LOVES EVENING HOUR, Think of me, dearest, Sometimes at least; Not when thou hearest Songs at a feast. Not when some trinmph Flushes thy brow, Teaching thy bosom Vietory's glow. Pride thinks not kindly Passion is keen; Love holdeth blindly Joys that have been: Only when passion Nestles to rest, Can tender passions Brood in thy breast. When winds of heaven W hisper of love— While stars of even Dimple above, And holy silence Lulls hill and glen, Then 1s Love's holiday-— Think of me then. EE . e ——————— MY BEAUTIFUL RUBY. “And this is her picture, Miss Monna, loved better than all the world beside and lost? How beautiful she was! oh, how beautifull” The speaker drew a long, long breath, and stood with clasped hands and blue hung in a curtain alcove in my pleasant sitting-room. I was a lonely old woman, lonely and heart-broken, since my child had lef! me 80 mysteriously, with never a word of farewell or explanation, upon that handsome October evening, so long ago; tell her the story of that wonderful, pic- forever looking out so sadly, so thought- fully, from the canvas; that ethereally pale face, hair, a perfect halo, like that surround- ing the pictured head of some saint. “Take that low rocker, there, my dear, and sit here, close beside me while ed we of my child, in a subtile way thal I never could just make out, but which ide me like to have her near oe. Iv was ni I was living quite by myself, in this my maid of all work, who was old and rheumatic. evenings in order to make myself forget bor within five miles of ray guess what sort of a life I led. But I had got used to it, in a sort of way. for I had been living by myself ever since my parents died a long time ago. One night, it was a bitter cold one, in November, I sat dozing and reading In my big chair before a blazing fire of logs, feeling quite comfortable, while old Betty sat asleep upon the opposite gide of the fire with her favorite cai curled comfortably up upon her clean apron. denly, mixed up dreamily with the thoughts that come to us when in that state between sleeping and waking, I heard a call for help. listen, broad awake; Betty still slept on not repeated, and, after listening in- tently for a few moments, I came to the conclusion that my imagination had been playing me a trick and 1 had been really sleeping, and bad dreamed it. the chair again in a comfortable posi- tion and was soon in the lands of dreams once more, It could not have been ten minutes that 1 slept, at least so it seemed to me. was in the room. Hark! a heavy, la- bored breathing sounded near me! | raised my head, almost afrmd to look or even breathe, for in those days there were a great many idle tramps roaming about and I wus never very courageous; rage enough for two. in the direction of the door, and there, standing with ber hand upon the latch, as if she had just entered and was about to steal quietly away again, stood the most entrancingly beautiful and yet the most pitiful and abject young creature my eves had ever rested upon! She could not have been above 26 or 27, and, as | have 2aid, #0 lovely. a famished look like those of astarving, dying animal. ed in rags, and an old hood fell back from her head, disclosing a mass of pale gold bair—the loveliest hair! She was holding closely about her emaciated a child. I was no longer frightened now, though sill astonished, for 1 could not imagine how she had come in, I bad thought the dosr securely fastened, but, plainly, Betty had omitted to do this, as usual, being tired out with her day's work. “For the pity of heaven, give ine a night's shelter and something for my ehild to eat,” she gasped hoarsely, and her words ended in a racking cough which awoke Detty instantly. She look- ed dazed and sat rubbing her eyes, thinking herself still dreaming, I sup pose, hastily assured her, however, that what she beheld was not a dream, but reality, and that » human creature was in distress and needed our help, for instantly all my womanly sympathies had been aroused by the beauty and ap- parent misery of the young Woman before me. The erimson fires of consumption blazed in her beautiful cheeks, and there was blood upon her lips, She tottered as she stood with weakness when the violence of the cough was spent, and had 1 not nurried forward to her assist. ance 1 believe she would have fallen tn the floor with her helpless burden. As it was [ signed to Betty to take the child while I supported the mother to the comfortable seat before the blazing embers, which I had just vacated. She nd limp, and lay back with closed eyes, bgeathing pain- now a ness like that of a corpse. Only for the heavy breathing one could have imagine. ed her dead. The infant raised a feeble | wail of hunger where it lay in the dazed Betty's arms, and she slowly opened her | eyes at the sound, “She is starving!!! whispered the wo- man. and I started back in horror. The words were full of a hopeless, despair- ing languor. I hastily did what I could | for ber, and then —— “Betty, give me the child,” 1 said, | “and go just as quickly as you can to the | pantry, get some milk and bring 1t here | to warm. Bring plenty. Then set the | table here by the fire and put plenuy of | good things on it.” i At these words the woman in the chair fixed her eyes upon mine for the | first time, and they were full of a wild, | eager anticipation, which was painful to | look at, “Food?” she murmured, “Food, It] has been three or four days since 1 have had anything but a single crust,” Then | she relapsed into silence, out of sheer weakness, and I turned my attention to that lay moaning in my arms. It was the handsomest baby 1 have ever seen, its} You can imagine better than I | for it was no other than herself, Well, we warmed and fed them both, mother and child, and when she was stronger forever; of a faithless husband, who de- | serted her when he found she would inherit none of her father's wealth; of | the painful struggle to keep body and being turned out | of her miserable garret because she had “where,” she concluded, «+ somehow thought people would not be so cruel and hard-hearted as they are in the city, for they are as as the grave!” thin hands covering her pallid face. “But you" “Yes, my dear, I will take care of you, I interrupied, stroking her beauti- ful hair and wiping away the tears which I felt were trickling down ny face. 1 loved her from that hour like And as for Betty I dic myself, and between us both it did not suffer for lack of care, They stayed with me. Day by day I watched the little Ruby unfolding new wahy arms and her little cheeks grow- {1g ronssder, But as surely as her child was 1m- dying. And when Christmasday dawned and the world was all over wrapped in peaceful quiet, the Angel of Death scythe and cut down that lovely human ty. I mourned her as if she had been my to my little Ruby. Iv was as if my very, very life was bound up in her, I loved her so. She grew up into lovely girlhood, as you see her there, and *he was all my All the affection of her warm heart and passionate soul was given to I was jealous of it. I kept her When | with me, 1 always made her go closely veiled, so fearful was I that some of her mother’s former friends or relatives might see her, and recognizing her by her wonder ful likeness to her mother, wish to take ut one day I felt ill. My child min- istered tenderly at my bedside, and one morning she came to my room to read the paper aloud for me. 1 remember she was reading a story about 8 beauti- ful young girl and her lover, her sweel face was lighted up with childish de- light as she read it a'l through eagerly, ‘Aunt Monna,” she said suddenly, breaking off alLrubtly, “it must be de- lghtlful to have somebody love you like “1 love you like that, my pet,” I said, smiling at her enthusiasm, “and more than that!’ “But 1 mean-1 mean—you are not a Instantly the “‘green-eyed monster’ sprang up in my heart—jealousy, suspi- I had been forced to let her go to the city for me, not once but many Had she met mother had been won by her faithless | father? But almost as soon as these un- reasoning suspicions entered my mind I dismissed them. Of course I was wrong- ing Raby by entertaining them for a | moment; she never kept anything from | me. But to my no little uneasiness noticed that she seemed preoccupied and distrait all the rest of the day. And the next morning—but you have already | guessed what I was going to say—she was gone; yes, and I have never got a | clew to her whereabouts since,” I ceased speaking, because my voice trembled so I could not go on; my young friend was sobbing audibly. Suddenly the brass knocker upon my door sent a loud clang through the | : i i house, Florimel started nervously. “Perhaps something is wrong at home, and they want mel’ she said, with clasped hands; for it was very sel- | dom that any other visitor save her own | sweot self and Mrs. Bledsaw, her | mother, visited my lonesome home, | : : “Betty!” i called, ‘Betty, go to the door, and if it 1s u tramp give bim food and send him awsy, If it is any one come for Miss Florry come and tell me directly.” i We sat listening breathlessly we | scarcely knew why-to her feeble foot. 8 ong the hall, heavy door creaked slowly open. Then there was pause, followed by & that made my heart jump and flutter a frightened bird. It was, “On! Miss Ruby! Miss Ruby! Have erm child, Go and receive her!” Florry was more self possessed than myself now. for I was all trembling and sha- king iu the excess of my sudden joy, so that I seemed unable to move from moment Ruby, my beautiful Ruby, un- she was more bewilderingly lovely than ever, dressed in rich garments and lead- ing a beautiful hittle fairy-like child by the hand, was in the room; her dear arms were around my neck, her soft lips was whispering endearing names in my ears, and the little child was tugging at my dress with her dimpled hands, call ing me “Aunt Nonuy,” and clamoring with Interest, And while I was bold- ting her by turns, a dark handsoms man entered the room and stood looking at us with laughing eyes, “Now it’s my turn, my new found aunt, don’t you think?'’ he said, when I had released her, “And now, Auntie Monna, I must explain it all to you. I've been very cruel to you all these four years, For all Betty pretended to be so I was coming—didn’t you, dear, old, the Lime. away without your knowledge. both sides rest, long time, seeing sights, which accounts for my long desertion of you. Bat | wanted my coming to be a complete surprise, so bade Betty keep pa. He lives with us in San Francisco, a broken old man, and has made me his heiress. He ig very old; and sometimes takes me for dear mamma. But what has become of that pretty girl who was here a ago? De me glad to know that you had asympathizing friend who reminded you of your lost Ruby!" my darling laughed the happy rin laugh of former days. “You know Auntie Monna, you never would have consented for me marry, thougi it had been a king wanted me, if I told you, you jealous! So I had to elope! Harold?" 1 did not answer her: I only drew her to my heart, and beld her there, silently thanking God for His safe keeping of ray precious Ruby. 1 am an old, old woman now, and my home will always be with my darling, for she has made me leave the lonely house in the coun- try, and go with ber to fill an honorat position in ber house in San Fran All the little Rubies call me “Aunt Nonny,” and I am happy. - - -~- moment y told tt 4 and ring Al to wio Were 50 Didn't | 1 He i8CO, A Phenomenal Oecurrence, Just before the heavy shower recently at 11 o'clock.a most remarkable occur. rence was witnessed in Louisville, Although the night was dark and the heavens were as black as a coal shaft, white meteors were observed floating through the firmament. At the corner of Fifth and Market streels many peo- ple were gathered watching the strange spectacle and trying to solve the myste- ry. As the clouds tlhockened and the distant rumbling of the thunder grew louder these strange msssengers came nearer, and in time the rustling of wings and chirp of birds were audible, Just before the clouds let loose their torrents of rain these subjects came dashing to the street with a chorus of chirps and flutter of wings that created the wildest excitement among the observers, With- in a miraculously short time every lele- graph wire, sign and window along Market street, from Fifth to Sixth, was covered with the sirange visitors, The birds were all sizes and shades, The majority, though, were white, and in shape very similar to the canary. Same were of the quail feather, some white as the driven spow., The whrte birds had the trill of the canary, and were an almost exact counterfeit of that bird except in color. They would light on the telegraph wires and whirl down to the pavement, to be frightened back by an excited crowd. They futlered around for some minutes, until the tor- driving to shelter in the windows and swarmed into the street, their number was estimated all the way from 500 to 5,000, Following this invasion of the fea. pers, which were beaten down by the rain to the pavement and crushed by were also squirming in almost pool of water. The occurrence was one of the most phenominal ever witnessed in this section, and, marvellous as the account may read, it is nevertheless true, and table men and women. International Courtesy, The Resolute was an Artic explorin ship which sailed from England Ap 15, 1852, in Sir Edward Belcher’s expe- dition. On August 25, in the same year, she was abandoned in the ice, On Ne ber 10, 1855, she was found drifting in the high seas by Captain stp George Henry. All claim to tne Resolute having been relinquished by the British Government, the vessel was urchased by Congress for the sum of $10,000, and sent to Queen Victoria as snd was formally presented J n Hartstein of avy, December 16, 1850. ye come back m : “Miss Bonna, she re Foreign Food, “The sale of foreign preserved fruits | is necessarily very limited,” said a re- | tail dealer, who claims to keep on hand | the finest groceries the world affords, to | a reporter. for besides being subject to duty they are put up in the best manner known, and are all the bestsslected fruit. American fruits crowd them pretty | close, however, and the method of pre- | serving for the market shows improve- ment vearly. The fruits from the south of France, and particularly from the south of Germany, are of finer flavor | than the American product. | “The best prunes are rmported from | France. ‘U'hey come packed in boxes { and in glass jars. The latter are pecu- | liarly large and fine and are used for | desert uncooked, the same as raisins but a for more prolific crop. The best table raisins are the bunch Dehese, The brands used mostly for cooking purpo- and loose Muscatels, are the Vostizza, come from Zante. Dry preserved lemon, ported. The very finest citron is grown superiority over American citrons that the Spanish melon possess, being thicker {and of finer grain, Nearly all fruit nellas are brought from Italy to some extent, but most of those used here are grown and dried in California. foreign cheese, case leads. It is astonishing how many cheese sold here is Neufchatel, Itisall supposed to be made among the pictur- 18 manufactured in this country from cows’ milk, and soine right here in Chi- cago. A popular desser Edam, which is made in The French goods are the fromage de Brie, fromage de Menauta and fromage de Signa, all very nearly alike, and each taking its name from the locality where it is manufactured, Another French cheese is the Societe Roquefort, Grated cheese is the i i Out on Usmeiback, A correspondent writing from Gak- dul, says: “1 think I told you that one of the funny things of Korti camp life Heavies, learning infantry drill “Fours deep,’ “fours right left,’ *form square,’ resounded 1n these quarters all day long. Lord Charles Naval brigade arrived on the 6th, and themsalves comfortable on the following day, they turned out on camelback to learn to handle these ships of the desert. I overheard a soldier who was looking mg it upside down, Lord Wolseley is, and metamorphorising First he makes sailors of the calvary into infantrymen, and I’m the sailors,” Perhaps he was, Any- how, the process was dull in the ex- Lreme, “With k had sixty muck persuasion J: strung into line, some march to Metemneh, Charles Beresford and Sir Stewart and staff, with many there to see the Naval more, brigade and Italy, 1 ¥ is a pret from used in macaroni y steady call for English can article, and will be till we have as good wilch stock and as rich pasturage as they possess in Great Britain. The leading kinds are old Gloster, Cheddar and Stilton. The two latter are small cheese flat at each end.” “Where are most grown?’ “In Spain and Italy, alt are grown in the south of France, They are prepared for shipping, however, mostly in France | houses send buyers yearly through Italy to contract for most of the olive oll is mills for the purpose “Are anv mushrooms put up in country?” “No; they are ali brought from France, uflles are seldom called for, They are used only to give piquancy to fcwl or game stuffing, Soalls are asked for but by a few epicures with foreign- acquired tastes. Sardines are shipped from France when not from the coast of Maine, although no genuine sardines are caught § of he olives $ 1S hough some ATge yul Spain and the crop. The made in Italy, being common, *’ this name are rank and coarse, Teas are more largely Chinese than Japanese.” “Where are capers grown?” “In France, but they might just as well be grown and bottled in this coun try, for they are nothing tore nor less than the nasturtium seed.” “What do vou consider the most im- portant commodity of the American grocery trade?” “Coffee, by all odds. People could better do without sugar than without coffee. You may think that a strong statement, but it is indisputable. The Americans are a nation of coffee<rink- ers, of the entire product of the world. No breakfast table, shether in the abode of complete without it. To many persons it is more necessary in the morning than food.” i A The Jadge and the Innkeeper, Among the anecdotes of Judge Wal ton, of Mame, is the following: Early Alfred to hold court, and called on Landlord Berry, who offered him his | best room with a proviso that after ex- Judge Howard's arrival he would have to put him in another room. ‘Well, what room?’ asked Judge Walton. Ie was shown a little seven-by-nine den, | would not want it. ‘Wily not?’ asked | Barry. ‘Because,’ sald Judge Walton, | here?’ asked Mr. Berry, who was not | quick to take in the situation. ‘Why, | nobody,’ said Judge Walton. ‘A Judge | can’t stay in town and hold court and sleep in the street; he must have a i room.’ ‘Oh,’ said Berry, ‘1 will see,’ | Ho saw-—and was conquered.’ He told Judge Walton be could have his best room. At the end of the term Judge | Walton gave the landlord this advice: ‘Court week is your harvest. If you want a long term and to make lots of money, make the judge just as ocomfor- table as you can, He has power to break up the court just when he pleases; but if he is made comfortable will ing Jum as long as he finds anything to 0, Poole per Mile, Norway has the smallest number of inhabirants to the square mile, with Russia second, of all the countries of Europe. Portugal has 1,084 women to every 1,000 men, the largest prepon- country. derance of an 1,027 women to every combs next, wi 1,000 men, The greatest surplusage of men is found in Greece, where to every 1,000 men there are only 900 women. was drilbng the contingent, the camels snorted and surged to their feet, spilling and sending sprawling in directions many a brave sailor, the lookers on smiled audibly; even produced his handkerchief and was fur- nishing the fun. When the sailors at length had se- curely mounted, they seemed unhappy. short iurches and swinging of the camels, and wonld have preferred a topgaliant like the The camels also did not appear to respond promptly to the tugs given by Jack wo the guiding headrope which serves as a rein { animal, and the brutes bh against each other, throwing the times into confusion. Tneir with wary eyes to faults of that strove to correct them bj weir men, ‘Hard a port’ or “hard a star One sailor I beard direcue the rope across, as “th better from Another Jack had so loaded his ani {for the march that he was told to dis- and ‘stow it afresh, as camel's saddle had a bad list. Jack, however. was in dead earnest, and meant learning to ride, so the detach ment persevered, The spectators might have. 1 think, recognized this serious- ness. Nota good deal of quiet chaff went on all the same, “The cruelest I have heard for a long time was when the troop got the order to trot, and the sallors wenl jog, jump, thump in their saddles, as if they were playing leap-frog on the camels. ‘Pon’t bump so,” cried a bystander lo one of the sailors; ‘you'll make his head- Jack turned upon his tormentor a melancholy eve, moistened either by a poignancy of his situation or the cold callousness of the remark.” Call : s t hare ere, the vist tha tt} Liang ache.’ A Sant Well, The stratum of salt having been once pierced, a saturated solution of the sa- line matter frequently rises in the bor ing to within eighty feet of the surface. This, however, cannot always be de- creased difficulty and expense, When a casing. [Inside of this a two-inch pipe, Gen, Gordon, sic per? A Mr, Wile Pia: story, fortified by data of his | own observation, is that Bir Charles | Wilson, an officer of engineers, never | having had command, but strong in in- | fluence at the Horse Guards, was under | Stewart who fell at Abu Klea, By a | sheer technical accident Lord Wolseley, in his general orders, not having named | a second 1m command, the direction to | make a further march on Khartoum | came to Sir Charles Wilson. On Wed- | nesday January 21, he was on the Nile, ‘near Metemneh, where Lord Charles | Beresford had two steamers already ex- | amined and repaired by naval artiicers, Before three o'clock on that afternoon they could bave started for Khartoum, but did not go, though their departure | was urged by Khasin El Nus who com- manded Gordon’s fleet, It was high | noon on Saturday before he went, sixty- | nine hours after he had been urged | to start by Khasin El Nus, When he | did go at noon op Saturday, Sir Charles | Wilson insisted on stopping for the night just above the camp, under the | plea of wooding the vessels, which were then crammed with wood enough for many days steaming. Gordon per- ished on Monday the 26th. Wilson got near Khartoum on Wednesday the 28th. Leaving on the morning of the 25th, he was three days on the way, Had he started when urged by Gordon’s | deputy on the 21st, he would have reached Kbartoum by Saturday, the 24th. or at most Sunday the 25th, and | in time to relieve Gordon, Mr, Wil- liams shows that Sir Charles Wilson's orders were peremplory 10 proceed at once, KEven when getting near Khar- toum he made effort to learn the whys and wherefores or 10 ascertain the fate of Gordon, Mr. Williams’ article is tantamonnt to allegations of cowar- The matter is to be brought up in Parliment in a day or two, with the probabilities of a court martial. Lord Charles Beresford and many blue jacke to be witnesses, no dice, ets are willing tl A pr - How Men Bay Gloves, In a fashionable glove store, a sales- woman inquired of a customer: *What “(Give me 10} man, prompliy. ’ young woman did not appear in astonished, nor did she repeat She took a measure from her pocket, made the customer double his fist. and in five minutes sent him away thoroughly satisfied with a pair of 1 gloves, “Not one gentleman in ten Knows what size glove he wears,” s.d the saleswoman, in response to a question; *:but it is one of the rules of the store always to ask him the question. Some men don’t like to admit that they don’t know, 80 they give me the size of their | collar. their shoe, or some such ridicu- jous thing. I knew very well when that gentleman said 104 he was giving me ihe size of his cuff, so 1 took his measure,” “Why didn’t you inform bim of his mistake?" “No use, He would forget in five minutes. Besides, I should have been obliged to argue with him. Most men | won't admit that they are mistaken on | matters of that kind. Some regular cus- | tomers are very queer. One young "sag prides himself in telling his acquain tan ces that he wears a ladies’ No, 8, and he really believes that he does. Another | one always let me measure him and then calls for a size smaller than he can wear. 1 never giveit to him, but he thinks I do, and he goes away i | A prominent actor who purchases here always has to buy two pairs of gloves in order to wear one. His left hand is two sizes larger than his right hand.” please?” * responded the gentle- the least the question. Piatinum and 1s Uses, into the larger pipe, at the lower end of which it becomes saturated with the sa- Line matter: the other at the end of the smaller pipe, to allow the expulsion of the brine. Of coure, the wells become is bad to torpedoes of nitro-glycerine, his engine cannot lift the mass of rus- is foreed into reservoirs, whence it is TE left the coarse grades of salt, The ‘covers’ or vats are usually sixteen by eighteen feet, and the product of each one per vear is estimated at one hund- red and fifty bushels; while the product at Syracuse is only about half that quantity. It is also claimed that the slope of the valley at Warsaw is pecu- liaily adapted to rapid evaporation by the sun, When the finer grades of salt wanted, the brine is led fiem the pan, where Similar treat- ? t H1 Fog? i i | I £ i £ £ ¥ ih i FE ifs E il : i i £ i ; ft i E i * “Isn't platinum found in America asked a reporter of a worker in New York.” “Not to any extent. We do | get some from Oregon and South | America, but not much, and the trou- ble now is that the price is going up while there are no supplies forthcoming. 1t is manufactured chiefly for laboratory use in colleges and elsewhere. sheets and wires are made into small vessels and fine wires for experimental purposes, the value of the metal cone | sisting in its resistence to heat. It takes double the heat to melt it that is requi- red to work cast iron. The articles made from it includes boilers, alem- brics, crucibles, siphons, tubes, wire- gauze, blowpipe, spoons, spatulas, re- | fining siphons and jewelers’ coloring | baskets, 1 supply colleges with these | articles in all partsof the country.” The speaker here showed the reporter a piece of the sheet platinum, It mea | sured twelve inches long by six inches | wide, and was about a half inch thick, Jt had the appearance of dull silver, { and was very heavy. “You might not | think it,” he added, “but I would not | take $1,000 for that piece of metal, Its | great weight is something remarkable, | a8 you see; it is the heaviest of the com- wercial metals,” “What is increasing the demand for Pp um?” was asked, . electric lights, In those of the incandescent description the platinum is used in the globe of the burner, being the two fine wires that axe fustd in the i
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers