Edwina's Letter. My dear. doar Mr. Weather man, Oh won't vou please turn off the rain? We've ivi so much, the whole world’s tired Or else 1 shouldn't now complain, 1 can’t wo out from morn "till night, And win so cross (Hin I stay, Sly mamma save, “children and pigs Are dreadful on a rainy day!” I should think your wa'l wou'd be dry, Don't vou think "twould be as much fun, Mo just burn off this rain some d 1y And fi BER stead tire on the sun? And Aunut Janet says, if the sun You turn on, why just keep it it For she s an artist and can’ paint, On these dark days one & bit 1 of We all ike you. but we're | andinaming This cain, still my de I says bo find faults n its fo Seis’ these Lines from Edwina, Marviorie Muchmore. CAN'T AFFORD IT. HY GERTRUDE LENNON. i. Can’t afford it Mary! But you might if you would only think so; pleaded the young wife. Can't do it returned the hus- band emphatically, It would cost at least ten or twelve dollars to put up such a gate; the old bars will do very well. No they won't Walter, the neigh- bor’s children very often leave the bars down, and then stray cattle come into the garden. We may lose more than the price of the gate in one hour, if a cow should get in while 1 am away. 1 should like to know who leaves the bars down said Walter threateningly: Dut we could shut of 1ts own accord with weights, or a spring, suggested his wife. John Niles has got a gate put up in yard, I am not Nil wish you to remember. is us large as yours and his wages are not so high. open, John es my dear, 1 afford it, at rate not at present. Aud with this Walter started off to hls work. Walter Gray was a young about thirty, an industrious mechanic, any and had an interesting family. He meant to provide well for those he did so. comforts of which he felt obliged to de- prive them, comforts which at they really needed and which in the end might prove a saving. nes: had he feltable to grant these lit- thought so with sound judgment the sequel will prove, The gate which his wife had been the entrance of the garden circle of the house where there was only a pair of short bars. The children often through there and sometimes left the way open behind them. In , Were many ways in which wers apt to be left down and Mary Gray had very often to leave her work to drive cut the cows, It was only by the garden was saved from utter ruin. She bad spoken to her husband several times about it, but he always made the same answer “‘he could not afford it,” she must Keep her eyes upon the spo! and see that the Lars were kept in their « place, Only a tew days after this Mr, irray asked hier husband it he would uot take a pew in the church for the following year and he toid her that he did pot think he would, But yon can aflord to take half a one; we can get half of Mr. Niles for three dollars, I can't afford it was Walter's reply ‘and it would do us no good, Dou t say that Walter, Suppose everybody should feel like that you surely wouldn't wish to bring up your children, where there was no religious instructions. And if you reap the LeneBts of good Christian inst tutions you certainly ought to help to support them, So I would be willing too, if I could afford it, but I can’, Mra, Gray looked very serious and seemed to hesitate, as If thers was a subject on lwir mind which she felt delicate avout broaching, but it had occupied her mind too long and she determined to let it out, Waller she said, a litt"> tremalously, but still resolutely, you have $15 a week. Yes. And how much of thas does it take to keep us, 1 don'ts know, Lam sure, I only know it takes it all to feed and clothe us and pay the interest on the house, 1 have put had a new dress since this summer, and I was reckouing vp jes terday how much we had spent for the children and found it was only ten dollars for the last six months, I have worked over some of cousin Charle’s clothes for Johnnie, and Jennie takes Mary's dresses as soon as she outgrows them, That's all very well replies! Walter, a little testily. 1 know my business best and I know what I can afford and what I cannot, while I have the paymen's to make on my house, | must . Ek : And I would have you economize re tured his wife, but do not forget that all is not economy that many cull so, 1 think to rent the half of Mr. Nile’s new would be a great source of comfort and lasting good. It would be a few dol- lars laid out to good advantage, sure to return to ourselves and children at heavy interest. Stop, said Walter, you have said enough, [ know my duty. Let me say one word urgel Mary, There was an earnestness in her tone which caused her husband to stop and listen, If you will give me (ive dollars a week, I will agree to furnsh all pro- visions for the household and clothe myself and the children. 1 will do this for the year. This will leave you ten dollars to clothe yourself and make your payments on the house, You cannot furnish food and clothe yourself and the children for the sum you have named, he said, Maury sat down and made known to him what had been hidden in the mys- teries of her housekeeping, She was not long in proving to him that during the past year the items were within said mits ¢f expenditure. Walter said, pooh, then added nonsense, and then he left the house, There must be some mistake he sald to himself after he had got away from the house and he really believed there was a mistake, Have a glass of something Bill? come Tom have something. Don’t care if I do said Tom and Bill, Ned, and Ned says yes, so the clerk prepared four glasses and Walter paid for them. Let us have a game of poo! for oys- ters says Bill after the day's work was over. The game was played dnd Walter they did not need it, so i more harm than good, Have a cigar Walter? asked | Walter said yes, and in return pald for ia gla s of ale, One evening they met after ! who should pay for the beer, Come John, | UY. | Nol think not sald John. You'd better, it’s only for | five if you come in. I can't, *'it is no use asking him i sald Walter in a rather sarcastic tone.” { He beer for does not spend his money that way. Johr’'s face flushed and his lips trem- | bled, but he restrained the bitter words his tongue, Tom loud hear. Tight that were struggling He is a mean fellow said enongh for him to bark on a tree sald Walter In an equally loud tone. John heard the re marks, but did not come back. on as The four men remaining tossed up | i and the lot fell on Walter and Tom. {| Then they tossed it off and it fell upon | i Walter who paid for the beer, i : Waiter started for home about nine and on his way Was over- | taken by Niles Walter, said the | o'clock he latter, In a kind, but earnest tone, I want to speak to you, you have wronged me this ¢vening and I want you to understand me. For | { the opinion of the others I care little, | i but I do not wish you to misapprehend ime, We live so near together and 1 ion, was sensible of the fact that his com- | panion was one of the bey’ neighbors in the worl i, Yousaid I was mean. No no, it was not I, that sald that, bark on the tree, Walter could not deny that, so Nies proceeded, I refus d to join your little party for hree reasons, either of which should have been suaflicient to deter First, 1 had resolved in any such games, Soacoad, I do not drink beer, ard third I could not afford to pay for your extra supper if the lot had fallen on me, a slight tings of disbelief In his tones, No, returned the other, I could not. I used to be ready for any such game and I thought it would be mean to re- fuse, but I have learned better, Let me tell you how TI first came to see the folly of being afraid to spend my money for nothing. Shall I tell you? Certainly, returned Walter who already began to see something. “Well sald Niles,” one morning as I was going away from home, my wife asked me for a few dollars, She wanted Lo by some clothes with it, I asked if she could not do without It, I had only five dollars with me and I hated to let ong of them go. She sald she needed the eloth but f 1 had not got the money she could walt, 1 knew she was disappointed but I thought she could get along and I went away, Thal evening | went into the saloon and we had a five social time It cost me just three dollars. I paid the mousy wil. lingly withou! even a thought of objec tion, and then I went home, When I entgred the hall I heard my wife trying to pacify our oldest child, The little thing had expected a new dress, which had been promised to her, and she felt bad because she bad not got it, Walt urged my wife, papa has not got the money now, but he will have it by and by and then you shall have a pretly new dress, Poor papa bas to work hard, The words smote me to the heart, | could not afford two dollars to dress | child, but I could afford any amount for thie useless entertainment of others, The money that my ueedy wife could not get when she asked for it 1 had pala away for nothing, Bat 1t taught we a lesson. 1 opened my eyes, and I have kept them open ever since. On the very next morning I gave my wife the money she wanted, but I did not give any for beer that day, I had pot dreamed how I was wasting money when | allowed my funds to proper channel, 1 soon fount afford every comfort that mv wife und children needed, So 1 stick to the princinle whizh has proved so bene- ficial to myself and family, All what's that? There is an animal in your garden Walter! They had reached the garden fence and by the dim starlight Walter could see a cow trumpling among his sweet corn. The bars had been elther let down or left down and a stray cow had got in, They drove her out. The beast had done considerable harm but Walter was not angry for he had something of more Importance to think of. He went asd sat down beneath the apple tree and pondered. Bless me if he has not put the case down abont square, he said to himself, at the ead of a few minutes meditation, Is it possible that I have beea spending over $20) a year for beer and other nonsense | wud yei I cannot afford to get a new | gate nor take a pew in a church where my family could receive religious in- structions. Walter Gray I had better turn over a new And leaf, that astonished two parties. He had a and be refused to toss and thereby | thirsty ones, Course up astonished a crowd this and by the expiretion of | new blessings that were dawning upon him. He discovered | his family demanded and arriving at tiose things he coull not | ford, easily { have been so foollsli: a i he had something left, { first It must be a mistake, bul when { his wife went with him over the hous: - hold expenditures and all that was peeded had ght and { paid for he saw just how It was, that for years he had been wasting his sub. stance showe | that been bou and depriving himself and loved ones of the comforts they needed, not intentionally but through mistake that Fane couse, Nomel mes, even can't afford phatically too, Lut the he did =0 no more, now, Walter Gray leads thousands Lesh »Us in it, and then he says it em- not when his comforts and is for Joy nor when the poor and needy ask for Lielp, for he can well afford all that. It his wild reckless com panions ask him to join them and by 50 doing rob his family of their sub- tance, Then he says, *‘I can't $s Ye t is when --—- A Bower of Flowars. Pots intervals bunches of chrysanthemums fastened with ribbons. of the parlors were arched wity ferns | and white chrysanthemum, garlands of the samo were festooned about the walls, white roses, white geraniums and chry- The door ways canopied the mantels. A gigantic hors | shoe of ferns and white flowers marked ont the floor space where the bride and | groom took their positions, and a floral | bell of the samo | their heads. Louis XIV, period lay on every table, | aad ware presented to his gnests in at- | tendance. The bride earried white | orch.ds and the bride's maids white | FORGS, —————————. ws The Court's Fool. John Heywood was fool to Henry VIII, having been introdaced to the king by Sir Thomas Moore. Mary Tudor had a great regard for Heywood, who indalged in much audacious talk. Bold as were his sayings, few of them appear witty. A landlord asked him: “How do you like my beer? Is it not well hopped?” “So well,” replied Hey- wood, “‘that had it hopped a little fur. ther it would have hopped into water.” Dr. Doran, in his “History of Court fool,” gives several specimen’s of Hey- wood's rymed epigrams. One of them is perhaps worth transcribing. os A AIS A There 18 no reason wliy a good cow should not be kept in as clean condition as a good hore, even Ly the application of the curry comb and brush, The color of milk does not indicate its yuali y any more then ths color of the shell indicates the quality of the egg. So says Professor Alvord, There Is no good reason but lack of knowledge anu skill why every pound of butter made in the country might not be prime, if not fancy. A.~1 sent you a bottle of wine, Did BO, 1 got it. Alt Loy od, B.—Weil, 1 should say it was mow. You sent it by a messenger boy, | LIFE OF SHOOTING STARS. Myriacs of Little Meteors that May Have Wandered for Agas. A small body, perhaps as large as a paving stone or larger, more often per- | haps ot as large as a marble, 1s moving | round the sun, Just asa mighty planet i revolves in an this small object will move round and yound in an eclipse, with the sun in the focus, There are at the present moment, we find in “The Story of the Heavens,” | inconceivable myriads of such mete ry moving mn this manner. They are too small and too distant for our telescopes, and we can never see them except under extraordinary cir cumstances, At the time we see the meteor ic is usually moving with enor- mous velocity, so that it often traverses a distance of more than twenty miles in a second of a time. bduch a velocity is almost Impossible near the earth sur- face; the resistance or the air would prevent it. Aloft, in the emptiness of space, Lthele Is no air to resist the me- teors. It may have been moving round and round the sun for thousand, perhaps for millions of years, without let or hindrance; but the supreme moment eclipse, 80 streak of splendor, In the course of its wanderings the body comes nearer the earth, and within course begins to encounter the | surface of the atmosphere with | the earth Is mclosed, with the appalling velocity of a | meteor, a plunge into the 8 usually Even | upper layers of air {lug fatal, though the are excessively 1dend clieck the y, almost as a rifle bullet i be when fired into the water. tenuated, yet they su t would As th He veloc meteor rushes through the atmospher i the friction of the air warms its sur- | white hot, and is fina'ly driven off int Yichit % Light, or two hund “Oh, lvok! vapor with a brilliant { on the earth, one exclaim: star.” below, suouting -_— Exposition Finances, The mde been the statements which have time to U about of the Pi somewhat masles from me financial success § fier tion are ding are to understand by financial that the outlay was directly relmbursed | with a profit, It evident long review of the exposition and its | results by M. Yriarte in Le Figaro, A summary which was printed in the is The financial to the na- attained or anticipated. benefits direct indirect tion and to the city of Paris are evident but there was turn to the subscribers of contributed, except | Guarantee Association. | fifths of the total funds { uted by the Government the city of Paris without expectation { intention of reimbursement, That fac { will have to be kept mn mind here In and nage w No ee f+] case of ithe Nearly enough, the cap in the { three. y of France and 0 ¥ i 4 » comparison with the Paris | Lion, | Apparently the financial scheme of Paris Exposition has not {clearly apprehended in this country, | and it may be interesting to restate it { briefly. The entire fund for expenses was raised in advance, the estimated requirement being 43 000,003, The | whole affair was under Government { direction, anll the Minister of Com- | merce and Agriculture was the Com- { ms