W. M, CHENEY, Publisher. VOL. IX. The Boston Cultivator believes thai "the abundance of cheap and fertile land in the West, and its possession bj farmers of small means and roving ten dencies, has operated to lower the stand ard of American agriculture." The heavy increase in the Russian army and navy estimates will furnish in teresting reading for continental diplo mats. It shows, concludes the San Fran cisco Chronicle , that the millenium, when abitration shall succeed war, is as far off as ever. The Boston ITtrald thinks that the fact that only three persons were killed by electric light plants in New York Statu last year, while eight lost their lives by "blowing out the gas" rather goes to show that it is less dangerous to monkey with electricity than to fool with gas. A London vegetarian amateur athletic club has just been formed. The avowed object of the founders is to have a school for vegetarian athletes which will in time produce as good runners, wrestlers, harriers, vaulters as any of those now be fore the public who get their results on a meat diet. The Inrliaua House of Representatives has passed a resolution directing the au thorities of that State to co-operate with Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, lowa, Kansas, Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsyl vania in an inquiry as to how much for eign capital is loaned in those States, with a view of taxing that capital. Sheep raising may be profitable, after all, admits the Boston Transcript, if this story of the experience of a young New York woman is true: Two years ago her brother, having money invested in sheep in Utuh induced her to put SISOO into the investment. She has late ly sold her share to her brother for $3500. The baby King of Sjpain starts out well, soliloquizes the San Francisco Chronicle, by causing the death of his nurse before j he has cut his milk teeth. If he had been born four hundred years ealicr this would probably have been regarded as a good omen of his prowess as a warrior, but in these degenerate days the incident will be variously interpreted by the super stitious. Queen Liliuokalani,who succeeds Kala kaua on the Hawaiian throne, is fifty two years old. She is an amiable and very intelligent woman, having a taste for poetry and music. She is stately in appearance and has a dignified carriage, but of late years she has become rather stout. She is animated and interesting in conversation, speaking in the low and musical toues that are peculiar to her race. She speaks English and is well versed in the current literature of the day. E. L. Godkin, iu the Forum, under takes to prove that the expedition to re lieve Emin was clearly a piratical under taking, since it had the sanction of no Government and its leader was responsi ble to no power. In the course of the argument Mr. Godkin shows the sym pathy for Emin which caused the ex pedition to be undertaken was a senti ment born of the Gordon myth, and ha points out the curious fact that the peo ple of Africa, owing to the slave trade, has always been regarded as fit spoil for pirates even by civilized nations who hold no such notions even about any other savages. Mr. Godkin expresses the high est admiration for Stanley's courage and endurance, and approves of his conduct of the expedition. It is its legal charac ter only that he criticises. The French people have given another striking proof of their wealth as well as of their confidence in the Government by subscribing for sixteen times the amount of the new loan of nearly $200,000,000. "It is extremely doubtful," observes the New York Neics, "whether any other na tion, in Europe at least, could achieve so great a financial victory in existing con ditions. The farmers and working peo ple of Frauce have taken the loan so ex tensively that little is left for the banks. Nowhere else arc the masses of the peo ple so ready to intrust their earnings to the Government, although the public debt of France is already the greatest iu the world. Those persons who have been accustomed to regard the French nation as approaching financial and po litical decay may have reason to revise their hasty judgments. The French peo ple have reason to be proud of their latest financial achievement." SULLIVAN REPUBLICAN, WHAT SHALL. «" PROFIT? U I lay waste and wither up with doribt The blessed fields ©f heaven wnero (ttce my faith Possessed itself serenely safe from death; If I deny the things past finding out; Or if 1 orphan my own soul of One That seemed a Father, and make void the place Within me where He dwelt in power and grace. What do I gain, that am myself undone? William D. Ilotcells, in Harper. RECEIVING A PRINCE, La Pauline isn't much of a place, and yet even the train de luxe stops there. This is because this is the junctiou where trains leave on the little branch line that runs to Hyers. A tall mountain stands sentinel over La Pauline, and if a person were on the top of the mountain he would see Toulon and the iron-clads, as well as a great stretch of the blue Mediterran ean. On the long platform north of the lino five young men wcro marching up and down together, singing at the top 3of their voices: "There is a tavern in this town— In this town. And there my true love sits him down, Sits liira down. And wo'Jl hnng our harps on the weeping willow tree. And may the world go weli with me— Well with me," Or words to that effect. They sang very boisterously, and suited their marching to the tune, giving • three stamps witli their feet all together when they came to the refrain: "In this towu." They ap peared to be American citizens, and seemingly didn't give a hang if all the world knew'it. Suddenly the five stopped before a young man who was seated on one of the benches, lie was a quiet, dignified, self-possessed young fellow, and he looked up at them as they halted before him. "Come on, Johnson," said one of the five, "we are not going to let you go back on the crowd like this. You sing bass, and we just want a good bass voice." "You do that," remarked Johnson, quietly, "also, five other good voices." "See here. It's easy for you to sit here and criticise the singing, but we are not going to allow that. You've got to join in. Come on, Johnson." "I don't see why we should make idiots of ourselves in the south of France any more than we should in America." "But we do in America, dear boy, we do. Always have done it, and we're not going back on our record. Come on, Johnson." "I'm just a little tired of that tune, you know." "What's the matter with the tune? It's the one Keenun sang all through Siberia. Come on, Johnson." But .Tohnson would not come on, and so the five set at him and tried to force him to join them. The uniformed man of the station looked on with knitted brows, apparently not knowing whether this was a genuine row or not. Johnson held the fort aud sent one after another sprawling. Then one of them desisted, aud started down the long platform sing ing: "There Is a tavern in this town." The others joined him, while Johnson sat serenely on the bench. The official shrugged his shoulders aud evidently thought these foreigners were hard to understand. There was a shrill whistle to the west, and the train from Marseilles came rush ing in. I walked down the long train, opened the door of a compartment that was empty and took my seat. When the train started there was a shout of warn ing from the guard, and, before I could look out to see what the matter was, the door was flung open and one of the sing ing young men tumbled in. The guard slammed the door shut with a maledic tion on the man who broko the rules and nearly broke his neck. The ycung fel low picked himself up, lifted his hat and said: "Pardonny moi mouseu—" "Oh, that's all right," I answered, "don't mention it. If that is your usual way of getting into a train, you will find yourself in a French jail or cut in two on the track some day." "Oh, you speak English, do you?" re plied the young fellow, ignoring what I said, and seemingly surprised that he had not a monopoly of the language so far south in France. "Yes, I can make myself understood in most parts of England and America." "Well, then, you must have heard our row with Johnson." "About the alleged singing? Yes." "Weill We're just laying for old Johnson. You won't give it away, will you?" "Certainly not." "Well, you see it's like this. Johnson's mother was a Prince, aud—" "A princess, you mean." "No, she belonged to the old Prince family of Boston. Johnson is very proud of that branch of the family, more so than of the Johnson side. His name is J. Prince Johnson. We used to call him Prince at college. Ho likes that, and that's why we call him Johnson now." "I noticed you ran in tho name John son pretty often." "Of course we did. Whenever he tries to put on airs we call him Johnson BO often that he gradually tones down. Now, here's the plan we're putting up on old Johnson, x got in here so he LAPORTE, PA., FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1891. wouldn't tumble. By tho way, where is the first stop? Lend me your time book." I threw the pamphlet over to him. "Ah," he said, "we have half an hour yet. By the way, where are you go ing?" "I'm going to Cannes." "We're going to St. Raphael. That's this side. Better stop off with us and see the fun. It will be worth while." •'lf it's worth while I'll stop. Tell mo what it is, first." "You wait till I write a telegram." After a few moments he handed me a telegram, of which this is a translation: Proprietor Hotel of the Monarchs, Bt. Raphael: At 3 o'clock H. U. H. Prince Johnson will arrive. Provide for him. Have onß car riage at station for the prmca and one for his suite. Provide suitable escort. HON. SIR BROWN, Chief of suite, J. K. S., N.I. X., O.K. AC. AC. "I think I see the plan. You are go ing to prepare a princely reception for Johnson." "Exactly. He is really a quiet, unas summing fellow and hates anything like a fuss, even if he does put on airs now and then. He'll be the most surprised man you ever saw." "I think I can tell you someono else who will be more surprised." "Yes? Who?" "The fellow who has to pay the hotel bill. He laughs best who makes out tho bill. You will get the carriages and per haps the escort and certainly the best rooms in the house, but when tho bill comes in it will paralyze you. I know how they charge for that sort of honor. I am a duke'myself." "The dickens you are! Why, I thought you were au American." "But 1 never travel under my tittle. I can't afford it. A duke is all right at home, but on the continent I travel as Mr. Welcome Smith." "Well, nevertheless I thiuk we will surprise the hotel-keeper as much as we will surprise Johnson." "You might do it nearer the frontier, but I doubt if you will bo able to evade payment here." At this point in tho conversation the train stopped and Brown got out to send off his telegram. When he came back into the train he began writing another. "Arc you going to send more than one dispatch?" "Lord, yes! I'm gcing to fire a tele gram from every place we stop at. I'm going to work up St. Raphael. They'll be getting returns from the back coun ties most of the day. That's an Ayieri - can piirale, you know." "Oh, is it?" And so the telegrams went from even stopping place until we reached St. Ra phael. It was evident the moment we stopped that there was an unusual commotion iu the little Mediterranean town. The platform was studded with officials iu gorgeous uniform. As soon as Johnson got out of the train we all ranged our selvet behind him and kept our hats off, while Johnson had his on his head. Tho eagle eye of the hotel proprietor at once took in the situation and he advanced to ward the young man, bowing frequently and deeply. "11. R. 11. Prince Johnson?" he in quired. "Prince Johnson—yes. But. J. is the initial." With a wave of his hand die proprietor introduced a gorgeous official, who at once began to read au address of welcome in French. Johnson looked around him in a be wildered way, as if somo one had hit him with a club. "Say, boys," he gasped, "thero is something oil the line here. What's the fuss, do you think? Whose funeral is this, anyhow?" •'Shut up, Prince," whispered Brown. "Go through the thing and let us see what's in it. That's what we came abroad for." When the address was finished John son thanked the official in a dazed sort of way and then turned to us. "Come, boys," he said, "let us get out of this as quickly as wo can." The hotel proprietor walked by his side, bowing all the way. When wo reached the outside Johnson was aghast. Insteod of getting out of it he had just got into it. At a signal from the official the town band struck up the Marsellaise and tho millitia that they had managed to gather together presented arms. The whole populace seemed to be there and they raised a cheer. One carriage had four horses in front of it and the carriage for the suite had two. "Oh, this is Soo much," said Johnson in auguish, as he drew his hand across his brow. "Better get into the carriage and get this over as soon as possible," said Brown. "You get iu with him, Duke. I guess the boss in the gold laco is going, too." We three members of the nobility got into the first carriage. Johnson turned to me, "Are you a Duke?" ho asked. "If you are, I'll bet a dollar all this is for you. It's missed fire in somo way." "They don't usually receive me in this way." "Then Brown's put up this job