THE OPTIMIST. Thing 'a'tooldn' rnthor" bluet All Uio world a bit Ufkew? Thnn, my irlenil. It's up to you Juat to hustle out nnd ilo HomeilihiK worth the while. Wipe the lenin from out your eyej ThitW will K'-t worse If ybu cry; Swk thn tliR where roses lies; There Is every reiison why you should wear u smile. ThoiiRh the clouds nre ilnrk to view Fllll iM-hlnd the sky la blue, And thn mm will soon shlue through With his kiiIiIpii Biennis on you If you work away. ThoiiKh (lie duy bo dnrk nnrt drenr. Vhul tlw me to lumke In feurV Wlp nwny Hint bile tour, lxMk to see Hii ilHwninn elenr Of a. brighter duy. Locked within their ley tomb Are the flowers of springtime's bloom; In ooil time they'l. Unlit the gloom. Scent the air with sweet perfume As you truduo along. Ufa hi always what It's made. Why should you, then, be dismayed! Keep on pol'nK, unafraid. Every doubt ran be allayed With a cheerful Bonn. Keep on worklnff with a will; Tackle e'en thn steepest hill; Hid rtlrh doubt and fear bo still And each day with duty fill imiy noble done. Tr xnln if once you fall; At one Ill-success don't rail; Uravelv i"ace lire's fiercest gale: Don't sit down to weep and wall Thus success Is won. Will M. Maupln, In The Commoner. At the ae of 28 Tom Morgan hnil acquired the unenviable title, "The illack Sheep." He drank heavily, play ed poker night after night with reck less abandon, bet on horses, ran him self and his father into debt, and In tact Indulged In all Borts of dissipa tion to such an extent that finally he man ordered to leave the big, palatial ibouse on Fifth avenue. Tho West had always a great fascin ation for him, and now, after the fin al crash, which had been threatening Cor the last five years, he boarded the train for Colorado. Then Annabel came Into his life and e' viewed the world with different yes. She was a mountain-bred gli'l, typically western, and gifted with 'Wonderful beauty and sweetness of character. And Bomehow from the very flrat he felt that Bhe cared for him, but tie uttered no word of love to her. He realized Mb unworthlnesa and In the presence of her sweet purity he was shamed of his past life. They were sitting together on n VI3 tVxilder one day and the BiniliglU treamed down upon them, changing the loose tendrils of her hair into Strands of gold, which glistened as the tireeze stirred them. To the w?st all-etched a long, unending vista of fturple hills; at their feet a brook with lights and Bhadows murmured enchant ilngly of life and Ub possibilities. "Look!' Tho girl was on her feet, pale and trembling, her arm stretched towards the distant horizon. A long, thin, circuituous line appeared in bold outline against the hills, and Tom turned to his companion, with ques tioning eyes. 'Indians," she said, slowly. "They liave been threatening us for the past pear, and now they have taken the war path. They will reach here tomorrow morning possibly by 12 tonight and we are caught like rats in a trap." There are how many men in the set tlement?" Tom asked, sharply. "Fifty." She clasped her hands to gether, nervously, and paced back and forth, her eyes ever on that distant, (threatening line. "Fifty whites against possibly BOO Indians!" Tom muttered. Then his mouth settled In a firm, grim line, and bis eyes shone, with a sudden resolu tion. "How far away Is Colonel Snow!' Annabel turned to him with grave .'yes. "Twenty miles but It is useless to speak of him. No one would at tempt to reach him; it would be im possible, ' Every bush along the road side might be concealing orfe of these jed fiends, and 20 miles here In tho West Is the same' as 30 miles of your lean, level Eastern roads." Fifteen minutes later a solitary rid r was urgir.13 his pony over the dun cerons, unfamiliar path which led to the fort. The sun beat down on him, remorselessly, and, after the first 10 miles had been covered, his head ached 'Cruelly, but ever before him was a '.sweet, laughlpg face, and his heart con tracted with fear as he realized the anger which threatened the one he lived. He turned his head to the west then Seat over the pony and cried, sharp er: "Do you see those indistinct fig area over on that nfil. Marigold? Red evils, little girl, and if they catch Jght of us, we're lost!" The horse snorted, as if already acentlng danger, and Tom patted her sieck encouragingly. "Steady, girl, we'll keep out of their sight if possi tile. let your legs fly over the ground aow and God! Marigold, they see1 us they're after us! Now show your sighting blood, baby; we'll win yet!" Blinding, suffocating clouds of dust Tolled by them and Tom closed his tinging eyes. Marigold was reeking with sweat and snorting wildly. Two, three, five miles were covered, and then Tom looked behind once more. "They're gaining on us, Marigold," whispered, "a little faster, girl, or thev'll overtake us." Three more miles were left behind them and only two remained. Without turning his ;bead Tom knew his enemies were gain Joe on him, and now the wind wafted to bis ears the unearthly cries of the Indians as they relentlessly pursued Im. His eyes gleamed and he clutched his revolver still tighter; Death would be preferable any time to falling into the stands of those eager brutes. Only on ' The BlackSlieep. ; By Mabelle M. Harvey. mile remained now and still Marigold held her own aualnst the pursuers. A quick, sizzling sound through the air, a sharp, stinging pain in his arm and Tom swayed for a second In the saddle with closed eyes. Then he Baw again the dear face he had learned to love so well, and the sight gave him fresh courage. The pain in his arm was giowkig Intense and he was conscious that a dull numbness was creeping over him. Almost unconsciously lie turned his head anil nothing but the purplo hlllB met his gaze. The Indians had disappeared as if by limbic. Still lie urged Marigold on, and at last the outlines of the big gray fort were visible. He swung from the saddle, half dead with fatigue and pain, and in a few broken, gasping sentences delivered his message. He was conscious that many men were crowding up to him', almost knocking each other down In an at tempt to grasp his hand that they were growing more indistinct each second then oblivion came to him. "You nuutn't try to make a hero out of me, Annabel. They called me 'The Black Sheep' at home and I guess they'd think you were unbalanced it they Heard you say I had done some thing worth while. They said I was a gcod-for-iiotliliig hack there in the East." The great dark eyes were suspicious ly wet, and Bhe put her arms round about him with an infinitely sweet, pro tecting gesture. "Didn't you risk your life to save us, when not another man dared to stir? You're a hero, Tommy Morgan, and I'm Just that proud of you!" From the Huston PoBt. THE IDEAL "BEE WOMAN." How She Would Manage Her Colo nies of Busy Workers Her Attributes. "In this day, when so many doors are opening to women, I am surprised that bo few adopt beekeeping as a means of support," says a woman bee keeper. "A 'bee woman' who would succeed must have lots of energy and push, and, above all, must not be eas ily discouraged. She- must be willing to work hard, and often early and late during part of the year. Further more, she must have come under the fascinating spell which the 'busy bee' seems to have such power to throw over those who seek to know her mys teries. "As beekeeper she must have a good degree of health ad vigor, especially If she workB without an assistant, be cause there Is of necessity much lift ing, and often many hours upon the feet. Yet It Is surprising how much hard work one can endure In the open air when one's Interest is thoroughly enlisted. There is probably no more healthful occupation, and for those broken in health from mental over work or close confinement indoors the business is ideal. "It is not necessary that a woman should have no fear of bees on the start in order to become a successful apiarist. Such fear, of course, must be overcome rapidly or prove an in convenient obstacle; but experience shows that acquaintance rarely falls to establish relationships of the most pleasant character between the busy little honey makers and their owners. To bo sure, there are the stings, and one must make up her mind to re ceive them occasionally as gracefully as possible. Fortunately the human system soon becomes immune to the poison, and beyond a momentary un pleasantness the beekeeper takes lit tle notice of the matter. Occasionally a person falls to win immunity from suffering, and even finds It dangerous to risk being stung. Such persons should give up all thought of bee keeping. The Ideal bee woman will be will ing to go slowly very Blowly at first. The tendency is to want to rush things and begin with a large number of colo nies when one knows nothing what ever about the business. Two or three colonies are enough at first If Bhe succeeds with these, she can eas ily increase the number, and if she fails, her loss will be great enough, It Is safe advice to urge the beginner to keep out of debt as nearly as possi ble. After the first investment for two or three colonies it Is better to make the apiary pay Its way as nearly as possible. From the nature of things the va riableness of the season, the varied honey flow, etc. beekeeping always must be' an uncertain business, and, therefore, it Is not well to depend en tirely upon it for a living. A good way Is to combine poultry raising and fruitgrowing with it. Women are adepts in both of these lines, and a few stands of bees will add materially to the income and not demand too large a part of one's time. Then if the season is poor, more attention can be given to poultry and less to bees, and vice versa.. "The profits from beekeeping neces sarily vary largely. Much depends upon the knack of the beekeeper In being, able to get her colonies Into prime working order Just at the right time, and so manage her business as to keep expenses down and to market her honey advantageously. Iu Salt River, Ariz., where conditions in many respects are favorable, it is common to hear experienced beekeepers claim an average annual net income of 3 and even $4 a colony. "I should urge one contemplating bee-keeping to Invest in one or more good textbooks upon the subject and subscribe to at least one reliable bee journal. If this investment is made for six months before the purchase of the first bees and the intervening time Is faithfully spent in study, so much the batter." One Good Horse. One good horse, cow or pig Is bet ter than two poor ones. It Is a great deal better to strive to have your ani mals of the very best quality than It Is to see how many more you can havo than your neighbor. Farmer's Ifome Journal. Soil for Plants. A. H. J., In the American Cultivator, says: Good soli for potted plants is made from a mixture or leaf mould ob tained from the woods, a little sand and good rich loam, adding also a lit tle fine earth and manure from the poultry yard and a little fine charcoal. After the plants are potted they should be given a good watering and shaded with newspapers for a few duys to prevent drying out too quickly. Pride In Farm Houses. Homes are made beautiful just to the extent that their owners co-operate with nature In surrounding them with those things most atractive in life. The humble cottage, embowered In trees and flowers, commands love; the pal ace with Its marble pillars and paved walks, only admiration. Out In the country there nre trees and meadows, flowers and running brooks, gifts the wealth of which no city can boast, and those who live In the country have unlimited possibilities for making the homo acre a place of beauty. South west Magazine. A Horse and a Cow. The cow that you think the most of may the very one you ought to get rid of. Find out about that. Teat all your cows. Don't bo satisfied with once. Keep at It till you know. Then do something about It. If you do not own a good saddle horse, 'get one. The landscape looks fairer and the outlook in life much more cheerful from the back of a horse after a half hour's ride than f 1 0111 any other point of view. It is not necessary that you should keep a horse exclusively for riding. He may be used for other purposes, only look out for one that is galted for the saddle us well. The farmer Is entitled to the best that is going. Farm Jouniul. What the Hog Will Do. It has been said that the hog is a machine, that oils Itself, puts ten bushels of feed into lees space than a bushel measure and in so doing doubles its value, then can carry it to market on his back. Corn, barley, oats, grass, rape, clover or any of the by-products of these, loaned to a well-bred, thrifty hog, Is money at big Interest. In fact, It Is a mint; the grains and grasses are the bullion which, put Into the hog, is transmuted into coin. It is an honest mint and gives 16 ounces of avoirdupois of edible meat, says the San Antonio Express. Properly bred, fed and intelligently handled this auto matic porker will pay off our debts, furnish the money to improve tho farm, place a piano in the home, a carriage at the door, as well as means to educate our boys at the agricultural college. , A Model Henhouse. This is what G. Arthur Dell, assist ant animal husbandman of the 'bur eau of animal Industry at Washington, has to say of the proper quarters for the hens: The best house for fifty to sixty fowls Is 20 by 14 feet; front elevation 6 1-2 feet, back elevation 6 1-2, with double pitch roof of unequal span. The roof. If It Is shingled, should have not less than one-third pitch. If the roof ing paper is used, one-quarter pitch will answer. In the front or south wall there should be placed two win dows about one foot from the top and three feet from the ends; 8 by 10 inches Is a good sized pane to use in a twelve light sash, making the sash about 3 feet 9 Inches high and 2 feet 5 Inches wide. A door 2 1-2 by 6 feet may be made In one of the end walls, and also a small door In the front wall for the fowls to pass In and out of the build ing. . The roost room should be placed in the rear of the house, extending the whole length. The platform should be about three feet wide and three feet from the floor and the perches be placed about eight or tea Inches above the platform. The nests should be placed against the end of the house opposite the door or under the roost platform and should be darkened. Sev eral small boxes for shell, grit, beef scraps, etc., should be placed against the walls about sixteen inches from the floor. If cement or wood floors are used, a dust bath should be provided for the fowls. Salt in Animal Diet. It has long been well known that salt is a most important part of the diet of animals, and that without It they will not thrive. Just how far the necessity for salt is imperative In the animal economy Is not so generally known The Wisconsin State Experiment Sta tiontlon tested the effect of salt on cat tle and other domestic animals. Dry cows. Dr. Babcock, of . that station, found, required about three-fourths of an ounce of salt daily for maintaining their best condition, and a cow giving milk requires a great deal more salt than one that is not producing milk, and It is estimated that such a cow Bhould have, In addition to the amount of chlorine In her ration, about one ounce of salt per day, while a very heavy milker may need still more. The function of salt In the animal economy 1b not fully known, but It Is accepted that it aids In facilitating the nlbumenoldB of the food In passing from (he digestive cRnal Into the blood. Salt also increases the circulation of the Juices In, the body, and stimulates the animal to greater activity. Thus a horse at hard labor requires more salt tnnn one not at work, and for the same reason a cow producing a large amount of milk requires more salt than one that Is dry. The amount of salt required by an animal also depends to some exterit upon the character of the food con sumed. Such foods as potatoes, root crops and small grains are rich in po tassium salts, which Increase the secre tion of sodium salts (common salt) In the urine, and hence the necessity of supplying more salt when foods of that kind are used to a large extent. . Valuable Farm Experiments. More "Practical Farm Experiments" are Included in a farmers' bulletin (No. 296) now on the press of the Depart ment of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. The little pamphlet is full of good things, complied from the results of government experiments and the most valuable of the work of the various experiment stations throughout the country. There Is no publication of Uncle Sam's of more general value than these farm experiment bulletins. Tho one In question contains some fifteen short condensations of practical exper iments, many of them covering a series of years, anil being the results of the work of several separate scientific in vestigations. They contain real in formation, written In non-technical language, and can any of them be read In ten minutes or less. Tho first Item discussed is "Wells nnd Pure Water." Every one knows the value of a pure water supply, both for the household and stock, and Its relation to the wholesomeness of dairy and other products sold from the farm; but not everybody pays enough atten tion to the location or construction of the well. Another subject Is the need of phos phates In acid soil and the necessiry tests to determine its acidity. The val ue of good seed over poor is strikingly set forth In some statistics of clover planting. This is another instance where everybody concedes that to plant questionable seeds Is poor policy, yet thousands of acres of good lands aro regularly prepared with care and then planted with Beed whose germlnative qualities and purity are unknown, with a resulting poor crop. The de partment is doing its best to stop the sales of Impure or dead seeds; but the question rests after all with the lndlv idual farmer. If every one tested the seeds he bought, and especially if he reported cases of adulterated or dead seeds to the government the sale of Buch seeds would be Immediately stop ped. In one sample of seed examined, an acre of alfalfa planted from this' lot would have resulted In 167,000 weeds, including dodder, plaintain, foxtail etc In another sample there were 34 different kinds of weeds. In one case of clover seed taking fifteen pounds to the acre as the standard for sowing owing to impurities, it would have been necessary to sow seventy-three pounds, while the weeds would - have smothered the crop. Certainly this seed as a gift would have been most expensive. Farmers who have been troubled with a dying out of their clover will do well to send for this bulletin, as it con tains an account of a fungus dlseaso which has been attacking and in some instancies almost destroying, clover fields. The remedy seems to lie in pro curing seed fr.om selected healthy plants. The work of the government along these lines is very encouraging to the eradication of the disease. Oat fields Infested with wild mustard were rid of the weed by a spraying of Iron sulphate, and many other weeds were killed at the same time without detriment to the oats. In hothouse and cold-frame plant growing an inexplicable dying off of seemingly healthy plants frequently oc curs. This is the result of harmful bacteria, which get into the soil, es: pecially if it Is used several seasons. Sterilizing the soil will kill these germs while at the same time it is shown that seeds germinate quicker and plants develop better -in sterilized soil Dry burning of brush or trash Is simple method of sterilizing. A Heart-Interest Drama, "Jack, I am going away." "Going away, -Madge?" "Yes, going away. But, before I go, I have something to say to you." "Something to say to me, little wife?" "Yes, something to say to you. Don't send me any poker stories In lieu of the weekly remittance. That'll be about all'." Washington Star. HOW THE " CONSCIENCE FUND" LIFTS THE LOAD OF CARE. What is known as the "Conscience Fund" of the Treasury Department is growing beautifully less, Indicating that the world Is growing butter or that the people are becoming con Bclenceless. For the fiscal year closing June SO he total amount received and credit ed to this fund amounted to oily $-V 789.90, being a decided d'jveasy from that of the year 1906, when It was $7,- 343.49. In 1905 it was $21.3:16., a year in which conscience got in Its work in good shape, but which was nut the largest received In any 0:10 fis cal year, since the uccount wad opened in 1811. The to'al amount of tli.s fund now noes considerably over $550, 000, every cent coming from those who wished to make atonement for sins committed In the way of pilfering from the government. ' It may be that the sojourn of some of the sinners at the MoundsvUle pen itentiary and the narrow escape of others from that institution have something to do with the decrease of the fund. The close watch kept 011 government employes has unques tionably had much to do with the fall ing off of the fund, for there is not now the opportunities to pilfer from Uircle Sam as In the days a-gone, when laxer methods prevailed through out the entire government. It Is true that once in a great while a large amount Is restored. For some timo after the war, when all sorts of steal ings were rife In all parts of the coun try, consciences of the criminals seem to have reached a very respectable proportion and penitence found vent in a regular cornucopia of regrets ex pressed In cash or IU equivalent. The decline of the fund," said one of the Treasury officials, "Is not due to the fnct that the world Is growing better, but that people have not the conscience they once had. That the world Is growing worse there can be no doubt, and that little monitor call ed conscience Is not overtaxed. There Is just ns much . small pllferings in the government as there ever was. We seldom hear of these, but occa sionally one of the 'plungers' Is caught up with and made to pay the penally. Not all the 'plungers' aro caught, eith er, by a lonj Jump. In a word, you may say that conscience Is simply not doing its work; it Is held in check." The history of the fund is not with out Interest nnd entertainment. The account was opened In Septmber, 1811, with a contribution of less than $1, which was forwarded to the Treasury by a conscience-stricken resident ol New York, who stated that he had taken the amount from the govern ment nnd wanted to make restitution. Oiclals of the department state that it was not known nt that time what o do with the money, and a simple mem orandum was made nnd the slip of papr filed In one of the drawers, where it remained undisturbed for many years. It appeared that there would never be another contribution of this character, Mid, In fact, It was not until 1801, soon after the breaking out of the Civil War, when a bundle was received containing JO, 000 in bonds, accompanied by a statement that the restitution which had long been due the government was prompt ed by conscience. This gave the ac count its name, "Conscience Fund." It has since remained open, and all amounts returned to the Treasury In consequence of the prickings of the Inward monitor (which in too many in stances seems to be Ironclad) have been credited to It, covered Into tho general treasury as a miscellaneous receipt, and may be used like other assets of the Treasury for any pur pose that Congress may deem proper. Letters with inclosures Intended for the conscience fund are usually ad dressed to the treasurer, but they go to the public moneys division, which makes note of the amounts and depos its them with the treasurer of the United States. The sums received are almost always in cash, stamps, with now and then a draft. They are never accompanied by the names of the senders, except once in a while in the cases of persons who have made mistakes as to payments of customs duties. The written communications relating to them are very brief as a rule. If otherwise, they contain elab orate apologies and appeals. Occa sionally letters are signed by clergy men at the request of penitents. Re mittances are received almost weekly occasionally the receipts are two or three a week. In forwarding money for the con science fund the senders frequently re quest that acknowledgment shall be made by publication in the newspa pers, and this is nearly always done, (or the local newspaper men are gen erally In evldencS to gather In such items. A great many of the letters accompanying the remittances are preserved, and the lifting of the red tape of the department gives some In teresting reading. Many of these let ters on file are from Jocose corre spondents, who have not scrupled to make light of so serious a matter as to address the treasurer pretended concience letters, whose humor Is far in excess of the money Inclosed. One of these letters reads: "Inclosed please find 75 cents, coin of the realm, won from a United States paymaster at draw poker, and which I am convinced rightfully belongs to Uncle Samuel. I have carried it for nearly six months, and dare not trust myself with it any longer. My con science calls for relief my harassed nature calls for a good night's sleep. I can have neither so long as I carry this terrible witness. Now I can feel a realization of the proverb, 'Be vir tuous and you will be happy.' Now 1 cau feel an assurance Unit In years yet to come It cun be said of my children (yet to come), 'they were of poor but honest parents.' Please acknowledge through local press, end request them to put in double-leaded brevier, edi torial page." A conscience-stricken department clerk wrote: "A clear conscience softens the hardest bed, and as I am a poor gov ernment clerk my bed is very hard and needs softening, so I herewith ro turn $1 which was overpaid me last payday, and, besides, I have loafed a good deal lately." Here's a letter which has the true ring: "Inclosed Is a check for $190. t will briefly explain. I have been In the United States service and a part of the time with rank which entitled me to two servants. I drew pay for two, but actually had but one. It was the common practice of officers to do this, and the paymasters were well aware of It. I entered the army poor and sick too poor, In fact, to get along well without a clear conscience." One of the largest contributions ever received was $12,000, and it waa ac companied by this letter: "I am sending you herewith inclosed $12,000 which is to go to the use of the United States government. Years ago I defrauded the government of money, but now I have returned it all and am paying fourfold In accordance with the teachings of the Scriptures. The way of the transgressor Is hard, and no one but God knows how I have suffered." There are many such letters as these, but In a large number of In stances the contributions are made without nny explanations whatever. On several occasions It has happened that people have cut bills in two, send ing one-half to the Secretary of the Treasury, nnd tho other half to the treasurer, for the sake of safety. There are persons who do not enter tain absolute faith in the Integrity of government officials. One man for warded $10 to the conscience fund, saying: "Pay this money where it belongs nnd keep your record clear." An envelope postmarker Bealeton, Va., contained six two-cent stamps and a sheet of paper upon which was writ ten, "I misused six stamps and am now returning them." A remittance of $3.40 was received from a man who wrote that he felt sorry for having beaten his passage on a government train during the war. It is a melancholy thing to be oblig ed to say that the swindles against the government which bear such fruit of repentance seem to be a sadly small percentage of the multifarious chats that are practiced undetected! and apparently unregneuea oy inusa who nernetrote them. A fraud on the government of a comparatively in- I . . , 1 tn ih. uocem son is oiten pratiimu m w armv. A quartermaster finds hlv stores short by 100 tent pins, five an vils, and fourteen sledge hammers. Very likely It Is not his fault; such things will happen. Presently a sol dier deserts and disappears. Inci dentally to the report of desertion sent to Washington, mention is made of 100 tent pins, five anvils and rour- teen sledge hammers as having dls-l appeared with the delinquent ine latter is supposed to be walking across the country with these articles thrown! termaster, who would otherwise be over his back. This squares the quar- obliged to-pay for the missing art! c!es. Vovaeers returning from across thH seas fetch gems concealed In cakes ofl soap, in the hollowed heels of boots beneath porous plasters, In cartridge! from which the bullets have been re moved and the powder taken out, anni in various and sundry other ways. Tjf device of folding diamonds in a sl of meat, feeding It to a dog Just btl fore reaching port, and killing me am mal a few hours later 1s a famiua one. Washington Sta. His Name for It. I was once teaching a class small pupils in physiology in a rurtj school and asked the elass what narrt was given to the bones of the heal as a whole; A little girl raised he hand. "What It Is, Lucy?" I asked. "Skull!" she answered. "Correct," said I; "but what ot: name haa It?" expecting someone answer "cranium.". All were silerj for a while, then a little fellow whf seemed to be In a deep study quick raised his hand, his eyes sparkliil and a confident smile spreading 0 his face. "What it Is, Henry?" I asked. "Noggin," was his immediate repl Judge's Library. New Use for Ribbons. Forty million yards of narrow ri bon have been ordered by a westel brewery from a Philadelphia concej to be used, for advertising purpos The ribbon will be placed about tl necks of the beer bottle, and It Is timated that four Inches will be quired for each bottle. Basing cald lations upon this, it Is estimated t! 300,000,000 bottles of beer are to brewed, while the ribbon, stretcll out, would reach nearly 23.000 mil and, in the latitude of P.hiladelphl would encircle the globe. Phlla phla Record.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers