Newspaper Page Text
8
C=
THE CLOSING CENTURY.
ka one who, rotwod from sleep, hoars far
away
The closing strokes of some cathedral liell
Tolling the hour, strives all In vain to toll
If denser grows the night, or pales the day—
Bo we roused to life’s brief existence, say
(We on whose waking falls a century's
knell).
Is this the deepening dusk of years, the fell
And solemn midnight, or the morning gray?
We stir, then sleep again—a little sleep !
(Howbelt undisturbed by another's ring!)
For though, measured with time, a century
Is but a vanished honr tolled on the deep,
Yet what is time Itself? ’Tls but a swing
Of the vast pendulum of eternity.
—Henry J. Htockardj In the Century.
LOST AND FOUND.
tfyfr* US. VAX AT.TIXE
J was san nt e r i n g
leisurely down one
of the boulevards
r \ in Paris. It was a
h M, 5n morning; lovely spring the air
was crisp and ven
dure fresh and in¬
H viting-just the
kind of a day for
a stroll, and so the
American woman
had disdained her fashionable eqmp
pago. Bhe had walked all the way
from her neat and artistic temporary
abiding place in tho American colony
to tho shopping dietriot, had pur¬
chased sundry trifles and looked at
thousands of articles sho had not
bought; liad fascinated a number of
clerks by her dash and brilliancy until
they were ready to dis2>lay for her
especial benofit tho wealth of the
world in feminine odds and ends, and
now sho was making her way home¬
ward, care free, and happily con¬
scious that many covert glances were
cost at her stylish figure.
At sixteen sho was a charming girl;
at twenty-six a beautiful Avifo and
hostess; at, well, say thirty—an irre¬
sistible widow, porfectly satisfied to
saunter all by herself along what re¬
mained of life’s floral pathway. With
a more than comfortable competence,
she rogardod tho future with compla¬
cency and the past with resignation.
Not that anything vory tragic was in¬
terwoven among the yesterdays. Ex¬
istence had flowed smoothly enough—
a broken engagement, a heart wrung
for a time, a trip abroad, a wealthy
suitor, a fashionable wedding, a pleas¬
ing honeymoon, a series of social tri
Uinps, the demise of her better half, a
brief period for mourning, and the com¬
fortable present.
Hho was childless, but sho had many
friends. It is truo that sometimes
nomothing like a pang came to her
when lior mind reverted to children,
and she told herself that possibly a
littlo one would not bo at all in tho
way, but, on the contrary, might givo
sweet solace to the few lonely mo
ments which came to her, who, goner
ally speaking, did not know what Ion
liness was. As sho walked along with
superb movement, sho observed two
pretty girls in charge of a nurse. The
children were playing on the grass be¬
neath tho shad© trees with which the
boulevard was lined, whilo the nurse,
who had tho expressionless features of
a peasant girl, was soated on a bench
knitting. Mrs. Van Altine stopped
impulsively.
“Oh, you darling,” sho said, and
thereupon in hor own peculiarly
graceful way began to question tho
children and coo over them ju6t ns if
she know all about the language of
childhood. Nearby on another bench
was a littlo boy dressed in sailor’s at¬
tire, with the word “captain” on his
cap. Ho looked forlorn and dis¬
turbed, for his mouth quivered and
there wero tears in his big, blue eyes.
“What’s tho matter, my little man?”
continued Mrs. Van Altino, in tho lan¬
guage of the country.
He only stared at her and rubbed
one of his eyes with his dirty fist. She
piaood her hand on his golden curls in
a caressing manner.
“Why don’t you play with the other
children?” she continued.
For answer he rubbed his other eye
with another dirty fist.
“There, now, sailors don’t erv,” re¬
sumed Mrs. Van Altine, as she wiped
tho grime from his face with a lace
handkerchief.
‘ ‘They go to battle and fight and are
brave. Aro you my bravo little cap¬
tain?”
“I don’t understand,” said the boy
in English, plunging both fists into
his eyes.
“What! you speak English? You
aie an American boy?”
“Yes’rn.”
“And are these your sisters?”
“No’m.”
“And what’s your uame?"
“Bobby."
“Bobby what?”
“Bobby Steele.”
“And whore are you from, Bobby?”
“Oh, a big place, much bigger and
nicer than this.”
“What is it called?”
“Cleveland—oh—boo—hoo—I want
to go home. ”
“But you can’t go back to Cleve¬
land to-night, Bobby. You are thou¬
sands of miles from home.”
“I don’t care—I want to go home.”
“Is your mamma with you in
Paris?”*
“No’m. She’s in heaven. She’s
dead. My mamma died when 1 was
one year old. I’m all my papa’s got
and now—boo! hoo!—he hasn’t got
me. I’m lost and shall never see my
papa again.”
“You poor child, you mean to say
yon can’t find your papa?
“No; we went out for a walk and I
stopped in a crowd to look in a win
dow. Then my papa went away
left me. ”
“And you couldn’t find him any¬
where ?”
“No’m. I shall never see my papa
agam.”
“Nonsense! of course you will,
Why, we’ll go and find him now.”
“NN ill you?” Do you know my
P*P a ■
“I can’t say that I do. There are
so many bteeles in the world. Is your
papa slencjer, and does he wear a little
mustache?”
“No; my papa’s big and has a
beard.” ..
“ Then I guess I don't know Um.
How long have you been waiting
her«V
THE MONROE ADVERTISER, GA„ TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1894 -EIGHT PAGES
•‘Oh, hours!”
“Well, yon arc my hravo little eap
tain, after all. 1*11 buy you some
bon-bons.”
“Will you?” With great show of
interest.
“Yea.”
“And a candy cane?”
“Yes.”
“And a tin soldier I saw?”
“Yes.”
“And I saw an elephant I want and
two toy lions and—”
“My dear child, you evidently want
to start a zoo of your own.”
“What is that!”
“Oh, a menagerie.”
“I went to a menagerie with my
papa here yesterday. We saw them
feed the lions.”
“Where are you stopping here, my
child?”
“I don’t know. A big place. Will
you take me there?”
“I will, if I can find it from your in¬
definite description.”
“What’s ‘indefinite’ mean?”
“Never mind that now. Are you
stopping at a hotel?”
“I guess so.”
“Would you remember the name of
the hotel?”
“No.”
Mrs. Van Altino repeated a num¬
ber of names.
“I don’t know,” he said.
“Well,” she remarked with a little
sigh, “I suppose wo had better call a
carriage.”
“That’ll be fine,” ho said, “I’ve
got a velocipede home.”
“Have you? Well, just go and wave
your hand at that man with the car¬
riage. Remember you are my gallant
little escort, and you must be very
polite.”
“All right.”
In a few moments they were com¬
fortably soated in the carriage.
“How do you like this?” she asked.
“It’s great.”
“Whore to, madam?” interrupted
the coachman.
“Yes, where to? That’s tho ques¬
tion,” ruminated Mrs. Van Altine.
“Where shall we go, mon capitaino?”
“Got the tin soldier,” said the boy.
“Very well. That will givo mo time
to think. Drive to a toy shop.”
As they dashed down the boulevard
Mrs. Van Altine drow tho child nearer
to her.
( < You don’t feel lost any more, my
brave captain?” sho asked.
“Not so much so, thank you.”
“And if we don’t find your papa can
I have you?”
The boy’s lips quivered.
“Oh, I want my papa.”
“Even if I should buy you an ele¬
phant and—and a real pony to ride in
the park?”
The boy hesitated. Ho was evident¬
ly soroly tempted. The real pony
weighed against his papa was a per¬
plexing problem, but finally ho said
stoutly:
“I want my papa.’*
“And you shall have him,” said Mrs.
Van Altino.
“But I want you, too.”
“I’m afraid you can’t always have
me.”
They drew up in front of a toy shop
and Mrs. Van Altine and her charge
entered. They purchased an elephant,
a tin soldier dressed in French uni¬
form, a candy oane, and the young
man would have ordered half the store
if Mrs. Van Altino had not prevented
it.
“Where shall I send those, madam?”
asked the clerk.
“Where? I don’t know. We’ll take
them. Bobby, carry this elephant. ”
Bobby was only too willing to do
this, and again they entered the car¬
riage.
“To the Hotel St.Petersburg,” com¬
manded Mrs. Van Altino. She vaguely
remembered that many Americans
wont to this hotel. In about twenty
minutes they dashed up to this estab¬
lishment and the carriage door was
opened by a big portor who looked
around for their luggage.
“You can take the elephant and the
tin soldier,” said Mrs. Van Altine,
imperiously.
The porter hesitated, his sense of
dignity injured, but Bobby settled
the matter by declaring:
“No; he can’t have them, I’ll car¬
ry them.”
Mrs. Van Altine and the boy en¬
tered the parlor there and the hand¬
some American woman said:
“Send the clerk to me.”
Bobby set the elephant of the floor
and seemed indifferent just then
whether he would bo found or not by
his bereaved parent. Tho clerk ap
P eared -
“I s Mr, Steele of Cleveland stopping
bere ?”
“He is not madame?”
“Has he been stopping here?”
“No, madame.”
‘ ‘He is an American and is at some
hotel, probably. How can I find him?
This is his boy, who is lost.”
.“I will send you a hotel register, a
list of all Americans at the different
hotels.”
“Thank you. That is what I want. ”
The list was duly forthcoming and
Mrs. Van Altine scanned it eagerly.
“Steele—Steele—let me see—Smith,
Brown, Jones—no Steele—perhaps it
is further down—a common name,
there are plenty of Steeles—Barman,
Walker, Melville - hum ! — Steele,
Steele—ah, here is a Steele. Bobbv,' ‘
is vour father’s name Richard?”
“No’m,”'
“Too bad. How my heart jumped
when I saw that name! What if—
nonsense! By the way, Bobby, what
is your father’s name?”
“Dick, ma’am.”
“Dick?”
“Yes’m. ”
“Don t you know that Richard and
Dick are the same names'?” she asked
severely.
“No’m. My uncle Silas calls my
pa Dick.
* . V ell, hete is a Richard Steele at
one of the hotels. We will call and
see. But remember if your papa
doesn’t want you, Bobby, you are go
iug off come and live with me.”
j me?” “Do you think my pa don’t want
j 1 “Bless golden my lock little sailor, be precious no. Why,
every must to
him. Do you know what I’d do,
Bobbv, if I had a little boy like you?”
“No, ma’am.”
“I’d—I’d love him to death.”
At the next hotel Mrs. Van Altine
was informed that Richard Steele was
l stopping there; that he had a
that the aforesaid boy was lost;
Mr. Steele was nearly frantic and that
he ha 1 jnst gone to the prefeot of po¬
lice.
“And where is that?”
“Just across the way, madam.”
“Come, Bobby, we will surprise
him. He must be Dearly crazy.”
A handsome American, thirty-five
years cf age, solid and prosperom
looking, was conversing with the of¬
ficial in the magistrate’s office.
“I will do what I can, monsienr.
The lad will be taken in, and our sys
tem of communication is such that the
fact will be known at headquarters. I
will then at once inform you of the
circumstances.”
i t Your reward shall be a handsome
one.”
At this moment the clerk looked in.
“A lady to see you, monsieur.”
“Say I am engaged,” responded tho
officer.
“I did tell her that.”
“Well?”
“She asked if an American gentle
man was here. I told her ‘yes,’ and
she said she must come in at once.”
“Very well. Show her in.”
Mrs. Van Altine, a vision of glorious
womanhood, stood in the doorway
with Bobby by the hand.
“Is this your son, sir?” she said.
Richard Steele sprang to his feet.
Bobby dropped his elephant and the
next moment was folded to his father’s
breast. Mrs. Van Altine seemed
strangely moved as she regarded the
scene. Her face was overspread with
unusual pallor.
“I was not mistaken,” she told her¬
self. “There are, truly, many Steeles
in the world, but it must have been
some psychic sense that caused my
heart to beat when I heard this name.
Let me see, now; it is sixteen years
since—and there he stands and does
not know me. Time, time, how you
level romance! He was slender. Now
ho is stout. Ho had such a dainty
mustache. Now he has a beard.
Really, he is much better looking.”
These and other thoughts flashed
through Mrs. Van Altine’s mind at
that moment. The American turned.
“Madam, how can I thank you?
I—”
Words failed him. He gazed in
growing amazement.
“Fannie!”
“Dick!”
They clasped hands. The years that
had passed were bridged by that pres¬
sure of hands. Plighted faith, resent¬
ment, broken vows, pique, misunder¬
standing, separation—all, all vanished,
and in the sunlight of the present
they gazed gladly into each other’s
eyes.
‘ ‘And Bobby is—”
My boy ? Yes.”
“She wanted to keep me, pa,” saio
Bobby, with the elephant clasped to
his breast.
Dick, who knew all about Mrs. Van
Altine’s history, bent toward her as
ho remarked: “There’s a way she
could do that.”
“Dear me, how late it is getting!
So glad to have met you, Dick!
Charming to see old friends after so
many years ! Goodby—no, au revoir,
for I trust I shall see you. My salon,
as I call it, is quite a resort. Come
and I will introduce you to many
clever people—truo Parisians. ”
“Who will boro mo?” he said,
bluntly.
‘ ‘The same honest, outspoken Dick ! ’
Then as she entered the carriage, she
said;
“You will come?”
“To meet clever people?
“No, to see me.”
“Yes, I will come. I had intended
to leave Paris to-night—”
“But now-2”
“I shall remain—so as to call on
you and thank you more fully for
your great service to-day.”
“How' adorable. You always were
charming, Dick.”
“Even when—”
“When we quarrelled! Yes, indeed.
You were the most delightful man to
quarrel with I ever met. If you had
not been— But I must be going. Be
sure and come— ”
“When?”
“As early as you can.”
“To-morrow night?”
“At once; to-night. I am all impa¬
tient to tell you a hundred things,
and—”
“I will come.”
“And—bring Bobby, if you want!”
—Detroit Free Press.
Rent lor Made Land.
The St. Louis courts have recently
decided a case of no little interest to
the dwellers on the banks of rivers
where new land is likely to be made.
Mrs. Anna R. Allen owns 145 acres of
land at the point where the river Des
Peres enters the Mississippi, and she
leased it to the St. Louis, Iron Moun¬
tain and Southern. Later seventy-five
acres was added to this tract by ac¬
cretions from the Mississippi. The
company has a transfer at this point
and was compelled to cross the new
land in transferring cars. It, how¬
ever, refused to pay rent for the land
embraced in the new formation, ,pn
the ground that it was not embraced
in the lease. Judge Dillon held that
the accretions had become a part of
* . . I tiaet, and, inasmuch .
ae orl o ma as
the company had used the land, it was
hable for reut - The land was valued
b Y experts at $4o0 _ per acre, and judg
meat was given against the railroad
upon the basis of six per cent, on this
valuation.—New Orleans Picayune.
A Remarkable Timepiece.
Japan possesses a remarkable time
piece which is described as follows:
It is contained in a frame three feet
wide and five feet long, representing
a noonday landscape of great beauty.
i n t he foreground, plum and cherry
trees and rich plants appear in full
bloom; in the rear is seen a hill,
gradual in ascent, from which appar
entlv flows a cascade, admirably imi
; ta ted j n crystal. From this point
threadlike ‘stream meanders, encirc
n ng roc ks an d islands in its windings,
and finally losing itself in a far-off
stretch of woodland. In a miniature
j sky a golden sun turns on a silver wire,
I striking the hours on silver gongs as
; it passes. Each hour is marked on the
frame by a creeping tortoise, whicl
serves the place of a hand. A bird oi
exquisite plumage warbles at the close
of each hour, and, as the song ceases,
! sallies forth from a neighbor
a mouse
ing grotto, and scampering over the
hill to the garden is soon lost to view.
New York Sun,
CHINA'S WARRIORS.
MANY OF THEM STILL FOLLOW
ANCIENT WAYS OF WARFARE.
Antiquated Weapons, Banners With
Dragon Pictures, Huge Umbrellas,
Gongs and Gingals—“Brave”
on Each Man’s Back.
T . HE York gone firearms Chinese, World, to and war says fought have with the not modern accord- New yet
ing to modern Western methods.
W hen they fought the English to stop
■e
# Ui
(fi
I fSs V i }
—JSfli m
mesiber of bow and arrow bkigade.
the opium traffic their arms were not
dissimilar to those the English had
used 200 years before. Their bows
and arrows were probably mo re
effective than their firearms.
But their equipment was at least
picturesque. They carried banners
bearing representations of green
dragons and other ter riblo creatures,
and also huge umbrellas. Many of the
soldiers had colored pennants attached
to their persons. Their shields were
ft,
1
% 3
m
Vi ;;;
9
m
X »
(1 \
CHINESE SOLDIERS ON THE MARCH.
also painted with alarming things.
They went into battle with a tre¬
mendous beating of gongs and agita¬
tion of dragons and umbrellas.
They attempted to bar one of their
rivers with a make-believe steamer,
having a funnel and smoke, but no
engines. A huge fort also was armed
with wooden cannon of tremendous
calibre, which could not, of course, be
fired.
The Chinese army at present con¬
sists of three divisions. The first is
the eight banners, comprising “all
living Manchoos and descendants of
the Mongolian and Chinese soldiery
of the conquest.” These furnish
guards for the palace and garrisons in
different principal cities and other
places.
The second is the provincial army
of the “Green Standard,” comprising
the land and marine forces. This
numbers about 500,000 men and is
used principally for garrison and
police duties.
The third division consists of the
braves or irregulars who are enlisted
and disbanded a3 required and have
been much used in real warfare.
Considerable bodies of troops have
been drilled and armed in European
fashion, but the bulk of the army is
still a mediaeval instituion. Match¬
locks, gingals, bows and arrows, spears
and lances are the usual weapons.
Sometimes foreign arms are put into
the soldiers’ hands without instruc¬
tions as to their use.
The Chinese soldier wears a uniform
similar to the dress the Chinese labor¬
er in America commonly wears. He
has a conical bamboo hat, and on the
front of his coat the service to which
/ x\
-a
X
mi mm
■■
\S3f
mm
K if t
\ \ I '4
SOLDIER OF THE TIG5G GUARD.
he beion and on the U.ek the word
“brave” are i ascribed. The Chinese
hav© proved themw-lv.ts to be capable
of great and sustained bravery under
competent lea-L r.-Ldp, such as that of
Chinese Gordon
A STS i :a ion for officers
in the army is ui use. Their physical
attainments only are tested. Lifting
weights, swordmanship and archery
are the subjects of examination The
archery test is very interesting. A
A straight trench a foot or two in
depth and wide enough for a pony to
run in is dug in the parade ground.
Mounted on a pony the candidate gal¬
lops through. He does not have to
pay attention to the animal, which is
guided by the trench. He passes three
They targets, shooting an arrow at each.
“tliat are arranged at such distances
he has just time to put a new
arrow to his bow between one and the
next. A gong is beaten at each target
I when it is hit. The gong is commonly
used to give commands in the Chinese
army, and ia also supposed to alarm
the enemy.
The Manchoo Tartar men of the race
of the reigning dynasty are the
fighters of the Chinese army. Certain
of them, composing the Tiger Guard,
are dressed in yellow—the imperial
color—striped in imitation of a tiger’s
hide, and having ears also to their
caps. This cap is made of split bam¬
boo, capable of resisting a heavy blow.
The shield, also of bamboo, is painted
with a monstrous head, calculated to
terrify the eneui}\ Every fifth soldier
has a silk flag flying from a small staff
attached to his back. This gives a
very gay appenranoe.
The military policeman, says a
British writer, wears a placard on his
breast inscribed “robustious citizen.”
M. Hue, who has left a very inter¬
esting record of his labors as a mis
sionsry in China between 1840 and
1850, describes a view of the Chinese
army which he witnessed.
“This great military display was to
take place outside the town on an im¬
mense sandy plain to which the warriors
were already hastening in little groups,
according to the banner to which tlioy
belonged. Their arms, which did not
trouble themselves to gleam in the
sun, were also in groat variety ; there
were guns, bows, pikes, sabres, pitch
forks and saws fastened to the end of
a long handle, as well as rattans,
shields and iron culverins which had
for a carriage the shoulders of two in¬
dividuals. In the midst of this medley
there was, nevertheless, one thing in
which the army displayed the most
admirable uniformity. Every man,
without exception, had a pipe and a
fan. As to the umbrella, that did not
seem to be strictly according to reg¬
ulation, for those who carried um¬
brellas were in a minority.
\\
s V.
fv &
t).
\
4 I ill J,
A CHINESE FLAG BEARER.
“At one extremity of the field there
was raised on a slight elevation of the
ground a platform, shaded by an im¬
mense red parasol and ornamented
with banners,streamers and some large
lanterns.
“The Inspector Extraordinary of
the Imperial Army and the principal
civil and military Mandarins of the
town were on the platform, seated in
arm chairs before little tables covered
with tea things and boxes filled with
excellent tobacco. In one corner was
a servant holding a lighted match,
not, however, to fire cannon with, but
to light pipes; and at various points
of the field we saw formidable de¬
tached forts made of bamboo and
painted paper.
“The moment arrived to begin. A
little culverin that stood near the
platform was fired off, the military
judges covering their ears with their
hands to protect them from the fright¬
ful detonation ; then a yellow flag was
hoisted to the top of one of the forts,
the tamtams sounded a furious charge
and the soldiers rushed together pell
mell, uttering terrible cries and
grouping themselves round the flag of
their company; then they seemed to
be trying to get into some sort of or¬
der, in which they were not very suc¬
cessful, and after that they had a
mimic fight, and the melee, which was
certainly the most effective, soon fol
lowed.
“It is impossible to imagine any
thing more whimsical and comic than
the evolutions of the Chinese soldiers.
They advance, draw back, leap, pirou
ette and cut capers, crouch behind
their shields as if to watch the enemy,
then jump up again, distribute blows
right and left and then run away with
all their might, crying, ‘Victory! vic¬
tory !’ ”
The Chinese muskets had no stocks,
and the soldiers held them against
their hips, Tho men who acted as
gun-carriages had their ears stuffed
with cotton wool.
The war-junks composing the Im¬
perial Navy wero invariably built to
represent some alarming animal. The
Centipede was the name of one with
three rows of oars, representing the
feet of that insect. The Hawk's Beak
was made at each end like a hawk's
beak. There were also wheeled ves¬
sels, which have been used in China
for many centuries.
The men were usually supplied with
rattan shields painted with tigers’
heads. The heavy troops wore
cuirasses of quilted cloth covered with
irou plates, and helmets of polished
steel.
Their matchlock was of wrought
iron worked like a fowling-piece. The
match was a cord of hemp or coir,
and the pan had to be uncovered with
the hand, which prevented its use in
wet weather. The giugal is a swivel
gun from six to fourteen feet long,
resting on a tripod. The artillery
consists principally of weupous like
this.
A French historian writes of the
Chinese army in 1644: “Thoir arms
are arquebuses, pikes, staves with
iron and hatchets. The horsemen use
other arms. When they go to fight
they carry four swords at their saddle
pommel. They hold two in their
hands wheu they charge, aud make
use of them with great dexterity.
They likewise use darts and lances.
They are accustomed to bo environed
with a troop of grooms, whioh aro
about them when they enter aud
which are nimble and well-armed.
Their valor consists in policy and
stratagems of war, where they employ
their minds more than their courage
to charge the enemy openly.”
Chinese methods of warfare were
probably at that time superior to
European. To use two swords at once
was an admirable feat of warlike skill.
Another writer says of the navy:
“The greatest ships they have art
called juncos, which are very great
aud aro made for the wars with castles
very high on the poop and prow, liko
to the ships of the Levant. There are
so many of these that it is easy for
any general of the season to gather In
a little time a navy of from five hun¬
dred to a thousand of them of the
same making and greatness. ”
The Gipsy-Moth.
Almost every one knows that tin
gipsy-moth is a dangerous pest, and
that tho State of Massachusetts has
expended several hundred thousand
dollars in an attempt, only partially
successful, to eradicate it. Most peo¬
ple know, too, that the little creature
which has done so much damage is an
alien. But how many know just w'here
it came from, and how?
We owe so many benefits to scien¬
tific research that it is not singular
that there should be some entries on
the other side of the account. The in¬
cursions of the gipsy-moth are directly
traceable to the unfortunate curiosity
of a French scientist, who made his
home more than twenty years ago in
Medford, Massachusetts.
This Frenchman busied himself with
experiments with silkworms. He was
desirous to find out whether there
were any other species of insects which
could be cultivated, from whose cocoon
the thread could be unwound directly
by machinery better than can be the
thread of the cocoon of the silkworm.
To facilitate these experiments he
had sent to him from France speci¬
mens of several species of insects,
among which he hoped to find a sub¬
stitute for the silkworm. With tho
rest he received Ochueria dispar, or
the gipsy-moth.
He experimented with his insects
upon trees under netting, but through
some accident the netting was broken
and the moths escaped. When ho
communicated his loss to the towns¬
people, it made little impression upon
them ; but after several years the foli¬
age on the shade trees in Medford be¬
gan to disappear as if by magic. Trees
that were a delight to look upon one
day were completely stripped the next.
The pest spread, slowly but system¬
atically, until most of the towns and
cities in Northwestern Massachusetts
were visited, and great havoc was
wrought to vegetartion. Then came
investigation, an organized movement
for extermination, a commission ap¬
pointed by order of tho Legislature,
and large appropriations to carry on
the warfare.
In France, it seems, there is a para¬
site which preys upon the moth and
holds its destructiveness in check, but
the inquisitive Medford Frenchman
neglected that tho gipsy-moth to import the permitted parasite, HO
was to
|LJ
w— J
m
mm r§im m
S: JE - -'?
ravage undisturbed until the State of
Massachusetts began to make war upon
it. It is doubtful whether, since Pan
dora opened her box, so much de
struction has been occasioned by so
slight a cause. — Youth’s Companion,
The flesh of the donkey is said to
be excellent eating, being as delicate
in texture as the finest mutton, with
the flavor of roast pork.
A Cheap Water Filter.
Our illustration represents a devie©
for filtering water which is within tho
%
ft I
r//m t
Sk m -LWs 1
a M I m i 9
IP
nOMEMADE FILTER.
reach of every one. There is nothing
patent or expensive about it, and it
may be constructed by the merest tvru
in mechanics. Tho plan is to get two
casks—as seen in the engraving; fill
the one into which is inserted the
spout, or inflow of water, about half
full of alternate layers of gravel, char¬
coal and pebbles—a layer of gravel
tivst, next six inches of charcoal, then
pebbles, thon charcoal again, thou a
few larger stones. From tho bottom
of this cask to tho bottom of tho next
havo a connection of thin gas-pipe,
which will riso in an elbow to about,
half way up the depth of tho second
cask. The cask is filled with gravel
and charcoal, just the same as tho first.
Thus tho water is conveyed from tho
first cask to about half way up tho
second cask, and, as it falls by its
gravity, undergoes a second filtering.
At the bottom of this cask the wate:,
now twice filtered, is drawn off for
nee. Water irom a pump, whether
from a well, river or tank, may bo as
readily filtered in this manner as rain
water.—Now York World.
A Famous Breed ol Fowls.
The La Fleelio is one of the cele¬
brated French breeds of fowls. The
bird resembles in geueral appearance
the Spanish, having a red face, white
ear lobes and glossy black plumage.
It is, however, much larger than that
breed, the cocks often weigliiug nine
and a half to ten pounds. Its appear¬
ance is striking, owing to its comb,
which is a bright red aud liko two
horns pointing upward. The bird has
long legs and body and very compact
plumage.
Tho flesh of this fowd is very highly
esteemed, being more delicate and
juicy than most other breeds. In
France and Belgium it ranks w ith tho
Crevecoeur for edible qualities and
brings a high price in the market. It
is rather more delicate than tho
Crevecoeur and does not mature as
early. On the other hand, it surpasses
it in laying qualities and produces
plenty of large, flue-flavored eggs.
This breed Is not at present popular
in this country. It is probable that
as it becomes hotter known and more
. uumerous, less in-breoding will bo
■
m
\
%
■
m
^ *
LA FLECHE FOWLS.
practiced and the hardiness of tho
breed will be improved.—New York
World.
Oldest Doll in the World,
The oldest doll in tho world is the
famous Bambino di Ara Cooli, which
is in an old church in Rome. A writer
in the Doll's Dressmaker gives the
following description of a visit paid to
this church w’here tho bambino is seen :
It is the oldest doll in the world,
and, if tradition is
true, almost as old
as tho Christian
religion, for it is
C claimed to have been
carved out of a tree
from the Mount of
Olives in the timo
% l of the Apostles, and
o'! Wi [ 4 to by have St. Luke. been painted
" However, be this
true or not, it has
been in the “Eter¬
nal City” many hun¬
dreds of years, aud
it is called the Ara
5 Coeli Bambino
m ^ (baba), because tho
W, church of that name,
W one of tho oldest
—uE s gff ? and most interesting
jn Rome,is itshome.
the oldest doll. I shall never for¬
get the first day we visited this vast
and solemnly xriMuresque edifice. \
was just at sunset, and golden shafU
of light illuminated the mosaic floor,
lighted up the richly gilded ceiling
above and flashed its wondrous brill¬
iancy over the presepio or manger,
where lay the miraculous bambino in
swaddling clothes, literally crusted
over with diamonds, emeralds, rubies,
sa pphires and other precious stones,
while its neck and wrists were entirely
covered with strings of the purest ori¬
ental pearls.
In the early age3 of the bambino’s
existence, it was, on account of its
sacred associations, held to possess
strong healing powers, and was often
taken to visit the sick for this pur¬
pose, being always conveyed in a cost¬
ly little carriage and ponies quite its
own. An attempt once being made,
however, to steal either the doll or its
jewels, almost priceless, the practice
was abandoned, and now the Santiss#**
mo Bambino is never permitted to
leave the sacristy of the Ara Coeli
church, and is never left alone, though
it is shown yo pilgrims and strangers
on application, all the year round.
Musical festivals in Cincinnati cost
on an average $45,000 each.