Year: 1878

thin and ribless sides Of its capturer, the toad
sitting the while in perfect composure, not in
the least affected by the scratchings and
kickings that are going on in its INTERIOR
The Lancet. :M


How BARNUM BECAME A SNOWMAN
Barnum says that the best investment he has
ever made was the $1,000 which he gave
(1835) to the Philadelphia exhibitors of
Joice Heth, the pretended negro nurse of
George Washington. He had then lost most
of his property, and borrowing the amount
from his friends, he made journey to Phila-
delphia to investigate the prospect of turning
the old colored woman to pecuniary account.
Satisfied that there was money in her, he pur-
chased her, cash down, advertised her so cum
ningly that he created great curiosity to see
her, and soon took in 81 500 a week. After
the city had been grati6ed by the sight of
Joice, he travelled through the country with
her, in connection with company of mounte-
ebanks, and made good deal of money.
This was Barnum's venture as Snowman,
and determined his career. He cleared d.
rectly, it is alleged, $4,000 out of Joice
Heth, and indirectly an immense fortune.
He had not had her much more than a year
when she very ungratefully died, and an au-
topsy proved her to have been but 70 or 80
years old, instead of 161, as had been claim.
ed Barnum said he had bought her for the
latter age, and had done his best to make the
public believe her so old. 1t was her fault
if she had fallen short of what was expected
of her by some eighty years. She might
have been 161, no doubt, if she had wanted
to be. and her failure to attain that degree of
venerableness evinced on her part disposi-
ton to disappoint too credulous and con.
fding community The world is studded
with Joice Heths, with different and unend-
ing variety of names.


The TURN OF LIFE.-Between the ages of
forty and sixty man who has properly
regulated himself may be considered in the
prime Of life. His matured strength of con-
stitution renders him almost impervious to an
attack of disease, and experience has given
soundness to his judgment. His mind is res
olute, firm and equal all his functions are
in the highest order; he assumes mastery over
his business; builds up competence on the
foundation he has laid in early manhood, and
passes through period of life attended by
many qualifications. Having gone over a
year or two past sixty, be arrives at stand.
still. But athwsrt this is the viaduct called
the turn of life, which, if crossed in safety,
leads to the valley of "old age," round which
the river winds, and then beyond without
boat or cross-way to effect his passage. The
bridge is, however, constructed of fragile ma
terial, and it depends on how it is trodden
whether it bend or break. Gout and appo-
plexy are also in the vicinity to waylay the
traveller, and thrust him from the pass but
let him grid up his loins, and provide himself
with filter staff, and he may trudge on in
safety and with perfect composure. To quote
metaphor: "The turn of life" is turn either
into prolonged walk or into the grave. The
system and powers having reached the utmost
expansion, now begin to close like flower at
sunset, or break down at once. One iDjudi.
cious stimulant, a single fatal excitement, may
force it beyond its strength, whilst careful
supply of props and the withdrawal of all
that tends to force plant will sustain it in
beauty and vigor until night has entirely set
in.


WHAT BECOMES OF WEALTH.-A boot
and shoe dealer has hanging in his store a
pair of boots worth seven dollars. They con-
stitute portion of the wealth of the world.
A man buys them and begins to wear them
by friction against the pavement little parti-
cles of the leather are rubbed of, and thus
separated from the rest of the sole. Every
particle that is thus removed takes out por-
ton of the value of the boots, and when the
boots are entirely worn out the seven dollars
of wealth which they formed is consumed.
The wheat, corn, etc., which was raised by
our farmers last summer is being eaten up.
No particle Of matter is destroyed by this
process, but, the value which was in the
grain is destroyed.


As, while men are wearing out clothing
and eating up food, they are generally busily
employed producing wealth of some kind,
the wealth of the world is not usually d.
minished by the consumption, but it is chang
ed This applies, however, only to personal
property town lots and farms generally re-
tain their value, but personal property is sub.
ject to perpetual destruction and renewal.
AS the several particles of water which con-
stitute river are forever rolling away to the
ocean, while their places are being supplied
from the springs and fountains, so the move
able wealth of the world is constantly being
consumed to crafty human wants, and con.
stantly being renewed by the restless activity
of human industry.


WoMAN's HEALTH AND SERvANTs.-A SCI
enlist in the east, from a collection of nu-
merous cases and data, has arrived at the
scientific conclusion that the good health of
the American women is in inverse ratio to
the number of servants employed in any case
That is to say, lady having one servant is
partly invalid having two, she becomes
valetudinarian I; having three, she is confined
to her room having four, she gets up TO have
her bed made; having five, she dies of SER
wants and is committed to an early grave by
an over.indulgent husband Thus it will be
seen that it is kindness amounting to cruelty
for husband to employ servants at all. He
should rigidly insist on his wife doing her
own work, and in instances in which her time
is not fully occupied by that she might be
q.