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i" BEGINNING AGAIN.
When somtimes our feet grow weary
On the rugged hills of life,
The path scotching long and dreary,
With trial aad labor rite,
Vie pause on the upward journey,
Glancing backward o'er valley and glen,
And sigh with an Infinite longing
To return and “begin again;”
For behind is the dow of the morning,
\ |Witli all its freshnoss and light,
And before us are doubts and shadows
And the chill and gloom of the night;
And wo think of the sunny placos
Wo passed so carelessly then.
And we sigh, “oFather, permit us
To return and ‘begin again.’ ”
We think of the many dear ones
Whose lives touched ours at times,
Whose loving thoughts and ploasant smiles
Float back like vesper chimes;
And wc sadly remomber burdens
We might have lightened then—
Ah, gladly would we ease them,
Could wo “begin again.”
And yet, how vain the asking!
Life’s duties press all of us on,
And who would shrink from the burden,
Or sigh for the sunshine that's gone?
And it may be not far on before us
Wait places fairer than then;
Our paths may yet lead by still waters.
Though we may not “begin again.”
Tos, upward and onward forever
Be our paths on the hills of life,
But ere long a radiant dawning
Will glorify trial and strife.
And our Father’s hand will lead us
Tenderly upward then;
In the joy and peace of the better world
He’ll let us “begifT'again.”
SAVED BY IIIS WIFE.
fHE profession
more life than
to make money
tie comedies
It -was while I was “loafing” that I
saw a strange drama in real life, which
I should certainly have missed had I
not been conscientiously idle.
One afternoon I fell into conversa
tion with a little man who was like
wise busy in the almost forgotten art
of doing nothing.
He was a neat little man; his mus
tache w T as neatly trimmed, his figure
was neat and compact, his clothes were
neat.
We were watching a girl fall off her
bicycle. There were several people
looking on, and we all enjoyed it very
much. Th# girl kept falling, but
whether she did it for our amusement
or because she couldn’t help it I don't
know.
We discussed the “new woman,”
and I was glad to find he didn’t ap
prove of her, because I do, and it gave
me a chance of airing my views.
And so a kind of intimacy sprangjip
between ns. We met nearly every
jlay, and bit by bit he told’me his lit
tle storw _ik.fi
and Hjs ffftme was Smollett, and he lived
in a flat near the park with his wife
and child. Ht told me in confidence
that his wife was the best little woman
in the world, and hinted that his child
was within a trifle of being the best
little man.
Mr. Smollett had been' a clerk in a
stockbroker’s office. But the stock
broker had taken a wrong view of the
South African question, and, after be
ing hammered, had gone through the
Bankruptcy Court and retired into the
country to live in contentment on his
wife’s settlement. Mr. Smollett was
in search of a fresh appointment.
“You know,” he said one day, “I’m
not a greedy man. I don’t look for a
large salary. Three or four pounds a
week would satisfy me very well for
the present. You see, my wife is such
a splendid manager.”
I believe he spent his mornings in
the delightful occupation of answering
advertisements and hunting up friends
likely to be of service. In the after
noon he lounged in Battersea Park.
But the weeks slipped away; and
spring was converted into summer.
Mr. Smollett still made his appear
ance in the park, near the boathouse,
with unfailing regularity. He had
not found employment.
“It strikes me,” he said with a kind
of airy philosophy, “that I shall have
to look out for something at about two
pounds a week. A small loaf is better
than no bread, isn’t it?”
“Quite so,” I assented, “and so is a
biscuit.”
“And do you know,” he ran on.
“we are getting quite hard up. We
are indeed.”
He said this with an air of surprise,
as if I could scarcely be expected to be
lieve it. But as I had suffered from
the complaint for many years, I found
no difficulty in grasping the situation.
As the autumn approached he began
ro look gloomily anxious. The scraps
of commonplacephilosophy with which
he flavored his conversation became
more cynical and less humorous.
“Aren’t you going to smoke?” I
asked one day, noticing the prim little
cigarette was not forthcoming.
“No,” he said, doubtfully. “I
don’t think so. I’m afraid I shall
have to give it up; it doesn’t alto
gether agree with me. ”
He tapped himself on the chest as
he spoke, to signify, I suppose, that it
affected his throat. But I had my
doubts, and persuaded him to try my
tobacco.
The little man began to be a trifle
less spruce in his appearance. He
had managed to get wet through
two or three times; at one time he
had an umbrella—l don’t know what
became of it; and his clothes seemed
to shrink, and make him look pinched
and thin.
By the time the autumn had set in,
and the number of cyclists was dimin
ishing, I verily believe he was short of
food. At any rate, he seemed to be
very glad to join me in a few sand
wiches at a small public house I had
discovered in Yauxhall, where the
sandwiches were fairly good and only
a penny each. He told me, in strict
confidence, that ho would jump at a
guinea a week, “just to keep the pot
boiling, you know,” he added, with a
cautious wink.
One day we were sitting in the Park
watching n six-foot policeman manage
a mob of three very small boys, who
wanted to climb the railings and de
stroy some flowers, when a man
looked bard at Smollett, and then
spoke to him. I strolled away.
He was a well-dressed man of about
twenty-eight or thirty, with the ap
pearance of one who is prosperous,
and treats himself well. It struck me
at once that ho was the kind of a
person who has a proper regard for
his own interest, so that if he liad to
choose between going to the wall him
self and sending another man there,
his choice would certainly fall on the
other man.
However, he seemed to treat Smol
lett with some cordiality, and I could
see from my friend’s manner that he
was trying to converse with him, and
at the same time was nervously anx
ious to secure his help.
At last the stranger went on, and
Smollett returned to me.
“That’s funny, isn’t it?” he began.
“He’s an old school fellow of mine; I
haven’t seen him for fifteen years.
He’S doing well. I told him I was
on the lookout for something, and he
thinks he can give me work to do at
home.”
I congratulated him, but he ran on
withoirt a pause.
“His name’s Morehouse; he’s run
ning a company or something, making
no end of money. He’s got my ad
dress.”
“Did he give you his?” I asked.
“Oh, no, it wasn’t necessary, you
know.”
That was just what I expected. Mr.
Morehouse didn’t want a shabby
friend calling on him in the city.
“Won’t my little wife be glad!” he
said, gleefully. “I think I shall go
home at once and tell her. Good-by.”
And he bustled away with his good
news.
I don’t think Smollett made very
much money out of his friend’s work,
but it served to meet some of his most
pressing requirements, and gave him
new hope.
One afternoon he turned up in the
Park looking pale and excited. I
asked if there was anything the mat
ter, but he was rather tacitujrn, and
said vaguely that “things were look
ing up a bit.”
“Don’t you think a fellow’s quite
entitled to do the very best he can for
his wife and children, and all that sort
of thing?” he asked, solemnly.
“Of course he is. Who doubted
it?”
“No one,” he said eurtly, and went
home, walking with rather a defiant
air.
I felt uncomfortable about him.
There was something in liis manner
which to me that he was
going through a crisis'.'
A day or two later he began to look
thoroughly ill. To put it roundly, the
man looked half starved and almost
demented with worry.
“I suppose you haven’t heard of
anything?”
“No,” he said. “I’m sick and tired
of trying. I haven’t even enough
money to pay for postage stamps. My
hoots*are in holes. I can’t walk into
the city. My wife is nearly broken
clown, and the child is. ill. I wish I
couldn’t swim!”
“Why?”
“f j drown myself. Can’t afford a
revolver, you know. ”
He said this with a bitter laugh, but
he didn’t mean it. The little man had
no more idea of committing suicide
than I had.
“Does Morehouse still send you
some work?"
“No,” he said, quietly. “I shan’t
get any more work from Morehouse.”
“Oh!”
How he got through the next fort
night I scarcely knew. He seemed
to have no friends. The weather was
getting colder, and he lacked an over
coat—l believe that everything which
could be spared had been disposed of
to buy food. I could do very little to
help him, being in my chronic condition
of low water.
At last he appeared one afternoon in
a state of triumph. He had found a
situation—only two pounds a week—
but he was as pleased as if it had been
the directorship of a bank.
“I will start to work to-morrow,”he
said cheerfully, “so I’m afraid we won’t
have any more afternoon talks. They’ve
done me good.”
“Did I ever tell you what More
house wanted me to do?” he said,
jerkily.
I knew what was coming—a con
fession.
“Perhaps you had better keep it tc
yourself.”
*&“No, I w'ant to tell you. I think you
are the sort of a fellow who would un
derstand. ”
“I happen to be a very good writer.
I can copy anybody’s handwriting.
It’s a sort of gift. Sometimes at schoo!
I used to do other fellow’s exercises
for them, and no one could tell the dif
ference. Morehouse knew this, and
he wanted me to put somebody else’s
name to a bill.”
He stopped and swallowed some
thing nervously.
4,“He offered me fifty pounds—and I
wanted the money very badly.”
“You didn’t do it?” I asked.
“Yes, I did,” he said simply.
“There was hardly any risk,” he
said shakily. “Morehouse had ar
ranged it very cleverly and before the
bill would become due he was certain
to refund the money all right, so it
would never have been known.”
“It would have been a crime,” he
went on huskily, “but it didn’t come
off.”
“How was that?”
“I wrote the name. It was perfect.
It was all ready to go off stamped and
addressed to Morehouse.”
“How was it it didn’t go?” I asked.
“My wife saw it lying on the table.
She didn't know all about ft but I sup
pose she guessed there was something
wrong.”
By this time he was fairly crying,
but I tried not to see.
“And she?” I asked.
“She picked the wretched thing up
and chucked it in the fire,” he said.
Then he jumped up from his seat,
and without another word walked
away as fast as his little legs would
carry him.
I>eptli of Kay Penetration.
The depth to which the sun’s rays
penetrate water has been recently de
termined by the aid of photography.
It has been found 'at a depth of 553
feet the darkn’ess was, to all .intents
and purposes, the same as that oh a
clear but moonless night. Sensitive
plates exposed at this depth for con
siderable length of time gave no evi
dence of light action.
HOUSEHOLD MATTERS.
How to Keep the Tablecloth.
When the tablecloth is removed
after a meal, it should not only be very
carefully folded in the creases into
which it was ironed, hut it should be
laid away under some heavy weight.
A small marble slab, if procurable, is
excellently adapted for this purpose.
If tlio well smoothed cloth is laid
beneath it three times daily, it will
keep its freshness remarkably and
last much longer before need of
change.
A Point in Preserving Fruit.
Avery good authority on fruit pre
serving considers that the plan fol
lowed by many housekeepers of using
a small proportion of sugar and iu
consequence boiling the preserve
longer, is a fallacy, as the more sugar
used the greater the bulk of preserve
obtained, less being wasted in long
boiling and evaporation, while the
flavor of the fruit is more retained. A
quick fire should be used, and of course
the preserve continually stirred, the
scum being taken off as it rises. To
judge if the preserve has boiled long,
enough, drop a little into a glass of
cold water. If it does not spread or
mix it is done enough. Or another
way is to drop a little on a plate. If
it does not run on the plate it is suf
ficiently boiled and should at once be
poured.
The Passing of the Holster.
If you have bedding to buy, pray re
member, says the Philadelphia Ledger,
two things as to shape and size. Your
mattress is to be in two parts and your
bolster is to be dispensed with alto
gether as a bolster. Instead of the
long, hai and roll—so difficult to put into
its clean slip—use two pillows just the
size and shape your bolster would
make if it were cut through the mid- j
die. When these two pillows are
dressed and put on the bed, perfectly
flat with the inner ends touching, no
one would suspect the old-fashioned
bolster to have disappeared, but you
will know it to your delight whenever
the bed is to be made or the pillow
cases changed. This form of bolster
is also more comfortable for the sleep
ers in a double bed, and is almost a
necessity in illness.
Above the bolster thus arranged
large, hard pillows should stand up
right to give the desired look of
“finish” to a well-made bed. These
are not to be used at night and can be
put into cases as rich as you desire,
since they come off with the white
spread aad are laid on a couch or ou
\ closet shelf till morning.
-i. ■ JSk,..--
Priestess of the Chafing Dish.
It is one of the tenets of the priest
j ess of the chafing disk that she shall
have her materials measured and pre
pared beforehand as much as possible.
She likes, too, to be well provided
with the tools of her trade, and thus
equipped her ski!! will be at its best.
The chafing-dish knife is a late addi
tion to the list of needed implements,
■ supplementing the spoon, which has
long been indispensable; the knife is
long and thin, with a smooth, broad
blade attached to a round ebony
handle. It is most useful in turning
an omelet, its flexible blade perform
ing the service with great deftness. A
suninier dainty oil the chaiing*dish
menu is that of an orange omelet.
Three oranges, six tablespoonfuls of
sugar, two of butter, four eggs and a
salt-spoonful of salt are required. Pare
and slice two of -the oranges and
sprinkle with three tablespoonfuls of
the sugar; grate the rind of the other
orange and squeeze out the juice; beat
the yolks of the eggs thoroughly and
stir into them the rest of the sugar,
the orange rind and juice. Beat the
whites of the eggs very stiff and fold
lightly into the mixture. Have the
butter very hot in the blazer and pour
in the omelet, spreading in the sliced
oranges after the omelet thickens.
Fold over the omelet, cover the dish,
and let the omelet set and brown over
the hot-water pan.—New York Post.
Xtecipes.
Fried Oatmeal —Slice up cold,
cooked oatmeal, then fry in a little
hot lard, or dip in beaten eggs salted
to taste, then in bread or cracker
crumbs, and drop in hot lard like
doughnuts.
Fried Bread Crums—Lay two cups
of finely grated crums and a half tea
cupful of butter in a baking dish and
set in oven; stir occasionally, and
serve when the butter is absorbed,
and the crumbs a golden brown. Lay
in little mounds at intervals around
the platter.
Cherry Ice —Dissolve one pound of
sugar in one pint of boiling water;
then boil five minutes; remove the
scum and strain. When cool add one
pint of cherry juice, which has
strained. Freeze without stirring
much if liked mushy; if preferred hard
stir constantly.
Walnut Wafers —One-half pound of
sugar, one-half pound of walnut meat,
slightly broken, three tablespoonfuls
of Hour and one-third teaspoon of salt
and two eggs. Beat the eggs, add
sugar, salt flour and lastly meats.
Drop small spoonfuls on buttered pans
and bake until brown. Kemove from
pans as soon as baked.
* Bread Sauce —Lay a small onion,
stuck with a clove, in a half-pint of
new milk;.bring to aboil; then throw
in one ounce of butter and two ounces
of fresh bread crums; boil for a quar
ter of an hour; remove onion, add two
tablespooni'uls of cream, saltspoonful
of salt and half saltspoonful of white
pepper; boil up again and serve.
Blackberry Koly-Poly Rub two
Kahlespoonfuls of butter iu one quart
of flour, add one teaspoonful of salt,
two teaspoonfuls of baking powder,
sifted with the flour; mix with one and
a half cups of milk; knead lightly and
roll out in a thin sheet; sprinkle over
thin layer of sugar; then cover thickly
with blackberries and roll up; place in
a greased baking pan and bake half an
hour in a quick oven. Serve hot with
cream or hard sauce.
Green Peas—Put one pint of shelled
peas in a saucepan; add two teaspoons
of sugar and boiling water barely t<
cover, one tablespoon of butter and
one head of lettuce; boil fifteen min
utes; then remove the lettuce and add
one-hall teaspoon of salt and cook un
til nearly dry. Mix the yolk of one
egg with one-half gill of rich milk; add
it to the peas with one saltspoon of
white pepper; let it remain for a few
minutes over the fire without boiling;
then serve.
THE STATE OF FRANKLIN.
ONCE FORMED AN IMPORTANT PART
OF THE UNION.
Romance of a Commonwealth Which for n
Time Occupied a Portion of Tennessee*
and Then Disappeared From the “Sis
terhood of States”—lts Chief Money*
The State of Franklin once formed,
in area if not in population, an impor
tant part of the Union, says a writer
in the Chicago Post. It had its execu
tive, legislative and judicial depart
ments; exercised governmental func
tions, maintained a respectable militia,
flourished apace, anil then, after a
varied experience, completely disap
peared from the “Sisterhoodof States.”
From historians the State of Franklin
has received scant attention, and to
the majority of the present generation
its identity with the State of Tennes
see seeing almost as mythical as that of
Plato’s Atlantis with the American
continent.
One desirous of dwelling on the ro
mance of facts may find much to at
tract in this obscure chapter of our Na
tional history. A few thousand moun-.
taineers, in a remote wilderness, in
fused with the principles which in
spired the Devolution, had banded to
gether and formed a State government
of their own. With John Sevier, an
ideal frontiersman, as the hero, with
local self-government as the animating
motive, with a variety of plots and
counter plots to lend picturesqueness
of incident, with phases of comedy, in
terspersed now and then with episodes
truly tragic, the drama was acted out
amid the soenery furnished by the
mountain regions of Tennessee.
■When the American Revolution
broke out, what is now the State of
Tennessee was an unorganized; sparsely
settled territory. In 1776 its inhabi
tants, under the leadership of Captain
Sevier, petitioned the North Carolina
Legislature to be annexed to that
State in order to contribute their share
toward National independence. As
the expenses of the war bore heavily
on “the old North State,” her Legisla
ture was only too glad to divide the
burden. The petition was granted,
and what is now Tennessee formed
part of North Carolina until the close
of the Revolution. As it had now be
come a source of expense rather than
help, the iCorth Carolina Legislature,
iu June, 1784, without consulting those
most affected, ceded to the Federal
Government the whole annexed terri
tory under the name of the District of
Washington provided the Government
should, within two years, signify itp
assent.
The settlers, naturally objecting to
such a wholesale disposition of them
selves, rose up in wrath. The manner
and conditions of the cession were re
pugnant and the people felt that they
had not only been trifled with, but
subjected to two years of anarchy and
disorder. Calling a convention in
August, 178-1, they formed the State
of Franklin. The North Carolina
Legislature, realizing its error,
hastened to undo its mistake and re
annexed the “Washington district.”
The inhabitants of Franklin rejected
offers for reconciliation, and Captain
Sevier, though at first inclined to ad
vise a return of SUegiance to North
Carolina, yielded to an overwhelming
public sentiment and accepted the
Governorship of the new State. He
was inaugurated at Watauga, March
1, 1785. Some sort of order was now
established, at least for a time. A
court was created, the militia thorough
ly reorganized and peace effected with
Indians who had been carrying on a
destructive warfare for a quarter of a
century.
But peace did not long prevail.
Complications arose which kept the
young State of Franklin in a constant
turmoil. Congress still asserted
jurisdiction. A reaction, stimulated
by disappointed office-seekers, ensued
among those who had been most
clamorous for the new State. Jealousy
of Sevier’s success animated his rivals,
who henceforth sought to make his
ljfe a burden. The population was
divided into the Franklin and the
North Carolina factions. Elections
were held and appointments made un
der the laws of both States. Two sets
of officers claimed authority, each
nullifying the acts of the other. One
faction would steal the public records
from the other, only to be treated in
like manner in turn. The courts were
in a chaotic condition. W T ills could
not be proved, titles perfected or justice
administered. No taxes were paid.
Marriages performed by officials of
one faction were not recognized by the
other.
Still the determined young State
fought for its life. It exercised even
Federal power and authorized the coin
age of specie, though its chief medium
of exchange continued to be the skins
of wild animals. Finally emissaries
were sent to the North Carolina Legis
lature tomakfe overtures of peace. The
address of Franklin’s representative
was a model of eloquence, fervid with
the rhetoric of the Revolutionary era.
But it fell upon unheeding ears. No
recognition would be made of the re
bellious State, though North Carolina
had once cut her off without her con
sent.
The last session of the Franklin Leg
islature met in September, 1787. That
there was then no intention of surren
dering is evident from one of the acts
of the Legislature, which has been pre
served, and- which is interesting as an
example of primitive financiering. The
law is as follows:
“Be it enacted by the General As
sembly of the State of Franklin, and
it is hereby enacted by the authority
of the same: That from the Ist day of
January, 1788, the salaries of the of
ficers of this commonwealth be as fol
lows, to-wit:
“His excellency the Governor, per
annum, 1000 deerskins.
“His honor the Chief Justice, 500
deerskins.
“The Secretary to his excellency the
Governor, 500 raccoon skins.
“The Treasurer of the State, 450
raccoon skins.
“Each County Clerk, 300 beaver
skins.
“Clerk of the House of Commons,
200 raccoon skins.
“Members of the Assembly, per
diem, three raccoon skins.
“Justice’s fee for signing a warrant,
one muskrat skin.
“To constable, for'serving a war
rant, one mink skin.
“Enacted into a law the 18tli day of
October, 1787, under the great seal of
the State.”
Meantime Governor Caswell of
North Carolina issued his proclamation
declaring the government of Franklin
illegal, stigmatizing its officers and ad
herents as rebels, and demanding sur
render and acknowledgment of the au
thority of North Carolina. The Frank
linites refused, and it was only when
forced by a superior number of troops
that they yielded. The State ended
its short-lived career with a sort of
judicial farce. Sevier, of course, was
arrested and prosecuted. During the
proceedings an ardent, Franklinite
rushed into the presence of the Court
and dramatically referred to the popu
lar idol then on trial. In the uproar
that followed Sevier walked out of the
court-room and was not again molested.
Years afterward he was elected first
Governor of Tennessee.
The State of Franklin was oblitera
ted, its territory forming part of North
Carolina once more until 1790, when,
under the name of the District of
Washington, it was ceded to the Fed
eral Government. June 1, 1796, it
was duly admitted to the Union. The
Nashville Exposition is a fit expression
of its achievements during the century
that has intervened.
The Origin of Medicines.
The fact that certain herbs and
plants produce certain effects upon
the human system, and alleviate or
cure certain ills, has been known from
time immemorial. Perhaps the most
ancient of medicines—properly au
thenticated, that is—is hops, which
was used in the dual capacity of an
intoxicating beverage and as a medi
cine in 2000 B. C. This is attested
by pictures of the plant on Egyptian
monuments of that date. Creosote
was discovered iu 1830 by Reichen
bach, who extracted it from the tar of
wood. Potassium was discovered in
1807 by Sir Humphry Davy, but
alcohol was first distinguished as an
elementary substance by Albucasis in
the twelfth century.
Seheele discovered glycerine in 1789.
Nux vomica, which is nearly as old, is
the seed of a tree indigenous to India
and Ceylon. Peppermint is native to
Europe, and its use as a medicine
dates back to the middle ages. Myrrh,
which comes from Arabia and Persia,
was used as medicine in the time of
Solomon. Hemlock, the extract of
which killed Socrates, is a native of
Italy and Greece. lodine was dis
covered in 1812 by Courtois, and was
first employed in a hospital in London
in 1825. Ipecac comes from South
America, and its qualities are first
mentic ned in 1648 by a Spanish writer,
who refers to it as a Brazilian medi
cine. Ergot is the product of the dis-
eased seeds of common rye, and is one
of Hahnemann’s discoveries. Aconite
grows in Siberia and Central Asia,
and was first used as medicine by
Storck in 1762. Hasheesh, or Indian
hemp, is a resinous substance produced
from the tops of the plant in India.
It has been used, as has opium, since
Indian history began. Caffeine, the
active principle of coffee, was found by
Bunge in 1820. Arnica hails from
Europe and Asia, but the medicine is
made from artificial plants grown for
that purpose in Germany and Erance.
—Pall Mall Gazette.
An Elephant Story*
Once there was a man who soM
produce to a traveling oircus. TUo
circus stayed in town for a week, and
as the proprietor could not pay for
the produce, he gave a mortgage on
the elephant. When he could not
meet the bill the produce dealer fore
closed on the elephant, and proceeded
to lead him home by a rope, whereat
the villagers gathered about, and asked
him what he was going to do with the
elephant, and where he was going to
put him. He replied that he should
put him in the chicken-coop and keep
him. Now the chicken-coop was
pretty big for a chicken-coop, and
even compared favorably with the
house and barn; but when the ele
phant stood by its side its proportions
assumed a changed aspect, and the
elephant wouldn’t fit. The elephant
strayed about in the yard and ate up
produce and everything else for a
week; and then the holder of the
newly-acquired luxury sent word to
the former owner, “Como and get
your elephant at once. I have a fam
ily to support.”
It isn’t always such an easy matter
to get rid of an elephant; and when
you have accommodations for a chicken
only, it isn’t wise to invite an elephant
to dwell with you. And yet we all do
this constantly. Demorest’s Maga
zine.
The Cat and the I-izartl.
We have all heard of the odd power
a lizard has of throwing off his tail
when frightened or excited. We wit
nessed a curous instanie of this when
sitting at tea on the flowery terrace of
one of S. Remo’s pretty villas. The
cat of the house appeared, returning
from a hunting excursion, with a
still wriggling lizard hanging from
her mouth, and the cat’s mistress at
once made a humane effort to rescue
it, with this success, that the lizard
was next seen running away ta a
neighboring tree, but without its tail.
Then a queer scene occurred. The
ownerless tail, still retaining its vital
ity, spun round and round upon the
flagged terrace, at intervals executing
a nimble skip up into the air, while
the cat, disappointed of her original
prey, returned to play with it as she
would have done with a mouse. She
sat down to watch the pranks of the
playful tail, occasionally giving it a
gentle pat with her paw, or starting
back as it made one of its,higher skips,
as if half afraid of the uncanny power
of the thing, which was now neither
animal nor really alive. Finally, as
the mechanical vitality died out grad
ually, the cat swallowed the tail and
returned to the tree to look for its
owner, which, let us hope, she did
find.—Loudon Spectator.
The Plague in Foochow.
The Shenpao states that the bubonic
plague in Foochow this year is much
worse than what was experienced iu
that city last year, when between 20,-
000 and 30,000 persons died from it.
The same paper concludes from the ac
counts it has been receiving from time
to time since last March that the vic
tims of the plague in Foochow this
year'will'not fall far short Qf 40,000.
r JJhe natives of Foochow call the plague
“the rat epidemic,” probably owing to
these rodents being first-attacked by it.
ALASKAN NATIVES.
They Are Proud and Intelligent, In Spit,
of Kaggcdncss and Squalor.
John Muir, the California naturalist
and discoverer of the greot Muir
glacier, writes of “The Alaska Trip”
in the Century. Of Fort Wrangel,
Mr. Muir writes:
On the arrival of the steamer most
of the passengers make haste to go
ashore to see the curious totem-poles
in front of the massive timber houses
of the Indians, and to buy curiosities,
chiefly silver bracelets hammered from
dollars and half-dollars and tastefully
engraved by Indian workmen; blankets
better than those of civilization, woven
from the wool of wild goats and sheep;
oarved spoons from the horns of these
animals; Shaman rattles, miniature
totem-poles, canoes, paddles, stone
hatchets, pipes, baskets, etc. The
traders in these curious wares aro
mostly women and children, who gather
on the front platforms of the half-dozen
stores, sitting on their blankets, seem
ingly careless whether they sell any
thing or not, every other face black
ened hideously, a naked circle about
the eyes and on the tip of the nose,
where the smut has been weathered
off. The larger girls and the young
women are brilliantly arrayed in rib
bons and calico, and shine among the
blackened and blanketed old crone3
like scarlet tanagers in a flock of black
birds. Besides curiosities, most of
them have berries to sell, red, yellow,
and blue, fresh and dewy, and looking
wondrous clean as compared with the
people. These Indians are proud and
intelligent, nevertheless, and maintain
an air of self-respect which no amount
of raggedness and squalor can wholly
subdue.
Many canoes may be seen along the
shore, all fashioned alike, with long,
beak-like sterns and prows, the largest
carrying twenty or thirty persons.
What the mustang is to the Mexican
vaquero the eanoe is to the Indian of
the Alaska coast, They skim over the
glassy, sheltered waters far and near
to fish and hunt and trade, or merely
to visit their neighbors. Yonder goes
a whole family, grandparents and all,
the prow of their canoe blithely dec
orated with handfuls of the purple
epilobium. They are going to gather
berries, as the baskets show, Nowhere
else in my travels, north or south,
have I seen so many berries. The
woods and meadows and open spaces
along the shores are full of them—
huckleberries of many species, salmon
berries, raspberries, blackberries, cur
rants, and gooseberries, with fragrant
strawberries and service-berries on the
drier grounds, and cranberries in the
bogs, sufficient for every worm, bird,
and human being in the territory, and
thousands of tons to spare. The In
dians at certain seasons, roving in
merry bands, gather large quantities,
beat them into paste, and then press
the paste into square cakes aud dry
them for winter use, to be eaten as a
kind of bread with their oily salmon,
Berries alone, with the lavish bloom
that belongs to them, are enough to
show how fine and rich this Northern ]
wilderness must be.
r-Tvn-; The Queerest of All Models.
La grippe, that Russian bugbear
which has made things interesting for
the doctors and uncomfortable for hu
manity during the past three or four
years, is more dreaded for its conse
quences than its original attack, re
marks the St. Louis Republic.
This year, while the grip was not as
malignant as in years gone by, the
aftermath was often serious for those
attacked, with it. It seems to have
weakened the larynx in many cases,
leaving behind a swelling of the vocal
cords and an inflammation of the
larynx itself. Local treatment is
necessary in that ease, and that means
the insertion of a larynx mirror to ex
amine and treat the diseased parts.
Now, it is just here where the diffi
culty comes in. Few persons can
stand the introduction of the laryngo
scope, and physicians have to train
them to it gradually. A prominent
local physician, and surgeon said the
other day that when he practiced at
Vienna in the hospitals and clinics the
students relied for a study of the
larynx upon a larynx model. This
was a woman, who had so trained her
throat to the insertion of the laryngo
scope that she could stand it for hours
at a time. She was in great demand,
going from clinic to clinic, and offer
ing her services to the students and
practicing physicians.
This might prove a lucrative voca
tion for a woman in these parts of the
country. Plenty of nerve and patience
should train her to be capable of hold
ing her mouth open with the laryngo
scope sticking in her throat.
A Buffalo Herd in Indiana.
John K. Bass, the Fort Wayne
foundryman, who is one of the wealth
iest citizens of that lively town, has a
herd of buffalo at his country home,
Brookside. The head of the herd is a
big hull, royally named King Angus.
Just now King Angus is stepping high,
for he is the father of a baby bison.
Time was when buffalo roamed the
plains of this country in unnumbered
thousands. Wholesale slaughter, per
sisted in through many years, has so
decimated their ranks that few remain.
A small herd is in Yellowstone National
Park. Somewhere in Texas there is
supposed to be another. Probably in
the far northwest and in the unex
plored fastnesses of the Rocky Moun
tains there may be a few more. All
the rest have disappeared, except two
or three small herds iii captivity. One
of these is owned by Mr. Bass. Ex
cepting his herd, the only buffalo in
Indiana is the rampant specimen on
the great seal of the State of Indiana.
—Terre Haute (Ind.) Gazette.
The Boaster Taken Down,
A silly youth was bragging of his
great friends in a mixed company, in
which Douglas Jerrold was present,
and said that he hail dined three tiroes
at Devonshire House, and never saw
any fish on the table; “I can’t account
for it,” he added.
“I can,” said Jerrold; “they ate it
all upstairs.”
Congress of Chimney Sweeps.
Some years ago a congress of
chimney sweeps held in Orebro,
Sweden, the sessions being opened
with psalm-singing and prayer, and
debates were held concerning the
moral and social improvements Vhich
it was desirable to introduce among
the sweeps. Now another meeting is
to be held, this time at Stockholm.
MUST HAVE COMPANY.
A safer world this earth would bo
If every joking elf
On folly bent
Would no content.
To frolic by himself.
‘ Tho man who loves to rock tho boat
i Has never yet been known
To drop into
The briny bluo’
Willie rowing out [done.
Tho “didn’t-know-’twas loaded” tlcud.
Would free us from much care
If he’d explode
P That rusty load
Out in the woods somewhere.
The scorcher racing with the wind,
Whom all men dread to meet,
Is joyless till
He tries his skill
Upon the crowded street.
—Washington Star,
PITH AND POINT.
4 “Pretty Polly!” said tho lady. “Can
Polly talk?” “Polly,” replied the
Boston parrot, “can converse.”—
Indianapolis Journal.
“Whut some folks call ’er hopeful
disposition,” said Uncle Eben, “ain’
nuffin’ but laziness an’ trustin’ ter
luck. ” —Washington Star.
Hicks—“ Have a good time out rid
ing this evening?” Wicks (neophyte)
“Not so good a time as the people
who were watching me.”—Boston
Transcript.
“Even a fly can do good by getting
a man awake in time to attend church. ”
“Yes, but it doesn’t put him in the
proper frame of mind to go there.”—
Chicago Record.
“He is ono of the leading lawyers of
the town.” “Gets pretty big fees,
eh?” “I should say so. Why, it is
almost as cheap to buy the grand jury
as to hire him.”—Truth.
“I'm so grateful to Mr. Chumpleight
for sending me his photograph.”
“Why, I thought you hated him.”
“Yes, but just think, he might have
brought it.”—Brooklyn Life.
“There is one thing I cannot over
look in a woman,” said Mr. Smalley.
“What is that?” asked his friend.
“A high hat in a theatre,” said Mr.
Smalley.—Washington Capital.
“Are you one of the striking
miners?” asked the woman at the door.
“Yes, mum. I’m what dey call a
pioneer. I struck thirty years ago and
I’ve never give in yet.”—Detroit Froe
Press.
Mrs. Gilfoyle —“Mrs. Bargain
Hunter is a thoroughly consistent
woman.” Mrs. Ivilduff—“ls she?”
Mrs. Gilfoyle—“Yes; she is. She
has marked her five o’clock teas down
to 4.57.” —Puck.
A—“ Well, how did you sleep last
night? Did you follow my advice and
beg'in oountiug?” B —“ Yes. I counted
up to 18,000.” “And then you fell
asleep?” “No; then it was time to
get up.”—Tit-Bits.
Mr. Failupski—“Ha! ha! Ho! ho!”
Mrs. Failupski—“Vot is der choke,
Isaac?” Mr. Failupski—“Dot hapor
brints der notice of my assignment
under der heading of ‘Business
Troubles.’ ” —Puck.
She—“ How would you punctuate
the following: ‘Bank of England notes
of various values were blown along the
street by the wind?”’ He—“l think
I would make a dash after the notes.”
■—Household Words.
“They say people in this country
spend more money on bicycles than on
bread.” “That’s queer; bicycles can’t
be eaten.” “I know; but then peo
ple can’t show off with a loaf of
bread.”—Chicago Record.
“Any fool can write a novel,” said
Griggle; “you can make things come
out just as you want them to.” “Very
true,” replied Dixon, “but you must
admit that there are some fools who
do not write novels.”—Boston Tran
script.
“Do you always say your prayers
at bedtime, Mary?” asked the Sunday
school teacher affectionately. “No,
miss, not regular, I don’t,” was tlio
reply. “Why, Mary, are you not
afraid to goto sleep at night without
asking a blessing?” “Not when I
sleep in the middle, I ain’t, Miss.”—
Household Words.
Snail Farming.
Snail farming formsapecular branch
of agricultural industry in France and
other countries, and the consumption
of them in France is very large, says a
contributor to Chambers’s Journal.
Edible snails vary greatly in size; the
large white ones are the real escargot,
but this term is usually employed to
designate all edible snails adapted to
table purposes. But in the markets,
besides escargot, there are two other
varieties known as limaee and liina
con, the former being of medium size,
and the latter quite small. Though
the great majority of the edible snails
produced iu France are of natural
growth, then - artificial culture is car
ried on to a very considerable extent.
They are jiropagated from August to
October in ground especially prepared
for the purpose, and fed with cabbage,
clover, etc. During the winter they
are sheltered in houses composed of
brick or wood, and they are gathered
and marketed from April to June.
In the Tyrol from June to the mid
dle of August the snails are collected
from every available damp place and
taken to the feeding ground near the
owner’s dwelling. This is a hit of
garden ground, free from trees and
slirulis, and surrounded on all sides
by ruuning water. In this feeding
ground are little heaps of mountain
pine twigs, mixed loosely with wood
moss, and these twigs when dry are
replaced by fresh ones. Every day
they are fed on cabbage leaves and
grass, and when cold weather sets in
they go under cover—that is, they
collect under, the heaps of twigs and
bury tliemselves up for the winter.
When this has been successfully ac
complished they are collected, packed
in perforated boxes lined with straw,
and sent off to Paris and other towns.
Have Fisli a Memory?
A , distinguished German professor
thinks he has succeeded iu proving
that fish have no memory. The seat
of memory in man and other animals
high in the scale of being is supposed
to be certain cortical centres of the
brain. The learned professor has
shown that no such things exist in
fish, and he regards that as conclu
sive. Yet-the layman may venture to
inquire whether all animals depend
for the same functions upon the same
organs. Perhaps fish are distinguished
professors, for instance, who do not
think with their heads.