"Bellefonte, Pa., January 9, 1914.
mse
A NEW YEAR’S SONG.
When the year is new, my dear,
When the year is new,
1.et us make a promise here,
Little I and you.
Not to fall a-quarreling
Over every tiny thing,
But sing and smile, and smile and sing,
All the glad year through.
As the year goes by, my dear,
As the year goes by,
Let us keep our sky swept clear,
Little you and L.
Sweep up every cloudy scowl,
Every little thunder growl,
And live and laugh, laugh and live,
"Neath a cloudless sky.
When the year is old, my dear,
When the year is old,
Let us never doubt or fear,
Though the days grow cold.
Loving thoughts are always warm;
Merry hearts know ne’er a storm;
Come ice and snow, so love's dear glow
Turn all our gray to gold!
—Laura E. Richards.
THE LOST BOY.
BY HENRY VAN DYKE
[Concluded from last week.]
This day he would not spend in playing
and wandering. He would go straight to
the Temple, to find some of the learned
teachers who gave instructions there,and
learn from them the wisdom that he need-
ed in order to do his work for his Father.
As he went he thought about the things
that had befallen him yesterday. Why
had the man dressed in white despised
him? Why had the city children mock-
ed him and chased him away with stones?
Why was the strange woman who had
been so kind to him afterward so un-
happy and so hopeless?
‘There must be something in the world
that he did not understand, something
evil and hateful and miserable that he
had never felt in himself. But he felt
it in the others, and it made him so
sorry, so distressed for them, that it
seemed like a heavy weight, a burden on
his own heart. It was like the work of
those demons, of whom his mother had
told him, who entered into people and
lived inside of them, like worms eating
away a fruit. Only these people of whom
he was thinking did not seem to have a
demon that took hold of them and drove
them mad, and made them foam at the
mouth and cut themselves with stones,
like 2 man he once saw in Galilee. This
was something larger and more myster-
ious—like the hot wind that sometimes
blew from the south and made people
angry—like the rank weeds that grew in
certain fields, and if the sheep fed there
they dropped and died
The Boy felt that he hated this un-
known, wicked, unhappy thing more
than anything else in the world. He
would like to save people from it. He
wanted to fight against it, to drive it
away. It seemed as if there were a spirit
in his heart saying to him, “This is what
you must do, you must fight against this
evil, you must drive out the darkness,
you must be a light, you must save the
people—this is your Father’s work for
you to do.
But how? He did not know. That
was what he wanted to find out. And
he went into the temple hoping that the
teachers there would tell him.
He found the vast Court of the Gen-
tiles, as it had been on his first visit,
swarming with people. Jews and Syri-
ans and foreigners of many nations were
streaming into it through the eight open
gates, meeting and mingling and eddying
round in confused currents, bargaining
and haggling with the merchants and
money-changers, crowding together
around some group where argument had
risen to a violent dispute, drifting away
again in search of some new excitement.
The morning sacrifice was ended, but
the sound of music floated out from the
inclosed courts in front of the altar,
where the more devout worshipers were
gathered. The Roman soldiers of the
guard paced up and down, or leaned
tranquilly upon their spears, looking with
indifference or amused contempt upon
the turbulent scenes of the holy place
where they were set to keep the peace
and prevent the worshipers from attack-
ing one another.
The Boy turned into the long, cool
cloisters, with their lofty marble columns
and carved roofs of wood, which ran
around the inside of the walls. Here he
found many groups of people, walking in
the broad aisles between the pillars, or
seated in the alcoves of Solomon’s Porch
around the teachers who were instruct-
ing them. From one to another of these
open schools he wandered, listening
eagerly to the different rabbis and doc-
tors of the law.
Here one was reading from the Torah
and explaining the laws about the food
which a Jew must not eat, and the things
which he must not do on the Sabbath
Here another was expounding the doc-
trine of the Pharisees about the purify-
ing of the sacred vessels in the Temples;
while another, a Sadducee, was disput-
ing with him scornfully and claiming
that the purification of the priests was
the only important thing. “You would
wash that which needs no washing,” he
cried, “the Golden Candlestick, one day
in every week! Next you will want to
wash the sun for fear an unclean ray of
light may fall on the altar!"
Other teachers were reciting from the
six books of the Talmud which the
Pharisees were making to expound the
law. Others repeated the histories of
Israel, recounted the brave deeds of the
Maccabees, or read from the prophecies
of Enoch and Daniel. Others still were
engaged in political debate; the Zealots
talking fiercely of the misdeeds of the
house of Herod and the outrages com-
mitted by the Romans; the Sadducees
contemptuously mocking at the hopes of
the revolutionists and showing that the
dream of freedom for Judea was foolish.
“Freedom,” they said, “belongs to those
who are well protected. We have the
Temple and priesthood because Rome
takes care of us.” To this the Zealots
answered, angrily, “Yes, the priesthood
belongs to you unbeieving Sadducees,
that is why you are content with it.
Look, now, at the place where you let
Herod hang an accursed eagle of gold on
the front of Jehovah’s House.”
So from group to group the Boy pass-
ed, listening intently, but hearing little
to his purpose. All day long he was com-
pletely absorbed by what he heard, yet
not satisfied. Late in the afternoon he
! must hope for only one Messiah. This |
came into the quietest part of Solomon’s
Porch, where two large companies were |
seated around their respective teachers,
separated from each other by a distance |
of four or five columns. :
As he stood on the edge of the first
company, whose rabbi was a lean. dark-
bearded, stern little man, the Boy was |
spoken to by a stranger at his side, who ,
asked him what he sought in the Temple. |
“Wisdom,” answered the Boy. “I am |
looking for some one to give a light to :
my path.” |
“That is what I am seeking, tco,” said |
the stranger, smiling. “I am a Greek, |
and I desire wisdom. Let us see if we
can get it from this teacher. Liscen.”
He made his way to the center of the
circle and stood before the stern little |
man. :
“Master,” said the Greek, “I am will- !
ing to become thy disciple if
done this to us? See how sorrowful thou
hast made me and thy father, looking
everywhere for thee.” :
“Mother,” he answered, “why did you
look everywhere for me with sorrow?
Did you not know that I would be in my ;
Father’s house? Must I not begin to think
of the things my Father wants me to.
do?”
Thus the lost Boy was found again,
and went home with his parents to Naza-
reth. The old rabbi blessed him as he
left the Temple.
But had he really been lost, or was he
finding his way?—FHarper's Monthly
Maz aziie.
(The End.)
Bryce Pleads for Religion in School.
London.—Viscount Bryce, former Brit-
FROM INDIA.
8y One on Medical Duty in that Far Eastern
Country. Rain in November, Hindu Marriage
a Curious Custom. Fresh Vegetables on
Thanksgiving. Prices High There as Here.
Native Music, Etc.
Juansi, NOVEMBER 22nd, 1912.
: Dear Home Folk:
Such a nice surprise in the weather;
‘the dust and brownness had become
rather more than one’s good temper could
stand. Last Thursday some dark clouds
| came up and it threatened to rain all day,
| but as no rain is really due until Christ:
i mas time, everybody looked and wonder-
| ed what was coming. Friday a nice rain
thou wilt | ish Ambassador at Washington opening i started and it lasted for twenty-four
teach me the whole law while I stand | the National Educational Conference at! yours; of course it was cold and dismal
before thee thus—on one foot.” |
The rabbi looked at him angrily, and, |
lifting up his stick, smote him sharply
across the leg. “That is the whole law |
for mockers,” he cried. The stranger |
limped away amid the laughter of the |
crowd. i
“But the little man was too angry; he:
did not see that I was in earnest,” said | school work in this direction among such |
he as he came back to the Boy. “Now |
let us go to the next school, and see if | Parents and Sunday school teachers can
the master is any better.” i
So they went to the second company,
which was seated around a very old man,
with long, snowy beard and a gentle face.
The stranger took his place as before,
standing on one foot, and made the same
request. The rabbi’s eyes twinkled and
his lips were smiling as he answered |
promptly:
“Do nothing to thy neighbor that thou
wouldst not he should do to thee, this is
the whole law; all the rest follows from
this.”
“Well,” said the stranger, returning,
“what think you of this teacher and his
wisdom? Is it better?”
“It is far better,” replied the Boy,
eagerly; “it is the best of all I have heard
today. Iam coming back to hear him
tomorrow. Do you know his name?”
“I think it is Hillel,” answered the
Greek, “and he is a learned man, the
master of the Sanhedrim. You will do
well, young Jew, to listen tosuch a man.
Socrates could not have answered me
better. But now the sun is near setting.
We must go our ways. Farewell.”
In the tent of his friends the Boy found
welcome and a supper, but no news of
his parents. He told his experiences in
the Temple, and the friends heard him,
wondering at his discernment. They
were in doubt whether to let him go
again the next day; but he begged so
earnestly, arguing that they could tell his
parents where he was if they should
come to the camp seeking him, that
finally he won consent. :
He was in Solomon’s Porch long before :
the schools had begun to assemble. He |
paced up and down under the triple!
colonnade thinking what questions he |
should ask the master.
The company that gathered around !
Hillel that day was smaller, but there |
were more scribes and doctors of the law |
among them, and they were speaking of !
the kingdom of the Messiah—the thing |
that lay nearest to the Boy’s heart. He!
took his place in the midst of them. and |
they made room for him, for they liked |
young disciples and encouraged them to |
ask after knowledge. i
It was the prophecy of Daniel that they |
were discussing, and the question was |
w hether these things were written of the |
First Messiah, or of the Second Messiah;
for many of the doctors held that there
must be two, and that the first would die
in battle, but the second would put down
all his enemies and rule over the world.
“Rabbi,” asked the Boy, “if the first
was really the Messiah, could not God
raise him up again and send him back to
rule?”
“You ask wisely, son,” answered Hillel.
“and I think the prophets tell us that we |
book of Daniel is full of heavenly words,
but it is not counted among the prophets
whose writings are gathered in the Scrip-
ture. Which ot them have you read,
and which do you love most, my son?”
“Isaiah,” said the Boy, “because he
says God will have mercy with everlast-
ing kindness. But I love Daniel, too, be-
cause he says they that turn many to
righteousness shall shine as the stars for
ever and ever. But I do not understand
what he says about the times and a half-
time and the days and the seasons before
the coming of Messiah.”
With this there rose a dispute among
the doctors about the meaning of those
sayings, and some explained them one
way and some another, but Hillel sat si-
lent. At last he said:
“It is better to hope and to wait patient-
ly for Him than to reckon the day of His
coming. For if the reckoning is wrong,
and He does not come, then men despair,
and no longer make ready for Him.”
“How does a man make ready for Him,
Rabbi?” asked the Boy.
“By prayer, son, and by study of the
law, and by good works, and by sacri-
ces.”
“But when He comes He will rule over
the whole world, and how can all the
world come to the Temple to sacrifice?”
“A way will be provided,” answered
the old man, “though 1 do not know how
it will be. And there are offerings of the
heart as well as of the altar. It is written,
I will have mercy and not sacrifice.” ”
“Will His kingdom be for the poor as
well as for the rich, and for the ignorant
as well as for the wise?”
“Yes, it will be more for the poor than
for the rich. But it will not be for the
ignorant, my son. For he who does not
know the law can not be pious.”
“But, Rabbi,” said the Boy, eagerly,
“will He not have mercy on them just
because they are ignorant? Will He not
pity them as a shepherd pities his sheep
when they are silly and go astray?”
“He is not only a Shepherd,” answered
Hillel, firmly, “but a great King. They
must all keep the law, even as it is writ-
ten and as the elders have taught it to
us. There is no other way.”
The Boy was silent for a time, while
the others talked of the law, and of the
Torah, and of the Talmud in which Hillel
in these days was writing down the tradi-
tions of the elders. When there was an
opportunity he spoke again.
* “Rabbi, if most of the people should be
poor and ignorant when the Messiah
comes, so ignorant that they did not even
know Him, wouldn't He save them just
because they were poor?”
Hillel looked at the Boy with love, and
hesitated before he answered.
At that moment a man and a woman
came through the colonnade with hur-
ried steps. The man stopped at the edge
of the circle, astonished at what he saw.
But the woman came into the center and
put her arm around th
i enian customs, is Holy eve. After put-
| drop out and the rest are removed with-
e Boy.
“My boy,” she cried, “why hast thou
the University of London, delivered a
strong plea for the inclusion of the
school curriculum of moral training based
on religious principles.
“Biblical and religious instruction,” he
declared, “must not be left out of the
schools. I have learned how strongly
Americans feel the need of strengthening
populations as fill England and America.
not be relied on to do all that is neces-
parent to give his chiid moral and relig-
ious instruction.
The teacher ought to be permitted to
do this work. Not one out of a thousand
of them would misuse his opportunity.
1 have been impressed, both in the United
States and England, with the fact that
knowledge of the Bible isdeclining among
all classes, with an incalculable loss to the
life of the country.”
Lord Bryce admitted, however, that
simplification of spelling was likely to be
accomplished before the difficulty in re-
gard to religious teaching in the schools
is solved.
Viscount Bryce, in concluding his ad-
dress, which was entitled “Salient Edu- |
cational Issues,” said he approved of the |
American contention that women made |
better teachers than men for the younger !
pupils.
Christmas by Greeks Observed Wednes-
day.
Greeks in Philadelphia celebrated
Wednesday as their Christmas day.
Though acknowledging the jurisdiction
of the Pope, the Greek Catholic church,
which has nearly 10,000 members in that
city, still uses the old Julian calendar and
the difference of two weeks between the |
Julian and Gregorian calendars accounts
for the difference in the time of Christ:
mas celebration.
Equally as important to the Greek
Catholic, who has imported many Ruth-
ting hay in every room of his house as a
reminder that Christ was born in a sta-
ble, the devout Greek Catholic prepares
12 meals. After prayers by the father,
the family goes to church for service,
which begins at midnight, and continues
until nine o’clock Christmas morning.
Later on Christmas day, it is the cus-
tom to visit friends and neighbors. In
the evening, singers serenade their
friends.
There are four Greek Catholic churches
in this vicinity, at Franklin street above |
Brown, Bainbridge street and Passyunk |
avenue, Seventh and Parish streets and |
Clifton Heights. All are under the juris-
diction of Bishop Ortinsky, who will con-
duct mass at Franklin and Brown streets |
Christmas morning.
Besides the Greek Catholics, the com-
municants of the Orthodox Greek church
also observe the day.
Ostrich Plumes Are Not Pulled.
From countries other than South Afri-
ca some reports that the opinion is wide-
spread that the production of ostrich
feathers entails a considerable amount of |
cruelty to the birds, says Our Dumb Ani- |
mals. Attempts were even made to get |
ostrich feathers included in the bill for |
the prohibition of importation of the
plumage of wild birds into the United
States..
Contrary to this belief, there is no cru-
elty attached to the production of ostrich
feathers. The birds are driven into a
small enclosure and are caught one at a
time. A sort of a stocking is dropped
over the ostriche’s head, when the crea-
ture at once becomes docile.
The plumes both of the tail and wings
are nipped off with special clippers, the
stumps of the quills being left in the
sockets. These after a time shrivel nat-
urally and so all sensibility is lost; some
out the rupture of a single blood vessel.
The whole process is absolutely painless
—as much so as cutting one’s finger nails
in the usual manner.
No ostrich farmer would notbe stupid
enough to pull out the plumes, for the
reason that in so doing the cells within
the socket, which build the substance of
the feather, are more or less seriously
damaged, causing the next and all suc-
ceeding crops of feathers to be inferior.
Every farmer knows that the value of
each ostrich is in proportion to the ex-
cellence of the feathers.
Tango Aids Rubber Trade.
The tango, now classified as the dance
supernal, but alternately placed under a
ban, praised, defended, decried, then re-
formed and enthusiastically adopted by
society, has suddenly appeared in the
role of benefactor to trade. It has start-
ed a stream of gold into the coffers of
manufacturers and tradesmen; and all
the odium has disappeared from the once
outcast child of Terpsichore
There is something perilous in the long
slide of the tango step and business has
come to the aid of the devotees of the
dance. It has been discovered that rub-
ber soles give the opportunity for greater
abandon to the dancer, and there has
been a rush at the shoe dealers’ stores
for footwear thus fitted to guard against
mishaps.
The head of the repair department of
one of the large shoe departments in
Philadelphia had this to say:
“This tango craze has brought us an
unexpected flow of business. For a
small sum we place a thin rubber sole
over the regular sole and our repairsmen
are working night and day to keep pace
with the demand. Apparently all the
girls in the city have taken to the tango.
The rubber insures greater safety in the
movements of this dance, while the thin
sole does not deface the shoe. But it is
the first time I ever heard of anybody
dancing in gum shoes.”
——Have your Job Work done here.
but one could even enjoy being dismal to
"have some rain. I caught all the jugs,
| basins, and even my bath tub full of the
. delightful stuff, for I know the worth of
"rain water as never before and gloat over
it as a miser over his gold.
Last week I was taking care of a sick
woman whose niece was to be married
i and fortunately for me [ was there the
| sary, although it is the first duty of a first two days of the ceremony, for it
takes three days to marry a Hindu maid-
"en, and none of the events come off be-
fore one o'clock in the morning; the cer-
| emony itself did not take place until four
o'clock in the morning. Of course I did
not see it but had it described to me.
| The contracting parties were both dress-
ied inred. I saw the groom and I must
| say he looked like a Christmas tree, so
| full of glittering tinsel; his shawl was of
| brilliant scarlet. The bride was also
i dressed in a red “sauri” but of very com-
| mon, coarse material, and wore no jew-
{elry. The Hindu priest reads from the
“veda” (Hindu bible) and they, holding
a bamboo arrangement shaped like a
wheel and well decorated, march round
and round and do all sorts of things, one
of which is to feed each other rice; she
puts it into his mouth but she 1s so shy
that what he gives to her all runs down
her drapery. Neither has seen the oth-
er, although all the members of their
families have inspected both. One of the
curious customs is that she wears a
bracelet on her leit arm: it is made of
some kind of string, strung with shells
and other “good luck” things. This
| string is tied into very hard knots, and
even dampened to make the knots hard-
er to open; he must undo these with one
hand. Then, although they wear very
ordinary clothes all during the festivities,
on the third day, when she is to leave
her home for that of her husband, she
will put on all the jewelry she has and
be decorated in beautiful clothes and go
away with this man whom she has never
seen. They told me that the wedding
festivities cost $3,000 ($1,000.) Of course
the clothing and jewelry would be extra,
but these Indian people would buy jew-
elry if they had to starve.
This much I know, that the noise and
fuss made during both the days that I
was there was so bad that it nearly drove
me frantic. There were three drums and
two pipes, making one continuous din for
the entire hour I was at work, and just
outside the doorway, in the court yard,
were at least two dozen women, paid to
help in the festivities, chattering but re-
ally waiting to sing atter we would leave, !
and the “nautche” or dancing girls were
there too. This racket went on all night.
Is it any wonder my patient did not get
better. That was my first Hindustani
wedding and I suppose it is as near. as I
shall get to one while here, for they are
very jealous about one seeing any of the!
intimate ceremonies. |
To go back to the weather. Of course |
we are all sleeping outside and I laughed ;
last night when I got into bed. I had |
two gray blankets and a cotton comfort
over me and felt like an esquimo; and |
over my flannel night-dress a jacket of |
outing-flannel. What do you think of |
that in the “hottest place in India,” ex- |
cept one. Today I am all in wool and
am very comfortable. It seems so
strange to me to be dressed heavier here
than at home, and you know it can’t be
so very cold as the violets and chrysan-
themums are blooming within a few feet
of my bed. Itis a curious cold; just pen-
etrates everything you can put on.
One of the nurses is writing you a
note which I will enclose for your peru-
sal. She says she is working here as a
nurse and her name is Sundra. She is a
pretty, vivacious youngster, more inclined
to like athletics than to care for nursing,
and absolutely lazy, or at least will shirk
every duty put upon her unless closely
watched, yet is a lovable personality and
one cannot understand just why she has
so many good qualities and so many
more very bad ones. I thought she was
writing to you in English but find she
wishes me to tell you that “I am very
good to her and that she would like to
see you.” Not a very brilliant note.
Another day and this began at the ear-
ly hour of four o'clock and although I
have had an hour’s sleep am still a bit
“groggy.” But when Hindumothers and
fathers will marry their children at three
and four years of age and girls become
mothers at twelve and fourteen years,
what will one do but work hard and fu-
rious to keep their scant hold on life
from entirely slipping away. Of course
these are the lower caste. Iam told that
in one case, which I happen to know
fairly well, the baby girl of one and one-
half years of age, is engaged to a boy
child of three, and the various to be-
in-law relatives come to see the small
lady as though she were grown up. They
will be married when she is four and he
not? But the ho-ror only comes when, The Farmer's Institute at Pine Grove
as this morning, in order to save life one | Mills.
has to use fairly drastic measures. That
reminds me, I have in another ward al Institute was called to order by chair-
little girl of ten years with pneumonia, man Wm. H. Fry, Monday evening, Dec.
and I am urged to cure her speedily. as 29, 1913, in the L. O. O. F. hall. The in-
she is to be married as soon as she is. stitute was called for Monday afternoon,
well enough. She is a tiny, frail, pretty but on account of the lateness of the
child with the look of one that needs. train and sickness the lecturers did not
much fresh air and stimulating food. arrive until late in the afternoon, so the
Her nose is already pierced, ready for first session was called at 7.30 P. M,
the marriage ring and her ears are full wien a crowded house greeted the speak-
of holes, plugged with wood, ready for ers.
the wedding jewelry. I know I shall not| The first on the program was a selec-
heed their entreaties, and they may kiss | tion by a choir of selected voices, with
my feet (a mark of extreme gratitude): Mrs. L. Story Spangler presiding at the
but that kiddie will stay until she is well. | organ,
One finds all kinds of lung cases these Invocation by Rev. J. C. Chambers of
days and from the way they dress the the M. E. church.
wonder is that there are not more and! Ad lress of welcome was made by Rev.
worse ones. Of course to me, the L. Story Spangler of the Lutheran church,
weather is just perfect, but these who in his usual manner greeted the
folks are still dressed in their “make-be- farmers and their families and their
lieve” clothes (really they are only dra friends, with the speakers of the institute,
peries) and this is scarcely suitable tem- responded to by Prof. Franklin Menges
perature to go about in one’s “birthday who spoke of “where are we going to get
gown” plus a thin veil. i enough toeat;” He said the United States,
Thursday is Thanksgiving day and as Canada, Australia and Argentina are the
two of the missionary folks who have only countries that produce enough so as
been very kind to the girls, are to be sent : to be able to export any food stuffs, and
to another station very soon, they think | it was a question if the United States had
that they would like to invite them for any to export as the other countries
dinner, so that we will have all the good were exporting their products into the
“logue” and celebrate one of the Ameri- | United States. He also said that food
can holidays, although of the twelve | stuffs were higher in Pittsburg than any
there will be but four Americans atthe | other part of the world and the farmers
dinner. of Pennsylvania are realizing this fact.
We are now having nice fresh toma-; The following officers were appointed:
toes. radishes, onions and beets from our | Pres. Wm. H. Fry vice president, Dr.R. M.
gardens and the beans and peas are look- | Krebs; secretary, Harry M. Walker. After
ing very smart; the carrots and cabbage the appointment of the officers, the
are a bit slow but that is not unusual. | choir rendered another selection of music.
The other things seem to rather like this | The next speaker of the evening was Mr.
cool weather, but as I have said, it ought H. M. Gooderham, of Patton, who spoke
to be May or June instead of November. | on “agriculture and on rural schools.”
1 sure am all twisted up; with great | He emphasized the fact that agriculture
bunches of roses on the table and sweet cannot be taught successfully in our un-
peas just coming through the ground, | graded schools, he showed the necessity
somehow they don’t correspond the way of teaching agriculture in our schools.
things do at home. | He pointed out “how our schools could
seven. It seems strange to us, does it
I see your food stuffs are still on the |
increase. Truly I think the going up
idea has taken firm hold upon this old
world and India seems to be as badly!
touched with the disease as America.
This morning our cook informed us that
our charcoal bill would be double the
price it was this month, and milk will be
one-third more; chickens cannot be got-
ten at any price. Seems to me the in-|
ventors of the areoplanes should be
caught and locked up for every least
thing has a desire to be in fashion and
so goes soaring among the stars. |
Two of the girls are in the adjoining
room singing hymns, the piano is the.
very worst I ever in my worst nightmare |
dreamed of, and I almost always run
when they begin; the music don’t appeal
to them one single bit, a Jangle will do
just as well as the most beautiful harmo-
ny, only so it be set to the proper words.
Dr. MacMillan, who is a very great lover |
of music, refused absolutely to touch it,
and generally escaped early from the
meetings in order to avoid having her
ear-drums hurt. How I will revel in ope-
ra when I get back to America; I will sit
in the upper gallery and never come
down until I am satisfied or “Lub-a-Lub”
as the natives say.
There was a man here with embroid-
ery from Delhi, done on white satin in
silver, and I declare it is just horrid to
be poor, I want to ship you people some-
thing of everything I see. I know much
of it would be “white elephants” on your
hands, but they are so beautiful and so
unusual I would like you to share with'
me in their beauty.
(Continued next week.)
Snapdragon and Halloween.
Many of our Halloween customs
come to us from England and Scotland,
and a most popular one is called the
“gnapdragon,” which is brought in
when refreshments are served, gen-
erally at the last before leaving the
table. The lights are all turned out
and the platter containing the snap-
dragon is brought im. Why it is thus
named I know not. but it is made this
way: Place large table raisins quite
closely and evenly on the platter, sprin-
kle with salt and cover with good al-
cohol. Just before bringing in light
the alcohol and a most ghastly green-
ish white light will be the result. Pass
it around the table, and each guest is
to try to grab a raisin from the flame.
Now, don’t ask me why and wherefore
regarding this strange custom, for 1
do not know: only, my earliest recol-
lections of a Halloween party, and I
regret to say that it is many years
ago, we had a snapdragon, and an
English lady told me how to make it.
Sometimes ghost stories are told while
the dragon burns on the table.—St.
Louis Glabe-Democrat.
Japan: Censors Books,
In Japan the censorship of novels is
not exercised by the libraries. but by
a government official who is empower-
ed to prosecute offending authors as
well as forbid the sale of their books.
Not long ago the author of a Japanese
novel called ‘The Great City” was
brought before the courts for giving
too realistic a description of life in To-
kyo. His counsel used the old argu-
ments about the indefensible rights of
literature and the ennobling of every-
thing by art. But the case was given
against the author. Even some of
Moliere’s works have been forbidden
to circulate in Japan. the ground of
offense being the lack of respect shown
by wives toward their husbands and
by sons toward their fathers.
Dangerous Joking.
Joke with a small boy two or three
times and he will begin to be sassy.—
be consolidated and graded,” so that agri-
culture could be taught. He stated it
up, greatly to the teacher, how agriculture
could be successfully taught in our schools.
This topic was responded to by Prof.
Menges, who spoke on the proper educa-
tion of our children.
Next was a selection by the choir. The
last speaker of the evening was Mr. C.
M. Barnitz who spoke on “The chick
from shell to maturity.” He gave the
different breeds and to what purpose
they are bestsuited. Institute adjourned
until Tuesday morning.
Tuesday morning.—Institute was call-
ed to order by chairman Wm. H. Fry,
the first speaker of the morning was Mr.
H, M. Gooderham who spoke on “barn
manures, their waste and treatment.”
He spoke on how the farmer loses the
best part of his manure, he told how if
this is prevented he might declare a
greater dividend larger than any great cor-
poration. The next speaker was Prof.
Menges who spoke on “Benefits of corn
breeding.”
He spoke of the two purposes of rais-
ing corn, first of raising corn for silage
‘ for rough feed, second for the most corn
per acre.
Institute adjourned until 1.30 p. m.
Tuesday, p. m.—Institute called to or-
der by chairman Fry at 1.30. Music by
the choir. The first speaker of the after-
noon was Prof. Menges, who continued
his talk on the best kind of corn suited
to our climatic conditions.
The question box was opened and
some of the questions were read and ans-
wered by the speakers. Music by the
choir.
Next Prof. Menges took up his talk on
the “Maintenance of soil fertility and
soil moisture.” He spoke on how the
soil is made. He also spoke on the de-
structive and constructive farming. The
destructive farmer is the one who takes
more out of hissoil than he puts back on
it, and the constructive farmer is one that
puts back on his soil as much and more
than he takes out. Music by the choir.
The next speaker of the afternoon was
Mr. Barnitz who spoke on the diseases of
poultry.
Institute adjourned to meet at 7. 30.
Tuesday evening.—Institute was called
to order by chairman Fry, when a crowd-
ed house greeted thespeakers. The first
speaker was Mr. Gooderham, who spoke
to the boys and girls on politeness and
culture, he also spoke to the parents on
why the boys and girls leave the farm.
Mr. Gooderham is a very fluent speaker
and is himself a farmer and father and
knows whereof he speaks. Music by
the choir. The next speaker was Prof.
Menges, who spoke on the modern im-
provements on the farm. Music by the
choir.
The next speaker was Mr. Barnilz
who showed “The evolution of the roos-
ter,” by a stereopticon view which was
very instructive and entertaining.
The institute was a decided success with
a good corps of instructors and the music
furnished by a choir of voices trained by
Mrs. L. Story Spangler.
The local committee deserves a great
deal of praise for| their successful insti-
tute, as each and every person was well
repaid for their attendance.
HARRY M WALKER, Secretary.
To the Customs People.
“What are an American’s first words.
on returning from Europe?” #3
“Well, 1 declare!”—Life.
Worse Still.
Commute— What's the matter? Has.
the cook left? Mrs. C.—No. She re-
Atchison Globe.
tuses to leave.—Judge.