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SUNDAY MORNING.
What Jhe Chicken Thought.
Before the ohicten burst his shell,
He could not see things very well.
It seemed to him like one white wall:
He could not look outside, at all.
But, when once free, he viewed on high
The beauty of the bright blue sky !
‘•Some day, when I am grown,” thought
he,
“I'll break that blue shell that I see!”
—Boston Budget.
How long Do Anitnßli Live?
tfow many of you know how long
the birds and animals live? None of
our common pets, the cats or dogs,
live very long. I once heard of a
cat that lived 29 years, and of a dog
that was 22 when he died. But this
does not often happen.
A hyrse cannot do much work after
he is 12 or 14 years old; but I heard
of one horse that lived 64 years.
Birds sometimes have long lives.
There was once a parrot who lived
over 100 years, and ravens often live
much longer.
A cocatoo in a far-off country was
a cheerful old pet when he was 85
years old. He would have liyed to be
older if he had not grown so cross
that he would fight and hurt himself.
A dove once lived 25 years in a
rage.
Kish are such selfish creatures that
they ought to live long. They never
get hot.
Carp are said to live hundreds of
years, anil pike are also hardy old
fellows.
There are some insects that live
but a few hours. Some live but a day,
and all of them are short-lived.
The wild beasts do not live long,
but elephants are sometimes old, and
then they grow helpless, just like
old people, and cannot do anything
for themselves. —Washington Star.
A Tama Oumli.
Mr. C. Napier Bell gives, in "Zang-
W'eera,’’ a pleasant account of a tame
quash, a little animal of Central
America belonging to the raccoon
family. It is about twice the size of
a cat, is covered with thick brown
fur, and has a long, bushy tail.
While in camp, Mr. Bell's party
brought up a young one.
“I never in my life saw such an in
quisitive, active, pertinacious, fear
less, impudent, amiable and quarrel
some little beast as he was," says Mr.
Bell. “If you treated Quash well, he
would be most loving, playing with
your hand, poking his long nose up
your sleeve or into your pockets, and
tunning all over you as if you belonged
to him; but, if you attempted to put
him away before he chose to go, he
would quarrel at once, snarl and bite,
and twist his nose from side to side
with impudent deflnanee,
"If the workmen set their food
down, Quash would take possession
at once, and a fearful row would take
place before he could be disposessed.
"He was everywhere and into every
thing. singed his little toes by walk
ing through the wood ashes, when, in
stead of running away, he shrieked
with rage, and began to dig and scat
ter the ashes in ungovernable an
ger. Then he rushed up a man's
back to sit on his shoulder and lick
his sore toes. He w'ould often jump
on your face when you were sound
asleep, and insist on lying down there.
At night nothing would satisfy him
but to crawl under the men’s cover
ings and up against their nuked skins,
where he was b.v no means careful
with his sharp little claws; but to get
rid of him meant, nothing less than
a stand-up fight.
"Every one was fond of Quash, and
at the same time every one voted him
an unmitigated nuisance. Finally, I
gave him to an Indian girl, with whom
lie became a great pet and grew tamer
than ever.”
T’ontal ( Iprk’ii Do*;.
Stuffed and handsomely mounted in
a square glass case to the right as
one enters the Washington postal mu
seum is Owney, the tramp dog.
Strung around his neck and around
him in the case are hundreds of med
als received by Owney from officials
in ail parts of the world. In life
Owney was one of the most famous
dogs that ever lived, says the Wash
ington Post. He was the postal
clerks' dog, without pedigree or beau
ty, and in hi latter days minus one
eye, the result of a hot cinder while
on one of his numerous trips. He was
known from St. Petersburg to Kala
mazoo. When in Japan Owney is said
to have behaved very badly ia the pres
ence of the Mikado, and when the
court iadies sought to caress him.
to have bristled up in an unfriendly
and un-American fashion, decidedly
unfavorable to the propagation of good
relations between Japan and this
country.
Owney was a cross between an Ir
ish and Scotch terrier, and of the dull
gray in color secured by the combi
nation of the seven prismatic rays
of the sun. When a pup he crept
into the Albany postoffice for warmth,
and from that time forth was a fa
vorite with the postoffice officials in
the cities from one end of the land
to the other.
Following the mail wagon to the
train one day Owney jumped aboard.
No one saw or missed him. lie and
the mail bags were old friends. Be
ing found by the postal clerks he was
taken care of, and having learned
the secrets of the bags and liking
the rattle of the train, he became a
globe-trotter. In Mexico a Mexican
dollar was hung to his collar. Reach
ing Washington, Postmaster General
Wanamaker supplied a harness for
Owney and badges were fastened to
it Returning from Japan, where the
Mikado presented him with a pass
port bearing the seal of the emperor,
and where, at Tokyo, no is said to
ha.e whipped every dog he ran across,
just to show what an American dog
could do. Owney reached this coun
try, and in 1.897 found himself in To
ledo, Ohio.
While there one of the clerks, desir
ing to have him photographed, chained
him. This Uras too much for Owney's
American spirit, and he bit the clerk.
It was reported to the postmaster, and
he had a policeman shoot him. An in
glorious end for a dog of his distinc
tion.
A I.ittle amt a Hit Fellow,
There were 36 plump muskmcloh
seeds, and Bobbie planted them very
carefully, tucking nine in each one
of the four mounds of earth his fat
hands had heaped, smoothed, and
patted down.
My garden’s to be all melons this
year. I’ll ‘have enough to eat, and
lots to sell,” he called out proudly to
Harry Wood.
Now Bobbie and Harry were great
friends, though the former was only
five years old and recently out of
kilts, while the latter wore a stand-up
collar, a butterfly necktie, and was
oven thinking about “putting on long
trousers.”
Harry’s tone-, though patronizing,
was kind, as he inquired, "So you
really think, sonny, that you'll have a
big crop of melons?”
“Of course:’’ And Bobbie's voice
was full of pride. "I mean to take
awfully good care of the plants."
And, indeed, as the weeks went by
Bobbie did tend his melons faith
fully, and in spite of many discourage
ments. For in two of the brown
mounds the seeds failed to appear;
whether they had been planted too
deep, or whether they had been nib
bled by some wandering worm, nobody
could tell.
However, the other two mounds soon
bristled with luxuriant green plants.
These, under Unde Jed's advice, Bob
bie thinned out carefully, weeded, and
watered. Then, alas! one night when
the little boy was sound asleep
(dreaming of luse • s melons), an
evil-minded cutworm sawed away in
the moonlight, and, when morning
came, half the plants lay wilting and
dying.
Bobbie would have cried over thefn,
but then, salt water wasn't good for
plants (only asparagus, Uncle Jed
said); and so, instead, he did his best
to save the rest of his plants. Soot
from the kitchen stovepipe, tobacco
from another pipe (the hired man's),
routed the wicked cutworms. Then a
warm rain, followed by' sunshiny days,
made the melons grow as last as “Mr.
Finney's turnip behind the barn."
They got ahead of weeds, bugs, and
worms, and began to put forth pert
little runners dotted with yellow blos
soms.
Then, one woftil day, Mrs. O’Brien’s
cow got out of the pasture, and wan
dered she reached the
Barker garden; and, on her way to
reach the dozen rows of young corn,
what must she do but place her feet
right on his last hill of melons, smash
ing every trailing vine but one!
And this time Bobbie cried. And
Harry Wood, who came over to see
the extent of the damage, tried to
whistle cheerily, as he said, “Well, the
old bossie didn't tread on your very
best. vine. See, you have one left,
and —my stars, if there isn't a melon
on It as large as my Ingest agate
marble!” .
Now Bobble hadn’t noticed this, and
he was so delighted that he quite for
got his tears. ,
The one lonely melon grew rapidly
until it began to look very well. Then
one day—it was when Bobbie and the
rest of tile Barkers went to the county
lair- —the young Plymouth Rock roos
ter squeezed himself through the
chicken-vard palings; and what, else
must he do but stalk boldly up to that
melon, and begin to peck at it: Tap,
tap, tap! went his yellow beak, until
he broke right into the juicy. salmon
pink heart.
it was liarry Wood who saw him,
and drove him back into the hen-yard.
But most of the melon rode away
in the stomach of the Plymouth Rock.
Harry looked- down mournfully at
the bits of rind, scattered seeds, and
pulp remaining on the melon hill.
Then he gathered up the mess, and
threw it among the burdocks or? the
other side of the garden fence. After
which his long legs carried him down
to the Italian’s fruit sore; and, when#
he came out qgain, he bore a bulging
paper hag. Hurrying up street, he
replied the Barker yard,—reached
Bjimie's ill-fated melon patch, and
then—aiul then
The Barkers came home from the
county fair, and Bobbie went out to
his “garden.' There had been mel
ons at the fair, and the sight of them
had filled him with fresh affection for
his own solitary ‘treasure. He bent
over the brown mound, parted
green leaves, and—oh, wonder of won
ders !
“Ma! ma!" Bobbie shouted. “Do
come here. Why. my melon has grown
lots just while I've been gone! And
it’s so ripe that it’s loosened itself
from the stem. Oli-ee! it’s perfectly
lovely! ”
The Plymouth Rock stuck his red
comb through toe chicken-yard fence,
and crowed derisively; hut Bobbie
didn’t no‘iee him.
And Harry Wood was chuckling to
himseif across the street, as he said:
"That quarter I was saving toward
my new air-gun is gone, but I don’t
care. The jolce was worth 25 cents.
And. anyhow, a big fellow kind of
ought to look out for a little fellow.”
—Sunday School Times.
Most spiders have eight eyes, al
though some species have only six.
1
Tight (iluves.
Tight gloves are worse than tight
shoes. The shoes may give a dainty
look to the foot in spite of the tor
tures endured, but tight gloves make
the hands fat and red and ugly. The
flesh bulges out and wrinkles form.
Gloves should be worn so easily fitting
that rings may remain under them.
The red, creased look of the palm
when gloves are too tight is abomin
able. The maiden who wears tin?
glove is the only one who is deluded
into the belief that her hand looks well
in it. ,
Siamese Dress ami .levrels.
Now that ladies wear so many jewels
in the day time a sequence of color
should be thought out. . The Siamese
arrangement may, perhaps, afford sug
gestions. In that country on Sunday
red silk with a parure of rubies is
worn; Monday brings a silver and
white dress and a necklace of moon
stones; Tuesday is dedicated to light
red, with coral ornaments; Wednesday
is devoted to green, with emeralds;
Thursday sees a display of variegated
colors, with cat’s eyes; Friday the lady
is arrayed in pale blue with flashing
diamonds; and Saturday the more
sombre, darker blue, with sapphires
to match. —London Graphic.
KeribhiniPtl Arm-Top*.
While too many frills are noi to be
commended for a tiny daughter a fond
mamma occasionally evolves some lit
tle touch that is as pleasing as it is
becoming, One thought as much upon
3eeing a rosy little girl in sheerest
white the arm-holes of her frock being
outlined with two or three inch pink
ribbon. A few stitches had been tak
en to prevent the ribbon from becom
ing mere strings. These ribbons were
tied on the tops of the arms, the bows
being neither small nor very large. Tho
same sized bow of (he very same rib
bon was tied a upend the top hair in
the very sensible way which now keeps
the unmanageable tresses out of the
little one’s eyes. No doubt one reason
for the admirable effect gained in this
instance was the skill with which the
ribbon had been chosen. It was just the
delicately rosy shade that brought
the hidden roses in the little maid’s
cheeks.
An Übiquito u Miilfiln).
Was there ever before any one mat
erial which served in one and the same
season for bathing suits, outing suits,
walking suits, tailor costumes, travel
ing and coaching cloaks, promenade
md evening wraps, house dresses, visit
ing costumes and evening dresses?
You may think this last far-fetched,
hut. it is true that a very line silky
white mohair, prettily made, is very
attractive of an evening, and especially
useful at the seashore, where many
materials are far from satisfactory. Mo
hair is, of course, the material to
which we refer.
About the same thing may be said of j
taffeta, which is also used for every- !
thing, and for all ages.
In fact, it even outdistances mohair,
being superior for linings and petti
coats especially.
Tlie more one thinks of such con
trasting uses of a material the more
one marvels.—Philadelphia Record.
The Smihloxt Girl.
The Sandow girl is in style. The new
shirt waists are built so that a woman
looks twice as wide as she is. in her
skirt she looks narrower, for skirts are
very clinging and they are fitted as far
down as the knees. But the figure must
be broad and apparently muscular, so
that the midsummer woman comes
very near being top-heavy.
The new waists are made with the
shoulder plait. This is a fold of cloth
which is put on in such a manner that
it projects over the shoulders. In cer
tain shape it is called the “Gibsonian."
and its immediate effect is to make the
shoulders look very wide. It is really
more becoming to a slender woman
than to a plump one, but both styles
are wearing it and you are gradually
getting used to the woman who looks
twice as broad as she did in the spring.
Sleeves display the came pecularity.
They are tucked in rows of tucking
running around the arm and they are
trimmed with bands of lace going
round and round, all of which tend to
make the sleeve large and the arm big.
—Milwaukee Sentinel.
Many owners of the marquise and
chevaliere rings that fashion has order
ed for her favorites,’and which have
been given as presents, are discover
ing that ther pretty ornaments are un
expected prize packets, which only
chance can reveal to them, says Wom
an’s Life.
When carelessly twisting one of
these rings roung her finger a well
known Parisienne was surprised to
find the top of her ring suddenly spring
open and reveal within its depths the
tiniest miniature of her favorite pet
kitten. Another, testing her own ring,
met with a like surprise, to find her
own face smiling back at her.
Miniature portraits of the givers are
more general, and on inquiry at a lead
ing jeweler’s, where ,ne most, costly of
jewelry novelties first see the light, it
was confessed that quite a number of
rings fitted with these tiny springs,
and enclosing some little photo, or
That the industntn field for women in
this country is looked upon as a veri
table Eldorado by some English writ
ers on the subject is evidenced by the
glowing account of tho opportunities
at the command of American women
and the salaries paid for various kinds
of that appeared in*a recent issue at’
an influential London weekly. Teach
ing and typewriting are slated as the
staple occupations of women of edu
cation and ability. The average rate of
salary for capable well trained teach
ers, it is stated, is “from SBOO to sl2tM)
a year, while head mispresses a.id col
lege professors receive proportionately
more. All teachers have a summer va
cation of from three to four months,
which many energetic teachers make
profitable by giving private lessons or
tutoring in the various summer resorts,
by chaperoning girls to Europe or in
many other ways which entail neither
loss of prestige nor of social posi
tion."
Concerning t lie occupation of steno
graphy and typewriting is this com
ment: “The typewriter is an adjunct of
every business office in the United
States, and its operator is usually a
woman. Here salaries begin at $lO a
week and go up to S4O or SSO a week,
or even higher, in cases where expert
knowledge is required, as in a law of
fice, or in connection with medical
work.” —Brooklyn Eagle.
Tlie Decline of tlie Apron.
It is about forty years since the pop
ularity of the apron began to wane. At
that time no woman’s wardrobe was
complete without an assortment of
aprons for all sorts of occasions. A
black silk apron was the acme of ele
gance and propriety, and any nonde
script gown could, by the addition of
the black silk apron, trimmed with a
few rows of black velvet ribbon, lie
dignified and adorned to the utter satis
faction of tlie wearer.
An apron had rather a wide field of
usefulness when you consider that it
not. only preserved and embellished a
new gown, but it also concealed the de
fects, and added dignity to an old one.
An apron was always on regie. The best
dress was kept clean by its use, and the
daintiness of it represented all the fem
inine traits. It was a regular banner
of the home. To its strings the chil
dren were tied.
“Tied to his mother’s apron strings!”
Contemptuous expression of subordina
tion! And yet so much sentiment at
tached lo it! Whoever was tied to his
mother’s apron strings was compara
tively safe —was in his mother’s lead.
Mother’s apron! The baby was rolled in
it. Childish tears were dried with it.
The little hoys used its strings for
reins, and the little girls played prin
cess and iiailed its ample folds behind
them, real ladies in waiting to an im
aginary queen.
Those were ante-new woman days.
Knitting and needlework were femin
ine occupations. It was previous to the
day of higher education for women. It
may sound far fetched to say that home
sentiment waned with the decline of
the apron. The latter may not have
been the cause, but it certainly kept
pace with il. I have the written state
ment of a man to the effect that a snow
white apron tied neatly about a trim
waist had power to attack the mascu
line heart af its most vulnerable point.
After that say there is no sentiment
about: an apron! But man cherishes
sentiment about things ol’ which the
feminine mind has no conception, and
his heart has been many times ensnar
ed in the muslin how that" tied at the
back of his. sweetheart’s waist this
banner of the home. The last was
about tho man of a generation ago. But
the man of today has the same senti
ment —latent. —Woman's Home Com
panion.
mmMfm
mmm
Long strings of beads made of burnt
wood, carved and tinted, are very
pretty.
Smaljppoekets stitched 011 the left
front or shirt waists are very chic and
stylish.
The water lily in black represents
one of the novelties in flora! millinery
garniture.
The most fashionable veils are black
and white or black tulle with half
moon or tiny stars on the plain
grounds.
Very pretty bracelets of irregularly
shaped pearls in varying tints, caught
together with gold links, are finding
much favor.
Spanish laces in small figured de
signs, stars and dots, are to be seen in
borders of handkerchiefs that have
centres of silk.
A wrist bag of gray suede is studded
with turquoises, the mounting being
set with a row of turquoises and Rhine
stones ill alternation. ,
China silk underbodices, full in front
with straight back, cut high in the
neck and finished with elbow sleeves,
are very nice to wear under sheer
white batiste blouses.
Avery pretty finish is given a waist
by a white lace collar, edged with*
finely plaited black chiffon, which in
turn is bordered with a narrow chiffon
niching. It gives' the bertha effect and
breadth to the shoulders.
9r
denning 1
Jewelry can be beautwnlly cleaned
by washing in soapsuds in w<jieh a few
drops of spirits o: ammonia are
sitrred. shaking off the water and
laying in a box of dry sawdnst. This
method leaves no marks or scratches.
I'nique Color £olieme.
A unique color scheme in furnish
ings was carried out by a bride who
wished her kitchen to be different
from the ordinary type. She had the
walls of the tiny apartment, for it
formed part of a flat, tinted a light
blue and then bought all her utensils,
of enameled ware in a color to match.
Ten I. oiive* Are t xi-Till
Tea leaves should never he thrown
away. They are excellent cleansers
of woolen fabrics, especially carpels.
Sprinkle them over the carpets just
before sweeping. They can also be
put to other uses. When a few days
old pour boiling' water over them and
leave until nearly cold; strain and use
the water for washing paint. White
paint may be easily cleaned by rub
bing it with flannel that has been
dipped into whiting.
A Water Softener.
A delightful water softener for the
batli is *nade by mixing together two
and a half pounds of fine oatmeal,
lour ounces of powdered castile soap
and eight ounces of powdered orris
root. A yard of butter muslin should
be formed into bags four inches
square, and then be filled with the
ingredients mentioned. One of them
put into the bath and used as a sponge
will greatly improve the complexion
and texture of the skin.
The link Set.
In the evolution and constantly in
creasing charm of desk sets, a particu
larly attractive one has appeared. The
corners of the blotter and the cover
ing of the paper holder, boxes and
hand blotter are all of gray sea lion
leather trimmed with oxidized silver.
The inkstand is of cut glass and sil
ver. The paper holder is rather broad
er than the usual kind, and is round
ed in front. Plain and oxidized brass
increases in popularity for desk sets,
and can be had at more reasonable
prices than formerly.—New York Tri
bune.
Itlenl Kel Covering:.
The bed covering of die ideal bed
must he as light and warm as possi
ble. The less weight there is in the
bedclothes, and the greater their
warmth, the more desirable they are.
Heavy cotton filled comfortables and
old-fashioned quilts represent so much
weight in proportion to their actual
warmth that they must he discarded
for blankets of wool. Blankets are
becoming loss expensive, and are with
in the reach of almost every one. The
lighter, simpler and more easily
reached by air and sunlight, every ar
ticle of bedroom furniture is, the bet
tor it is for file health of the occu
pant of the room.
Batter Bread —Half a cupful of cold
boiled hominy, half a cupful of white
Indian meal, two eggs, one cupful of
milk, one teaspoonful of salt, two lev
el teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one
fourth cupful of melted butter: pour
in a buttered earthen dish and bake
half an hour.
Cucumber Salad—Peel two or three
cucumbers, place in cold water to be
come freshened and crisp. Omit salt,
as it wilts anil makes (hem indiges
tible. Cut the cucumbers in two
lengthwise and lay them flat side
down on the dish on which they are
to be served. Slice them without
changing the shape and pour on them
a French dressing. Serve with fish.
Orange Calce—Beat two eggs with
out separating until foamy, add one
teacupful of sugar, one tablespoonful
of meited butter, half a teacupful of
milk, two teaspoonfuls of yeast powder
and one and one-half teacupfuls of
flour sifted into the other ingredients;
lastly, the juice of an orange, or, if
you perfer it. the juice of one lemon;
bake in gem pans about 35 minutes
in a moderate oven.
Preserved Apricots—Peel neatly
some ripe apricots cut tn half; remove
the stone and weigh the fruit; allow
for six pounds of fruit four pounds
sugar and one quart water. Place su
gar an.l water over the fire; stir a few
moments to partly melt the sugar scum
that rises. Put in the fruit; cook 10
minutes, or till a straw will penetrate
them easily. Fill the fruit and syrup
inco four quart jars or into eight pint
jars; close at once and set them in a
cool, dry place.
Beefsteak Farcied —-Take a two
pound sirloin steak and spread it with
one cupful of bread crumbs, two table
spoonfuls of meited butter, a slight
sprinkling of chopped onion and pars
ley, and seasoned well with sak and
pepper. Roil up and tie closely to keep
the forcemeat in place, lay it in a
baking sheet with half a cupful of
stock, and bake one hour, basting of
ten. To serve, cut the string, then
cut the roll in thick slices; a sauce
can be used if desired, but it is not
necessary. Any brown sauce, with a
dash of catsup is suitable.
nn
1
as Treatment is di
rected to the dyspepsia.
An astonishing decrease in the tin
siie strength and ductility of bronze
at temperatures above 400 degrees
Fahrenheit has been reported by Prof.
’C. Bach of Stuttgart. Willi an alloy
of 91 percent of copper, four of zinc
and five of tin, these properties were
reduced about 6 percent at 400 de
grees, but about 50 percent at 600 de
grees. This discovery suggests cau
tion in the use of bronze for engine
parts in contact with superheated
steam.
As the north-nor.beast wind blows
juke constantly over the central Sa
lara from October to April, a French
terouaul, AI. I.es Desburaux. believes
hat it should be easy to cross the des
ert by baloon from Tunis to the Niger.
He proposes trying the experiment
vith a small unmanned baloon of about
4000 cubic yards. This would carry a
guide-rope of considerable weight, and
m automatic discharger of water bal
last, and will be expected to keep
.-iffoat for 12 days. In case of wreck
on the way, the chances favor the re
covery of the registering apparatus
with very valuable scientific data.
Oils of chamomile, rosemary, cumin,
illicum anisatum and rose are found
by Dubois to phosphoresce in the cold
on agitation with an alcoholic solu
tion ol' potassium hydrate. The differ
ent behaviour of oils of geranium and
pelargonium gives an easy means of
recognizing substitutions of these oils
for oil of rose. Turpentine oil does
not phorphoresce when fresh, but
sometimes does so when old. The
most brilliant effect is shown by aescu
lin, a glucoside of horse chestnut hark.
11l the cold alcoholic solution of potas
sium hydrate this substance sparkles
for hours, brihtening up with every
movement of the liquid, and giving an
intensity of light in direct proportion
to the purity of the aesculin. In no
case, however, is this phosphorescence
equal to that of cuLures of marine
photo-bacteria.
Foucault’s famous demonstration of
the earth’s diurnal rotation by means
of a pendulum, made at the Pantheon,
in Paris, in 1851. is to be repeated un
der the supervision of M. Berget, as
sistant to M. Poimcare. Workmen are
now busy, says a correspondent of Na
ture, making the necessary prepera
tions. The pendulum itself is a ball of
lead weighing about 60 pounds, ft
was used in 1869 by M. Maumenee for
observations in the Cathedral of
Rheims. The demonstration consists
in the fact that tha heavy pendulum
ball, once set in motion, will continue
to swing for several hours, and that
while the plane in which it swings
remains constantly the same the
earth’s movement of rotation causes
an apparent twist of this plane so that,
the direction of the swing slowly
changes with reference to the points
of the compass.
Grafter*.
“Speaking of changes in the En
glish language,” said a gentleman who
keeps up with the new meaning of
words, "what is the matter with, the
new significance given to the words
grafting and grafter? If you do not
believe that some change has taken
place suppose you stop a friend on
the street and introduce him to an
other friend as an expert. Suppose
you put it in this way: ‘Mr. Slow, this
is Mr. Swift, one of the greatest graf
ters in the country. If you should
get off with your life you would be
doing remarkably well. No man
wants to be called a grafter now. Yet
in the old English meaning of the
word there is nothing offensive. The
fact is. that in the purer meaning of
the word grafter there is no particular
offence. It si 111 ply means one who
grafts. Grafting is not a dishonest
business in this sense of the word. So
far as the dictionaries go there is no
thing of an offensive nature to be
found in even the most delicate shad
ings of the word. Yet in the common
understanding, probably 1 should say
the current understanding, it is a
serious tiling to call a man a
grafter. it means that he pan
handles; that he gets money
wherever and whenever he can; that
he gets it legitimately if he can, but
that he gets it; that, he uses his pres
tige and his power to pick up the
crumbs along the way; that he is a
parasite, in short, and a sponge who
takes all he can get. Grafting in this
last, meaning of the word is not the
good old honest, business of crossing
trees and plants, not the square busi
ness of improving one species by mak
ing it draw a heavier per cent, of its
sustenance from soma stronger and
more vigorous kind of growth; but it
consists chiefly in getting something
for nothing, and is practised by para
sitical growths which suck the means
of existence from forms of life more
useful and more industrious. We have
in this a rather ant illustration of the
rapidity with which our language
changes, and after all the new mean
ing of the word, and its application to
a certain class of men, is not such a
broad stretch of its original meaning.’*
—New Orleans Times-Democrat.