i ——————————————— —_ ——— THE OLD HYMN. f sat within a vacant room, A low-ceiled room, quaint-shaped, oak- beamed, With windows looking off to sea, O'er which the sunset’s glory streamed. I watched the far-off flitting salls, And “Half-way Rock” that looming rose A tower from the heaving sea Whereon the scattered isles repose. * And some one near me gently played A dear old hymn that stirred heart; "Twas “Children King," of the Heavenly start. ¢ turn, And I a little child again, Oh! just once more to be that chlld, And know again the blissful rest sleep ‘With pillowed head upon his breast! But only vet a little while, Though earth may call it years that creep, I know he'll come #0 me again, And rock me to eternal sleep. —Mary Devereux, in script. fiboard ine Silver Siar. One rainy night, about half past » o'clock, the train had dashed into Me- Kibben‘s Corners, and the mail had been delivered at the store and post office. John Fairjohn, the postmaster, had opened the bag and counted the letters. There were, as he made it out, just ten had a red seal; and then he had found that he had left his on the newspaper in the back room, and with- out his glasses he could read a line: and so, of course, he had gone after them, returning to find two per- sons in the store—Farmer Roper and Squire McKibben, whose ancestors had given name to the place. “Wet, ain't it?" sald Mr. nodding. “Wet, or not, our folks ain't going to do without their groceries, you see’ said the squire. “Mail's in, I see. That train came near running into my truck, too. Wasn't noticing the flag, drove across just in time to save self. Any letters for me?” “I'1l see,” said Mr. Fairjohn. He turned to the little of en- velopes and them in hand like a pack of cards “Why, only nine,” he said. “I'm sure [I counted right. I counted ten, and I thought one had a res I might as well give up keeping the office if I'm going to lose my senses like that. There wasn't here while I was gone, squire?” “Only Roper and 1,” said the “and Roper’'s son. But he didn't in, did he?” “No,” old think Job came in at all. on somewhere” “Well,” said the postmaster, after another search, "well, 1 must mis- taken. Yes, there is a letter for you-— your folks, anyway-—and something for you, Mr, Roper. And I suppose yon wouldn't mind tossing that in at thes Smiths’ as you pass.” “Oh! no,” said Farmer Roper. “Give it to me. That's from Smith that's clerking it New York, I reckon. Can't get any of "em to stay and farm.” “Your son Job did,” said the squire. “Oh! my son Job. He'd try the pa- tience of his namesake said Farmer Roper. “My son Job! Bah-" Just at this moment the door of the store opened and there entered at a little woman, dressed in a cheap cali- co dress and wrapped in a thin and faded shawl. She looked timidly about the store, still more timidly at the heap of let- ters, and then in an appealing voice, like that of a frightened child, said “Mr. Fairjohn, is there any letter for me this time?” The postmaster, who was a little deaf, had turned his head away and did not know that she had entered, and she came closer to the counter and to the light upon it before she spoke again. She was a faded little woman. and her face had signs of grief written upon it, but she was not either old or ugly yet, and there was something io the damp curls clustering under the faded calico hood, and in the glasses not Fairjohn and "a my - 1 pile told over there's i i SOL one thers, any was Roper i He just said went be to like, even yet, “Is there any letters for me this time, Mr. Fairjohn?”’ she said again; and this time the postmaster looked up. for taking such a walk to ask,” said he, with rough kindness. Wouldn't | have sent It if it had a come, Mrs. Lester?” “Well, you see, I felt in a hurry to get it,” sald she. “You can’t blame me for being in a hurry; it's so long.” “That's true,” sald the postmaster. “Well, better Tuck next time. But why don't you wait? Mr. McKibben wiil take you over when he goes. [le passes your corner.” “Yes, walt, Mrs, Lester,” cried Mr. McKibben. “I'll take ye, and wel- come,” But she had answered: “Thank you. I don't mind walking,” and was gune, “Keeps it up, don't she?’ asked the postmaster. “It's a shame,” sald Mr. McKibben. “How many years is it now sines Les- ter went off 7" vin Pr “Ten,” sald the postmaster. “I know, for it was the day I came here, She was gs pretty a woman as you'd want to see then, wasn't she?” “Well, ves,” sald Mr. McKibben. “Sailed in the Sphynx,” sald the postmaster. “And we all know that the Sphynx went down in that voyag:., all hands along with her, The rest of the women put on widow's weeds, them that lost husbands--four in this town itself. They took what the Al- | mighty sent and didn't rebel. She i get up that her husband wasn't dead, and would come back. She's kept it | up ever since; come for his letters regu- lar: and he was drowned along wilh {all the rest, of coure, ten years ago. She must be 30, Well, she's changed | a good deal in that time.” “Yes,” sald the other old man; "but | there's my son Job, wild over her yet. | He's offered himself twice: He stands | ready to offer himself again any day ready to be a father to her boy and a | good husband to her. He's better off than I be. His mother’s father left { him all he had. He's crazy, is Job— crazy, I call it. Plenty of pretty gals {and healthy, smart widows; and he sees no one but that pale, slim, little thing { that's just going out into the mud; {and she i senses or she'd have him, ta slave to keep herself and the child, lives in a rickety waiting for a drowned Why, every was drowned " man | back ggain, { Charlie Lester Sphynx. There wasn't a | not cne. It was in the papers. i the bottle was found witn it, writ by just ship sunk, vet! yel in soul Now, a letter some And one she's waitin’ ~oint,’ cald the post. only “Crazy on that master. “Well, been married a week when the Sphynx sailed; that a difference.” “Oh, farmer Then, being they wagons, Mr the poor soul, she'd maxes yes,” said the their went Falrjohn, rainy shutters and went to parceis ready, to their and having awhile out stared out into put up his Meanwhile through th night bed, te woman on “Walking off her disappoint ment,” she sald to hee self, It was one she should have been used to, and now the absurdity of it seamed to strike her for the first time in all these years piodded mud. ghie muttered to laugh at me they t “They laugh at me,” know they Perhaps 1 am mad; but ! know what is. Charlie t have left me like that if he had died he have given me some sign, yet, if he were alive, it they herself. “I don’t love wouldn would and yet 3 would stranger are I wrong i{e must be dead.” nd a wugh the news had she gave a cry, been whi hands to her forehead 3 r knees in the road few m little mont nck oments and ihe nlerval ti ¢ nth clouds ‘from ne i ana W some poor There at the dc strong, determined 1 arose as she appro nis hand, Here you come, death. Jessie Lester, this nonsense and a iittle. Think an hour.” “I do think of you." can’t you give up think me, Jessie, for half ’ she said when I must seem so bad to you” Then she sat down on tl Lae head wearily against the wall of over and sat down beside her “Give it a softer resting place, Jea- sie,” he said, “heres on my heart” She looked out into the night, not at him, as he spoke are right, that he went down in Sphynx with the rest, ten years ago. But what good would I do yon? What do you want to marry me for?” The man drew cloger ANSWEr- ed “Before you married Charles Lester I loved you. All these tu since that vessel went in mid ocean, I've loved you. A man must have the woman he loves if he gives his sou! for her.” “What a horrible thing!’ “His soul?” “1 should have said his life” Job. "Il don’t want to shock you. as he years aown said sald to have you. thing for your boy.” “Yes,” she answered. would.” There was a pause. Then she gave him her hand. “Job,” she said, softly, “I shall pre- tend nothing I don’t feel, but I know I've been crazy all this time, and if you want me rou may have me. It's | very good of you to ove me 80." And thus it seemed to have ended, | that ten years’ watching and walitirg, {and there.was iriumph in Job's eyea as he turned away and left her with { his first kiss upon her lips. But at | the end of the green lane he paused j and looked back. “I told her the truth,” he sald, { “when 1 said that when a man loved ‘a woman as I love her, he must have ‘her, if the price were his soul itself.” { And then he drew from his breast a | letter with a great red seal upon it, i looked at it for a moment, and hid it | away again, Married? Yes, they were to be mar ried. Every one at McKibben’s Cor. ners knew that now. Jessie Lester went no more to the post office for her long expected letter. Job was furnish- ing his house— had furnished it, for on the morrow tne wedding was to take place. And it was night again. A { month from that night, when she bad “I know you coma jor the last time, as every one thought, through rain and mud, to make her sadly foolish query, she was sensible at last--very sensible, B8he had chosen the substance instead of the shadow, And now, as we said, it was night, and a wetter one than the other--later, too, for Mr. Fairjohn had closed the store, and was compounding himseil what he called a “nightcap.” of warm water, lemons and sugar, and was sup- ping It by the stove, when there came upon his door a feeble knock, and when, being repeated, he heard it, there staggered out of the rain a drip- ping figure—that of Jessie Lester, the bride who was to be on the morrow, She was trembling with cold, and as he led her to the fire she burst into a flood of tears, “I'm frightened,” she said, one followed me all the way. them." “You've no business to be out alone at night,” said old Falrjohn, bluntly, “And what's the matter?” She looked up at him piteously. “1 thought there would be a letter,” sald she. “I dreamt there was one, | thought Charlie came to me and said: to the office once more. 1 have written, I have written,” And I thought lI saw a with a red seal” "Bo did 1,” muttered oid Fairjohn to himself, He went ters were her in his “Some I heard Go letter the box where the let- and brought them to to kept, hand 1p + yourself.” he an for sald. “And Mrs outer, | old man Remember what your Remem Ten years have band left this pla 1, and you "Look now, 'm Take my advice duty will be after ber gO gone sine If he's all free of him by ut we it TOW Jihad not to are all man drowned He ye board the Sphynx every a good wife this folly. I'll this Don't Roper and forget take time come you home again again.’ “1 seemed it had a red seal And as glancing Ow there, spoke, old Falrjohn, aw a dark shad- grow darker, saw starting up on bh de 118 war, recognized Joo it the door, saw it it enter, fense, if Roper He and, peat he took but, crossing Jessie Leater, man best, even now,” have found a though to- no the whe very pale. and rather than not vd ding day y to his face with a 4, Job,” sald she, man would lose his as mine” sald he ose were {dle words? his hand instant lay in Jesale's lap. happy, and now I'll Fairjohn, 1 month ago off J who glance,” and then the door hind But and never And old Feirjohn read over her shouldes “Aboard the Silver “Jessie, darling I aon't know what makes me belleve that I shall find yom still, after all these years, but something does “Five of island when The unged into hi the next seal tA ween » m Aae yon said stole that the counter it langed be I knew wmte at a him and he was gor Jessie had torn open the letter 1. fs , y looked after him. these were the words she read, Sap SLAT desert down off Us were cast on a the Sphynx went two yet alive were taken to England Jessie, If 1 you 1 shall our knees We must first-—<then home. Jeasgie, do not find you as 1 left Your husband “CHARLES LESTER.” And so Jessie s letter came at last, And as John Fairjohn looked into her face he saw how angels look in Para- gO And Job Job was found drowned in the Kill next morning. Jessie never knew it, perhaps, for she and her boy were on Way New York (0 meet the Silver Star when it made port their to An mmgenions Sounding Apparates Rapid test soundings were required on a railway line be- iron viaduct of Bezons was replaced by an arch bridge alongside. The old foundations for six channel piers were removed to the bottom of the river, It was required that the river bed should be carefully develed. After it had been dredged, the bottom was ex- plored by means of a horizontal bar of iron about 20 feet ‘ong, which waa suspended at each end from a frame work uniting two flat boats in catamar- an fashion. This beam was lowered close to the bottom and the boats were gradually moved along in the direction transverse to the length of the bar, When the scraper encountered no ir. regularity the suspending chain hung vertically, but as soon as either end was deflected by contact with any ob- struction an electric circuit was closed, which caused an alarm to be rung. The boat was stopped and the obstruction iocated by means of sounding poles. In this way small stones, down to a di- ameter of four inches, were easily lo- cated, and the bed of the river was leveled to within that amount of ir regularity. This method proved rapid and successful. 5A FL SN ANAS Likes His Nickoames. Emperor William was recently told that three of his nicknames were “The Traveling Kaiser,” “Alarm Frits” and “Gondola Billy.” “Well,” he answered, “inasmuch as they all make me out a busy man, I rather like them.” n———— NOTES AND COMMENTS. ft is said the debt of Greater New Yorksis already £30,000,000 beyond the constitutional limit, With breeding off and dehorning, will next generation of children be obliged to regard long horned cattle as freaks? Asks the New England Homestead. the present tendency toward Not at all discouraged by the out- come of last season's experimental ex- ports of butter, Secretary Wilson, of the Department of Agriculture, about to resume them on an enlarged scale, It is claimed that the late Roland Worthington of the Boston Traveler, that he first employed newsboys to sell his papers in the streets of that city, and set up the first bulletin to display the news, No other Berlin. large city Is as quiet as Rallway engines are not al- lowed to blow their whistles within the city limits, and the man whose wagon-gearing is loose and rattling is subject to a fine, Professor Galloway, who has no fears of a “coalless England,” in recent lecture at Cardiff, estimated the coal yet remaining in the South Wales coal flelds at 31,6680,000,000 tons, enough, at the present rate of 34,000,000 tons an- nually, to last 920 years, Professor Benjamin Howard is the only American who has thus far been reach the Siberian island where the worst able to of Saghalien, He asserts that tales of the criminals are sent commonly accente hor- this pris I * PXAEEC ration Fations Ech jrora of “It ‘that famous abroad for its prodigiot the London hwoman # geams,’’ 0, the foot, Englis 1s lis Erowing steadily bigger sc much 20 {in fact, that {bave just been granted {pay be age-siie the shoemakers in an in of rease f the ir ause increase in Lhe Sot now Kotzebue sound looms up as the wane of the next Alaskan gold rush, is if is a long from the Klondike, but probably none the worse for that While some of the sound are clearly apo is known of the actual presence ‘in the hands of the Esquimaux Way glories ryphal, er of living tion which is now promised The of old war monitors Ing publicity Ff +d * L3af classic names of some the in the papers are a rem- time, the it into inlscence © subsequent the war then Secret the Navy name these jow lying craft lations tionary, the like when tary of ' took his head ) Te i nr s 1 with appel which suggest a classical dic- such as "Ajax," “Jason.” Life | United 6,000 mill naurance is now in force in States 0 the amount ions of dollars hat las is growing so rapidly t about $250 (60) OO) | increased panies’ as standing on January 1 Habilities amounts “1% increased 1.3560 m IN08, while their %ie 100) at iliong of ¥ urpit 2 near are sig all to E200 (0%) above iy Such results nificant of {teow f growth, {the | | popu! tion) are in The The | mode of sending the message of con- { dolence to the President of the United i i i { 3 yet body of the reat red. Herald rmers Melbourne RAYS | States regarding the Maine disaster | wags by the Australian Pre- | miers now in Melbourne before it was dispatched One or two of the Prime { Ministers held that it should be sent through one of the Governors and the { Secretary for the Colonies, but Mr. | Reid brushed such arguments aside | The people of the United States, he { contended, were not “foreigners” in | the sense that those of France or Rus- gia were, but our kith and kin, so he decided to send the message direct President McKinley. discussed io German officers in Berlin, says Seilf- Cuiture, enjoy many social and other dignities and advantages. But they can never carry an umbrella which is regarded as an unsoldierly practice, nor ride in an ordinary omnibus, for that is beneath their dignity. Emper- or Frederick rode on the first street car introduced into Berlin twenty years ago, and officers are accordingly at liberty to use that mode of convey- ance, But if they take a cab it must be a first class one, and if they patron- ize an entertainment they must do so in liberal style. It is evident that the Germans take the profession of arms as they do everything elise, very seri- ously. A return presented in the Dominion Parliament gives the Indian .popula- tion of Canada as 90.364, and they are scattered through all ita provinces. Nearly three-quarters of the whole number belong to some religious de- nomination, the Catholics numbering 41,813, the Anglicans 16,139 and the Methodists 10.203, the rest being divid- ed among other Christian bodies. Of those not registered in known religious sects about 16,000 are pagans, probably keeping up some form of native wor. ship, but making no particular display thereof and eluding statistical tabula- tions. From an industrial point of view the Canada Indians make quite a respectable showing, their earnings last year footing up about $2.50),000, Another Grand Army colony like the one at Pitzgereld, Ga, is planned. The second one is to be located about six- teen miles southwest of Staunton, Va, on the Stribling Springs property, which bas recently been purchased, at a cost of $100,000, by a stock company of veterans, The capital is £100,000, divided into 1,000 shares, the first pay- ment of each share being $2 and the remainder being paid in monthly in- stalments of $10, Hach share enti- ties the holder to a plot of ground. The consists of 2,000 property acquired ) cottages, and a large hotel equipped with all modern appliances. On the grounds are nine varieties of medicin- al spring waters. The hotel will be used as a sanitarium for the veterans who, through age or other disability, need medical attendance, A rallroad will be built from Staunton the springs, and manufacturing and other industries started, All profits accru- ing from the sale of land or franchises will be divided among the stockhold- ers. Each stockholder will erect a residence on the lot assigned to him, and hig lvellkond, in addition to his pension, will be obtained from the In- dustries tn be started. to Could Have Been Robbed at Home. “I want to expose a game tnat is i going on here in town,” said a visitor { with a bad taste in his mouth this morning. ' “What is the game?” was asked. “l have been lied to and robbed of $000." “You should have reported such mat. ters to the police.” “No; you are a-thinking I'm a-wor- rying about that $600, but I ain't—the being fooled is worse than that.” “How were you fooled? Did soma- body bunco you?” “Yes, that money was a sure-enough bunco, but the other was the worse—they lied to me.” “In what way?” “Well, you see, 1 came here to Den- business ver, from the East, and a couple of fel lows were showing me around up in a high In Pike's Peak, and T hey and I wanted After to drinking and 1 mi took ifiding ne howed me tty bh ty bad {to get a peep at that pre go! money." “Pretty who trusts “That ain't it for that-—for the m i if they had {this we my mean trick you else "What did they “About the Peak me mad, They sh of Pike ago, Suct ers ought be here just to see Pike } what makes owed m Peak { instead iscovered just a minute {Oo need to have robbed, right { Denver Times perie nee Making Wood Rims for Bicycles wood have beer] stean they are submitted ire They of which cave surface of the outs the rim per machine stained the spokes, The wood must be perfect, and not the lathes, one ide, and anoth convex surface of the inside of the After passing on to the sandpa smoothing, they are and varnished and bored for and are ready for shipment. for least defect or discoloration is allowed to pass. Much of the machinery has been designed expressly for this plant, and the machines, as well as all the steps in the construction of the rims, require the supervision of skilled me- chanics. —8t. Louis Globe-Democrat. Little Tables In good housekeeping, as in nature, nothing need be wasted One might suppose that an old chair had a legi- timate ending when the seat was guile gone, and the rungs falling apart. Yet the four legs will support a square board. and, when the whole ig stained and varnished, there is a most useful littla table for the porch; or, painted white, it may become a stand to Keep close by the sewing chair and hold the work basket. A second table may be evolved by using the longest spokes of the chair back as legs, only in this case the shape of the table's top had best be triangular, and for it three legs will be sufficient. This will make a very small table, and need not be stained of painted if a bright cover is thrown over it; but its most convenient use will be to hold a light tea kettle at four o'clock. All these handicraft triflea should be handed over to our amateur carpenters—boys and girls for it is the right of every family of children to possess a wool chest and a work bench set in the garret. A tool chest ig an excellent investment ig a household. New York Ledger. A——— S———— C—O. A Useful, Strong Paste. This article, so useful in the home, can be depended upon to do duty well, if prepared as follows: In half a quart of warm water dissolve a small tea- spoonful of alum, and when it cools add enough. flour to make it into a thin paste, Stir it till smooth, then add a pinch or so of powdered resin, and pour on to the paste half a cupful of boiling water. When well mixed and thickened, turn into a receptacle with a cover, and store in a dry corner of a cupboard, When required for use, soft. en a small quantity with warm water, ~Philadelphia Times Le The New Orleans Pleavune says: All sections of this glorious country are now a unit in sentiment. The U, 8 now means US. THE STAGE DRIVER'S BLUFP. Aairbreadth Stories of Accidents F4l.28 19 Awe Pssenger With Suicidal Notions. Ar we left Bandy Gulch for Rising Bur. there were six male passengers to go by the stage, and the route was over the mountains and full of chances of disaster, relates a correspondent of the Atlanta Constitution, The driver came out from breakfast as soon as the stage was re. dy, and looking about on the passengers, he selected a small, pale faced man and invited him to elimb up beside him While the pale faced man was climbing the driver whispered to the rest of us “I picked him out in order to scare him to death. You fellows will see a heap of fun before we've gone ten miles.” Two minutes west of the Gulch the road made a sudden turn, with a shesr fall of a hundred feet to Wild Cat Creek, and the put nis horses at the gallop and said to the man: “We may get arouna all right, or wa may fetch up down below. Hold yer breath and say yer prayers’ The passenger and id not change countenance, and, after making the course all right, the driver rather dignantly demanded “Didn't you that off run within a foot of the edge of the preci- pice?” "ht the reply down driver made no move fh wheel an within six inches, sir!” was Jeyond that curve was a down grade a flour Pre i \ irged h of a mile of his horses to a dead run side had every and with a yell and ish whip the driver in The five of us ju- for dear life, and to hang on at socmed half minute bound to go over, “Did yer know that if we'd rock dead men sf Li the slags struck a we'd all been in 2O me? “Of “And “Not Three or CONTI ye wasn't at all” on the tried his another In his make a close call of it one wheel ran off the 1 Bia. the four further mil man determin os driver with curve, ation to edge of the precipice, and only a effort of the horses saved coach We were flung in a heap and frightened half to «eath, but the man be lost a puff of safe the den side the driver never When things him with was a brink of graves.’ was the quiet reply ever his cigar were driver turned “That, “Guess it on surely was," will The closest shave you comes.” 11 have till the t one Yes.” “Boe idk what sort of a “Don't here, now you?” was the query know critter ar you to git skeart? to scare + 5 Tyre 13 Gd happened yet conveniently y here intend A Pair of Trained Goldfish. illiam ¥. Simon, No. 485 East 46h has a pair of trained goidfishes They are of the Japan fantail variety and four years old. He began training them when they were very small, and now they perform many remarkable and amusing tricks. One of them is leaping through a ring. This he sus- pends by a cord in the natatorium, and at the word of command they jump through it after the fashion of a dog through a hoop, back and forth, so long as the ring heid in position for them, Mr. Simon also has taught them another novel but more intricate feat. It is no less than going through the figures of a quadrille. This, Mr Simon says, required a great deal of time and a vast amount of patience, but he was finally rewarded with perfection in the unique performance. As there are only two of them, they cannot be said to perform a quadriile proper, bat they go through all the movements of the genuine article. “Forward and back.” over and back to places™ “swing corners,” “grand right and left” and “all promenade’ are rendered with the utmost precision. Ww Street is ACTORS The Mosguito’s Sting. The bill of a mosquito is a complex institution. It has a blunt fork at the head and is apparently grooved. Work- ing through the groove, and projecting from the angle of the fork, is a lance of perfect form, sharpened with a fins bevel. On either side of the lance two saws are arranged, with their pointa fine and sharp. The backs of these saws play against the. lance. When the mosquito alights with its peculiar hum §t thrusts its keen lance and then enlarges the aperture with the two saws, which play beside the lance until the forked bill, with its capillary arrangement for pumping blood, can be inserted. The sawing process ia what grates upon the nerves of the victim and causes him to strike wildly at the sawyer, What They Calicd a Chicage Street There was once a street on the North Side called Gostba There was once a street on the North Side called Geatie. There was once a street on the North Bide called Gothie.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers