The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-08-06
Little Duties.

cities few months ago, found on reach
ing the post Office, after long round of
delivery, letter in his bag overlooked.
It would have taken him half an hour to
return and deliver it. He was very tired
and hungry. He thrust it into his
pocket and delivered it on his first
round the next day.
What consequences followed? For
want of that letter great firm had failed
to meet their engagements; their notes
had gone to protest; mill closed, and
hundreds of poor men were thrown out
of employment.
The letter carrier himself was dis
charged for his oversight and neglect.
His family suffered during the winter for
many necessaries of life, but his loss
was of small account compared to the
enormous amount of misery caused by
his single failure in duty.
Another case: A mechanic who had
been out of work long time in New
York went last September to collect
small sum due to him. The gentleman
who owed it, being annoyed at some
trife, irritably refused the money. The
man went to his wretched home, and,
maddened by the sight of his hungry
wife and children, went out to the back
yard and hung himself.
The next day an old employer sent to
offer him a permanent position. Here
was life lost and family left paupers
because bill of dollar or two was not
paid at the right time.
The old Spanish proverb says: There
is no such thing as trife in this world"
When we think how inextricable the
lives of all mankind are tangled to
gether, it seems as if every word or
action moved lever which set in motion
gigantic machinery, whose effect is
wholly beyand our control. For this
reason, if for no other, let us be careful
to perform promptly and well the duties
of life-even the most trivial.
AN AFGHAN WoMAN's SHoEs.-The
slippers and shoes are of Cabulese make,
and are very pretty. On pale green
background beautiful patterns are
worked with gold and silver thread and
parti-colored silk until the effect is
more like that of fairy slipper than
one for daily use. But stout leather
sole is put on, with high heels rudely
bound with iron, and then the work of
art is complete. The stalls in which
their slippers and shoes are made are
the gayest in the whole bazar. A Cab
ulese lady IS foot is small, almost to de-
formity, and the baggy trousers by con-
trast make them appear exceedingly
petite. From the few faces seen, and
those chiefly of old or passee women, it
is difficult to Judge of the famed beau
ty Cabulese are said to boast of. The
children are certainly, as whole, the
prettiest I have ever seen. Their COM
plexions are red and white, with tinge
of olive pervading the skin, eyes black
and lustrous, ell-shaped features, teeth
to make Western beauty envious, and
bright intelligent looks that sadly belle
the race to which they belong. Their
mothers must be beautiful, for their
fathers are generally Misunderstanding;
the men losing all the pleasing traits
which as boys they possessed. The la
dy I have described as seen in the ze-
mana, for moment was certainly hand
some, and was far lighter in complexion
than Spaniard; her eyes were really
worthy of the praises sung by Hafiz,
but the sensuous lips were q little too
full and pouting. It was just such
face as one imagines in a harem, and
would be in keeping with the languor-
ous life of volnptuary to whom SEN
suality is guiding star. Such faces
always lack character, and would soon
prove insipid in the eyes of the West.
The Cabulese lady, when journeying, is
either carried in an elaborate wicker
work cage covered with the inevitable
flowing linen, or rides, Amazon fashion,
on a pony behind her lord.- Calcutta
Pioneer