SPRINGTIME, ——————— CLOSE T0 Gettin’ close to springtime-~know it by the way The sun is streamin’, in the middle of the day; Know it by the river that is lazy'in along, An’ the mockin' birds a-primpin’o' their feathers for a song! sttin' close to springtime—know it by the signs: Hear it in the whisper o' the maples an’ the pines: Feel it in the blow o' the breezes, singin’ sweet, See it in the daisies that are dreamin’ at my feet! Gettin’ close to springtime; hope she'll come to stay, Got a million kisses for the red lips 0’ the May! Wearyin' to meet time For the tinkle of her footsteps an’ her rhyme! —[Frank I. Stanton, tution. ROTHNCE OF HELRET “‘But uncle, 1 love my cousin! “Get out!’ ‘‘(zive her to me.”’ “Don’t bother me! “It will be my death!” “Nonsense! you'll console yourself with some other girl.” “Pray 2 her list'nin’ all the in Atlanta Consti | | I went on handed sword. toward me, “What is the matter with my father?’ she asked; ‘‘he seems to be angry with you.” I looked at her—her eyes were so black, her look so kind, her mouth so rosy, her teeth so white that 1 told her all—my love, my suit to her father, and his rough refusal. 1 could not help it—after all, it was his fault! He was not there; 1 brave his anger. Besides, there nobody like timid persons for display- ing courage undey certain circum- stances. My cousin said scouring my double- Rose came quietly is nothing; 1 she only were as red those of May. I checked myself. ‘*Are you angry asked, tremblingly. Rose?’ She held out to me her hand. that, my heart seething with audaci- as with me?’ | ty ug to bursting, and brought his fist down upon the counter with a heavy thump. “Never!” he vou hear what I say?’ * And as I looked at him beseeching- ly and with joined hands he went on: A pretty husband you look like! cried: “never! Do at? into housekeeping! A nice mess | should make of it by giving you my daughter! It's no use your insisting. You know that when I have said ‘No, nothing under the sun can make me say ‘Yes’! I ceased to make any further appeal. I knew my uncle—about as head- strong an old fellow as could be found in a day's search. I contented my- self with giving vent to a deep sigh, and then went on with furbishing of a big double-handed from point to hilt, This memorable conversatio pltce, in fact, i f my ma- ternal uncle, a well-known dealer antiquit ies and ojects d'art, 53 des Claquettes “Maltese Cross of curiosities. The walls seilles and old ancient cuirasses, kets and picture frames; below were ranged old cabinets, coffers all sorts and statues of saints, one- armed or one-legred for the most part, and dilapidated as to their gilding; then, here and there, in glass hermetically sealed and locked, there were knickknacks in infinite variety —lachrymatories, tiny ring precious stones fragmenta of mar- ble, bracelets necklaces, models and miniature ivory statu- ettes, the yellow tints of which, in the sun took momentarily a flesh-like transparency. Time out of mind the shop had be- longed to the Cornuberts. It passed regularly from father to son, and my uncle—his neighbors said—could not but be the possessor of a nice little fortune. Held in esteem by all, a municipal councillor, impressed by the importance and gravity his office, short, fat, highly choleric and headstrong, but at bottom not in the least degree an unkind sort of man— such was my uncle Cornubert, my only living male relative, who as soon as I left school elevated me to the dignity of chief and only clerk and shop man of the ‘'‘Maltese Cross.’ But my uncle was not only = dealer in antiquities and a municipal councillor—he was yet more, and above all, sword rusty took n the shop o in tue at the sign of the -3 perfect museum were h Rouen sabres un these o, of CRs urns, ngs, Crosses, of love. To come back to the point at which I digressed : the sighs which exhaled from my morning. Suddenly he raised his head ; 5 o'clock was striking. “The Council!’ he cried. When my uncle pronounced that august word it made a mouthful; for forehead and added, in a tone of su- preme relief : *‘No, the sitting does not take place before to-morrow—and I am forget. ting that I have to go to the railway station to get the consignment of which I was advised this morning.’’ Rising from his seat and laying down his glasses he called out : “Rose, give me my cane and hat!” Then, turning toward me, he added, in a lower tone, and speaking very quickly : “As to you, don’t forges our con versation. If you think you can make me say ‘yes,’ try—~but I don’t think you'll succeed. Meanwhile, not a word to Rose, or by St. Barthel- emy, my patron of happy memory, ¥'ll instantly kick you out of doors !”’ At that moment Rose appeared with my uncle’s cane and hat, which she handed to him. Ile kissed her on the forehead; then, giving me a last but ¢'aquent look, h from ths shor “Rose, I swear it! 1 will be your her head and added : “Oh! 1 unele is self. self-willed and he must be forced to say yes ' I will force him to say it! “But how?’ asked Rose, Ah! how? That was exactly the jut matter; I would find a way to surmount it! At that moment ¢ sounded in the street. Instinctively we moved away from each other; I returned to my double-handed sword and Rose, to keep herself in 12 with a corner o apron a statuette faded red velvet case. My finding us together, he stopped short and looked to the other. We each went raising our heads Here, take handing me a bulky parcel from under his arm. And she shook ins know that my no Counte- f |) little in it uncle entered. Surprised sharply at us, from one on rubbing without this,” said my uncle A splendid purchase, you'll we The subiect did not interest me the least. I opened the pareel, and from the enveloping paper emerged a steel hel- met-but not an ordinary helmet, oh no !—a superb, a monumental morion and pointed The 5 and 1 tried to discover what pre it from being lowered “It will have got out of order,’ said my uncle; “but it’s a superb piece, and when it has thoroughly ned and touched up will look well—that shall be your to-morrow’s job.’ “Very good, uncle I mu not daring to raise my eyes That night, on reaching my at once went to bed. 1 o be alone and able to think at my Night i said, and I had great proverb should prove true. But, after lying awake for an hour without reeeciving assistance, | off to sleep and till next morning did but dream the oddest dreams. 1 saw Rose on her way to church in a strange bridal costume, a fourteenth century three feet high, on her head tier than ever; scene changed to moonlight, in which innumerable helmets and pieces of old china were dancing a wild taran dola, while my uncle, clad in plete armor and with a formidable halberd in his hand, conducted the bewildering whirl. with gorget visor of isor was raised, § d strange form vir t vy EEIAN not go down-—the hinges or been clea rmureda, to his. roon was eager i ease, brings counsel, it is "at #3 need that the any fell nothing 2 CRD, but looking pret- then suddenly the COMm- came to me. The helmet and watching me: but 1 give me his daughter. At 8 o'clock Rose went into the country, whence she was not to return until dinner time, in the evening the threshold she could only make a sign to me with her hand; my uncle | had not left us alone for a single in- stant. He was not easy in his mind ; I could see that by his face. No doubt he had net forgotten our conversation of the previous evening. I went on rubbing at my helmet, “You have made it quite bright enough—-put it down,’ said my uncle, I put it down. The | gathering. I could not | than allow it to blow over. | But suddenly, as if undertaken by | a strange fancy, my uncle took up { the great morion and turned and ex- amined it on all sides, “A handsome piece of armor, there is no doubt about it; but it must have weighed pretty heavily on its wearer's shoulders,” he muttered; and, urged by I know not what de- mon, he clapped it on his head and latched the gorget-piece about his neck. Struck almost speechless, I watched what he was doing—thinking only how ugly he looked. Suddenty there was a sharp sound «ns if a spring had snapped-——and-— erack !=—down fell the visor; and there was my uncle, with his head in an iron cage, gesticulating and swear ing like a pagan! § could contain myself no longer, and burst into a roar of laughter, for my uncle, stumpy, fat and rubi- cund, presented an irresistibly comic arance, hreateningly, he came toward storm was do better “When you have done laughing, idiot !'' he eried. But the helmet swayed so oddly on hig shoulders, his voice came from i% in such strange tones, that the mor. he gesticulated, the more he yelled and threatened me, the louder I laughed, At that moment the clock of the Hotel de Ville striking 5, was heard. “The Municipal Council!” mur mured my uncle, in a stifled voice, “Quick! help me off with this beast of a machine! We'll settle our busi- ness afterward!’ But suddenly, likewise, an idea—a der than a lover? Besides, I had choice of means. “No!” I replied. My uncle fell back two paces in ter- ror—and again the enormous helmet wobbled on his shoulders, “*No,”’ 1 repeated, firmly no “1'H not hand of my cousin Rose!’ elongated visor exclamation, had came not an angry done it!" '—=I had burned i you do not consent to do what I ask of you,” I added, ‘‘not only will I not help you off with i= but I will call in all your neigh- Muni- your he inet bors and then go and find the cipal Council! fold! *The uncle » ' YORE cried my hand Of I repeated. i+ be would only 10 by force that vou would made orlv } 2 t i i i say ‘yes —say it neighbors, The unel le me sinking » raised his arms as clock was still Decide body if coming Well then — Yes my uncle, jut On vour word of honor? word of honor! way, the my uncle s at once I cried ! murmured make haste On my Ihe piece also i visor gave head is. sued from durance, red as a poppy. The t at the league in the Muni and Just in time, chemis corner, a col x Council, entered his shop, Are } they will be be without us. youu coming? I'm coming.” repl And without up his hat and cane a: The ne vanished forgive me, At dinner time | took m right hand ooking at » Look walked out. Inv hopes had Ms uncle would sure iv not { i § Xi oment al n : Vv piace at table on his low spirits ate little and said not hing. It will h tl thought Rose looked at come with the dessert me, and soting her eyes. As | had expec dessert over. my uncle lit his pip< raised his head and then — Rosowraome hore! 2 Smee ! nt to him, Io you what t y psked me to do vesterday and Rose did we know hat fellow ther I trembled like a leaf the same. “To give him vour hand,’ Day you love him?® Rose cast down her eves, “Yery well on this side the added. continued mv unele case is «¢ ymplete, Come here, you. : he I approached | “Here 1 am wh I added and, in a YE 24 is ¥, » 2 oF FUICKIY = Orgive sper He burst into a hearty laugh ‘Marry her, you love her, and | give her to Ah !=tinele!” ‘Ah l~dear papa!” And Rose and 1 threw into his arms. ‘Very good! very good! wiping his eyes, Be all I ask.’ . And in turn he whispered in my ear “I should have the same, you bi the story of the then, donkey-——since ie you ourselves he eried, happy: that's iven her to vou all 2 a h but A nd never told it little wife, if ever you pas: I'll show you my uncle's which we would never sell.—{ From the French. Drilling for the Kaiser One of the most useful as it cere tainly is one of the most interesting, of all the exercises in the German army is the swimming and diving drill as it is practiced at the military swimming baths during the summer months. It is compulsory only on the pioneers, but privates of all arms are encouraged to practice it by small money prizes and prospective promo- tion. The diving takes place from 4 considerable height. The men taking part in it are clothed in uniforms of the oldest and least valuable descrip- tion, and accontred with “‘dummy’’ kits of precisely similar size and weight to their ordinary equipments, Under the direction of the military swimming-master the men mount the steps leading to the diving-platform in rotation, and at the word of com- mand each takes ‘‘a header down be- low.”” After a mere or less prolonged interval the pioneer private ‘bobs up serenely’’ and generally (eontrary to the expectation of the uninitiated stranger), without having lost his helmet or rifle and without having disarranged his accoutrements, strikes out across the bath for the landing- stage. The pioncers are also in- structed in the towing of piles, stuxes, baulks of timber and trunks of trees into tion for bridge construction wf Chicago Post. un SAS CRE FR JESTS AND YARNS BY FUNNY MEN OF THE PRESS. Statistics~--Consoling News--Henry Eto. BTATINTI A The man who takes in discussing labor questions got on the subject of pauper labor, “I find by recent statistics said, ‘that a weaver in Germany gets 60 cents a day: farm hands in Bel. gium 40 cents; a thrasher in Turkey $0 conts : “Gosh! exclaimed a sporty young interrupting the talker i thrasher in Florida gets 50,000 times that much. ‘Rah for Corbett!" —{ De- Free Press, pleasure he CONRILING NEWS, of distracted “Have vou any tidings yet the mother of the chief of police, “We have discovered, madam, that he enlisted for the Brazilian war.’ “Thank heaven for that!’ she ex- claimed. “1 was afraid he had rushed into danger.” —{ Judge. my gon?’ asked Ome HEXE EXPLAINS, She was waiting for him Gathering her brows like gatheri storm Nursing her wrath to keep it warm And when began he entered the roon This is a nice time | mtr pho =k now pted my dear I'm | “hut 1 i Club had—er—hig fate hastily interru could help it discussion on ‘And what dem Mors r—who had the female beauty do fed the ireful wife I was the most beautiful the - thority on female beauty W hy don’t you take t. Henry? Let vou. It's awful eold out I think v 1st be half Half a minute CRESS nseonced In had sou to with Vv one there, El Wife An w—@pe course best a al off vour over- On fe siip- ie gel your pers for | froze Henry wa 3 CARY Cf yOu mi ater is IRI LP v York Press I DIN feet putting 01 SER. lea y da : filuvor th wed w wis pe | Indeed Away ihe Dad reais ‘oung Wife - diffidentls 1 Mint for it order to take tasts ns 1 sea Mrs Mrs quickly, t Teall All (sold Wy if at ti ago Record ie OPPRESSION LR rusty Rhodes—id you de > new tariff from bring clothing fre Willy = Yes dat Yent a ele R250 worth of Wanderi: “Y - makes me I iden ig over all London ee dis i a ike which of not to brit Iothes we needs frog permittin us 0 cull, till | t price de ¢ wich taymor ER0US ne bloks for Mor thiy de POINTS Ew TWO Mabel — Terribl: weather we have been Madge—I thought ant. Mabel—But I have a perfect dream suit for wet and sloppy days have to OF 3 disagreeable having it rather pleas. of a and | Puck no chance WORr if, ee NOT ENOUGH. Pike—These tests of the new battle ships are all right so far as they go; but they dosn't go far enough Dyke—What would you have done? Pike—Well: if they'd fire at the latest ships with the latest guns, we'd have some idea what stand. —{ Puck like to RENEWING OLD ACQUAINTANCE, “By the way, you remember Miss Krellinger, whom so many of the boys went wild over, don’t you?” “Yes, and I used to think she was a girl who deserved a good husband.” “Well, I married her.’ “You? You astonish me." «{Chi- cago Tribune, KNEW HOW IT OUGHT TO TASTE. ine mineral wat®r. Mr. Gilfoyle—=Why? Mrs. Gilfoyle—It doesn’t taste hor- ribly enough.—{ Truth. NEEDED ASKRISTANCE. Billy Baredues—I've made a bet of a hundred dollars with Jack Chammles that if 1 propose to you, you'll refuse me. Now, if you do re- fuse me, I'll divide with you. Miss Bondstock—And supposing 1 should accept you? Billy Baredues—Then I'm afraid I shall have to call on you to help me pay the bet,—{ Harper's Bazar. DISAPPOINTED, Perdita~Did he kiss you when he ? Penelope-=Yes. : Perdita~You declined him, then, because you were angry? Penelope—Mercy, no! I declined him because 1 was disappointed. {Raymond's Monthly, i THE HoRRID MAN! | Young Woman—Now. Nir, Fewords, fn hunging? is preferable —{ Judge ENGAGING, Shes] consider Mr, Carler engaging man, HoweY eos a very simmer, girls at once, —{ Raymond's Monthly, NOTHING TO CROW ABOUT, The sun never dominions, remarked Jritisher. “England hen,'' responded the Yankee. ‘Why? demanded the Britisher angrily. A hen's —i Life. CIENT Host (to Hawaii he has ertaining at dinner,~—May | native of been ent offer you a toothpick y Hawalia two.- Hallo n--Thanks: eaten How nr ing to write #13 a ” Cnr ortha First rate, 1 1 wit take Spee L§ perfect SHE 10 ie 1% to read my notes — Ch Arn now cago Tribune. FOR A GOGH TIME Vi gogales? His Wifew=Here thes do you want of them: I want to wear about Pull In That i thi Lil retarian-——W here this scarf ms tO my ears my eves y with { the ~ attic BIL NH 10 buy ei Chicago Tribune A HORRIBLE Wiggin ! 4 society mat Tired Traddles—Why ns-=HBecn Trut! —— i THOUGHT a an i iarge deparime drifted woman 3 proprietor « should disn she asked 11 er to og & rid answered And sl quarter « ¥ Bt cont gave hin 1 f seventy wd Petrol GRATIFIED i Kr i i 2 the old song hey the maider 1 heard d then i rose ar Ay the guests with d sa d Ho ras : argument Potts—What? Watis—Fact take back « giving her § a it HER MIND shoeThis He-How VOUr « you said when 1 ag 18 N & roy Harn onvictiions Record OF THI 3 one § ‘hicag ¥ MINDFUL RUSH Joss] wish the football player would ask me for the next dance Joss—=Why have a ¢ i0r #1 + Lala aque Jona] premonition about the call supper is — Puck HE WARTED TO KNOW of this who had became Are you the proprietor restaurant?’ said the man waited for his order until he sleepy. Yes What can ldo for you?’ You can give informa- mn. I want to know whether you have told the waiter to stay away so that you can bring in a bill for lodg- ing against me. '—{ Washington Star, Gir me some 4 i NO ISTERRUPTIONS LIKELY. Tired Housekeeper—There! The house is as neat as a new pin at last, I am going to take a nap. Try not to disturb me with your play, my pets Little Brother—~What shall I do if any one calls? Little Sister~~No need to bother about that. No one ever calls when things are clean {Good News. A Story of General Thomas. A new anecdote concerning Gen. eral George H. Thomas, the hero of | Chickamauga, was related the other | evening by Rev. Russell H. Conwell, | He told it to illustrate how the valor of obscure soldiers goes to swell the fame of the great generals. ‘I sat next to General Thomas in a Tennes- see train shortly after the battle of Lookout Mountain,’ declared Dr Conwell, “when a crowd of soldiers on the platform began cheering for ‘the hero of Lookout Mountain,’ ‘Stop that confounded noise!’ indig- nantly demanded Thomas of his ad- jutant. I don’t know whether these men are in earnest and making a mis- take or whether they are guying me. The fact is, if I had had my way the battle would not have been fought When 1 heard of the proposed attack it seemed exceedingly foolhardy and 1 ordered the abandoned ; but, in spite of me, while 1 was Jp tate A CURIOUS INQUIRY. Do Men's Faces Grow to Resembile Thoze of Other Animals. There is a very carious point con- nected with the more pronounced animal faces—namely, those in charge grow to be like them. Thus, a hostler in charge of iramway horses has himself a fine Roman-nosed horse type of head, growing day by day more like his horses, Men in charge of cattle on the farm become i 4 remarked that the sheep-breeders resemble their own rams. I cannot explain these singu- larities, which, however, are wholly or partly true. The sheep type of man is not in. great is usually found in remote agricul- tural districts, The bulldog char- acters in man denote courage with- but in lndy—ridiculously it has often been intelligence, and it the case of her favorite pug dog~—with nez retrousse, the re finement was ne Th or Lapps, in the water that a i like iw wanting. Esquimaux are 80 like seals man has been shot of both, as the head only appears at surface of nf in error, the wistful expression countenance being common to the I have seen a g bear man in the wizened, bat-fuced old n Brittany. examples that might iplied a hundredfold motony of reit- without Interest there is work couple hundred years back, which deals with this very The writer was a Professor at Padus: the treatise is in Italian or possibly Latin, and many curious woodcuts illustrate the work 4 f the angles of nn i to strict ie the water la lackit comfortable looki train, and a woman once These are be mult were it not for the It remark tant, m i® not that dating a 10 a OE- of subject 8 iving and mensure~ ig various facial an wa asl, acc ing ment. For my part, I do not profess to ex- plain the strange resemblance between man and the inferior brute creatic fact. Were commenting on WM it is enough to the Buddhist these thi note it a priest he might explain the n Fe of transmigration of souls, At Colombo I once observed a yvellow- priest leave the footpath ix { ie oul of ants crossing the road. a sin for him thing, for who 2 what some ver It wonld have Kill omou heen 14» any living would say im- t« might be imprisoned ir y Such a one n etty ifii ri ght build the subject « a pn t of these cas- between man and and bird Each existence t be the foreshadowing of the one tion of one whieh theory upon | reseml COR by fl fie or the refled The series of lives exhibit the evolution a ages out of the spirit working y through untold approaching that when Nirvana to each spirit entity in f Of er certain gradu- refinement of nl existence the contem- P f the should be as- the calms al bliss Retrogres- he atoms of whirl of Il Gazette when in the astral Microbes Carried by Bullets. Some i teresting g experiments were Mesmer, says the rifle bullets had been infected with germs of a ito tin boxes from dis- 225 to 260 metres metre being nearly 8 feet 3 3-4 Inside the boxes were placed developments were found in the pep- tone (which is a great growing medium yr microbes) would be presumed to from the bullets. The it come result that in each case germ growth took place corresponding to the par- ticular microbes with which the bul- In another series of investigations the bullets were made to pass through infected flannel before peénetratilig the gelatine, the bullets being of the ordinary kind. Here, again, microbic growths appeared in the gelatine, showing that the flannel had yielded up its microbes to the bullets as they traversed it. If non-infected and or- dinary bullets were used, the gelatine developed only the ordinary germ life, such as the air contains. The bullet is, therefore, a germ carrier of very decided kind, and it is also clear that if clothing is penetrated by a bullet prior to its entrance into the tissues, the missile will be liable to carry into the wound it makes the bacteria resi- dent on the clothes, A new means of earning a liveli- hood has been opened up to the citi- zens of Buffalo, N. Y. The Buffalo Enquirer says: @During the recent South Buffalo flood two young men in that part of the city caught not less than fifty good-sized muskrats. The pelts of the animals’ are worth about twenty-five or thirty cents each, ard the boys reaped quite a harvest. A—— BLAH ES Tur Hartford Journal protests that men who pay no attention to ‘‘shus the door’’ signs in winter invariably close the door in hot weather, or in hot wea Tur Hummel! family, of ; EL Le ayn Harald he their sister, who. disap:
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers