Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-02-10

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kissed by man in the dark. Presently
they arrived at Paris and vernet on
leaving them said ladies / shall be
puzzled all my life by the inquiry,
which OF these two ladies was it that
kissed me 2"
Zebulon Hancox, aged seventy-nine
years, OF Stonington, Conn.,, was Tilted
by q village maiden many years ago,
and since that time he has lived in a
little hut, cooking his own food and
wearing rags BY fishing he has accu-
mulated money sufficient to build nine
good houses, which he rents, and SO, 900
more, which is lodged in the Stoning-
Savings Bank. He never purchases
anything he can make. Buttons on his
clothing are whitfield from pine-wood
be weighs his fish in wooden balances of
his own making and III catching cells he
uses wooden spear. His yearly ex-
penses average less than $40.
The Norwegian State Antiquarian Nj
calaysen has completed the excavation
of the ruins OF an ancient monastery on
tho west coast OF Norway. The assem-
bly-room, sacristy, and refectory have
been uncovered, and the covered CORR
dor running along the courtyard. The
roof Of the assembly hall seems to have
been supported by huge central pillar.
All the details of the architecture show
rich and advanced Romsnesqus style,
and the interior arrangements are gene
rally identical with those found In early
English monnsteries. A few graves were
found, and in one the remains OF an alb
bot. judging from the cloak and inter
found With the skeleton.
More than $50 languages and dialects
are current in India and British Burmsh,
with their 256. 900, 600 of people, and the
distinct alphabets of these countries,
many OF which are very elaborate, out
number all others in the world. Some
forty different slphabets or syllable sys-
tens, each having from $50 to 500 COM
binations, are used to represent the
sounds OF the $50 languages, and
more than 10000 different signs and
types have been elaborated from
the original alphabet TO represent
the fifty different sounds-all that
the combined Indian vernaculsrs con-
tain. As these simple sounds eau
not all be represented by the 26 let
tiers of the English alphabet, 2lletters OF
the English phonetic alphabet are cap
tured and made to do service in this new
English phonetic alphabet. and we then
have one simple alphabet taking the
places OF 40 or more and becoming
available as the written language OF 2O0,-
00O. 900 people who have no written al
phsbet, because they don't know just
how TO use one.
Some savage tribes think books speak
10 the readers. Caribs and Guiana In
dams 80 believed, and some Esquimaux,
seeing priest read from the Evange-
lists. thought that be heard the voice OF
the hook and repeated tito them. Tribes
in Africa, South America, and Oceanica
thought the reader was conversing with
the book. and Weddsll said Fuegian
put the book 10 bis ear in order to hesr
the sound ofthe voice that spoke to the
reader. In West Australia books and
letters are thought 10 reveal hidden
secrets. and are called speaking
papers" 1t was inexplicabe TO them that
tho person receiving u letter announcing
the sending OF number OF sheep
should be able by it to detect a lost one.
Some Cochin China Baunois were like
wise astonished at finding that demand
for double fees for carrying letter was
defeated by the letter itself, the writer
having announced the prepayment OF
the sum. A California Indian, being de-
tected in the theft OF one ont OF num-
Der OF oaves OF bread which he was carry
ing to missionary, adopted the plan OF
hiding the note under a stone the next
time. so that it should not see him eat
the bread. Canadian Indians, BraZllians,
and Peruvians thought that books and
letters were spirits of 1.-Two beings.
A horse in a small town near Nor
wich. Conn, which is disposed to swal-
low anything that comes within Its
reach, recently bolted large ball Of
wrapping Irvine. The ball rolled IN
easily, but knob at the end OF the cord
anchored itself wlndwsrd between the
animals front teeth, and the knot and
the visible piece of twine served as key
TO the situation when the Young grOoms-
woman visited the stable and inspected
her steed. There was somewhat
troubled look on the horses face as he
stood with feet brscsd, ears Topped,
mouth omen, and in his eyes was mute
appeal that betokened a growing sus-
plclon that probably the case was hope
less. The young lady Embossed the knot,
wound si1 inches Of the cord around her
hand, aud began to unravel tue mystery.
The horse KEEP. his mouth open, looked
wise, and seemed perfectly to understand
what was going on; and out, yard
after yard, fsthom by fatbom, the an
imal complaissntly yielded mp his pecu-
liar dinner, and on neither side OF the
manger was q comment uttered, except
that now and then the grateful beast
emitted a sigh aS he observed the ex-
ternal ball swelling in magnitude and
felt the internal one steadily diminish
ing. Finally the last yard OF cord was
reeled out OF the horse. wound up, and
the ball taken into the house, where the
animal couldn't get at it again.