Newspaper Page Text
MRS. SWAN’S S2O GOLD PIECE.
BY LOUISE MARTIN HOPKINS.
; rT is pretty.
I Mrs. Swan lifted the end of 'the
1 long strip of linen which lay
cross Althea’s lap and looked admir
ably at the open-work embroidery
ith which it was adorned.
Althea smilled assent and went on
nipping and drawing out threads,
it was a hot June afternoon, and, for
he sake of the slight breeze, Althea
, a d brought her work out on the
iorch. For companionship Mrs. Swan
tad followed her, and sat nursing her
ir ms on the top step. Every few mo
ments Mrs. Swan would arise and
lurry into the kitchen to stir some
hing that was bubbling and boiling
m the stove. Every time she moved
r>r clean, crisp calico dress rustled.
“Althea,” she gasped, as she sank
wn and wiped her face on her apron
ter one of these hurried journeys to
e hot kitchen. “Althea, I’m going to
ik a queer favor of you.”
“Yes?” questioned Althea, in snr
rised interest. She had never known
Irs. Swan to ask a favor of any one.
“I want you to loan me a dollar.”
irs. Swan made the request with evi
lent reluctance. She went on quickly
iefore Althea could reply, “You c’n
ake it out of your board money.”
“Why, certainly,” said Althea, in
.mazement, “I owe you more than that,
can let you have more than that. I
fish you—’’
“No,” interrupted Mrs. Swan, “one
lollar is all I shall need. I want to get
i piece of linen like this. I want, to
nake my sister Sue a bureau scarf
or a birthday present.”
Mrs. Swan smoothed the shimmering
■urface of the linen with caressing fin
ders. “Long’s haven't the right kind.
[ want the dollar to go to Went’s and
jet a piece just like this.”
Althea drew out a lbng shining
thread and wound it around her hand.
“I know you think it strange* that I
should ask you for the money instead
of Hiram,” continued Mrs. Swan, look
ng suspiciously into Althea’s face for
lome sign of inquisitiveness. But Al-
Ihea bent placidly over her work.
"I did ask Hiram for it last night,
tut instead of giving me what I
ranted, what do you suppose he did?”
Althea bit off a thread and made a
light negative motion of her head,
lie knew Mrs. Swan’s peculiarities too
reil to risk a verbal reply. A word,
specially the wrong word, might have
isastrous results.
"He took a piece of money out of his
locket, laid it on the corner of the
aantel and went off to bed without
lying a word. This morning when I
joked at the money I saw that it was
520 gold piece. I thought of course
Hat Hiram had made a mistake; you
now a S2O gold piece and a silver dol
ir are about tue same size and heft,
nd it is rather dark in the room; for,
ince daylight lasts so long we hardly
rer have a light. But at noon when
asked him about it, he said no, it
as all right; he hadn’t made any mis
tke, and kind of grinned, and that
as all I could get out of him.”
Mrs. Swan paused and Althea knew
fat some response was expected from
er. A person unacquainted with the
Dtricacies of Mrs. Swan’s mind would
ave been sure to blunder. Althea
light have been consumed with curi-
Eity a3 to what happened next, but
he only threaded her needle with
feat deliberation and remarked casu
lly: “Well?”
What actually did happen made Al
iea catch her breath and shrink away
'em Mrs. Swan as if her friend had
:ruck her.
‘‘lt’s just Hiram's meanness!” ex
laimed Mrs. Swan, bitterly. “And it’s
ist like him. He thought it was fool
ih extravagance in me getting the
nen. He thought if he gave me one
°llar I would spend it for something
Biat didn’t amount to anything, but if
e gave me twenty dollars I would put
in the bank and save it. Save, save;
get sick and tired of saving.”
Althea’s eyes sparkled with indigna
at what she thought to be an un
accusation. She opened her lips
eak, but thought better of it and
them again.
‘jwan, blind to everything but
* grievance, went on with her
Lt’s just stinginess. He knew
If > break into a S2O gold piece
a little piece of linen. It
|j3e over 60 cents, and I
OP getting the thread besides
dollar. I’ve earn —”
hissing sound, mingled- with
of burning fruit juice, came
P kitchen, warning Mrs. Swan
a supper needed immediate at-
I
1 heard her lift a basin from
e - empty the contents, and
e m to the ice-box. It was
cherries, and the delicious
°r filled the air.
1 s he came back Mrs. Swan
a little ashamed of her anger,
silently gazing at the horizon
v moments with haunted, burn
s - When she spoke gain it was
oderation.
Ive made such a fool of ray
ie said, “I suppose I might
tell you the whole story as to
Hiram and I fell out on money
• It began live years ago last
when we built this house. See
‘e fence out there by the side
iarn?” v
I ' a was well aware of the exist
d that fence. She skirted it twice
°n her way to and from school,
than one rent in gown and
testified not only to its exist
ence, but to the sharpness and tenacity
of its barbs,
“Well,” continued Mrs. Swan, “the
spring we built this house the 40 acres
of land enclosed jy that fence was for
sale. Hiram wanted to buy it, but I
wanted to build a house. We had
money enough to do one of these
things, hut not enough for both. Hiram
thought the house might wait a year,
hut if we didn’t buy the land at once
Rube Thornton would.
'I had my heart set on the house.
The old shanty that we'd lived in ever
since we kept house wasn’t fit to house
cattle in. It was leaky and dirty, and
the walls were full of mice and roaches
and bugs unmentionable. I didn’t feel
as if I could live in it another year.
So we built, and before the summer
was out Rube bought the land and run
was out Rube bought the land and run
his line fence within ten feet of our
barn door.
“Hiram was mad, and, of course,
blamed me; although the next year,
when we got ready to buy, we got bet :
ter land for less money on the other
side —good smooth farm land, while
while Rube’s 40 will never be fit for
anything but pasture. But, somehow,
the site of that fence so near has al
ways seemed to rile Hiram.
“I said then that I'd never ask him
fer another thing that I could possibly
get along without, ana I never have
until I asked him for that dollar last
night. I’ve paid for all that we’ve
eaten and most that we’ve had to wear
with butter and poultry, and I’m six
months ahead at Long s now.”
Mrs. Swan rested her chin in her
hand and relapsed into a moody si
lence. Althea folded her work and
went up-stairs to get the money. A
great many things that had puzzled
her before were made plain by Mrs.
Swan's confidence. She had often
wondered why Mr. and Mrs. Swan
treated each other with such studied
coldness. She had also wondered at
the meager furmsnings of the house.
The house itself was a handsome and
commodious farm-house, hut the fur
niture was the same that had been
used in the old log shanty. And Mrs.
Swan loved pretty things.
Althea liked both Mr. and Mrs.
Swan. In the eight months that she
had made her home with them she
had, in spite of airs. Swan’s peculiari
ties, come to esteem them highly. Mr.
Swan as director of the school district
in which she had taught, had especial
ly won her respect.
He had seemed to her almost an
ideal officer, entering heartily into all
her schemes for the improvement of
the school, and showing no sign of the
parsimony of which his wife accused
him.
As Althea opened a drawer to get
her purse, a photograph lying face up
wards confronted her. She lifted the
velvet case and looked long into the
pictured face. The clear eyes seemed
to gaze back at her with anew signifi
cance.
It was Hugh, dear Hugh, who was
working so hard and so patiently to
prepare the little home for her com
ing. Althea saw the dear face through
the mist of an almost overwhelming
desire to see him at once. She wanted
to lay her arm around his neck and
listen to his heart heat, while they
made their vows all over again.
Would they, could she and Hugh
ever come to be to each other what Mr.
and Mrs. Swan were? The suggestion
was altogether abhorrent to Althea.
She had not presumed to hope that
their united lives could be all sun
shine; sickness would come, and
troubles and worries common to hu
mankind; aye, even death itself might
for a time separate them. But not this
other —
Althea laid the little picture down
on the bureau and bowed her face upon
it. “Not that,’ she murmured; “oh,
anything but that.” It was almost a
prayer.
Althea walked slowly down stairs
and laid the dollar in Mrs. Swan’s
hand.
“I guess Hiram’s afraid we’ll all die
in the poorhouse,” Mrs. Swan re
marked facetiously, as Althea re
sumed her work.
But Althea couhl not make a jest of
it. To her it was a very serious mat
ter. She tried to seo her own future
from Mrs. Swan's point of view and it
frightened her. She looked up quickly,
almost defiantly. She must speak.
“Mrs. Swan, you are mistaken. Your
husband want’s you to have that S2O
gold piece.” Althea's voice was very
stern.
“Wha-wha-at did you say?” gasped
Mrs. Swan.
“He wants you to have that money
for your very own. He’s sorry that be
was cross with you about the house,
and he wants to make it up in some
way. Oh, Mrs. Swan, please forgive me
for speaking. But you have all been so
kind to me, and I cannot bear to see
you misunderstand each other in this
cruel manner.”
Althea was getting incoherent. The
instant the words had left her lips
she would have given worlds to have
recalled them. Mrs. Swan was very
angry. Her lips were set in a straight
line, and Althea was conscious-strick
en at the effect of her interference. She
knelt on the floor and slipped her
arms around Mrs. Swan's waist.
“Please forgive me,” she pleaded. “I
know that Mr. Swan meant for you to
have the S2O gold piece to do with as
you like. He didn’t say so because he
didn't know how to come at it; men
are such proud, stupid creatures. He
THE WEEKLY NEWS, CARTERSVILLE, OA.
wouldn’t care one bit if you spent
every cent of it lor bureau scarfs.”
Althea laughed a little nervous laugh
at her own absurd suggestion, and the
awful lines about Mrs. Swans lips re
laxed a little. Althea’s hopes arose.
After a long pause, during which
Mrs. Swan seemed swayed between the
two extremes of anger and remorse,
she said abruptly: “But S2O is a great
deal of money. What could I do with
so much?”
Althea felt that the battle was won.
If she eonld only be discreet now all
would be well. To say the right thing
in the right way was what she must
do. The S2O gold piece was a peace
offering, and the success of its mission
depended upon herseif. Wellington
marshaling liis hosts at Waterloo was
not more circumspect than she.
“Oh, you can get rid of it,” she said
brightly, “never fear as to that part of
it.” She picked up her work, and went
on in the most matter-of-fact tone.
“You can get your linen for one thing,
and you can get one of those gingham
dress patterns that you thought so
pretty. Then you might make Mr.
Swan a present of an arm-chair with
part of it. Hasn't he a birthday or an
anniversary of some sort coming soon
that you can remind him of in this
way ?”
Mrs. Swan vouchsafed no reply to
these bold suggestions. She sat stiff
and unyielding, but Althea saw that
she was interested in spite of herself,
and went bravely on. ,
“You ought to subscribe for a couple
of good periodicals for Rob. He needs
them. It would help keep him away
from the saw mill. Haven’t you no
ticed that he never goes the evenings
my magazine comes?”
This last was a very adroit move on
Althea’s part. Mrs. Swan’s life wa3
made burdensome a great share of the
time by her only son’s predilection for
haunting the dangerous neighborhood
of the saw mill, and by his association
with more or less disreputable char
acters -who frequented the mill.
“Then there is always the library
fund,” went on Althea gayly. “You
can give a dollar to that. I had
planned to solicit 50 cents from each
family. But to help you dispose of this
troublesome S2O gold piece, I will let
you give more. Then with the vast
sum which we expect to realize from
our grand last-day entertainment, we
will be quite rich.”
Althea had planned to close her
career as a district schoolteacher by
laying the foundation of a library in
the Swan district. And lightly as she
spoke of the project its success was
very near her heart
“Well,” admitted Mrs. Swan, after
another prolonged silence, during
which Althea vacillated between hope
and despair, “maybe I have been stub
born and blind. If I have, I’ve been
well punished for it. I’m going to
think it over. Anyway, Althea, you’re
a good girl.” And Althea was more
than satisfied with this meager ad
mission of Mrs. Swan’s forgiveness.
For three days Mrs. Swan went about
her work with the jerky abstraction of
one Inwardly perturbed. Every morn
ing when Althea came down to break
fast she cast a surreptitious glance at
the corner of the mantel where the S2O
gold piece lay in serene purity of
metal.
On the fourth morning she caught
her breath with a little gasp of ner
vous uncertainty when she saw that
the yellow disc was gone.
Mrs. Swan was cutting thin slices of
ham for Althea s lunch. She glanced
quickly at Althea when she came into
the room. Her cheeks were quite
pink, and her eyes were suffused with
anew, soft light.
Next Tuesday’s our wedding anni
versary, she said in a low, joyous
tone. “We’ve been married just 15
years. I’m going to get Hiram one of
those arm-chairs at Duffey’s. I'll hitch
up and come along by the schoolhouso
this afternoon about 4 o’clock, and you
can come along and help pick it out.
Which do you suppose he’d like best,
the leather or the plush’ 7 ”
“The leather, of course, you dear
little woman,” said Althea, as she
walked around the table and kissed
Mrs. Swan on the forehead.— The La
dies’ World.
Animal* in Fbte.
Every one will recall the Aesopic
story of the lion and the mouse; how
the life of the mighty monarch was
saved by the small creature whom he
once had spared, says George S. Hill
man in the Atlantic. To our recogni
tion in this story of a truth universal
in its human application is due, al
most entirely, our interest in the
mouse and the lion. In our eves they
are not a mouse and a lion, but two
men teaching the lessons that the
mighty shall be humbled, that nothing
is too insignificant to be of some ser
vice, and that it is good to cast bread
upon the waters. We do not stop to
consider whether a lion understands
the mouse language, or whether a
mouse is given to gratitude. They are
merely convenient fo-ms. essentially
human, and they show animal char
acteristics only very secondarily,
when at. all. In the Indian tales
where animals figure as chief charac
ters, the method is the same, though
there is often the added purpose of
doctrinal instruction, feasible because
of the Buddhistic belief in the trans
migration of men’s souls into the
bodies of beasts. The Bible shows a
similar use; and perhaps in all litera
ture there is not a nobler instance of
the introduction of anima’s to teach
ethical truth than is to be found in the
parable of the lost sheen.
National Telephone* in Noivrur.
The Norwegian government has pur
chased the private telephones of the
country and the telephone service of
the kingdom is now in the hands of
the government.
A SINGLE-TAX TOWN.
ALABAMA COLONY THAT WILL IN
TEREST ECONOMISTS.
Tlif I‘nlrlinpe sintl It* Vur
-I|t\v iln* \ ISecn Tr'n*-
(nritusl Not Cdmiiiiitiutic A
f*r i'utf amt tin* ]> i. *.'•)>*( iii4*< I.
In the southern part of the state of
Alabama, on the eastern shore of Mo
bile bay. and surrounded by pine
forests, there is a unique village, bear
ing the name of Fairhope. It boasts
that it is the only single-tax colony
on earth, and its one newspaper, issued
twice a month, carries as its motto the
sentence. "We Will Make Good Theo
ries Work.” This colony is an inter
esting study for economists. The aims
and convictions of its members lie
ostensibly along the line mapped out
by Herbert Spencer and Henry George.
Following the teachings of the former,
inculcated in the words, “Every man
has freedom to uo all that he wills,
provided he infringes not on the equal
freedom of any other man,” these col
onists consider wrong the “treating of
land as private property to be bought
and sold, the same as things which are
the product of human labor and which
each may directly or indirectly pro
vide for himself. ’ The application of
this law of equal freedom seems in
this instance to have resulted in the
purchase of an amount of land by the
association, which pays all taxes upon
it, and then leases it to the individuals
who are subject only to a rental
charge, varying in every ease accord
ing to the location and natural ad
vantages of their land. Any amount
left over after paying the taxes is
expended by the association for the
common benefit. Whoever leases the
land may be independent in the use of
it, and may sell all improvements and
assign his lease subject only to the ap
proval of tne association, which latter
privilege is reserved by them in order
to protect tne community against un
desirable tenants.
It is not the object of this article to
state in full tne methods of govern
ment employment by these Fairhope
colonists, but rather to give an account
of the prosperous results attending
their efforts after a five years’ applica
ttion of their theories. In the autumn
of 1894 these pioneers of a unique
cause landed at Fairhope, then a tract
of pine land situated on high bluffs
commanding a view of Mobile bay.
Overlooked in the march of civiliza
tion, or, to put it more truthfully,
counted impracticable, as a summer
resort by the builders of the many
little bathing settlements along the
eastern shore of the bay, tnis really
beautiful tract of pine lands had been
left untouched by all save time, which
had given an added grace to its red
bluffs by broidering its cliffs with a
tangle of vines, magnolia trees and the
silver-leafed aspen. These, in their
unpruned glory, as well as the tall,
stawlart pines standing in thick groves
back from the bluffs, made of Fair
hope a solemnly magnificent spot,
where the wind and the waves held
undisputed sway.
All this was changed, however, with
the advent of the colonists. The asso
ciation went to work at once, laying
out an avenue, with intersecting
streets, thinning out the pines, and
starting dwelling houses. They built
their own steamboat pier and bath
house, and added a recreation stand
for the benefit of the younger members
of .the colony. Upon the 700 acres of
land first purchased they built their
homes, each landholder paying a nom
inal sum to the association. These
dwellings, western in style, as most of
these settlers are from the west, gave
a thriving air to the village. A good
school, library, and non-sectarian
house of worship show them progres
sive and liberal in their Ideas.
From the vague rumors which reach
outsiders a false impression has been
gained of these colonists. They have
been counted as followers of the Brook
Farm contingent, and the visitor to
their village is prepared tofindasmall
handful of peopje leading a communal
life very much on the order of that
described in “The Blithedale Ro
mance.” What one really sees is a
mode of life as far removed from
communistic, socialistic, or purely
philanthropic principles as it is possi
ble for life to be. Each colonist leads
a separate existence in his own home,
raising independent crops, and in no
way contributing to the common wel
fare or prosperity of the community,
except by the yearly rent or lease for
his property, and his good behaviour
as a citizen.
The village, like every other, has its
country store, around which a great
part of the interest of its townspeople
centres, near which is an aermotor,
from which, after some considerable ex
pense and trouble, an unexcelled water
supply has been secured. Altogether,
the village of Fairhope is not unlike
any other of the small villages along
the coast, its principal exception prov
ing the really excellent homes it can
boast of. Modern in architecture,
comfortable, and with a great many
improvements, they give the new and
untried village a prosperous western
air. A glimpse into their living rooms
reveals the comforts and some of the
luxury of city life —a fact surprising j
and unique when one realizes that j
such homes are set down in the midst j
of a pine forest, guiltless, up to half a j
score of years ago, of any devastating j
or improving hand.
The association now' owns some :
12,000 acres of land. Upon a part of
this excellent crops are raised. Their
grapes obtain a ready sale in the St.
Loais market; their peaches are noted
in all the vicinity for size and flavor.
It is difficult to prophesy how this
colony is destined to thrive. If criti
cism were needed one might suggest a
little Inure practical inaua.vment o?
its affairs, but perhaps such a critiekm
ir unjust when one lae.es into con
sideration (he fact that it is a township
rnnrie up principally cf impractical,
discouraged vtvv- **r. who havt come
to this spot in tvd rto stait anew t!io
struggle for a living, and who, thank
ful to have obtained a foothold in a
community where competition and
overcrowding are comparatively un
known. are content to leave unchanged
a condition unique in the annals of
municipal government.
Fairhope is but a blossom—an ex
perimental flower, destined to come to
fruition, provided time and the op
portunity are given it to mature in
congenial soil. Exactly what this
flower may be called, whether it will
prove itself of superior neauty, re
mains to be seen.
The natural advantages of Fairhope
are great. At an elevation of 120 feet
above tidewater, it commands a mag
nificent view across the bay and out
to the Gulf beyond, upon whose waters
the great ships of commerce may be
seen passing baca and forth to the
various marts of the world. Up to its
curving beach, with its glistening
white sand and gray driftwood evi
dencing many a storm outside in the
gulf, whose waters toss the remnants
of wrecks far inland, there are views
of as glorious sunsets as ever inspired
a r.oet or an artist. The solemn pines
outline their dark forms against the
sky line, and at nightfall the wind and
the soft lapping of the waves may be
heard. To men tired of the world’s
struggle, whose nerves need relaxation
from the tension of great cities, such a
place as this little experimental colony
would seem a fair hope indeed. Its
members have faith in its success, and
welcome its advertisement in any
form. Yet, in a way, they appear
peculiarly unbusinesslike. Another
five years will naturally bring about
a definite change in its aspect—just
what the change will be one cannot
surmise. The colonists themselves
await with patience and fauh all fur
ther developments, and consider that
the natural outcome will be success.—
Elizabeth M. Elgin, in the New York
Evening Post.
QUAINT AND CURIOUS.
Butterflies can stand great cold and
still live. Butterflies lying frozen on
the snow, and so brittle that they
break unless they are carefully han
dled, will recover and fly away, when
warmed.
Naturalists say a lion always places
its head near the ground when roar
ing. The beasts probably do so on
the principle that the earth, being
a conductor of sound, the other lion
or animal he is roaring at can not
fail to hear him.
Goldfish live to a great age. There
are a few in the Royal AquArium at
St. Petersburg. Russia, that are
known to be 150 years old. while the
Chinese claim to have goldfish whose
ages are counted by centuries. The
great goldfish farm of the world is in
Indiana, where thousands reared
and exported to England every year.
A Salem minister was reading a
paper not long ago on the Salem mar
tyrs or witches, when, in the midst of
the address, a black cat with yellow
eyes and tail erect marched down the
aisle directly before the speaker, and
looked him in the face as if to chal
lenge every disparaging word respect
ing the association of the “imp of
darkness” with such as he.
In China all fence gates that, swing,
swing in. In America most gates
swing out. In China all doors that,
swing open outward. In America
doors open inward. The reason given
for swinging gates and doors there
in China is that they are mire con
venient when they are swung that
way, and it is the custom. Tn America
the gates and doors are swung in op
posite directions for the same reason.
If a recent report from Chicago is
to be believed that city is the home
of one of the strongest men in the
country. The dispatch referred to as
serted that two burglars drove up to
the door of the residence of a million
aire banker in a cutter, and while one
of them held the horse the other
climbed up the front porch, pried open
a window and carried out a 300-pound
safe. Chicago may well be proud of a
man who could bold a 300-pound safe
under one arm while sliding down a
veranda post.
Valne of the Discipline!! Mint!.
The world needs men and women
who are sufficien’ unto themselves,
able to stand alone and make the most
of trying and unpleasant conditions.
The discipline of the life should be ro
make our knowledge and resources
available for practical use. What mat
ters it that we read every book in
the world, and gain all the knowledge
that science and art can teach us. if
we cannot put this information to use
either to the nroflt of mr minds or
physical conditions? The greatest
use of knowledge and culture is not
for money-making, for achieving ma
terial success in the struggle for life,
but to sweeten and discipline our
selves. The philosopher who has
gained the true key to knowledge
stands aloof from the thronging
crowds of eager money-makers and
reputation-seekers. He is content to
know that the visible attainments of
life are not the highest and dearest.
Others may strive for them, but he
longs for the intellectual pleasures
which come only to the disciplined
soul. —A. S. Atkinson, M. M., in the
Woman’s Home Companion.
TODAY.
"To-day” unsullied comes to thee-'*
new-born,
To-morrow is not thine; .
Tin- sun may cease to shine
For thee, ere < arth shall greet its mom.
*■ earnest, then, in thought and deed,
Nor fiar approiii Ling night;
i aim comes with i vetting light.
And Lope, and peace. Thy duty heed
“to-day.”
—John Uuskiu.
' HUMOROUS.
Charlie —Docs sho return your love?
Freddie—Ya-as; she says she has no
use for it.
Wigg—D’Auber, the painter, says he
is wedded to his profession. Wagg—
A bachelor of art, eh?
Muggins—There goes a fellow who
sticks up for his employer. Huggins- -
Who is he? Muggins —A bill poster.
Dußrau —There goes a man who has
a good many drawbacks. Forge —Who
is he? Dußrau —A peddler cf mustard
plasters.
“Do make yourselves at home, la
dies,” said the unfortunately careless
hostess one day to her visitors. “I’tn
at home myself, and I wi h you all
were.'
Hoax —Did you ever notice that trol
ley motormen always give funerals the
right of way. Jcax—-Certainly. Why
shouldn't they observe the funeral
rites?
"You have a keen sense of humor,”
said the phrenologist, “and a great
reverence for old age.” "What a gnat
joke writer I would have made,” mur
mured the subject.
Smith —Say, Sappy, what’s the
trouble between you and llragg? Ho
says the next time he sec3 you he'll
knock some sense into that head of
yours. Saphead—Huh! He can’t do it.
Mr. Askit —And how do you like
keeping a diary. Miss Gabbeigh—Oh,
it keeps me so busy writing about
what I have been doing that I do not
have any time to do anything to write
about.
Bluffer —Why did you pull that tooth
before I was ready? Dr. Dent —Weren’t
you ready? Bluffer —Naw, I wasn’t.
Dr. Dent—Oh, very well; I’ll pull an
other just to give you one mere
chance.
Mrs. Newrich —Now this here ball
dress o’ mine must have a train to it.
Modiste —Yes, madam, what sort of a
train? Mrs. Newrich —Why, suppose
you put on one o’ them vestibule trains
you read about so much in the papers.
TWO EACLES KILL A DEER.
A l.ninbdrman’R Story of a f'iglit In lli
Wood* of Maine*.
W. P. Oakes, who has just returned
to Dover, Me., from a surveying expe
| dition in the Moosehead region,
| brings back a story of a fight between
two hungry eagles and a deer, which
was related to him by an eye witness
of the affair, S. D. Rice of Guilford, a
lumberman.
One morning Rice started from camp
with a sled. In following the tote road
he observed some distance ahead of
him a fine deer, which disappeared on
his approach. Continuing on to a bend
in the road he again saw the deer,
which again withdrew as the sled ad
vanced.
Not more than five minutes later Mr.
Rice was astonished to see, stretched
out dying in the snow mar the road
side, the identical deer that had fled
on seeing him, and perched upon its
side were two large blaek white-head
ed eagles. The birds flew away on
seeing Rice. He thinks they must have
weighed 40 or 50 pounds each and have
had a spread of wings of from six to
eight feet.
He thinks the eagles had been watch
ing the deer for some time and waiting
until it had reached an open spot in
the woods so they could attack it. Then
they hurled themselves upon the ani
mal with terrific force and laid him
low with blows from wings and beaks;
Mr. Rice picked the deer dp and
placed it upon his sled, intending to
take it hack to camp and save its !ifo
if possible, but before he had driven
half a mile further the deer breathed
its last. The sharp beaks of the eagles
had severed a number of arteries in
the animal’s neck and it bled to death
on the sled. —New York Sun.
~ * t
t?om4 l.ifo in ilapun,
In Japan the higher class ladies
never go to market; the market comes
to them. That is, Ihc dealers call and
offer wares for sale at their customers’
doors. The fish merchant brings his
stock, and if any is sold prepares it
for cooking. The green grocer, the
sake dealer, and nowadays the meat
man all go to their patrons’ bouses.
In the morning the ladies are frequent
ly engaged in the characteristic oreu
pation of doing harimona; that is, in
starching old clcvthcs and spreading
them on large boards to dry in the sun
shine. This is the first step to making
over old garments, and is done, in the
open air. Nearly all Japanese women
make their own clothes; at all events,
even the vry richest embroider their
garments themselves. They are very
economical little dressmakers.—*
Woman’s Home Companion.
AdjnstHblt* Author*.
The most cheerful antho: —Samuel
Smiles.
The noisest —Howells.
The tallest—Longfellow.
The most flowery—Hawrhome.
The holiest—Pope.
The happiest —Gay.
The most amusing—Thomas Tiekell.
The most fiery—Burns.
The most talkative—Chatterten.
The most distressed —Akcnside—
Chicago Times-Hcrald.