Bellefonte, Pa., August 12,1904.
A HOME-WEEK SONG.
My heart's a truant, faring
Outside the city wall,
Unseeing and uncaring
What grim task-makers call.
Trade’s narrow alleys scorning,
My truant heart goes free,
And of a summer morning
Seeks out the old roof-tree.
Oh! fear you not, I'll find them—
The silent hills afar,
The little house behind them
Where all my treasures are.
Oh! fear you not, I'll follow
The ancient sunny path
That still, by knoll and hollow,
The old allurement hath.
And in their precious holding,
If only for a day
My heart, its wings enfolding,
Shall there contented stay.
— Frank Walcott Hutt.
THE WINNING OF MILLICENT'S
MOTHER.
1.
It was a still. warm, Sabbath morning
in mid July. The oldest of Marley’s Hill
could not remember when the Ridge had
suffered as it had this summer ; for three
weeks there had been no rain and the
drought promised well to last another fort-
night.
Escaping from the stuffy church, half an
hour before the benediction, Seth Hardy
caught sight of Millicent Thurber approach-
ing, up theroad. He waited for her at the
door. She was coming to Sabbath school,
of course,—but alone. He remembered
he had not seen Mrs. Thurber among the
congregation.
‘*Is your mother sick, Milly ?’’ he asked.
‘No,’ the girl replied, ‘She just thought
it was too hot, so I came on without her.’’
“Don’t you wans to sit down out here ?’’
Seth moved to one side of the broad step.
“No, I guess not,’’ she replied, as she al-
lowed her eyes to fall. ‘‘I guess I'd bet-
ter wait inside.”
‘‘Is’s awful hot,’’ he suggested.
“I know it,’ she said, pulling at the
ribbons of her rose-covered straw hat.
‘‘But there’s no other place—at least that’s
co0ol’’—— ;
‘It’s cooler down by the river,’’ he ven-
tured.
‘Oh, yes!’ she exclaimed. ‘‘We might
go to the river—’’then she hesitated. ‘‘No,
I guess 1 can’t either,’’ she added, quietly.
He stepped down beside her. ‘‘Why
can’t you, Milly 2’ he asked. ‘‘Come on
Milly, what's the matter anyway? Why
do you try so to avoid me? Havel done
anything ?"’
She gave him a little pleading look.
‘‘Why, you haven’s done anything, Seth ;
nothing that I know of.”’
He noticed her vocal underlining of the
personal pronoun. ‘‘Oh, I see,”’ he mur-
mured. ‘So that’s it. Your mother ?”?
His smile was rather scornful.
She noded simply.
‘Come down to the r1iver, Milly,”’ he
urged, ‘‘and tell me about it. Won’s
you?’ She hesitated an instant doubt-
fully, but as he started away, she walked
beside him.
“I know it’s foolish,”’ she said, as they
turned into the cross road. ‘‘But you
know how immovable mother is. And
- then there was that last year of yours at
the Academy’ —
The boy tossed his head impatiently.
‘Oh, I know, but 1 was a fool then. I'm
different now—a little. But I don’t see’’—
“I know, but mother does,”’ the girl in-
sisted. ‘‘She said that you must not come
to see me any more’’——
‘But I’ve been away two years, Milly.
Hasn’t that given ber time’ ——
‘No, nor two million—that wounldn’t be
time enough for mother to change her
wind.” '
‘‘And did you care any about her not al-
lowing me to come ?’’ he asked.
She lifted ber eyes and they met his. -
“Why, of course, I cared !”” she ex-
claimed. ‘‘You and I were always good
friends, weren’t we ? Just the best friends
in the world, and Mr. Buck says a person
can’t bave $00 many friende.’”’ She smiled.
They had reached the old wooden bridge
spanning the shallow Marley River.
‘“Let’s go across and sit down in the
shade.’”’ Seth proposed. .
“But I must not be late,”’ Millicent
cautioned.
He took out his watch and showed her
the face. ‘‘See, you won’t be; it’s only
twenty-five minutes to twelve; it'll be
three-quarters of an hour before church is
over’ —
They sat side by side on the further
bank of the stream near the water’s edge.
“Did Mr. Buck read the notice of the
picnic?’ - Millicent asked.
‘‘Yes, and that’s what I wanted to see
you about, Milly.”
‘‘What?'’ she inquired, and looked up
at him.
‘‘I wanted toask if yon wouldn’s go
with me, bat"’——
“Why, Seth!’ Millicent exclaimed.
‘‘Mother wouldn’t hear of is for a minute.
No ; I can’t. I'm going with mother. It’s
all planned. - She’s the head of the com-
mittee, and we’re going to furnish some of
the dishes. We're to go together in the
democrat-wagon—perched up in front'’——
She smiled as she pictured her lofty arrival
at the Hanker’s grove, the ancient picnic
Rind of the First church of Marley's
ill.
“Then you don’t think is would do any
good for me to ask her ?”’
The smile vanished from Millicent’s face.
*‘No,”” she said, ‘‘I don’t, Why, she
wonldn’t let you come into the house ! She
said she wouldn’t, two years ago, and when
old Mrs. Tinker called the other day and
.told us you’d come home for the summer,
she said the same thing again. Time
doesn’t have any effect on mother’ ——
‘So Mrs, Tinker was the one who spread
the news, was she ?’’ - Seth inquired.
‘Poor Mrs. Tinker. I’d forgotten all about
her. So she is alive, is she? Does she still
get to church long before the doors are
opened ?'’ :
‘Yes, just the same,’ Millicent replied.
She took up her hat which she had placed
carefully on the grass beside her and tied
the broad ribbohs under her chin. *‘I
guess I'd better be going back,’’ she said.
“Must you ?”’ ;
“‘Yes, I guess 80.”’ He assisted her.
‘Then you don’t think it would do any
good —your mother—Milly 27?
She shook her head and smiled, perhaps
a little wearily. ‘‘Not any, Seth. None
at all,’’ she replied. ! i
* “Then I'll go alone!’ y
‘Oh, don’t do that,’’ she remonstrated.
‘You shounldn’t do that. Take some other
girl ; there are a lot’’—
“Yes, I know,” he said, doggedly, ‘‘A
lot that I don’t want to take’’——
At the church door she asked, ‘‘Then
you’ll go anyway, will you Seth ?’
‘Yes, he replied. ‘That is, if youn’d
like to have me,”’ he added interrogatively.
‘Why, of course ; I want you to,’’ she
exclaimed.
“All right.”
“And don’t feel hard toward mother ;
you won’t, will you, Seth?’ pleaded
Millicent. ‘‘It’s just her way’’'——
“I won’t,”” he assured her.
At dinner that day Seth told his aunt of
the picnic. It was with her that he had
lived since his mother’s death six years be-
fore. ;
‘‘And who are you goin’ to take, Seth ?”’
the old lady inquired kindly.
He told her that he bad invited Millicent
Thurber, and made known to her the
grounds of Millicent’s refasal. His .aunt
Jane sneered.
‘‘Seems t’ me Matie Thurber’s gettin’ to
know less every year !”” she snapped. ‘I
guess the Hardys have always been about
as select as th’ Thurbers ever was. I guess
Matie’s forgot that when she wanted to
marry Ken Thurber she bad ¢' ’lope ¢
Lewiston ¢’ do it’’——
Seth smiled. ‘‘Did she, aunt Jane ?’’ he
exclaimed humorously.
‘Yes, she did,’’ the old lady sputtered.
‘“‘How I'd like to eet my eyes on Matie
Thurber ; mebbe I wounldn’t give her a
piece of my mind’’——
Aud Millicent’s mother continued to be
the one topic of conversation during the
meal.
IL.
Though it was early when Seth Hardy,
driving his cols, arrived at Hanker’s Grove
on the day of the picnic, he found a score
of teams already hitched to the saplings in
the clearing at the edge of the road. He
tied bis own horse beneath a tree that
seemed to afford more shade than any of
its fellows, and entered the grove.
Several women were spreading a long
table at the edge of the pond ; a little way
off a group of young men and girls were
applauding the efforts of a youth who bad
volunteered to climb a tree and fasten the
swing rope to the first right-angling branch.
Half-way up the trunk the climber’s hold
gave way and he slid to the ground, his
arms and legs scraping the rough hark.
. “Oh, here’s Seth ; he can do it !"’ cried
a girl in a blue dress, as Hardy joined the
group. :
“Ob, Mr. Hardy, do put it up. Lew
Thornton can’t but we know you can !”’
‘‘Seth laughed. ‘‘Mebbe I can’t either,’’
he replied.
He took off his coat, and folding it care-
fully, lining out, deposited it at the roots
of the tree. He thrust the two ends of the
rope into his trousers pockets and wrapping
hisarms and legs about the trunk began
the slow ascent. As little by little the
distance increased between his wriggling
feet and the ground the faces of the group
were turned up t¢ him. He heard the
shouts of enconragement flung him.
“Just a little higher !”’
‘““You’re nearly there !"’
“Almost!”
“There !"’
“Oh, he slipped !”’
“There! There! There!"
Seth swung himself clear off the trunk
from the projecting branch, and, with a
splendid burst of athletic energy, succeed-
ed in flinging his body over the limb. He
sat astride it and smiled down into the
faces beneath him. An enthusiastic clap-
ping of hands had marked his achievement.
He tied the ends of the rope securely to the
limb and reached the ground by descending
it hand under hand. The girls regarded
him in open admiration.
He overheard the complimentary, not to
say flattering, comments of several of them.
To hide his smiles he stooped and fitted
the notched board between the ropes. Mary
Hooker, with that ‘‘forwardness’’ which
bad been her chief characteristic since
babyhood, rushed to the swing.
“Won’t you push, Mr. Hardy ?’’ she
cried, showering upon Seth a wealth of
smiles.
He swung Mary till she screamed that
she was flying high enough. Then he put
on his coat and leaving the ‘‘old cat to die’’
went back to where he had tied the cols.
As be entered the clearing, Mrs. Thur-
ber drove in, with Millicent beside her on
the seat of the democrat-wagon. The sec-
ond seat had been removed and the rear of
the vehicle was packed high with boxes,
baskets and pails, together with a leaking
ice-cream freezer of immense proportions.
Although Millicent had seen Seth standing
at the colt’s head, her mother had not.
Mis. Thurber clambered down over the
wheel, Milly following and they began to
remove the boxes and baskets.
*‘May I belp you?’ Seth called.
Mrs. Thurber looked up. Perceiving
who it was that had offered assistance, she
replied, ‘‘No,I thank youn,” with Arctic
politeness. But when, a moment later,
Hiram Hopkins offered a helping hand she
accepted it gladly, and directed Hiram
where to convey the huge chunk of ice that
dripped through its covering of rag carpet.
While they were thus engaged, old Mis.
Tinker entered into the clearing from the
road. She was covered with dust from the
hem of her black skirt to the tip of her
rusty crepe bonnet. The dust, too, had
been caught in the prespiration of her face
and now her complexion was ashy gray.
She sank, helplessly, on a little mound
at the roots of a tree and fanned herself vio-
lently with the fringe of the crocheted
shawl she wore. 3
At Mrs. Thurber’s exclamation, the old
lady informed every one within range of |
her voice that she had walked all the way.
It was inferred that she had come by the
river road, in drder that none of the riders
to the picnic might see her pedestrian
plight.
‘“‘Are you hupgry, Mis. Tinker?”
Millicent asked.
“I ain’t now, but I’ve no doubts I will
be, when it’s ready,’’ the old lady replied.
The table was set with alasrity. Shortly
before noon the Rev. Theodore Buck ap-
peared upon the scene. It was he who
presided at the head of the table. Not
over fifteen of the picnickers had come de-
pendent upon the church fifteen-cent din-
per, for their food. All the others had
brought their own baskets. As a result
there were sufficient eatables on the table
to permit of many individual helpings.
Seth sat opposite Millicent. Round about
aat families on the grass with their baskets
in the center of the circle, eating.
boys and girls carried their portions to the
bank of the pond and there enjoyed their
own exclusive play picnics. Gopawed
chicken bones flew over the heads of the
diners at the table and dropped with little
splashes into the pond. If was a gay scene,
altogether. The ever-present wail of some
neglected infant,” without a bone to suck,
lent the necessary air of genuinity to the
occasion.
The diners at the table were entertained
in the course of the meal by old Mrs. Tink-
er’s account of the first picnic of the church.
She remembered it as well as though it had
occurred ‘‘last week.” Sarah Eggleston's
Little |
youngest had fallen into the pond and near-
ly “drownded.” The Rev. Theodore Buck
loudly proclaimed that he had not eaten
sach chicken pie since the lass picnic. He
openly regretted that Mrs. Buck was no
more, of earsh, otherwise Mrs. Spooner
might be =o good as to favor her with the
recipe for the crust. It was as different
from ordinary pie crust——
The excitement of the meal was furnish-
ed by little Silas Thornton whe,in attemps-
ing to climb over the rough bench running
down his side of the table, canght his foot,
and fell head-long into the pond. He was
dragged out by his thin, drawn-faced, pale,
mother who, after making sure be was still
alive, cuffed him smartly and ordered :
' “Now you, Silas Thornton, you set right
there in that sun and don’t you move till
you've dried out.” Whereupon she im-
mediately forgot the youthful Silas. Is
was quite an hour later. that his childish
treble cat the air with the wail. ‘Oh
maw, ain’t I dried out yet?’
After dinner, Deacon Redway drove up
with his nephew Tom. At sight of him
Mrs. Thurber switched her skirte and sneer-
ed. within hearing of Seth: ‘‘Now what's
that old skinflint doin’ ’round here? You
can juss bet he wouldn’t a-come before din-
ner. He’ a-had to pay fifteen cents.” Her
remark was deeply significant. Seth was
about to cross the clearing to speak to
Millicent when her mother, anticipating
his move,called to her shrilly : ‘Millicent !
Ji icent ! You come right along here and
elp me with these dishes !’
Millicent turned away with a sigh.
“I'm gorry,’’ Seth whispered.
‘‘Never mind,” she replied below her
breath. ‘‘Maybe she’ll get over it some
day. There’s no use of our trying to talk
here, Seth’’——
In the west, great banks of fleecy cumuli
bad gathered which now were rolling and
banking darkly high in the purpling sky.
The air had taken on a refreshing coolness,
but in the excitement of the swing, the
games, and the general commotion, the
change had not been observed. Deacon Red-
way mentioned to Mr. Hooper the possi-
bility. of raip, but further comment was
drowned in the clatter.
Old Mrs. Tinker had joined the crowd
around the swing. Some one spying her,
oried : ‘‘Oh, Mrs. Tinker, don’t you want
a swing ?7’?
The little old lady grinned : ‘‘Why ‘yes,
I don’t mind,’”’ she replied. About her
there seemed to hover the ghost of a long
dead girlhood.
I'll push,’’ Eber
‘‘Come on then ;
Tompkins shouted. ‘‘Make way for Mrs.
Tinker !”?
“Ain’t you afraid it’ll make you dizzy ?"’
a woman called warningly.
Mus. Tinker regarded the quesfioner con-
temptuounsly. ‘Huh !’’ she exclaimed, ‘I
swung in this grove ’fore you wasborn! I
guess 1 ain’t too old to swing now’’'——
She gripped the ropes firmly. Eber gave
the swing a mighty push. i
“Whee !’’ screamed the little old lady.
“This is fine.”’
Every one enjoyed the scene. The Rev.
Theodore Buck seemed to extract as much
pleasure from it as the others.
A girl felt a drop upon her forehead, and
held out her band. A second splashed up-
on the upturned palm. ‘Oh, it’s rainin’!”’
she cried and gathering her skirts about
her ran toward the ciearing, whereupon
hands were held out and faces tnrned
heavenward.
“Sure as you're alive,’’ the cry went up.
The crowd at the swing vanished like the
fairies in a pantomime. Every one ran for
the vehicles.
“‘Stop is ! Stop it ! It’s rainin’ I’ oried
old Mrs. Tinker. Millicent had fled with
the others. Seth had gone down to the
pond for a clearer view of the sky. Eber,
at the command of the old lady, seized the
swing rope and brought it toa quiver.
Mrs. Tinker slipped off the seat. She had
not counted on the still slight motion and
in some way she made a false step. She
fell solidly to the ground, screaming.
Eber was for the moment too surprised
to move. Seth ran up from the pond. The
drops were falling faster now. They bad
blotched with brown the dust where the
feet of the swingers had trod the earth be-
neath the seat. Seth stooped to help the
old lady to rise.
‘Oh! don’t do that ! Don’t do that!’
she screamed. ‘‘Myankle! My ankle!”
“Do you think you’ve sprained it?"’
Eber stood by dumb, pale.
“Ob, I guessso! Oh, I guessso!’’ the
old lady wailed.
“Then I’ll carry you.”” Ordering Eber
to run to the wagons and tell the picnick-
ers, Seth gathered the frail form of the old
lady iu his arms and dashed through the
now fass-falling iain to the clearing.
““Where’ll I put her?’ he called.
“Right in here !’’ Mrs. Thurber answer-
ed,designating the wagon in which she and
Millicent bad driven to the grove. Blankets
and dusters and side-curtains had been
spread upon the floor of the vehicle and
upon thie rude bed Seth laid the frighten-
ed little old lady. With the side-ourtains
and the boot of his own buggy be rigged
up a tent-like roof over the reclining form,
then led the horses deeper into the grove.
The feminine picnickers generally had
clambered into their buggies and wagons,
and sat there now huddled, with their
skirts about their shoulders. A few had
already started for home.
*‘I¢ takes a pionic to break a droughs,”’
some one called good-naturedly.
The rain ceased assuddenly as it had
come.
‘A summer shower, ’t ain’t no good,”
Deacon Redway proclaimed.
Now it was to be arranged how old Mrs.
Tinker shonld be taken to her home. Seth
suggested politely that Miss Thurber migbs
ride with him and that Mrs. Thurber might
drive the old lady in the democrat with
-the boxes piled up in front.
For an instant Mrs. Thurber wavered.
Then the light of an idea broke across her
face. ‘‘No, I'll drive with you if you
baven’t any objections, Mr. Hardy,’’ she
said. ‘Milly can come on behind in the
democrat juss as well as me.’’
Seth hid his smile. Millicent gasped,
but uttered no complaint. So this was the
plan put into operation and Millicent be-
came the driver of the improvised ambu-
lance.
The boxes were loaded into the front of
the democrat and the cavalcade started.
Millicent, perched upon the high seat, re-
minded Seth of the beauty who sits atop
the globe in the circus parade.
Seth assisted Mrs. Thurber into his
buggy in such a way that he was permitted
to cast a glance and smile at Millicent and
‘his smile must have reassured ber for she
gave for it another of her own.
Seth drove on ahead and from time to
time looked back to see if all were well
with the ambulance and its driver. They
had not proceeded more than half a mile
down the road when the rapid approach of
a carriage behind was heard. Both he and
Mrs. Thurber looked back.
“It’s that old Deacon Redway ; you
ain’t goin’ to let him pass you, are yon ?"’
Mrs. Thurber inquired eagerly.
‘Why not?” Seth asked blankly.
-wouldn’t you Milly?!
“QO, don’t, don’t ! Mrs. Thurber cried.
She laid ber hand upon his arm. ‘‘Don’t
let him !”’ she begged—‘‘Don’t !"’
“AN right.”
He touched the colt lightly with the
whip. Witha bound the animal was off at
an even gait. Deacon Redway was taken
completely by surprise. It was unusual
for any one to race with him, the acknowl-
edged owner of the best horses along the
Ridge. He leaned forward and touched
his own animal. Its nose appeared at Seth’s
elbow.
Mrs. Thurber noted the proximity and
became greatly excited.
‘‘Oh,don’s ! Don’t!” she cried.
passing us ! Don’t let him !”’
Seth upon the instant, remembered how
Deacon Redway and Ken Thurber had bad
some little differences about a wood-lot
several years before the latter’s death.
‘‘Here goes then!” he shouted. He
spoke to thecolt. The Deacon saw him-
self in for a race, and, moreover, a race
that promised well to test the mettle of his
fastest steed. Each kept evenly to his side
of the road. The rain had settled the
dust ; it was like a beaten course, straight-
away. level.
Both horses strained. They continued
neck and neck for a hundred yards. The
Deacon urged his animal with whip, rein
and voice. Hir nephew clung to the side-
bar of the light buggy and yelled. Seth
clucked, simply, at the colt. A quarter of
a mile further along stood the Deacon's
house behind the trees. The cols broke.
It was the work of an instant to rein him
in, but that instant was sufficient for the
‘Deacon. His animal shot ahead. Mrs.
Thurber leaned forward. Her face was
pale, her mouth set. She seized the reins
below where Seth gripped them and jerked
them from his bands. Henceforth it was
to be her race. The colt knew a strange
driver had tightened the bit in his mouth.
Without breaking bis gait he bolted. The
woman screamed. The animal swept for-
ward. Little by little, but most ap-
preciably, he decreased the stretch of road
between his fore feet and the back wheels
of the Deacon’s buggy.
Closer! Closer! With a flourish of the
whip, a swoop of horse flesh and a ery of
exquisite delight. the widow Thurber
guided Seth Hardy’s colt past the Deacon’s
breaking animal, some ten rods this side of
the Deacon’s house.
“Well, ve did
shouted tartly.
it again !”’
Relinquishing the reins to Seth, Mrs.
Thurber sank back in the seat, smiling.
“I’m so glad,’’ was all she said, but her
eyes snapped.
At Mrs. Tinker’s house they awaited the
coming of Millicent. Seth assisted her to
the ground. Mrs. Thurber made no at-
tempt to interpose. He carried the little
old lady into her house and deposited her
upon the sofa ip the dining room. Mrs.
Thurber promised to ‘‘go right on up and
see Dr. Hanker and send him down.’
“Well, I guess I'll be getting along
home,”’ Seth said as he made to untie his
horse from the fence. Mrs, Thurber was
to ride the rest of the way with Millicent.
They drove side by side to the Thurber
house.
At the gate, just as Seth leaned forward
to take the whip from the socket, Mrs.
Thurhersaid : ‘“Won’t yon come in and
have a cup of tea? I’m sure Milly ’d like
to bave you. I’ll send the hired man for
the doctor. Youn’d like to have Mr. Hardy,
she added, turn-
fHe’s
it, didn’t ye?’ he
“But I'll bet ye can’t do
ing to her daughter.
‘*Yes, indeed, mother.”’
Seth replaced the whip in the socket
and turned in at the lane gate.—By
Kenneth Herford, in the Pilgrim.
Hot Weather Hints.
‘There are a few simple rales for comfort
and safety in hot weather. They are: An
absence of worry; avoidance of haste; a|
light diet, not merely in minimum of meat
and the substitution of fish and fowl, bus
light in the amount of food eaten. Do not
‘overload; eat deliberately—that should
be the watchword in all things for the
heated term—deliberation. Be careful as
to drink; avoid alcoholic drinks; avoid
mach ice-cold drinks. Thereis a differ-
ence between cold drink and ice-cold drink.
Dress comfortably, and for those that need
it, have a flannel protection covering the
digestive tract, particularly at night. This
sort of regimen will enable anybody to
have during the hot weather, as nature
meant man should have—as the plants have
—the most flourishing life of all the sea-
sons. A person in perfect health should
weigh more in hot weather than .at any
other time of the year, and bave the enjoy-
ment of his faculties at the highest. Where
it is not so the victim is simply abusing
himself and neglecting the opportunity
that nature provides for bim.— Indianapolis
ews.
Queer Things About Frogs.
The frog’s skin is so important as a
breathing apparatus that the creature
would die at once of suffocation if the pores
were closed by a coat of sticky varnish, by
dust, or in any other way. While we are
speaking of his breathing, yon will notice
that his sides do not heave as ours do at
each breath we take. A frog has no ribs,
and cannot inhale and exhaleas we do, but
is obliged to swallow his air in gnlps, and
if you will watch the little fellow’s throat
you will see it continually moving in and
out as one gulp follows another. In order
to swallow, his mouth must be closed ;
just try to swallow with yonr mouth wide
open, and you will see what I mean. A
frog, then, always breathes through his
nose, and if you held his mouth open he
would suffocate as surely as though you
gave his skin a coat of varnish.
Mr Frog has an enormous mouth for his
size, and if we were to put a finger inside
of it we would find that he hae a row of
teeth in the upper jaw, and that his soft
white tongue, unlike our own, is attached
in front andis free behind. When he
wishes to catch any insect he throws out
the free end of the tongue, then draws it
in so rapidly that it is difficult to see
whether he has been successful or not. As
the tongue is coated with a gummy flnid,
the ineect sticks toit and is carried back
into the mouth, which closes upon it like
the door of a tomb. Frogs, however, are
not limited to one mode of feeding; they
often leap open-mouthed upon larger prey,
which includes, besides insects, small fish,
mice, small ducklings, polliwogs, and tiny
frogs.— Woman's. Home Companion.
Why He Wept,
“Death is a sad thing,’’ said the stranger
to the man who stood weeping beside a
grave.
“It is, indeed,”’ sobbed the other.
‘I suppose,’ remarked the stranger,
‘‘you are sorrowing over the graveof a
very dear friend.”
“T am sorrowing over the grave of a man
I never knew,’” repiied the mourner, ‘yet
I deeply regret his demise. He was my
wife’s first husband.”
The House Fly.
Fly time is again upon us, and only for
the chrarcter of the weather during the
past month the house fly wonld be here in
great numbers. We bave all heard or
read of the plague of flies in Egypt, which
‘ocenrred many centuries ago, and the prob-
abilities are that the house fly was an abom-
ination and a nuisance long before that
time. Until recently the fly was regarded
as a nuisance ouly, but men of science bave
discovered that by its filth it i= dangerous
to health, carrying on its feet and tongue
germs that are fatal tothe human life.
While I regard a great deal of this germ
fear as being very largely a craze, yet I
heartily wish that in so far as is may affect
the house fly it will resnlt in the extermi-
pation of this universal pest. The intro-
duction of window and door screens has to
an enormous extent mitigated the horrors
-of the house fly; bus we shonld not be
content with this immunity only. Hav-
ing guarded against his free access into our
homes we should not seek to render the
service for which nature created him, un-
necessary, but keep our back premises just
as cleanly as we keep our fronts.
It should not be our object so much to
kill the fly as it should be to make his
breeding impossible, and to accomplish
this there must be noaccumnulation of filth.
The house fly breeds in and about stables,
manure piles and out closete; and an appli-
cation of a little lime during the summer
months to these places would not only be
a benefit from a hygienic point of view,
bot would make impossible such places
becoming the foul breeding quarters of
countless millions of these detestable pests.
There was a time when the streets of
towns were over run by cattle and hogs,
and we thought we were highly civilized
then:and just as we have progressed in
this particular, just so should we continue
to improve in the arts of civilized life
until pretty little garden spots and beds of
cultivated flowers will appear in places we
so often see made the receptacle of debris
and filth. There is a saying by those who
regard as futile any attempt at lessening
the number of flies by killing them, that
for everyone killed two come to the funeral.
This is true only so far as it pertains to
the natural law of laws which seems to
govern many other creatures as it does
flies. Having destroyed tbe breeding
places of flies, either by acts of cleanliness
or by the application of lime, we shonld
pursue the nuisance in and ahout our prem-
ises wherever found, by means of traps
and fly paper, until the fly becomes as ex-
tinct as the Dodo. And when we shall
have reached something approaching this
bappy condition we shall have widened
the gulf between the realms of filth and
an order of things it should be the duty of
all civilized people to attain. If, as we
are told, there is a use for all things, and
that nothing has been created in vain,
then the house fly must be here to compel
a proper order of cleanliness or to suffer
their persistent torture.
ALFRED TRUMAN.
Fruits as Medicines.
Fruits are divided by the famous French
Dr. Dupoury into five classes: 1. Acid. 2.
Sweet. 3. Astringent. 4. Oily. 5. Mealy.
In the first he counts cherries, strawber-
ries, raspberries, gooseberries, peaches,
apples, lemons, oranges, and regards them
as of great hygienic value. :
Cherries he prohibits to those affected
with neuralgia of the stomach.
Strawberries and raspberries he recom-
mends to the bilious and gouty, and denies
them to those affected with diabetes.
Of the sweet fruits he particularly values
plums, especially for the gouty and rhen-
matie.
Grapes he awards the first place, and
thinks them the cure par excellence for the
anaemic, dyspeptic, consumptive, gouty
and bilious.
Bananas are recommended for the ty-
phoid patient.
Lemons and tomatoes are cooling.
Lemonade is the best drink in fevers.
The juice of half a lemon in a teacupful
of strong black coffee, without sugar, often
.curee a sick headache.
The apple is one of the best of fruits.
Baked or stewed, it generally suits the
most delicate person.
Great fige are an excellent food and are
laxative.
Prunes supply the highest nerve or brain
food ; dried figs contain heat, nerve and
muscle food ; hence are for both cold and
warm weather.
The small-seeded fruits, such as black-
berries, raspberries, currants and strawber-
ries, are among the best foods and medi-
cines. Their sugar is nutritious, their
acid is cooling and purifying.
Sweet, ripe frait in prime condition
only is called a perfects food.—Chicago
Tribune.
A Corner on Ice.
Ap extra piece of ice was wanted. An
ice wagon was at a neighbor’s door, but
there was no smali coin in the house where-
with to pay for the desired article.
“Well, never mind,” said mamma ;
‘‘you run out, Blanche, and get a nickel’s
worth, the man will trust you until so-
morrow.”’
Now Blanche was not accustomed to
deal on credit, and did not take kindly to
the idea, but was moving very slowly to
do her mother’s bidding when some words
in large letters on the top of the wagon at-
tracted her attention and suggested an un-
answerable objection.
“But be won’t doit, mamma! Look
there on the wagon ! It says, Not in the
trost.”’—Margares Sullivan Burke, in July
Lippincott’s. :
Petrified Forests.
Professor Carter contributes an illus-
trated article in the Journal of the Frank-
lin Institute on the petrified foresis and
painted deserts of Arizona. An illustration
is given of a petrified trunk which formed
a natural bridge across a canyon. The
silicified tranks of trees are considered to
be of the Triassic age. Most of these trees
are relics of the denudation of the strata;
that represented in the natural bridge is,
however , in situ. The ‘‘Painted Desert’
is so named on account of the bright colors
of the sandstones, shales and clays—the
rocks being eroded into fantastic shapes,
and being colored blue, yellow, red or
green in places; hence the effect in sun-
light is brilliant.
The silicified tree trunks mostly belong
to forms allied to the Norfolk Island pine;
other masses resemble red cedar. There
are indications tbat the wood had com-
menced to decay before it was silicified.
Professor Carter believes that the petrifica-
tion took place in the sandstone and shale,
and was due to soluble silicate derived
from decomposition of the felspathic cement
in the sandstone.
——Billyuns—Young man, you seem to
‘lack energy.
Mopely—You are mistaken, sir. Iam a
veritable reservoir of energy awaiting a
crisis |
Curious Condensations.
There are said to be 3,000 lepers in the
Transvaal.
Switzerland has had 200 avalanches in
the present year, causing 50 deaths.
Paris has the biggest debt of any city in
the world. It amounts to $400,000,000.
More than a million Jews have lefs
Russia since 1880, principally for the
United States. :
The Dablin Corporation is said to have
passed a resolution propibiting soldiers
walking in the main street.”’ :
. The Jordan’s course in a straight line
isonly 60 miles. Along its stream is
measures no fewer than 213 miles.
The Winter Palace at St. Petersbug, is
the largest and most magnificent royal
residence in the world.
Professer Hussey, of California, hy dili-
gens scrutiny of the heavens for more than
a year, has discovered 100 new stars.
Is is expected that Nova Scotia will have
600,000 barrels of an apple crop this year
—100,000 barrels more than last year.
It is said thas the Czar of Russia is domi-
nated by his mother, the Dowager Empress
Matis Feodorovna, sister of Queen Alex-
andria.
Rheumatism is almost unknown in Japan
The Japanese escape the malady to a.
great degree hy avoiding the excessive use
of aluohol and tobacco.
The new oity directory for Chicago has
been given to the public. Based on the
number of names it gives Chicago a popu-
lation for 1904 of 2,241,000.
There ate four ranches in Texas with an
area of over one million acres apiece, and
there are a number of ranches with areas
of 500,000 acres or a little less.
A catapiller in a month will devour
6,000 times its own weighs. It will take
an average man three months before he
eats a quantity of food equal to his own
weight.
Italian industry spreads itself over the
world. It makes in large measare the
world’s roads and tunnels. It built the
great dam acrose the Nile, and it is boring
the Simpion tunnel.
Electricity brought overland by wire
some distance is being used in Oregon to
pump water in irrigating farms. If the
experiment proves successful the system
will be developed futher.
A recent estimate of numbers adhering
to the great religions of the world is as
follows: Christians, 549,017,341; Mobam-
medans, 202,048,240; Jews, 11,037,000;
Contucians, 253,000,000; Taoists, 32,000,
000; Shintoists, 17,000,000.
Instead of glass the Phillipine Islanderss
use windows mads of plates of the shell
of akind of oyster. These windows do
not let in a bright light, nor floods of sun-
shine, but where they are shaken by the
frequent earthquakes of that country they
do 80% h reak as easily as glass windows
would.
There are at present between thirteen
and fourteen thousand cahmen in London.
No fewer than 47,400 articles have heen
lett in cabs and conveyed to the lost prop-
erty office. Among them were 21,608
umbrellas, 4,552 bags, 855 pairs of gloves,
several bioyles and a long list of articles of
clothing.
It will surprise most readers to learn
from a recent Japanese writer that there
was a university in Japan in the eighth-
century, with schools of ethics, mathes
matics and history, and that text book-
were employed dealing with, such special
ties as the diseases of women, veterinary
surgery and materia medica.
The most remarkable and striking feature
of the new Liverpool Cathedral will be the
height of the vaulting 116 feet, and in the
high transepts 140 feet,—which cannot fail
to produce a very magnificent effect. No
cathedral in England approaches its height,
The nearest is Westminster, the nave of
which has a height of 102 feet, while York
measures 50 feet, Salisbury 84 feet and
Lincoln 82 feet. Chester reaches only 78
feet. The ‘‘whispering gallery’’ of St.
Paul’s Cathedral is 100 feet from the floor.
Mr. Pullman's Inspiration.
A miner’s captain at Central City, Col.
gave George M. Pullman the idea for the,
construction of the Pullman palace sleep-
ing cars, says James Kelly, city passenger
agent for the Moffat road in the early days
of the State, when Pullman was a poor
young man, he came to Colorado to try his
fortune. For several months he was
located at Central City and Black Hawk
and shared the hard lot of the early day
miners. Ex-Governor John L. Routt says
that he remembers Pullman being here.
The arrangement of the miners’ bunks
remained in the memory of Pullman as
many a night he tossed and tumbled on
the bard bedding. In the poorer cabins a
six-foot space is boarded in for a bed and
two husky miners are put side by side.
In an ordinary miners’rooming house there
are from six to eight bunks in a room; both
sides of the apartment are utilized. The
beds are rudely constructed affairs, and a
few pine boards with 24x4 scantlings is all
that is required. One bunk is placed
above another, on the same plan as the
Pullman cars are constructed.
After leaving Denver, and while riding
in a hard-seated chair one night in the
East, the thought came to Pullman that
beds should be provided for the patrons of
the road. He immediately remembered
the miners’ cabins in Colorado and his
inventive brain soon had the details com-
pleted.
Salary Schedule completed.
The new salary schedule for rural mail
carriers has been completed. The new
schedule applies from July 1st. The last
Congress raised the maximum salary from
$620 to $720 a year. It was found that
the maximum route was twenty-four miles
long, and to carriers on routes of this length
numbering 12,000, the maximum salary
will be paid. ‘The salaries of carriers on
routes shorter than the maximum was
fixed by deducting $18 for each mile less
than 24; the result was that slightly over
two-thirds of the whole force of 24,200
roral mail carriers have received increases
of $100 a year in their salaries. The re-
maining carriers have received increases of
less than this amount.
Bridge Built of Coffins.
One of the most curious bridges ever
built was that made by the British troops
in 1860. They were marching on Peking,
but found their progress barred by a flood-
ed river of considerable width and depth.
A timber party was formed, but found
nothing to cut down or borrow suitable for
a bridge. At last a huge store of coffins
was discovered in the village, and with
these the soldiers built their bridge and
crossed alive over the receptacles for the
dead.