar in basket, and laid them on the brick floor 'f the cellar. Now, when clans are put where It IS dark and cool and quiet, 'hey open their shells. If you should 90 softly up and put straw in one of 'helr mouths, it would clasp it's shells ogether so tightly, that you could not get them open.
 The cellar was under my mothers and in the night she heard great noise, like something pumping and slanm1ng, down below. Being a orave woman, she lighted candle, and vent down stairs; and what do you nlnk she foundr will tell you; for m sure you would never guess.
 When the house came to be still with he nlght-stillness and every one was in oed, an old rat had come out of his hole, md gone foraging around for his SUD- per. AS lie walked majestically along, 'Wlng1ng his long tail after him, it happened to switch into clam's opened he1, when, presto change the clam vas no longer onlya clam: it was a at-trap.
 It pinched hard; and I am sure if lurt the old rat very much. He ran LcrOss the cellar to his hole: and the liam bounced on the bricks as he went; md that was what my mother had heard. me rat could not get into the hole. It leld him fast by tue tail all the rest of lis lie, which was not long; for he was titled soon after.
 4 Good "Bloacina- Up. .''-I've heard country folk speak of following un'' heir children in the hope of curing hem of laziness and other bad uualities put never until lately have heard of blowing up lazy grapevines by way of improvement. Yet, new contributor o ST. NICHOLAS says that the thing is lone, and very sensible plan it seems o be. Yes. Some enterprising grape- growers in Austria have lately used dy- 1amite, very explosive material. in their vines. In order to oosen the soil and let in air and moist Ire to the roots, holes are made in the ground near the vines, and in them mall quantities of this substance are .xploded, loosening the earth to the iepth of about eight feet. How much better than any spading and digging, ma now much more easily and quickly lone! cannot conceive of anything nore likely to give grape-vines a goou tart.-St. Nicholas.
 Royal, but Never King.-A School girl ends your Jack nice letter, in which he tells of a man whose life was ssal- most made of thrones, and who vet lever sat upon a throne himself" It vas Philip the handsome, of Burgundy he says, who died just 371 years ago. He was the son of Maximilian I, of 4ermany, the father of Charles V. and Ferdinand I. (successively Emperors of 5ermanyl. and of Eleanor, dowager queen of Francis l. of France, and lary, dowager Queen of Hungary. husband of Joan, afterward Queen of ;astlle; son-1n Jaw of king and queen Ferdinand and Isabella), he was never