and stared into the darkness. The fire was out and all was still. No-dripwhat was that? Drip-could it be raining? door, holding my horse's bridle in my hand. It was opened cautiously by the scarred brother. "Can I get food and shelter for myself I looked out into the night through the and horse?" I asked. The door was partly closed, and a hurried consultation took place inside. The man with the scar came back to the door. "Guess we little murky window; the stars were shining through a rift in the clouds. Drip. What could that be? A cold sweat began to break out all over me— drip. Fear took possession of me! I can accommodate you. shook the feeling off. I must find out the Come in. Harry take his horse." meaning of it. I got out of bed. I slipped on my pants, coat and shoes. All the while the steady drip, drip continued. I hurriedly struck a light and looked about. Everything was the same as when I went to bed-drip, drip-except that dark stain near the bed. I went up to it and stooped to examine it. O horror, it was blood! It must come from the ceiling. I held the candle high above my head and looked up. Then I almost shrieked aloud in terror. A feeling of deathly fear came over me. What was this I gazed at? A tangled mass of hair with blood dripping from it and running in little rivulets down the forehead past the two staring awful eyes, and through it all the semblance of a ghastly human face. The eyes never winked as I held the candle up, but stared fixedly into my own. The mouth tried to articulate, but only a broken sound came forth. It took several minutes for me to force myself to act. Then I got upon a chair, tore off some of the laths, until there was room for the passage of a body, and slowly drew the body through the opening. It was a trying task, but after repeated efforts I got it upon my shoulders and stepped down off the chair. I placed the body on the floor, jerked from the bed a pillow and a comforter, and put them under it. Then I took the towel and washed the blood stains from the face and hair. When it was done I recognized Jerry, the peddler. I forced some brandy down him, and worked over him for some time. When he had revived I spoke to him: I went inside. An old woman was preparing supper, muttering and mumbling inaudible sentences during the operation. After a light supper I was shown into a little bedroom and told that there was where I would pass the night. I was not impressed with the surroundings. The bed was a large fourposter-very uninviting; and the appearance of the room unattractive. The plaster was knocked off in many places, and the walls were dirty; the floor had large cracks in it, and air came circling up from some damp, underground compartment. There was an unpleasant odor about the room that made me feel uncomfortable. A wood fire had been lit in the old-fashioned chimney place and imparted some comfort to the room. I sat down on a rickety chair near the fire. On the mantel a tallow dip candle spluttered and blinked threatening to go out every time the wind whistled through the cracks in the window. I burned every stick of wood before venturing to retire, but at last I crept into the illsmelling, uncomfortable bed. Just as I was getting into bed I noticed a small carpetbag partly under the bed; and every time I tried to sleep the carpet-bag would come before my eyes and prevent it. I I could not forget it. I wondered to whom it could belong. Perhaps some traveler had met with foul play here, aye, even in this very room; perhaps but I checked myself and began thinking of something more pleasant. Finally, after watching the flickering, fantastic shadows on the wall, cast by the dying embers on t..e hearth, until my eyelids could no longer wag, I went to sleep. My sleep was light and fitful. I was awakened by a stifled groan. I opened my eyes "Jerry, don't you know me?" "I remember, I remember you. Thank God you have found me. Oh! I have been cruelly hurt. I cannot live." “O, yes, you can, old friend,” I said. THE TREASURES OF JEREMIAH STOKER. "No, no. What day is it?" he asked. "It is nearly Friday morning." "Two days in that hole-" he faltered. I gave him some more brandy. Then weakly and with difficulty he told me his story; how he had been thrown into the loft and had laid in a stupor until the night before; and that he had groped around in the darkness until he was attracted by the firelight flickering through the broken lath and plaster; how he had made his way to the hole and there lay until I found him. When he got through I felt his pulse. It was very weak and his wound was bleeding freely. I offered him some more brandy. "No-no. I'll not take any more-'tis useless." 127 Jerry lay stretched out with staring eyes. The candle flickered and spluttered, casting shadows over the barren room. I tried to look elsewhere, but my gaze always wandered back to where the dead man lay. I Sud The candle flickered and went out. took no notice of it for a while. denly I heard strange sounds throughout the house, creakings and muffled footfalls. The wind probably whistling through the crevasses and cracks. It made me feel very uncomfortable. I looked fascinatedly at the dead man. I could see, by the light from the window, the dim outline of his form, and the ghastly face and the eyes staring-staring. Fear fed on fear until I almost screamed with horror. "I must go at once for a doctor, Jerry," I think if my will had not forced my I hurriedly said. "No-no-don't leave me," he said, clinging to my hand, "I can't live. My car-p-e-t-b-a-g." I instantly remembered and brought the litttle carpet-bag from under the bed. His face lit up with a smile as I handed it to him and he clasped it with both hands. "Thank you," he said very faintly. He hugged the little bag close to his breast. "Molly, M-o-l-l-y." At thoughts back to reason I should have gone mad. I passed the remainder of the night, alternately praying and talking to myself. When day broke I felt to thank God! Still, there was no relief. The cords cut my wrists cruelly. intervals I heard a muffled beating. I divined that the old woman was trying to get out. A rat stole carefully towards Jerry's body. I cried out and it ran back into its hole only to reappear at The death rattle sounded in his throat. intervals; but by yells and shrieks I He had yielded the ghost. I was still kneeling by his side, overcome with feelings of grief, when I felt both arms gripped and a gruff voice say: "Not a move or you'll be where the peddlers' gone." I felt the cold muzzle of a revolver against my forehead and did as commanded. They went through my pockets and took all my money and my watch. "This beats the peddler's pile," said the scarred brother. They then bound me to the bed post with strong cord and left the room. Outside one of them said, "What shall we do with the old woman." kept it from his body. About noon it began to snow. Even if succor came, there was no chance to catch the murderers. No one dare venture far in such a storm. I heard a sound outside. The old woman must have broken the fastenings. A moment later the door was pushed open and she stuck her head in. She caught a glimpse of Jerry's body and ran howling from the room. I called to her in vain. Nearly an hour passed before I heard voices in the kitchen; men stamping the snow off their feet. They soon came into the room, the old woman in the rear peeping expectantly and curiously "Nail her in her room; then we get out around. They cut the cords that bound for the border." Their footsteps died out me, which was a pleasant relief. I briefly in the distance. Presently I heard a told them what had happened. They hammering. After that a clatter of hoofs left the room to find a stretcher. I stooped past the house and then all was silent. and closed Jerry's eyelids, then picked The candle was still burning. After they up the little carpet bag and opened it. went, I looked around the room. Poor I was curious to know its contents. WHERE TO PUT A STAMP ON A LETTER. -It has become a custom which all thoughtful persons always observe, to place the stamp on the upper right-hand corner of the envelope, but few people have ever stopped to think what was the reason for this choice of position. The canceling stamp and the postmarking stamp are fastened side by side upon the same handle, and if the stamp is correctly placed one blow makes both impressions. If, however, the stamp is on the lower right-hand corner the postmark falls on the address, and both are illegible, while if the stamp is on the left-hand side, the postmark, which is always at the left of the canceler, does not strike the envelope at all, and a second blow is necessary to secure it. So, if the stamp is any where except in the upper right-hand corner, in makes just twice as much work for the clerk, and this, where he is stamping many thousand pieces every day is no small matter. There has been in use for some time, in the post-office in Boston, a number of canceling machines, into which the letters, all faced upwards, are fed. These machines, if the stamps are correctly placed, do the work quite well, leaving on the envelope the row of long black lines which we all have noticed on Boston letters. I am not able to learn, however, that there is any other office in the country, as yet, which uses these. The Boston office has also, quite recently, put in operation a most ingenious machine for canceling and postmarking postal cards, which differs from the other in the greater rapidity of its work. Two hundred cards can be placed in it at once, a crank is turned, and click, click! they fall into a basket all stamped.-St. Nicholas. Finland, the north-western province of Russia, is a country seven hundred miles long and on an average two hundred miles wide, embracing an area nearly one and a fourth times that of the British Isles. It has a commerce of considerable importance, several interesting towns, a university enrolling seventeen hundred students annually, a hardy, thrifty peasant population, and scenery peculiarly and characteristically its own. And yet there is perhaps no civilized country of equal importance about which Americans know so little. Two very interesting articles on Finland appear in the February number of Harper's Magazine. Both are copiously illustrated. LIFE AND LABORS AFTER the Prophet and Patriarch had been cruelly murdered by a mob at Carthage Jail, Apostle Pratt remained in Nauvoo, where he labored with the Twelve Apostles in the management of the affairs of the church, during the difficulties that succeeded the death of the Prophet and Patriarch. In the latter part of the year 1844, he entered into celestial marriage, having two wives sealed to him by President Brigham Young, who now, with the Twelve Apostles, held the highest authority in the Church, holding the right, as did the Prophet, to administer in all its ordi nances. The following year, in the summer of 1845, he was called to preside over the branches of the Church in the Eastern and Middle States. About this time mob violence again began to assert itself against the Saints in Illinois, and Elder Pratt issued two proclamations from New York to the Saints throughout his mission, in which he announced the end of American liberty, as indicated in the movement to expel the Saints from Illinois, enumerated their sufferings and fervently appealed to all connected with the Church in those parts, to gather out and assist in the defense of their brethren and sisters, and in relieving their sufferings. In November, 1845, he issued his farewell message in those parts, prior to taking his departure for Nauvoo to join the Saints in their removal westward. On his return he received some property that had fallen to his wife Sarah, and with this means he purchased a carriage and a span of horses, with which he journeyed to Nauvoo, where he arrived sometime December, having been absent on this mission about six months. During the latter part of December, 1845, and in January, 1846, the Nauvoo Temple being sufficiently finished, he worked with the Twelve and other brethren and sisters, giving endowments and doing work for the dead. The mobs did not cease their violence, nor did they seem satisfied in wreaking their vengeance on innocent men whom they had cruelly butchered, but they were determined on OF ORSON PRATT. driving the Saints from their comfortable homes into a cold bleak wilderness. The exodus from Nauvoo commenced in the fore part of February, 1846. Elder Pratt and family, consisting of four wives and three small children-the youngest a babe only three weeks old-bade adieu to their comfortable home in the city of Nauvoo and started for the great west. This was on February 14th, 1846. They crossed the Mississippi river and immediately proceeded to the encampment on Sugar Creek, where they found the camp suffering considerably from the storm and cold. They remained encamped at this place for a number of days. President Young and the most of the Twelve had arrived with their wagons and the camp at this time had greatly enlarged. In the meantime they were visited by several snow storms and the weather became intensely cold, the thermometer, according to Orson Pratt's notes, ranging as follows: February, 26th, at 6 p. m 10° above zero. 28th, 6 p. m. midnight 44 6 a. m. noon 6 p. m. 26° The Mississippi froze over and the ice soon became sufficiently firm for the crossing of teams, which brought over the rest of the camp. "During our stay at Sugar Creek," says Orson Pratt's notes, "I obtained by means of a quadrant and an artificial horizon of quicksilver, a meridian observation of the sun from which I deduced the latitude of the camp and found the same 40°32'. By a number of observations with the quadrant, I had previously ascertained the latitude and longitude of the Temple at Nauvoo; the latitude being 40° 35′ 48′′, the longitude 91° 10′ 45′′. A quadrant, however, is a very imperfect instrument for determining the longitude, as an error of one minute (1') in the instrument itself, or in the observation, would produce in the calculated longitude an error of thirty miles. It is a misfortune that we have no sextant in the camp; neither a telescope of sufficient power to observe the immersions and emersions of Jupiter's satelites." "March 1. This afternoon the general camp moved about five miles to the northwest, and after scraping away the snow we pitched our tents and, building large fires, soon found ourselves as comfortable as circumstances would permit. This evening, the sky being clear, I obtained the altitude of the North Polar Star, from which the latitude of the camp was ascertained to be 40° 34′ 52"; the thermometer standing at midnight at 28°", At this place there had been obtained a job of making rails for corn by members of the camp who had arrived a few days before, by which means food was obtained for their animals. Two gentlemen from the interior of Iowa, who had been seen a few days before at the last encampment, visited this place for the purpose of trying to trade for Elder Pratt's dwelling house and the lot on which it stood, and a lot adjoining it on the south. This property being in a business part of the city, and adjoining the Temple square on the north, was considered one of the most beautiful and pleasant in Nauvoo. Before the decree of banishment was issued against the Saints by their persecutors, it was considered to be worth two thousand dollars. But now the owner was compelled to leave it unsold or take the small sum of three hundred dollars, and receive payment therefor, property at a very high price. These gentlemen offered four yoke of oxen with yokes and three chains, one wagon and eight barrels of flour. The next morning the camp moved on and Elder Pratt rode ahead on horseback to Farmington and saw the stock the gentlemen wished to trade him for his Nauvoo property, but nothing was determined on conclusively that day. He overtook the camp on the east bank of the Des Moines river, four miles below Farmington. By an observation of the Pole Star he determined the latitude to be 40° 35' 51'. stood at 23°. The camp moved forward, following up the general course of the river, and encamped four miles above Farmington. A meridian observation of Sirius determined the latitude to be 40° 42′ 26′′.” "March 4. stood at 43°. At 8 a. m. thermometer The roads being muddy and some wagons and harness being broken, the camp remained until next day. Elder Pratt concluded the bargain for his house and lot and gave deeds for the same. By the request of the citizens of Farmington, the band of music from the camp visited them and gave them a concert, much to their satisfaction. Bishop Miller, with a portion of the camp, moved onward in a westerly direction." "March 5. To-day the most of the camp moved forward, fording the Des Moines river at Bonaparte Mills. The roads being very muddy some of the teams were unable to draw their loads. The most of the camp proceeded about twelve miles and encamped on Indian Creek; the remainder encamped about seven miles back. By an observation of the Pole Star the latitude of the encampment on Indian Creek showed 40° 42′ 51′′." March 6th, at 7 a. m. the thermometer stood at 35°. The camp here waited until the wagons, which were obliged to stop seven miles back, came up. P. P. Pratt and some others moved on for the purpose of trying to find some employment which was supposed, from reports, could be obtained. The next morning at seven o'clock-thermometer 32°Orson Pratt and wagons started with the expectation of stopping a few miles ahead, and working on the job which he supposed could be secured. After arriving in the neighborhood he found it could not be obtained on sufficiently favorable terms, and that his brother, P. P. Pratt's company and other wagons, had gone on. They drove twelve miles farther and stopped at Bishop Miller's encampment at Fox River. In this region a small branch of the Church was located. Some corn was contributed by them for the benefit of the camp, and Bishop "March 3. At 7 a. m. the thermometer Miller had exerted himself in gathering |