7
B. F. SCHWEIER,
THE COnSTITUTIOn THE UniOfl- AF1D Tttu ENF0RCEUE11T OF THE LAWS.
Editor and Proprietor.
VOL. L.IV.
MIFFLINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY, PEN;, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1899.
NO. 2.
' - ;i) s
i" . . f 1 '
' ' - - ..I
r ' .i 'i
CHAPTER I.
Below, a great broad stretch of ocean,
calm as death, slumbering placidly be
neath the sun's hot rays; above, sky el
palest azure, flecked here and there bj
dainty masses of soft, fleecy clouds; and
far inland, a background of high hills,
ci"Th d with a tender foliage, a Tery baby
lt-aiiloin. just bursting into the fuller life.
Toward the west the trees give way a
little, letting a road be seen, that like a
straight pale ribbon runs between the
greenery for the space of quite a mile or.
so. and then reaches the small fishing vil
lage where the simple folk of Glowring
I'estley toil from one year's end to the
other, some in careless Joy, some in cease
less labor, some, alas! in cruel weeping,
tieeaiiM' of those "who will never come
back to the town."
Alimir the white road, that gleams
thirstily in the burning sunshine of this
hot miilclay in June, a carriage is crawl
Ing with quite an aggravating slowness
uu antiquated vehicle of a type now al
most unknown, but which once beyond
doubt "cost money." The carriage, being
nn open one. enables the people as it
passes through the village to see without
undue trouble that the occupants of it are
two pirls; both very young, both singular
ly alike, though in distinctly different
styles.
"It is charming!" says the younger girl,
with a little quick motion of the hand
toward the sweeping bay, and the awak
ening trees, and the other glories of the
landscape. "All charming, far better
than I ever dared hope for; and yet my
mind misgives me. Vera."
She turns a brilliant glance on her sis
ter, full of terrible insinuations, and then
laughs a little. Thus-animated, she is a
very pretty girl, half child, half woman,
as fresh as the morning, and with eyes
like stars. She lifts one slender black
glored hand, and placing it beneath her
sister's chin, turns her face gently to her.
.Such a beautiful face! Very like the
riante one beside it, yet unlike, too. There
Is a touch of sadness round the lovely
lips, a mournful curve; indeed, a thought-j
f ulness too great for her years is stamped
on every feature. A tender, loving, yet
strong soul shines through the earnest
eyes, and when she smiles it is reluctant
ly, as if smiles all her life had been for
bidden to her.
"Oh! that reminds me," said Miss Dy-'
sart. "I quite forgot to tell yon of it.
but the day before we left, Nice, Nell
.Stewart said that tbi r?V -yo apeak'
-f. it he .does eust at all, at all went
does not oo it here."
"Which means?"
That either he won't, or can't, life
with his father. Can't, Nell rather led ,
me to believe.
"Can't itjs, yon may be sure," says the j
younger girl, restlessly. "Fancy a father '
whose son can t live with him! And yet, I
after all, virtuous astonishment on that
score is rather out of place with na. I
can imagine just such a father."
"Well, never mind that," says Miss Dy
sart, hastily.
"Yes. Very good; let ns then go from
sire to uncle," says her sister with a lit
tle shrug. "Do you think we shall gain
much by the change? This old relative ol
ours is, perhaps, as delightful as we could
wish him, and yet I wish father had not
left us to his tender mercies."
"Do not dwell on that," says Vera,
with nervous haste; "do not seek fot
faults in the inevitable. He is all that ii
left us. You know the sndden decision
-arose out of a letter received by father!
from Uncle Gregory about a year ago. j
hen father was was dying " Sht
pauses abruptly, and a tremor shakes hei i
last words. - 1
The vonneer iriH turn. mitfL-1. f lb
at her. There is infinite love and com-1
passion in her glance, but perhaps a littlf
contempt, and certainly a little impa
tience.
"I you know," she says, "it may seem
heartless positively coarse, if you will
but I do not think our father was a man
to excite respect, much less love or regret.
or
"Oh! it is better not to speak like that,"
interrupts Miss Dysart, in a low, shocked
tone. "Don't do It, darling. I know
what you mean, but "
"And I know that I shall never forgivt
or foriret the life he led you," says Grisel
da. with a certain angry excitement.
"Well, that is over!" says Misa Dysart,
with a qtuck sigh, heavily indrawn
"What was this vendetta, this terrible
lifelong quarrel that was kept up be
tween him and father with such monoton
ous persistency?"
"That Iiad to do with our grandfather!
will, i'apa was the eldest son, yet thi
property was left to Uncle Gregory; anc
that for no reason at all. Naturally, paps
was very angry about it, and accused
Gregory of using undue influence."
".lust so. and of course there is a good
deal behind that yon don t know. Then
always is; nobody ever tells quite every
thing. And besides Oh! Oh, Vera.'
Oh! what has happened?"
Griselda clutches in an agonized fashion
st the leather side of the crazy old
chariot, which has toppled over to thf
f I chariot, which has toppl
f left side and stands in a
I pateil position. The anc
V, S'luiiiliiy asleep, had let I
decidedly dissi
dent driver, pre-
the horses wan-
nt thpv e-
result wai
of the wheeh
irly capsized
you, says Miss Dysart,
eanins forward and addressing with earn
est glance and heightened color the young
man who had risen descended, perhaps,
sounds pleasauter and more orthodox
like a good angel from somewhere th
wood on their right, no doubt. A fishing
rod. lying on the road where he had flung
it when preparing for his ignoble battle
with those poor old horses, proclaims the
Tact that lie has been whipping the stream
that gleams here and there brilliantly
through the interstices of the tree.
"Oh. no," says he, lifting his hat, "you
mustn't thank me. It was really nothing.
I'oor brutes, I think they were asleqpt
liey It is hot, isn't It?" TUis last he
ays hastily, as if ashamed of his ani
madversion on the age of the sorry cattle
i'i question their horses, no doubt: and
'here is something wonderfully charming
n the faint apologetic color that springs
n'" cheeks. As he finishes speaking
le .ooks at Griselda so hard that she feels
t incumbent on her to return his glance
nd to say something.
"We thought our last hour had come,"
V B Iter ill tlleir o,u m ii ii .
w- . - . : 1 1
Ing oid and sleepy, too, the
I that they had dragged two
I tip on a steep bank and nei
I the carriage.
I "Oh. thank
ibe says, laughing softly, and looking at
aim a little shyly, but so prettily. "But
tor you, one cannot say where we should
be now."
She bows to him, and so does her sis
r quite as graciously, and then the
horses once more commence their snail
like progress, grinding through the dusty
road at the rate of three miles an hour.
The little episode is over; the young man
settles his soft hat more firmly on hit
head, picks up his rod, regards it aux
lously to see that no harm has come to
It, and disappears once more into thf
iheltcr of the cool wood.
Half an hour later they are at the en
hance gate of tJreycou rt, and practically
it their journey's end. Both girls, with
on involuntary movement, crane their
necks out of the carriage to get a first
flimpse at their future home, and then
turn a dismayed glance on each other.
Anything more dreary, more unfriendly,
yet withal grand in 'ts desolation, could
hardly be seen.
"How dark it is," aays Griselda, I
tervotis thrill running . through her, aa
ihey move onward health the shad of
the mighty trees tharc!usp their arms
between her and thy. glorious sky thus
blotting ic out. f
A sudden turn brigs them within view
of the house. A beautiful old house ap
parently, of red brick, toned by age to a
duller shade, with many gabies, and over
grown in parts by trailing i?y, the leaves
sf which now glisten brightly in the even
ing sunshine.
The coachman, scrambling to the
ground, bids them in a surly tone to
alight. He la tired and cross, no doubt,
by the nnusual work of the day. And
presently they find themselves on the
threshold of the open hall door, hardly
mowing what to do next. The shambling
Sgure of a man about seventy, appeared
presently from some dusky doorway, he
waves to them to enter the room, and,
shutting the door again behind them with
a sharp haste, leaves them alone wits
their new relative, Gregory Dysart
CHAPTER II.
Vera, going quickly forward, movea to
ward an, armchair at the npper end of
the room in which a figure is seated. She
sees an old man, shrunken, enfeebled.
with a face that is positively ghastly, be
cause of its excessive pallor; a living
rornie. save for two eyes that burn and
cieam and glitter with' an almost devilish
"So you've come," he says, without
making any attempt to rise from bis
chair. "Shut that door, will yon? What
vila riranirht! And don't aranri itapinv
! like that, it makes me nervous.
His Tolee ls co'd. clear, freezing. It
eenuj to the tired girla standing before
Q,m 11 Dream oi icy air naa suddenly
fallen into the hot and stifling room.
"Vera, I presume," says Mr. Dysart.
holding out his lithe white hand to permit
her to press it. "And you are Griselda?
I need not ask what lunatic chose your
aames, as I was well acqnainted with
your mother many years ago.
"I feel that I must think you at once,
Lncle Gregory, for your kindness to us,"
says Miss Dysart, gravely, still standing.
Ay, ay. loo acknowledge mat, aays
he, quickly. "I have been your best
friend, after all, eh?"
"You have given ua a home," continues
Miss Dysart, in tones that tremble a lit
tle. "But for you-
"Yes, yes go on." He thrusts ont hit
old miserly face as if athlrst for further
words. "But for me you would both
aave ben cast upon tn worl""s highway,
to live or die as chance dictated. To me.
to me you are indebted for everything.
You owe me mucn- E dy Jou live
Toa BnaI1 owe me moTf- 1 n,T befriend-
ea you; t nave ut-vu me weans oi saving
you from starvation."
If so corpse-like a face could show slgnt
of excitement it shows it now, as he seeks
to prove by word and gesture that he is
their benefactor to an unlimited extent.
The hateful emotion he betrays raises in
Griselda's breast feelings of repugnance
and disgust.
"I have consented to adopt you," ht
oes on presently, his cold voice now cut
ting like a knife. "But do not expect
much from me. It Is well to come to a
proper understanding at the start, and
so save future argument. Honesty has
made me poor, loo have been, I hear,
accustomed to lead a useless, luxurious
existence. Yonr father all his life kept up
a most extravagant menage, and. dying,
left you paupers."- He almost hisses out
the last cruel word.
Griselda starts to her feet.
"The honesty of which yon boast is not
everything," she says, in a burning tone.
"Let me remind you that courtesy, too,
has its claims upon you."
"Hah! The word pauper is nnpleasing,
it seems," says he, unmoved. "Before we
Iiiit this point, however, one last word.
You are beneath my roof; I shall expect
you to conform to my rules. I see no one.
I permit no one to enter my doors save
my son. I will not have people spying
out the nakedness of the land, and specu
lating over what they are pleased to call
my eccentricities. They will have me
rich, but I am poor, poor, I tell you. Al
ways remember that."
Griselda's features having settled them
selves into a rather alarming expression,
II Ns Dysart hurriedly breaks into the
conversation.
"If you will permit us," she says, faint
ly, "we should like to go to our rooms, to
rest a little. It has been a long journey."
Her uncle turns and touches the bell
ear him, and immediately, so immedi
n'elv as to suggest the idea that she has
been applying her ear to the keyhole, t
woman enters.
"You are singularly prompt," he says,
with a lowering glance and a sneer. "This
is Mrs. Grunch." turning to Vera, "mr
housekeeper. She will see to your wants.
Grunch. take these young ladies away.
Mt nerves." with a shudder, "are all un
strung to the last pitch."
Thus unceremoniously dismissed, Aliss
Dysart follows the housekeeper from the
room. Griselda Having preceaea uer.
Through the huge dark ball and np the
wide, moldy staircase they follow their
guide, noting as they do so the decay
that marka everything around.
Sbe flings wide a door for the girls to
enter, and then abruptly depart without
ifferinir them word or glance. Ihey are
thankful to be thus left alone, and in
voluntarily stand still and gaze at each
other. Vera la very Dale, and her breath
is coming rather fitfully from between her
parted lips.
"He looks dying." she says, at last,
speaking with a heavy sigh, and going
nearer to G rise Ida. as If unconsciously
seeking a closer companionship. "Did yon
ever sec such a face? Don't yon think
he is dying?"
"Who can teUr says Griselda. "1
might think it, perhaps, bnt for his eyes.
They" she shudders "they look aa if
they couldn't die. What terrible eye
they are! and what a vile old man alto
gether! Good heavens! how did he dare
so to insult us! I told you. Vera" with
rising excitement "I warned yon that
our coming here would be only for evil."
A moment later a knock comes to the
door.
"Will yon be pleased to come down
stairs or to have your tea here?" de
mands the harsh voice of the housekeep
er from the threshold.
"Here" is on Vera'a bps, bnt Griselda.
the bold, circumvents her.
"Down stairs," she says, coldly, "whet
we get some hot water, and when yon
send a maid to kelp na to nnpack our
trunks."
"There are no maids In thia house,"
replies Mrs. G run eh. sullenly. "You must
either attend to each other or let me help
you."
"No maids!" says Griselda.
"None." briefly.
"And my room? Oh is this mine. 01
Miss Dysart s?"
"Both yours and Miss Dysart's; sorry
If it ain't big enough," with a derisive
glance round the huge, bare chamber.
"Yon mean, we are to have but on
room between us 7"
"Just that, miss. Neither more not
less. And good enough, too, for those
"Leave the room," says Griselda, witl
a sudden, sharp intonation, so nnexpect
ed, so withering; that the woman, aftel
j surprised stare, turns and withdraws.
CHAPTER IIL
A few days later the girls are sitting
in the garden. It la a beautiful day.
Even through the eternal shadows that
encompass the garden, and past the thick
yew hedge, the hot beams of the sun art
stealing.
"A day for gods and goddesses," cries
Griselda, springing suddenly to her feet,
and flinging far from her on the green
sward the musty volume she had purloin
ed from the mustier library about an hour
ago.
"Perhaps I'll never come back. The
spirit of adventure is full upon me. and
who knows what demons inhabit that un
known wood? So, fare thee well, aweet,
my love! and when you see me, expect
me." She presses a sentimental kiss up
on her sister's brow, averring that a
"brow" is the only applicable part of her
for such a solemn occasion, and runr
lightly down toward the hedge.
She runs through one of the openings
in the hedge, crosses the graveled path,
and, mounting the parapet, look over to
examine the other side of the wall on
which she stands, after which she com
mences her descent. One little foot sh
slips into a convenient hole in it, and then
the other into bole lower down, and so
va Wno-feu tiuvu the atx fleet -of -wmli are
conquered and she reaches terra firms,
and finds nothing between her and thf
desired cool of the lovely woods.
With a merry heart she plunges Intc
the dark, sweetly scented home of the
giant trees, with a green, soft pathway
under her foot, and, though she knows It
not. her world before her.
It is an entrancing hour. She has stop
ped short in the middle of a broad, green
space encompassed by high hills, though
with an opening toward the west, wher
this uncomfortable conviction grows cleat
to ber that she is lost. She is not of the
nervous order, however, and keeping a
good heart looks hopefully around her.
Far away over there, in the distance,
stands a figure lightly lined against thf
massive trunk of a sycamore, that most
unmistakably declares itself to be a man.
His back la turned to her, and he is bend
jt over something, and, so far as she can
judge thus remote from him, his clothing
is considerably the worse for wear. A
gamekeeper, perhaps, or a well, some
thing or other of that sort. At all events
the sight is welcome as the early dew.
To be contlnued.1
Chinese Compliments.
There ls one point In which Chinese
etiquette, so often absurd. Is much
more sensible than ours. That Is In Its
failure to regard the Imputation of ma
ture age as a discredit to either man or
woman, or, on the other hand, the im
putation of youthfulness as a compli
ment to persons of either sex. An ex
ample of Chinese politeness, connected
with the visit of the Prince and Prin
cess Henry of Prussia to Shanghai, is
amusing, as It reflects on our own false
notion of the complimentary In such
matters.
The German prince and princess were
visiting a notable mandarin, one of
whose first questions to the prince
this being an invariable matter of Chi
nese politeness was:
"How old are you?"
"A little more than thirty-six," an
swered the prince, smiling.
"Indeed!" said the mandarin. "Your
highness appears fifty."
The mandarin then turned to the In
terpreter Herr Volght, a German
and Inquired the princess' age. She an
swered. "Thirty-two." The interpreter
Interpreted, and the mandarin made a
remark in Chinese evidently Intended
to be complimentary. The Interpreter
blushed uneasily, and hesitated to
translate the remark. The prince saw
the difficulty, and laughingly com
manded: "Out with It Volghtr
"He says," the Interpreter then trans
lated to the princess, "that your high
ness looks like sixty!"
He had meant It well, and of course
the princess had sense enough not to
take it in.
The sweetest type of heaven is home.
Don't shirk duty for pleasure. Do
your duty and pleasure will follow.
Happy is he who can make of every
obstacle in his path a stepping stone
to the attainment of blessing.
wotning aies so Hard or rallies so
often as intolerance.
As long as vice doesn't become a cus
tom, the world is safe..
The highest compliment a man can
pay to the woman he loves is, "The
thought of you is home."
Personal beauty is Uke a letter of
Introduction. If it is not confirmed
on acquaintance, it is worse than vain.
Happy Is he who can make of eveiHupposed to be equally affected.
Qusuivuf lit ni uin u. stepping scone
to the attainment of blessing.
Time flies to those who don't watch
and slow tn those who do.
Fame thatj don't pay a good fair per
cent, is a por'article to deal In.
IN AGE OP RAILWAYS
SUPERIORITY OP THE AMERICAN
. 8Y8TEMS. . . "
3fi What Kaa pacta lko Arm Jvlu
abla Aid to tk Ufa aad JCxtaoaioa
of Co firclal . Activity Used aa
Models by Other CuuUa.
In making aa address before the In
ternational Commercial Congress re
cently, George H. Daniels, General
Passenger Agent of the New York Cen
tral and Hudson River Railway and
president of the American Association
of General Passenger Agents, said:
One of oar great writers has said of
this closing period of the nineteenth
century, that It Is an age of transporta
tion. Transportation underlies material
prosperity in every department of com
merce. Without transportation com
merce would be Impossible. Those
States and. nations are rich, powerful
and enlightened whose transportation
facilities are best and moat extended.
The dying nations are those with little
or no transportation facilities.'
Mr. Mulball, the British statistician,
In his work on "The Wealth of Na
tions." said of the United States In
I SOS: "If we take a survey of mankind.
In ancient or modern times, as regards
the physical, mechanical and intellec
tual force of nations, we find nothing to
compare with the United States." ,
Mr. Mulhall proved by his statistics
that the working power of a single per
son In the United States was twice that
Of a German or Frenchman, more than
three times that of an Austrian and
five times that of an Italian. He said
the United States was then the richest
country In the world. Its wealth ex
ceeding that of Great Britain by 88
per cent, and added that In the history
of the human race no nation ever be
fore possessed forty-one millions of
Instructed citizens.
In an address before the New Tork
Press Association, four years ago, I
referred to the future, of our export
trade, as follows: "One of the Inevita
ble results of the war between Japan
and China will be the opening to the
commerce of the world of fields here
tofore unknown, perhaps the richest on
the globe," and urged the members of
the New York Press Association to do
everything in their power to assist In
securing to the United States a portion
of the great commerce to be developed
between the western nations and those
two old countries of the world.' '
At that time we' had no Idea that a
war between one ef the old nations of
the earth and our young republic" would
be fought; af that time we had no Idea
that AmerlcaU'mapfactnrera would be
furnishing Mcry Uvea to the English
railroads as YVJ s to those of nearly
eTery. -Other.
,J on J&e dobs."
one thought four years ago that Ameri
can bridge builders would go Into the
open market and successfully compete
for the building of a great steel bridge
In Egypt; nor that In so brief a time
American engineers would be building
railroads Into the interior of China
from ber most important sea-ports.
At that time no one 'supposed thai
the Trans-Siberian Railway would be
laid with steel rails made In Pennsyl
vania, upon cross-ties from the forests
of Oregon, and that Its trains would be
hauled by American locomotives: nor
that this great railway which ls to
stretch from St. Petersburg to Vladi
vostok and Port Arthur, a distance of
more than 6,000 miles, would be com
pleted two years In advance of the orig
inal expectation, as a result of the use
of American construction tools and
machinery.
In a letter from a friend In Toklo.
Japan, written only a short time ago,
there was this significant sentence:
"Yon wttl be Interested In knowing that
I have banging on the wall of my of
fice a framed picture of your 'Empire
State Express,' and we expect In the
near future to be hauling a Japanese
'Empire Express' with an American lo
comotive." They have now In Japan
more than one hundred locomotives
that were built In the United States.
In Russia they have nearly one thou
sand American locomotives, and prac
tically every railway In Great Britain
has ordered locomotives from this coun
try since the beginning of the war with
Spain.
But it is not alone our locomotives
that have attracted the attention of for
eigners who have visited our shores,
our railway equipment generally has
commanded admiration and Is now re
ceiving the highest compliment, name
ly. Imitation by many of our sister na
tions. Prince Michael HUkoff, Imperial
Minister of Railways of Russia, has,
since his visit to the United States a
few years ago, constructed a train on
much the same lines as the "Limited
Trains" of the New York Central and
Pennsylvania.
SMOKELESS POWDER COSTLY.
Half a Million Dollars' Worth Proved
to Be Worthless. .
The vastly Increased expense of a
military establishment under the more
scientific methods now employed Is
sharply Illustrated In the discovery
tLat about half a million dollars'
worth of smokless powder for seacoast
guaa turns out to be worthless, through
an unexpected deterioration In Its
quality. Military experts have suppos
ed that the smokless powder manufac
tured for the United States army was
jthe best ever made, says the New York
Post and a contract was not long ago
signed which Involved the expenditure
jof about 11,000,000 for a supply of It
But It Is stated that recent experiments
at Sandy Hook showed that the smoke
less powder now on hand Is worse than
valueless. A ten-Inch gun was being
fired with- charges from a supply that
had been stored for about two years
and a delayed detonation occurred,
which burst the gun, a new one, valued
at $30,000. An examination of the
powder revealed the fact that It had
undergone chemical changes of some
sort and all of the supply on hand Is
supposed to be equally affected. Ex
oertatHIl now trr tn discover the rmnae
of the deteUoratlon, so as to make the
needed change a the formula. Mean
while the contracts for mannfactnra
must be susnn4eV gnd If a war should
break out It might be necessary to use
the old variety of black powder. Ap
parently large charges to the profit ana
loss account must be allowed for In
estimating the cost of keeping np with
the times In warfare.
Hawaii Is said to have more tele
phones In use In proportion to the popu
lation than any other locality In the
world. ,
A newspaper printed on the excur
sion steamer Ophlr published one num
ber In 80 degrees 2 mlnnfes north lati
tude. It claims to be the paper pub
lished farthest north of any on record.
A series of experiments made by
Benno Erdmann and Raymond Dodge
show that In normal reading the letters
are not spelled out separately, and one
after the other, but that a short word
of not more than four letters can be
read off ln less time than a single let
ter. The Pike's Peak Power Company p o
poses todevelop 3,200-horse-poner for
distribution for mines In the neighbor
hood of Cripple Creek, Colo. The source
of the water supply Is Beaver canyon,
and a steel and rock dam will be built
having a storage capacity of 150.0OJ.0O0
cubic feet
On thef principle of the sounding
board, which repeats a sound at so
short an Interval that the original and
the repeated waves Impress the ear in
unison, a device called the poljrpuone
has recently been applied to the phono
graph for the purpose of doubling the
volume of sound Issuing from that In
strument.. A phonograph with the
polypbone attachment has two horns,
each provided with a diaphragm and
stylus. Not only Is the sound made
louder, bat Its quality Is Improved.
Lake Superior appears to exercise a
greater effect upon the annual amount
of precipitation of rain and snow near
Its shores than any other of the Great
Lakes. The average precipitation In
a year Is about eight Inches greater on
the southern than on the northern side
of Lake Superior. Lakes Erie and On
tario also show more precipitation on
their southern than on their northern
shores, but tbe difference Is only three
Inches annually. In the case of Lakes
Huron and'Mlcblgan. It Is the eastern
shores aa compared with the western
which get the largest precipitation, but
the difference Is not great
The distances over which birds ml
grate vary between wide limits, and
are often surprisingly great The bo
bolinks, w&lch sear their a th
shores of Lake Winnipeg, Canada, anil
go to Cuba and Porto Rico to spend tbe
winter, twice traverse a distance ex
ceeding 2,800 miles, or more than a
fifth of tbe circumference of our earth.
f- a year. Tbe kingbird lays Its eggs
as far north as the fifty -seventh degree
of latitude, and Is found In the winter
In South America. The biennial pit
gr Images of tbe little redstart exceed
three thousand miles and the tiny hum
ming bird two thousand.
Madame Ceraskl, of Moscow, has dis
covered In the constellation Cygnus a
star of between the eighth and ninth
magnitude which undergoes wonderful
variations In its light It belongs to
the same type of variable stars as the
celebrated Algol, but Its variation Is
larger. Its period Is four days thir
teen hours and forty-five minutes.
When at a minimum It ls three magni
tudes fainter than when at a maxi
mum; In other words. It periodically
loses and then regains so much light
that at one time It ls sixteen times
brighter than at another. In stars of
this type tbe changes of light are sup
posed to be caused by a dark body re
volving around the star, and produc
ing eclipses as It comes within our line
of sight
A Witty Peasant.
A thunder-storm overtook the Em
peror Francis Joseph of Austria, when
out shooting In 1873 with old Emperor
William of Germany and Victor Euian
ueL The three monarchs got separat
ed from their party and lost their way.
They were drenched to the skin, and.
In search of shelter, hailed a peasant
driving a covered cart drawn by oxen
along the high road. Tbe peasant took
up the royal trio and drove on.
"And what may you be, for you an
a stranger In these parts?" be asked
after awhile of Emperor William.
"I am the Emperor of Germany," re
plied his Teutonic majesty.
"Ha. very good," said the p asant
and then addressing Victor Emmanuel.
"And you my friend?"
"Why, I am the King of Italy," came
tbe prompt reply.
"Ha, ha, very good Indeed! And whe
are you T' addressing Francis Joseph.
"I am the Emperor of Austria," said
the latter.
The peasant then scratched bis head.
and said with a knowing wink, "Very
good, and who do you suppose I am?"
Their majesties replied they woulr
Uke very much to know.
"Why I am His Holiness the Pope."
Adalterate it anemselvea,
A process has been Invented and pat
ented In Brazil for preparing coffee Id
tabloids by a system of compression
It ls argued that not only will there b
leas expense In exporting coffee In thli
form, but that the customer will be
more certain of thus receiving for bu
nse the pure, unadulterated article.
Smokeless Powder.
What at called, smokeless nowdet
kmIIt Hnm off a ahadowv nur.
This vapor ls perceptible only when!
viewed tnroogn a coax ox violet glass
Inserted In aa ordinary field glass.
CVJ Rwwat af rh Irmv Madlcal Mu
seum, Wsamtagton, made this dtscoT
err.
No man who Is considered half way
decent ever takes a step In the wrong
direction, that somebody does not no-'
tice It .
What has become ef the old-fash
ioned woman who admired her he
baad. and called aim Vol
CORN IS KINO.
laterf tinar Facta Concerning; tha Great
American Staple.
The word maize la derived from th
3 reek word sea. It Is not definitely
known where the plant had Its origin.
Humboldt asserts that It Is American,
ttther writers claim that It originated
In Asia, whence It was brought Into
America by the Spanish explorers.
There Is nothing so far discovered In
he records of ruins of Egypt to indicate
that the early dwellers along the Nile
aver knew of the grain. In an ancient
Chinese book, however to be found In
the French library at Paris, corn Is
nent oned. In Chile corn has long been
Town, and It is called sea curaqua.
rhere Is an old Javanese legendary
peom, "Manek Maya," which likens
the grain of corn to a maiden's tooth,
and to-day. In certain parts of the mid
dle West .there Is a variety known as
'horse tooth."
Most of the South American Indiana
know of corn. Some make a sort of
beer from it A Qulcba legend says
that Con, son of the Sun and Moon,
gave maize to man. The Iroquois say
that corn was given by tbe Spirit of tbe
South. One of the snake legends of the
Moqul Indians tells of six bachelors.
Red Corn, Blue Corn, Yellow Corn,
Green Corn, Spotted Corn and Black
Corn.
It Is not alone with the Indians thai
nyth and legend endure. To-day farm
ers of New England, and. In fact In the
newer West have their manifold
"signs" for tbe planting of corn. Go
through the agricultural region? and
you will hear them talk of plautlng "In
tbe full of the moon." and tbe like.
Among the German settlers, tn certain
localities. It Is believed that In select
ing seed-corn for the next year's corn
all the stalks and refuse must be taken
Into the highways and instantly de
stroyed, but not by burning, as that
would Insure the presence of the black
fungi, or "smut" as It Is provlnclally
termed.
Corn Is the great staple of the UnlU a
States. It is the most important pro
duct of tbe American continent be It
g-alns or tbe output of mines or factor
ies. More acres are devoted to the rais
ing of corn than In the annual yield of
oats, wheat barley, rye. buckwheat and
cotton combined. Corn provides uioie
employment for laborers, provides mo.e
work for distributers and makes basis
for mor Industries and activities than
any other American commodity. In the
past thirty-seven years the value of the
corn output has been $15,900,000,000.
Last year (1898) a corn farm of 6,000
acres In Iowa yelded a net profit of $50,
000. About 3,800 acres of corn were
actually planted. Thirty-one planters
were used to put the seed In tbe ground,
seventy-six cultivators did the "tend
ing', and seventy-five wagons hauled
).. .. - " " n rha.' r,' 'it
feet high and half a mile long were
required. The corn yield of the United
States for 1899 Is estimated at 2,050,-
720,000 bushels, the number of acres
planted being 81.S50.000. Corn ls king.
-John L. Wright, In Leslie's Weekly.
Tbe Staa-e.
Tbe stage continues to form tbe mir
ror of fashion. One need scarcely take
In a fashion paper If one pays constant
visits to the theater.. Here one can
study all tbe varieties of la mode and
the latest and newest designs. Each
play seems to have Its own specialty In
dress. Its favorite color and Its favorite
dressmaker.
Possibly spectators never give a
thought to the fact that these constant
changes of costume form no Inconsid
erable portion of the fatigue Incurred
by an actress In a long and heavy part
Dress cannot be slurred over now.
Gowns must be laced and buttoned up,
gloves, shoes, hats, petticoats be worn
to match. It was different In the good
old days, when actresses shuffled one
gown over another and fastened them
lightly with a button. The Japanese
costnme ls one of the most intricate.
The real Japanese lady wears three
gowns, one over the other, a small por
tion of each showing at the neck, the
gowns being artistically shaded, say.
from pale pink to deepest rose, or from
violet to sky blue. The chemise, too,
must match, and a special touch of
deep contrastive color Is given by the
waistband.
Nutritions Foods.
Prof. Atwater, who has devoted him
self to the study for a number of years,
declares that there ls no single perfect
food, the nearest approach to it being
milk. No food, however, contains the
essential constituents In right propor
tions, and thus we have to get what
we want by combining our foods. It
will be a shock to many thrifty house
wives to learn that beef and eggs are
among the greatest of all economical
mistakes. A single dollar spent in
wheat-flour will yield as much nutri
ment as $30 spent on sirloin of beef.
Sugar ranks next to wheat-flour as an
economical food, for a dollar's worth
of sugar contains as much nutriment a
$6 worth of milk, $12 worth of eggs, or
$40 worth of oysters. In proportion to
their cost oysters are almost the least
nutritious of all foods. Beans and po
tatoes run a close race for the third
place among valuable and cheap foods,
and tbe fourth place ls shared between
fat salt pork and cheese made from
skimmed milk.
Tbe Dewey Plane
A blooming plant with clusters of
blood-red tassels depending from Its
glossy leaves. Is to Je seen not far from
Broad and Chestnut streets. It ls lab
eled "The Dewey Plant" in conspicuous
letters. Six months ago the duplicate
was seen In another part of town, with
an inscription declaring It was "Ad ml-
ral Dewey's favorite flower!" The planl
Is a native of the Philippines Islands.
Philadelphia Record.
A Fatal Omission.
"I'm afraid we've offended Mrs. Lo
renzo Van Rensselaer," said the editoi
of the Society Luminary to his assist
nt
Why, I noted the arrival at New-""'
port of Mrs. Van Rensselaer and fam
i Van Hanaaolaar ml fmm.
ily."
"True, but yea did not say that they
took with them a retinue of servant.'1
-Pack. .
SERMON
BY
Rev. Dr. talmagc
Subject: Guard Tour Temp r A ftwect
Disposition Adils Much to tha Joy ol
Llvlnc Don't Wasta Health Kehears
1ns; Wrong-s and Schemlna Revenge.
Copyright, Louli Klopach. 199.
Washixqtoh, D. 0. In this discourse Dr.
T almnge placates the world's revenges and
recommends more of the saccharine and
less of the scar In human dispositions; text,
Epbeslans iv., 23, "Let not tbe sun go down
upon your wrath.'
What a pillow, embroidered of all colors,
bath the dying day! Tbe cradle of elouds
from which the sun rises Is beautiful
enough, hut It Is surpassed by the many
colored mausoleum In which at evening It
ls burled.
Sunset among the mountains! It almost
takes one's breath away to recall the
scene. The long shadows stretchiug over
the plain make the glory of tbe departing
light on tbe tiptop crags and struck aslant
through the foliage the more conspicuous.
Saffron and gold, purple and crimson com
mingled. All tbe castles of cloud In con
flagration. Burning Mosoows on the sky.
Hanging gnrdens ot roses at their deepest
blush. Banners of vaprTr, red as It from
carnage, in tbe battle ot tbe elements. The
hunter among the Adirondack's and tbe
Swiss villager among tbe Alps know what
Is a sunset among the mountains. After a
storm at sea the rolling grandeur into
which tbe sun goes down to bathe at night
fall Is something to make weird and splen
did dreams out of for a lifetime. Alexan
der Smith, tn bis poem, compares the sun
set to "the barren beach of bell," but tut
wonderful spectaele ot nature makes me
think of tbe burnished wall of heaven.
Paul In prison, writing my text, remembers
some ot the gorgeous sunsets among tbe
mountains of Asia Minor and bow be bad
often seen tbe towers ot Damascus blaze
In tbe close ot the oriental days, and he
flashes out that memory "in the text when
be says, "Let not the sun go down upon
your wrath."
Sublime all suggestive duty for people
then and people now 1 Forgiveness before
sundown! He who never feels the throb
of Indignation Is Imbecile. He who can
walk among tbe injustices of tbe world in
flicted npon himself and others without
flash of cheek or flash of eye or agitation
of nature Is either In sympathy with wrong
or seml-ldlotlc. When Ananias, the hlgb
priest, ordered the constables of the court
room to smite Paul on the mouth, Paul
fired np and said, "God shall smite thee,
thon whlted wall." In tha sentence Imme
diately before my text Paul commands tbe
Epheslans, "Be ye angry and ln not." It
all depends on what you are mad at nod
how long the feeling lusts whether anger
la right or wrong. "Life Is full of exaspera
tions. Snul after Dav'-. Suoeotli after
Gideon, Koran after Moses, the Pasqulns
after Augustus, the Pharisees after Christ,
and every one has had bis pursuers, and
we are swindled or belled or misrepresent
ed or pers 'cuted or In some way wronged,
and tbe danger Is that healthful indigna
tion shall become baleful spite, and that
our feelings settle down Into a prolonged
outpouring of temper displeasing to God
and ruinous to ourselves, and bcce the
Important Injunction of tbe text, "Let nol
tbe sun go down upon your wrath."
Why that limitation to one's anger!
Why that period of flnmlng vapor set to
punctuate a flaming disnoaJtton? What
das the sunset got to do i tone's resent
ful emotions? Was '' -zard sentl-
meiuwiwritU "- -oeolal
reHsoss why wS should not It . tbe son' set
before our temper.
First, because twelve hoars Is long
enongh to be cross about any wrong In
flicted npon ns. Nothing Is so exhanstlng
to physical health or mental faculty as a
protracted Indulgence ot 111 humor. It
racks the nervous system. It hurts tbe
digestion. It heats the blood In brain and
heart nnttl the whole body Is first over
heated and then depressed. Besides that.
it sours tbe disposition, turns one aslds
from his legitimate work, expends energies
that ought to be better employed and
does os more harm than It does our
antagonist. Paul gives ns a good, wide
allowance oi time tor legitimate denuncia
tion, from 6 o'clock to 6 o'clock, but says,
"Stop there!" Watch the descending orb
of day, and when It reaches tbe horizon
take a reef In your disposition. Unloose
your collar and eool off. Change the sub
ject to something delightfully pleasant.
Unroll your tight list and shake bands
with some one. Bank np the fires at the
curfew bell. Drive the growling dog of
enmity back to Its kennel. The hours of
tbis morning will pass by, and tbe after
noon will arrive, and tbe sun will begin to
set, and, I beg yon, on Its blazing hearth
throw all your feuds. Invectives and
satires.
Again, we ongbt not to let the sua go
down on onr wratb, because we will sleep
better if we are at peace with everybody.
Insomnia is getting to be one of the most
prevalent of disorders. How few people
retire at 10 o'clock at night and sleep clear
through to 6 in the morning! To relieve
this disorder all narcotics and sedntlves
and morphine and chloral and bromide of
potassium and cocaine and Intoxicants are
used, but nothing Is more Important than
a qniet spirit if we wonld win somnolence.
How Is a man going to sleep when he ls In
mind pursuing an enemy? With what ner
vous twitch be will start out of a dreamt
That new plan of cornering his toe will
keep him wide awake while the clock
Strikes 11, 12, 1, 9. I give you an nnfaliin I
prescription for wakefulness: Spend the
evening hoars rehearsing your wrongs and
the best way of avenging them. Hold u
convention of friends on this subject In
your parlor or office at 8 or 9 o'clock.
Close tbe evening by writing a titter letter
expressing your sentiments. Take from
the desk or pigeonhole tbo paper In the
ease to refresh your mind with your en
emy's meanness. Then lie down and wait
for tbe coming of tbe day, and It will come
before sleep comes or your sleep will be
worried quiescence and, if you take the
precaution to lie flat on your back, a
frightful nightmare.
Wbv not pnt a bound to your animosity!
Why let your foes come Into tbe sanctities
of your dormitory? Why let those sland
erers who have already torn your reputa
tion to pieces or injured your business
bend over your miduight pillow and drive
from yon one of the greatest blessings that
Ood can offer sweet, refreshing, all In
vigorating sleep? Why not fence out your
enemias by tbe golden bars of the sunset?
Why not stand behind the barricade of
evening cloud and say to tbem, "Thus far
and no farther." Many a man and many
a woman is having tbe health of body ns
well as the health of soul eaten away by a
malevolent spirit. I have In time of relig
ious awakening had persons night after
night come Into the Inquiry room and get
no peace of soul. After a while I have
bluntly asked them, "Is there not some one
against whom you have a hatred that yon
are not willing to give up?" After a little
confusion they have slightly whispered,
"Yi." Then I have said, "You will never
find peace with Ood as long as yon retain
that virulence."
Tbe rabbins recount bow that Nebuchad
nezzar's son bad such a spite against his
father that after be was dead he bad his
father burned to ashes and then put the
abes into four sacks and tied than to fonr
eagles' necks which flew away In opposite
directions. And there are now domestic
antipathies that seem forever to have scat
tered all parental memories to the fonr
"-. " tn. tut? cn,irB II J
with those sacred asbesl Tbe hour of sun
down makes to that family no practical
suggestion. Thomas Carlyle, In his biog
raphy ot Frederick the Great, says tha
old king was told by tbe eonfessor he must
be at peace with bli enemies if he wanted
to enter heaven. Then he said to his wife,
the queen. "Write to your broths sfter I
am dead that I forgive him." Boloff, lbs
sonfessor, said, "Her majesty bad better
f.1 tmmeaiateiy. - "-v;s
.bl.i, ".ft a am , a i 1 ' that- will h.
said tbe
V' . " . . . .' -"
safer.
3o he let the sun of bis earthly existence
go down npon his wratb.
Again, we ought not to allow the sun to
set before forgiveness takes place, been nse
we might not live to see another day.
what if we should be nshered Into tbe
presenoe of our Maker with a grudge upon
our soul? Tbe majority ot people depart
this life In tbe night. Between 11 o'clock
p. m. and 3 o'clock a. m. there Is some
thing In the atmosphere which relaxes the
grip whloh the body has on the soul, and
most people enter the next world through
tbe shadows ot this world. Perhaps God
may have arranged it In that way so as to
make the contrast tbe more glorious. I
have seen sunshiny days In tbis world that
mast have been almost like tbe radiance of
heaven. But as mort people leave tbe
earth between sundown and sunrise they
quit this world at its darkest, and heaven
always bright, will be the brighter for that
contrast. Out of darkness Into Irradia
tion. "But," says some woman, "there Is a
horrid creature that has so Injured me
that ratber than make vp with her I
would die first." Well, si iter, you may
take your choice, lor ODe or the other it
will be your complete pardon of her or
God's eternal banlsument of jou. ,-But,"
says some man, "that fellow vho cheated
me out of the goods, or ditmac-eil m
business credit, or started that lie about
me in the newspapers, or by his perfidy
broke up my domestic, happiness, forgive
bim I cannot, forgive him I will not!"
Well, brother, take your choice. You w ill
never be at peace with Oo I till you are at
pence with man. Feeling as you nour do,
you would not get so near the barhor of
heaven as to see the lightship. Uetter
leave that man with the God who said:
Vengeance Is Mine. I will repav." You
may say: "1 will make him sweat for tbat
yet. I will make him squirm. 1 mean to
pursue him to tbe death." But you are
damaging yoar-elf more than you damage
blm, and you are making uavea for your
own soul an Impossibility. If he will not
De reconciled to yon, oa reconciled to blm.
In live or six hours It will be sundown.
Tbe dahlias will bloom against the west
ern sky. Somewhere between this and
that take a snovel and bury the old
quarrel at least six feet doep. "Let not
tbe sun go aowa upon your wratb."
Again, we ought not to allow the passige
of the sunset hour before the dismissal of
all our affronts, because we may associate
tbe sublimest action of I ho soul with tbe
snblimest spectacle in nature. It ls a most
delightsome thing to have onr personal
experiences allied with certain subjects.
There ls a tree orv river bank where God
ttrst answered your prayer. You will never
pass tbat place or think of that place with
out thinking of tbe glorious communion.
There was some gate or some room or some
garden wall where you were ufllanccd with
' ''h companion who has been your chief
Jo; In lite. You never speak of that place
uut wltb a smile. Home or you have pleas
ant memories connected with tbe evening
star, or the moon in its first quarter, or
with the sunrise, because you saw it just us
you were arriving at harbor after a tern
ppstuous voyage. Forever and forever.
I admit It is the inont dim -nit or nil
graces to practice, and ut the start you ir.ay
make a complete failure, but keep on in
tbe attempt to practice It. Shakespeareg
wrote ten plays before he reached liu'V
let," and seventeen plays before be reached
"Merchant of Venice," and twenty cfirht
plays I e Tore he reached "Macbeth." And
gradually you will come from the easier
graces to the most difficult. Besides that.
It Is not a matter of personal determination
so much as tbe laying hold of the al
mighty arm ot God. who will help us to do
anything we ought to do. llamember that
in all personal controversies the one least
to blame will have to take tbe first step at
pacification if It Is ever effected. The con
test between JS-ichines and Arlstlppus re
sounds through history, but Aristippus,
vuo was least to Dlame, went to Adenines
and said, "Shall we not agree to be friends
before we make ourselves tbe laughing
stock of the whole country?" And scbloes
said, Tl'- "vjar better man than I,
--Tpn. ttel-,' ai --- ' - -
tu mj-.-Mf hearing the bmhcH.'S ' ir tliey"-1
wen always friends afterward. So let
the one ot you that Is least to blame take
tbe first step toward reconciliation. The
one most In tbe wrong will never take It.
Ob, It make one feel splendid to be able
by God's help to practice unlimited for
giveness. It improves one's body uud soul.
My brother, it will make you measurethree
or four more Inches arouud the chest nnd
Improve your respiration so that you can
take a deeper and longer breath. It Im
proves the oountenunce by scattering the
gioom ana mates you somewhat iik una
himself. He Is omnipotent, and we -1111001
00 py that. He is Independent of all the
universe, and we cannot copy that. He Is
creative, and we cannot copy that. He Is
ocinipresent, and we cannot copy tbat. But
H.i forgives with a broad sweep all faults,
au.l all neglects, and all insults, ai d nil
wrongdoings, and iu tbat we may copy Him
wltb mighty success. Go harness that sub
lime action of your soul to tbe sunset the
hour when the gate of heaven opens to let
tbe day pass into eternities and some of
tbe glories escape this wuy throuph the
brief opening. We talk about the Italian
sunsets, and sunset amid the Apennines,
and sunset amid tbe Cordilleras, but 1 will
tell you bow you may see a grander suuset
than any mere lover of nature ever beheld
that. Is, by flinging into it all your hatreds
and animosities, and let the horses of lire
trample tbem, and tbe chariots of fr rill
over tbem, and tbe spearmen of fire stab
tbem, and the beach of fire consume them,
and tbe billows of fire overwhelm them.
Again, we should not let the sun go down
ju our wrath, because it Is of little im
portance what tbe world says of you or
does to you when you have the affluent
God of the sunset as your provider and
defender. People talk as though It wore a
fixed spectacle of nature and always the
same. But no one eer saw two Bunsnts
alike, and if the world has existed 6000
years there have been about 2,11)0,000 sun
nets, each of tbem as distinct from all the
other pictures In tbe gallery of the sky as
Titian's "Last Hupper," Kubens' "Descent
From tbe Cross," Baphael's "Transfigura
tion" and Michael Angelo's "Last Judg
ment" are distinct from each other. If
that Ood of such Infinite resources that
He can put on the wall of the sky each
evening more than tbe Louvre and Luxem
bourg galleries all In one ls my God and
your God, our provider and protector,
what is the use ot onr worrying about any
human antagonism? If we are misinter
preted, the God of the many colored sun
set can put tha right color on onr action.
If all tbe garniture of tbe western heavens
at eventide Is but tbe upholstery of one of
the windows of onr future home, what
small business for as to be chasing en
emies! Let not this Sabbath sun go down
upon your wratb.
And I wish for all of you a beautiful sun
set to vour earthly existence. Wltb some
of yon It has been a long day of trouble,
and with others of you it will be fnr from
calm. When tbe sun rose at 6 o'clock, it
was the morning of youth, and a fair day
was prophesied, but by the time the noon
day or middle life bad come and the clock
ot your earthly existence had struck twelve
cloud racks gathered and tempest bellowed
in the track of tempest. But as the even
ing of old age approaches I pray Ood tha
skies may brighten and the clouds be piled
up Into pillars as of celestial temples to
which you go or move as with mounted
co'iorts come to take you home. And as
you sink out of signt below the horizon
may there be a radiance of Christian ex
ample lingering long after you are gone,
and on tbe heavens be written in letters of
sapphire, and on the waters In letters of
opal, and on tbe bills in letters of emerald,
"Thy sun shall no more go down, neither
shall thy moon withdraw Itself, for the
Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and
the days of thy mourning shall be ended."
Bo shall tbe sunset ot earth become tha
sunrlsa ot heaven.
Fate never wounds more deeply the
generous heart than when a block
bead's Insult points the dart.
Truth is so simple that the simplest
language expresses it the strongest.
Don't ride a thin horse bareback if
you enjoy comfort.
Prosperity doth best discover vice,"
but adversity doth best discover vir
tue. " 'kit
There is pleasure in meeting tbe
eyea of those to whom we have done
good.
If you repeat ugly stories you may
expect them in return.
Men . are not wicked through their
Judgments, but through their wills.
I;!'
i'i V
I i-1
. . a
r.
a
1
a
!
' 1.
I i
1
1
i
I
i';
1
1 !.
i I,
1 1 r
Hi
'. it
1 r
t
,--.-. , ... - - -..