————————— ww A AA ATI RAINDROPS, The raindrops fell—each drop a living soul; Joyfully they left their cloud home, Rushing downward, through the un- known, - And some fell on the parched ground, And gave new life to the grass: And some Into stately, grand-souled rivers, and were one with them: And some Into laughing streams, leapt and danced their lives through: some into the deep, wild ocean; some Into stagnant pools—the quick-souled raindrops. when they were tired the wind stooped down and carried the raindrops home, —Margaret Crowell, in Lippincott’s, And And And Gentieman J's Las! Job BY HENRY RAVENCOURT For years I have been a profes sional rogue, living by the exercise of my wits, whenever I saw an oppor | dinary Iaborers, my worthy self among the number, dropped in singly, at dif ferent times, and were then cared for inside, and kept concealed in apart ments arranged especially for our use, All our tools were brought to the place In cases of merchandise, therefore, attracted no suspicious no- tice, The distance from our starting point, the bank was only a little over sixty feet; but to tunnel this out In the night, entirely underground, arch it, and wall it with boards, and make it se cure—to smuggle in the things we needed, and get rid of the dirt and rubblsh—was a slow and discouraging undertaking, which required a deal of patience, nerve and pluck, and the incentive of a fortune to be reach- ed in the end, to keep our confeder ates down to the laborious work, And then, when this was all done, after the nlcest engineering ealeula tion and weeks of toil, we were only fairly ready to begin the task of plere ing a which was deemed im its makers, and good safe by which idity, care and skill of the best mech unsuspecting individual to my possession, My pals know Jim,” because I in me have fashionable garb and tried as to ap gentleman, It is not necessary for the purpose of my narrative that I should the exact locality where my last ad ventvre took place, don't need to told; if you know, the information would deo you no good; and therefore it will be suffi cent for that it was in a thriving town Hampshire County, Mussachusetts. In traveling about the country, on a prospective tour, I came to the town In question, and found, other things, that it contained a flour ishing bank, built of stone, a story and a half in height, standing on a small plot of ground, entirely detached from any other structure, Some casual remarks and Inquiries, Judiciously made, revealed the that It contained a burglar-proof sa in a and that it contained deposits ranging neighborhood of a lion of dollars. It way so secure even to chman; pregnability because of increased should have in “working “Well,” 1 sald to myself, ing to find way into and if I succeed in shall have money me in a life of long time.” The first thing. after having settled in my mind that that treasure was to penetrated, to the means to accomplish this purpose. In the first place, it necessary that should der cover—and under cover for a long time-—for It was no slight undertaking to penetrate a hard, wall of several feet in immense casings of be cut out and re could reach the treasure; to done known in the community, in the hours of night, honest tizens were peacefully resting from tae tolls of the day, Fortunataely, or unfortunately, ac cording to the light in which the mat ter is viewed, the nearest building to name be io in me Say busy among stone vault, quarter was regarded as a place in every against the need services and this bell pleased me very 1 safety the + the we plant.” my getting to enough maintal luxurious vault be was devise we work un cetuented stone thickness, and stee before iron moved, this and be by men unseen and un dead while by a man who had not been OVer Pros perous in his business, and who willing to sell out the same at a rea souable figure. But I did not go to him and offer to purchase. I had a better scheme than that, for 1 did not wish to be further known in that community: and so | put on the airs of a rich gentleman, having more money than I could rea sonably spend, and after a week or my hotel hill with a great flourish and went away, deeply regretted by my distinguished acquaintance, and more especially by those who had prof. ited by my lavish expenditure. I had a very faithful, shrewd and industrious pal, and [ immediately sought him and gave him full in structions. the dry goods store | speak of had changed owners, and Robert Carpen- ter, a quiet, honest, thrifty looking in dividual had put out his «ign, and be came a stald, sober, church-going citizen of the thriving town, ready and anxious to sell anything, from a s.lk dress down to a yard of tape or a pa- per of pins, You may possibly think that a dry goods store, open all the week days to all kinds of customers, from early In the morning til nine o'clock at night, was not exactly the place for working burglars to visit and remain fv for weeks together; but It was Just because nobody, not even the lynx- eyed police, had the least suspicion of anything of the kind being con- cealed there that this particular es- tablishment became one of the most perfect “blinds” we could have chosen. Where so many came and went, a stranger, even If seen, was not liable to attract attention and set gossips to whispering of something unduly strange. ‘But great care was taken that strangers should not be seen there, Our confederates, disguised as fare mers, mechanics, train hands or or. We had forced an which had exposed the rear of the safe, and several attempts to make a its formidable wall, but for hours the stout re our efforts, entrance, breaeh in and all After various experiments and many hours steel sisted was suggested that we should try the softening ens of heat, and a blow-p and ful heat upon a given point. pro pe was used to di rect concentrate the most power long time, 1 slight After being Kept for a found we impression with our best un we could make some tools a "re scarifying, so to speak-—and, though wins we felt en aged to proceed. tediously slow, “Continual dropping will wear away a stone,” is a Xim a i as ti hills; constant ing HS :.4 i and rubbi: portion of the began feel thu of the It w plate a violent tld paused in nti uation, as finally had reached blow w Wot bu gtorexeener, $ : Ruown in rtiawith kK. who was a resident left in | given out had Rone Boston new goods. Next ranged the cellar of outskirts aledd Hoved to each New York. end dezvous in East These details fixed upon for Coney agreed Ke routes, Houston having the fol the Sunday ime of robbers thirty hours good our for flight night came favorable dark were to our pose, being and stormy ised they were though we men now up to that degree of excitement as we stood the thin, frail barrier which only divided us from a fortune, that we trembled, blanched and shook like so many frightened culprits J I before At length the hammer was raised, the signal was given, the blow was struck crash through the thin plate of steel the fron was sent, crumbling the shattering the Inner and per mitting our bull's-eye lantern to flash through into the great treasure Bo excited were we that it ficult for any to CAsINg, was dif one resist the shout for ntterance, in a few minutes a space was made large enough for one of us to through, and, then was exposed our We found that in were I ought to have been contented with and might have got off free, as my companions did, but what will not a greedy man do? could only open with powder, and, be ing an expert at that business, { deter mined, against the ad my coin panions, to see the inside of It, I accordingly prepared for the work, while they were busy fn rewoving the treasures already secured, It chanced that | was alone In the bank when I set off the fuse, expecting only a slight concussion; but {he pe port was louder than I anticipated, and the effect was terrible, The safe door was blown open, and I was left unharmed; but the report of the explosion was heard by a private watchman In the vicinity, who imme diately gave an alarm, which brought crowds of people about the bank. The rest Is soon told. My compan: lons succeeded in escaping with thelr booty, but, after a desperate resistance, I was arrested. A speedy trial fol lowed, and, of course, | was convicted, That bank robbery was Gentleman Jim's last job. I am in prison, and not until ten years hence, If 1 live, shall I once more be at Liberty. «New York Weekly. jee of A MARYLAND BOAR HUNT. migated Shortly, On the farm of Mr. John Donnell Smith, on Spesutin Island, there Is a They wild and vicious and have thelr lairs In the cover of the marshes, which they rove at will. Spesutia Is land is about six of this miles south fertile land, but, in addition to this, there are vast marshes between it and the mainland, The island is divid- ed Into three farms of about equal por the Smith farm being on the extermity. Several years ago of the the farm neglected and allowed to Inhabit marshes, They bred there and now they are unapproachable. Notwith standing the great loss of thelr pro- geny by drowning In high the herd has increased, At first little the animals, but their numbers tions, lower some hogs on we the tides, attention with the and flerceness, Mr, Smith has concluded to exterminate them, particularly thelr depreda- tions upon the crops are doing great To nocturnal farm, had reaching a hore, vas pald to increase In as visits waler damage. the prevent to Mr. Smith consid but he found that it was only amusement for to in a helleved 1 erable distance from s these It around heavy that a them swim even erally but a of the ROAWAY, hog until short distance front hoofs ot these boars comfort Mr. Smit soaingt MEANS may of ¥% fk 3 f thao many ol $ these tnx x3 and haunts Mr. Smith 8 #h 1 $3.8 Gan there af tir t. the me Lord Russell He asked wi vished the law?” , and calmly The restaurant ; the Lord gardi the i of finishing their seeing ig law, London fashion Wise Heads on Young Shoulders have wise heads fittle shoulders, Here's an example that is really true: Three little girls were fifteen cents each, by their fond mammas and allowed to go to a church lawn party recently. The next day they were digcnussing the event In much the same strain that their older sisters would do. Said one little curly head: “1 think those ladies were real stingy with their cake. They only gave us one little bit of a plece.” “Why, we could buy a whole loaf of at the bakery for five cents “And did you see that lady give her own little boy three volunteered third, “But then we had a real nice time and got nice large dishes of jee cream,” continued the first speaker in turn “YX en, Some children wot on their diminutive given ." chake pieces?” and my sociable, ‘cause it's to help them,” added another of the trio, That last remark settled it with three little maids. Worcester Spy. chureh allowed for foreign correspondence, Russian stamps having been substi tuted therefor. As a protest the Fin- ish people have adopted an unofficial stamp, nnd this they are using instead of the Russian stamp, Of course, it is not recognized as postage, but its use calls attention to this downtrodden people mourning for the loss of their untioual privileges. For many years past (since its connection with Russia) the Grand Duchy of Finland of which the Czar is Grand Duoke—has enjoyed its own coinage and postage. The postage has now been practically tak- en away, and the coinage may soon follow suit, FARM AND GARDEN NOTES. INTEREST ON ACRICUL. TURAL TOPICS. ITEMS OF Feed Pays—Witch Crass Experience Odors In the Bread and Skimmilk-Ete., Ete, Hogs Fattened on Corn. production of lean meat By judicious does The Usually the pigs are turned on clover and given a mess of bran and milk allowing apples, or any food, When sufficiently grown they are pen ned up and given ground oats, bran, succulent I'he meat will be interspersed with fat and will more per market fat bring very lean in than hogs The Crinding of Feed Pays. In the majority of experi ate trials by farmers, ments, and in numerous priv it has been proven that well to it pays crush and grind the fead given to and mais, To the trouble to look } Ye oid } one who takes the into the matter, readily be int the Witch Crass Fxperience. f old land was 2 " “Ve ¥ LEE Were aa i Aloe! qirecily over heaps of hen manure and wood ashes, if an egg after | incubated for a tens days shows cloudy but with no living germ in it, we may that the eggs were fertile, but 3 1 weg or . RUPE killed] in or bj sOImMe way, chilling or he germ haz been by foul air ther cause, perhaps Bread and Skimmiik. The Maine Experiment Siation has been doling some excellent work In in vestigating the digestibility and nu tritive value of bread and the value of skimmiik for cooking At the dairy meeting of the Maine Board f Agriculture in 1807, a paper was read setting forth the value of skim. milk as food. The admission is made that taken by itself it rather thin and does not “stay by.” but this is ae ounted for by the fact of its belfig so assimilated as not to satisfy the sense of hanger When eaten, purposes in ing, It has a value not ciated by the farmer, contain about of nutrition as a at all appre Five pints of the same pound of is more nutritious than a of aysters, srate a large number of dishes that can be prepared with skimmilk, stating quart purposes, it is practically as valuable a8 whole milk. Owing to a belief in this and cospecially In bread making, some interesting experiments been conducted at the Lonves bread and skimmilk were ing mixed in the early evening and baked the next morning. On each on casion the skimmilk bread rose slowly, requiring two or three hours more than the water bread. The water bread gave a whiter and lighter loaf, but the analyses showed the greater nutritive value of the milk bread, The differ- ence In the carbohydrates, or fat-form. ing constituents of the bread, was slight, but in the protein, or muscle constituents, the milk bread showed a decided advantage. The average of the three experiments showed for the water bread 1475 per cent of protein and 10.068 per cont for the skimmilk bread. Bread or cake made with skimmilk dries out less ra than when water fs vsed in dough. Double Purpose Animals. ! There are cases where the farmer | makes his animals serve a two fold | purpose and thus obtain a profit from | them where they might be kept at a loss if there were only the one source of Income from them in the too often despised ox team, One of these ix if to have a good yoke of three-year-old spring, and them for both spring and fall plowing, drawing in hay and®other work In the summer, feeding liberally all the time, and after the fall work is over put them up and stall feed them until about Christmas, he can sell them for beef at a higher price than they were worth in the spring, and for more than thelr the cost of all grain given We have and thus work team March practically without but a little hay himself he Ox team ise much sometimes cost and the done from them HO we had our until November, any cost given at work, Ifone raises them three-year-old with plow or enn Lave a mt will is KO00 walk ne the such a machine, drag we the be by horse, and work bull « purpose quickly BAVerase team on The dovrhle ur an to BEIYEe i a tread-mill by workl much ol wiern MNtates ain br line with trunk 1. Paint inch in dian EW gas tar or grafting wax 8 Never cut the main a tree if ad the outside, This or th linseed oil AWAY branches but thin crowd an be quick Iy done with the pruning book on long pole, and little or no Injury will result, while if the large branches are cut from trunk the tree is weak ened and soon dies or is broken down. 9. Cut off dead branches as soon as discovered and cover the wound with paint te prevent further decay. 10, In training young trees, start the | branches low: the trees will grow bet be avolded of ont the he when it becomes od, from 1 ! the fruit will be more easily done, and the cultivation ean be as well and cheap ly done with the modern acme or the head were higher, while the trunk of the tree and the ground under it will | be so protected that growth will be | better than If more exposed. Controlling The Hessian Fly, The great loss of winter wheat in Ohio the past winter makes it apparent that farmers either find some or go of the winter wheat business, means have been sugested, wit none will prove effectual unless | all the farmers in the neighborhood adopt the same plan, The most im: portant is thorough preparation and | fertilization of the land so as to pro vide the most favorable conditions for strong and rapid growth. Early fall plowing, repeated barrowing and drag. ging until the seed-bed is thoroughly pulverized will do more to counteract the effects of insect pests than all other means combined Another important item Is sowing late, say the first to the middie of Oc tober. If sown early, the adult fly, which resembles the mosquito, lays its eggs in the sheath of the blade near the base. The pupa develops and reaches the flaxseed stage late in the fall. During all this time it is absorb. ing the juices of the plant. In April sr May another brood appears and this process ix repeated, the flaxseed stage af this string brood being reached just efore harvest when straw falling re- out Various amitg If the seeding is d laved nati @ October, many of the flies will have deposited their eggs In the volunteer grain where they will do but little damage, An additional help is to sow stripe of wheat early, say the last week of August, The eggs will be deposited in this which can then be turned under. Volunteer grain serves the same purpose, provided it is turn- under and the and rolled, If it od ground harrowed Hessian boee early seeded how- wheat inte as all. not for the Inte would not for general rule, fields yield best, in growing fly. advisable, were seeding as a It the to 10 is necessary, oy winter us Crop mneh of territory or, BOW get an Agriculturist, in order at possible American Short and Useful Hints, Rome kicking cows are the result of ked Too ki COWE, much corn meal 8 injurious to young chickens, The h the early maturing animals bring in early returns, Vegetables when kept in cellars should be kept « ool Many Winter season by being kept too damp. pumpking are lost during the dark will ns the nests the li Keeping i from what crop you take always CONSUL ! dea of “NO grass The Prank of Cellege Girls. tty story ha ju ole of tal stole a one as about to be married A week before for the up to her eyes Lime bride there mitt wedding was came about wi, a smart pull at lowed by the entrance the bell, of of that The n hostess a dozen her classmates, who announced they had come for luncheon = ural of the at this unexpected addition to her family consternation were assuaged when each girl pro- duced not only the component part of a most meal, but dainty in dividual and sancers well, When the merry feast was ended the delicious cups Ee dozen cups and saucers were left be. hind as souvenirs of the occasion. Nor was this all. Carefully wrapped in tissue paper and tied with baby rib- bon in the Berkeley colors, blue and were all sorts of small kitchen conveniences —egg beaters, potato ricers, larding needles, a set of silver and the like. These were stealthily tucked into the interstices of the wedding chest, which was being the happy college days comradeship. — “ ni. A ——— - A Bleck Sea Depths. hs The explorations of the depihs of the condi- The greatest depth found is 1.- A freshwater surface through the into tion, circulation. depths are constantly quite stagnant, and they are 20 Im hydrogen that no life is possible beyond 100 fathoms. Water from a depth of 300 fathoms smells like rotten egge. Thus the bottom deposits, unlike those of the open oceans, are barren of life, and they show the further extraordi- pary difference, unknown elsewhere, of an abundant chemical precipitate of carbonate of lime, A Falling OH in Chinese Gods. One result of the Chinese outhroak, #0 far as Birmingham is concerned, says Tit-Bits, is that the manufacture of Chunese deities is falling off. These manufactories turn out gods of all sorts and sizes. Some are gods of war, judging by thelr stern looks and murderous swords; another, with a bland look, is a god of peace; others bear hideous leers. All are thoroughly Chinese in character and expression,
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers