' B. F. SCHWEIER, THE CONSTITUTIONTHE UNION AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS. Editor and Proprietor. T5" J J r VOL. L.IV. CHAPTER XVIL Wh.it the Sharpness people had been varim.-- us about we were by-and-by to dis. .iv.-r. "The Shoots," as they are call- H. formed by the sudden contraction ot tin- Severn estuary between North n i Ii ji i- I I'ortskewet, and consist of a rfrii 'f races and whirlpools not unlike tli. .- in the neighborhood of Corriever- h;in nvt-r ly the Corra Islands and the l..n: Mur. When we found these cur-r.-i.t- -trong enough to grip the pilot boat I, v i l"vs and yaw her about, it is to In iiiia'-'int'il that our poor old Noab's kik. lumbering up in the rear, had any i i. ; n.r l ilt a "daisy time" of it. Morv c. .r. tin- water became more and more lutniiv what with the swirling currents them-clves. and the breeze blowing u-ainst the tide, the "Nameless Barge" ., -.wi to forsake her heavy gambolings tor all kinds of mystical and nnezpected k rations, and again and again ominous uises told of catastrophes within. It was blowing hard, and looking very dirty iu the south; and one of as, at least, U umii to wish that the two women could l.o transferred to the other boat. The pilots themselves no longer seemed to rc u.ir.l this performance os a joke; they l't :m eye ou our un wieldly craft, as aha liiiiii.'i '1 through the heavily running sea. lml.i.l. it was almost ludicrous to watch tin- iui--h:ipeu thing dipping her nose in Hi.- w;, t. r und springing forward again. ai I dashing the foam from her bows just us if he were a real yacht; and the only ijiiixtiou was, how long she was likely to keep up the pretense by remaining si lent. Presently a new and startling discovery was m ule. As there was no calculating what time we should get to Bristol, with this head win J driving against us, the steersman desired Jack luncombe to go inside and bring forth a handful of bis cuits; and the young man cheerfully obey ed. The next instant he came out again, without any biscuits. "I say." be exclaimed, with a curious expression of face, "this blessed boat is full of water!" In a moment, from the look of the wom en, lie perceived the mistake he had niilde. "Oh. nu; not that," he protested, "but a little water has come in and it's slop ping all about the Boor of the saloon. Here, yutAl better let me take the tiller for a minute, and you can go and look for yourself-" Of course, we all of ns instantly made for the door of the saloon; and there a most unpleasant spectacle met our eyes; for if there was not as yet much water Visible, it was" washing from side to side as the vessel lurched; and, of course, no oue could tell at what rate the leakage was coming in. "Is she going to sinkT" said Miss Peg gy, rather breathlessly; it was Sir ttweu Cameron she addressed. "1 won't stay another moment in this boat," Mrs. Threepenny-bit exclaimed. "You must call to the pilots tell them tq stop and take us on board." "On, be quiet!" one had to say to her. "This is nothing of a leakage it only means that there's nowhere for the water lo go to." "And how fast is it coming in?' she asket). "IIow can- anybody tell? We'll have to wait and watch. Or, rather, Columbus must' come inside and watch; and if the water should rise in any quantity, then we may have to get on board the pilot boat; that's all. It isn't doing any harm it's only washing the floor." Here a violent pitch of the boat flung ns all together; and then we could see through, the forward window her bows shaking off a great mass of foam. !'Io you see that now? She isn't used to dipping her nose like that." Well, it has to be conceded to Col. Cameron that he was the only one who cared to wet his ankles in order to make an examination- He boldly splashed through the lurching water and got to the further end of the saloon, and. stoop ing down, strove to reach with his long arm the circular pieces of glass set in the bows of the boat. But neither there nor anvwhore else could we find out the source of the leakage; and when Uapt. Columbus was summoned from bis post and shown the state of affairs t was gen erally agreed that the water must be coming in through defective seams. Our gallant convoy continued to cut her wav through those swift-running seas like a racer; and we laboriously plunged and rolled and struggled after. It must be said for the women that they were very brave over it; after that first fright about the water in the saloon they had hardly a word tq say; they merely looked Sn in sUepce-sitting close to each other. And now that long, dark spur ot land I'ortishcod I'oint, was it called r was oraw ng sensibly nearer. The shipping That was gradually becoming risible no doubt marked the whereabouts of the King. or . King's, road; and that, we knew was just off the mouth of the A on' Then the sea grew a little .calm er Cant Columbus was provided with h,,. snonee to help him in bis bailing. Ve'co6,, Murdoch at the bow - a ASdk;ntVngth .and, at STSE S fveT.t'.-hor In a comparably water, ana near or nere - ,f const, the topmasts of vesse -u. o and there a little of scape, appearing above steep mud- ... nd 1 expect "Now. Mistr reggj, j- -7 , of this to be waited upon by the wbow o rtip'a crew and Pssfief "gt two, and been on duty "Ukin'g for now it is ten. " that j 1 0e's breakfast, what is? M I'm sure I m nuuM Tita was Mils regCy. aadly: "ihVshe ber- so touched with -ad,. self bocaO to Kei Murdoch was in the pantry. busy wl h.im and eggs and tea. .... k fast. "Now. we had just 'ave Vlook and had gone out again to fraya fit' our uuXrry 'containing three proached by a fe"' consideration, to h,en, who vrTrtS? compels the tow us to Bristol. r"lilor. of Brie admission that these three sailor, v " - " N ." BB!S?,gM??"gnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnsnnn JH-AOL, lti ' were bont th "ot Tillainous looking set of scoundrel. OM thJxtt -I'" n: ,nd Proved Ihei, 1 I Weff c"PWe cttag up f wai .t? , "tiU' KeWa to Brirtol I!" J " we agreed to their lw,lnt 're them way they went, we following. f0?n w fcad entered the river Aron. 7al.M p"bb" "ther full rirer at ilLi but W" now' low water, showing long mad bank, that were far f.n? "UactiT- A. we got further in land, however, we passed through beau tiful woods, now almost in full summer foliage; and, whatever had become of me storm w had wen gathering in tie south, there were clear bine skies over head, and a warm sunlight Ailing the riT er valley. As we were leisurely getting along to our hotel on the College Green CoL Cam eron hung back a little, allowing Jack Ouucombe to go oa with the women folk. Look here, my friend." said InTerfask, in something of an undertone; "now ifa all over, I suppose you ought to be con gratulated on having come down the Sev ern in houseboat, and in the face of half a gale of wind. Well, you've done it successfully for once. But, if I were Ton. I wouldn't try it again." CHAPTEE"XVIII. Next Bkoming is a Sunday calm aad dear and atUl; a placid sunlight faUs on the tree, la the College Green, on the pavements, and the closed shoo windows: a soft sound of church bells fills aU the I tranquil air. And then, when our wom en folk, accompanied by Col. Cameron, have gone away to the cathedral a kind of hush fall, over this great hotel; the spacious rooms look preternaturally emp ty; one wonders when .Jack luncombe will have finished his letter writing, and be ready to set forth on a hunt for the whereabout, of the "Nameless Barge." Presently be cornea along into the hall. "Sorry to have kept you waiting," he says, a. he lighta a cijjyr at the top of the steps. "Fact is, I had rather an im portant letter to write." But after a long hunting we at length discovered the "Nameless Barge," in a kind of cul-de-sac, lying outside some empty coal boats; and, having clambered over these and got on board, we found Murdoch in sole possession. "Well, Murdoch," one naturally inquir ed, "I suppose yon saw nothing more of those rascals yesterday?" "Iadeed, yes, sir," Murdoch answered, with a grin. "They came- back to th boat." "What for?" "Well, air, they Mid yon had telled them they were to come and get a bottle of champagne." "And yon gave it to them?" "Not me. sir I I chist telled them they were liars, and to go aweh." "j , - "And then?" 5 "Well, then, ah-, they three pit and bet ter threepit; and I said 1 would not give them a bottle of champagne, or a bottle of anything else; and I was thinking one o' them was for coming info the boat, so I took- up an oar." Hera Murdoch grinned again. "On, ay, air, they sab I was ready. "Ready for what? for his coming on board r "Chist that. air. If he had tried to come on board I would have splut his skull," said Murdoch, coolly. "And they sah 1 was ready far them; and then there was a good dale of aweering, and they went aweh." We ef full instructions about our de parture on th morrow, and made our Way ashore again. Now. as those other people would pot be back from the cathe dral till pear lunch time, we set forth on a Ions ramble to fill in the Interval wan dering along the old-fashioned streets and admiring here and there an ancient gable or latticed window, visiting a church or two aad generally finding ourselves be ing brought up sharply oy tno iwisung and impassable harbor. It was daring this aimless perambulation that Jack Puncambe made a confession. "J shall be glad when we get away from these towns into the quiet, pastoral districts again," be said. "Uving on board ia ever so much better fun than putting up at a hotel- It used to be so delightful to have merely to choose out a meadow and a few willow stumps and pass the night where you pleased- I m looking forward to the Kennet and Avon, and I don't mind telling yon that 1 hope to enjoy this last part of the trip a great deal more than any tnai came oeioie. The truth is. when I had to legve you at Warwick, I was in a little bit of a scrape." "We suessed as mucn. "And it threatened to become a ratner serious scrape. I suppose 1 may J the story, pow that it'a ail over. 4on see, there is a young lady - Yes. there generally Is, but this one ia a. warn in i.ut . ji i .a.nnn " ha romirEI. Cftim .... iA ward in chancery; that Is where the trouble comes in. Her mother is a wasp ish old vinegar cruet; tremendously proud pf her ancestry; tb. family have been Settled in Wilt, aince the time of Ed ward IH.- esi o uvj " - course, she hate, we like poison. I can fancy the old cat crying: 'Imagine Maud parrying tk son of a man who hasnt even a coat-ot-annson his carnage!' And r.up!oTrwM she who set the guar- AnS'the guardians?" one say. to him. "Ob. they declared that the young lady should remain perfectly free and unbiased untU shTcame of age. Well, neither of awmad to see the fun of that arrange mentnd then the guardians proceeded Jo extremities; yes. they did their little lest, or shabbiest, a. one might say; they .nnlied to the vice-chancellor, and he fssueT an order directing that ... com munition should cease between her and C f, wea hard-and it was hard .-.i. n. Then one naturally began to nrof how to mltif .f these cruel at- ea?TTJ means. I suppose, that you com . . k .11 the same" nu"caK" r."",:; think so." . 1DC' v-"i ;iowiy. - -you . the young KverV d7ffl7ulttO define wbt corn It h WJI " J.Tery dimcult; and you l1"'? TawtS-V have' large and fan ."fEL- In fact.' the Court of libera views. humor wh.t- Chancery has no ne( o ever. If they '"V Well 1 tell you. ? "r2 inrt. the vice-cbanceuor wu. scene in court, 'in .knot m fwS.Syr-T liahtnipj all bfiot T ling -ending off t0 . head, and finajlynoing And Jeway prison iw t- r MIFFLINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY, PENNM WEDNESDAY, the trouble I had to explain and apolo gise and give assurance, by th; yard 1 assure you It required a great d .al of tact to appear very penitential, and yet main tain that there was nothing for you to be penitential about." "So yon are engaged to be married, are youT one saya to him. "We've been engaged these two years," he make, answer, "but it haa been kept very quiet, owing to that absurd opposi tion. However, that will aooa be over. Mis. Wrexham I may aa well teU you her name will be of age in about alx months. And then," he adds, in a hesi tating kind of way. "I should like your wife to we her. And nd we shall be oing by Derixes, yon know." "Year "Well, the fact Is, Miss Wrexham has plenty of pluck, you understand; and if your wife were so awfully good-natured aa to aend her a little bit of a note she'd dive over to some appointed place she and her sister drive all about the country in a little pony chaise of their own; and then Murdoch could hold the pony, and the two girls pop into the saloon, and you'd give them a anack of lunch. 1 think it would be very Jolly r they're rattling nice girls; plenty of fun In them." "And this ia what yon call obeying the vice-chancellor's orders, is it?" one de mand, of him. "Oh, I should have nothing to do with It. If your wife asks two young ladies to come and look at a house boat, how can I help it? 1'U sit dumb all the time If you like." "What kind of treatment do they give you fat Holloway?" "Not at all bad, if you're a first-class misdemeanant." "Do they crop your hair?" "Certainly not!" "Books?" "Oh, yes." "All right) we'll consider that project When we fit along into Wiltshire." Jnst aa we arrived at the entrance of the hotel we could see the other mem bers of our party coming across the Col lege Green, through the dappled sun and shade beneath the trees. Notwitbstand ing her partly veiled face, it was clear that Miss Peggy was laughing merrily; and Col. Cameron, who was apparently responsible for this breach of Sabbath decorum, had his eyes fixed on the ground; Queen Tita was looking else where. "What a handsome girl that is!" said Jack Duncombe, involuntarily, as he, too, caught sight of the tall young lady. "Haa that never struck you before?" "Oh, yes, of course; but somehow, in the open sunlight, when you see ber at a distance, her figure tells so well." "Now that one thinks of it. my young friend, for a person engaged to be mar tied, you seemed to pay a good deal of attention to Miss Kosslyn at one time, and that not so long ago. One might have been excused for thinking that you had serious views." "About Miss Kosslyn?" said he, with evident surprise. "No, surely not! 1 have cheek for most things, but not for that!" Well, this was a modest speech, at any rate. "Of course, being so much with her on the boat," he said, "there were plenty of chance, of becoming very friendly; and, 1 dare say, being shut off from the rest of the world like that, ja kind of mutual con fidence aprang np; besides, when a girl Is exceedingly pretty and very good-natured, and full of high spirits and enjoy ment, you want to make yourself as agreeable a. you can." "Oh, you do, do you?" "Why, naturally." "But without prejudice to the young lady under the guardianship of the vice chancellor?" "I am quite sure of this, that Miss Bosslyn baa perfectly understood our re lations all the way through," he answer ed. "I am quite certain of that. Why, If I had been quite free from any en gagement, I could not have presumed, I would not have presumed, to regard her with any ambitious hopes of that kind." "Really!" In truth the young man'a humility was quite touching. "Besides," he said. In a lower voice "it is as clear as noonday who absorb all her interest now. A precious luck, fellow be is: that is ray opinion." CHAPTEB XIX. "The top of the morning to your says Miss Peggy, coming marching into the coffee room, and twirling her bonnet by the atrings. There ia a gay audacity in her face, and health and youth and high apirits are in ber shining eyes. "The same to you and many of them, one answers, humbly. "I do believe," she continues, in tones of traeie vexation, "that your tnglish bootmakers are the immediate descend anta of the people who lived in the Age of Iron. Why. French and uerman uooi- makers nse leather! But your English bootmakers fix your feet with Iron clamps," "So vour racln and chasing on Durd ham and Clifton Downs has found you put Is that it? Well, you'll have to come better provided to the Highlands boots with broad toes, double-soled, and with plenty of nails in them to get a grip of the heather." "I am not so sure about my ever going to the Highlands." she says,, with some hin of rhanee of manner; and she walks nlona to the window and looks out. Then she returns. "Wou't you go for a littlo .troll until they come down? It ia quite pretty out there." This ia a command rather than an In- ritation; one fetches hat and stick; Miss TWirv whiDs on her bonnet aud ties the strings; and presently we are lounging about the College Green, which looks yery well in the early sunlight. And the aunlight aults Miss Teggy, brightening the clear rose of her complexion, and lending a mystery to ner snaaoweu eyes, and making a wonder and glory of her hair. "Has Mr. Duncombe's parcel of books come?" she asks presently. "J don't know." "Do you think he will succeed as a writer?" again she asks, in her careless way. "How can one tell? He basn t got very far yet." "He la very modest about it," she says. "His simplicity is almost amusing. He doesn't aim at much, does he? Bather a small ambition, wouldn't you call it. . to be writing these little things, and mak ing up plots for farces l v ny, 11 1 were a man, I'd win the Victoria Cross or die!" she adds, with superfluous energy. "Good gracious! if everybody wanted the V. C. how would the worlda busl- heits go ou! "I'm talking abou myself perspnally," : he says,' resolutely. To begin with, you would have to be a soldier." ' "I would be a soldier." 1 "You would want an sppqrtunitjf r" VI would make aq p.("portun,jty," . fWell. J iope you vi hear a pihroch or two in the Highlands this year; what makes you think you won't be able o go Oh, as. for .that," shejjys, wiUj rath er a proud and hurt air. i am sure I am at liberty to go, for anything my people at home seem to care about me. They don't appear to be much concerned as to whether I go or stay." "No letter, this morning?" "Oh, it isn't this morning or many a morning back. I don't believe. I've heard from home aince I left London, and I've written regularly to my aister Emily ev ery Sunday, aometime. oftener." - "Don't yon think they assume that you have withdrawn altogether into the wilds, and that It ia no use trying to find you? Or Isn't it just a. likely that there haa been some mistake about forwarding your letters, and that you will find them all in a bundle when you get back to town? We shall soon be making a bee-line for London now." "Those people have come down," she aaya, discreetly glancing over to the win dows of the hotel; "we must go In." It was now for the first time that a foreshadowing of the breaking up of our party began to weigh upon the spirits of one or two of these good folk particu larly upon Col. Cameron, who became re markably glum and silent when we were counting up the days it would take lu to reach the Thames. In the afternoon it began to get clear. The clouds gradually lifted; and there were gleams of yellow among the bo ft purples and grays. The still waters of the winding Avon mirrored every feature of the bank; and further off the skies were reflected, too a shimmer of silver here and there, a breadth of liquid lilac darkening almost to black nnder the trees; while over the glassy surface dart ed Innumerable swifts and martens, busy In the still, warm, moist air. By this time, of course, waterproofs had been thrown aside; and as we came to a con venient landing place the boat was stop ped as we got ashore all but Jack Dun combe; who was eager to get at his books. Now It was Sir Ewen Cameron who assisted Miss Peggy to step along the gang board: and when she had reached the bank these two naturally went to gether at first walking pretty smartly so as to get ahead of the horse. Queen Tita was in no such hurry. "What is taking that girl back to Amer ica?" he asks, presently, looking away along the tow-path toward those two. "Who can tell? She doesn't seem to know herself." "But perhaps she Is right," this small person continues, rather wistfully. "Yes; even if it is only some vague kind of feel ine. And if she was once over there, and were to come back, then we couldn't be held responsible for anything that might happen. Of course, I hope she will come back. - It Is very curious what a hold that girl gets over one. England wouldn't be half England to me if I didn't know that, sooner or later, I could look for ward to seeing my Peggy again." "Your Peggy 1" "Yes, Indeed," she continued, boldly. "Ob, any one could see bow all you men have been fighting for ber good graces, lor a word or a smile or a look; but aha tias kept to me all the time. lo you think she doesn't know what men are?" Poor Peggy! She seemed most uuusu ally grave when we bad all to get on board again,' for we were now drawing near to. Bath. Not only tit, but she ap peared to be at once absent, minded and apprehensive;, subsiding into a deep rev erie from time to time, and yet anxiously responding to any remark addressed tc her, so that her thoughtfulness might no be noticed. She had no further quips and questions about Jack Duncouibo'a bundle of books. She took some tea in silence. And then these two women-folk bad tc be left to themselves; for we were now getting to the eud of the day's voyage. The approach of the beautiful Queen ot the West, by the valley of the Avon, is disappointing in the extreme; indeed, the slums here are about as bad as those ol the Totterdown suburb of Bristol. It was abundantly manifest that here was a biding place for us; again, and for tlfc last time on this trip, we should have U sleep ashore; and so, when a few thing! had been put into the various hand-bags, we set off, a small procession, through tb streets of Bath, putting up at a hotel where, notwithstanding our suspicioui want of luggage, we were made fairly welcome and furnished with rooms. That night, before we separated, tbt humble chronicler nf those events had a small folded note covertly handed to him: and, on subsequently opening it, he found it to contain these words: "Shall you be down early to-morrow morning? I want to say something very particular to you In private. PEGGY." Poor Peggy! Was it the thought ol going away across the wide Atlantic again that was pressing heavily on hei heart? CHAPTER XX. This day begun with glooms and disap pointments; then blossomed forth into a summer-like luxuriance of all beautiful things; and finally ended In joy and calm content. Perhaps it was our general im patience of towns, and our anxiety to be away in the wilderness again, that led ui to form so poor an opinion of the appear ance of Bath; but, anyhow, the morning was wet and lowering; the window! seemed dingy; and the spectacle of a crowd of people hurrying along muddy pavements, most of them with umbrellas up, to their respective shops and offices was modern and commonplace and de pressing. This was not what we had ex pected of the famous Queen of the West. All her former glories seemed to have vanished away behind the mournful pal) of rain. And then, again, the appointment that had been planned the evening before did not take place. Everybody seemed to come Into the little sitting room about the same moment; and Miss Peggy had no opportunity of saying a word. During breakfast she was quite silent; and there after, when there was a general hunt fot waterproofs and umbrellas, she set about getting ready in a mechanical way. At the door of the hotel she merely said, in an undertone: "Some other time I will speak to you," and then went out. Hunting for curiosities proved to be an engrossing occupation with onr party; aa that Miss Peggy was enabled to lag tittle behind without being observed, while a slight finger touch on the arm secured ber the listener she wanted. The young lady seemed at once shy and anx ious; there was more color In her face than usual; and when she spoke It was in a hurried and low undertone. "I want your advice," said she: "per haps you may think I should, speak tc your ty-ife but but would rather fcave a man s advice. Your wife has very ex alted, Ideas she might be a little too un compromising; and I would rather you j Would, tejl me what ordinary people would say ana, tain." , There was a moment of hesitation; then she began to speak, rather slowly, and .with downcast eyes. "Tell me what you think I should be justified in doing. I am involved at home in a half-and-half kind of engagement Both families were anxious for it and tnd I liked him ajiulg; ofe. ICS, fefijs v- amusing, and makes the time pass; and I dare say he liked me well enough when everything wa. going prosperously. Then you know bow my father's affairs went wrong," ahe continued, with an occasion al glance toward those other people, to make sure they were not observing her; "and there was a change after that. Yes, he is very sensible, and prides himself on it. Oh, I know what his ambition, are. He wants to get among the millionaires; he wants to run the biggest yacht afloat, and to have paragraphs about himself in the papers. That is why he has never come to Europe; he nfver will come to Europe until he has money enough to get himself talked about. And then, when my father's affair, went wrong, I sup pose It was but natural he should begin to think twice; and although he has never said he wanted the engagement broken off no, for he ia afraid of quarreling with hia own people he haa left me pret ty free to imagine that I can go if 1 choose. Oh. I am not vexed." she ron tlntjed. "Of course, a girl does not like to be thrown over." "You thrown over?" "It ia not quite so bad as that, for he writes me from time to time in a kind of a way and I am left to understand that he considers the engagement binding if I wish it. Well, a girl doesn't quite like that," ahe added, with just the least passing tremor in her voice; but doubt less it was pride rather than any sense of Injury that wa. driving her to speak. . "So I want you to tell me what 1 should be justified in doing," she resum ed. "Oh, Miss Rosslyn, come along here for a minute 1" a third person broke In; it was Jack Duncombe. "I have discovered the tablet put up to commemorate the illus trious virtues of Beau Nash. It's beau tiful. Come along, and I will translate It for you." So Miss Rosslyn was holed away, some what to the relief of the person whom she had been consulting. For It was not so easy as It looked to say off-hand what Mis. Peggy should do in these cir cumstances. The beautiful valley increased in love llness and loneliness as we followed the slow windings of our galieried waterway, high up on this hillside. We had all this world of sunlight aud green leaves and sweet-blowlug winds entirely to ourselves. We met with no oue. Miss Peggy wa up at the bow, her throat bare to the warm breeze, her hair, unshielded by any bonnet, showing threads of burnished gold in the sunlight. Jack Duncombe was standing beside ber, with an ord nance map spread out on the roof of the house. Then we came to the Dunda. Aque duct, which spans the wide vale, and here the spacious view was more extensive than ever the landscape disappearing in to tender distances of rose-gray and light est green until, at the far horizon line and melting into the silvery sky, there were touches of psle, translucent blue. But this aqueduct carried us across the valley and very aoon we had left the wide, open country behind us, and were plunged into umbrageous woods. It was much hotter here; there was hardly a breath of air to stir the shelving branches that felt their way out into the aunlight; and it waa but rarely that the interven ing foliage afforded any shelter. Never, theless, these good people would insist on going for a stroll along the towpath all except Miss Peggy, who, at the last mo ment, abruptly changed her mind and decided to remain with the steersman, to cheer him with her company. "This might be a river in a Brazilian forest," said she, "for the beauty of it and the solitude." It was not of any river in Brazil she was thinking; she was but waiting until those people on the bank were out of earshot. Then she said presently: "Have you thought that over?" "Yes." Her next question was not put into words; it was a nervous flash of inquiry that appeared In her eyea. Then she look ed down again, as if awaiting judgment. She had a bit of red hawthorn in her hand, and her finger, were pulling into small shreds one or two of the dark green leaves. "Well, you see, Miss Peggy, If your de scription of the situation is literally cor rectliterally and absolutely correct then you would be amply justified in tell ing that young gentleman in New York to go and be banged. That is what any man would say off-hand and at once. There may be some explanation. Letters may have been delayed. You may get them when you go back to London." "And if there were a hundred letters, do you think I don't know what would be in them ?" she demanded, rather proud ly. "And as for drifting and driftine. I have grown a litue urea 01 that, it is no great compliment to a girl to pnt hei in such a position. I dare say, now, il I were over in America if I were to gc to America for even a fortnight, I could get the whole matter settled." "You really and honestly mean that you want to have it broken off?" "Broken off!" she exclaimed, with just a touch of indignation in her voice. "It is he who wants to have it broken off and hasn't the courage to say so. He won't own it to me; he won't own it to his family; but do you think 1 don't un derstand? I am not blind. And how ever stupid a woman may be at other times, in an affair of thia kind ahe can see clearly enough." "That is tme. But oa the other hand, if you think that this half-and-half en gagement should come to an end, why not let it gradually die a natural death? It seems pretty moribund at present, doesn't it? Cease writing to him." "He hasn't written to me for nearly two months!" "Very well. Stop altogether. If that doesn't force him to ask for an explana tion if he asks for no explanation, then the matter is at an end. You go your way, and he his." "I I suppose that is good advice; and thank you," she said, in rather a low voice. (To be continued.) An American lady who had labo riously acquired a very scant knowl edge of French, tried to show her pro ficiency in the language by using It in the dining room of a Parisian hotel. Although she was fully awar that most of the waiters spoke Engliph, she insisted upon giving her orders in French., One day she paralyzed tne waiter by directing htm to bring her "a bottle of embonpoint." She wanted a bottle of stout. It Is stated that there are made in England for home ues and exportation more than 20,000,000 pins daily. A petrified forest in a sandstone f 01 mat ion has been discovered in Routt county. California. Colored elobea in drug store win dow's were first displayed by the Moor ish druggists of Arabia and Spain. A vagrant lad was arrested in Phil adelphia the other day for some mis demeanor, and in response to the ques tions of the police justice, he declared that he was fourteen years of age and an orphan. "How long have your par ents been dead?" asked the sympathet ic justice. uver twenty years, was the prompt reply of the little ).'r. JULY 25, 1900 M J. GfcN. WESLKV M ERR ITT. tolAtes- WktM Honorable Service with Uncle San ! Ended. MaJ. Gen. Wesley Merrltt has been retired from active service owing to his saving reached the age limit. He waa born la New York in 1830 and waa graduated from West Point In 1860. Ho entered the regular service and had at tained to the rank of colonel at the out break of the civil war. Hia career in 'die war was marked by several acts f gallantry, in consequence of which ao waa made a brigadier general of rolaataera la June, 1862. and was afterward appointed to succeed Qen. Buford la command of the First Di vision of Cavalry. Later he waa ad vanced to lieutenant colonel In the reg ular army. Ha waa made a brigadier general In April, 1887. and a KUJor general three year, ago, at which x)ca be was stationed at Governor's IaLhid. Soon after the new. of Dewey's vic tory at Manila Gen. Merrltt was up pointed military goreruor of the Philip pine Islands, and assigned to the com mand of the Eighth Army Corps, with Headquarters at San Francisco. Uen. Uerritt sailed for the Philippines with the third expedition and arrived in the ..lands Inte In July. 1808. Later Gen. Uerritt relinquished the military com mand to Gen. Otl. and assumed the lutlea of military governor. As be had been appointed a member )f the Peace Commission at Paris, the general left Manila on Aug. 30 on the Ueanisbip China. After the conference n Pari, he went to London and mar ried Miss Laura Williams, of Chicago. n Oct. 24, 1848. The general and hi. wife returned to New York on Dec. 17. 1898, and from that time until hia ieparture for Europe he waa stationed it Governor'. Island. Kate Maateraoa's First Poena. Kate Masterson, the poet and humor at, thus describe, the beginning of her iterary career.: "I waa at school In Brooklyn when first sent a poem to Judge, signing it Kittle K. It wa. accepted and pun ished with an Illustration, and my cup f joy was brimming. When I got a :beck for $2 I effervesced. 1 then sent 10 tne verses to Puck, which was then Kilted by H. C. Bunner. They were ilso signed Kittle K., but were written 'rom a masculine point of view, and as ( wrote a very gentlemanly band Bun der evidently came to the conclusion '.hat I was a boy. He sent me some very funny letters, and I replied, keep ing up the Idea that I was a very fresh, tlangy boy. He accepted the verses, She Stood on the Stair,' and they were published In a Christmas number with 1 picture. As this was only the second poem I had sold in my life, you can magine how wildly anxious I was to aave It appear. I bothered Bunner with inquiries, for, of course, that was the inly poem on earth to me just then. I recollect finally writing him, 'Do you think my poem will be published during my lifetime r "He wrote me: 'My dear boy, 1 can not say If your poem will be published luring your lifetime, as 1 do not know when you are going to die.' "Philadel phia Post Vainlly Lived In Hallow Tree. A family named Hopgood, consisting jf father, mother and two daughters. Has been discovered near Richmond liv ing In a hollow oak tree. The tree waa not large enough to accommodate the whole family, and they seemed to have been taking turns, some sleeping under the tree and others Inside its decayed trunk. They made their living by for aging and begging about the country. The county authorities have taken them In band. Richmond (Va.) Cor New York Sun. Mohammedans. The number of Mohammedans has been estimated at liXj.5UO,000. Of these 18,000,000 re under the rule of the Turkish Government. 23.000,000 are ruled by other Musseluiau sovereigns, 3li.5O0.000 are subject to African Princes. 20,000.000 live In China, and 99.000.000 are under other rulers. Of these last about 58.000.000 belong to India and Beloocbistan. Temptation Resisted. St. Peter Editor, eh? What good things have you ever done? New Arrival I once took the blame for one of my own mistakes. Instead of throwing it on to the Intelligent com positor. St. Peter Go up bead. New York Weekly. Extinct Gianta of Gum. Were there giants In the old days in our latest possessions, Guam? The present ra.ces are Meloncslan and Ma lay, with occasional Negritos. But these men could never have built the massive forts that dot the Isles forts as massive aa those of Yucatan. The walls range In height from S feet to 40 feet In one wall a cornerstone 10 feet by 2 by 6 was found twenty feet above the ground. How did the na tives, who have left no trace of skill beyond a stone axe or two and an Iron spearhead, rear those mighty walls? St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Every one must do just so much weeping; those who are spanked often- j est when young, have least cauae for I crying wbta grown up. MAJ. ACS. WIILIT MEHBITT. SERMON ftp. Dr. Calmagc abject I Practical Chsrlty The Benevo lence of Dorcas Kllolled Her Work Contrasted With Present Day Hctboda Wonu God's Handmaiden. Oopyrtebt lwo.1 WASHINGTON, D. C Dr. Talmage, who is still traveling in Northern Europe,, has forwarded the following report ot aj sermon in which he utters helpful words to all who are engaged in alleviating hu man distresses and snows how such work will be crowned at the last; text, Acta ix, 30, "And all the widows stood by him weeping and showing him the coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them." Joppa is a most absorbing city of the Orient. Into her harbor once floated the rafts of Lebanon cedar from which the temp's of Jerusalem were builded, Solo-j mon's oxen drawing the logs through the town. Here Napoleon had SOU prisoners massacred. One of the most magnificent charities of the centuries was started in this seaport by Dorcas, a woman with her needle embroidering her name ineffaceably into the beneficence of the world. I see her sitting in yonder home. In the door way and around about the building and in the room where she sits are the pale faces of the poor. She listens to their pliant, she pities their woe, she makes garmants for them, she adjusts the manufactured articles to suit the bent form of this inva lid woman and to the cripple that cornea, crawling on his bands and knees. She gives a coat to this one; she gives sandals to that one. With the gifts she mingles prayers and tears and Christian encourage ment. Then she goes out to be greeted on the street corners by those whom she has blessed, and all through the street the cry is heard. "Dorcas is coming!" The sick look up gratefully in her face as she puts her hand on the burning brow, and the lost and the abandoned start up with liopo as they hear her gentle voice, as though an angel had addressed them, and as slia goes out the lane eyes half put out with sin think they see a halo of light about her brow and a trail of clory in her path way. That night a halt paid shipwright climbs the hil! and reaches home and sees his little boy well clad and says, "W here did these clothes come from?" And they tell him, "Dorcas has beeu here." In an other place a woman is trimming a lamp; Dorcas bought the oil. In another place a family that had not been at table for many a week are gathered now, for Dorcas has brought bread. But there is a sudden pause in that wom an's ministry. They say: "Where is Dor cas? Why, we haven't seen her for many a day. Where is Dorcas?" And one oi these poor people goes up and knocks at the door ana finds the mystery solved. All through the haunts of wretchedness the news comes, "Dorcas is sick!" No bulletin flashing from the palace gate teliiug the stages of a king's disease is more anxiousi waited for than the news from this bene f actress. Alas, for Joppa there is wailing wailing! That voice which has uttered t many cheerful words is hushed; that hand which has made so many garments for the poor is cold and still; the star which had poured light into the midnight of wretch edness is dimmed by the blinding mists that go up from the river of death. In every forsaken place in that town, wher ever there is a sick child and no balm, wherever there is hunger and no bread wherever there is guilt and no commisera tion, wherever there is a broken heart and no comfort, there are despairing looks and streaming eyes and frantic gesticula tions as they cry, "Dorcas is dead!" They send for the apostle Peter, whe happens to be in the suburbs of the place, stopping with a tanner of the name of Si mon. Peter urges his way through t lie crowd around the door and stands in tha presence of the dead. What demonstra. tion of grief all about him! Here stand some of the poor people, who show tha garments wmcn mis poor woman na made for them. Their grief cannot be ap peased. The apostle Peter wants to per form a miracle. He will not do it amid the excited crowd, so he orders that the whole room be cleared. The apostle stands now with the dead. Oh, it is a serious mo. nient, you know, when you are alone with a lifeless body! Tiie apostle gets down on his knees and prays, and then he conies tq the lifeless form of this one all ready for the sepulcher, and in the strength of Him who is the resurrection he cries: "Tabitha, arise!" There is a stir in the fountains of life, the heart flutters, the nerves thrill, the cheek flushes, the eye opens, she aits up. We see in this subject Dorcas, the disci ple, Dorcas the benefactress, Dorcas the lamented, Dorcas the resurrected. if I had not seen that word disciple in my text, I would have known this woman was a Christian. Such music as that never came from a heart which is not choriled and strung by divine grace. Before 1 show you the needlework of this woman I want to show you her regenerated heart,- the source of a pure life and of all Christian charities. I wish that the wives and moth ers and daughters and sisters of all the earth would imitate Dorcas in her disciple ship. Before you cross the threshold ol the hospital, before you enter upon the temptations and trials of to-morrow, I charge you in the name of God aud by the turmoil and tumult of the judgment day, O woman, that you attend to the first, last and greatest duty of your life the seeking for God and being at peace with Him! When the trumpet shall sound there will be an uproar and a wreck of mountain and continent, and no human arm can help you. Amid the rising of the (lend and amid the boiling of yonder sea aud amid the live, leaping thunders of the flying heavens calm and placid will be every woman's heart who hath put her trust in Christ calm notwithstanding all the tu mult, as though the fire in the heavens were onlv the gildings of an autumnal sun set, as though the awful voices of the sl:y were but a group of friends bursting through a gateway at even time with laughter anu shouting. "Dorcas the disci ple!" Would God that every Mary and every Martha would this day sit down at the feet of Jesus! Further, we see Dorcas, the benefactress. History has told the story of the crown, epic poet has sung of the sword; the pas toral poet, with his versos full of the redo lence of clover tons and a-rustle with the silk ot the corn, has sung the praises of the plow. I tell you the praises of thfl needle. From the fig leaf robe preparer) in the garden of Eden to the last stitch taken on the garment for the poor thd needle has wrought wonders of kindness, generosity and benefaction. It adorned the girdle of the high priest, it fashioned the curtains in the ancient tabernacle, it cushioned the chariots of King Solomon, it provided the robes of Queen E'.izabeth, and in high places and in low- places, by the fire or the pioneer's back log and un der the flash of the cha.idelier every where it has clothed nakedness, it has preached the gospel, it has overcome hosts of penury and want with the war cry of "Stitch, stitch, stitch!" The operatives have found a livelihood by it, and through it the mansions of the employer are con structed. Amid the greatest triumphs in all ages and lands I set down the conquests of the needle. I admit its crimes; I admit its cruelties. It has had more martyrs than the fire; it has punctured the eye; it has pierced the side; it has struck weaknee into the lungs; it has sent madness intc the brain; it has filled the potter's field; it has pitched whole armies of the sutTcr ing into crime and wretchedness and woe. But now that I am talking of Dorcas and her ministries to the poor I shall speak only of the charities of the needle. J hi: woman was a representative of all those who make garments for the destitute, who knit socks For the barefooted, who prepnre bandages for the lacerated, who fix up boxes of clothing for missionaries, who go into the asylums of the sutf ring and desti tute bearing that gospel which is sight for the blind and hearing for the draf, and which makes the lame man lean like a hart NO. 33 and brings the dead ' to7" life, immortal health bounding in their pulses. What a contrast between the practical benevolence of this woman and a great deal of the charity of this day! Thia woman -did not spend ber time idly plan-" ning how the poor of the city of Jopp-i were to be relieved. She took her needle and relieved them. She was not like those persona who sympathize with imaginary sorrows and go out in the street and laugh? at the boy who has upset his basket of cold victuals, or like that charity which makes a rousing speech on the benevolent platform and goes out to kick the beggar from the step, crying, "Hush your miser able howling!" Sufferers of the world want not so much theory are practice; not 30 much tears as dollars; not so much kind wishes as loaves of bread; not so mucla smiles as shoes; not so much "God bles you," aa jackets and frocks. I will put ane earnest Christian man, hard-working, tgainst 5000 mere theorists on the subject jf charity. There are a great many who have fine ideas about church architecture ivho never in their lives helped to build al :hurch. There are men who can give you the history of Buddhism and Mohamme danism who never sent a farthing for 1 vangeiization. There are women wnp talk beautifully about the suffering of the world who never had the courage, like Dorcas, to take the needle and assault it. I am glad that there is not a page of the world's history which is not a record of female benevolence. Cod says to all lands nd people. "Come, now, and hear the widow's mite rattle down into the poor box." The Princess of C'onti sold all her jewels that she might help the famine stricken. Queen Blanche, the wife ol Louis VIII. of France, heariug that there were some persons unjustly incarcerated in the prisons, went out amid the rabbla and took a stick and struck the door as a signal that they might all strike it, and down went the prison door, and out came the prisoners. Queen Maud, the wife of Henry I., went down amid the poor and washed their sores and administered to them cordials. Mrs. Ketson, at Matagor da, appeared on the battlefield while the missiles of death were flying around and cared for the wounded. Is there a man or woman who has ever heard of the civil war in America who has not heard of the women of the sanitarv and Christian com missions or the fact that before the smoke tiad gone up from CJetiy-iburg and South dountain the women of the north met the Women of the south on the battlefield, for getting all their animosities, while they bound up the wounded and closed the eyes of the slain? Dorcas the benefactress. I come now to speak of Dorcas the la mented. When death strur-k down that good woman, oh, how much sorrow there was in the town of Joppa! I suppose there were women there with larger fortunes, women perhaps with handsomer faces, but there was not grief at their departure like this at the death of Dorcas. There were hot more turmoil and upturning in the KFediterranean Sea dashing against the wharves at that seaport than there were Surgings to and fro of grief because Dorca? was dead. There are a great many who jgo out of life and are unmisscd. There (may be a very large funeral, there miiy be a great manv carriages and a phiinrd hearse, there may be high sounding euio giums, the bell may toll at the cemetery gate, there may be a very fine marble shaft reared over the resting place, but the whole thing may be a falsehood and a sham. The church of God has lost nothing;, the world has lost nothing. It is only a nuisance abated. It is ouly a grutiihltT ceasing to find fault. It is only an idler stopped yawning. It is ouly a dissipated fashionable parted from his wine cellar, while on the other hand no useful Chris tian leaves this world without bfing missed. The chiTrch of God cries out, like the prophet, "Howl, fir tree, for the cedar has fallen!" Widowhood comes and shows the garments which the departed had made. Orphans are lifted up to look into the calm face of the sleeping benefactress. Keclaimed vagrancy comes and kisses the cold brow of her who charmed it away from sin, and all through the streets of Joppa there is mourning mourning be cause Dorcas is dead. Has that Christian woman who went away fifteen years ago nothing to do with these things? I si-e the flowering out of her noble heart. 1 hear the echo of her footsteps iu nil the songs over sins for given, in all the prosperity of the church. The good that seemed to be buried haa come up again. !rcas is resurrected! After awhile all these womanly friend of Christ will put down their needle for ever. After making garments for other some one will make a garment for them; the last robe we ever wear the robe for the grave. You will have heard the last cry of pain. You will have witnessed the last orphanage. You will have come in worn out from your last round of mercy. I do not know where you will sleep nor what vour epitaph will lie, but there wilt be a lamp burning at that tomb anil an angel of God guarding it, and through all the long night no rude foot will disturb the dust. Sleep on, sleep on! Soft bed, pleasant shadows, undisturbed repose! Sleep on! Asleep in Jesus! Ulessed sleep From which none ever wake to weep! Then one day there will lie a sky rend ing and a whirl of wheels aud the flash of a pageant, armies marching, chillis clank ing banners waving, thunders booming, ana that Christian woman will arise trout the dust, and she will be suddenly sur rounded surrounded by the wunderers of the street whom she reclaimed, surround ed by the wounded souls to whom she had administered! Daughter of God, so strangely surround ed, what means this? It means that re ward has come; that the victory is won; that the crown is ready; that the banquet is spread. Shout it through all the crumb ling earth! Sing it through all the flying heavens! Dorcas is resurrected! In IHoo, when some of the soldiers came back I rom the Crimean war to London, the Queen of England distributed among them beautiful medals, called Cnmeau medals. Galleries were erected for the two houses of 1'ai'hainciit and the royal family to sit lu. There was u great audience to witness the distribution of the medals. A colonel who hail lost both feet iu the bat tie of Inkeruiaiiii was pulled in on a wheel chair; others came in limping on their crutches. Then the tiicen of England arose before them in the name of her Govern ment and uttered words of commendation to the officers and men and distributed those medals, inscribed with the four great battlefields Alma. Ualaklava, lukeriiianti and Sevastopol. As the t.ltieen gave tln-se to the wounded men nnd the wounded olii cers the bands of music struck up the na tional air., anil the people, with streaming eyes, joined in the song: God save our fn'acious queen! Long live our noble queen! Jod save tlie queen ! And thpn they shouted liii7a! Huzza!"" Ob, it was a proud day for those returned warriors! Hut a brighter. Iietter and glad der day will come when Chri.-t i-hal! path er those who have toiled in His service good soldiers of .lesus ( 'hri:;t. lie shall rise before them, and in the presinic of all th glorified of heaven lie will ay. "Well done, good and faithful servant!" And then He will distribute the medals of eter nal victory, not insenned with works of righteousness which we have done, but with those four great battlefields, dear to earth and dear to heaven Hethlehem, Nazareth, Gethsemane and Calvary! Among the lights which lie thieugh the shadows of life, the brightest ia . love. For every foolish thing in law there Is a wise reason. - But very few persons add dignity to the office they fill. No man can expect to be happy whose thoughts ail centre In himself. With averted eye we let the irolden in omenta pass us bv. Time's foolish: I spendthrifts, searching wide and far, Tor what liei rlnso at hand As a streak of lean and a streak of fat make the most palatable meats, so do good and bad luck, mixed in proper pioportlons, give the best zest to 111. ! " I . ! -i Hi n r St. J.- :
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers