THE COUNTRY CHURCH-
Tb->re wore no cushioned pews therein,
No finely frescoed ceiling—
These teach uo plainer .•■in is sin,
Nor deeper Christian feeling:
But through the church's pensive shade
The summer air came stealing
From o'er the hills whose outlines made
Gaunt dromedaries kneeling.
I see the crowds that gathered then
While funcy's pastward winging—
riain country folk, but women and men
With faith divinely springing.
There Deacon Hays would lead in prayer,
Ike Fite would iead in singing—
And "Happy Day" wont straight from there
To Heaven's shores up-ringing !
And one perhaps who has forgot
Her old-time boyish lover—
Her face still haunts the hallowed spot,
As ere a dream was over,
While 'mong the colder city's ways
He wishes, of her,
He held the dead love of those days
Thought's (lagers now uncover.
—Will T. Hale.
J Tf.a sioHjfaijsuitor. J
"My dear boy," observed a certain
negligent young man to a certain other
negligent young man, as they were
both engaged in the laborious opera
tion of sitting under a shady tree,
subsequently to a particularly heavy
country dinner. "My dear boy, "said
he, "do you know that I think that
you are—excuse me —a little of a
fool?"
"Know it? Certainly," responded
the other toiler; "why shouldn't I ?
That is your common run of thought,
aud as you take care to express it a
dozen times a day I am tolerably used
to it. lam not surprised, I assure
you. But what have I done now?"
"Done? Nothing. Doing every
thing. You are playing the mischief
with your after-happiness by allowing
yourself to get in love with your
'oliarmer,' as you are pleased to call
her. Suppose you marry her. She
will lead you the life of a servant.
She has ten times the money you can
lay your hands upon, and, so far as I
can see, is n maiden who would love
fondly to rule the roost. She is self
willed, witty, high-tempered and exact
ing. Aud between your stupid good
nature and beautiful laziness, and her
touch-and-go style, with her fire and
push, you will come out pretty fine, old
boy, pretty deuced fine."
"Upon my word, I'm half inclined
to think you're right. Not a sudden
conversion, by any means, but I've
been dreaming that she has more
pluck in a single day than I've had
since I was born. Aud this won't do,
you see; can't bear to be made to do
anything, or think of everything, aud
she would always be nagging at my
habits and lazy friends. That would
be misery indeed. My dear friend,
you're handsomer than I; take her off
mv hands. She'd be willing, 110
noubt."
"Well," drawled the other," "I
don't mind. Egotism aside, you'll
pardon me, of course, if I say that I
think we might get on better than if j
yot> were in my place. But I can't I
stand any flirtations from you, of
course. You'll have to quit moonlight
drives aud boating, and that stuff, of
course, eli?"
"Certain. As you like. It is too 1
hot to talk. Suppose you hunt her
lip; she'f. playing croquet or some j
such rubbish behind the house; do go,
my boy, for I'm horribly sleepy."
Upon this, nothing loth, the first,
conspirator dragged himself upon his
feet, and lounged away to begin his
toil of capturing the handsomest and
richest girl in the country round
libout, and immediately after he was
lost to sight this identical handsomest
and richest girl stepped from behind
the tree, with flashing eyes, aud con
templated the second conspirator with
sublime wrath. He, however, smiles
upon her blandly.
"100 hot to get up to receive you,
my love. There, don't fly off in a fury,
for I knew you were there, but I
couldn't stand the trouble of getting
you alone in any other way. There's
a shawl or something; fetch it hero,
and sit down and take lry head in
your lap. Come."
"Indeed, sir," quoth she; "indeed,
sir, your impudence is beyond every
thing, I—"
"Yes," yawned the prostrate hero;
"I e.-.pect it is. But you wouldn't have
me get up to get that shawl, would
you?"
"It is not a matter of a shawl, I as
sure you," said the handsomest girl,
with a fine drawing up of her figure;
"but I demand to know why you pre
sume to talk of me in the manner I
was forced to ova-hear."
Here she dug her parasol deeply
into the ground, and looked savagely
upon the poor culprit before her. The
poor culprit laughed.
"A trick of war only, my gem. I
wanted to tickle his vanity. He is a
consummate dandy,and you area con
summate beauty, and I am a consum
mate lazy-bones; so, there you have
It, if you'll only take the trouble to
find it out. It's a bore to explain."
Whereupon he spread a handker
chief over his face. Here the parasol
came iu use to drag it away and throw
it off upon the grass, while the perpe
trator of the outrage looked in
dignantly downward.
"Sir," she began, with much calm
ness though her eyes sparkled as if
the were a burning volcano inside.
"Sir—"
"My love."
"Sir. I own that I have been foolish
enough to suppose that iu a person fit
to be my husband there would be at
least some lingering spark of manli
ness, and—"
'Love, that was foolish ! It was,
Indeed."
"And some faint atom of spirit.
That there would be some energy thut
would show itself on some great occa
tu>r>, even if it was usually concealed
by other habits. Now, I have been
Yj.ilishlv led into becoming engaged to
you, and I hoped that all might coma
out all right—but—but," here the
voice began to break a little and the
lips to tremble, but they both calmed
almost instantly; "but now that I can
not help thinking that you will be ut
terly worthless to the world and to
everybody in it, I now say that
I desire to consider our engagement
broken."
There was a trifling silence, during
which the parasol prodded the earth
vigorously, aud the party addressed
pretended to gape, but presently
spoke:
"Excuse the slang, if I say that's
pretty rough!"
"How much worse would it be for
me, a girl who loves spirit and vigor,
to be harnessed to a hulking fellow,
who can do almost nothing but sleep,
whose labor is playing billiards and
whose aspiration is to smoke better
cigars than all his friends. I feel
ashamed to think that I ever looked
upon you with even forbearance. If
you could only show some scar, or
show some work done in this great
world, or show that you even give
some of your wealth to charity or
the relief of suffering, or even had the
pluck to knock down the stable boy, I
might perhaps think better of you,for
I can't love a man whose weapon is a
laugh, and his defense aud argument
a stretch and a yawn."
After all this the most beautiful girl
must needs go into hysterics, or,
rather, an hysterical fit of weeping,
which prevented her from seeing the
scarlet flush creep into the face of the
discarded youth, who still ufl'ected to
be unconcerned. They both remained
silent for some, and, indeed, many
moments, and both became aware of
an approaching storm, but neither
cared togo away, aud, indeed,partially
forgot that it was so close, until a
whirring cool breeze rushed through
the leaves about them. Still they re
mained quiet, both perfectly calm, he
without a sign of his old habit of
laughing, and she resolute aud a little
white in the face.
Presently he roused himself, and,
without u word relating to the subject
then before thein, looked about at the
threatening weather.
He offered her his arm,but she drew
away and motioned him togo 011 alone.
He did not move neither did she. It
became rapidly darker, aud shelter
was some 400 yards of!'.
"Come," said he,finally, "don't you
think we had better go?"
"I will not go with 3-011, for I feel
that I have quarreled with you. Go
on alone and I will follow."
"No, I will follow you, or else I
shall stay."
"Then stay!"
It became darker and darker, aud
soon the rain burst upon them, and
inkv-black clouds were rising iu the
horizon. The lightning was terribly
near, and he looked at her rather
nervously, and perceived that her
woman's nerve was yielding under the
frightful noise about them.
"I must insist on your going, for
you are drenched, and this place
is particularly dangerous; the
tree is very tall and stands quite
alone."
She trembed as a new burst of storm
broke upon them, and shrank from
him further inward toward the trunk.
"No," she gasped. "I feel quite
safe here. Go yourself. I shall not
stir."
"But you must!" cried he,decisively
and approaching her.
"Must!" She gazed at him in aston
ishment, while a thrice terrible burst
broke upon them. He looked about,
lilted with dread, and upward at the
huge, towering shaft above him, and
then at the girl before him.
"Come," cried he again, but fine
withdrew from him. Another burst
broke in rattling thunder from the
clouds above them, aud the earth
seemed to tremble under their feet.
He dared wait no longer, but rushed
upon her, aud seized her and fled, in
spite of her angry struggles and
screams.
It lasted but a second; she had a
sense of torrents of rain beating on
her upturned face, and of tierce winds
sweeping about her, and of strong
arms encircling her, aud he had a
sense of a beautiful burden, a greater
strength, and then all became suddenly
jagged, torn aud distorted.
There was a vision of splitting, of
white fire and bluish flame, and a feel
ing of rocking and stumbling, and p.
great upbearing of all about him, and
then a dashing to the earth, and then
a stillness and death-like quiet.
The sun was shining when he awoke
again, and there were kind faces about
him, and among the rest, thu< of the
first conspirator.
"Ah, old boy, it was pretty tough,
he's all right, but a little dazed. The
lightning knocked the tree to shivers,
aud you got away just far enough to
be knocked over you* self."
"What does she say?" whispered
the other.
"Not mnch, but, from what I see,
there's 110 chance for me."
"No, I don't think there is, for I
think I'll keep her myself,if sliethiuks
that I turned out any better than she
thought—aud if she'll have me."
"Aud she will," spoke up auother
voice, gently, on the other side, "for
you've got a scar and one I shall always
be proud of. Hurry and get well,
lazy-bones, and then—"
It was all completed properly, of
course, and the second conspirator
turned over many new leaves hence
forth.—New York News.
A Scrubbing Service.
The vicar of St. Lawrence's church,
Birmingham (England), recently an
nounced a "scrubbing service," aud
invited the congregation to assist in
the work. Soap, water and scrubbers
were provided. The service lasted
from 3 o'clock until 9.30, by which
time the interior of the church pre
sented s glossy and shiuing
auce.
HELPS FOR HOUSEWIVES.
Cottage Cheese.
Scald buttermilk, drain over night,
scald even quantity of sour milk, mis
the curds, season with cream, salt and
sage, and pepper if desired, work wel !
and pack, and it is ready for use.
This makes a good rich cheese whicb
any good housekeepar can make in •
few minutes.
Pork Pies*
Well dry two pounds of flour,minc(
half a pound of suet, and put botb
with hnlf a pound of butter and a lit
tle suit into a saucepan to heat; when
quite melted turn these ingredient!
out of the vessel, mix them to a stifl
paste, and lay the dough before th«
lire, covered with a cloth, until re
quired for use. Chop up four pounds
of the neck of pork very finely, and
season it with white pepper, salt, and
one dessertspoonful of powdered sage.
Divide the paste into rather small
pieces, raise them in oval shapes, til!
each with the minced meat, and balce
the pies in a brisk, quick oven.
Peanut Saiid\viclic»», a New Table Fad.
That there are fads in edibles as
well as in ijhilanthropy. dress, and
manners is proved by the advent of a
new sandwich. This new delicacy,
which is a peanut sandwich, is deli
cious, easily made and inexpensive.
It will take the place of the salad
sandwich at wedding receptions, tea-*,
etc. The peanuts for the filling are
skinned, chopped very tine and mixed
with rich mayonnaise dressing. It is
then spread on thin slices of bread,
coated with just a susificion of butter.
Of course, any nuts may be substi
tuted for peanuts, which are mentioned
merely as being tho least expensive.
—Deinorest.
lSeaten BiaeuitM.
Rub a tablespoonful each of buttet
and lard in a quart of Hour, add a
level teaspoonful of salt, and then
with the hands mix in sufficient milk
to form a rather stiff dough; Hour the
moulding board, put the dough on it,
flour the roller, and beat the dough
out flat; fold it repeatedly, and beat
it flat again and again until it blisters
or air bubbles are abundant, which
will be after about a half hour's beat
ing, tear off pieces of the dough as
large as an egg, mould them in the
hands to the size of a small biscuit,
prick each one on top with a fork,
place them- in a buttered baking pan,
and bake them a light brown in a
moderate oven. —Juliet Corson.
Fillet of White Fish.
Take a white fish when fresh and
iirm, cut the two slices from the back
bone; then, holding them flat on the
table, slice them in the flat way again
with a very sharp knife to make thin,
broad pieces. Cut these in strips,
double them as you place them in the
buttered baking pan, and have the
boned side up and lean one against the
other until the pan is full. Chop half
a can of mushrooms, four young on
ions and a handful of paisley together
and strew them among the fillets, also
ill-edging off salt and pepper, some
bits of butter and the liquor from the
can of mushrooms. Bake about half
an hour, basting twice with a little
light colored veal gravy; serve. Xoite:
The remaining mushrooms can be
used for omelet for breakfast or sauce.
Take remaining mushrooms, crush
to a pulp, add a teaspoonful of salt,
cover with a quart of water, let stand
2-t hours, drain. To the liquor add
eight cloves, JO peppercorns and all
spice; boil gently 30 minutes; bottle
and cork when cold. This ought to
make a pint of catsup. This will
keep for a long time.
Hou*eliul<l Hint*.
Fried eggs may be glazed without
turning, by" simply keeping the pan
covered while cooking.
To jelly consonnne, throw in two or
three calves' feet while the stock is
boiling, or one for a small family.
Never use gelatine.
Soup stock which is to be used in
the preparation of various kinds of
sauces should have plenty of vegeta
bles, as well as meat, in its composi
tion.
All salads, no matter what the foun
dation, are better for the addition of
finely-chopped herbs, parsley, a little
onion, and the rubbing of the salad
bowl with a root of garlic.
The best way of measuring eggs fot
confectioners' fondant is to put the
whites of two eggs iuto a glass and
the same quantity of water into a
glass of exactly the same size and
shape. Mix the water and egg, and
stir in enough confectioners' sugar to
make a consistence for moulding.
There is no better way to boil an
egg than not to put it on the fire at
all. Instead of this, the boiling wa
ter should be poured upon the eggs,
and they then should be covered and
set aside for ten minutes. There
should be a half pint of water—and
it should have boiled hard for several
moments before using—for each egg.
A typical English nursery breakfast
comprises oatmeal porridge with rr.sh
ers of bacon—home cured, sweet and
delicious, marmalade, and "cambric"
tea or coffee. The bacon, sliced very
thin and cooked quickly to be just
done through, is considered by Eng
lish physicians to be as valuable as
cod-liver oil in tissue building for
growing children.
When serving ice cream that has
not been moulded into bricks, the
spoon used to serve the ereaiji on in
dividual dishes should first be plunged
into hot water before each nortion is
placed on its plate. If '"this little
trick is adopted, the presents,
instead of an unsightly . lump, a
smooth and comely oval, ilmost as
pretty as if little moulds ijtad been
employed.
i
THE REALM
OK FASHION.
Hint* About Hairdresslng.
Modern coiffures are truly "fear
fully and wonderfully made." The
hair is either crimped to excess or
worn so smooth that it causes dis
comfort even to look at it. A certain
A FRENCH COIFFURE.
set of young girls has adopted the
most impossible arrangement of the
hair, which ia made only more gro
tesque by the fact that the most cas
ual observer can discover that it has
been curled on a hot iron. What the
foundation of this particular coiffure
is, it is not feasible to state, as it looks
like a bird's nest and seems to be a
succession of waves and curls that
stand out about the face, forming any
thing but a becoming frame. The
x "%
V
•4
LADIES' WAIST.
measurement from the tip of the chin
to the top of the pompadour is literally
a foot. Consequently the lines of the
head and face are lost and the fea
tures dwarfed. Crimping irons are
not to be scorned. In fact, they are
a most useful accessory of the toilet.
But they should be used with judg
ment. Individual styles should be
studied. Women with broad faces
should avoid both too narrow and too
broad effects. Both are fatal to a
round face.- If the woman with a nar
row, • oval face, with a head well
poised on a slender throat looks rav
ishing in a broad, loosely arranged
coiffure, with high puffs on the crown
of her head, it does not follow that her
sister, with the short neck, wide
face and high brow will find the same
mode becoming. Individuality is the
keynote of a graceful coiffure, as it
is of all other fashions.
Lovelocks, or "beau-catchers," have
reappeared, and the smartest women
in the East do not consider that the
hair is properly coiffed without them.
The genuine lovelock is worn just by
the ear, where it was placed by the
beauties of past centuries. Few wo
men can stand extra breadth at that
point, however, and unless they wish
to be extreme, they permit a lock or
two to turn on the forehead or temple.
The lovelocks predict a revolution in
the styles for coiffures. They even
suggest that women of fashion may al
low their hair to be white. Every
thing points to modes that were fol
lowed in the luxurious days of the
French court in Marie Antoinette's
reign. The pompadour remains the
favorite style for arranging the hair,
but great effort is being made to re-es
tablish long and short curls. For
evening the hair is worn quite high,
and when the aigrettes, feathers or
ribbons are added, the arrangement is
quite eight inches tall. The wearing
of flowers in the hair is one of the
newest fads, and exceedingly dainty
are some of the confections the mil
liners are making up. Boses are the.
favorite flowers. The prettiest ar
rangement consists of one rose «nd a
few leaves, which are put close against
the knot of hair at the left side, and
from this stands up a straight spray of
one rose, some small buds and the
leaves. Another style is of red roses
in a cluster. Doubtless by next sea
son the hair will be powdered, and
even diamond dust may sparkle in the
locks of our fashionables.
Latcit Style* In Itibbons.
Among the latest styles in ribbons
are the colored failles and grosgrains,
satinback velvet, with either violet,
or mode backs, and black double faced
satins, with raised flowers on one
side. Otter, emerald, ruby and tawny
brown lead in colors, and are much used
for dress and blouse trimmings. Har
lequin blacks and printed fallies are
also much in favor. The demand foi
taffeta is unabated. The favorite
shades are cardinal, ox-blood and
cherry, and they are a trifle more ex
pensive than other colors. The na
tional blues, violets and greens are
also popular tints, and plaid taffeta is
appearing.
Novelties In Dress Fabrics.
Among the novelties in dress fab
rics are the new cashmeres wove in
two colors. They are beautiful and
will make lovely gowns. Silk faced
serge is a handsome material for tailor
made seaside and country gowns.
Attractive Suit For a Little Roy.
Navy blue cloth, says May Manton,
made this attractive suit, the broad
sailor collar, cuffs and shield being of
white serge, decorated with rows of
narrow blue braid. The blouse is
fitted with shoulder and under-arm
seams, an elastic being inserted in the
hem that finishes the lower edge to
adjust it in true sailor style. The
fronts are closed invisibly, but but
tons and buttonholes can be used if so
perferred. The broad r.ailor collat
ends in pointed lapels thst are joined
to the cut-away neck in front, the
shield portion being simulated by a
facing on the umlenvaist, which is
disclosed between the lapels. A
pocket is inserted on the left front.
The sleeves are gathered top and bot
tom and finished with round cuffs at
the wrists, neatly trimmed with rows
of braid. The knee trousers are
shaped by inside and outside leg
seams, small hip darts fitting them
closely at the top. The closing is at
the sides, where pockets are made,
and a hip pocket can be inserted on
the right hip if wanted. Buttonholes
are made in under waistbands, and
placed on the top to attach the trousers
to the under waist, or buttons for
suspenders can be put on if so pre
ferred. Pretty suits are thus made
up in various combinations of materials
and colors, black and red, brown and
fawi}, or tan with cream being very
stylish. The mode is suitable for
wash suits of pique, Galatea, duck,
grass linen, -or flannel; braid, em-
BOYS' SAILOR BLOUSE SCIT.
broidery or insertion all being used to
trim suits in this style.
The quantity of material 27
wide required to make this siWft tot a
boy eight years of age is tarc^
-s.
112 ■... \jf |
America's
Greatest
Medicine
Greatest, Because In cases of Dyspepsia it
has a touch like magic, which just hit?
the spot, brings relief to the sufferer
and gives tone and strength to the
stomach as no other medicine does.
Dyspepsia and Liver Trouble
"For many years I suffered almost con
stantly with dyspepsia complicated with
liver complaint. I tried first one thing
and then another and sometimes resorted
to regular medical treatment, but derived
no substantial benefit. I read about Hood's
Sarsnpnrllla and Pills and concluded to
give them a trial, and they effected a psr
manent cure." F. CHOATES, 111 W. Boule
vard, New York, N. Y. Remembet
Hood's "S,
Is America's Greatest Medicine. 81; six for S-j.
Sold by all druggists. (Jet only Hood's.
HOOd'S PillS "!S ,he best after-dinuei
* l'ill». aid digestion.
The Ungrateful Thing.
The Medical Record tells of a man
who was cured of blindness by a sur
geon remarkable for his unpreposess
ing appearance. When vision was
fully restored, the patient looked at
his benefactor and said: "Lucky for
you, young man, I did not see you be
fore you operated, or I would never
have given my consent."
Early Printing Was Slow.
The first printers used to print
only on one side of a page, and then
pasted together the two blank
pages to give the impression of one
leaf.
Coina That Carve and Cut.
Chinese coinage in the shape of a
knife has been traced back as far as
2240 B. C.
LOVELL DIAMONDS
STANDTHE TEST.
Board of Experts
So Decide.
Remarkable invostigation From Which
the Lovall Diamond Bicycle Cama
Out Ahsatl of til Competitors.
Where tliero are so many makes of bi
cycles on the market, all of "wliich at first
sight seem to bo on an equal footing to the
casual observer, and still the fact is well
known that thare is no article in common
use where it is so easy for the manufactur
er to cover up the imperfections as in the,
bicycle, both in material and workman
ship, and which cannot be detected until
the machine has been given a test on the
road, such an investigation as has just
been completed by the best experts in the
country, under the supervision of the
Western Review of Commerce, is likely to
be of great value to the riding public. Tha
honor of producing the best wheel among
tho thirty-seven well-known makes that
were tested fell to the old established house
of John F. Lovell Arms Co., of Boston, Mass.,
manufacturers of the celebrated Lovell
Diamond. The investigation was made
in a thorough manner by competent ex
perts in the construction of wheels, and
before them were placed thirty-seven of the
COLONEL BENJAMIN S. LOVELL.
President of the John P. Lovell Arms Co.
leading makes. The machines were all
marvels of the most recent idaf of me
chanical construction, and 'erel brought
together without the slightest ntimiatlon or
knowledge to the manufactuirs thi.V such a
test was to take place. The 1 experts
composing the iuvestigatlnaoard gi adually
weeded the machines doiy'to a sma " num
ber, and.after several daf s 0 f caret ul test
ing of the relative mjNts oft) -ie ma
chines, they were u^ D imous 1 P their
verdiet that tho Lovellmi amo nd un
doubtedly the best whaft made and/ so re
ported to the paper, til president ot .«rhicli
immediately wrote l\J ,j_ p. Lovell ATSms
company Informing t/ () latter of the
gation made and reached, ami
this was the llrst tulmatlon that the Lovell
company had { the matter. Tho
statement that tk, Lovell Diamond is the
best bicycle butf based upon the fact
that overy part fc the machine is made at
their own factow. Previous to aad includ
ing 18% tho iutiehlne bearing the name
of the Lovell/piamond was manufactured
for the John Lovell Arms Co. by out
side parties, beginning with the leason
of 1H97, eve(/p ar t of every machine bearing
their namaC'iate has been constructed at tho
factory c/the John P. Lovell Arms Co. at
South Jutland, Maine. This fact easily
accouiJ, f ur the proven supremacy of the
"Lov*fi Diamond" over all other leading
„[ the world. The Lovell Arms Com-
P"*V have three stores is Boston, Washing-
U.C lirect broad street and Massachusetts
jfvniiue, "n't branch stores in Worcester,
l« a(W . Providence, R. 1., Pawtuoket, R. 1..
Portland and Bangor, Me., besides having
agents in nearly every city and town
throughout the country. Their new eat
logue, "Famous Diamonds of the World,
free on application.
The best Imported cod liver oil Is made
in Norway.
Chew Star Tobacco—The Best.
Smoke Slothce Cigarettes-
There are four millionaires in England
to ono In Franco.