EEL
—— At
me
enoreaic’d]
Eelktoric Pa. September5,1890.
OLD DOBBIN.
I see old Dobbin through the fence ; how much
he looks, and old ;
Eis hair is falling off in spots, he feels the
damp and cold ; ; .
He hangs his head, his step is slow; 'tis plain
enough to see
His thirty years are more to him than fifty are
to me.
He shall not work another jot, not that he
would complain;
But from this.hour he ne’er shall know the
touch of whip or rein.
Of all the horses onthe farm he’s been the
very best;
I should have thought of it before; but now he
shall have rest.
I call to mind the colt he was, and how I
broke him in;
Whew! how he kicked, and pranced, and
plunged; ’twas doubtful which would win
ut I was young, as well as he, and would not
be denied ;
And since, he’s been as safe a nag as man
would wish to ride.
He never lacked in spirit, nor in steadiness,
nor speed ;
Many’s the time his willing feet have answer-
ed urgent need, :
When every moment was a gain to fleeting hu-
man breath,
He knew what precious minutes ment, and so
defeated death
Then, in my happy courting days, he knew the
very night
That I would swing the stable door and greet
him with delight.
He knew the girl I loved was waiting far away
and fair;
He seemed to say: “’Twill not be long before
I take you there!”
Then on my wedding day he stood with others
at the church;
Nodoubt he thought for just that once I left
him in the lurch;
One face, one form, that day of days, was all
that I could see,
I didnot think of Dobbin then, whate’er he
thought of me.
And when the years had brought their grief,
and I learned joy’s reverse,
He drew the little ones and me behind the
gloomy hearse.
cannot say that he divined how lonely was
my lot ; *
But since he has not been the same; I know
that I have not!
And so through §/niness and through grief
old Dobbin has been near;
No wonder that he looks so old when I have
grown so sere.
1 know full well that fifty years is youth to
many men;
"Tis not the years,but that my heart has reach-
ed three score and ten!
So, while I live, his failing life shall naught
but comfort know ;
Old Dobbin, as Isaid at first, shall ne’er feel
rein or blow.
The best of oats, the sweetest hay, the field to
wander free,
Shallall be his; a poor return for all he’s been
tJ me!
. Ladies’ Home Journal.
Covernor Pattison on Boss Rule in
Pennsylvania.
4 Scathing Arraignment of Republican
Management, Corporation Influence
and Ring Rule.
SPRING Lake, N. J., Aug. 24—Ex-
Governor Robert E. Pattison has sub-
mitted to an interview by a correspon-
dent of the New York World. The
manuscript was read and approved by
him before it was sent in for publication.
The candidate refused to venture a pro-
phecy as to the result of the campaign,
but when asked how the conditions in
Pennsylvania now compared with those
of 1882 replied :
“I should say they were more favor-
able now than then. You must remem-
ber that there is no single reason which
then existed to justify the independent re-
volt that is not now intensified and more
far-reaching. Not only is bossism now
more dominant than it then was, but it
is far more offensive, irresponsible and
in every way vicious. Besides, there
are now added elements of a personal
nature that have aggravated the assault
made within the ranks of the Republi-
can party against its everywhere omnip-
otent leadership.
CAMERON AND QUAY CONTRASTED.
“I dislike very much to use names
but probably nothing will better illus-
trate the difference in spirit between the
uprising of 1882 and that of 1890 than
the names of the two persons against
whom independence was asserted —Cam-
eron then and Quay now— then against
the master, against the creature now.
Cameron’s power was largely of his own
upbuilding. From small beginnings,
and during years of party and personal
service, he had attached to himself
masses of men by fine individual traits,
exemplifying in a high degree the vir-
tues of gratitude and manly fidelity.
“Senator Quay’s power is mostly de-
rivative and is void of the element of
personal attachment. He controls ; he
does not lead. He commands ; he does
not attract. Cameron conserved his
forces by inspiring an affectionate, or at
least a devoted, spirit of loyalty. He
made friends and held them. He was
beaten by the natural growth of the in-
dependent opposition, strengthened by
the accretions resulting from tHe rigid
exercise of power through a generation.
Quay vaulted into Cameron's seat and at-
tempted at once to rule with an 1ron
scepter. As a result he bas created
within what in '82 was a compact and
enthusiastic force, an angry, restless and
discontented body, which if not mutin-
ous, is at least alienated or indifferent.
A REPUBLICAN INDICTMENT.
“And among these there are some
men of long party service, proved com-
petency, high and spotless character,
and, until not long ago, of equal power
and prominence with Quay. They
chafe at the humiliating servitude they
ave asked to undergo at the haughty be-
hest of their sometime co-lieutenant,
but now suddenly exalted master. In
saying all this I only repeat the common
indictment bronght against Senator
Quay by the members of his own party.
This is not Democratic criticism; it is not
my criticism. Tt is the attack that may
be daily read in almost,if not quite a ma-
jority of the Republican newspapers of
the State.”
“What have you to say about the
«charges against your opponent, Quay’s
candidate, Delamater 7’
“Oh, you must excuse me from dis-
cussing that subject. The charges have
been specifically made by an honorable
and prominent State Senator, and were
as absolutely denied by my opponent,
Senator Delamater, last week. His ac-
cuser now announces that he will soon
i bring forth proof of the accusation.
Thus the matter stands at present, and
thus you must permit me to let it stand.
I prefer to fight this contest along other
lines.
FOR SELF, GOVERNMENT.
“As I have said in my letter of ac-
ceptance, the people of Pennsylvania
are now engaged in a struggle for self
governwent and home rule; for the su-
premacy of their laws and constitution
against the will of bosses and placemen.
you must remember that in 1874 we
adopted a new constitution by about
150,000 majority against a formidable
combination of the bosses and rascals of
both parties, aided by the united corpor-
ate wealth and influence of the State.
It is an instrument which, in many re-
spects, is a model of organic law. It
breathes the essential spirit of popular
government through all its members.
‘But the people have failed to reap
the best results expected from their or-
ganic law by reason of the long lease of
absolute power by the Republican boss-
esand their supple dependents. In-
deed, it has become popular to sneer at
the constitution and its defenders, and
from the moment of its adoption crafty
and able leaders in the legislature have
devoted tueir skill and subtlety to de-
vising statutes intended to subvert and
circumvent certain of the most salutary
constitutional restraints upon legislation.
It would take too much time to illus-
trate specifically these matters, but
every intelligent voterin Pennsylvania
could recall instances’ applying to his
own particular locality.”
ATTITUDE OF CORPORATIONS.
“How did the corporations of your
State regard the new constitution, gov-
ernor ?”’
‘Well, there is what is called the
XVII Article, relating to the railroads
and canals. At first the railroads and
other carrying companies regarded this
article with defiant opposition, and did
every thing possible to prevent its exe-
cation. For a long time they succeed-
ed, and a: even to-day successful, for
many parts of that article are unenforced.
But I rejoice to believe that even the
corporations are at last opening their
eyes to the fact that the provisions of
the XVII Article are reasonable and
just; that it commands nothing but
what is right and forbids nothing but
what is wrong ; that it simply provides
that they shall treat all persons fairly,
impartially and justly and that a hearty
and full acceptance of its provisions is
not only legally due, but will also in the
end be beneficial and conducive to
their best interests.
“The Democratic policy upon this
subject has been pertectly fair and just,
and, when rightly considered, should
commend itself to the corporations
themselves. That is, it has been our
doctrine to insist, in the first instance,
upon a full compliance with the law
and the rcquirements of their charters
by all corporations, and on the part of
the government to assure to all law
abiding corporations the full protection
of the laws not only from spoliation by
force, but also by the craft and dishon-
esty of greedy and corrupt legislators.
CORPORATIONS WERE BLED.
“Tt is not long since—indeed the vice
may exist to day— that the corporations
of the State were an ever-ready subject
for legislative pressure when ever a fund
was needed to minister to boss extrava-
gance and debauchery or political cor-
ruption. Such practices could not exist
were corporations to shelter themselves,
not behind the unlawful and costly fav-
or of politicians, but behind their own
obedience to the constitution and sup-
port of just law cordially acquiesced in
and obsesved. It is true that special
and illegal favors could not be obtained
under the enforcement of the organic
law; but it is equally true that no
‘pinch’ or ‘squeeze’ would have any
chance of successful passage in a legis-
lature animated by fidelity to the funda-
mental law ”’
“It is said, governor, that the corpo-
rations are taking a part in this cam-
paign against your election, and that
they also did against your nomination.
What is your information on that sub-
ject 2
“I have none that is well enough au-
thenticated to justify my now giving it
credence.’
BALLOT REFORM.
“How about ballot reform ?’’
“Both parties have declared in favor
of that issue, but no man who candidly
considers the history of the parties in
Pennsylvania can believe that the re—
publican managers are sincere in their
advocacy of this measure.”
“Why, they have Quay’s word for it
that he is yearning to purify elections 2”
‘So they have. But once adopt the
Australian system or anything like it in
Pennsylvania and there would be more
political Othelos wandering up and
down the commonweaith with their oc-
cupations gone than you could easily
compute.’
“How? What do you mean by oc-
cupations ?”’
“Why, sir, the debauchery of elec-
tions had grown to be a science in Penn-
sylvania before the adoption of the new
constitution. The ballot was polluted
systematically, defiantly, and generally
successfully. Itis now conceded that
from the governor down to the lowest
township officer, the popular vote reg-
istered in the ballot boxes was deliber-
ately reversed by cliques of managing
polivcians, not once and again merely,
ut regularly, as occasion required.
CHARGES HYPOCRISY.
“Now this constitution was the first
step toward ballot reform in Pennsyl-
vania, which is another reason why that
instrument has met with such contempt-
uous opposition from the republican ring
managers. But as to bringing about a
secret ballot, it was an absolute failure.
By various devices in the headings of
tickets, in their shape, color or type, the
politician and the employer of labor
exercised and still exercises the same
surveillance and power over the
voter that they always did. Even in the
‘matter of identification of the ballot by
numbering, which it was hoped would
facilitate the investigation and punish-
ment af election frauds and the contest
-of false returns, the organic law was
equally futile. A contested election to-
day in Pennsylvania is as hopeless a
method of righting a public wrong as it
ever was.
“Now to the point I seek to establish
as to the real attitude of the two parties,
or their managers, toward this issue. All
things to which I have referred show
that ballot refirm is an absolute neces-
sity, and the Pennsylvania democracy
are a unit on the question, and what 1s
more to the purpose, are sincere in their
advocacy. This is not true of the Re-
publican managers.”
SHOTS AT QUAY.
The governor then cited various in-
tances in the legislature to establish his
claim. Asked as to Senator Quay’s sin-
cerity, he said : “Why, how hypocritical
and to bé distrusted is the present boss
advocacy of the measure. "When he and
his followers had the power to act they
retarded reform.
Now when they see the water of revo-
lution rising above their seats of power,
they strive to stem the tide by menda-
cious pretenses. But then this is no new
art with the present leaders in Pennsyl-
vania. They say they are now for a
constitutional amendment to effect a bal-
lot reform.
“Similarly Senator Quay proclaimed
himselfin favor of thesubmission of a con-
stitutional amendment prohibiting the
manufacture and sale ot intoxicating
liquors, and procured his party to insert
such a plank in its platform, and then de-
feated the amend went at the special elec-
ti>n by hundreds o ticusards wile he
elected his candidate a few months before
by over 60,000 majority.”
“You think, then, his favor kills and
his embrace is death. Tell me,governor,
have the farmers of the state found
Quay’s smile equally fatal 2”
A BID TO FARMERS,
“Well, there you have touched anoth-
er subject that aptly illustrates how the
controlling leaders of the republican
party in Pennsylvania ‘hold their word
of promise to the ear and break it to the
hope, For years the platforms of the
Quay party have contained elaborate
promises of legislation to equalize the
burdens of taxation and relieve the
farming interests now depressed all over
the state to the lowest degree of vitality.
Yet what has resulted ? All these prom-
ises fell with the elections and were not
again heard of until another campaign
came round, and with it the need to
again allay the unrest of the farming in-
terests.”
Asked as to the oil lubricant in poli-
tics, Mr. Pattison said : “Well, sir, it
was with that as with the relief demand-
ed by the farmers. There was the free
pipe bill. For years, session after session,
it was strangled by the bosses, and our
phenomenal supply of oil was wrested —
sucked through the protected pipes of
monopoly—from our state and people
and given over to other states and for-
eign corporations; and not until we had
had a democratic house and governor—
in 1883 —was such a measure eracted,
when it gave me great pleasure to attach
my signature to it. It was too late, how-
ever, to accomplish much good. The
crime committed against Pennsylvania
in this single matter is beyond express-
ion, base and enormous, and may be
solely charged to the corruption of our
managing politicians in league with
equally corrupt corporate power.
A RING-RIDDEN CITY.
“This policy kept Philadelphia from
being the first oil martin the world. But
that is not all the city suffered. It was
for years literally the docile prey of
banded planderers of all kinds. Offices
having princely revenues were created
without the slightest regard for public
sentiment, 1n order to give ring favorites
berths in, which they could amass for-
tunes in year or two if they did not
squander their plunder in debauchery
and extravagant living.
Why, Quay himself had the recorder’s
office, galvanized with added power and
perquisites, created anew for himself,
with emoluments reaching, itis believed,to
over $100,000 a year, and a perfect sine-
cure. He came down fresh trom Beaver
county to be recorder of Philadelphia,
whose citizens were thus obliged to pay
this tremendous tribute for the honor of
having him in their midst and submit-
ting to his domination,
RELIEF AT LAST.
“At last, in 1834 we procured the
passage of the repealing bill, and it was
among the first of the local reform meas-
ures to which I had the honer of at{ach-
ing my approval as governor. So, too,
was abolished the delinquent tax office,
another boss-made place, with, it was
said, $100,000 a year in fees, and so also
with the offices of sealers of weights and
measures, with their enormous and ex-
pensive fees pouring into the pockets of
ring politicians. Why, it would tax
credibility if a computation were made
of the aggregate amount of money in
this way vearly plundered from the peo-
ple of Philadelphia.”
‘Governor’,said the correspondent, can
I have your views on the McKinley
tariff and other national topics ?”
“No, sir. TI would simply be doing
what our friends, ‘the enemy,’ want me
to do if I introduced matters of national
party controversy into this struggle.”
A Banker's Experience With Brigands.
Signor Arrigo, one of the wealthiest
bankers and most extensive land-owners
of Sicily, has just affected his release
from a captivity of twenty-one days in
the mountains by the payment of a ran-
som of one hundred thousand dollars to
the brigands who kidnapped him.
Twenty-one days had elapsed before the
negotiations on the subject were com-
pleted, and during this time the captive
millionaire lived in a mountain cave
sleeping on a bundle of hay, and forced
to content himself on a diet of black
bread, fruit, and a cheap, but very pow-
erful Marsala wine. On the day of his
release, he had not gone far when he
happened to meet a patrol of three cara-
binieri. So ragged, unkempt, and gen-
erally disreputable did he appear to
them, that the worthy gendarmes were
convinced that he was one of the band of
banditti for whoa they wer2 hunting,
while he was equally confirmed in his
own belief that the gendarmes were
nothing but brigands in disguise. It
was not until the police-station of Pal
ermo was reached that the carabinier
became assured of his indentity and con-
sented to cut the cords with which they
had secured him.--Argonout.
~——=Send for the book “The Care and
feeding of infants,” issued by the Doli
ber-Goodale Co., 41 Central ‘Wharf,
Boston, Mass. proprietors of Melin’s
Food. It contains advice that every
mother will find of the greatest value
and assistance in feeding her child. It
is mailed free to any address.
AN AWFUL TIME.
BY ANNA SHIELDS
It was an awful time, In the first
place, it was the middle of July, and
we had to move. Old Mr. Townsend
died, and every stick and stone that be
owned in Dolliver was sold. His heirs,
two sons (oh, how we hated their very
names, knowing no more of them), had
been abroad, had come home, intend
ing to divide their time between their
New York residence and the family es-
tate at Chester Grove, but they didn’t
want to bother with a lot of rented
houses in Dolliver and these were per-
emptorily doomed to be sold.
Old Conway pounced upon ours at
once. Of course he did! Mrs. Con-
way and her two homely daughters
had been hankering for our house for
years, for, though we did “only rent
it" we had lived there for thirteen
years, and, oh, the additions and im-
provements we had made to it! We
had doubled its value, I am certain.
We beaatified it,inside and out; we lav-
ished our artistic tastes upon the pan-
els; we adorned the walls; we had the
floor puttied, paitfted and polished, and
Teddy had actnally painted the most
beautiful border and corner pieces of
oak leaves and acorns round the entire
sitting room. And now, to give it all
up! Oh! those hateful Townsends.
What added to the distress was the
fact that the only house we could find
in all Dolliver to rent was a little two-
story cottage, quite a distance from all
the neighbors to whom we had become
attached, and in a locality we detested.
However, there was no help for it,
and as I said before, we had an awful
time. Itwas bad enough to know the
dear, old home was lost to us, and that
the Conways were to enjoy a'l our la-
bors of love on the walls and floors; it
was sufficiently exasperating to be com-
pelled to take up our abode at Jenk's
Corner, a locality we abominated, but
these were only the beginning of our
tribulations.
The day we were to move was hot—
oh, so hot! and the dear mother hav-
ing done the work ot about three men,
the previous week, and weighing at her
time about ninety-four pounds, broke
down with a blinding nervous head-
ache. Martha, a treasure of a servant,
had already laid herself up by sprain-
ing her wrist, in moving a trunk, so
there were Teddy and Jim and I to
“do” the moving.
Teddy is my elder sister Theodosia,
and Jim is Jemima, my youngest sister;
I am Thomasine,always called Tom in
the bosom of my family. We are all
young, we are all blondes, we are all
small, and we are all pretty, We have
incomes of our own of three hundred
dollars a year, and the dear mother has
about twelve hundred a year, so we can
live ve: y nicely, indeed, in aquiet place
like Dolliver,
When mother patiently fainted away
Just as the first furniture van drove up
to the door, Teddy and I detailed Jim
for active duty in the hospital depart-
ment, and promised to have mother’s
room made ready the first thing. In
|
ble in Jim’s room, and Martha under-
took to superintend the loading of the
vans, while Teddy and I scampered off
to the new house, to see to receiving
the furniture,
It was clean as a new pin ; that was
one little ray of comfort, and we hung
up our hats, and put on the biggest of
aprons and Lady Washington caps,
and were ready for action.
Even in my misery I noticed how
unusually pretty Teddy looked. Her
hair is the purest'gold color, and makes
hundreds of little rings round her face,
and she has a color like a wild rose on
each cheek. But on that day, the ex-
citement, the hurry and the indigna-
tion combined had made her blue eyes
blaze, her cheeks brilliant as carnations,
and every little curl bristled defiance of
the Townsends and our wrongs. But
more was to come.
Up drove the first van with one man.
Both Teddy and I were at the door,
and exclaimed :
“Where's the other man?"
old woman. One of the childer’s scald-
ed hisself, and it’s half over Dolliver
I've been thrying to foind somebody to
take the job, and niver a one is there
doin’ nothing at all, at all 1”
Here was a dilemma.
“Well,” said I'eddy, “those things
have got to be taken into the house.
You and I can carry some of the hight
ones,”
Neither Teddy nor I knew that we
had an audience. Not until loagafter-
ward were we aware of the wicked
trick that was at that instant devised.
From round the corner of the house
appeared two men in flannel shirts, mi-
nus collars, neckties or hats ; with hair
in wild confusion and extremely dirty
hands and faces. In the richest of
brogues one of them respectfuliy ad-
dressed Teddy and requested work.
I really wonder now that we didn’t
embrace them. But we engaged their
services at once, and how they worked !
They did a considerable amount of
laughing wherever they were alone,
and they required the most mirute di-
rections for everything they undertook,
but they put down carpets and put up
pictures and carried in furniture and un-
packed glass and china, in fact, worked
with might and main, leaving to the
driver of the van only the task of going
to and fro with the goods, which he
managed to load with Martha's assis-
tance.
At noon we unpacked a substantial
lunch, and as Bill and John, our new
help, showed no signs of going home,
we spread out a meal on the kitchen
table and sent them in to it. I never
in my life heard men laugh so much
over sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs and
coffee. : :
In all this time, you may be sure
| Teddy and I were berating those hor-
I rid Townsends at every turn, We call-
ed them all sorts of names expressive
of meanness and selfishness, hoped
their own house would burn down and
let them know how pleasant it was to
be tarned out of a home they loved, We
the meantime, she was made comforta-
“Sure, marm, he was sint for by his’
were sure they were sour, grumpy old
bachelors, and we hoped they would
never marry unless it was to some old
witch who would worry all the year
round.
All this we said in confidence to each
ather, never heeding those quiet, mod-
est young nen who were so meekly |
obeying all orders.
The house was really in very nice
order, and mother's room as home like
as we could make it, when at last the
carriage drove up with our dear invalid,
Jim and Martha. Mother was very
pale and propped up by pillows, and I
was worrying over the necessity of her
walking upstairs, when out walked our
two hired men, without any orders
whatever raised her tenderly and gently,
pillows and all, in their arms, and car-
ried her upstairs as carefully as her
own sons, had she ever had any, could
have done.
Jim stared, as well she might, and
Martha muttered “Holy Moses!” as
she made a dive for the kitchen.
Teddy paid the men; Jim and I did
the last few things necessary before
resting : and then we all gathered in
mother’s room.
Such a chattering as followed, the
dear mother laughing and talking as
merrily as any of us.
“But, oh, what guys you two are!”
cried Jim, “Tom, you've torn your-
self, as usual, wherever there was the
smallest opening for a rent, and your
cap is hanging half way down your
back, while your hair defies description.
Teddy aiways does keep nice, some-
how ; but now—even Teddy will bear
an application of soap and water.”
“Same to yourself,” said Teddy. “I
guess you sent all the mirrors away be-
fore you washed your face. You've got
what Martha calls a ‘smooch’ right
across your nose.
“Don’t be personal, young ladies,”
said mother, in a tone of extreme gen-
tleness, “but perform your ablations,
and see if Martha can make out a tea.”
In a fortnight we had settled down
in the new house, but we did not occu-
py ourselves as of old, in beautifying
our home. We were advertising far
and wide fora house such as we wished,
and we hoped to purchase one. The
price of the one we had left was beyond
our reach, but we thought we could
hear of one at a more reasonable rate.
During this time of waiting, feeling
as if we really had no home, we had
gone out hut little. Mother was not
well, and the heat was very oppressive,
while Martha's lame wrist threw con-
siderable of the house-work on our
hands.
But one evening there came an irre-
sistable invitation from mother’s dear
old friend, Mrs. Raymond, of Chester
Grove, to a garden party and a dance.
“You will stay all night, of course,”
she wrote, and 1 will send the carriage
for you at two o'clock. Be sure you
all come. T cannot spare one of you I”
But we did not all go. Mother was
not equal to the eight-mile drive, and
Jim stayed with her. We all wanted
to stay, and finally drew lots, and it fell
to Jim.
“I'm wot really out, anyhow,” said
that young person, philosophically ;
“aud, as you and Teddy seem awfully
slow about leaving the family nest, per-
haps it is just as well that I am not
brought forward just yet.”
“The effect will be overwhelming
when you are,” said Teddy, laughing;
but secretly we all thought Jim the
beauty of the family, for, with the gold-
en hair, she had soft-brown eyes and
dark eye lashes.
It was with the utmost serenity that
Teddy and I accepted Mrs. Raymond's
invitation to stroll about the grounds a
little with her, and see some new neigh-
bors only lately come to live at Ches-
ter Grove
We were arrayed in the finest linen
lawns, white, with a small blue figure,
with blue belts, and white muslin shade-
hats with blue bows. Blue neckties,
knots of blue in our curls, and blue-
trimmed white gloves constituted our
costumes ; and I can answer for Teddy’s
being exceedingly becoming.
+ Strolling leisurely along, we met two
gentlemen in white linen suits and
straw hats; we heard Mrs. Raymond
say :
“Allow me to introduce the Messrs.
Townsend, lately returned from Ea-
rope. Mr, John Townsend, Miss The-
odosia Brent ; Mr. William Townsend,
Miss Thomasine Brent.”
I thought I was going to faint. I
heard Teddy gasp. I saw Mrs. Ray-
mond sail majestically away ; and then
I looked again.
Yes, it was “Bill ;” and Teddy was
blushing, with drooping eyes, before
“John.”
“Would you please forgive us ?"’ said
John, presently. “We had just: come
over to Dolliver, and had heard for the
first,time that there was any personal
feeling involved in the sale of our fa-
ther’s property, which we had regard-
ed as a mere business trausaction. We
were coming up the street beside your
house, when we saw your distress, and,
having nothing to do, we took oft our
coats and vests and hats, and rubbed a
little mud on our faces and hands
and—"
“It was just for a lark, you know,”
pleaded Bill, as his brother paused ;
** and you did look just ready wo cry,
you know.”
“It was very good of you,” said Ted-
dy, looking very much as Bili had just
described her.
“Yes, we are very much obliged,” I
said, thinking ot all they heard us say
about them, and wondering how much
they remembered.
But, somehow, just then we all look-
ed up, and in another second the air
was filled with laughter. It was irre-
sistible. The whole affair was too
funny.
After that, we were the best of friends.
The Townsends came often to Jenk’s
Corner, and when Jim comes out regu-
larly, next winter, she will have no sis-
terly compunctions about Teddy or
me, because there will be a double wed-
ding in about two weeks.
I are going to marry
Townsends.”— The Ledger.
Teddy and |
|
“those horrid , fit in shoemaking as there used to
His Victory Came Too Late.
A Detroit wholesale house sent an
agent into one of the northern counties
the other day to investigate and report
on the failure of a dry goods man whose
assets were below zero. The bankrupt
was pertectly willing to explain how it
all happened.
“You see,” he said: “I got married
about two years ago. Up to that time
the postmaster and his wife had been at
the head of society here and run the
ranch. He had the only swallow-tailed
coat and she the only silk dress in the
town,”
+] see.” .
“We had to make a lead for the head,
and I bought my wife a $12 bonnet and
a diamond ring.”
hi
“The postmaster bought his wife a
broncho pony and a pair of diamond
earrings.”
“Then I subscribed $200 to a new
church, gave two lawn parties and
bought a top carriage and a pacer.”
“Yes.”
“He came up smilingly with a new
brick house, a progressive euchre party,
and gave $250 to the heathen of Africa,”
#1 see,’
“Well, T had gone in to smash him or
lose a lung, and so I pledged myself for
the preacher’s salary tor a year, lost $400
on adeal in wheat, kept two hired girls,
bought three Persian rugs, backed a
barber shop, took a half interest in our
home newspaper, and presented every
church in town with a bell.”
“That must have laid him out ?”’
“Itdid. He threw up his hands and
surrendered, but when you fellows in
D trot drew on me at three days’ sight
I was dished. I'm sorry it happened,
but you can’t blame me If that post-
master hadn’t made a fool of himself
I'd have been able to pay 150 cents on
the dollar.”’——Detroit Free Press.
eee ee
Crushed Again.
“I—I[ hate to make you any extra
trouble,” he said to the ‘chief clerk at
the postoffice yesterday.
“Well 2’
“Well I wrote to my girl two days
ago and have received no answer, Iam
awtully careless and perhaps I neglected
to stamp it.”
“Yes. Very important letter 2
“Very. In fact I popped the ques-
tion.”
“I'll look among the dead letters.”
A search was made but nothing was
found of the letter.
“It must have reached her,” said the
clerk, as he returned.
“Then I don’t understand it.”
“I am sure I can’t. Have you read the
list of marriage licenses for yesterday ?”’
“N—No!”" gulped the young man,
“I'll get a paper.”
In ten minutes he was back, his eyes
hanging out and his face like chalk, and
in a hoarse whi.per he said :
“That’s the reason.’
“What ?”
‘‘Married to another fellow last night.”
“Humph I”
“Thanks -for your trouble. When I
am dead you 2
He broke away, overcome by emotion,
but as he was seen devouring a banana
two hours later with great relish it is
suspected that he still lives.
Rt ——————————— 1
Vacation Erisopge.—¢Maud, I should
like to know the meaning of this recep-
tion.”
~ “Mr. Hazard, you shall!” answered
the proud country girl freezingly. «I
have found you out, sic. That is all!”
“What do you mean, dearest?’
“Don’t come near me, sir! Stay on
the other side of that table. I have
found out that you have been amusing
yourself at my expense.”
“For heaven’s sake, Maud, explain.”
“I know I am freckle faced, sir!’’ she
said, with flashing eye, “but I did not
think you capable of joking about it
with your friends.”
“I haven’t done anything of the kind,
Maud!” protested the young man.
“You have, sir! After you had—had
proposed te me last night, and I—I had
said y-yes, and you had gore, I over-
heard you telling Mr. Bellchamber out
there on the front porch what glorious
fun it was to go into the mountains in
August and catch spreckled beauties I?
— Chicago Tribune.
BE —
KNew Waar HE Was ABourT.—
New Boarder—That charming young
lady whom I saw playing on the piano
in the parlor, Mrs. Irons, is a sister of
yours, T presume ?
Pleased Landlady—No, Mr, McGin-
nis, she is my duughter.
“Is it possible! How very young you
must have married 1”
[New boarder gets best cut of roast
beef, and his share of the pudding has
all the plums.]— Chicago Tribune.
———————————
——John Whittaker, of near Oregon
Bend, Ky., was driving home the other
day when a meteor flashed across the
stone, measuring about eight feet in di-
ameter, crashed into the bed of the wag-
on directly behind him, grazing the
seat he occupied as it fell. Mr. Whit-
taker says he heard the meteor whizzing
through the air, but had no idea what it
was until he was jolted out of his seat
by the shock.
m———————
A ReasoNaBLe Hint.—Old Mr.
Sharply (leaning over the staircase in
his night gown)—Mabel !
Mable (below)—Yes, papa.
Old Mr. Sharply—Just tell that young
gentleman in the’ parlor that if he is
waiting for the morning paper he can
get it quicker down town.— Para. :
——— »
——Never seek for amusement, but
be always ready to be amused. The
least thing has play in it, the slightest
word wit, when your hands are busy and
your heart is free. But if you make the
aim of your life amusement the day
will come when all the agonies of a pan-
tomime will not bring you an honest
laugh.
rm ——
DECREASED OPPORTUNITIES. —‘ ‘There
goes a man who has just retired after
thirty years on the bench 1”
“You don't say so? Amassed a con-
siderable fortune, I suppose ?’’
“I dunno. There's not so much i
8.’’
— American Grocer.
heavens, and the next instant a huge