The Methodist Episcopal church ia the United States increased its mem bership in 1896 by 67,467 souls, and in 1897 by 19,500. Though the French are the greatest mushroom-eaters in the world,cases oi poisoning very rarely occur, owing t« the fact that almost all the mushroom! eaten are raised. The decision of the Constitutional Convention of Louisiana to discon tinue French as one of the official languages of the state will surprise many people who did not know t'aat it has been au official language. An Industrial Development com pany is being formed in Richmond, Va., with a capital of not less than $50,- 000, its object being to bring new business enterprises to the city and infuse new life iuto those already es tablished by judicious lftaus of money when needed. A pair of scales, much like those of the modern pharmacist, is among the multitude of objects discovered this year in the excavations about thirty miles from Thebes, and recently ex hibited in Loudon. The scales are tiuely finished, having a beam four and oue-half inches long. The Whitehorn (Col.) News has this item in its "society" column: "A lot of squint-eyed squaws held a powwow at Martini's Sunday night. Razzle dazzle was the game. At midnight a kettle of dog soup was served, which wus presided over by Dull Knife, Rat tle Ax, Ogama, Afraid-of-Work aud Often Hungry." The statistics of the National Guard of the several states of the Union, compiled by Adjutant-General Corbin, show that we have now a citizen sol diery of about 170,000 for national de fense, maintained practically without cost to the nation in ordinary times. It is capable of almost indefinite ex pansion by proper encouragement, and it can be trained to a higher de gree of proficiency by a judicious cul tivation of the military spirit. Of the many Armenians who have come to this country in the past ten years, the larger part have seemingly made their home in New England. They are successful as farmers and farm laborers, but have made their greatest hit as domestic servants. Their employers recommend them as being polite, silent, industrious and, above all, as beiug excellent cooks. The Armenians have a school of cook ing of their own which lias modified that of Persia, Turkey, Greece and, apparently, that of Italy. Hardly a day passes without adding to the list of benefits bestowed on mankind by the bicycle. The Rritish Medical Journal cites a case of a lady who having been advised to take a fort night's change of air to get rid of the effects of influeuza spent her vacation largely on the wheel, averaging fifty mile,® or so a day. As a result she has no more influenza, but she has a heart which ou the slightest exertion rises to 120 beats a minute, and if she could have her choice now she would rather have the influeuza. Recent discoveries in Egypt show that the sci ence of medicine had reached a high state of cultivation ten thousand yeare ago, but it is vain to hope that it will ever be well enough understood to prevent lovely woman from demolish ing her system when drawn within the fascination of the wheel. The Louisville Courier-Journal nays: Some interesting figures have lately been compiled by Mr. E. L. Powers of Chicago, showing the ex tent to which the system of illuminat ing towns and cities by means of the electric light has grown in recent years. We cite the figures for this section merely. In fifteen southern states there are at this time 401 elec tric plants operated by private cor porations, firms and individuals. The capital stock represented amounts to $34,75*2,225, while the power gener ated aggregates 141,450 horse power. Not less than 37,97(5 arc lights and 990,770 incandescent lights are fur nished. But these figures do not em brace the total number of electric light plants in this sectiou. In addi tion to those operated by private cor porations, firms and individuals,there are also seventy electric light plants operated by municipalities. These represent 9890 horse power, and fur pish 4250 arc lights and 08,933 incan descent lights. Since barely twenty years have passed since the glare of the electric light first made i's idveut, these figures show that rapi<" p ogress luring that time has been made in ibis section by Edison's wonderful in renlion. Tha Japanese cabinet Las decided to pursue a passive policy, refraining from action in the present crisis is China. The probability of a coalition ol European powers as against the United States is given no credence wha'ever in diplomatic circles. Not a case of lynching has taken place in Texas since the passing of the anti-lynching law, one chief feat are in which is that no officer can ever hold office again in case a prisoner is taken from him. • —-* When Governor Rrady of Alaska was asked recently why he lived in such an out-of-the-way place, he re plied: "I can get more of the good things of life in Alaska with a similar amount of effort than in any other place I have ever been in." There were 1281 fires calling for the services of the fire department in Eos ton in 1897 and $661,203 worth of property was destroyed. There were 157 f.lse alarms in the same time. Eighty-six per cent, of the fires were confined to the buildings in which they originated. England is not the only country iu which the poorer classes of women work at starvation wages. In Aus tralia, according to Miss Edwards, secretary to the Working and Factory- Girls' club at Sydney, "the condition of working-womeu and girls becomes harder every year." The real estate exempt from taxa tion iu the borough of Rrooklyu, in Greater New York, includes 440 churches, 131 schools, 73 fire houses, aud 28 police stations of the assessed value of $85,000,000. The exempt church property in Manhattan and the Bronx amounts to $60,000,000. A French scientific journal says the consumption of tobacco is decreas ing in that country, being at the pres ent time about two pounds a head of the population annually, whereas in Holland it is seven pounds, in the United States it is five pounds, in Belgium aud Germany three pounds, in Austria-Hungary two and cue-half pounds and in Canada two and one half pounds. President Eliot of Harvard in liis animal report, makes some significant remarks regarding college athletics. "It is very unlikely," he says "that a student who takes ail active part in athletic sports can win good standing as a scholar, but, ou the other hand,a smaller proportion of the athletes get put ou probation at. Harvard college than of other students. This remark is not true of scientific students. The evil of excessive training has not been cured. The baseball team of last spring was distinctly overworked and half the crew gave out in the four mile racs. In all probability the ner vous strain resulting from prolonged training, many exciting contests and au anxious sense of responsibility has not been sufficiently considered." President Eliot is not a prejudiced critic of athletics, but believes in a sensible amount of outdoor exercise and field games. Yet in common with the educators, he is coming to believe that the physical practice of college undergraduates must be judiciously regulated by the college authorities. The scientific world awaits with in terest another expected eruption of the great volcano of Kilauea, in Ha waii, which, it is prophesied, will equal the unusual outbreak of ten years ago. The lake of molteu lava is now only about 300 feet below the rim of the crater, and it is rising at the rate of about 100 feet in a week. If it rises above this rim the lava will pour over the surrounding country in a river of molten matter making its way through the forest and down to the sea. It is only within the last month that any clear view has been possible of this lake of fire in the cra ter. Before the dense smoke arose in great masses from the bottom of the crater, estimated to be seven hundred feet below the rim. This sinoke was so stifling that one could get no view of the working of the hidden forces below. But when the bed of the crater began to break up and the masses of lava were fused by the inner heat, then the sinoke was dispelled and the lake of fire was seen. This was a won derful transformation scene, the smoke vanishing, the fountains of flaming lava beginning to play. These spurt ing lava fountains, shooting up 50 or 100 feet,have been playing periodical ly for the last three weeks. At night all the ridges heated to a bright red are plainly visible, and when the fountain plays, the scene is one of nature's fireworks, unparalleled by any fire inventions of man. BERRYING. My Lot# went berrying She said It tearfully; Where brooks were merrying, And I, all fearfully. And wild wings ferrying Replied, "Bight here fully Heav'n's amethyst; Will I explain : The wild flowers blessed her, I love you dearly, My dearest Hester, Yet look not cheerly The winds caressed her, When all says clearly The sunbeams kissed. I love in vain." I followed, carrying Then smiled she graciously ; Her basket; varying Spoke out vivaciously; Fond hopes of marrying So I audaciously With hopes denied ; Did then decide. Both late and early And, drawing tow'rd her, She deemed me surly, 1 there implored her— So bowed her curly I, who adored her— Fair head and sighed. To be my bride. "The skies look lowery ; Ah, sweet simplicity. It will be showery; Charming rusticity, , No longer flowery Without duplicity, The way I And. Whom love made know- No use ingoing! In woo<*d and wooer, 'Twill soon be snowing No world is truer. If you keep growing And berries—fewer Much more unkind." Than kisses grow. —Madison Caweln, in Judge. - A ft A A -*■ -*- COUSIN MORRIS. | To awaken at a second-rate Lon don hotel with a splitting headache, knowing you have come to the end of your resources through folly and ex travagance, is not a pleasant reflection. And Morris Seymour sighed, but could blame none but himself. He was an American, well educated, 28 years of age, a sturdy, good-looking young man, whose chief fault was too much generosity, which his London acquaintances took every advantage of as long as his money lasted. After 1 a light breakfast Morris proceeded to a newspaper office. One of the clerks (with whom he was slightly acquainted) advised try ing advertising. This suggestion was not only &i»«ptable,butput to the test, and it did not take Morris long to write out the followiug: "Situation Wanted —By capable newspaper clerk, whose many qualifi cations include honesty of purpose and strict attention to business where em ployer's interests are concerned. Apply ." The clerk affixed the number T 830. Punctually a$ noon the next day Morris presented his ticket at the newspaper office, receiving one answer. Judge of his astonishment when he read the following: "X YZ: Meet me tonight at 8 o'clock at the entrance to St. Cather ine's docks. Fail at your peril. This is to our mutual advantage." Examining the envelope he discov ered that it was addressed "T 320," but the figure 3 looked more like an 8. So it was a mistake; he had been given some one else's letter. Out of mere curiosity he made a copy aud, procuring an envelope, correctly re addressed it, putting it in the basket on the counter. Looking through the personal col umns of the paper, he came across the following: X. V. Z.—Where cau I see you? Ausv,or at once to T S'-'O. So here was the solution. Morris had been so preoccupied reading this communication that he had not no ticed a young lady standing by the counter, who was visibly surprised when she noticed the envelope he had placed in the basket; she then pro duced a ticket and this same letter was safely placed in her pocket, while now, standing unobserved in an is olated part of the office,she was watch ing him iu a peculiar and expressive manner. He was too much disappointed to notice anyone and felt like giving way to despair, so tried to walk off his de pression and must have gone a con siderable distance,for,looking around, he found himself in the vicinity of Russell square. While meditating whether to return, a young lady who was passing gave a faint cry and half sunk to the footpath, evidently u ver taken by illness. Morris hastened to her assistance. "Would you help me home?" she said, in a weak voice, indicating one of the largest houses. "Certainly," and,taking hold of her arm, he half carried, half led her across the square to the palatial man sion indicated, giving a vigorous pull to the bell. The door was immediate ly opened by a footman, who called to a trim maid, requesting Morris to wait a few moments, ushering him into a small apartment. The room was magnificently furnished, there being an abundance of old china, val uable curios and beautiful oil paint ings. He was not left long in suspense. An old gentlemen entered quietly,care fully closing the door. He was trem bling with excitement, and, holding up a warning finger, exclaimed: "Morris, why have yon caused me all this trouble? I'm perfectly inno cent. A few more weeks of this worry will kill me. No explanation now. When I die you will not be forgotten. I never thought Ebenezei's only son would have threatened me. "Two questions only for the pres ent: When did yon leave New York? And what steamer did you come by?" To say that he was astonished at being called by his Christian name would be a poor way of describing his feelings,but his reply was straightfor ward. "I left New York, sir, three weeks ago today on board the B ; but I fear you are laboring under some un fortunate mistake." "Hush; not another word," said the old gentleman, producing a roll of banknotes, which he thrust into his hands. "Put these in your pocket quickly. Some of the servants might overhear us. Ah, here comes Alice," and the young lady entered the room, looking none the worse /or her slight faintness. "Alice, my dear, kiss Cousin Morris; he is coming back this evening to •tay with us." How lovely she looked as she shyly approached, saying in a low, musical voice: "I'm so pleased to meet you, cousin,"holding up her sweet face in a modest, natural manner. What could he do under the circum stances! He was almost intoxicated with the strangeness of the position and kissed her not once, but twice. He felt as though he could do any thing for her sweet sake. How he had scoffed when hearing of a man falling suddenly in love, but here he had accidentally met a pure and beau tiful women with large., wistful, blue eyes, who had spoken t.> him kindly. Her presence made him feel a differ ent being, happier than he had ever been in his life before. She had a truly sympathetic nature, and liis heart went out to her at once with a passionate longing, an intense desire to do something for her sake, and Morris for the first time in his life knew what it meant to fall suddenly and desperately in love. There was an awkward silence on his part which was broken at last by her gentle voice: "You will come back tonight, Cousin Morris,as father wishes,and do exactly what he desires by letting the past be forgotten?" Before he could reply or tlii.ik of an answer there was a knock at the door, and a footman appeared. "The carriage is waiting, Miss Alice." he said, respectfully. "Thank you, Reuben; good bye, cousin, till the evening. Tell the coachman where to leave you, and in the meantime I will practice some songs for your especial betietit," lunl gently pushing Morris she led the way to the front door, the old gentle man warmly grasping his hand,giving him a significant glance to keep si lent. In a half-dazed condition he en tered the carriage, telling the coach man to drive to Fleet street. Dis missing the conveyance close by the Bank of England, he hurriedly walked to Holborn, entering the hotel aud going directly to his rooms. "What did it all mean?" he solilo quized. "Evidently they have mis taken me for someone else." "Cousin Morris"—how the name seemed to ring iu his ears. Like a flash of lightning it crossed his mind that he had been taken for the person who had answered the advertisement to the personal, and, drawing from his pocket the copy, he again read it. "X YZ: Meat me tonight at 8 o'clock at the entrance to St. Cather ine's docks. Fail at your peril. This is to our mutual advantage." "That sounds like a threat. I will never believe that the old gentleman and that beautiful young girl have ever doue a-.iythiug wroug. I will keep this appointment." It was a cold, (lamp night, with plenty of mud and fog, but exactly at 8 p. in. Morris was standing close by the entrance to St. Catherine's docks. It was so dark that he could scarcely distinguish the faces of passers-by, most of them being sailors and dock hands, who had been drinking. At last a young man, similar to him self in height and appearance, took up such a position that he knew it must be the person he was looking for. Suddenly he was startled by a great commotion. Cries of "Stop him!" "Runaway!" resounded on all sides, and a horse and wagon came thunder ing along. The man he was watching spraug forward, attempting to stop the terrified animal, but slipped and was dashed aside. It was so quickly done that no one noticed the acci lent, aud Morris immediately went to his assistance. "Are you much hurt?" he said, helping him to his feet. He groaned and in a dazed manner said: "My arm is broken; help me to a cab; there's a good fellow. But who are you?" he gasped, suspicious ly. "I had the pleasure of your com pany on the steamship about three weeks ago." "I remember you now. I wish now that I had never left New York city." Morris hailed a cab, and they were driven to a boarding house at Black Heath, and it was found that a severe ly sprained arm was the full extent of his injuries. "Supposing I stay for tonight. There are two beds, and yon and I are not strangers, both hailing from New York," said Morris. His offer was thankfully accepted, and after half an hour's chat the band ages were carefully arranged, the sleeping draught administered to allay the pain, aud Morris had the pleasure of seeing him sink into a deep slum ber. This is just what he desired and thought it no harm to make a careful examination of this individual's pa .pers and effects. In an hour's time he had possession of the true facta of the case. This imposter was formerly a bank clerk, whose correct name was Robert Moore. The president of the institution, one Ebenezer Burton, had persuaded his brother to sign a bill of exchange for £15,000 as an accommodation. A for gery had been perpetrated, the figure having been raised to £25,000. Iu the meantime the bank went into liqui dation. The president committed sui cide when he discovered that his son, Morris Burton, had committed the for gery. This young man theu attempted to m ke his uncle, Erasmus Burton of Russell square, London, pay the full amount of this forged bill. A number of the true facts coming to light dur ing an investigation, the nephew ab sconded to parts unknown, but wrote a letter charging his uncle with the full offence. This communication was never sent being in the possession of Moore, who in some manner secured all these doc uments and came to London to act the part of the nephew and endeavor to get a large sum of money from Eras mus Burton. In the morning Morris made very short work of this imposter, who,being threatened with speedy arrest,gave up everything. Later in the afternoon he drove up in a cab to Russell square. Alice met him at the door. She looked worn out, and there were traces of tears on her sweet face. "Cousin Morris, you never kept your pronise. We had almost given you up, and father is seriously ill." "May I see him, Miss Alice? I could not come before." She glanced at him shyly and, with out further comment, led the way to her father's chamber. The old gentleman'- was in bed, seemingly ill and careworn,but,seeing Morris, cheered up wonderfully. At last he had told his story, every minute detail was gone over and the papers handed to the old gentleman, and Morris prepared to depart. Alice was softly crying tears of joy, while the old gentleman grasped his hand in a vigorous ifianner, more ex pressive than anything he could have said. Needless to say, Morris stayed the remainder of the day and in a few weeks secured a splendid position. Six months later he married Alice, his first and only love, who often laughingly remarked: "Ah, Morris,l examined you thoroughly iu the news paper office (the afternoon I fainted, you silly boy), and I told father that you were not a bad man; you were too good-lookiug and gentlemanly." Chicago Daily News. CIUAINT AND CURIOUS. All the land above sea level would not fill up more than one-third of the Atlantic ocean. There are 110 mountains in Color ado whose peaks are over 12,000 feet above the ocean level. Chocolate is still used in the inte rior of South America for a currency, as are cocoauuts and eggs. A one-legged knife grinder in Phil adelphia has taught a Newfoundland dog to turn his grindstone. Sweden exports one billion boxes of matches yearly, and has the oldest match factory in the world. The highest waterfall in the world is Cholock cascade, at Yosemite, Ca!., which is 2G35 feet high, or just half a mile. Not within living memory lias there been known ho abnormally suowiess a winter in European Russia as the past season. New Jersey was the first state per mitting the right of suffrage to women ; this wss done nearly one hundred years ago. A curious fact has been noted by Arctic travelers—snow when at a ver* low temperature absorbs moisture aud dries garments. How great a havoc is created iu France among birds, is shown by the fact thai during Christmas week, at the central market, 114,000 larks were sold. There is an immense garden in China that embraces an area of fifty thousand square miles. It is all meadow laud, and is tilled with lakes, ponds and canals. A French journal states that among the receut uses which have been dis covered for acetylene gas is a motor which has special advantages for use an automobile vehicles. The leaf of a creeping moss found in the West Indies, known as the "life plnut," is absolutely indestructible by any means except immersion in boil ing water or the application of a red hot iron. The biggest rope ever used for haul age purposes has just been made for a district subway in Glasgow, Scotland, it being seven miles long, four and one-hall'inches iudiumeter aud weighs nearly sixty tons. Argentina's farmers, encouraged by the improved prices for wheat, in creased their acreage enough to have 40,000,000 or 50,000,000 bushels of wheat to sell this year, an increase of 75 to 100 per cent, over recent years. It is said that half the gold fish kept iu glass vessels die because they cannot endure the light. This can be avoided by so screening a part of the vessel with plants or otherwise that the fish can hide their heads in the shadow. Moscow, Prussia, has a hospital large enough to hold seven thousand persons. It was founded in 1764, and at present takes in children at the rate of forty a day, or about fifteen thou sand a year. There are tweuty-six physicians and about nine hundred nrnaea. ARCADY. A soft wind murmurs through the waving wheat, The lowing cattle gather on the lea, The peaceful bleatiugs of the gentle sheep, Wake the faint echoes of sweet Arcady. Above, a heron slowly wings its flight, Slyly a fox slips from its hidden lair,— An antlered stag upon the mountain's height, Raises his head,and sniffs the summer air, The Bun sinks down behind the distant hills; The shadows lengthen in the afterglow; And with the sighing of the whip-poor-wills Comes curfew's tolling from the towc be low. Nature has sunk Into the arms of night, mn, i Pi. }°wlands over marsh and fen, Uf.?i 8p his ellln light, xiiaiDg a moment to appear ttgaiii. The faint stars mirrored in the braid la goon Lighten the blackness of night's lombre shroud. As slowly o'er the mountain tops, th) moon Bursts into beauty from behind a doud. —H. A. Wibster. HUMOROUS. People who take offense usrolly find that there is plenty of it to bi hud. Ethel—You will not ncceptthat con ceited fop, Gladys—No; I tove an other. '"I thought Scribbler's dcctor for bade him doing any bran work." "Well, he's only writing a society novel." Miss Oldmayde—Jack Bn.teedmade me a marriage proposal ast night. Miss Pert—When does th« marriage lake place? Jack (sentimentally)—\y love for you is as pure as the snf carriage and packing. We are send ing back your dissertations. "••-London S«ws.