A PROSAIC SERENADE. ————— Oh, come, my love, to your window now! € The moon is shining clear, 4nd the night wind softly fans my prow, As | stand singing here. { am picking away on my old galtar, As 1 warble my little song, But you know I'm a sufferer from ca- tarrh, So I mustn't stay too long. Dh, come, my love! Look down on me From your chamber window sweet! There isn't a soul around to see, There's nobody in the street. fhough across the way a complaining man Is begging me to shut up, And the fellow next door, as fast as he can Is loosing his brindle pup. Oh, come, my love, to your window, quit, For soon ! stan have to go. { was almost hit just now by a brick That I saw your father throw! { love vou, dear, and my love I sing In the most melodious way, But it's dangerous here and to life I cling, And, so, oh, —Somery my love, good-day! ille (Mass) Journal, On (Me Edge Of the Flood. As the al which I first ran raiiroad on ogcomotive h floats, tracks is equipi barge-like boats, heir decks, whi {or tran ing r« may be enabled ake them ilar “slips” and “'t see in house, of the | » is f 3, while to connect ads. switch the cars on ar » floats, ti ridges” The istened to the the ath great mn end hat the hoss #£n Occasional blunder, bridge, ove while an something lays; there yy the super be have sattie discharge TT ea fown happened worked had, 1 super 3 formation well, } to be distur could find owe 445 bk A young engine greeable things He feels his di just how long hands, man, much unn irritating “knows it the nity frei iro feel learns to with My partner's fireman started off long, irrelevant harangue, rth impression that he was imparting val- unable information to me, but my fireman appearing, he, too, finally took himself off. : engine. time, and as ‘forewarned fore armed,” you may be sure [ kept sharp lookout for switches, signals and moving cars. The crew make no allowance for the fact that a man is green. On the con- trary. they are inclined to be slack and careless for that very reason, thinking that in case of accident it will be easy to place the blame on the green en gineer. 1 got that float loaded prop erly, but the mental strain put a slight tension on my nerves, which I would not have acknowledged for worlds, The conductor told me I might as well stay right where 1 was; for, he said, a float with emply cars was iu the river, waifing to come in as soon as the loaded one should get out; then we would pull the “empties” off and reload her. That was where 1 failed to assert myself when I should have done so, The engine lay quite close to the river end of the bridge, and as the tide was low the grade was pretty steep | ought to have replied: “I guess I'll pull up off the bridge, anyway.” And 1 ought to have done it, too But I did not. The conductor was an old hand at float work, sol took it fur granted that he advised the usual is a id not like te say or do anything to cause remark. The fireman and I lit cur pipes, rest ed our heels the boller butt and sottled ourselves to take it easy until the float arrived. The loaded float had pulled out of the slip, the yard crew had gone over to the yardmasters office half a mile away, and we two were alone on the bridge with the en. gine, We were chatting pleasantly, and listening to the lapping of the water about the piles in the slip, when the fireman suddenly cried in a startled volee: “Look out! be in the river!” I had carelessly left the reverse lever in the back motion. As unconcernedly as possible-——my dignity being at stake I told him not to get rattled, 1 dropped the lever ahead, closed cylinder cocks, and gave her a steam. She stopped at once, and resumed our conversation, I, mean while, keeping a sharp watch through the fireman's window on the the bridge to see if she moved again for my mind was not cuite easy, She had a leaky throttle, all locomotives have. There heavy frost, and the slight movement had landed her on a frosty the rails, The cylinder cocks being closed, the leaky throttle allowed ulate the cylin on alde of nearly WAR as spot on team to in its the the accun ders until pressure ficlent to Overcol adhesion her eet wen “Whir-r-r!" she rails open. I shut I instantly he stopped iw} , but when he began to roll slowly va I applied the steam brake, but no effect The brake's froze! disappeared The locomotive *= tL an fireman yell and jumped of small coal box (:lancin back window already aj water ype i black It was 1 Was exampie ment take are vas an awkward cab t thing I had in an the throttle int slipping ur til the bridge 1 sh ing at the 0 obser or cold water i 4 OM, I had pumped ner full to prevent her blowing and tha fire box wide open for the purpose. At the rate that 1 was using ee door was same th th would Just short I could see the px the gauge walking back steadily, e pressure only a vary time. throttle carefully in until the engine almost came to a standstill Then, fearing that with the rapidly to start again, 1 yanked it frantically out, repeating the operation. The tug now had crosswise in the slip To close the furnace door [ must ladder of four rungs, and probably fal! over the shovel or the hook. Where would the engine be by the tims | could get back to the throttle? Why had that cowardly fireman deserted me? Why hadn't he brought help? Or why didn’t the crew, hearing the nolse the matter waa? It gseemed years left. I saw a flicker of light under a box car, then a lantern—several lanterns The tug had whistled and the crew was coming. 1 glanced anxiously back. The float was stuck again. I waoted to yell since the fireman [to the crew to hurry up, but was ashamed to do so. They had started when they beard the tug whistle, but had seen that ‘he tide had jammed the float agaln, so they took their time and came down ing their pipes, swinging their "lan terns, and talking and laughing aa if they had not a care in the world, My filreman was with them. My in- digntion toward him rose to the point of fury. My steam was nearly gone, hut, thank heaven! ghe float was moving and was coming steadily ahead the most grateful sound I ever heara-—-she bumped cumbrously into the bridge. I closed the throttle just as the con. ductor—a hig, overgrown booby ahreast of the cab, and leering up where 1 stood, a breathless, perspiring, nervous wreck, he “What you trying to do, engineer— w the stop-block oft?” | climbed weakly down to the | and found that fastened mao {1 asked: gi ridge before leaving the crow : d n 1) | "ny Laere Lor any had 028 the rails an © tie that net was us engine had t as a stop-block wh the 0 length { I'he Op of time ngine had tood a ahemd of it, and as 1 was it 18ly glasge home fr thirteen + 8 wen said she paid wife he ul them and s ivering ti Arre were fo glassware The Oldest Postal System ind the first recorded postal the Persian Empire Elder the unger t is clear that R atic organize ers throu All houses lett numerous proving great Roman cted at a distance five or six miles from each other each of stations forty were constantly kept, and by the help of the relays it was easy to travel 1X in These services were intended for the State only, it being imperative to secure the rapid inter- change of official communications. in the time of Julius Caesar the sys- tem was so well organized that of two jotters the great soldier wrote from Britain to Cicero at Rome, the one reached its destination mn twenty-six and the other in twenty-eight days, Private citizens had to trust to the | services of alaves, and it 8 not till the ond of the third century that we hear of the establishment of a postal aye tem for private persons by the Empar- or Dioevietian, but how long this sys- tem remained history does not say. New York World road At thease horses miles a 4day. The Value of Nickel Nickel is a modern metal, It was not in use nor known of till 1715. Kk has now largely taken the place of sil- ver in plated ware, and as an alloy with steel it ia superior to any other metal, for it is pot only non-corrodible itself, but it transfers the game quality to steel; even when combined w low as five per cent. prevents oxidalwon, Seventeen miles a day Is the average record of a Berlin street car horse, | i NINE TOPICS. «Berlin Woul Cozies---The Sash--Etc., Etc. Long Ruled PIN spri thi aq A NEW In a new safety fg attached the extends a short shank, ending in a sharp point at right angles with the pin to engage the fab- ric as the pin is pushed into position SAFETY hat he pin a vd of distance to JW AGAIN It the GINGHAM Gingham much used the irrepressible hirt proved far more gery lawn or IN STYLE the rage again i8 in manufacture of for it ha waist iceable than linen batiste It comes in all gor of plaids and makes an fs ft id he children Now hygieni mos which and as ful hands girls get into such a i they dread to go anywhere they seciude themselves until they be come hermits Others cannot even go to church bex it makes them The cure air, simple food, pleasant and a cultivation of that great toni the will,” -~Chicago Times-Herald almost ause 4 restiess, Sleep and gocupalion RAG CARPET PARTIES. The rag carpet, afler many years, has returned. [It once again fairly popular, and the rags that for a quater of a century that have beaen going to the ragman are now b2ing treasured up, sinee, if they are of wool, they are almost worth their we ght in gold Why the rag carpet ever did go out of style it is hard to determine, and its reappearance in society is nol difficult to understand. Properly put together | and made of a good assortment of rage, | it is exceedingly pretty, and withal easy to manufacture, all the knack | needed being the skill necessary to out | the rags into strips, sew these together | in lengths and wind them into a ball. | For a small sum the carpet weaver | does the rost. ' : Bathroom and study rugs are the chief uses of the rag carpet of today. | It is not «0 much rag carpets, in fact, | as it is rag carpet rugs. The rag car | pet rug is not large, as a rule. Six is much smaller They clean easily and wear lke iron, These facts e:peclally commend them, there is much sociability in making. A rag carpet party is event, and a “function” long neglected, is coming in again once Fhe girls meet of an afternoon nd rags until five past hen the men, especially asked for the begin to drift in, and there is af It is the modernizing of wing and it amusement 100 a more Ww or haif nour ternoon tea the old time | he Works lous well marvel New ly Herald as an York BIRD odd birds is noticed agal! expensive suminer TRIMMINGS FOR of ma The association on ny hats, choux material r jet or tall s alry violet 0 Wing ad and br NE ’ he ‘ iutijated s on nd na Me ALO who has ven Miss farm of Portia a fernery {wo years unqualified guccess of the five months of a of town nm a her friend Miss in New Hamp carry out plants, "Ot year, goes out which she and Redmond, purchased shire On this farm they neir ideas 83 to flowers and Miss Redmond also being well up on the They lead ar almost ideal 1ife. these two girls, during the summer months and the winter's work geems to Miss Tucker to be merely the means fo an end whereby she can thoroughly enjoy her well-earned rest Mrs. Leavitt's violet farm in Con- necticut is one of the institutions of the country, and it is a buziness start- ed only within the last few years. Her violets are gold for three or for cents anhject or women have tried violet, raising, and almost without exception have FASHION NOTES. ing of your gown are the latest The old rose so fashionable a short time ago is once more in favor, Grenadines in black over colored taf- feta make a most attractive gown just now. Blue, black and brown coverts will mer fashions, match, will add much to your white organdie costume, cloth over i Tan | lace | much with zocavee of applique pink orange, will be this summer and worn red taffeta, trimmed with and mon pink king effe in Dark ple green the str White irimme white « ap- of gal ig8 one ' gpring gowns white taffeta, and satin berege over with white ribbon iiffon, d and i lovely Makers a immer re pretty for walsts puffs veivet ri y 4 tiie | being separa cf be Figured silk #0 much skirts worn with 1 style must be laid longer | and I hw the f hinnably dressed womer uy ne jagnionaniy aires i Women. re stris 4 trip the Bayad« fashionable thing in silks now, and are much worn. ry iH is anoLher grand. mas step from the (ra Among the A YARN ABOLT DESEZTION How the Crew of One of Our Ships Redress- ed Their Greviances walking on good al +411 aii sii Ff +5 of them red back made the Der. their the harbor. ut in the most of the intended down at Tahiti and grow up with the country, and mean. while the ship grew dirtier and dirtier and had a general unworked look Then an American merchant living on the island got the bluejackeis together and talked to them The bluejackets told him that the officers had made the ship so uncomfortable for them that they had declined tp stand it ahd that they had no intention of returning aboard The American, who was a man of tact, went aboard the ship and had a talk with the officers, and then he returned and talked again with the men. He was a pretty good arbitra- tor, for the men returned to the man- of-war in a body in a lighter and went to work Some the old old-time biunejackets i who were ashore at Tahiti on that oc casion say that the remainder of their South Pacific cruise was like Yachiing. it § sailors The Most Valuable Cola. In the estimation of coin collectors the most valuable of all American coins today is the perfect silver dollar of 1804, That particnlar coin is worth whatever an enthusiastic collector is willing to pay for it. The highest auc- tion price is $1,000, and there is a rec- ord of £1,200 having been paid for one at a private saie. Oaly thirteen of them are known to exist, and each has | a record of ownership.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers