- Vv '
r" - ' ' " - ' ' '
. . - ' 1 1 -
fx
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B. F. SCKWEIER,
THE CONSTITUTION THE UNION AND THE ENFORCEHENT OF THE LAWS.
Editor and Proprietor.
VOL. LTV.
t.
MIFFLIXTOWST. JUIOATA COUNTY, PENN., WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15, 1900
NO. 3G
r
IT
Captainjrabaoi?
BV B. 7Wt. CROKBR
iliU.omapeeof.goatlz.Jfriea
CHArTEB II Continued.)
Ilere Esme laughed hysterically, ana
t once brought the whole storm upon her
unlucky head, and acted as a kind of
lightning-conductor to Mrs. Brabazon's
wrath.
You laugh! Ton dare to laugh, mUs!
But it is only -what I could expect from
you. I believe you were in his confidence,
and knew all abont it. I'm sure you en
couraged him in his abominable conduct.
You and he have always been a heavy
trial to me. You had a letter this morn
ing: be so good as to hand it over."
"I cannot, Mrs. Brabazon," replied
Esme. tremulously; "it it is private,"
glancing appealingly at her stepmother.
"And full of abuse of me, no doubt
Well, you may keep it," making virtue of
necessity, "and make much of it, for it
is the last you will receive 1 Every other
I find in the post bag I shall burn. Mark
my wordsl into the fire it goes."
"Florian and Gussie," said Esme, tim
idly, glancing from her brother to her
sister, "are neither of you going to say
anything? Won't you speak for Teddy T'
she as?d, piteously, "or is it to be left
to me? Mrs. Brabazon, surely yon can
not forget that Teddy is our brother, and
will always be so as long as he lives, lie
is not dead to us at least, he is not dead
to me and I hope he will be spared for
the next fifty years. I think it only right
and honorable to tell you that I wili nev-
er give him up, that I shall write to him
and receive his letters, and meet him
and speak to him whenever I get the
chance! Ilia being a soldier makes no
difference whatever; he is my brother all
the same. It was not his fault he could
not pass; he did try, and he wanted so
much to be a soldier."
"What do you say to this tirade, Au
gusta?" demanded Mrs. Brabazon, turn
ing on Gussie with a portentous frown.
"I think it is all very dreadful about
Ted, of course," she stammered; "but he
is my brother," looking hard at Esme,
as though endeavoring to borrow some of
her spirit.
"And yeu, Florian?" demanded Mrs.
Brabazon, in an awful, hollow voice.
"Oh, if you want my opinion," returned
that gentleman, carefully stirring his tea,
"I think Ted is a confounded ass,' and
has made a regular fool of himself, and
all that sort of thing, and it's no end of a
bore. I would pass him now if I met him
in the street," pulling up his collar as he
spoke, and feeling that he waa a very
important, dignified, illustrious young
man.
"Oh, Flo!" exclaimed bis youngest sis
ter, reproachfully.
"Now, you have your brother's opinion,
Esme, the opinion of the head of the
house, I hope yon are satisfied," said
Kirs. Brabazon, with malicious' triumph.
"You see he is, as usual, quite of my way
of thinking! If Teddy had behaved re
spectfully, I know that Florian would
have done something for him, and used
his interest with his influential friends;
he has always been such a good, generous
brother."
Thus Teddy fell into disgrace with his
people; his name was erased from the
family roll, and written down instead in
nearly everyone's black book.
Two years passed by, and during these
two years there have been some little
changes even at Baronsford. Esme was
now nineteen, prettier than ever, but stiff
and shy in general society. Gussie, on
the contrary, seemed born for the social
circle, was always the center of a little
knot of swains on these occasions, and
had played havoc with the affections of
several susceptible young men. Mrs.
Brabazon still frequented stately nouses
and stately dinner tables, and had saved
a sum of money that would have made
Miss Jane exclaim "most unaccountable,"
had she seen her banker's book. Time
has not stood still with Teddy. Hers
is his last letter. It lies on the school
room table beside Esme:
"From Troop Sergeant Brown, York, to
Miss E. Brabazon:
"My Dear Esme Always the culprit I
you need not tell me that. I've written
to you at least ten times in imagination
long letters, too, but I suppose that does
not count. I have news for yo, good
news. You know that for a long time I
was instructor in the riding school, and
now I am promoted to be troop sergeant,
which, by the way. I suppose is Greek
to you, old lady: but I dare say yout
mind can grasp the word 'promotion.' I
am getting up the ladder at last. The
colonel hinted to me the other day that
if I went on as I had commenced he
would be happy to recommend me for a
commission; so we begin to see daylight.
I hope to see you early in the autumn,
before we embark for foreign service; we
are nxt on the roster I .hll ooni
down and ue peraue ii """"" -
I- it would never do for you to be
? .k in nublic with a ser
parading about in public with a sergeant
Sf lancers. It will be a case of 'meet
me by moonlight alone.' but that will be
better than nothing. Only fancy, Esme,
rVe not spoken to a lady for two years.
Give my lore to Gussie and Aunt Jane.
Do you know that she sent me 3 lately
in a very crabbed little letter? Nevei
mind, she shall be proud of me yet.
"Your affectionate bt0DDY B
CHAPTER HI.
"She hasn't been here, has she? pant
ed Gussie. trusting
I aside the school room door. No. witn
nf relief. "1 see sne
cs:;.hPr whole person
in
now mi.."-. -- . h ,
walking costume;
waiKins ": ,7. ' ,h sparest chair, and
luoaiua w
est chi
she supsioeu y -- f tne
2.1 ran' putting her h.nd to her
tVS wnord.SGussie." said her -is-at
her with calm, dispassion
'Se? onjwant a personal at
i . few straws in your hair.
tenaauw ,tie
- "Your news, come v m
' tr- i.o tvle so well! Ta-DK" .Kfc" trf
new bonnet, and a 1 xo
new Donnei. --- tQ lnform me I
t 1 k Its renter, lou are 0r-or-!
I aShat Lady Hmf mp Vaahon has again
touio-; sp. that Mr. d uj
made.
you offer
"You are getting quite hot, I declare!
luite hot!" cried Gussie. rubbing her
bands ecstatically. "It's a wedding in
the family, bnt I am not to be the vic
tim." "No?" 1b an accent of surprise; the
It most be Floy
"No, no, no," each no louder than its
predecessor.
"You don't mean to say that Mrs. Bra
bazon " with a gesture of horror.
"Not Mrs. Brabazon," laughing and still
rubbing her hands, "though I would not
mind if it were! I would 'give her away'
with pleasure. Try again."
"Then there's no one left but Aunt
Jane," said Esme, looking at her sister
iublously.
"And pray, what do you call yourself,
my dear?" impressively; "it is you you,
who are going to be married. Now. then."
folding her arms, putting out her under
up, ana snaking her fringe with a ges
ture of decision.
II" pausing and surveying her sist
with bewildered eyes, her mouth slightly
parted. After a silence of a clear sixty
seconds she found speech. "Only that 1
know that you are almost a teetotaller,
your whole appearance and conversation
would warrant the suspicion that you had
been visiting the Barley Mow!" .
"Barley Mow or not. you are going to
J be married. Miss Esme Brabazon!1
J "Well, if I am, it is certainly the first
1 1 have beard of it." Ironically, "which is
I mrinm ,gt ... .......... i a a
who is to be the happy bridegroom? Have
I the pleasure of knowing him, even by
ugut"
No, you have not," exultantly. "Yes,
yes! hurriedly, in answer to the expres-
ion of her companion's face. "I'm quite
sane and perfectly serious, although it
sounds quite too unaccountable, as-Aunt
lane would aay; but," clearing her throat,
"you are aware that Uncle George is
dead T'
"Well, considering that I've known that
fact for quite three weeks, and that I am
at present making our mourning, your
news is something astonishing," sarcas
tically. "Uncle George is dead; I'm go
ing to be married! Do try and think of
something else, or is it a new game?'
"Be quiet, Esme; you are just as bad
as Teddy. The will has been found, after
a long search, in a coat pocket of all
places! and particulars have come by the
afternoon post. Mr. BeU has been over
to Byford and brought our letter:
"But to the point, my good girl, if there
is one!"
"The point is that he has left two bun
dred a year to Sopp and the parrot, twen
ty pounds to each of us for a mourning
ring
"And this has turned your head," broke
in her sister. "How I wish he bad left
us the money instead!"
"Do let me finish," cried Gussie, with
an angry little stamp. "I want to be the
first to tell you! I ve kept the last as a
kind of plum; listen," gesticulating ex
citedly. "All bis money . in the funds,
forty thousand pounds, goes to you and
Miles Brabazon; and here is the cream of
the whole thing, provided you marry
each other within six months of his de
cease. Now, is not that news for you?
What do yon call that but a wedding in
the family?" ahe demanded triumphantly
of her sister, who stood staring at her
with pale, wide-eyed astonishment.
"It is not true. I don't believe It. It's
a Joke,1' ah said at last. In a faint voice.
gazing at Gussie with a look of horrified
Incredulity.
"It's quite, quite true; beautifully, de
lightfully truer returned the yeong lady.
"Come and let ns have a dance of Jubi
lee," bumming a waits, and seizing her
stupefied sister around her waist, and
beginning to whirl her about the room.
"Stop, stop, stop, Gussie!" she cried,
breathlessly; "are you in yonr right
senses?" holding her fast, and gazing in
to her flushed face and sparkling eyes.
"Are yon serious? Just let me look at
you !" drawing her toward the window.
"Perfectly serious." she panted, "and
nearly ont of my mind with joy. You
will have a nice little house in town, a
victoria for the park, lots of dances and
dinners, at which your elder sister,
charming Miss Brabazon, will be the
piece de resistance."
"Poor old gentleman! I always though)
he was odd; very queer, indeed," re
turned her sister, slowly.
"Miles is in Burmaii. I believe," said
Gussie. "I wonder what be will thiuk
of this legacy!"
"7 Think what every one must think,"
returned Esme, decidedly, "that Uncle
George was mad!"
"Not a bit of it, my dear. I grant you
he was odd, eccentric. Mrs. B. once
wanted Aunt Jane and Flo to have htm
looked after and locked up, but it would
have been utter nonsense. Because a
man wears queer clothes and devours hd:
curries and Arabian and Persian lore
tales, it does not naturally follow that he
is a lunatic. He was perfectly well able
to manage his affairs, and was very sharp
about money."
"Well, it's no business of mine," said
Esme, shrugging her shoulders; "only I'm
sorry he made such a foolish will."
"Foolish will!" cried Gussie. "What
do you mean? It's a beautiful will. Don't
tell me that you are not going to marrj
Miles Brabazon not going to jump at
him and the legacy."
"I certainly am not. What a way yon
talk. Jump, Indeed!" getting rather red,
and stooping to pick up her scattered
work. "I would not marry him on any
account, nor he me; we are not crazy. We
have not, as the French say, 'Spiders in
onr garrets,' like poor old Uncle George."
"He will marry you fast enough, once
he sees you," observed Gussie, decisively.
I don't know anyone as pretty any
where, though you are my own sister, and
I say it, as shouldn't. Jveryooay minus
you are the prettiest girl in Thornshire."
boastfully.
"The prettiest girl in Thornshire" took
not the least notice of this brilliant com
pliment, but began to shake out, fold up
and Dut away her unfortunate work, evi
dently incapacitated for any further in
dustry that afternoon.
uuAfln.it iv.
Let us now adjourn to British Burmah,
and pay a visit to the other legatee. Cap-
Brabason. A single flight of
CHAPTER IV.
; imagination will land us in Rangoon,
without undergoing forty days' torture
on the high seas.
"I only wish I had your luck, that's all I
But I always knew you were born wiUi
a silver spoon in your mouth, and that
Dame Fortune bad her eye on you."
The speaker, a young man in polo cos
tume, long boots and dangerous looking
spurs, was sitting on a teak-wood table
in an easy, degage attitude, with his cap
set on the side of his close-cropped sandy
head, a polo stick in one hand.
The gentleman upon whom Dame For
tune was supposed to "have her eye"
also in polo garb was sunk in the depths
of a Bombay chair, an expression of
growing dissatisfaction upon his naturally
gay and good-looking countenance. He
held a large blue letter in his hand, and
the ground around him was littered with
papers and envelopes; evidently the Eu
ropean mail had just come in. The young
man with the boots and spurs is Mr.
Gee, the other Captain Brabazon, both
officers in the Royal Marchers, at present
luxuriating in the climate of British
Barman. They are friends, and partners
in the straggling wooden bungalow in
which we find them.
"Luck, indeed," growled Captain Bra
bazon, angrily, crumpling up the letter
and thrusting if into his breast pocket, "1
see no luck in it; quite the other way!"
"Will ye listen to him!" cried Mr. Gee.
"Have you not always had enough for
your modest wants?"
"That's because they were modest," re
turned the other, promptly.
"Have you not had the best of health,
even in this beastly climate? rwhich is
enough to undermine the constitution of
a rhinoceros! Have you not had speedy
promotion? Haven't you youth?" paua-.
ing a second for breath.
"Go on; don't shirk it! Why not say
beauty at once?" suggested his compan
ion, encouragingly.
"Well. I'll even go as far as that,
generously, "though that was not what
I was going to remark; but everyone
knows, yourself included, that you've
good-looking fellow, and quite one of our
show men. And you have actually the
cheek to sit there calmly aud tell me to
my face that you arc not a lucky fellow,
when bank on the top of all this comes
a thumping legacy of forty thousand
pounds. I only wish 1 bad half your com
plaint, that's all!"
I wish to goodness you bad, return
ed the other, sulkily. "You seem to for
get, my clever and very sanguine friend,
that I've only a half share in the booty,
a half share and a better half. Sounds
like a pun, eh? You have overlooked one
little detail, matrimony, and that if I
don't marry this girl within six months
all the coin goes to a college in Calcutta.
Did you ever know such an old hunks?"
Now standing up, walking to the doorway
and leaning against one of the posts.
"Why the mischief could .he not divide
the money and leave us each half?" he
demanded, angrily, of his friend.
"Ay, why, indeed?" rejoined Mr. Gee.
"It all came of my tipping him a ten-
pound note.
"Your grandmother!" ejacufated Mr.
Gee, with a laugh of the rudest incred
dulity. '
"Great-grandmother, if you like, but
it's a fact! When the old chap came
home from India, with pots of money, he
was awfully afraid of being set upon by
hordes of needy relations. A bright idea
struck him. He hastily retired to a shady
suburb in Loi. ?u and set up as a pauper.
In other words, sent round a begging let
ter for a little help, to keep him from
want in his old age. Rather grim kind of
joke, eh?"
"Rather," returned Mr. Gee, admiring
ly; "and not a bad idea."
"Any old fellow who was capable of
that would be capable of anything, this
will Inclusive," exclaimed his nephew,
emphatically. "However, to go on with
my story. Mrs. Adrian Brabazon, my fu
ture stepmother-in-law, pleaded poverty;
Aunt Jane made no excuse of any kind,
doubtless she smelled a rat; and I, being
just then rather flush of coin, sent him
a tenner, with a promise to do what 1
could; for, after all, he was my father's
brother, and I could not let the old beg
gar starve," apologetically.
(To be continued.)
A strong recommendation: "But, sir,
what has your candidate ever done to
deserve the support of the" people?"
"Well, for one thing, this is the first
time be has ever run for office." Chi
cago Journal.
Teacher For what else was Julius
Caesar noted? Tommy Tucker (who
had studied the lesson somewhat hast
ily) His great strength, ma'am. He
threw a bridge across the Rhine. Chi
cago Tribune.
"The codfish," said the professor,
"lays considerably more than a million
eggs." . "It is exceedingly lucny ror tne
codfish that she doesn't have to cackle
over every egg," said the student who
came from the country. Tit-Bits.
Softleigb I aw am weally getting
to be aw quite a poet, doncher kuow.
Miss Cutting Indeed! Softleigb
Yaws; I have a little book In which I
law write down me thoughts in wbyme
evahwy night before wetiring. Miss
Cutting It will be a volume of blank
verse when finished, I suppose.
"I hope you are one of the people
who can keep cool in the presence of
danger." "I am," answered the inau
who wanted a place as a private watch
man.' "Have you ever demonstrated
it?" "I have; I once came near being
drowned in a skating pond," Wash
ington Star.
"What is the woman's offense?" "She
threw a brick at a neighbor woman,
your Honor, and bit a man standing
behind her." "The man Is guilty of con
tributory negligence. If be hadn't been
an Idiot he would have stood in front of
her. Case Is dismissed." Cleveland
Plain Dealer.
"I'll bet a thousand," shouted the ex
cited politician, "that the editor bad
no proofs of those damaging stories lie
published against the boss." "I ll go
you." "retorted the little man with a
high forehead and two pairs of glass
es. "He bad the proofs and went
through them, word for word, and
O. K.'d the revise." "Who in thunder
are your' "I'm the proof-reader."
Detroit Free Press.
Distressing Mistakes.
"A man can't be too careful whom
be snubs."
"What do you mean 7
"Why, every once In awhile I've
snubbed some plain people who after
ward came into a lot of money."
The average silk hat riz TH.eighs
five ounces; the average stiff derby hat
of the same size welghp four and one
half ounces; the average straw hat of
the same size weighs two and one iuar
ter ounces. .
"SHE WAS A BEAUTEOUS LADY."
(3 OSTT- velvety carpets; rich drap
Ss erles; rare old paintings In deep
gold frames; quaint cabinets, rlch
Sy carved, filled with treasures from
many lands. The air was heavy with
the fragrance of hothouse flowers; the
iistant murmur of a fountain made a
low. dreamy melody.
A woman reclined In a wide easy
:balr. She was in perfect harmony
with the beauty of her surroundings.
Her exquisite face, outlined against the
dark background, looked like a rare
.ameo. Jewels gleamed at the snowy
throat and in the golden bair, dressed
high and looking, in the dim light, like
a queen's coronet.
The portieres parted and a little girl
came dancing into the room; a little
girl with such blue eyes, such golden
curls, and such tiny, satin-shod feet,
that she looked nioie like a fairy than
a human child. As she rested ber dlm
(k'd elbows ou the woman's lap and
looked with cuildUli eyes Into the face
so like ber owu, one knew at once that
they were mother aud daughter.
"Mamma, hasn't Annette made me
look pretty?"
"Yes, dear."
"Won't papa and the company come
soon?"
"Presently."
"And, mamma, may I have all the
creams I want? Oh, dear! It's so stupid.
I wish they would come. Mamma"
fretfully, as the lady did not speak
"what are you thinking about? I'm so
lonesome. Annette said we would have
a lovely time; but " The blue eyes
were full of tears.
"Don't cry, dearie; they will come
soon. Shall I tell you a story?"
"Please do, mamma."
"Well, sit here so. Once rjpon a
time," began the lady. In a low, musical
voice, "there lived a little lrl who had
blue eyes and yellow curls, like yours,
dear, but she didn't have such pretty
gowns. No;- she wore little gingham
aprons and sunbonnets, and ran all day
with her little feet bare "
"Oh, mamma," Interrupted the child
petulantly, "I don't want to hear about
poor little girls."
"Ah, child, she was not poor, but
rich oh, so rich."
"Bnt she had bare feet!"
"True. But ahe was rich, for she pos
sessed earth's rarest jewels youth and
Innocence and love. There was a boy
a dear, noble little boy who always
played with this little girl. He always
knew where the first spring flowers
grew.- The violets came first. In the
back pasture, where an old, mossy log
sheltered them from the wind. And
the buttercups! How they grew around
the spring "
'Mamma, what did the little girl dor
Interrupted the child.
'Ah, MIgnonne, mother forgets. Well,
the little girl loved the little boy. He
had such a great, good heart And the
brownest eyes oh, such beautiful
eyes!"
"Were they like Mr. Barnett's, mam
iar The lady started, and a soft pink flush
crept Into ber cheeks. She glanced
quickly at the child; It was only a
child's thoughtless question.
"Yea, they were like and yet so un
like!"
'Did the little boy love the little girl.
mamma?"
"Oh, so much. MIgnonne! But the lit
tle girl grew np, and every one told her
that she was beautiful. And and
ctllld, when she looked at other girls.
aUd then at her own reflection In the
mirror, she saw how much more beau
tiful she was than they. Well, one day
aa prince came, and he told tbe girl
tat she was too lovely to stay on the
frm with the brown-eyed boy. He
liked her to go with him, and promised
tnat she should have every pleasure the
world held; gowns and laces and jew
els, and operas and balls everything
that her foolish heart longed for. And
so, MIgnonne, she married the prince
and went away with him, far away
from the boy, and "
"Did the prince give her the nice
things, mamma?"
'Oh, child, they were not nice! The
pure gold was In tbe buttercups by the
old spring; the real diamonds were the
dewdrops that grew along the lane; tbe
sweetest music was the singing of the
little brook over tbe pebbles; the only
happiness was by his side."
"Whose? The prince's?"
"No; there was nothing there but mis
ery, baby, misery! She saw always the
boy's brown eyes; she listened always
for his voice. Oh, child! To think that
he Is famous now; ani she "
"Wasn't the princess happy, mam
ma?" "No! Oh. no! Her heart was always
aching. She would laugh and dance,
and dress in costly laces and jewels:
but she never could forget the ache, be
cause "
"Why?"
"Because her heart was broken." .
"Oh, mamma! Here they come!" ex
claimed the child, forgetting all about
tbe story, as a murmur of voices brake
the silence. Again the portiere parted,
aud a lady entered, followed by two
men In evening dress; one was a thick
set man, witn cold, gray eyes and Iron
gray whiskers the master of this pa
latlal home; the other a tall, dlstln
gulshed-looking man, with dark, curl
Ing balr and deep brown eyes.'
The lady arose as they entered ani
advanced to greet them. She was love
ly before; she looked radiant now. The
blue eyes shone, and the fair face
glowed with pleasure-or perhaps ex
citement for her bands irrembled.
The tall gentleman took a sest and
began talkin- to the child.
"What have you been doing to amuse
yourself, fairy?" be asked, smiling'
down at her.
"Mamma has been telling dm a story.
Do you like stories?" 1
"Sometimes. Was this a good story ?
-Not very," said the child, frankly'
"mamma almost cried abont It, but I
didn't think it was sad. No one died
In it."
"What was It about, MIgnonne?"
"Well. It was about a poor little girl
with bare feet" glancing at ber own
dainty slippers "only mamma said she
was rlcli."
"Indeed! Why?"
"Well, 'cause she had love and flow
ers by a spring, and had a farm. Did
you ever see a farm, Mr. Barnett?"
"Yes; but the little girl?"
"Well, she loved a little boy."
"Ah!"
"Yes, 'cause he knew all about flow
ers, and had brown eyes. Mamma said
they were about like yours. He loved
the little girl, too, aud be bad an awful
great heart."
"What became of the girl?"
"A prince came along she was grow
ed up then and told her that she could
have everything she wanted diamonds
and laces and things "
"Did she marry the prince?"
"Yes; and mamma said bis gold
wasn't real gold at alL' '
"What was It?"
"Just misery."
"Did did yon say the princess loved
the little boy?"
"Oh, more'n anything."
"And wasn't she happy with thtj
prince?"
"Oh," said the child, looking up with
eyes that were strangely like those
which bad looked Into his from beneath
the hood of a checked sunbonnet In tbe
springtime of a long past youth; "no.
her heart was always aching for the
boy; and I guess heartache .must be
awful bad, 'cause mamma just about
cried when she. told me."
"What did ahe say?" "
"She said," began the child, toying
Idly with her bit of a lace handkerchief,
and looking rather longingly at the
group at tbe other end of the room, for
she was tired of tbe story "she said
the git I s heart was broken."
"Come, MIgnonne, you will tire Mr.
P.arnett with your chatter," called the
sweet voice of the lady. "I think I
hear a carriage. Tbe others will soon
be here."
"MIgnonne has been telling me a
story." Mr. Barnett said to the lady;
then, reaching out h'.s hand t detain
the ch'ld, as her mother moved away,
"listen, dear; I will tell you the rest .if
the story. I know It"
"Do you? Mamma hadn't finished
when you came," replied the child,
with returning interest thinking that
perhaps the story would yet prove in
teresting. "Tell your mamma that the rest of
the story Is " He paused and glanced
at the beautiful lady.
"What?" questioned the child impa
tiently. Stooping down and whispering softly
In tbe child's pink ear, he said:
"That the boy's heart Is dead."
Munsey's Magazine.
New Words in English Iiangnsgr
Every week seems to witness the ad
dition of some new word to the Eng
lish language. If we go on developing
at tbe present rate and In the present
manner, a reading book for upper stand
ardssay standard X. In the next
century will present such a lesson as
tbe following:
"It was no use boycotting her; she
was not to be burked. Where we went
her trilbies eagerly followed. She
scorned no hypocrisy; she would be
tray us as readily as smile at us; nay,
she would dreyfus us tbe while she
professed the fondest friendship.
"No mafeklng on festival holiday, but
ber scowling face krugered upon us.
She was slim, and we knew It but we
could not home the fact; she deweyed
before us as a hero, but In private she
moblled. She steadied ber speech with
sentiment but her actions were Incom
prehensibly brownlnged, and, as re
gards their definite purpose, ruthlessly
kltchenered." Liverpool (England)
Post
RAILWAYS OK CHINA.
They Are Few in Number and Mosttj
Controlled by Foreigner.
China has few railways, the policy ol
foreigu exclusion so long in vogue hav
ing prevented titeir construction. Most
of the lines in existence are in til
region which is now the scene of mili
tary operations and of the depredationi
of the "Boxers." A railway, eighty
iulles long, belonging to an EngllsL
company, extends from the port ot
Tien-Tsin north to Pekin. At FengtaL
live miles south of Pekin on this line,
begins tbe Belgian "Lu Han" railway,
which extends southwest : seventy
eight miles to Paotingfu, where the
"Boxers" have been particularly ac
tive. Both the English and tbe Bel
gian lines have been largely destroyed
by tbe rioters. From Tlen-Tsln a rail
way extends 287 miles eastward to
Cbencbou, and there are branches ag
gregating fifty miles. Altogether the
English system has 407 miles and the
Belgian eighty-eight It Is the former
that Is to be ultimately connected with !
Moukden. in the Russian sphere, where I
It will connect with tbe Siberian rail-'
way. About sixty miles of the Ainerl- j
can Hankan-Pekln line has been grad-1
ed. but work Is now stopped.
A VOLCANIC TEAGEDY
OVERCOME BY DEADLY FUMES
FROM MOUNT VESUVIUS,
The Fasaily of Sich Win Maker
at Boaco Km 1 Foand aa Ter Wan
When In SnppoaaMy Bate Bcfns
in the Tear A. D. "7ft,
Curious as are soma of tba scenes un
earthed t Pompeii, still mon so tn
some recent finds at Boaco Reale, near
Naples. Recently there was laid bare
the home of a well-to-do ancient who
was engaged in the wine and oil bus!
nees. His bouse was strictly self-contained,
having the dwelling-rooms and
the winemaklng-rooms on two adjacent
sides of a small court Tbe bouse was
not remarkable, except for tbe singular
modernity of its water supply. It de
pended on the rainfall, which was care
fully stored In a lead cistern. Thence a
portion passed to the ordinary domestic
taps. A portion passed to a large boil
er, from which by an elaborate system
of cocks the master's private bath and
basin could be supplied at pleasure
with hot cold or tepid water. In the
early autumn of 79 A. D. the threaten
ing state of Vesuvius alarmed the
household. Tbe vintage was approach
ing, and the room which contained the
wiue presses had been cleaned and
made ready for the new grapes. In
particular a reservoir to which the new
wine flowed from the presses was clean
and empty. The room was well pro
tected with-a thick walL Here, there
fore, when flight waa still thought to
be unnecessary, or perhaps when it had
already become impossible, a couch and
a table and smaller articles were
brought from the living rooms of the
house. Some man, perhaps the master,
hastily gathered in a cloth bis precious
collection of silver plate and bis hoard
of a thousand gold pieces varying in
date from the well worn coins of the
early emperors to the brand new mint
age of Vespasian. The lady of tbe
house, marked by ber jeweled earrings;
two other men and a favorite dog also
came to the chosen refuge. But the
foul gases were quick In their action.
The master sought safety In the under
ground reservoir, but shared the fate
of his companions. His store of silver
plate lay with him till the other day. It
now adorns the Louvre, to which It was
presented by the liberality of a mem
ber of tbe house of Rothschild. One
fragment alone, which In his haste he
bad dropped near his strong cupboard,
and which was therefore found separ
ately, la now at the British Museum.
While this was passing indoors there
was also a moment of brief agony out
side. The dog by the porter's recess
was straining his chain when he was
overcame. One of the three horses bad
broken loose from the stable. Tbe fowls
had huddled together in one corner of
the yard and the pigs In another.
Still another interesting find was In
the grounds of a villa called Vona at
Bosco Reale, belonging to the De Prlsco
family. A huge peristyle and four
large chambers have been discovered,
on the wails of which are some twenty
frescoes of large dimensions, rich col
oring, and of a design hitherto un
equaled by any brought to light
Most of the figures are full sized and
more carefully executed than any hith
erto known. One is probably a portrait
of Epicurus, another represents two
young female figures reclining on large
cushions at a banquet A third fresco
represents a woman, richly clad, play
ing a lyre, while a fourth is an exquis
itely designed representation of a glad
iator seated by tbe side of a female fig
ure. Rich mural decorations, fresh in
color and perfect In drawing, cover the
parts of tbe walls not occupied by tbe
main frescoes.
Unfortunately for students of art. It
Is feared that exposure to the air and i
the light will cause these magnificent
paintings to fade as quickly as those
at Poi'npell and in the Naples museum.
Every effort Is being made to preserve '
them as long as possible.
Sabterranean Lake.
To London, as to almost every large
city, the question of a water supply
has ben a serious problem. Londoners
now see a way to solve It The En
gineer of the County Council has in
formed that body that underneath
London Is an Immense lake, In a chalk
basin 2,500 square miles in extent
The annual rainfall that sinks to this .
lake, 100 feet below the surface of tbe I
ground, amounts to 280,000,000,000 gal
lons, which would give a daily yield
of 767,000,000 gallons. An artesian i
well has already tapped tbe lake at I
Clapbam, and it is pointed out that all !
that Is necessary to insure a water sup- ,
ply is to sink a sufficient number of
wells. Tbe wonder Is that London
should have existed for more than 2,000
years and never discovered that the
great lake was beneath It
Qneen of Italy Leads Fashion.
Tbe Queen of Italy, although very
charitable and exceedingly solicitous
for tbe welfare of her people. Is tbe
most extravagant woman in the king
dom in tbe matte; of dress. The king
thinks she is setting a bad example,
but she says that ber doings have no
influence, as tbe Italian ladies are
naturally fond of the play, and she is
but keeping up ber position as the
bead of the nation.
World's Biggest Honse.
The Sultan of Turkey has built at
Mecca the biggest bouse In the world.
It is intended for the accommodation
of pilgrims, and Is capable of shelter
ing 6,000 persons. Tbe next biggest
house In the world Is In a suburb of
Vienna. It accommodates 2,112 tenants-
Tbe Oi fleet Steam Eatlne.
Tbe oldest steam engine In tbe world
has recently gone off duty after work
ing more than 120 years. It was built
in 1777. It Is a beam engine, the beam
being of wood; the cylinder 32 inches la
diameter, with an 8 ft stroke. This
veteran engine has been In the service
of the Birmingham Canal Navigation
Con pan..
.-..., JXfci -?tti ,..$-..
SIB Of I OAY
Preached by Rev. Dr. Talmage
Sabee Tba Kind af Bella-la- That t ie
World meeds Only That Which Cop-m
Straight Don From Heaven Can &-
of Benefit la Humanity.
ICopyiisht lvwu.1
Washtkoton, D. C. from Nonrar,
where Dr. Talmage is now staying, he
sends the following discourse, in which he
shows that the world can never be bene
fited by a religion of human manufacture,
which easily yields to one's surroundings,
but must have a religion let down from
heaven; text, Amos vu, 8: "And the Lord
said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And
I said, A plumb line."
The solid masonry of the world has for
me a fascination. Walk about some of the
triumphal arches and the cathedrals, 400
or 600 years old, and see them stand as
erect as when they were builded, walls of
great height, for centuries iot bending a
quarter of an inch this way or tiiat. So
greatly honored were the masons who
builded these walls that they were free
from taxation i.nd called "free" masons.
The trowel gets most of tlie credit for
these buildings, and its clear ringing on
stone and brick has sounded aeriss the
ages. But then is another implement of
just as much importance as the trowel,
and my text recognizes it. Uricklayrs
and stonemasons and carpenters in the
building ot walls use an instrument made
of a cord, at the end of which a lump of
lead is fastened. They drop it over the
side of the wall, and, as the plummet nat
urally seeks the centre of gravity in the
earth, the workman discovers where the
wall recedes and where it bulges out and
just what is the perpendicular. Our text
represents God as standine on the wall
of character, which the Israelites had
built, and in that way testing it. "Ami
the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seed
thou? And I said. A plumb line.
What the world wants is straight up
and down religion. Much of the so-called
piety of the day bends this way ami that
to suit the times. It is oblique, with a
low state of sentiment and morals. W e
have all been building a wall of character,
and it is glarinrlv imperfect and needs re
construction. How shall it be brought into
perpendicular? Only by the divine meas
urement. "And the Lord said unto me,
Amos, what seest thou? And 1 said, A
plumb line."
The whole tendency of the times is to
make us act by the standard of what oth
ers do. We throw over the wall of our
character the tangled plumb line of other
lives and reject the infallible test which
Amos saw. The question for me nhotold
not be what you think is right, but what
God thinks is right. This perpetual refer
ence to the behavior of other, as though
it decided anything but human fallibility,
is a mistake as wide as the world. There
are 10,000 plumb lines in use, but only one
ia true ana exact, and that is the line of
God's eternal right. There is a mighty at
tempt being made to reconstruct and rix
up tne Ten Commandments. To many they
seem too rigid. The tower of i'isa leans
over about thirteen feet from the perpen
dicular; and people go thousands of miles
to see its graceful inclination and to leant
how, by extra braces and various architec
tural contrivances, it is kept leaning from
Sentury to century. Why not have the ten
rranite blocks of Sinai set a little ailant?
Why not have the pillar of truth a lean
ing tower? Why is not an ellipse as good
as a square? Vhy is not an oblique as
rood as straight up and down? My
friends, we Dust have a standard. Shall
it be God's or man's?
The divine plumb line needs to be thrown
sver all merchandise. Thousands of years
ago Solomon discovered the tendency ot
buyers to depreciate goods, lie saw a
man beating down an article lower and
lower, and saying it was not worth the
price asked, and when he had purchased
at the lowest point he told everybody
what a sharp bargain he had Htruek, and
how he had outwitted the merchant, "it
is naught, saith the buyer, but when he h
gone his way, then he boasteth" (Prov
erbs xx, 14). Society is so utterly askew
in this matter that you seldom lin'd a sell
er asking (he price that be expects to get.
He puts on a higher value than he expects
to receive, knowing that he will have to
drop. And when he wants fifty lie savs
seventy-five, and is he wants 2000 he asks
2500. "It.18 naught," saith the buyer.
"The fabric is defective, the style of goods
is poor. 1 Can get elsewhere a better ari
ticle at a smaller price, it is out of fasli-i
ion, it .a damaged, it will fade, it will not
wear well." After awhile the merchant,
from overpersuasion or from desire to dis
pose of that particular stock of go. wis, say-.,
"Well, take it at your own price," and the
purchaser goes home with light step ami
calls into his private office his confidential
friends and chuckles w.iile he tells how
for naif price he got the goods. In other
words, he lied and was proud of it.
Nothing would make times so good and
the earning of a livelihood so easy as the
universal adoDtion of the law of right.
Suspicion strikes through all bargain mak
ing. Men who sell know not whether they
will ever get the money. Purchasers know
not whether the goods shipped will lie ac
cording to the sample. And what, with
the large number of clerks who are mak
ing false entries and then absconding .nd
the explosion of firms that fail for mill
ions of dollars, honest men are at their
wits' ends to make a living. He who
stands up amid all the pressure and does
rujut is accomplishing something toward
the establishment of a high commercial
prosperity.
The pressure to do wrong is Btro"er
from the fact that in our day the 1. .ge
business houses are swallowing up the
smaller, the whales dining on blue' and
minnows. The large houses undersell the
small ones because they buy in greater
quantities and at lower figures from the
producer. They can afford to make noth
ing or actually lose on some styles of
goods, assured they can make it up on oth
ers. So a great dry goods house goes out
side of its regular line and sells books at
cost or less than cost, and that swamps
the bookseller, or the dry goods house
sells bnc-abrac at lowest figures, and that
swamps the small dealer in bric-a brae.
Anil the same thing goes on in other
styles of merchandise, and the consequence
is that all along the business streets of all
our cities there are merchants of small
capital who are in terriric struggle h keep
their heads above water. The ocean liners
run down the Newfoundland tishing
smacks. This is nothing against the man
who has the big store, for every man has
as large. a store and as great a business as
he can manage.
To feel right and do right under all this
pressure requires martyr grace, requires
Livine support, requires celestial re-enforcement.
Yet there are tens of thou
sands of such men getting splcndily
through. They see others going up and
themselves going down, but lliey keep
their patience and courage and their Chris
tian consistency, and after awhile their
success will come. There is generally re
tribution in some form for greediness. The
owners of the big business will die, and
their boys will get possession of the busi
ness, and thi cigar in their mouths and
full to the chins with the best liquor and
behind a pair of spanking bays tney will
pass everything on the turnpike road tq
temporal and eternal perdition. Then thq
business will break up, and the smaller
dealers will have fair opportunity, or the
spirit of contentment and right feeling will
take possession of the large firm, as re
cently with a famous business house, and
the firm will say: "We have enough money
for all our needs and the needs of our
children. Now let ns dissolve business
and make way for other men in the same
line." Instead of being startled at a soli
tary instance of magnimity it will become
a common thing I know of scores ol
great business houses that have had their
opportunity of vast accumulation and who
aught to quit. But perhaps for all the days
of this generation the struggle of small
hmigt to keep alive under the overshadow
ing pressure of great houses will continue.
Therefore, taking things as they are, vou
will be wise to preserve your equilibtiura
and your honesty and your faith and throw
ever all the counters and shelves, and casks
.1". vi-
.lu mra-Minng line of divine right. "'Anil
..ie Lord said unto me. Amos, what seest
thou? And I said. A plumb line."
In the same way we need to rectify our
theologies. All sorts of religions are put
ting forth their pretension. Some have a
spiritualistic religion, and their chief work
is with ghosts, and others a religiou of
political economy, proposing to put an end
to human misery by a new style of taxa
tion, and there is a humanitarian religion
that looks after the bodies of men and
lets the soul look after itself, and there is
a legislative religion that proposes to rec
tify all wronirs by enactment of Iwtler
laws, and there is an aesthetic religion
that by rules of exquisite taste would lift
the heart out of its deformities, and reli
gions of all sorts, religions by the peck, re
ligions by the square foot and religions la
the ton, all of them devices of the devil
that would take the heart away from thn
only religion that will ever effect anything
for i lie i .man race, and that is the
straight up ind down religion written in
the book which begins with Cenesis and
ends with Revelation, the religion of tli
skies, the old religion, the tiod given reli
gion, the everlasting religion, winch says,
'Love Ggd above all. and vonr neighbor's
yourself." All religions but one negm ac
the wiong end and in the wrong place.
The Bible religion demands that we lirst
get right with God. It begins at the top
and measures down, while the other reli
gions begin at the bottom and try to
measure up.
I want you to notice this fact, tlint
when a man gives up the straight up and
down religion of the liible for any new
fangled religion it is generally to suit his
sins. You first hear of his change of reli-
frion. and then you hear of some swindle
ie has practiced in a special mining stock,
telling some one if he will put in $10,000
he can take out $100,000, or he has sacri
ficed his integrity or plunged into irremed
iable worldliuess. His sins are so broad
he has to broaden his religion, and he be
comes as broad as temptation, ns broad as
the soul's darkness, as broad as hell. They
want a religion that will allow them to
keep their sins and then at death say to
them, "Well done, good and faithful ser
vant." and that tells them. "All is well.
tor there i'; no hell." What a glorious
heaven they hold before us! Come, let us
go in and see it. There are llerod and all
the babes he massacred. There are
Charles Guiteau and liobespierre. the
feeder of the Krench guillotine, au.l all the
liars, thieves, house burners, garroters.
pickpockets and libertines of all the centu
ries. They have all got - crowns ami
thrones anil harps and scepters, and when
tney chant they simr, "Thanksgiving ajnl
..onor and glory and power to the liroad
religion that lets us all into heaven with
out rejientance and without faith in ftiose
humiliating dogmas of ecclesiastical- old
fogvism."
My text gives me a grand opportunity
of saying a useful word to all young men
who are now forming habits for a lifetime.
Of what U3e to a stonemason or a brick
layer is a plumb line? Why not build the
wall by the unaided eye and hand? lie
cause they are insuHicient. bi-oause if there
be a deflection in the wall it cannot fur
ther on be corrected, llecause, by the
law of gravitation, a wall must lie straight
in order to be symmetrical and safe. A
young man is in danger of getting a defect
in his wall of character that may never be
corrected.
Hear it, men and Imivs, women and girls,
aH the fun is on the side of ritrlit. Sin may
seem attractive, but it is deathful, and like
the mancliineel, a tree whoe dews are
poisonous. The only genuine happiness is
in a Christian life.
There they go, two brothers. The one
was converted a vear ago in church one
Sunday morning during prayer or sermon
or hvmn. No one knew it at the time.
The persons on either side of him sus
pected notning. but in that young
man's soul this process went on:"lord,
here I am. a young man amid the tempta
tions of city life, and 1 am afraid to risk
them alone. Come and be mv pardon and
my help. Save me t'rum making the mis
take some of my comrades are making, and
ave me now." And quicker than a flash
(.tod rolled heaven into his soul, lie is
just as jolly as he used to be, is just as
brilliar.L as he used to be. lie can strike
a ball or catch one as easily as before he
was converted. With gun or tishing roil in
this summer vacation lie is just is skillful
as before. 'I he world is briuliter to him
than ever. He appreciates pictures, music,
innocent hilarity, social life, good jokes
and has plenty of fun, glorious fun. i'.ut
his brother is going down hill. In the
morning his head aches from the cham
pagne debauch. Kverybody sees he is in
rapid descent. What cares he for riirht
or decency or the honor of his family
name? 'turned out of employment, de
pleted in health, cast down in spirits, the
typhoid fever strikes him in the smallest
room on the fourth story of a fifth-rate
boarding house, cursing God and calling
for his mother and righting back demons
from his dying pillow, which is liesweated
and torn to rags. He plunges out of this
world, with the shriek of a destroyed
spirit.
(tod is now throwing that plumb line
over this republic, anil it is a solemn time
with this nation, and whether we keep
His Sabbaths or dishonor them, whether
righteousness or iniquity dominate, whether
we are Christian or infidel, whether we
fulfill our mission or refuse, whether we
are for God or against Him, will decide
whether we shall as a nation go cm in
higher and higher career or go down in the
same grave where Habylon and Nineveh
and Thebes are sepulcliered.
"But," say you. "if there be nothing but
a plumb line, what can any of us do, for
there is an old proverb which truthfully
declares, 'if the best man's faults were
written on his forehead, it -would make
him pull his hat over his eyes.' What -shall
we do when, according to Isaiah. 'God
shall lay judgment to the line and right
eousness the plummet?' "
Ah, here is where the gospel conies in
with a Saviour's righteousness to make up
for our deficits. And while I see hanging
on the wall a plumb line, 1 see also hang
ing there a cross. And while the one con
demns us. the other saves us, if onlv we
will hold to it.
And here and now you may lie set free
with a more glorious liberty than Hamp
den or Sidney or Kosciusko ever fought
for. Not out yonder or down there or in.
here, but just where vou are you may get
it.
The invalid proprietress of a wealthy
estate in Scotland visited the continent ol
Kurope to get rid of her maladies, and
she went to iladen-llailen. and tried those
waters, and went to Carlsbad and tried
those waters, and went to Homburg and
tried those waters, and instead of getting
better, she got worse, and in despair she
said to a physician, "What shall I do?"
His reply was: "Medicine -a:i do nothing
for you. You have onlv one chance, and
that is the waters of I'it Keathly, Scot
land." "Is it possible?" she replied.
"Why, those waters are on my own es
tate." She returned anil drank of the
fountain at her own gate, and in two
months completely recovered. Oh, sick
and diseased and sinning and dying, why
go trudging all the world over and seek'
im hei ; and there relief for your discour
aged soirit when close by and at your very
feet and at the door of your heart, aye,
within the very estate of your own con
sciousness, the healing waters of eternal
life may lie had and had this very hour,
this very minute? Blessed be God that
ie.r against the plumb line that Aunts
saw is the cross, through the emancipating
now
live
ower ot wliicn you and 1 may live and
foreverl
A Woman tjueel ion.
"I see," be remarked as he looked up
from his paper, "that the l'.iiiisli have
recovered that battery of guns."
"What was it covered with tlie lirst
time, dear?" she sweetly asked.
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
C-nlii?l A":n.
KoftlMgli You dvell in
me aw
Jilnd all the aw time, doncher know.
Miss Cutting Well, you'll bare to
hange your mind or I'll move. I nev
r did fancy living In a flat.