Trotting Against The Devil

Tho Rev. Mr. , now a member )f tho California conference, began his Ministerial caueer in Iowa. Hepreached ,hero at threo dittoront placos each Suniay, whieh pavo him 20 odd miles travsling. Hd rodo horseback at iirst, but tindinghis maro too light to easllycar ry his wcieht, ho bought :i road sulky, and much to his comfort ho found that his horso possessod considerable speed. One Sunday, whilo going from dne church to anotLer, he overtook a nian, also in a sulky, driving a lino animal. As our friend was in a hurry ho pssod tho slranger, who kept close buhind him until a loug stretch of good road was reached; thcn he heard his fel lo w trayeler urging hid horse, and before he knew it he was taking part in a spirited heat, in which the stranger camo off second best. On roacting a bit of rough road both slowcd up, and tho strangorsung ont: 'That's a good mare you'vo got, my friend. Does sho belong to you?" "No," replied Mr. , she belongs to my inastor..' "Who'sho?" "The Lord!" was tho response "Then I gucss you don't trot her mucb." "Oh, jos, I do.'1 "What do you trot hor against?" Mr. replied very solemnly, "Thedovil." "Um! urn! 1 guess you got beat prottyoften, thcn.'' "Woll," said Mr. - ■ - , 'I ralhor thiuk I'm ahead of him now." Mr. afterward ascertainod that his advorsary was tho most violent infidel in the noighborhood. A fcw days ago a gentleman who had noticed the sign3 oí rats oating corn kept in a largo open bin on Mj place, was muck puzzled at their ingenuity in getting out, as from the shapo of the bin, kvtiüo it wa.s an oasy to get in, gettiug out seemed ioipossiblo. The si des oft he bin ayo vory sraooth and sljpe inward, makiag it out of "the queslion for the rats to cliuib out. A day or two later, hearing rats m the bin, ho made a slight noise and watched to see how they got out. Ono old rat ran from his hiding placo ou the outside of tho bin to the top of it, and lowered himself down insiilo until he held on only by his forepaws and hoad, His frionds, seizing his tail, climbed up th's rat ladder until the last one was out, when he drew himselí out and scampored off. - [Fayetteville (Tenn.) Obseiver. The entire number of letters aud articles of overy description received at the dead Intler offico last year was 4 751,878, being an kereaso oía little more thnn 8 per cont. over the provious year. - United States Mail. The number of letters and parcols sent through the reíistred mails last yoar was 11, "245, 645. Tho amount of "repistry feos collected was 8!)57,C56.31, which was an incroase of $30,509.60 over tho year previous.