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i w * a. — - /V w ? 'f' A? , C: '-\ ill& m \ m I __L staff* mjk *S'r* r 0* HhNf THE CELLINI VASE. Airs. Branscombe had a passion for bric-a-brac. Not the ordinary mod¬ ern kind, such as any cultivated wom¬ an might have possesed herself of by the simple process of paying for it, but interesting things that were valu¬ able for their rarity and their history and the celebrity of their inventors or discoverers. She had a fan that was said to have once belonged to the last Tycoon, who had been imprisoned and who was said to have shaded his face with this identical fan as he listened to the de¬ cree which subjected him to durance vile and abolished the tycoon ate for¬ ever. Airs. Branscombe held to this theory with unshaken tenacity, but her nephew Will had been the victim of doubts ever since be hud chanced upon a factory in Philadelphia which turned out an inexhaustible supply of genuine Japanese fans so like that royal relic that when he replaced it for a week with one of the late manu¬ facture his aunt did.not seem to know the difference. He had not called her attention to the experiment, because he had never forgotten one ho had tried with the famous roc’s egg, and he did not be¬ lieve that she ever bad, either. The toe’s egg had been the joy of her heart and the pride of her soul, and she had treasured it with anxious care for more than five years until one day Will, in au unseemly fit of glee, had accidentally knocked it out of the nest in which it had been calmly re¬ posing for so long and it was shat¬ tered into fragments. Thereupon it was revealed that the famous egg had been cunningly contrived with a prep¬ aration of lime carefully glazed over the surface, and no mysterious roc had ever had anything to do with its production. Will never got over the impression that it was scarcely fair that he should be blamed for the latter fact. He might have thought it only just that his aunt should have been vexed with him for his carelessness in knocking down her treasure, but she hail never seemed half so indignant toward him for that as because of the little cir¬ cumstance that tho egg turned out not to be genuine. How did she suppose he could help that? Will believed it was the roc’s egg that bad ruined him. She had not seemed to cherish any violent animos¬ ity toward him previous to that. Since that tragic event her treatment of him had been really heart-breaking. Not that he should have cared so much had it been merely for his own sake and hers, though he had always tried to be a dutiful and affectionate neph¬ ew. There was Alabel. She was Airs. Branscombe’s niece and lived with her. It will be seen without difficulty when taken in connection with the fact that Will was in love with Mabel, that the situation was embarrassingly complicated. It really became neces¬ sary to Will’s happiness that his rela¬ tions with Mrs. Brauscornbe should be placed on a friendly footing. There was but one way by which Will could reinstate himself in the good graces of Airs. Branscombe, and even that seemed impossible from a casual view. She had become pos¬ sessed of a wild longing for a Cellini vase. Perhaps there was no reason why a Cellini medal or a Cellini seal might not have answered the purpose quite as well but for some reason Airs. Branscombe’s ambition had taken the form of a Cellini vase. There was a tradition of total depravity lingering about the memory of Cellini which, by a subtle law of the affinity of oppo- Bites, rendered all things connected j with him objects of irresistible attrac- tiou to a woman of the rigid propriety | of Mrs. Branscombe. Therefore it became necessary that she should come igflo possession of a Cellini vase j with as little delay as might be. “You shall have it,” Will had said in a burst of affection. That was just before ho went to Florence. Mrs. Branscombo felt in an unusually friendly humor with him; first for his devotion to her interests; second, for his absence. He wrote often to Mrs. Branscombe; not once to Mabel. Neither did he send her any message. Mrs. Brans¬ combe had always had faith in the remedial effect of absence in senti¬ mental cases. It seemed to increase the affection of aunt and nephew. She was growing almost fond of him now that he was out of the way. “Will’s a good fellow, when he’s in another country, isn’t he?” she said to Mabel. “Oh, yes,” assented the girl cheer¬ fully. “He is improving his mind. It is a good thing. I have always thought it needed improvement. I think it would bear more improvement than any other mind I know. It will never be as good as Mr. Aston’s, bat it could be much better than it is.” Air. Aston was Mabel's new lover, and he had a great deal of money in bonds and oue of the finest houses in town ; two circumstances which have a tendency to brighten a mail’s intel¬ lect wonderfully in public estimation. “I think it will take a long time to improve Will’s mind to any percepti¬ ble degree,” said Airs. Branscombe carefully. “He will probably be abroad five years, at least.” “AVhat about the vase all that time?” asked Mabel. “It will take a long time to find it,” said Airs. Branscombe with all the moral superiority of oue who is con¬ scious of aspiring to difficult heights. “If he should find it sooner he could send it to me.” “I have found if,” Will wrote soon after this. “That is,I have found the place where it ought to be. That it is not there is only an indication of the general derangement of the uni¬ verse. It was sold some time ago to a member of the ex-royal family of France. It happens, luckily for me, however the poor royalist may feel about it,that be has fallen dead broko and all his collections are to be put up for sale. So here’s for I’uris, and wish me good luck” The next time she heard from Will lie had .gone to Home, having been informed that the precious object bad been bought for a Cardinal aud taken to the Imperial City, The Cardinal had since died, and there was a hope, that the coveted treasure might be within grasp. Then he wrote from Aladrid, where he had gone in conse¬ quence of a rumor that the precious vase had been sent to the Spanish Capital and placed in a museum. After that sue did not hear from him for a long time, She began to grow uneasy, first for the Cellini vase and theu for her nephew, She had not known before how fond she was of him. It was a year from the time of his departure that Will returned, walk¬ ing in one evening as quietly ns if be had been down town for an hour ,pr so, ami had just come back. Airs. Branscombe sprang to meet him in transports of delight, After she had welcomed him and asked him how he was and where he had been and why he had not written to her, she said: “I forgive you for not bringing the vase. After all, Will, I think I’d rather have you. You know I was al¬ ways fond of you.” Will ulmost whistled in an excess of incredulity, hut checked himself in time. “That reminds me,though,” he said, taking a box out from some mysteri¬ ous hiding place, “that I did bring the vase.” He opened the box and book from it a vase beautifully wrought of silver ornamented on one side with a golden Veuus rising from a silver sea, and on the other with a swarm of small Tri¬ tons disporting themselves gaily on the crests of silvery waves. After a period of breathless contem- plation Mrs. Branscombe cried: “What can I do to pay yon for such a beauty?” “You know thero is only oue thing I waut.’’ Mrs. Brausc mibe looked over at Mabel, standing with eyes downcast, not looking once at the classic piece of workmanship. “Child, how can you be so insensi¬ ble? Do look at the charmiag thing. If it’s Mabel you mean you can ask her.” “I have asked her.” “Yon undutiful—— !’’ Then her eye fell again upon the ex¬ quisite carving of the master gold¬ smith, and she relented. “What did she say?” “She said she would not do any¬ thing without your consent, when you have been so good to her.” “Good child,” said Mrs. Brans¬ combe with oue eye fixed apprecia¬ tively on the girl and the other on the vase. “I can’t refuse you anything now, Will.” Will and Mabel withdrew to the next room to discuss tho subject, while Mrs. Branscombe remained in delightful contemplation of the won¬ derful handiwork of Cellini. “Do you suppose it is genuine?” Mabel asked tbo day after she and Will bad returned from their bridal tour. They were looking at Mrs. Branscombe’s treasures, chief among which was the marvelous vase. “I know it is,” replied Will. ( t How do you know?” He bent over her and whispered: “Because I made it myself.”—The Peterson Magazine. A New Kind of Beast. A new beast of burden has been produced by Professor Cossar Stew¬ art, of Edinburgh. It is a result of a cross between a Burcbill zebra and an ordinary mare. Its proper designa¬ tion is the zebra mule. It is a very pretty little creature, with almost the same outlines as a colt, and with tbo charmingly variegated coat of a ze¬ bra. Tho species of zebra named after Burcbill is the oue which most nearly resembles the horse in shape. The other zebras are nearer to the donkey. The Burcbill zebra is, in fact, more like a horse than any other animal. The zebra, though smaller than an ordinary horse, is stronger in propor¬ tion to his size. He is extremely tough, and owing to his thick coat, is able to sustain fulls and blows that would cripple a horse. It was loug supposed that the zebra was absolutely untamable, but recent exjKirience has shown that this is a mistake. He remains, however,harder to domesticate than any other animal apparently intended by nature for a beast of burden. Ho is full of spirit and go, which are admirable qualities, when trailed in the proper direction* hut are apt to lead the zebra to jump over walls and turn somersaults. In South Africa six zebras have been harnesssed to a mail coach and have given satisfactory results. They were used in a place where there wero no roads. They had to drive over piles of stones and fallen trees, and swim through a liver. AU this they did excellently, a few tumbles giving them no concern. Modern Gift Enterprises. That curious weakness for getting things cheap, or for nothing, whether they are desirable or not, which char¬ acterizes human nature—perhaps its female element especially (the Into Airs. Toodlos to wit),—lias been the drawing magnet to the food fair. I hear of the most extraordinary consump¬ tion of samples,of masses of incongru¬ ous edibles carried away in paper bags, long waits and crushes for trivial there, by folks who can afford to buy what they want. They have developed this absurdly abnor¬ mal acquisitiveness under the same unlovely stimulus which drives crowds- the gambling-table or the bargain counter.—Time and the Hour. A Common Failing, She—-Have you many poor rela¬ tions? He—None that I know. She—Alany rich ones? He—None that know me.—Truth. FROGS FOR MARKET. An Occupation Which Maryland¬ ers Have Found Profitable. The Novelty and Sport of Catch¬ ing tho Wily Game. Within recent years a large trade has grown up m K.< ut County in pro¬ viding frogs for market. Tho catch¬ ing of frogs for their logs has become a business, and the financial returns are rather handsome to the few en¬ gaged in the industry. Along the small streams tributary to tbo large rivers the big green or mottled black frogs may be found by thousands un¬ der the tufts of flag or coarse grass. One frog shipper has sent to the Bal¬ timore market hundreds of frogs each season, and has so increased tho de¬ mand by the superior size and flavor of the Kent product that ho finds it impossible to meet the requirements of the trade. Frog legs are consumed principally by the patrons of the principal res¬ taurants. Frogs, when cooked, are a delicate white meat and much more tender than fried chicken, very nour¬ ishing and easily digested and are recommended, when stewed, ns one of tho best diets for invalids with deli¬ cate stomachs. Only tho hind legs ami quarters aro eaten, and they are sent to the market skinned and salted for cooking. The market frog-catcher’s method of capturing the game is to secure a small flnt-botiomed bout, easy of man¬ agement, and in the later afternoon, when everything is still ho noiselessly pushes his little craft along the shores of the small creeks and coves, The bull-frogs, as they are commonly known,because of their deep, resonant voices, are found sitting in a shallow pool or in the mud under tufts of heavy grass or llag. Tho novelty and sport of catching this wily game are worth a row of ten miles on a hot afternoon. Two and sometime three ordinary sized perch hooks are bouud together and baited with red flannel. The hooks are at¬ tached to a like of about four feet,and the lino is attached to a long, tough angle rod. Approaching the game noiselessly and with extreme caution, the red flannel is gently moved within a low inches of the frog’s mouth. As quick as lightning and with a sharp croak the frog dashes forward and swallows bait, hook and all. Then follow as gamey struggles as any sportsman ever saw witti hook and line. The amateur frog hunter usually provides himself with a cat-niul-rat rifle, tho shells loaded with mustard seed shot, and shoots liis game, but this is uusportsmun like and is only popular with tho uninitiated, Mill ponds, too, are favorite haunts for the frog, and ou u clear a night, the deep roar of tho bullfrog chorus may be heard for more than a mile. Tho old-time “afore-de-war” Kent county cook has solved the mysteries of the perfect preparation of the frog, and for those who don’t know how de¬ licious frog’s logs may be made many a dainty dish is in store. After skin¬ ning the legs should be placed in cold water for several hours, then placed on u plate and salted. In several hours more they are ready for cooking. The legs of medium-sized frogs are pref¬ erable, as the very large legs are lia¬ ble to be course in texture of flesh. The most popular way in Kent to cook them is by frying, blit there iire other ways of making dishes of them to the palate of the most exacting epicure. —Baltimore Bun. New Aquarium at Castle Garden. Castle Garden, that historic arid old structure standing on York’s water front at the Battery, has beco/ne a public aquarium, after checkered career of almost a cen¬ tury, during which it has lived through strange vicissitudes. Authori¬ huj-e stated that it will contain the Complete displuy of marine life be seen in any part of the world it is fully stocked, but that a long way off yet. Even now, it presents many interesting instructive exhibits, and should ranked with the other great muse¬ of the metropolis. Within those walls have already been many varieties of specimens, ranging all the way from whales to coral insects, from timid brook trout to almost human sea-lions, from ugly devil-fish to the exquisitely colored sea- anemones. Castle Garden was built in 1805, by the Federal government, for a fort, and, as Castle Clinton, helped to guard the entrance to the Jvc-t lt;ver, with Castle William just across on Govern¬ ors’ Island. Castle Clinton was then several hundred yards out from tho land, and surrounded by water, as Fort Lafayette in the Narrows now stands, ft was abandoned as a fort- ress in 1822, however, and ceded t.o tho State authorities. During the thirty years that followed, leased to private individuals, it was used as a summer garden, from which it re¬ ceived its present name, and within its walls have taken place many ovents famous in the history of Manhattan. Tho rafter and pillars that support its great roof have echoed many strange sounds, Those echoes an- swored to the applause that greeted General Lafayette when he revisited this country in 1824; they repeated the words of Presidents Jackson and Tyler when they responded to their enthusiastic receptions in 18.'V2 and in 18411 respectively; they repeated tho dramatic tonps of all the famous ac¬ tors of the decade; and, a few years later, ns the recognized homo to music in America, they were awakened again by the foremost singers and musicians of that time. Perhaps the biggest event in Castle Garden’s history occurred in 1850, when Jeuuy Lind made her American deluit, miller the management of P. T. B.arnmn. Tho choice of soats for the first of tho four Lind concerts given there was sold for $225.—Harp¬ er’s Weekly. The Art of Being Bailout. A wise man, in an address to young men, advised them to learn tho hard- cot lesson in tho world, the art of being patient, He said: “Do your duty,and leave success to take cure of itself, and then you will see th« wisdom of tho old proverb: ‘Everything comes to tho man that cun wait.’ You know,for instance,how hard it is to learn a difficult subject. All tho ideas aro unfamiliar, all tho words are unfamiliar. We go on and seem to make no f way. Now tins disheartens nino / students out of ten—tho nine outp of ten that will always be obscure/ people—but tho tenth man goes on. He works harder and harder, lie lets his m nil play around the subject, he lets ilie ideas of that subject souk into his brain, he is determined that noth¬ ing can possibly resist persistent ef¬ fort, and one line day a great ilood of light conies in—lie suddenly sees all about it; bis work is easy, his work is delightful. Everybody says of him ; ‘What an amazing amount of ability that young man lias!’ No, it was not ability—it was patient perseverance. The man had learned to labor and to wait.” Contagions Vanning. Two young men boarded an Old- town trolley car one afternoon this week to settle u very peculiar wager, the one having bet the other a 85 sil¬ ver certificate that he would make six people out of ten yawn anywhere without saying a word. A well-filled car was selected for the purpose, Tho young man who hud proposed the wager had not taken his seat many minutes when he opened his mouth and gave a feurfnl yawn, followed speedily by ano!ii' i, and then awaited results. A moment later a middle-aged Indy promptly put her hand up to her mouth tosmolbcr a carvcnoiis yawn. Almost everybody in the cur after that seemed in a desperate hurry to follow the lady’s lead. Out of tho nineteen people in the car there were fourteen who Were seized by the af¬ fliction.—Bangor (Ale.) News. Firemen’s lioll of Honor. The London tire brigade has a “roll . honor” commemorating the m tu¬ bers who have sacrificed their lives in to save others. The county has recently ordered tho “roll” to be placed in the main hall ihe Southwark road station. The memorial consists of smull brass fastened to oak panels, en¬ with the names of the eighteen and the dates on which they their death’