Newspaper Page Text
A VISION OF THE CENTURY,
The to.ler dreams; with restless, burdened
heart
Still hopes and dreams—his rugged face
nnd brow
Turned to the century that trembling
waits.
Trembling yet purposeful, restive nnd
strong how large
She waits; and strenuous her
If part she walks with labor
step by step the now
And with her virgin hand unbars gates
Behind which poverty has lain so long.
So dreams the toiler; wooes her as his
bride—
She shrinking yield yet, but queenly; will she
To this grim pleader from the people
sprung? and
fOr, true to race ancient heritage.
Wed the soft-handed suitor at her side?)
Hi" waits her answer; toiling in the field
He waits -or where, the tired nerves wrung
By factories’ din, worn youth is turned to
age.
And lifting weary eyes from day to day
He dreams that even now the word is said;
Grim labor walks with love for evermore;
Dark brows are crowned that were in dust
bowed low;
While they who have gone far along the
way
With the old eenturv, sec the starving fed,
And for the prisoned one- an open floor
1 hat leads into the sunlight’s happy glow.
I has tensely lislonin", hjy fare grown pale
With visions whiter frimi the prophets saw,
Amid the din he hears a wondrous crv.
“At last! oh. Lord!” that drowns “Oh,
Lord! how long?"
All, blissful dreamer! if before the veil
I Ins folici labor and love and law
Shall lead a multitude that., passing by.
One hearted lifia to heaven a niighlv song.
, —Harper's Weekly.
f>ODOOOOODC3n:JDDOOOf:ODOOCO^ c O
o TAKING A BRIBE. g
O r.
o o
n liy Horace Eaton AVnlkcr. t
r?
0300000003S030000GQGQC030
4 ( W ELI just er, to my “you Helenette,” pretty came housekeep¬ to [ said me
live years ago to
siio assented, scarcely look¬
ing up from her breakfast dishes; she
■"’«* a modest and unassuming woman.
"During these busy years I have paid
every dollar of the $5(100 I agreed to.
and the farm is now mine.’
Sin* smiled demurely upon me, but
made no comment, so I continued:
"You have been a participant in all
tin* details of my domestic life."
“Certainly, Mr. Holingbroko." And
she turned a curious gaze on me for
the first time.
I may as well Ik* plain and say at
once that in the vernacular of the shire
where* 1 lived. I was an odd stick.
However, I had good habits, a good
farm, and friends sufficient.
"1 would like to take a walk over the
farm, and be accompanied by you, oth¬
er matters not interfering,” 1 said
“Other matters will not Interfere,”
she responded In her unobtrusive ninn
ner.
We were soon on tlie way, and 1
commented on all we saw.
"Five hundred acres; .),-)000. A thou¬
sand dollars for every 100 acres; and,
Helenette, the place is mine!"
"You have done remarkably well in
so short a season. You deserve much
praise.”
"There on my loft the everlasting
hills arise, their summits densely cov
otvd with oak. spruce, pin,*, and trees
of lesser quality."
"Yes, the timber alone is worth
$ 2000 ."
"No doubt. Then there is the lux¬
uriant meadow, ilu* fertile fields, the
rowen-pateh, a pasture sufficient for
a large herd of cattle, a goodly flock
of sheep, a dozen hors,, s. and two beau¬
tiful brooks cross and remiss my fields.
Surely there seems to he nothing lack¬
ing."
1 tried to take note of her expression
as 1 ended the Iasi sentence; but her
countenance did not change. 8 he
scorned to be gazing off over the far¬
away hills, sip* said very pertinently,
however:
“And there is the sugar orel and.
That ought to net you $500 per tear"
"It will."
I could not help noticing how very
practical she was in her observations.
Your buildings are in good repair:
your farm Is well stocked, you enjoy
the best of health." went on Helenette.
"Your earthly lot is enviable. May
your prosperity ever continue!”
I looked at her intently, But that
sweet face betrayed no emotion.
Y ou think the picture is eouiplete‘ > "
I said.
"Y’os, financially.”
"But money is not everything. There
is one lack. ’1 he earthly picture cannot
lx* complete to me without it. Can
you guess what it is?"
“No.”
“I want a wife!"
We both paused then, but her eoun
tenance did not change.
"A wife?" she said in a matter of fact
manner. ;
“Yes.”
"You seem to bo very happily situ
®ted now; yet tlie right kind of a wife
would be a useful addition to the farm,
Yes, you should many.
“I thank you. Helenette. Your nd
vice has always been good, 1 shall
consider it carefully.”
By this time we had returned to
house, and as she walked in.
me ti’Jishjk, 1 thought, “When I take
JS5
*■ /out that moment I began paying
n’ore attention to dress than I had
'June, and with siieli success that I con
gratulated myself ou my general im
provernent. I never was rated a mod¬
est man.
One day I dressed myself carefully,
harnessed up my finest team and pre¬
pared for a Journey. Helenette stood
at the door to see me off.
“Holenctte,” I said, “I’m going to
town. I may be gone a week. I may
be gone a month. During my absence,
you and John will keep tlie farm in
running order, and on my return I hope
to Introduce you to your future mis¬
tress.”
I clucked to the liorse, without wait¬
ing for any reply from Helenette. To
my dying day I shall never forget tlie
strange look that came into her face.
I gave it scarcely a second’s notice,
however, hut dashed down the two
mile road leading to the village.
“Going to town, Neighbor Boling
broke?”
Looking over my shoulder, I beheld
Mr. Dayson, a well to do farmer who
lived a mile below my own farm, com¬
ing witli his line span of grays, tlie
beams of health irradiating liis counte¬
nance.
“Yes—I’m wife hunting," I said face¬
tiously, reining to one side that he
might pass.
“No, keep on; I’m not bound for tlie
village to-day; I turn toward Mr.
Dart’s at the next corner. But, my
dear Bolingbroke, you have
woman you want behind.”
“What do you mean?”
“itelenettc'.s tlie wife for you. She's
economical, capable; and you're more
than half in love* with each other.”
“Gammon! She thinks of nothing
but her work.”
"Go back and find out if I’m not
right. Why, you ought to marry her!
She's helped to buy tin* farm."
My neighbor drove on, leaving me to
ponder over his words. I remembered
the look on Helenette’s face as I drove
away. What if it should be
“Hello! Can you tell me how far it
is to Gordon Bolingbroke’s?”
I looked up to see a gentlemanly
looking person standing in the road.
“Why do you wish to know?”
“I want to see Ills housekeeper, Hel
cnotte Ratliiiiirne. Having decided to
lake a wife, I intend to make her a pro¬
posal.”
I was dunifounded fora minute; then
1 said curtly:
“Gordon Bolingbroke’s farm is just
one mile from here. Take the first
road that leads to the right. Good
day, sir.”
1 touched my horse testily with the
whip, the result being that I found
myself in the ditch, my tie out of gear,
my watch chain broken. For awhile
1 knew nothing. Then somebody
sweetly asked:
“Are you feeling better, Gordon?”
It was tlie voice of Helenette.
“Better? What's the trouble?’’
“Don't you remember being thrown
from your team a week ago?”
“Oh, yes. 1 remember; but that was
only a few minutes since.”
"You have lain here nearly seven
days."
“And where am T, pray?"
“In your own house, in lied.”
"in bed? What for? I'm going to
get up.”
“Gordon, listen. You are not your¬
self. You received a bad concussion
of the brain and have at times been
violent. 1 bad to have some one to
take care of you.”
1 raised myself in bed; beside me sat
tile man 1 had met on the road.
"What! You here?” I exclaimed.
"Yes. begging your pardon, Mr. Bol
ingbroke. If 1 were not you might
now be a dead man.”
Ii nil began gradually to come back
to me.
“I see you found my housekeeper,”
l said significantly.
“Oh, yes.”
“And have you proposed marriage
to her?”
"No 1 couldn't do that.”
"Why?”
"She is my sister—I told you I had
a proposal to make. So 1 had. But it
wasn't what you thought.”
1 stared first at one and then at the
other. Helenette was smiling, but
looked at me earnestly.
“What mystery is this?" I exclaimed.
“No mystery at all. My sister nnd
l left our poor home some five years
since to seek our fortunes, she going
iu one direction ami l in another, the
agreement being that neither of us
should wed until success crowned out
efforts. Well. I am established in
business, ami came to ask her to help
me get my house ready for my future
wife.”
"I am glad Miss Ilathburne is your
sister."
"So am I. When you marry she will
| come to live with me. That also was
in the agrement.”
"Never! l*vo been a fool. Helenette,
will you have me? It's you I've wanted
all along, only l didn't know it."
Helenette made some demur, but
finally promised to remain on the farm
I as its mistress. And if any one wants
to see the happiest pair iu the world
let him call at Gordon Bolingbroke's.
— Waver!ey Magazine.
navy target practice
NEW POWDER AND NEW KIND OF
MARK NOW USED.
It is Estimated Tliat tlie Annual Expen¬
diture in Target Practice In the United
States Service Will Soon Approximate
• 1,900.000—Good Smokeless Powder.
It is announced on high authority
that in the recent quarterly target Squadron prac¬
tice of the North Atlantic
the ammunition employed footed up to
an equivalent of $ 178 , 000 , or, in other
words, more ammunition was fired
away in gunnery training than was
expended in tli** battle of Manila. It
was tills prolonged and even excessive
firing that was maintained by the
ships of the fleet that caused certain
weaknesses to develop in tlie deck
supports of the battleship Alabama.
The buckling of beams and angle
irons on that vessel was in no sense
due, it is declared, to the premature
explosion of shells in the thirteen-inch
guns, but was caused by an inherent
weakness of structure which only
heavy firing was able to develop.
The premature explosion of thirteen
inch and six-inch shells on various ves¬
sels of the fleet lias been followed by a
rigid inquiry into the causes of such ac¬
cidents, and ordnance officers are now
satisfied that the trouble lias been due
to ineffective gas-fitting devices about
the shell bases. It was at first feared
that the walls of tlie common shell
were not sufficiently strong, and that
fragments of Ihe wall were detached
from tlie interior at the instant of fir
ing and projected through the powder
eliarge. Experiments and tests carried
out at Indian Head have given every
assurance that the shell walls possess
requisite strength. Equally gratifying
results were reported from the fuse
tests, for in order to make sure that the
premature bursts did not emanate from
tin* detonators, exhaustive trials were
conducted with a view of detecting tlie
slightest weakness, if any existed, in
the fuses. Tlie fuses were found be¬
yond a shadow of doubt to be absolute¬
ly safe and thoroughly reliable in ac¬
tion.
AYitli Die shell walls and fuses'proved
satisfactory, the only conclusion open
pointed to defects in the shell bases,
and under hydraulic pressure it was
found possible in a number of instances
to force water through the screw
heads. In firing work the pressures
in the chamber of the gun mount as
high as seventeen tons per square
inch, and evidently where water can lie
forced gases will penetrate under such
enormous pressure. The opinion now
holds among Hie ordnance officials that
the premature explosions on tlie Ala¬
bama were due to gases effecting an
entrance into the shells around the
base plugs—a defect that can be easily
remedied in future shells.
It is estimated that the annual expen¬
ditures in target practice in the United
States service will very shortly ap¬
proximate $1,500,000. Prior to tlie
Spanish-American War the heaviest ex¬
penditure was in 1897, when nearly
$700,000 was used up in gunnery train¬
ing. Now, as then, the ammunition
allowance per man is greater, it is be¬
lieved, in the American Navy than in
any service afloat.
Radical changes have been made of
late in the forms of targets employed.
Prior to 1S98 tlie triangular target sup¬
ported on spars lashed to three barrels
was in common use, whereas to-day. a
rectangular target built of wire netting
and supported on a raft is the popular
form. Tlie rectangular target may be
taken in tow and a speed of ten knots
secured without fear of towing tlie
raft under or capsizing it on short
turns, provided always that some ad
ditioual spars are taken in tow to
serve as liolders-dowu. Red, it has
been found, is the best color to paint
the wire netting, and at considerable
distances a shell hole in the target
shows up very distinctly.
The splendid qualities of the new
American Navy smokeless powder
make possible the continued and long
firing on the part of our guns, some¬
thing which is not possible with cord
ite and some other smokeless powders
now in use in foreign services. Sub
calibre tubes are employed on United
States ships: but generally speaking,
target practice is with full charges,
With the machine and smaller guns
of the secondary battery there is prac¬
tically no limit to the ammunition
expenditure permissible. A limit is
fixed on tlie heavy guns, but from
what can be learned the greatest lib
erality seems to exist, and some cf
our commanders are complaining - of
lack . ammunition. Aery . recently
o
the cordite ammunition purchased in
England for the batteries of the eruis
ers Albany and New Orleans was eon
detuned and American smokeless pow
der substituted. No particular fault
was found with the cordite except that
lli( l not stand up to the work as well
as American powder. It is estimated
that a six-inch gun using cordite will
lost> accuracy entirely after 175
shots, provided initial velocities of 2700
foot-seconds be imparted! To
the lives of their guns'tlie English are
keeping the muzzle velocities of the
majority of their guns under 2500 foot
seconds, in the American service 2S00
«“d 3000 foot-seconds service initial
velocities will be used on the new
guns, and the life of a six-inch Amor
lean Navy weapon can only be con- j
Jeetured, for it has not yet been deter
mined in service.
The methods of selecting gun cap- i
talus m the American Navy is praeti
cally the same to-day as before 1898.
It is laid down as a hard and fast
rule that before a man can be ad¬
vanced to a high number at a gun,
he must have first demonstrated that
he Is a first-class shot with a rifle and
revolver; in other words, the initial
training commences ou the small-arm
firing range. From No. 3 or 4 at the
gun the seaman is advanced when he
has made suitable proficiency to sec
ond gun captain, and if he is an ex¬
ceptionally good man he may hope for
special and higher training on some
gunnely vessel. The work of train¬
ing gun captains is intrusted at tlie
outset to the divisional officers: bui
later it may be taken up by special of¬
ficers detailed to instruct on the gun
nery ships. But back of all systems
is tlie imperative demand for ammu¬
nition to carry into effect the gunnery
instruction, and in tills respect the
policy of the Navy Department has
been to provide an allowance of a most
liberal sort.
The fact should not lie overlooked
that our new smokeless powder is not
as light in weight as cordite and some
oilier foreign powders, and we are,
therefore, compelled to carry more
dead weight of ammunition than Eng¬
lish ships. This fact necessitates great¬
er magazine room, aiul some slight
disadvantage in loading rapidly, but
these handicaps are far outweighed by
other considerations of greater impoit
ance which are all in our favor.—
Scientific American,
WISE WORDS.
Fearing leads to fretting. — Ham’s
Horn
Wlu'le the day lingers, do thy best.
—W. II. Burleigh,
Faith is the hand wherewith we
take everlasting life.—Latimer.
He who would be a great soul in fu¬
ture must be a great soul now.—Emer¬
son.
Every year strips us of at least one
vain expectation, and teaches us to
reckon some solid good in its stead.—
George Eliot.
Many things are difficult and dark
to me, but I can see one thing quite
clearly, that I must not, cannot seek
my own happiness by sacrificing oth¬
ers.—George Eliot.
Don’t be in a hurry about finding
your work in the world, bur just look
about you in the place you find your¬
self in, and try to make tilings a little
better and lionester there.—T. Hughes.
One tiling I know, and can conceive
more beautiful than youth—viz.: that
rare form of old ago which unites the
pleasantness of an unruffled front with
the beauty of purified emotion and tlie
sublimity of grave experience.—J. Stu¬
art Blaekie.
Altitude is not the same thing as
ability. Position does not bring merit.
A small boy astride of the ridgepole
of the highest barn in the county is as
much of a small boy as ever—with in¬
creased capacity for mischief. Which
thing is a parable.—Wellspring.
Undoubtedly the after half of life
is the Dost working time. Beautiful
is youth's enthusiasm and grand are
its achievement, but the most solid
and .permanent good is done by the
persistent strength and wide expe¬
rience of middle life. Contentment
rarely comes till then; not mere resig¬
nation a passive acquiescence in what
cannot be removed, but active content¬
ment.—Dinali M. Craik.
Population of Canada.
Mr. Taul Leroy-Beaulieu has recently
studied Canada in tlie Economiste
Francais. In 1S91 tlie total population
was 4.833.000; in 1001, 5,338,000, the in¬
crease was only 10% per cent. From
1 SGI to 1871 tlie increase was 17% per
cent.; to 13S1. 19 per cent.; to 1891,
nearly 12 per cent. During the past
ten years Great Britain (not Ireland)
has increased about 12 per cent., that
is. mote rapidly than Canada. The cor¬
responding increase for the United
States (1890—1900) is 21 per cent. Aus¬
tralia li is increased in the same pe¬
riod 19 per cent.
In the maritime provinces, in Gnta
rio and Quebec, the increase is very
slow. Manitoba, the Northwest terri
tory and B.dtisli Columbia, on the other
hand have increased 02, 110 and 94
per cent, respectively in the last ten
years. Tlie falling off in the eastern
l*‘ts t he dominion is chiefly due to
emigration to the lmted States.
----^------
The Giraffes of Europe.
flow many giraffes are there in Eu
rope? Only seven, says a Belgian eon
temporary; two in Antwerp, one in
Berlin, one in Leipsic, a couple in
Frankfort, and the seventh in Paris,
where he was born iu 1S78. There are
none, continues the veracious citron!
cler, in England. It is true we are not
popular abroad, but we might be a!
lowed such credit as goes with the pos
session of a giraffe. There is an eld
i erly but still very fine specimen of
giraffehood at the Regent’s Park now.
. and two more are expected in a few
mouths' time. So that we may expect
shortly to lead Europe iu this irnpor
taut respect—London News.
O
vVjft—--**— J KWft'f+'JZ RyP\Y
f' jiw ^ 1 P E \v\
C^LI F"C
^tr 2*'^'----*^ yf — v '_
That is Love.
There was a young man named Pete,
Who thought he was very discreet,
Till he met a sweet girl, whirl,
Now his brain’s in a his ieet.
And he can’t tell his head from
—Chelsea tMa.ss.) Gazette.
A Proper Definition.
“Pupa, what is a diplomatist?"
“Any man, my son, whose wife re*
spects him."—Life.
Repudiates the Allegation.
riaymate—"Aw, say! you know ico
much!”
Tommy (indignantly)—“Don't know
no more’n you do! Now!"—Sau Frau
cisco Bulletin.
Hornet)!
Bennet—“Did you ever know anyone
so homely?”
Nearpass—“Hardly! Why, she is so
homely that automobile goggles are
actually becoming to her!”—Puck.
Olmlal Exercise.
Berenice—"What is tlie nature of this
brain work ChoIIy lias undertaken?"
Hortense—"He lias made his valet
take a back seat and lie thinks for him¬
self what suits lie will wear each day."
—Smart Set.
Beginning: to Feel at Home.
Senior Partner—"I think this new
clerk is getting used to our ways, don’t
you ?”
J unior Partner—“I think so. He was
twenty minutes late this morning."—
Town and Country.
Troubles of the Kit...
Airs. Cobwlgger—“I suppose you find
your social duties much more onerous
since you became so rich?”
Mrs. Parvenus—“Yes, indeed, my
dear. I have had to cultivate an en¬
tirely new set of acquaintances."—
Judge.
The Only Way.
“Ah, Reginald, dearest," she sighed,
“but how can I be sure that you will
not grow weary of me after we have
been married a little while?”
“I don't know,” he answered, "unless
we get married and see."—Chicago
Record-Herald.
Not Such a Bad Guess.
-IS® MM I
\
Y jTJ I
A c£s4 TSLuE]
.
i
UtVmtTI
“Bey say lie wuz born wid a silver
spoon in Ills mouth.”
"It must a’ been a tablespoon.”-*
St. Louis Star.
A Gentlemanly Guess.
“Alfonso,” said Mrs. Midas, “here
is a heading in this paper that says,
‘Had One Wife Too Many.’ The rest
of the article is torn off. How many
wives do you think the brute had?"
“One, pnobably,” was the oilier
brute’s reply.—Tit-Bits.
Out of Sight.
Mrs. Drowsie--“Your clothes are get
ting quite shabby, my dear.”
Rev. Dr. Drowsie—"Yes, but (loftily)
when I ascend the pulpit and begin to
talk they don’t notice my clothes."
Mrs. Drowsie—“No, they all have
their syea closed then.’’—Town and
Country.
His Apprehension.
Lady—“Well, but judging by your
face I should hardly say you were a
person 1 should care to give alms to.”
Beggar—“Excuse me. lady, you're la¬
borin’ bunder a delusion. What you’re
takin’ notice of is due to these ’ere
cheap soaps we pore people is obliged
to use.”—Punch.
The Black Band.
^a b nf^nd l °^ r Verks^ t ?-m^oVv- IaCk
narni . 3 arounu ah. .Jenns atm ioi ;
Mother—“Hush, dear: tie might iiear
you. Mrs. Jenks is dead; that is «
0 f mourning'*'
Bobby—“Oh! 1 thought p* ap^ ft
was t0 keep tile caterpillars from
crawling up.”—Judge
His Hesitancy.
' “There is another application for you
to give something to a very worthy
enterprise,” said the Congressman's
wife.
“Well, it's a hard matter to decide.”
he answered. "If I don't give, my
constituents will consider me ttti '.rra
cious. And if I do, they w ’ think I
am luxuriating here in Washington,
with nothing to do but waste u y.”
—Washington Star.