Bret Harte On Death Rates

Bret Harte was lecturing in Pennsylvania a hort timo ago. At one of hfi appointments ho feit very muoh depreeeöd. It is a peculiarity of humorista, we are told, to be unaccountably mclancholy and gloomy at times. Harte was in this mood now. One of the committee went in back of Ihe scènes to see him, and the depressed kumorist weloomod him as a gleam of nnusuftl good snnshine. They shook hands- Harte carnes Lly, and the eommittceman decorously. "Mr. Harte," he said gravely, "you will find this an nnusually healthy city." "Ah!" saidthe pleased humonst. "Yes. The death rato is only one a day." At this juneturo Harte took Uie pommitteeman by the arm and hurricdly asked : "Is he dead?" "Dead!"e.iaciilatedthecommitteeman, "whodead?" " Why, the man for to-day," was the grave reply. The committeeman stared with atl his might into the irnmovable face of the lecturer. " Isn't thore a Clerk here, or Bogister, or Coronel-, or something like that, of whom you coultl ftnd out whether a man tor this day had died?" " Why, yes, I supposo so," slowly rcplit d the committeeman. " Wonld you be so good, then, as to find out, and before I commeuce the ! leoture, if possible, whether that man i dead ? If he is dead, then I am all right, for I amto leave the city early to-morrow morning; but if he isn't dead I oanot help but feel uneasy about myself, and I arn not well to-night." The kind-hearted committeeman imniediately hurried away to get the iufoimation. When in liis room at the hotel tbat night a servant told him a gentleman wished hina to step down stf.ivs in Éhe hall, as he wantod to see him. Mr. ILuto went down, and there met the committoeman. "I am sorry, Mr. Harte to dishwrb yon," he said, " butl could not get that information earlier. It ifl all rignt; that death rato I sijoke of was merely tho