OLD WHARVES. BY AMtBVM WMTWORTH EATON. Not BO many years ago, On the tides that shoreward swept, Merchant vessels, swift or alow. To the harbor leapt or crept; From the fertile Indian isles In hot southern seas they came, Over ocean's endless miles. With red sunset tires aflame. Fruited cargoes here they brought, Guava, ginger, tig or prune. Rice, and spice, and rare birds caught In the sluggish tropic noon. These old wharves re-echoed then All the sounds of seaport trade, Pullejrs plied by strong-armed men, Noisy anchors cast and weighed; Crashing, carrying, cheering loud. Wild discordant bawl and brawl, Black and white, a motley crowd! Ah, but how we loved it all# I THE BOSS TRICKSTER. | IT was a very dusty, disreputable pink nose that pushed open the back gate of No. 11 Teiupletou flats, and it was followed by a Ibabby canine body that had once been white, but was at present a dingy Arab, the result of Infrequent bathing. The apparition dodged, evidently ex pecting a brick or billet of wood for a welcome, instead of which a soft ju venile voice said encouragingly: "Come in, old fellow; don't be afraid, there isn't anybody here but me." And "old fellow" wiggled along, showing gladness and gratitude iu every motion, and made his way to.a email boy seated on a box in one corner of the yard, engaged in fixing some §ort of a mechanical toy. The dog wagged his abbreviated tail in an at tempt to be fond, and at the same time exhibited a row of dazzling white teeth in an undershot jaw, and he looked very tough, but little Mark Roberts was not the least bit afraid. He patted the stray dog's head, called him "old fellow," and then bethought him that It would only be kind to give him something to eat. So the next thing the cook in the Roberts family aaw was Master Mark, in white blouse and lace collar, entering her spotless kitchen with a down-at-the-heel bull dog that was from all appearances at outs with the world. "Law-a-massy, yo' dretful boy, wha' yo' mudder say an' yo' fadder when day see dat dog?" She gathered her skirts about her prepared to run, but Mark's pleading arms were about her fat Waist and she dropped in a heap and gathered liim Into the fold of her sheltering arms, while the dog waited at a respectful distance snuffing the odor of a roast cooking In the oven. "He's awful hungry, Cindy, and I think he's lost. Maybe if you wash him mamma will let me keep him. I've wanted a real live dog all my life, Cindy." "Bress de chile, he talks es ef he was es ole es Methuselem," Cindy cried, and straightway she began a rum mage for bones and odds and ends left from the table, and these wore carried oulside and made a fine feast for the starved stranger. But what to do with him next? If only Cindy were to be propitiated that were an easy vic tory, but Mark's mother hated dogs. She often said so, and believed it her self. Mr. Roberts was totally unac quainted with the canine type, was al ways spotlessly dressed, and while not especially disliking the animal'!, wanted them to keep a respectful dis tance. He had fears, too, of hydro phobia, and like other ignorant per sons believed that the bite of a dog was fatal whether the animal had rabies or not. Against these objections what could Mark do? What he did was to keep the dog secreted on the premises until be had been groomed into the sem blance of a fine kennel-bred sport with ■ rallk-white coat nnd a sleek head, showing off pink serrated ears, and an expression of countenance so en trandlngly ferocious that milkmen and grocers' boys delivered their goods to Cindy at the gate. And just at this time Cindy advised Mark to let his father and mother see his treasure, for she feared consequences If they found out that she was harboring the in truder and was as deep in the con spiracy as the boy himself. So this was what Mr. and Mrs. Rob erts saw when they had dined one evening nnd expected to spend an hour listening to Mark's account of the day's doings. He had been vague and un satisfactory lately at this post-pran dial hour, sometimes unduly excited, and again unnaturally quiet. Cindy bad given him a blue ribbon—it hail been washed nnd ironed—nnd leading his acquisition by this tether he marched into the parlor, nnd neither of them saw the animal until It stood before them regarding them with can ine curiosity. Mrs. Roberts climbed on a chair and screamed. Mr. Roberts said sharply, "Take that brute away," and then Mark made his plea. "He's just lovely, papa; plays with me all the time and doesn't never get cross. Cindy can tell you—Cindy, come here!" "1 deelar ter goodness, Mis Roberts dat chile am so posest ter hev a dawj I'se scared ter hear liim go on. An dat ar is amity nice kind; he got mos cs much sense es I hes tnyseff, an' In do,an nevnh bark, jest fit ter play wl: Chilians." "How long lias boon here?" asked Mrs. Roberts as she stepped down to earth again. "Ise onwH't exackly say. but he's (done 'customed to de place, an' 1 Proud old wharves, so silent now, Haughtier in your grim decay Than in days when many a prow Sought you from the lower bay, Symbols of dead dreams are ye, Symbols of the empty piers Where our minds so buoyantly Anchored in the childish years. Yet the barren tides that creep Up the harbor night and morn, Plunge and flash and laugh and leap Round your bases, old and worn. Nothing of real sadness bear. For our ships have found since then Wider wharves, in harbors where They may come and come again; Till Time's petty traffic past. All the bawl and brawl and strife, We are satisfied at last With the wealth of endless life. —Youth's Companion. reckon feels at home, an' dat chile jee too happy for ennyting waltzln' roun' wif him fob company all day." Mark had his arm around the brute's neck and was rubbing his own smooth cheek against the blunt head, the dog accepting his caresses with such evi dent appreciation that Mr. Roberts, after watching them a moment, 6aid: "I haven't any use for a dog, but if the boy wants this one to play with I have no objection. But keep him away from me." "He's to stay in the yard, remember that, Cindy," said Mrs. Roberts, sharp ly. "I suppose Mark could be fur nished with a better companion, but he'll get tired of lilm, or the dog will run away. I wish his owner would find him." If they had read the lost and found notices In the papers they would have seen a startling advertisement anent this same dog with a reward of three figures offered for his safe return. But they did not, and Mark and Cindy could not rend, and they might have kept It to themselves in any event, as they did the dog. Time passed and the father and mother did not get over their objection to Mark's playmate, which indeed they seldom saw, being much out in so ciety, at whieli time the child was supposed to be sleeping in his little lied. So in truth he was, and often "old fellow," the only name he had, was curled up on the foot of the bed after a romp through every room up stairs with Cindy in attendance. And lie was there one night when the family came home late from the the atre, but with a cunning dissimulation he had jumped down and hidden, and they did not see him when they looked in on the sleeping boy. In the early morning hours Mr. and Mrs. Roberts were awakened from a sound slumber by a fearful crash, and simultaneously with the sound the white bulldog hurled itself through the transom of their door, carrying the frame with it, as it landed in the middle of the room. They had only time for one horrible thought, that the animal had gone mad —when they saw flume and smoke rushing in and knew they were saved from death. The flat was 011 fire—there was time for the family to he saved, all the rest was lost. And it was found later from light scratches on Mark's face that the dog bad tried to awaken him, but failed, and then performed jx feat that was almost superhuman and denoted an intelligence of the keenest fibre. When they were settled in a new home "old fellow" was the hero of the hour. A silver collar graced his ath letic neck and his story was told in print. Mrs. Roberts gave him the privilege of tlie drawing-room, but Mark and Cindy were reserved for his special friends, and sometimes he seemed a little tired of them, I-Ie drooped and they sent for a veterinary surgeon, who could find nothing defi nite the matter, but concluded he hail Inhaled smoke the night of his life saving feat. But the hurt was deeper than that, as they soon learned. They were walking in the park and sat down to rest, Mark and "old fel low" making a striking picture and at tracting attention as usual. Then oc curred a tableau more striking. The dog saw a man at a little distance, ran toward him. leaped on iiis shoulders and almost bore Idm to the ground by the violence of his caresses. He had found his own. "Why, lie's the boss trickster of the Albion Club's kennels," said the man. "111, Oldfellow, jump for the gentle man.'" And obedient to orders the dog per formed the trick which had made him a life-saver and proved the man's ownership. And now lie had less use for the Roberts family than they had for him. He turned tall on the whole bunch and went off witli his trainer with acute satisfaction, leaving Mark gazing after him wistfully and say ing: And just to think I cnllcd him 'old fellow,' and it was his very own name."—Chicago Record-Herald. Only Indian Newspaper Suspended. Ihe Cherokee Advocate, the only paper ever printed in an Indian tongue, is about to suspend publication, owing to changes in the government of the live tribes. The Cherokee is the only tribe having a written language. It was invented by Sequoyah, a Chero kee, in 18:10. The Royal Colonies were: New Hampshire, New Vork, New Jersey, Virginia. North Carolina, South Caro lina and Georgia. pluck and © © © © /\dverit\ire. Some Narrow Escape*. THERE are few well-known people in the world whose lives have not contained at least one incident that they will remember to the lhst day of their lives. The experience may have lasted a day, an hour or but a moment, yet it impressed itself indelibly upon their minds. Rider Haggard, says the Philadel phia Press, is now leading as peaceful and unromantie a life as the mildest minded man could wish to. Yet be can tell two stories of thrilling adventures that arc as curdling as some ol' the tales he publishes. The one incident of his life with which he connects ids narrowest es cape from death happened in South Africa, over a quarter of a century ago. Haggard was master of the Trans vaal High Court, and In this capacity he was sent 011 a mission to a distant mountainous district which was thick ly infested with mutinous and blood thirsty natives. Before he started on his journey he was informed that he would be way laid and killed. There were two roads by which he might travel to his destination, and by good luck he chanced to choose the way of safety. On the other road a band of natives was lying in wait for him, resolved to torture and kill his entire party. The suspense of that night journey, when at any turning he might meet death face to face, can scarcely be pic tured, but Mr. Haggard recalls every moment of it with a reminiscent shud der. Mary Anderson, now Mme. Navarro, can recall a terrible episode of her early childhood in Kentucky, which, by almost a miracle, just escaped being a tragedy. One night, during her father's ab sence from home, two burglars, who had already committed several mur ders, broke Into the house and, seizing the child, threatened to kill her unless her mother would deliver up all her money and valuables. A moment's hesitation would have precipitated the tragedy; but the mother saved the situation and her child by promptly handing everything of value over to the burglars. Bennett Burleigh, an intrepid war correspondent, whose work for English papers during the Civil War gave him a great reputation, numbers among his experiences that of one night which lie says is as fresh in his mind as if it had been but yesterday. He was taken a prisoner by the Fed eral troops and lay under sentence of death in the prison at Fort Delaware. He resolved on escape. After considering many plans he re solved on the most desperate. Underneath the floor of his cell was a sewer which ran directly into the Delaware. For days he worked on this plan, halting half the time in deadly fear lest the guards should hear him. But at length the door was ready for raising and the niglit of the at tempt was at hand. When darkness had fallen he raised the floor, dropped beneath it into the sewer and was carried, more dead than alive, into the river. He swam for hours in the cold ami darkness of night, and finally landed safely near Salem, N. J. Miss Helen Terry had an equally ex- j citing but more painful experience when, as a child of seven, she was playing the part of Puck in "A Mid summer Night's Dream" at Manches ter. At the conclusion of the play she was raised through the trapdoor seated on a mushroom to make the closing speech, and on this occasion the door, closing too soon, imprisoned one of her feet. She filled the house with her shrieks, and it was some time before her in jured foot was released. Curiously enough. Miss Nellie Farren had a very similar experience. "In my very first engagement," she relates, "when I was only seven years of age, an 'orrible accident' happened to me. "I was playing the part of one of the little genii of the ring in 'Aladdin,' was packed in a small box and had to disappear through a trapdoor. "Unfortunately the door did not work properly and I was precipitated into a deep cellar. "Everybody thought I must be killed, and the delight of my horrified mother, who witnessed the accident, may he Imagined when, from the deeps below the stage, she heard my small voice cry, 'lt's all right, mainmie; I's not much hurt.' " A Hero of the St. Pierre Dinaßter. The Roddnm, in charge of Captain E. W. Freeman, was anchored about three ship's lengths from shore at the time when St. Pierre was annihilated and all the other vessels in the harbor were destroyed. The Roddam was saved, not by accident, hut by the coolness and nerve of her commander, who once before saved his vessel un der circumstances when eleven other steamships foundered. At the time when the fatal blast from Mont Pelee swept over St. Pierre and the hay. Captain Freeman was standing on fhe deck of his vessel. Ac cording to his observations, while there were many minor puffs of clouds from no volcano, there was only one great eruption, and this came from the side of the mountain. There were no de tonations or loid reports, and he saw no sheet of flame accompanying the hot blast. The force of this, which hurled massive stone buildings to the ground, was so great, however, that he believes it was the cause of the steam, ship Grappler turning turtle. There was no return blast and ho absence of air. Tile difficulty in breathing was due to the quantity of fine ash with which the atmosphere was charged and the fetid sulphurous gases. The Roddam was not saved by being lifted on a wave, neither was she saved by knocking out shackle pins and slip ping the cables. What the captain did was to free his windlass and then run full speed astern until the cable parted. But now, to add to the horror of the situation, he found the steering gear so clogged with ashes as to be useless. In this predicament there was nothing to do but to steam ahead, and then astern, and so on, close to burning ships, and hearing the cries of those on board and those running frantically along the shore, until the gear was cleared. At the end of an hour and a half this was accomplished, and the Roddam steamed out to sea, with twenty-six dying men on her decks. Captain Freeman is certain that many of tile people of St. Pierre did not die suddenly, but with terrible and pro longed suffering. Twenty-six of his own men died, most of them slowly. About nine hours aftef the eruption the Roddam stenmed into the harbor of St. Lucia with 120 tons of mud and ashes on her decks. Although the ash probably contained a considerable per centage of magnetite, no disturbance of the compass was noted. Before the eruption no disturbance of the barom eter was observed. That Captain Free man, while on a burning ship, where he was more than half suffocated with hot ashes, when the boots were burned from his feet, his face seared and his hands so scorched and welted that he worked with his elbows, had the pres ence of mind to do what lie did and the physical and mental power to carry out his intentions under these trying conditions, is an instance of grit and coolness such as is rarely chronicled. Kitten lly Wildcat. James Cavauaugh, of Albany, and his nephew, Samuel McGttigan, of Med. way, Greene County, had an encounter with a wildcat recently. They killed the animal, but not until Mr. Cavan augli's hand had been badly bitten and Air. Cavauaugh was obliged to return to Albany to have the wound cauter ized. The physician says he will not lose the hand, but it will be useless for some time. One night Air. Cavanaugh heard the screech of a wildcat in the woods. He told his nephew of what he had heard, and they went into the woods the next day to secure the animal. They were armed with a shotgun. After beating about in the woods for some time they heard a screech, which they traced to a large tree, and there discovered the animal. Mr. Cavanaugh approached carefully, and, when he was near enough, took steady aim and fired. The wildcat fell to the ground, kick ing spasmodically for an instant, and then lay still. Cavanaugh and his nephew waited a few minutes and then appronched the animal. To all appearances it was dead, and Cavauaugh grabbed it by the hind legs preparatory to carrying it away. But that cat had more than one life, for as soon as Cavanaugh reached out it curled up aud began to fight. It got Cavanaugh's fingers in its teeth and held them there. AlcGui gau came to his relative's assistance and managed to make the animal re lease its hold. But it did so only to jump on AlcGuigau's shoulder and bite his cheek. Then Cavanaugh shot it and It fell over dead. The wildcat was taken to Catskill and is on exhibition there. It Is the largest seen in that' part of the Catskill Mountains in some years, being three feet in length. Cavanaugh's lingers had been bitten through to fhe bone.— New York Sun. 11l n For of Bats. "I have experienced many kinds of showers in my sea life," said Captain Ilnrlaud, of the British steamw Har danger, "but it remained for me to feel the effect of a rain of bats on the trip down the coast from New York to Baltimore. "Last Tuesday night, when about ten miles off the Delaware, we were sud denly being struck In the face and 011 our heads, and sometimes on our bodies, by myriads of birds, as we sup posed. AVe were not long finding out that the sudden attnek was from beats of bats, if I may apply that term. It was with difficulty that those on deck could protect themselves from injuries from their sharp, rn-like wings, as they flew about in all directions. We ran out of the flock during the night, but next morning we captured a num ber on deck, where they had fallen ex hausted. I took up one which had un der its wing an infant bat, which it had carried far out to sea, and during, the time it was beating about our decks, against the rigging, bonts and smokestack, this tiny infant had held 011 and fallen with its exhausted parent to the deck. I shall try to raise the pair, and also several others. "I doubt If there Is anybody who can boast of such a queer capture and has the idea of making pets of them. 1 shall look up natural history and seek some plan to preserve their lives, and see what will be the result." The battle with the bats, Captain Harland says, was renewed to a less extent during Wednesday night In the Chesapeake Bay. He cannot recollect of having seen bats at sea before—Bal timore Sun. CHILDREN'S DEPARTMENT: Io Your Heat. No matter what the work before you, , Do your best; On fortuiejrpdge they're sure to score you, ' DO yoUr be'st; No matter how the work detains you, .No matter how its dullness chains you. No matter what the sum it gains you, ~*o your best. —Cleveland Plain-Dealer. A Miniature Oak Tree. If an acorn be suspended by a piece of thread within half an inch of the surface of some water contained In a hyacinth glass, and so permitted to remain without being disturbed, it will, In a few months, burst and throw a root, down into tho water, and shoot upwards Its straight and tapering stem, with beautiful little green leaves. A young oak tree growing In this way Is a very interesting object. A chestnut may be treated in the same manner. The water must be changed sufficiently often to afford these trees the necessary quantity of nourishment from the matter coutaiued in It.— Washington Star. The Klectrlo Itancers. With the help of electricity in Its simplest form a great many tricks aud entertaining feats can be performed, such as the following: Get a plain sheet of glass about twelve Inches long by eight Inches wide, and insert It between two volumes, as shown in il lustration. The distance of the glass from the table should be about three Inches. With the help of scissors cut a number of small figures, such as men, women, clowns, animals, etc., not higher than one and one-half .Inches, out of different colored paper. Lay the little figures flat on a line on the table underneath the glass. Make a sort of ball of woolen, or, better yet, silk cloth, warm It a little and rub the sur- THE ELECTIt IC DANCERS. lace of the glass Tvlth it. You will notice immediately how the electric ity obtained by this process enlivens the little paper figures, how they stand op and Jump to the glnss ceiling of their little ballroom, to be repulsed ind fall bach, only to renew their lance. If you stop rubbing, the funny ictlons of the figures are continued for a while; when the dauce Is ended the touch of the hand on the glass is suf- Iclent to enliven the figures again.— New York Tribune. Mugln Apple,. The performer shows an apple strung pn a piece of cord. He lets It slide town the cord and suddenly stops It half way down, so that it seems t# be floating in the air, until he gives M permission to continue its journej. There are different ways of doing this trick, but they all depend upon the same principle. A curved packing needle is used la conducting the cord through the apple, making a curved channel. By holding the cord loosely the apple can slide down in consequence of its weight, but as soon as the cord is stretched (this being hardly perceptible) the apple is brought to a standstill. When the cord is relaxed the apple will continue Its * sliding motion. Novel Top-Spinning Device. | To spin a top well, as every boy knows, care must be used in winding f WINDING CP THE CORD IS ONNEOESSABX the string, as well as in throwing the top, the tension of the cord having com siderable to do with the speed of revo- a lution. Now a Western inventor comes ' forward with a top which, while It makes use of the string, does not have it wound on the top, as is necessary with the old kind. The illustration gives an idea of the device, which Is used in connection with the cord to Rive the top its rotary motion, nnd also shows the manner of applying the string and spinning wire. The latter is formed with a loop at one end in which one linger of the left hand is in serted, while the opposite end of the wire has a curved hook which sur rounds the spindle on the top. At the point of the long loop is a guide through which the string feeds to the i lop. To put the top in motion the cord is given a single turn around the spindle, the free, long end 5s inserted In the guide, nnd the hook of the spin ning wire Is placed over the spindle un derneath the cord. It is obvious that a sudden and strong pull on the cord and an equal resistance with the other hand will hold the top stationary in a vertical plane, while the rapidly mov ing cord will give motion to the spindle to rotate the top as the cord is drawn through the guide. When the string has passed through the guide there is no further resistance and the top drops of its own accord to the floor, maintaining Its motion for a great length of time.—Philadelphia ltecord. I.eurn How to Itrcntho. It is possible to exercise one's whole body, to keep It strong and well, sim ply by breathing properly. Children should be taught to breathe and to get into the habit of filling the whole lung space at each inhalation and of empty ing it completely at each exhalation. There is no better way of getting to sleep soon after going to bed than by breathing properly. Push away the pil low nnd lie flat upon the back with the muscles relaxed. Slowly draw in the deepest breath possible, hold it for four seconds, then slowly expel it until the chest and abdomen have collapsed. Re peat this until you are tired or fall asleep. There are scores of ways of varying this exercise. But this is the essential. Of course it is assumed that one sleeps with his bed room window! open.—Philadelphia Timea.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers