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FOR LIFE OR DEATH,
Bu GEORGE H. WESTLEY.
1* puicide a sin? We sat in the smok*
in* room of the C Club debating it.
Bome of us said yes. some no—Morton
was silent—an unusual thing for Mor
ton. for he had views on everything
under the sun. and a tongue that was
facile in expressing them.
“Wh&Uft the matter, doctor?” asked
Frazer, turning to our meditative com
panion. “Wake up and hay something.
Is suicide justifiable, or is it not?”
“Ah, urn,” said Morton coming back
to earth, “the mention of sul< ide al
ways sends the wool gathering. I>o any
of you happen to remember Col. Leigh
ton?”
“Remember jolly old Leighton, of course
we do," responded young Briggs, “and
also that most charming wife of his.
Wonder what has become of them?”
“Ah, iht wai
said Morton. “Positively the sweetest,
tenderesff most delicate little woman I
ever set eyes on. Can you imagine any
one thirsting for her blood?”
“Great Jupiter, no! What was it, a
matter of jealousy, money, or revenge?”
“It was neither.” replied th** doctor,
mysteriously—“but let me fell the story
from the beginning. And you. Fraser,
keep your ears open, for being no dog
mat Isf, this win be as near as I shall
come to answering your question.”
“In the first place, then, Leighton and
1 were brought up together. We battled
our way through school side by side,
and then fought In the same regiment in
the civil war. No liner soldier than
Leighton ever drew sword. Physically
he was a splendid fellow, and mentally
he was as bright and sound as a new'
dollar. Our regiment saw much rough
service, and whenever we met the foe
Leighton was to be looked for in the
thickest of the fray. But bravery cannot
stay the course of a bullet, so one day my
poor comrade was brought into the hospi
tal tent badly wounded. A ball had
pierced his shoulder, glan ed on his col
lar-bone, and gone no one could tell just
W’here. It wan still in his body, for there
appeared no orifice of exit. Ho grew bet
tar slowly, how'ever. and in the course of
a weak or two he started northward to
regain his strength, and so we separated.
“When the war was over ! came to New
York, and hung out my shingle on quite
a prominent thoroughfare. One after
noon who should burst in upon me, but
my old friend Leighton. No ‘burst’ Isn't
the word, for my visitor was not the big.
boisterous, good-natured fellow I used to
know, but a feeble, broken-down skeleton
of a man, a poor, pitiable libel on the
picture of him that hung on the walls
of memory. At the first glan> e I saw that
he was a victim to the opium habit. Do
you know what that means, any of you
fellows? Here’s how one man puts it:
‘Throw a bucket of water into a piano,
and then light a tire under it, and Its
strings will not be more out of tune
than are an opium smoker’s nerves out
of order.*
••I placed an easy chair for my visitor
and he sat down. There was an expression
lh his eye that alarrmel me; a strange
hunted took such as I had seen In rases
of Insanity. He spoke calmly, however,
and soon I had the story of his
life during the few years we had lost
track of each other.
“It appeared that when he came north
he rapidly refrained his strength ajtd soon
was apparently as well as cvef. But pres
ently he began to suffer from pains In
his head, pains which at length became so
severe that he was driven to opiates to re
live him.
“But I have not come to consult you
about this/ said Leighton, ‘this I can beat;
must bear. Would to God that these pains
were always racking me! The worst is
when they are not.
“ ‘Doubtless they leave you very much
exhausted, - I said.
" ‘They leave me,’ he replied. In slow
and deliberate tones, 'with a burning, all
but unconquerable desire to take human
life.'
“Now, I am not generally a nervous
man, but I must confess that I started at
this, gnd Instinctively looked about me
for some weapon of defense.
“ 'Oh, don't be afraid,’ said Leighton,
with a sad smile, 'the fit Isn’t on me now.
I should not have come In if It had been.
I have once or twice been nearly starved,
not daring to leave my room. 1 can con
quer my madness now, but the question is
how long can I continue to do so. It is
growing stronger every day, and my pow
er of resistance I feel to be growing weak
er. Soon the craving for blood will over
rule everything else within me. 1 am like
a man who has slipped over a precipice,
and feels the earth and shrubs to which
be clings, slowly, slowly but surely giv
ing way to precipitate him into the gulf
below. I have taken wretched curs out
of the street and killed them In my fren
*y. in the hope that I might so exhaust
this awful desire. It is of no avail. I must
hav human life.'
“ 'Remarkably strange,” I commented
as he paused. 'Does' this dreadful de
sire of yours demand human life In a
general way, or the life of someone In
particular?’
“ ‘Why do you ask that, Morton?’ he
cried, bending forward with sudden ex
cltementy
” ‘You must answer me, Leighton, or
I can do nothing for you,' I said decisive
ly.
“ 'Ay, you are right,’ he said, setting
back again in his chair. ‘Well, then,
sometimes it seems that any life will
do; and then again Listen! Four days
ago I saw in Central park a beautiful
young gtrl. Her face indicated a nature
pure, sweet and refined. I followed her
down the walk, out through the gate
and on, on to her home in Jersey City.
I was led to do it by this devil that has
taken possession of me. I hung around
her dwelling and presently she came out
and sat on the piazza to study her les
sons. Poor child, she little knew how
near she was to death. Doctor, if I had
had my pistol with me, I should have
shot her. You may smile, but some day
soon 1 shall take a pistol and go there
and kill her.’
‘‘l had sufficient experience with the
insane to know that argument was of
little use, so I did not attempt it Nor
did my studies fit me to deaJ with such
a peculiar case. In as gentle ami sym
pathetic a manner as I could, I sug
gested that he submit to confinement in
an asylum until this homicidal mania
bad passed away.
. " ‘lt will never pass,' he said despon
dently. ‘Confinement would but aggra
vate it. I know how the matter would
end. I should tham sanity, and when
the keeper relaxed his vigilance over me
I Ehould murder him, escape, and then
kill that innocent girl.'
'Then why not leave the country?'
“ ‘Ay, that would save her, Morton, but
then I should kill someone else, and doubt
less one less lit to face his Maker.
“ "My dear Leighton!’ said I in as light
a tone as I could command, ‘you give way
too much to morbid fancies. Give up mop
ing and procure some healthy mental em
ployment. Put yourself under skillful
medical treatment, and get braced up
physically and >*our mind will soon be all
right.’
“ ‘You’ve got it wrong side too. Morton,’
sail he. ‘lt's my body that suffers because
of my mind. 1 toave taken medical treat
ment, the best i tiffin can be procured, but
it’s no use. Thoy can’t understand ray
ease. non*, to tell you the truth, did I ex
pert you to do sc.’
“I feit somewhat nettled at this and
doubtless 1 looked it. I>ighton rose from
his chair and trotted rather than wall: I
over to where I *at, and placed his hand
ImpressivoJy on my shoulder.
“ ’Don't bo angry, old fellow!' he said,
slowly anu in a low voice. ‘We were
schoolmates together and old friends, you
and I. and it js as a friend that I came to
you to-day. I am at this moment per
fectly sane, and I want a plain answer
from one God-featrlng man to a plain
question from another. Will you promise
it?’
“ ‘Proceed.’
“ ‘Feeling as T fell, posseted as T am
of this devil of murder, shall I be Justified
before God in t.tj&ing my own life? Will
it be a dealy sin for me to do for myself
what I wouki do U a mad dog?*
“It was an awful question and It struck
me dumb. I shall never forget that mo
ment, for it waa the most Impressive of
my entire life. The twilight was upon
us, and the pale, haggard face of the man
as he stood above me awaiting my answer,
appeared to belong to the denizen of an
other world.
“I rose to my feet and paced up and
down the room. What should I say?
An answer in the negative might make
na* an accomplice in the murder of an
innocent girl; in the affirmative a party
to fine suicide of a rieAur old friend. The
responsibility was too great, more than
the closest friendship could fairly de
mand. I stopped In front of my question
er and told him so.
“ ’Trua,' he responded calmly, ‘you are
right, Morton It is a matter I must re
solve for njyself. Forgive me for disturb
ing you anti—farewell.’
” ‘Wait a moment,’ said I, for his tone
and manner clearly mirrored his pur
po*\ ’Promise ms till to-morrow to think
it ovvr.
** To-morrow may be too late. The
eravirig may come upon me at any mo
ment. ’
“ ‘Th?n remain here with me. I'm not
afraid. You won't hurt me.’
“1 would try very hard not to do so.
Morton, but—l dare not trust myself.’
“ ‘Tut!’ I responded lightly, assuming
a carelessness I scarcely felt, ’l’ll trust
you. Rut at the same time I’ll be very
watchful. Are you armed?’
** ‘ No ’’ replied, with a slight shud
der, ‘not now.’
‘And I'll see to It that you won’t be.
I shall carry my pistol, and what’s more,
on the first indication of homicidal mania
on your part, I give you my word that I
shall fire.'
“This I said to satisfy the poor fellow,
and it succeeded.
‘Do!’ he said earnestly.
''Presently dinner was announced and I
we sat down to it. We got to talking of |
old schoolboy days and my companion
became quite cheerful. Then we chatted •
about the war, and thia led up to the !
subject of his wound. I got him to des- 1
crihe the first sensations of pain in his
head, and to repeal in substance what the
different doctors had said concerning it.
”1 happened to have a strong prepara
tion of hasheesh at hand, and along about
9 o’clock I gave him a dose. Then, while
he was under its Influence, I carefully ex
amined his head. I had this advantage
over previous doctors, that his head was
now but skin and bone. In a little while I
felt a slight twitching a sort of abnormal
pulsation, about two inches above the left 1
ear. What could It mean? It might be
merely at. alTectlon of the nerves, or It
might be caused by the undiscovered bul
let.
"I then set my mind to work and
thought the whole case pver steadily. In
the first place was that Impulse to take
human life, of which my poor friend had
spoken, really uncontrollable? Suppose,
for exarnplo, he were to go one day to
that young lady’s home for the express
purpose of shooting her, would he ac
complish the act? To say that the insane
mind never changes its design, or turns
from the completion of Its purpose, is
simply to say that the insane mind is
stronger than the sane.
“On the other bund, my poor friend
believed the impulse to be uncontrolla
ble, and therefore us far as any reaction
upon himself was concerned, it was prac
tically so; for he was satisfied in his own
mind that the sacrificing of his own life
was the only way to save the life of an
other.
"Again, possibly his story was a mere
pretence to excuse the commission of
suicide. The suicidal mania is one of
, the subjects of manias, and Its victims
; have been known to proceed to any ex-
I treme In their attempts to justify their
self murder to those they leave behind.
; Opposed to this idea, however, was the
fact that the victim of suicidal mania
rarely speaks directly of suicide, his at
tempted justifications being usually found
I In posthumous documents.
"These and many other thoughts of
1 a similar character passed through roy
mind, and, finally led me to three con
clusions, viz; His impulse is real and will
have fatal results. He Is not laboring
under suicidal mania. Confinement in an
asylum would have no curative effect.
I “Then I took down my books bearing
I on the anatomy of the head, and studied
| them carefully till long past midnight,
i Next morning after breakfast was over,
| Leighton looked across at rne inquir
i ingly. “Well!' he saM, with apparent
j calmness, ‘what do you say?'
“ 'Before I answer you as to whether
1 you would be justified before God, under
the Impulse you have told me of, In tak
ing your own life to save that of another,
you must answer me several questions.'
“ 'Certainly,' he responded.
I “ ‘When you consulted those doctors
did you tell them all that you have told
. ine?’
" 'I did not dare. I told them I had
horrible thoughts and cravings, bui I
did not enter into details, though 1 told
one that I feared that I was becoming
dangerous, and the fool smiled.'
" ‘Did they ever speak of searching
for the bullet?’
" ‘Yes, they said it might be the cause
of my sufferings, supposing it had lodged
near the brain, but no one would take the
responsibility of searching for it, in the
dark, so to speak.’
" ‘They were right, the operation might
kill you, and the bullet not be found
after all.’
“Leighton looked up. The dull dejected
expression left his face and he gazed at
me with eagerness.
" ‘And even If it were found/ I contin
! ued, 'its extraction might cause your
death Just the same/
“He laid his hand on my arm, and tried
to speak but could not.
"Nevertheless, it would give you a
I chance—Just a chance more than life,’
"His grasp tightened, and his breath
j came in quick, short gasps, as 1 went on.
" 'And submitting to such an opera
! tion, almost hopeless though It be, would
j not be quite suicide.'
“Leighton fell on his knees and sobbed
like a chid.
“ ‘You'll do It?' he cried, 'you'll do
it, Morton? God Almighty bless you.’
"Well, to make a long story short,”
said the doctor, "I procured the assist
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 1895.
ance of a young surgeon, whose nerve
I could depend upon, and performed the
operation. We found the wretched bit of
lead near where I suspected it to be.
and removed it. But it was a case of
touch and go if ever there was one. for,
had my knife wavered twice the breadth
of its own edge, or my assistant been the
least bit unsteady with the forceps, the
result would have been fatal. As It
turned out it is needless to say; Leighton
recovered.”
"Ay!” put in Briggs, “and of course he
lc*d to the alter the beautiful girl ho had
been tempt'd to murder.’
"Exactly, ' responded Morton.
"Weil, by Jove!” remarked Fraser, “if
that doesn’t knock spots out of tho finest
romance I’ve ever heard.”
A FAMILY EPISODE.
Hog: mid Bird Aximt the Kitten In*
HI the Bird Was Strangely Dis
abled.
N>w Orleans Special in the Philadelphia
Times.
Mrs. Anderson, living near Opelousas,
owns a canary bird and a livtie white
poodle dog. The bird’s name is Bob and
the poodle’s is Gyp, and the two have
been fast friends since their early youth,
a period dating back some four or five
years. In fact, the two were raised to
gether, one might say, and have been in
separable companions. Every morning
when Gyp wakes up, which is usually
very early, he stands under Bob’s cage
and whines until the door is opened and
his little friend is released for the day.
They take their breakfast from the same
plate frequently. Bob pecking his egg
and potato on one side, while Gyp gnawh
his bone on the other.
When Gyp is given his plunge in the
big bath-tub Bob sits on the edge of it
and sings him his merriest roundelay,
and when Bob’s turn comes, and he takes
his dip in a saucer, the poodle frolics
a out, delighted with the little shower
which the bird sprinkles from his flut-
wings. After this they sun them
selves in the big bay window till they arc
quite warm, and then begins their day’s
work of chasing dies or “playing tag,”
as Mrs. Anderson calls it, when Bob gives
Gyp a sharp peck with his bill, and then
hops up and is away before tho little
dog has time to spring to his feet.
No friends could have been happier to
gether than those two until a few week’s
since, when there appeared upon the
scene of their joys a little white and black
kitten which had been given to Mrs.
Anderson by an acquaintance who knew
her fondness for pets. Mrs. Ander.-on
tried every means in her power to In
duce Gyp and Bob to share their friend
ship with the kitten, which she christened
Fanny, but In vain. They eyed her
askance from the start, and, as Fanny
herself made no conciliatory advances,
it soon became war to the knife. Fanny
first sniffed at Gyp, whereupon h© snap
ped back at her and tumbled her over
on the floor, while Bob dipped down into
the melee anl'pecked the kitten on the
head.
This ended matters, and Mrs. Anderson
took the kitten out, giving orders that
she was to be kept in the kitchen and
never again allowed to enter the room
where Bob was. But the other.day elthei
the servant was careless or forgot the
Instruction, for Fanny succeeded In get
ting Into the loom while Gyp and Bob
were having their sun bath In the bay
window, and the gardener, who was
trimming the roses outside, witnessed
their combat, which would doubtlessly
have ended fatally had he not hastened
to the rescue.
The cat, of course, made a straight
dive for Bob, who was equal to the emer
gency, however, and was out of reach
In a moment. Hut Gyp was still "in it.”
He "walked into” pussy at such a lively
rate that his tresses and her fur soon
mingled together In the air as the two
rolled over and over cn the floor.
Now this sort of thing did not suit
Bob at all. Fearing that Oyp might be
getting the worst of it. he flew down
from his perch of safety and hovered
over the rolling ball of wool and fur,
screeching and screaming in his shrill
little voice, striking a rap with his beak
whenever the eat came on top. Finally
Gyp and Fanny stood up against a sew
ing machine and beat each other about
lustily. Meanwhile Bob, flitting around
above, by chance stuck his tiny claw
under the foot of the machine, and a
sudden move of the cat and dog below
turned the treadle, driving the needle
quite through the bird's middle toe and
pinning him fast.
Bob’s fluttering and screeching in his
defenseless condition diverted Gyp front
his antagonist below, but what could the
poor fellow do? Being weighty of body
and far from nimble at best with Is
little short legs, he could only stand up
on his hind feet and yap his sympathy.
But the sly Fanny, seeing a chance to
Improve her opportunities, sprang upon
the machine, and in another moment
woqld have pounced upon poor Bob ami
made an end of him had not he gardener
rushed in at the nick of time. The kitten
was at once sent away never to return.
I\CLK JIM’S PERPLEXITY.
Found Ills Iloom Lighted X\ Ith a
Bottle Tied to the End of n String.
From the New York Herald.
Uncle Jim Hendricks, a Rockland coun
ty hermit, paid his first visit to the me
i tropolls a few weeks ago as a witness in
an Important lawsuit. The parties who
summoned him looked carefully after his
welfare and secured him rooms in one of
the finest hotels. Though for years a re
j eluse, the excitement induced by Uncle
Jim's adventures was so great that he
was persuaded to stop In at the village
i store on his way home and narrate them.
I Being asked what was the most wonder-
I ful thing he had seen, he said:
"Waal, I don't know 'bout its bein’ the
most wonderful, but the curlosest thing I
| seen wuz a darn thing they put in my
j room to light It. Yer see, them fellers
thot they'd play a smart trick on yer
; uncle, and what d’yer think they give me
to light my room with?
“Haw! Haw! 'Twan't nuthin’ more’n
a leetle glass bottle tied on to the end of a
i string. Wall, inside of that 'ere little
bottle wuz a couple of wires that looked
ez though they were red-hot, tho' the
: bottle didn’t bet up a bit. How the wires
; ever got het up so I give it up. They
didn't cool off ail the evening, and when
I cum to go to bed I jest says I'll pour
some water out of that ere pitcher on 'em
i so I kin go to sleep.
"But, b'gosh! Couldn’t find no hole in
; that ere bottle nowhere. Says to m'self,
1 'Guess I'll hev to smash the tarnal thing,
: and wus lookin' in the bed for a bed slat
> to do it with, when I says to myself,
i 'Guess 1 know a trick wuth two er that.
! 1 11 jest show thorn fellers they can’t fool
yer Uncle Jim.’ So 1 jest takes the dress
, in' case and pushes It up under that ere
| thing and I takes that ere bottle and puts
I it inside one uv the drapers and shets
the drawer up. 'No flies to speak uv on
yer Uncle Jim,’ says I. Then I goes to
! bed. When I opens the drawer in the
inornin’ the darned thing lied burned
I out.”
The deep interest felt throughout Ger
! many In the approaching celebration of
the anniversary of the birth of Prince
Bismarck is shown In the fact that al
most every jeweler of prominence in that
country is preparing some souvenir for
the occasion.
Tt WOMAN op FASHION.
New York. March I.—" Are you fond of i
raw oyster*?" inquired a fair luncher I
of another, who was making two bite* I
of a cherry with her plate of blue
points and engulfing them in horseradish
and pepper.
“Oh, no! I dislike them excessively."
replied the other, "but I have been learn
ing to eat them so as to have something
to give up during Lent."
They were Well dressed women who had
been out shopping, and had dropped Into
this fashionable lunch room to refresh
themselves after a hard day’a work. Did
anyone smile at the suggestion that they
had been working? Jf so. let him spend a
day going about "Just looking*'—that un
pardonable sin In the salesman's eyes.
It is small wonder that the salesman
loses his patience, however. There are
two classes of people who have every ex
cuse for betaking themselves to a lunatic
asylum out of preference. One Is the
much abused motorman. who is In con
stant dread of the small boy whose life
is apparently of small amount to the
possessor of It. The other includes sales
men of all descriptions who have to deal
with women. Of these, the dealers In ma
terials for women's adornment have the
most to bear. While standing beside the
crepon counter for five minutes, in one
of the big New York houses, 1 heard the
salesman answer the game question thirty
five time*. H* answered In the same
even tone each time, and showed the same
Interest in each possible buyer. It seems
a pity that some automatic arrangement
could not be made by which Idle Inquirers
could press a button and get a phono
graphic reply, instead of requiring a
man to make a parrot of himself for the
benefit of inveterate shopper*.
The particular piece of goods which at
tracted so much attention, was anew im
portation of fine silk and wool crepon.
It Dime In four colors only, two of which
were exhibited on the counter. One of
these was a light blue. There was an
underweave of light blue wool, and ever
this the crepon was crumpled Into fine
little wrinkles until It looked like foam.
A. little black star was worked In at
intervals of about two inches. Another
shade looked like the foam on a straw
berry Ice-cream soda, or like the pale
pink of a watermelon. The other two
shades were pale yellow and Nile green
The saleman called it novelty crepon,
but I should call it "foam crepon,” as
It looks like nothing else so much. It
was 14 a yard, and forty-five inches wide.
Another entirely different variety was
a fine golden brown silk crepon with an
open work stflpe through wjilch was
drawn a tiny palo green thread. This
waa $3.95 per yard.
A peculiar green on the sage tint was
a little nearer the ordinary mortal’s
purse, being $2.66 a yard. At the same
price was a mauve and a blue-striped in
hair stripes with black. This last was
the most desirable of any of the varieties
for spring and summer wear.
Silk crepons, however, are not for all
of us, any more than are wools for that
matter. But the wool crepon is a little
less unattainable than the silk, and is
consequently more generally worn.
At the wool crepon counter was a lady
who already possessed a black crepon
skirt, buying material for another, which
showed that she was pleased with It.
Her skirt had a band of mink fur around
the bottom, and she wore a lamb's wool
jacket with a flaring chinch ilia collar that
turned away at the neck to reveal a
stock and chemisette of buff-colored lace.
The variety she was looking at sold for
13.25 a yard, but there is a very nice qual
ity of late importation which can behad
for $1.86 per yard. One needs about four
yards for a skirt and this would bring
the price of material up to $7.40. Still,
cheaper varieties may be bought, and,
of course, will be, but these are more
closely crumpled In good sized welts and
blisters, especially In the new blacks.
Among colored crepons, old blues and
dull greens are the more noticeable shades.
They can be bought for 38 cents and on
the bargain counter there are some very
pretty varieties for 60 cents. These will
be made Into street dresses, with passe
menterie trimmings. The new passemen
terie, by the way, is nearly all jetted or
spangled ribbon of some kind. White satin
ribbon Is used as a background for the
delicate varieties. Over this are set se
quins and paillettes In different shades—
green being the favorite. Steel embroidery
or dull blue ribbon is also a novelty.
This trimming will be used to border
panels up and down the skirts, and as
a finish to yokes and the like. Passemen
terie with a scalloped or pointed edge
will also be used on street dresses. A
gown of nickle gray cloth has trimming
of fine black passementerie. It Is made
with a short jacket, for which women of
short stature should be de
voutly thankful. Those long Jackets,
with so little of the skirt showing be
low, made dwarfs of halt the women who
wore them. This Jacket has embryo godets
in the back, but they are, of course, not
long enough to develop Into full fledged
pleats. It is trimmed around the edge with
the passementerie. A wide marine collar
of white bengaline is trimmed with passe
menterie and edged with feather trim
ming. Underneath the jacket is a vest of
gray sural laid in pleats and brought un
der a crush belt and collar of the same
material. The skirt Is round and trimmed
with the passementerie that appears on
the Jacket.
Anew variety of vest Is coming in. It
suggests the full dress vest that men
wear, but it is not so low. A spring dress
with this vest is made of a beige serge.
The jacket is cut zouave fashion, revealing
a waist-coat of red cloth, which Is but
toned with small brass buttons. The waist
coat is cut oval shap® and a chemisette
and collar of white batiste is inserted.
The revers are ornamented with fancy
buttons. Buttons are sufficient trimming
for the handsomest gown if they are only
handsome buttons. Those set with bril
liants and enamelled are the most costly.
Others are very finely cut steel, and some
are fancy pearl.
Spring hats are so covered with flow
ers that the straw beneath is scarcely
visible. The flowers used are of the ag
gressive type—such as poppies and
daisies and immense rcses. A black
lace hat was almost concealed beneath
two immense red popies the size of peo
nies.
A child'!# hat of black leghorn had
live different kinds of flowers on It. It
gave one the impression of having been
trimmed with the nosegays picked by
childish hands. The nodding buttercups
and daisies and bachelor buttons were
mixed in with dandelions and popples,
and little tufts of grass peeped out here
and there. Wild flowers of all the spring
varieties are the favorites for spring
hats. A brown leghorn had cowslips and
popples and dandelions mingled indiscrim
inately.
Some hats are made entirely of flow
ers, with velvet bows as trimming. A
hat of violets had cerise velvet bows and
made a stunning finish for a stunning
costume of grey serge. This gown had a
bolero of cream lase on the bodice. At the
neck was a bow of cerise velvet like that
on the hat. The skirt was made ’with a
panel in front, and slightly draped over
the hips. Around the bottom was a band
of cream lace.
Another costume, equally striking, with
a hat of flowers was of amazon cloth. The
gown was made princess fashion, and but
toned with fancy buttons in front. A
jacket of black velvet embroidered with
jet was also edged with fur. The sleeves
were of black and white striped silk, cut
on the bias. The hat is trimmed with blue
chrysanthemums—an anomaly which does
not trouble milliners.
The correct thing to wear around one’s
neck is a flower boa. A pretty one made
of little bunches of violets alternating
with two or three large leaves was tied
with violet satin ribbon. Another was
made of large red roses and leaves. These
were marked $15.60, but if one happens to
have some flowers left from last sum
mer's hat it Is possible to have such a
boa for almost nothing. They may be
tied with satin ribbon or finished with a
fall of wide cream lace, and nothing makes
so pretty a finish for a pretty costume.
Alice Amory.
ODD THINGS IVE EAT.
Adulteration of Food* Apt to Occur
in “Cheap" Goods.
From the New York Press.
One of the most beneficent of services
being rendered mankind by the chemical
laboratories, through boards of health and
the agricultural department at Washing
ton Is the exposition of fraudulent food
preparations. A grand eltort has long
been made to get manufacturers to mark
packagea with labels that tell no lies.
For instance, if a man prefers to take
“molasses, water and any odd tasting
herb." each separately, he should have
that privilege, and also the one of taking
sarsaparilla as he pleases. He should not
be obliged to use his faith In man's hon
esty when he drinks the first concoction
under guise of the second, for the iodide
of potash It Is likely to contain may make
his digestion more cranky than before.
Nor should any of us be compelled to
swallow sawdust under misrepresenta
tion. “A peck of sawdust" may now well
be said to be a man’s limit. It is a greater
favorite with the mixed than "sticks and
stories," bark, husks, charcoal, etc. How
ever, thanks to energy in the health de
partments there Is much less pernicious
adulteration practiced than formerly.
Laws and regulations are enforced more
carefully. Tho polariscope and the mi
croscope now strike terror to the soul of
the, concocter of beverages and foods.
It is hard to believe our best tea can
be Injurious, but as it has been the most
abused of all such good*, for which we
may thank the wily Chinese, It behooves
us to make tests by examining the
leaves after soaking. A genuine tea
leaf will be firm and tough when picked
up with a pin. It Is long and pointed,
with delicate veins looped along Its
edges. The latter is an importa-nt means
of identification. As many as thirty-two
kinds of leaves have been passed off as
genuine. Ash, plum, oleo, elder, haw
thorn, willow, alum, wisteria, camelia
and other laves, with graphite. Prus
sian blue, indigo, tumere. gypsum and
Iron filings, to add flavor and weight,
are some of the Ingredients which un
b*;pecting purchasers buy, brew and
imbibe. Add to these recolored and re
flavored exhausted leaves, and one doe*
not wonder nerves and digestion become
“cranky.”
Coffee follows in the wake of tea, with
the addlton of various hard substances,
like sawdust, and husks, rye, peas, beans,
carrots, acorns and roots, etc. One of
the most successful Imitations is the
making from flour paste the actual coun
terfeit of the coffee bean. So perfect is
the little form turned out and flavored
that a very bright Inspector was com
pletely befogged until he brought his
microscope to bear upon it. Then an
American Indian would have been no
more easily detected than were the
beans of flour. A good test Is to soak
a pinch of ground coffee in cold water.
Adulterations will fall to the bottom.
The pure article floats. Greater oppor
tunity for deception is afforded In all
ground materials, so that to use coffee
in the bean may save some trouble. Be
cause it is used as an antidote for cer
tain poisons, adulterations should be a
penal offense.
Chocolate, being a manufactured arti
cle, affords excellent means of fraud.
The best article is neither pasty nor
gravelly when mixed with water. One
danger in pure (?5 white flour is the
alum used to whiten. Undoctored flour
is not perfectly white, and housekeep
ers would send a purer bread to table if
they were willing to forego Rie white
ness and make the flour of natural color.
Alum is likely to cause dyspepsia and
a general disorder of the stomach. Car
bonate of soda is largely used to doc
tor a low grade of flour. Obviously the
fewer chemical elements administered to
onr stomachs the better health we are
likely to have, and certainly the staff
of life should not be overdosed with
acids for the sake of a little difference
in color.
The microscopic examinations of sam
ples of spices show as great a percentage
of sophistication as almost any other
product, unless It be certain drugs.
Every conceivable substitute Is used to
make up a compound of spice, osten
sively pure, but alas! in reality scarce
a third pure, the rest anything from
ground sawdust to pulverized brown
bread. Here our only resort of outwit
ting such practices Is to supply the
kitchen with a spice mill, purclies the
whole berries or beans and refuse to
feed the family on indigestible chips or
husks.
No wonder our sinapisms don’t burn
when a half of the pure mustard is made
up of wheat, hulls, rice, tumeric, and the
like. An authority assures us that sugar
is generally pure. Rigid inspection pre
vents frauds formerly practiced.
The canning of goods has been vastly
improved of late years. So much adulter
ation and preserving elements were used
that eevry bulletin showed almost uni
versal sophistication. Poison from the
lead tops is now - almost wholly avoided,
while a purer tin Is used for the cans!
The sulphuric and salicylic acida for
Insuring preservation are more carefully
used, at least on this side of the Atlantic,
France being the greatest offender for
many year*®
No can should hold its contents after
being opened. The air immediately be
gins the chemical action upon the tin,
the fermentation and putrillcation sets
in immediately. Lead top* should be re
fused. A good, pure flavor should alone
be noticed upon opening. Tin cans should
not look dull and leady. This would show
a cheap article—more lead than the law
allows. Well cooked brands are safest,
as the more cooking is given a fruit or
vegetable the less likely salicylic acid has
been employed as a preservative.
The Rev. J. M. Bennett, a curbstone
bookseller in Louisville, who died re
cently, was one of the famous preachers
of the south before the war. In addition
to his theological learning he had an
elegance of presence and dressed fault
lessly, but he became involved In a scan
dal and was ever afterwards under a
cloud. Mr. Bennett wore a long frock
coat of the pattern of thirty years ago
a tall hat and high stock and preserved
his clerical aspect, which always im
pressed a customer. He died of old age
PRETENSE.
n.*B SAYS IT IS THE CARDINAL
VICE OF TO-DAY.
Elaborate Lauoheon*, Receptions
and Weddings Which Sorely Tax
tlie Purse—Mrs. Voungliusband's
Weaknesses—Young Charlie Star
vation Gives Oat the Impression
That He Is a Member of the Firm.
Miss Bluehlood Tries to Hide the
Fart That She Works for Her Liv
ing.
New York, March 2. —lt preached itself
to me in this way. Bh<e had said to me,
“Come and lunch with me on Wednesday,"
and I, thinking it meant a chop and a cup
of tea and a bit of toast, gladly accepted
the invitation. But when I got there, I
found my lady in gorgeous negligee, there
were seven guests, and, in the little din
ing room was a luncheon fit, as Mother
Goose says, "to set before a king.” Now,
I happened to know that her husband
was a clerk who got a very small salary,
and that she had no fortune of her own;
consequently, this elaborate luncheon
either represented debt or theft. Theft
In this way, that just so much comfort
would be taken from the hard-working
husband, comfort that he had a right to
have, to gratify the pernicious vanity of
a woman. I could scarcely take a mouth
ful, and all the time I thought this one
thing—the cardinal vice of American wo
men is—pretense.
Mrs. Younghusband, whose people are
kind and loving, who have a comforta
ble Income, but many mouths to fill, go
into debt that their daughter may have
such a wedding as she desires. She ap
pears in white satin, and is followed by
a troop of brldemaids In dainty frocks.
There is a large reception, a rich supper,
and the going away on a wedding trip,
for which Younghusband himself has had
to save money, and which common sense
tells him would have been better invested
In furnishing a home than in flying
around the country and staying at ex
pensive hotels. But Mrs. Younghusband
has no Idea of sinking, as she calls It.
into being a domestic woman. She pro
poses to wear that white satin frock and
all of the expensive gowns that formed
part of her trousseau. She meets other
women who are like herself. With much
pretense, they announce their reception
days, and offer weak tea, weaker punch
and stale cakes to the curious crowd
who come to gratify by their presence
and laugh once they are well away. Ev
ery one of them knew that that much
mirrored bookcase was a folding bed,
though nobody pretended to have this
knowledge, and everybody knew, though
this was Ignored, that the oft referred to
maid was simply a slavery from the
boarding house kitchen, Induced by the
glitter of a dollar to act in the capacity
desired for the one afternoon.
Grinds, and grinds, and grinds, until he
makes something of a fortune; and, some
times, If he happens not to be over strong,
he drops at his post; and, sometimes he
needs the dollars so badly, at least he
thinks he needs them, that he steals them
and the days follow one another until
there comes one awful day when he is
branded as a thief, and then all the world
that knew Mrs. Younghusband sympa
thizes with her. Now, my friend, wouldn’t
It have been better, if at the very begin
ning everything had been arranged dif
ferent? Suppose Mrs. Younghusband had
had a trosseau suited to her position in
life, and that her wedding trip had been
to the little nest her husband had made for
h*r; that her hospitality had been repre
sented by good, honest food, and an hon
est welcome. But, alas! the average wo
man is eaten up with a desire to appear
more than she is, and her prayer, It she
ever prays, is “give me more and more
of this world’s goods, and if I may not
have them give me the knowledge to ap
pear as if I do have them.”
There Is young Charlie Starvation, who
dresses well, more than well, fashionably;
whose dress clothes are immaculate, who
sends bouquets and bonbons to various
young women, and who is invited out
everywhere. Now, Charlie Starvation is
ashamed to tell the truth, or to live it. He
Is a clerk in a shipping office, but the
people he goes among believe that he is
one of the firm. If he lived a comfor
table life and wasn't defendant in that
everlasting law suit of "Back vs. Stom
ach,” he would have a comfortable place
in which to live, rather than a poor room
on the top floor of a cheap boarding
house. And yet now, if It weren’t for the
dinners to which he goes, he would be
hungry many times. He Is another who
falls down before the god of pretense, and
is only anxious to serve him well,, and ap
pear what he is not.
Sitting next to you happens to be Miss
Blueblood. She Is long past 40, and
has an extremely bitter tongue. Every
body is afraid of her. She knows whose
mother first was a washerwoman and
then married an innkeeper. She knows
whose grandfather was a peddler and
whose father worked on a railroad. She
fails to see any honesty in properly earn
ing money, and doesn’t hesitate to curl
her lip and make biting speeches about
that world which Is rich in healthy red
blood, and has not become diseased by
continual intermarriage.
Miss Blueblood sits in her room with
her door locked for a good many hours
elvery day, and the servants whisper that
certainly all that fine linen work she
does cannot be for herself. She would
insist that it was If she were asked about
it. Now, the truth is that her rich
friends pay her for this work, and yet
she is ashamed to tell that she earned
money. She thinks It would affect her
position socially. The woman whose
standing in society is governed by her
pretending to be what she* is not, is as
if she were on the ice bridge of pretence
which very soon the bright sunshine of
honesty will melt, and those who rely
upon It will fall, .to be cove-red by the
waters of forgetfulness and never be
heard of again.
I tell you it is the sin, this wicked
pretense, that is making our women dis
honorable and our men thieves. Men
who lova women want to gratify their
wishes, and too many have done it at the
expense of loss of character. It is pleas
ant to know that one's grandfather was
honest, but If he were an honest peddler
ho is better worth claiming than if ho
were a gentleman by pretense.
Little Mrs. Cheerful, who keeps house
in a bit of a flat, talks about "My apart
ment." She keeps one servant and
speaks of her as “the maid." When she
Is able to have two, the cook, whose
knowledge of cooking extends to what is
known as plain fare she call "the chef ”
And so it goes on and on, and every
body seems to be trying to appear what
they are not, and everybody thinks that
•eyerybody else is fooled and nobody Is
As an evidence of the possibility of pre
tense and the way it may be put down
I happen to know of a fiat myself with a
history. It was inhabitated at one time
by an excessively charming literary wo
man, who had the good fortune to marrv
a man of wealth. After her marriage
she went to live in a country place on
Long’ Isl&nd, quite near to one of the
fashionable clubs. One afternoon she
was among the many women there, who
were about that women who is at on£e
“riothers’
Friend” IS
Easy
Colvix, La., Dec. 2,ISS&—My wife
used “MOTHERS” FRIEND” before
her third confinement, and says she
would not be without it for hundreds
of dollars.—Dock Mills.
Sent by express or mail, on receipt of pn w
II lor bottle. Book “TO MiiTHkk.
mailed free. Sold by all Drugglau.
BaAnriiLn Rbgaclto& Cos., Atlanta, Go
the most fascinating of women and clew
erest of writers: a woman who does rot
need to write, for she Is immensely r , ?
but whose books have been wonderful
delineations of men and women. Tc*
former slave of the quill was finding
fault with the house in which she liv. f
and which, by the bye, was much benss
than any she had ever had. She
with a toss of her head, “Really, j
scarcely know how I endure It; of course
we are having it remodelled and ever)-!
thing possible done to It, but until 1; j S
entirely made over, 1 shall never call it
anything but the hut."
Quick as a flash, up went the diamond
framed monocle to the eye of Julua
Gordon, and she said, with her lnlm t.
able drawl, that drawl that is so per
fectly well bred, "May I ask what you
used to call that flat that you lived
on Cotton avenue?” There was no an.
swer to the question, but nowadays, tha
flat on Cotton avenue between Velvet
and Plush streets is Invariably callei
"The Hut,” because for once, honesty
downed pretense.
How far does it extend? Not long ago
young Blgmauth, the son of a well-knowj
clergyman, cooly said; "I dispise min.
Isters; they are all frauds. I don’t b<-
lieve in anything, and I shall always du
exactly as I please. But of course f aiq
going to study for the ministry, for. wits
father's reputation to back me and my
good looks, I'U get a solth birth, hav
all the women running after me and aj
the money I want.” And he was or.
dained the other day. He Is quite as vi.
clous as any so-called man about town
and yet he puts on an Immaculate robe
of pretense and then laughs because thy
world Is so easily fooled.
And there is Mr. Chivalry Franchise.
He gs on the reform ticket. He is going
to clean out the political drain. He mad*
no end of speeches, of which the keynot*
was reform, reform and always reform.
Now he is in. And he laughs to himself,
and sells the offices that are under hi*
control and fills his pocket with money
gotten by dishonest practices, and still
is brazen enough to go to public dinners
and regret that bis power is not greater,
so that he might do absolutely as the peol
pie wish. It is our national vice, and it
comes, I suppose, from our youth. I
It is encouraged by the sad truth thai
thoroughness Is nod required In any
thing. James Cheek. Esquire, who, yes
terday was a plumber, to-morrow, be<
cause of his great wealth, edits a news
paper. Dr. Quack, who only knows the
A. B. C. of his profession, manages td
get a certain sort of notoriety, and he
Is called when those near and dear to
us need attention. Mr. Brass, whose
name you see in the paper every morn
ing and whose knowledge of law is com
fined to trickery, is eagerly sought by
widows and orphans to save the little
remnant of money that the living art
trying to steal from the dead. Mr;
False Metal sells me a spoon market]
sterling, which is silver plated. And w<
accept all this pretense, and try to be
lleve that what we buy has the veritabh
liall ! mark on It. We should demand
that our doctors and our lawyers are
really men of learning, at least in theh
special branches. We should demand
that the editor of a paper should compre
hend good English, and not mistakt
disgusting personality for honest news
We should offer honest hospitality and
not the miserable pretense of It to oui
friends. We should live, all of us. with
in our means. Then there would b(
fewer men in the penitentiary, a less!
number of women would go to the dogsj
and there would be more happy home*
where the voices of little children play*
ing cheerfully and lovingly, ardently!
would constitute the music. I
A sermon? Perhaps It Is, but It cut*
me to the heart to see our bright, prettjf
American women bowing down to
false god, and to realize that he rides
over our generous, loving man as if ha
were In the car of Juggernaut, killing in
them all honesty of purpose and hope ot
happiness. Stop short, and live yout*
life as It was Intended to be. Make it
as beautiful as you please. Let It be fair
and just. There Is nothing in this world
half so good as justice, because real
justice is tempered with mercy, and It is
what we all yearn to have given to us,
though we may call It by a different
name. Think It all over, my friends—
think of it as a mean vice, as a contemp
tible one, and when you do look at it in
that way, I do believe that you will
get rid of it, for there is nobody who had
such a positive faith in the uprightness
of the American woman and the American
man as Aheir present preacher.
Bab.
A Vicious Hit.
New York Letter in Chicago Times
The dramatic critic of the Evening Sad
is responsible for this bit of gossip: "At
*.-• dinner party given in honor of M!s3
Sybil Sanderson the othetl night the
hostess turned to the prima donna and re
marked: ‘Do you know, Miss Sanderson,
that the jewels you wear in "Nanon” are
the most beautiful I have ever seen?'
‘Oh, but those are stage jewels,’ cried
Miss Sanderson. ‘Good heavens' you
surely don’t think that they were real,
did you? I should have had to be dread
fully naughty to have earned all those.’
Now it would not pay to offer a prise
to any person guessing who it was the
fair Sybil hit when she made that littla
speech.”
Senatorial Courtesy. ,
From the Washington Post.
■Senator Alien caused a little quiet
amusement in the Senate on Saturday.
Mr. Chandler was still talking at an un*
usually late hour on the meat inspection
clause of the agricultural appropriation
bill, and everybody was impatient to close
the debate and go home. Suddenly Mr.
Allen arose and motioned apologetically
to Mr. Chandler, who paused in his re
marks to hear what the Nebraska sena
tor had to say.
"Will the senator allow me to inter
rupt him to make a motion?" asked Sen
ator Allen.
"Certainly,” said Mr. Chandler.
“Then I move,” said Mr. Allen, "that
the Senate do now adjourn.”
A Prominent Minister Writes:
After ten years of great suffering from
indigestion, with great nervous prostra
tion, billiousness, disordered kidneys and
constipaton, I have been cured by Dr.
Mozley’s Lemon Elixir and am now a well
man.
Rev. C. C. Davis, Eld. M. E. Ch. Soutfc,
No. 28 Tatnall street, Atlanta, Ga.
Lemon Hot Drops.
Cures all Coughs, Colds, Hoarseness,
Sore Throat, Bronchitis, Hemorrhage and
all throat and lung diseases. Elegant, re
liable.
25 cents at druggists'. Prepared only
Dr. H. Moziey, Atlanta, Ga