A strong evidence of Western pros
perity is shown in the fact that the
West is furnishing her own money to
move her crops this season.
Sagasta says that the United States
and Spain are simply in a state of
"suspension." The theory is true in
the case of his country. She is hold
ing herself up by her shoe straps.
The United States is now furnish
ing one-third as much raw cotton to
Japan as is furnished by British India.
Last year's export of raw cotton from
America to Japau was worth nearly
#8,000,000.
Perhaps the Czar of Russia is just
as eager for universal peace as he pre
tends to be, but he will probably con
tinue to build warships and enlarge
his battalions as rapidly as ever. The
dream of peace will in no way retard
the preparations for war.
The latest fignres obtainable show
that the Philippine Islands import
$9,174,003 worth of goods and export
819,702,819 worth, leaving, in round
numbers, a balance in their favor of
of $10,500,000. These figures are for
1897, audit is stated that the average
value of the trade of those islands is
far in excess of the sums given. Busi
ness has been much disturbed by the
insurrection.
The practice among nations of ex
acting money from a conquered foe is,
in its present form, somewhat modern.
In ancient times the victor despoiled
the enemy he had overcome, sacked
cities, and took whatever of value he
could carry away. Now he respects
private property,but he usually makes
the conqnered nation pay the whole
cost of the war. In either case the
practice is analogous to that of civil
courts, which assess costs upon the
defeated party.
The Japanese, it appears, have not
a little poetry iu their souls, as they
give their warships such pretty names
as "Daybreak," "Darkening Clouds,"
"Evening Mist," and "Will o' the
Wisp." This is rather more sensible
than the English custom of naming
their small vessels after insects, while
they bestow upon their huge ironclads
alarmist names that may be supposed
to strike terror into the hearts of theii
foes. It is a pity that Americans are
not more partial to the line old Indian
names that abound in different parts
of the country.
According to the Post-Express of
Rochester, N. Y., that city is felici
tating itself over a remarkable de
crease in mortality during the last
few years, especially among children,
and is pluming itself over being the
healthiest city in the state. The offi
cial figures show a decrease for the
mouth of July iu the mortality ol
children under five years from 175 in
1887 out of a population of 120,000
to 58 in 1898 out of a population of
180,000. The Post-Express attributes
this gratifying exhibit to the liberal
appropriations made by the city to
maintain the standard quality of milk,
and the efforts of the physicians to
arrest the havocs of tuberculosis.
John E. Kehl, United States consul
at Stettin, tells why the German farmer
is prosperous despite the fact that ho
has poorer laud and less land than his
American brother, and no labor-saving
machinery worth the mention. Co
operation is the secret of his success.
He has co-operative credit banks, co
operative dairies, co-operative steam
plows, and co-operation iu draiuage
and irrigation, in both of which he is
an export. He is also au iutensive
fanner, aud gets out of the ground
pretty much everything which it is
capable. Farm laborers get thirty
live cents a day, with a small house to
live in and a half-acre of laud to cul
tivate for their own use. iu harvest
seasons they get fifty cents a day.
In an article written for the Lum
herinan by B. F. Seymour attention is
called to the almost unlimited variety
of uses of which the red cypress is
susceptible, principally for house
work, inside aud outside. For natural
beauty of appearance, the red cypress
of Louisiana is especially notable,and
is extensively used by manufacturers
for all descriptions of cisterns, tanks,
tubs, for brewery,creamery, and simi
lar applications, and for durability
and strength, eaunot be equalled in
the case of large railroad tanks. Cur
builders and railroad companies have
long been partial to this material for
siding and roofing on box freight cars.
It possesses the advantage of taking
and holding paint in a degree equal
to white pine, being also free from
pitch or gum. When used for outside
work, including bevel siding, porch
floors and columns, step planks, gut
ters, etc., it is more durable than any
ether wood in use.
English writers seldom find the de
mand for new books so heavy as to
prevent their coming to this country
to lecture.
The dependence of the fighting na
tions of the world on the United States
for tlieir food supply is a guarantee
of peaceful relations with us more
efilcieut than a standing army.
Massachusetts has the best opinion
of its own credit, and takes up its
bond issues with readiest promptitude
Of $3,000,000 just issued Boston
bankers took the lot at a handsome
premium.
One of the critical writers on per
sonal deportment says that "perfumes
are the essence of vulgarity." This
is especially important in view of the
fact that most persons have hitherto
supposed that perfumes were the es
sence of flowers.
An influential movement is on foot
in London to seize the opportunity
offered by the renewal of the church
yard behind St. Giles's church, Crip
plegate, made necessary by the recent
disastrous fire, to add this spot to the
list of city gardens. This churchyard
is from its situation more restful and
peaceful than the majority of the old
graveyards, which have of late years
been utilized for the benefit of the
living, and it is felt that this spot
would be au ideal one for the erection
of a statue or other memorial of Mil
ton, who lived in the parish, and
whose body rests in the grand old
church wliic-h hits now twice escaped
the ravages of fire. Many of the
parishioners of St. Giles's are active
ly interesting themselves in the pro
ject, and there can be 110 doubt that
the necessary money for a Milton me
morial would be at once forthcoming.
One of the first permanent memo
rials of the Spanish-American war
erected in this country was placed in
the chapel of the Naval academy at
Annapolis, Md., in memory of Lieut.
William Jenkins, who perished in the
Maine disaster. The memorial, which
takes the form of a mural tablet, was
subscribed for by the classmates of
the officer, and has been cast in brouze
from the design of Charles Rollinson
Lamb. A faithful model in high re
lief of the ill-fated vessel is shown
above the inscription, which reads as
follows: "in memory of Friend Wil
liam Jenkins, lieutenant, United
States Naval Academy, who perished
in the explosion of the United States
steamship Maine on the night of Feb
ruary 15, 1898, in the Harbor of Ha
vana, Cuba. 'He spoke evil of no
man.' Erected by his classmates."
Poor Columbus, dead aud turned
to clay these 400 years, is really to
blame, it seems, for the succession of
disasters that have befallen Spain in
the Western Hemisphere, muses the
New York Commercial Advertiser.
Madrid newspapers assert that ''Co
lumbus in discovering the New World
was not Spain's benefactor but her
evil genius.'' Why these newspapers
do not include in the same category
Ferdinand aud Isabella, whose bounty
sent the Genoese navigator on his
evil errand, and the Pope who ceded
to Spain the larger part of America,
does not appear. Probably it is an
oversight. One Jladrid journal goes
so far as to oppose the transfer of the
remains of Columbus from Havana tc
Spain. To this there will be no ob
jection in the United States. Colum
bus had the elements of a good Ameri
can, and as Havana may one day be
an American city his ashes will be
more at peace in that city than in a
country upon which he deliberately
brought so much humiliation and
shame.
The French are delightful. What
cotild be more humorous than their
lack of humor,says the New York Sun.
For instance, there was a teriibli
wreck on the Western railroad the
other day. At the wholesale funeral
of the victims of gross negligence, M.
Foulon, the agent of tlie line, placeu
all the blame on the forces of nature.
He assailed "matter" thus: "Being
conquered by science it keeps quiet
for weeks, months, and sometimes
years. It is under the yoke a seem
iugly docile servant, then it revolts
and furiously sets at defiance the most
careful calculations, the most far
sighted precautions. Rebellious mat
ter bursts out in firedamp iu collieries,
in stupendous shipwrecks like the one
now fresh in every memory, in factory
disasters, iu railway catastrophes.
Heuce the rending of hearts and
wrenching of souls, aud the public
mournings like the one iu which we
all unite today." Could Pascal have
done better? How philosopical! How
correctly fatalistic! Can we wonder
that this nation should desire to honor
sailors who escape from a shipwreck,
leaving the women behind to perish.
A JUVENILE OPTIMIST.
My gran'dad says those modern days I wish that pollshln' our lamp
Of steam an' 'leutrlo light A genie would arouse
Heat anything that ever was; Bo's I could say. "00, slave, an feed
An' gran'dad's mostly right. Them pigs*un milk the cows."
Bat I can't help some doubtfulness I'd make him wear the overalls
When into bed I climb An' face the mud an grime,
An' dreaiii about those good old days But this ol' earth ain't what it wa»
Of Once Upon a Time. In Onco Upon a Time.
I've got to hustle on the farm Yet history repeats ItsPlf,
When I get big enough. My grun'daj says, an' so
I wish I knew some fairy spell I keep on hoplu' an I watch
To do the work that's rough. The seusous come an go
I'd like to make the brownies toil That I may livo to see 'em back-
By saying some queer rhyme The brownies in their prime.
The same as them there wizards did The wizards an them other folks
In Once Upon a Time. Of once Upon a Time.
, "THE BLUE RAT." j
4 * A. Klondllto Z!piaode. r
i b»
n BY HAMLIN OAKLAND. P
Even iu tlie Klondike life u not al
together simple or always free from
guile. Were proof of that nature
needed it might be found in the his
tory of our experience with the Blue
Bat.
We came to know him through our
need of a pony. We had two service
able pack horses, but we needed a lit
tle pony to run along behind and
carry the tent and a few little traps
like that.
A citizen of Quesnelle possessed
such a steed. This citizen was a
German and had a hairlip and a most se
ductive gentleness of voice. His name
was Dippy, and I gladly make him
historical. He sold me the Blue Bat
and gave me a chance to study a new
type of horse.
Herr Dippy (Dutch Dippy) was not
a Washington Irving sort of Dutch
man; he conformed rather to the mod
ern New York tradesman. He was
small, candid and smooth, very smooth
of speech. He said: "Yes, the pony
is gentle. He can be rode or packed,
but yon better lead him for a day or
two till he gets quiet."
1 did not seethe pony till the morn
ing we "hit the long trail" on the
west side of the Fraser river, but my
side partner had reported him to be a
"nice little pony, round and fat and
gentle." On that I rested.
In the meantime Mr. Dippy joined
us at the ferry. He held a horse by
the rope and waited around to liuisii
the trade. I presumed he intended
to cross and deliver the pony, which
was iu a corral on the west side, but
he lisped out a hurried excuse. "The
ferry is not coming back today aud
so—"
Well, I paid him the money on the
strength of my side partner's report;
besides it was Hobsou's choice.
Mr. Dippy took the $:25 eagerly and
vanished into obscurity. We passed
to the wild side of the Fraser and en
tered upon a long aud intimate study
of the Blue Bat.
He shucked out of the log stable a
smooth, round, lithe-bodied little cav
use of a blue-gray color. He looked
like a child's toy, but seemed sturdy
aud of good condition.
His foretop was "banged," and he
had the air of a mischievous, resolute
boy. His eyes were big and black,
and he studied us with tranquil but
inquiring gaze as we put the pack
saddle on him. He was very small.
"He's not large, but he's a gentle
little chap," said I to ease mv partner
of his dismay over the pony's surpris
ing smallness.
"I believe he shrunk during the |
night," replied my partner. "He
seemed two sizes bigger yesterday."
We packed him with a hundred
pounds of our food. We put a small
bag of oats on top and lashed it all on
with rope, while the pony dozed
peacefully. Once or twice I thought
I saw his ears cross; one laid back, the
other set forward—bad signs —but it
was done so quickly 1 could not be
sure of it.
We packed the other horses whilst
the blue pony stood resting one hind
leg, his eyes dreaming.
I flung the canvas cover over the
bay pack horse * « * some
thing took place. I heard a bung, a
clatter, a rattling of hoofs. I peered
around the bay and saw the blue pony
performing some of the most iiuished,
vigorous and varied bucking it has
ever been given me to witness. He
all but threw somersets. He stood on
his ears. He humped up his back till
he looked like a lean cat on a grave
yard fence. He stood on his toe calks
and spun like a weather vaue on a
livery stable, aud when the pack ex
ploded aud the saddle slipped under
him he kicked it to pieces by using
both hind hoofs as gently as a man
would stroke his beard.
After calming the other horses I
faced my partner solemnly.
"O, by the way, partner, where did
you get that nice, quiet little blue
pony of yours?"
Partner smiled sheepishly. "The
little imp. Bufl'alo Bill ought to have
that pony."
"Well, now," said I, restraining my
laughter, "the thing to do is to put
that pack ou so it will stay. That
pony will try the same thing again,
sure."
We packed him again with great
care. His big innocent black eyes
shining under his bang were a little
more alert, but they showed neither
fear nor rage. We roped him iu every
conceivable way, and at last we dared
him to do his prettiest.
He did it. All that had gone be
fore was merely preparatory, a blood
warming, so to say; the real thing
now took place. He stood up on his
hind legs aud shot into the air, alight
ing on his four feet as if to pierce the
earth. He whirled like a howling der
vish, grunting, snorting.nnseeing and
almost unseen in a nimbus of dust,
strap ends and pine needles.
His whirling undid him. We seized
the rope and just as the pack again
slid under his feet we set shoulder \o
the rope and threw him. He came to
earth with a thud, his legs whirling
uselessly iu the air. He resembled a
beetle in molasses.
We sat upon his head and discussed .
him.
"He is a wonder," said my partner.
"He is a fiend," I panted.
We packed him again with infinite
pains, and when he began bucking
we threw him again and tried to kill
him. We viere getting irritated. We
threw him hard aud drew his hind
legs up to his head until he grunted.
When he was permitted to rise he
looked meek aud small and tired, and
we were both a littie remorseful. We
rearranged the pack—it was some en
couragement to know he had not
bucked it entirely ofl'—aud by blind
folding him we got him started on the
trail behind the train.
"I suppose that simple-hearted
Dutchman is looking at us from across
the river," said I to partner, "but no
matter; we are victorious."
This singular thing I noticed in the
Blue Rat. His eye did not roll nor
his ears fall back. He was neither
scared nor augrv. He still looked
like a roguish, determined boy. He
was alert, watchful, but not vicious.
He seemed not to take our stern meas
ures in bad part. He regarded it as a
fair contract, apparently, aud cousid
ered that we had won. True, he had
lost both hair aud skin by getting tan
gled in the rope, but he laid up nothing
against us, aud as he followed meek
ly along behind, my partner dared to
say:
"He's all right now. I presume he
has been runuiug out all winter and is
a little wild. He's satisfied now.
We'll have no more trouble with him."
Every time I looked back at the
poor, humbled little chap, my heart
tingled with pity aud remorse. "We
were too rough," I said. "We must
be more gentle."
"Yes, he's nervous and scary. We
must be careful not to give him a sud
den start."
Au hour later, as we were going
down a steep aud slippery hill, the
IJat saw his chance. He passed into
another spasm, opening and shutting
like a self-acting jack-knfe. Hebound
ed into the midst of the peaceful pack
horses, scattering them to right and
left in terror.
He turned and came up the hill to
get auother start. Partner took a
turn ou a stump, and all unmindful of
it the Rat whirled and made a mighty
spring. He reached the end of the
rope and his handspring became a
vaulting somersault. He lay, unable
to rise, spatting the wind, breathing
heavily. Such annoying energy I
have never seen. We were now mad,
muddy aud very resolute. We held
him down till he lay quite still.
Any well-considered, properly bred
animal would have beeu ground to
bonedust by such wondrous acrobatic
movements. He was skinned in one
or two places, his hair was scraped
from his nose, his tongue bled, but all
these were mere scratches. When we
repacked him he walked oft' compara
tively unhurt.
The two days following he weut
along like a faithful dog. Every time
I looked behind I could see the sturdy
little chap trotting along. His head
hung low. and his actions were meek
and loyal. For a week he continued
thus. Partner became attached to
him and begau once more to make ex
cuses for him. "He will never make
us trouble again," he said.
Rain came, transforming the trail
iuto a series of bottomless pits and
greasy inclines and we were forced to
lay in camp two days. The Blue Bat
stufl'ed himself on pea-vine and bunch
grass, aud on the third day "pitched"
with undiminished vigor. This settled
his fate.
I made up my mind to sell him.
Once I had determined upon his mo
tives I could not afford to bother with
him any more. He delayed us with
his morning antics, and made as the
amusement of the outfits which over
took aud passed us by reason of our
interesting sessions with the Blue
Rat.
He must go and I selected my pur
chaser. He was a Missouriau from
Butte. He knew all there was to be
known about trails, horses, gold, poli
tics, and a few other things. He con
sidered all the other meu ou the trail
merely tenderfeet out for a picnic.
Each time lie passed us he had some
drawling remark indicating his sur
prise that we should be still able to
move. Him I selected to become the
owner of the Bat.
I laid for him. When he had eaten
his supper one night I sauntered care
lessly over to his tent. I "edged
around" by talking of the weather,the
trail, and so on, aud at last I said:
"We'd leave yon tonight if it weren't
for the blue colt. He delays us."
"How so?"
"O, he pitches."
"Pitches, does he?" He smiled.
"I'd mighty soon take that out of bim
if I had him. "
"I suppose an experienced man likt
you could do it, but we are unused to
these wild horses. I'd like to sell him
to some man who knows about such
animals. He's a fine pony, strong as
but he's a terrible bucker. I
never saw his equal."
He smiled again indulgently. "Let's
take a look at him.
The pony had tilled his hay basket
and looked as innocent as a worsted
kitten.
"Nice little feller, shore thing,'•
said the Missouriau, as he patted the
Bat "He's young and coltish.
What'll you take for him?"
"Now, see here, stranger. lam a
fair man. I don't want to deceive any
one. That pony is a wonder. He
can outbuck any horse west of Sel- j
kirk range."
The old man's eyes were very ag
gravating. "He needs an old hand,
that's all. Why, I could shoulder the
little kid whilst he was a-pitchin' his
blamedest. What'll you take for him?"
"I'd throw oft' $3, and you take the
rope; but, stranger, he's the worst—"
He refused to listen. He took the
pony. As the Bat followed him off he
looked so small, so sloepy, so round
and gentle you would have said,
"There goes a man vith a pony foi
his little girls."
We laid off a day at Tchincnt lake.
We needed rest anyway, and it was
safer to let the man from Butte goon.
I had made every provision against
complaint on the Missourian's part,
but at the same time one can't be too
careful. ,
There are no returning footsteps ou
the long trail, but a few days later I
overtook the man from Indiana, who
had been see-sawing back and forth on
the trail, now ahead, now behind. He
had laid off a half day.
He approached me with a enriou#
look on his face.
"Stranger, what kind of a beast did
you put off ou that feller from
Butte?"
"A mighty strong, capable little
horse. Why?"
"Well, say, I was just a-passing his
camp yesterday morning, when the
thing took place. I always was lucky
about such."
"What happened?" queried T.
"I don't wish any man's barn to
burn, strangers, nor his horse to take
a fall outen him, but wheu anything
does goon I like to see it. You see,
he had just drawed the last knot on the
pack and as I came up he said: 'How's
this for a $lO pony?' I said, 'Pretty
good. Who'd you get him off ol'?'
" 'A couple of tenderfeet,' he says,
| 'who couldn't handle him. Why,he's
gentle as a dog; then he slaps the
pony on the side. The little fiend lit
out both hind feet aud took the old
man ou both kuees aud kuocked him
down over a pack-saddle into the mud.
Theu he turned loose, that pony did,
stranger. I have saw horses buck a
plenty, Mexican bronks, wild cayuses
iu Montana, and all kinds o' beasts in
California, but I never seen the beats
of that blue pony. He shore was a
bucker from Battle Creek. The Butte
man lay there a groaniu',his two knees
in his lists, whilst a trail of flour an'
beans an' sacks an' rubber boots led
up the hill, an' at the far end of that
trail 'bout thirty yards up the blamed
cayuse was a-feediu' like a April
lamb."
"What happened to him?"
"Who?"
"The pony."
"Old Butte, as soon as he could
crawl a little, he says: 'Gimme my
gun, I've beeu a-packin' on the trails
of the Rocky mountains for forty years
aud I never was done up before.
Gimme that gun.' He sighted her,
stranger, most vicious, and pulled
trigger. The pony gave one big jump
and went a-rollin' aud a-crasliiu' into
j the gulch. "You'll never kick again,'
i says the feller from Butte."
Poor little Blue Bat. He had gone
to the mystic meadows where no pack
saddle could follow him. Detroit
Free Press.
UUAINT AND CURIOUS-
The strength of two horses equals
that of fifteen meu.
In Costa Rica canary birds, bull
finches and paroquets are special table
dainties.
It is said that an organized system
of charity prevailed among the F.gyp
tiaus 2500 years B. C.
Pet dog 3 in London, England, weal
chamois shoes when in the house, to
protect polished floors from scratches.
Over a hundred persons disappeat
in London, England, every year with
out leaving the slightest trace behind.
The paper church at Bergen, Nor
way, is made waterproof by a coating
of quicklime, curdled milk aud white
of egg.
The ancient custom of putting a coin
in the hand of the dead is still occa
sionally followed iu the rural districts
of France.
At the beginning of a recent thun
derstorm, electrified drops were ob
served that cracked faintyon reaching
| the ground and emitted sparks.
I While the wedding service is pro
j ceeding in Japan the bride kindles a
j torch and the bridegroom lights a fire
from it and bums the wife's play
things.
A curious remedy for sleeplessness
is used by the inhabitants of the Sa
moan islands. They couflne a snake
in a hollow bamboo aud the hissing
sound emitted by the reptile is said
to quickly induce slumber.
Wealth Front FUli.
The development of the Irish mack
erel fisher has proved a boon to the
fisher folk of Cork and Kerry. Fort*
thousand barrels were cured last year,
almost all of which came to America.
This industry puts $500,000 a year
into circulation amoug the people of
these two com; tie*.
ENVY.
Butterfly, he cry an' sigh.
As he met me 'neat de tree,
Wbuh de loafln' hours went by;
"Wisht I wus a honey bee.
He hab comfort in completeness;
Got a hive choak tull o' sweetness
I.uckier dan de likes o' me.
Wisht I wus a honey bee."
Says de bee, says he to me,
" -Tain' co use foh me to try
To be frollickin' an' free.
Wisbt I wus a butterfly.
'Nuflin' 'tall to do but dancin'
Whah de sunbeam comes a-giancin',
I must toll an' sleep an' die.
Wisht I wus a butterfly !"
—Washington Star.
HUMOROUS.
"How was your amateur opera per
formance?" "It was so poor that it
was really rich."
Train up a servant girl in the way
she should go, aud the first thing you
know she's gone.
"Obrian got mixed up with a mad
bull yesterday." "How did it end?'*
"It was a toss up." I
Gadding—Why don't you make your
wife do the marketing? Gabway—Th»
trouble is, she don't let me make her,
"You remind me so much of my
poor, dear, first husband!" "You re
mind me of him altogether too much,
my dear." ,
By the time a man has a few dollars
saved up for his old age he is told that
his daughter has talents which should
be cultivated.
"Why, Jim, what did you shoot
that man for?" "To avoid trouble.
I new we'd be a quarreliu' if we kep'
«n, aud I hate a row."
The art of sailoring
Most women lack.
But she who's pretty may
Command a smack.
Jones—For awhile John was clean
out of his mind about that girl. Smith
—Aud now? Jones—Oh, now the
girl is clean out of her mind.
"Oh, Alice! my new dress looks
nice euougli to eat." "Well,l wouldn't
eat it if I were you. I don't believe
it would set so well on the inside."
Manager—l hope your Cuban play
has lots of local color in it. Drama
tist—Oh, yes. In the last act the
Spanish villain dies of yellow fever.
"Hans, if you are very good and
get a high mark in school, I will give
you a ham sandwich." "But, mam
ma, do you imagine I can be bribed?"
"I think I have pretty well your
lauguage the master of," said the for
eigner, "but tell me how, as I hear a
man say, one can cut a lot of ice with
his dough?"
Governor of the Prison—What is
the cause of this unseemly delay?
Jailer—That expert headsman you en
gaged from the medical school is ster
ilizing the axe.
Tourist—Can you tell me where Mr.
Greencoru's cottage is? Small Native
—I can for a nickel. Tourist—Here
is the nickel; now where is it? Small
Native—lt's burnt down.
Judge—You robbed your benefactor
iu a most shameful way. Do you feel
no compunctious of conscience? Pris
oner—Before answering, sir, I would
like to consult my counsel.
What ever may be said of what
The Chinese untors do.
One fuult at least they haven't got—
They never miss their queue.
Boggs How is it that your hair it
quite white, while your beard is very
dark? Noggs—lt's the most natural
thing iu the world. Boggs—lndeed)
Noggs—lt's thirty years older.
The Dearest Girl-—What makes you
old bachelors say such horrid things?
Married men do not talk that way.
The Savage Bachelor—No, we only
say what the married men think.
Mrs. Faddle—l thought you war
ranted that dog bought of you well
bred? Dog Dealer—So it is, mum.
Mrs. Faddle—Oh, no, it isn't; it bolts
its food in the most vulgar manner!
"The Binkses must buy everything
on the instalment plan." "What
makes you think so?" "I heard Jimmy
Binks ask his father whether their new
baby would be taken away if they
couldn't keep up the payments."
Landlady That uew boarder is
either married or a widower. Daugh
ter—Why, mamma; he says he is a
bachelor. Landlady—Don't you be
lieve he is. When he opens his pock
etbook to pay his board he always
turns his back to me.
An Acquired Habit.
It is a matter of general knowledge
that the mountain parrot of New Zea
land, the kea, lias acquired the very
destructive habit of pierciug the backs
of sheep with its sharp beak in order
to feed on the kidney fat of the very
unfortunate animals attacked. It was
at one time believed that the birds hail
learned this habit from procuring futty
particles from the skins of sheep
which had been slaughtered; but now
a more likely solution of the problem
has been suggested by a correspond
ent of the Zoologist. 'This gentleman,
who writes from Melbourne, tells us
that in the hilly districts of the mid
dle island of New Zealand there grows
in great quantity a white lichen which
bears a strong resemblance to sheep's
! w6ol. Beneath this lichen are to be
found small white fatty substances,
which some suppose to be the seeds
of the plant, and others describe as
maggots which infest it; but whatever
they be, they form a favorite food of
the kea. It is suggested that the bird,
misled by the resemblance of the
cheep's wool, digs down into the flesh
in the hope of finding this white sub
stance of which it is so fond, aud
that in this way the uew habit has
been originated. In the first place,
probably the birds are misled by mis
taking dead sheep for masses of the
licheu under which they had been ac
customed to find their favorite food.—
Chambers's Journal.