A. Boy's Composition

"At a recent meeting of the Old Semiary boys at Indianapolis, the following, n a timestained sheet of paper was prouced and read as a composition of half century ago, the author being at that me of the tender age, of ten years: 'A lagle and Lion.- A eagle and lion is the [ing of birds and beasts. They is two eines of eagle, the ball eagle and i he tole. There was wunce a gole eagle ere on a stemebote and I saw ït. Nat Cox kild a ball eagle at the ford tother ay. They bill thare nes on the pint of he Aligane mauntanes, fur John Eider iole me so, out of chinny clubs, l wisht bey was a nes no Nole's hill so we oood git clubs esy. Wunce a ball engle took boy to ite nes in pants, papa and mamma rau up thare and foun him nockiu ;he young eagles about with a shipny lub iind whorain for joy. And this is all about a eagle. Now I wil! teil you about a lion. Baffin says a lion kin kül a lefant wiih his pa, and ete nnything cept injun ruber wax. A lion will ete anybody lesa his name is dannel. I wisht they had cald me dannel, then Ike iey's dog lion cuddent bit me, and that s all about a lion.' " If ycu think of ever running for office, be a liar, a cheat, a robber and several other things. Then some paper may teil ;he truih about you. Of the 8,010 miles of railroad built last year in the United States, 4,803 miles were built in the northwestern and southwestern states, 1,118 miles in the middle western states, 1,102 miles in the southern stiltes, 557 miles in the Pacitic states, 399 miles in the middle states, and 31 miles in New England. Kansas leads, with 1,530 miles, followed by Nebraska, with 737 miles, Dakota, with 678 miles Minnesota, with 587 miles, and Texas, with 5t3 miles. Thaddeus Fowler, who died in Seymour recently, was a prolifio inventor. He invented machines for stioking pina in paper, for manufactunng iron pins.for sorting pms, for makiug pins, head and all, at a Ringle stroke.for making needies, fore pointing wire. for making horseshoe nails, for sharpening horseclipping machines and for stamping metal. He also iuveuted a reaping and binding machine, and the "sewini-bird" used on ladies' work-tables. He died oompuratively poor, as he had little bumness ability. The criminal reoord of Michigan for the year just closed is appalling. It may not be that the death penalty would decrease murder, but it certainly would have a tendeney in that direotion. Capi tal puunhment shoiiM be restored. Who is the statesman that will prees to a successful issue in the present Legislature.a bill requiring thelife of the person who commits murder? Let a clear case of murder- where there is no possible doubt - be punished by death; and where there is the least doubt, give the accused the benefit, and imprison him. And while about it, why not disoard the rope as the weapon of jnstice, and use electricity. - Big Bapids Herald. Now that the mathematical wave which has beeii sweeping over our schools, both private and public, seems to have reached its hight and more attention is again being .given to modern languagee, we feel thát our American course of education is again turning into its proper channel. Mathematica are all well and good, in their way, but when they are taught, almost to the exclusión of every thing else that develops the minds of our boys and girls, the danger ia great of present and future generations becoming one-sided, matter-of-fact and narrowminded. Even in our ooileges, where the dead languages take up more or leas time, modern languages play a very sorry part. Were it not better if French or Germán would aome more to the foreground in all well regulated schools? Charles XII. of Sweden very aptly put it: "As many languages as a person speaks, that many times he beoomes a man." There are a great many systems by which, in many lessons, Frenoh or Germán are taught, but how much does the acholar really know, after going through such an hydraulic course? Could we take off daily but half an hour, at least, from the study of mathematics, in ita various forms, for the study of Germán or Frenoh, how muoh more liberal would be tbe education of our graduatea, not to say practically with foreigners? Besides, how easy and pleasant to pursue the study of French, or Germán after lea ving sohool, when weíl grounded in the rudiments and correct pronuuciation at school.