A SONG.
8! ng me • tweet, low song of night And then when the
Jtafore the moon is risen. Bend down your head unto me,
A song that tells of the star's delight Whisper the word that was born abova
Escaped from day's bright prison. Er* the moon had swayed the sea.
A song that croons with the cricket's voice, Ere the oldest star began to shine,
That sleeps with tha shadowed trees, Or the furthest sun to burn,
A soug that shall bid my heart rejoice The oldest of words, O heart of mine,
At its tender mysteries ! Yet newest, and swept to ) ea " 1 - .
—Hildegarde Hawthorne, in Harper s Magazine.
THE DOCTOR'S STORY. J
jj By Charles S. Hathaway.
My diploma (dated 1878) four years
aid, and from one of the best medical
colleges in the land, had maintained
Its prominent position on the wall of
tuy little country office for nearly
three years, and as I sat musing be
fore the great box stove and its roaring
R ood fire one wintry day, mentally
sovering ? fair countryside drive, I
included that those three years had
teen reasonably prosperous.
As I dreamed along in this fashion
tuy office door was opened with a rush,
lad Darius Robison plunged before
lie, very scant of breath, with the
news that his little boy was critically
■ll of croup and that Dr. Squiers, who
Dad been attending him, had recoin
tueuded that I be called to"put a tube
Dr something in the child's throat;"
that it was a new but sure cure with
which Squiers was unacquainted, so
far as his own practice was concerned,
but that he had heard of several suc
cessful operations I had performed.
"Will you come, doctor?" asked Rob
l&ou in tones and manner indicating
doubt and the gravest anxiety.
"Certainly, Mr.Robison," I replied;
"I will be tiieie within half an hour,"
it which with a "Thank you, doctor,"
Darius bounced out of the office, and
ihe next instant he was running across
lUe street to the general store—a com
bination of postoffice, drug store and
ill kinds of merchandise.
Within five minutes I was ready
with my instruments and medicine
case, and a minute or two later the
etable boy brought my horse and cut
ter over from the country tavern,
where 1 boarded, and I was off. The
two-mile drive over good sleighing
with a fresh horse was a short one, so
that within 20 minutes I was at the
side of the suffering child with the
grief-stricken parents and good old
Dr. Squiers, very dignified but inter
ested, watching my movements with
the closest scrutiny.
I fouud the boy,about four years old,
Buffering from acute membraneous
laryngitis. He was creeping about
over the bed, pursing his lips,opening
his mouth, gasping and reaching out
with his hands, as if to pull the air
down to his little lungs; his face was
blue, the chtst was flattened and de
pressed between the ribs and above
the clavicles, and the pitch aud char
octer of his very difficult breathing in
dicated tho presence of membraneous
obstruction in the larynx aud glottis.
Dr. Squiers administered the chloro
foim, and 1 performed the operation
of tracheotomy, inserting a tube. The
breathing of tho child improved so
suddenly aud so well that the shock
caused tho father, who had watched
the operation,to fall in a fainting con
dition, thus adding to the terror of the
mother and wife, who was waiting in
au adjoining room. Dr. Squiers prompt
ly attended to this side incident, how
ever, and in a short time the respira
tious of the child were easy and regu
lar, the natural color had returned to
its face, aud he had taken a small
portion of food. Meanwhile the father
and mother had acquired a condition
of self-control aud happiness, so that
■when I started lioiue it was in the
midst of one of those dense and wholly
beautiful lialosof gratitude and adula
tion which come so frequently to all
practitioners of medicine aud which go
a 1 ug way toward wiping out the fa
tigue and disappointments so common
to the profession.
These details told today, in the
light of new instruments,uewmethods
and new operations, sound common
place, but 20 years ago they were un
usual and dramatic, aud besides, at
the time of which I speak, Darius Rob
ison was a county supervisor and was
the supervisor whose vote defeated my
desire to serve the county. Moreover,
he had shown an unaccountable an
tipathy toward myself over siuce I had
located in the county.
Robison was raised a farmer and had
a district school education, but he Was
of an observing, investigating turn of
mind, aud, being industrious, frugal
and correct as to his habits, he was
recognized as a valuable citizen who
was well iuformed, interested iu cur
rent affairs and sincere in his devotion
to the prosperity of his towuship.
Among other things he had made a
special study of the tramp problem
and by extensive reading upon phil
osophical subjects, and the causes
which are supposed to lead to meudi
cacy and itineracy, had views quite in
a.lvauce of those held by his neigh
bors.
However, he was appreciative and
grateful, as were his wife aud boy,over
the service I had performed, so that
while I enjoyed hearing the words of
praise, sometimes quite fulsome,l did
occasionally grow weary over the same
details of the same story and the same
commendations which I was certain to
hear each time I met him or any mem
ber of his family.
Therefore when I learned, about •
year later, that the Robisous were
going to move to the northern part of
Wiscousiu to engage in the lumber
business, I felt some regret and some
satisfaction in that while I might be
losiug a local friend, my reputation
would be carried into the outer world
possibly to my own advantage. They
had been gone a year or more when I
received a letter telling ine as to the
good health of the family,that Robison
was making money and urging me,
when I took a vacation, to pay them a
visit. I made proper acknowledgment
of the receipt of the letter and forgot
the matter until a year later I received
auother letter of similar import, add
ing that the deer hunting in their vi
cinity was fine. Again I was obliged
to decline the invitation with thanks.
Then, for a couple of years, I heard
nothing further until ono day I re
ceived a telegram summoning me to a
small lumber town but a few miles
from Robison's mill to perform an op
eration.
That eveuing I took the train, and
on the following afternoon I reached
the place,performed the operation and
was asking the proprietor of the hotel
where I was stopping as to a midnight
train I might take on my way home,
when I was very much asto lished to
see my old friend Robison enter the
hotel. He was cordial to enthusi
asm, told me how, hearing of my com
ing, he had driven into town especially
to get me and take me to his home
for a visit, told what a fine lad his boy
had grown to be and all about the
prosperity and happiness of himself
and wife. He would not be put oft', so
that finally I agreed togo, and we re
tired for the night.
The followiug morning I visited my
patient to find him doing nicely and
returned to the hotel just as iuj friend
drove up to the office door with a fine
dark bay liorse hitched to an open
buggy. As I put my foot on the step
to climb to my seat 1 noticed, under
the seat partly covered by robes, two
or three "large stones netted with ropes
like the stone anchors improvised
sometimes by fishermen. These an- i
chors did not excite especial curiosity
at the time, but,as we drove along,my
friend very exuberant and talkative,
those anchors would flash into my
mind everj- little while so that between
listening to my companion and musing
as to tho stones I had little ejse to do.
I was surprised at Robison's volu
bility at first, and then I was puzzled
by the variety of topics he discussed
and the unusual energy and excite
ment ho showed as he talked. He was
still interested in the tramp question
and said he was about to solre it by
erecting two large treadmills which
he was goiug to turn in opposite di
rections by tramp power. The shafts
of these treadmills were joined to
gether at an angle so that they would
press against each other, the ends of
the shafts when they came together
being protected bj plates of iron and
a universal joint. The friction result
ing from the opposite movement of tho
two treadmills and the plates of iron
would generate heat sufficient to boil
water and produce steam with which
to warm his mill,run his electric lights
and grind wood into pulp for paper
making purposes.
Then I was certain I was driving
with a madman, and the curiously
covered stones under the seat recurred
to my mind.
At this point Robison turned his
horse from the main road into a little
wood road, remarking as he did so
that he wanted to leave the highway
and take a look at some shingle tim
ber which he had skidded on the bank
of a lake nearby, preparatory to float
ing it over to his mill.
I was not frightened becr.use physi
cally I felt far superior to my madman.
Reaching a point quite a distance
from the maiu road,my friend stopped
his horse, and as he jumped from the
buggy I observed that while his face
was covered with a strange pallor his
eyes were weirdly bright, while a ner
vous twitching kept his lips in a rest
less state. Surely the climax was at
hand, but what was it?
Jumping from the buggy I saw,over
a slight eminence a very protty little
lake,and on thebf.uk in the foreground
was a small boat—a scow made of
rough pine boards. I remarked the
presence of the boat and asked what it
was for.
"It is for you to ride in if yon wish,"
he answered in a quivering, shrill
voice at which I stepped more closely
to him. Then he said, f;s he stopped
upon a log, "let's get up on '.he logs;
we'll get a better view." As he did
this I saw, in the hand farthest from
me, the handle of a revolver,and with
a powerful spring I leaped up at him,
seized the hand holding the pistol and
speaking with all tho calmness I could
command said: "My dear Robison,
you do not want to shoot me; it would
be the mistake of your life to commit
such a crime."
Instantly his eyes filled with tears,
he released his hold upon the weapon
and answered: "Doctor, I did intend
to shoot you; I have Manted to do it
for years, but I am vary thankful I
have been prevented. As soon as I
heard you were coming up this way I
resolved to kill you and end my suf
ferings."
"Sufferings?" I exclaimed in amaze
ment.
"Yes. They have been dreadful for
years," he answered. "Shortly after
we moved up here and w hen my boy
became old enough to talk in a mature,
reasonable way, he would engage his
mother in conversation about his ill
ness, about the operation, about your
skill and about my opposition to you
when you desired the county appoint
ment It was their chief recreation.
the one topic in which they seemed to
find perfect happiness, and at lost it
became almost unbearable, Why, 1
have bad that boy and his mother tell
me over and over again that they loved
you better than they loved me."
"And yon have brooded over this
delusion," I said, "until at last you
enticed me to this spot to shoot me, to
fasten the stone anchors in your buggy
to my body,take me out into this lake
and put me out of sight forever."
With a face instantly lighted by a
sort of fiendish glee and yet in a voice
decidedly normal and commonplace he
confessed that I had made a perfect
forecast of his designs. I continued
the ordinary demeanor, talked mod
erately and gently and at once realized
I was master of the situation. The
result was we re-entered the buggy,
drove to his home and received a most
cordial welcome. Thdre was not, so
far as Robisou was concerned, the
slightest evidence of the dreadful trag
edy he had planned, and I fancy there
was no sign given by myself. In fact,
save upon the single topic—and I had
that well under control—my friend
was not only wholly sane, but he was
exceptionally intelligent and interest
ing. I met the foreman of his mill and
his chief machinist, I walked through
the mill and about the entire premises
with Robison and his wife aud child
as mv companions,learning all the de
tails large and small of their prosperity
and comfort; but during the entire
time I think I saw and noted every ar
ticle my friend touched and every time
he put his hand into his pocket. 1
did not propose to l>e caught napping.
We had a superb dinner, the wife
seeming to outdo herself and her re
sources in the result, aud when we—
Robisou and myself—entered the
buggy for the return trip to the town
ou the railway, I was fully determined
to notify the local physician with
whom I was acquainted as to the weak
spot iu my friend's condition.
During the ride I kept my hand on
Robison's revolver—l still have it iu
my possession—aud by great good
fortune so retained my control upon
his understanding that the ride was
without incident. At the hotel I
parte I with him iu the most friendly
way possible. After he had started
home I ascertained that the physician
I desired to consult was away ou his
drive, and so, resolving to write to
him a complete history of the ease as
soon I reached home, 1 boarded the
cars.
For one reason and another it was
nearly two weeks before I got my let
ter off to the Wisconsin physician, and
the day after it left my hands I read
the following in the geueral news col
umn of a Chicago paper:
"Darius Robison, a wealthy mill
owner and one of the most enterpris
ing, public-spirited citizens in the
state, committed suicide on the 10th
inst. by shooting himself through the
head in his mill at . Temporary
insanity is believed to have been the
cause."—Detroit Free Press.
QUAINT AND CURIOUS.
The windows of Persian houses, as
a rule, are not visible from the street.
A resident of a Minnesota town
died recently of obesity. He weighed,
at his death, 438 pounds.
The most wonderful vegetable in th 6
world is the truffle; it has neither
roots, stem, leaves, flowers nor seeds.
Scientists say that the orange was
formerly a berry, and that it has been
developed for over seven thousand
years.
Certain music prevents the hail
from falling, according to one scien
tist, while other kinds have a disas
trous effect.
Iu China, which has long been
known as "the laud of opposites," the
dials of clocks are made to turn round,
while the hands stand still.
Pekin is a city of dust, like most
Chinese towns. Nevertheless, the
only stores that have glass windows
are those of the watchmakers.
Glass would be a better and more
lasting material than stone for making
monuments which are exposed to the
wearing action of the weather.
Wanted, Heavier Revolver*.
After the capture of Suakim it wn&
alleged iu the House of Commons
that the lances served out were totally
unlit for use, bending directly they
were put to the trial. And now, as
the result of the experience of the re
cont campaign, the Mauser revolver is
being severely criticised. Officers de
clare that iu many cases the revolver
was absolutely useless, ana rather
than lean ou a broken reed they pre
ferred to discard the pistol altogether,
for it is a serious affair to discover
that you have beeu relying upon a
weapon which is useless for its pur
pose. The same verdict comes from
the northwest frontier of India. What
seems to bo wauted is an effective
"man-stopping" revolver which will
stand the test of a campaign. It ia
suggested that too much has been
sacrificed for the sake of lightness.
Of course, weight is an important
consideration, but officers would not
mind a little heavier pistol provided
it was additionally reliable.—Naval
aud Military Record.
Twenty J-.a*lies for Six 11 aim.
A singular theft was tried by Mr.
Beal, first-class magistrate, recently.
Superstitious Burmans rull out the
hairs of an elephant's tail for talis
mans, making rings out of them aud
other charms. One Nge Tun Liu went
into an elephant's shed at Ahloue and
pulled six hairs out of a bull elephant's
tail, secreting them in his umbrella.
The mahout challenged him, and he
promptly shook the hairs out of the
umbrella. They fell on some straw*
were picked up and put forward ip
evidence of theft. The man was con
victed and sentenced to receive 20
lashes. - -Times of Burmab.
THE REALM 1
OF FASHION. 1
NEW YORK CITY (Special).—One of
the handsomest shirt waists shown
this season is here illustrated, in pink
pique, with bands of white embroidered
A HANDSOME SHIRT WAIST.
insertion, which is firmly stitched on
each edge aud then has the material
cut away from underneath, with the
exception of that in centre front. Five
lengthwise bands are thus applied on
the fronts and three ou the backs, the
pattern giving the correct lines for the
placing. The closing is made through
the centre front with small pearl but
tons and buttonholes worked through
the insertion or through the hem un
derneath. The back fits smoothly,
and comes well forward and meets the
gathered shoulder edges of the full
fronts.
Gathers adjust the fulness at the
neck, which is completed with a col
lar band, over which a deep stock is
worn that closes in centre back. The
6leeves are iu regulation shirt waist
style, gathered at the top and bottom,
where they are completed with straight
link cuffs. Openings are finished with
overlaps at the back in the nsual way.
Shirt waists of fine white lawn, tucked
all over and united with insertion in
this style, make wonderfully attractive
summer waists, while both taffeta and
wash silks may be used to develop
handsome waists by the mode. The
insertion may also be omitted if n
plainer waist is desired.
To make this waist for a woman of
medium size will require two and
three-fourths yards of material, thirty
inches wide.
A Simple Hut St>)Uli Gown.
An exceedingly effective disposition
of ribbon velvet is used to decorate
the simple but stylish gown by May
Mantou, shown in the large engraving.
The material is Cuban red wide wale
diagonal, on which the black velvet
shows advantageously, the flounce
being lined throughout with black
taffeta. Three round crystal buttons
decorate each front. Fitted linings
form the foundation over which the
-waist is arranged. The plastrou vest
is included in the right shoulder seam
and hooked over on the left. The
frontß are underfaced with the ma
terial and roll back in broad pointed
lapels at the top, disclosing the
prettily trimmed vest. The seamless
back is smooth across the shoulders,
the fullness at lower edge being laid
in overlapping plaits and stitched
firmly to linings. A jslose-fitting col
lar shaped in points that rise behind
the ears finishes the neck, closing in
centre back. The sleeves in latest,
mode have the fullness at top gathered
and arranged over fitted linings, the
wrists being shaped to point over the
hand. A daintily shaped girdle that
dips in front closes invisibly at the
left side. The shirt has a narrow
front gore and two wide circular
portions that meet at the ceutre back.
The placket may be finished at the
left front seam under the flounce.
Short darts fit the top closely over the
hips, and the fullness in back is laid
in backward-turning plaits at each
side of the centre seam. The skirt is
of fashionable length and measures
about four yards at the foot. ' The
circular flounce is applied over the
lower edge and ripples slightly at the
front edges, where it is graduated to
very narrow width at the top. The
front gore presents a panel effect that
is exceedingly stylish. The costume
may be suitably made of any season
able material in silk or wool, and a
charming effect is produced when the
front gore, vest and lapels are of con
trasting fabric in harmonious coloring.
The decoration may be as plain or as
elaborate as desired, the variety of
trimming this scasou being almost
unlimited.
To make this waist for a lady of
medium size will require two yards of
material forty-four inches wide. To
make the skirt will require six and
three-fourths yards of material the
same width.
Buttons and Buckleg the Vojjne.
Buttons and buckles are both worn
by women, but must havs a reason for
their being, either as objects of use
or decoratiou; they are not to be put
on at haphazard, but given something
to apparently hold in place. The
jeweled buttons may be found to match
almost any gown, as they are made to
represent amethysts, carbuncles, em
eralds. turquoises, opals, sapphires,
crystals, etc. The one-sided blouse
fronts fasten with four such buttons,
and the velvet belt has a buckle to
match.—Ladies' Home Journal.
Wniat Wltli IHstlnctlv« Features.
A woman cannot possibly have too
many shirt waists, and so a variety in
style of shaping as well as material is
always acceptable. One of the latest
designs is here represented in Delft
blue and white French percale, a ma
terial that is shown in all the richest
new colorings. The distinctive fea
tures are found in the groups of tuoks
and pleats in front and back, and in
the shaping of the yoke that follows
the shoulder-line, extended back and
meet at the neck in centre. This gives
a slender, long-waisted appearance
that is new, the ordinary shirt-waist
yoke being objectionable on mauy for
'the reason that it cuts off the length.
The leather belt is fastened with the
useful covered harness buckle.
TIIK LATEST DESIGN.
The full fronts are closed in centre
through a box pleat of medium width.
At the neck and shoulder edges are
groups of three forward-turning pleats,
which are stitohed a short distance
from the top to hold them in place. The
back is laid in three backward-turning
pleats at each side of centre that taper
from shoulders to waist, where they
lap closely. The stylish shirtsleeves
are gathered top and bottom.
To make this waist for a woman of
medium size will require three and
one-fourth yards of material thirty
inohes wide.
ALASKAN FISHERMEN.
They Hake Astonishing Catclies With
Homo-Made Tackle.
With his home-made fishing-tackle
one native Alaskan can capture more
fish in a day than can any three white
men with their latest improved im
plements. The Alaskan Indian shows
his intelligence by clinging to his own
implements and tools, and at the same
time in quietly adapting himself to
the greatly altered conditions of his
environment. He will adopt certain
of our customs and utensils, but re
fuses to adopt many others. While
he will always give you the most
superstitious reasons for clinging to
his own time-honored tools, he is
quick to decide that the spirits wish
him to make use of any new idea
which will be an actual benefit under
existing conditions.
These Indians use the same fishing
tackle that Bering found them usiug
during his explorations of 17-11, and
which George Vancouver found dur
ing his first visit among them as a
midshipmite under the famous Cap
tain Cook a few years later.
Fish are abundant. Alaskan home?
are always near some excellent fish
ing grounds. A village is often situ
ated in a certain location simply to be
near good halibut banks. Hooks used
in fishing for halibut are usually made
of a fork of spruce root to which an
iron barb has been lashed, the only
change from the original being in the
iron barb, which sometimes takes the
place of the one of bone used iu the
primitive hook. All bait is secured to
the hook by means of a small cedar
cord, which is neatly lashed about the
hook when it is not in use.
Halibut feed near the bottom of tli6*
sea. The Indiau has a method, as
ingenious as it is rude, to keep his bait
where it will bo most tempting.
He will tie a itone a few feet above
the hook os his line with a slip
loop, whieli the halibut, iu trying to
get away, will twitch out, releasing
the sioue and giving the Indian warn
ing that he can draw up his fifty or a
hundred pound halibut without the
additional weight of the stone. Be
tween the hook and the stone sinker
is a wooden float whittled in the shape
of a duck, which, iu seeking to rise to
the surface, draws the hook up the
proper distance from the bottom.
8 e;l hooks made after these pat
terns have been on the market for
many years, but the Indian has better
success with his own.
His cords and lines are his own pro
duction. They are made of cedar
bark, split spruce roots, or kelp.
The cedar bark is scraped from the
tree with a bone shaped like a chop
ping knife.
After soakiug for several days, the
bark is beaten into shreds with a ham
mer made also of bone, and picked
iuto flue threads, which are twisted
into cords by being rubbed between
the hand and the thigh. Cords of
spruce roots split and twisted are aiso
very strong, but those made of kelp
are least valued. —Harper's Round
Table.
How a Knight la Iteallv
The party were conveyed by special
train and royal yacht to Osborne.
They were then assembled iu an ante
room, and after beiug instructed iu
the respective parts they were to play
were admitted one by one to the pres
ence of Her Majesty. The knight on
entering the room made his obei-ance
twice, and advancing close to Her
Majesty bowed a third time and
dropped on one knee. Her Majesty
then rested a sword on his shoulder
for a moment, and uttered the words
"Sir " (mentioning only the
Ch'istian name). She next placed the
ribbon of the Order round his neck
and attached the badge to a clip which
had already been fastened on his
breast. Ho then raised his arm, and
the Queen placing her hand on his
wrist, he conveyed it to his lips, rose,
bowed and retired backward. The
moment the door closed behind him
he was seized by two officials, who
stripped him of his ribbon and badge
ami placed them hurriedly in a case,
which they handed to him with direc
tions to "depoiit it with his great
coat." The correspondent's friend did
not like this. He would have desired
that the badge should remain always
on his uniform where the Queen had
nilixo.l it. After the whole party had
been decorated they a l.ourned to
luncheon, and were conveyed back to
London iu time for dinner. —London
Correspondence of the Manchester
Guardian.
Found n \«■ \v IHIHIHI.
A Japanese traveler, Mr. Miztitani
Shiuroku, discovered an island in Oc
tober, 181)7, lying about (iOO nautical
miles to thee :st of the Bonins. It is
a s nail spa";, only seven anil one-half
miles in circumference, but it i* peo
pled by myriads of penguins and pro
duces an abundance of bananas and
cocoanuts. Some folk say that the
place is leally Marcus island, an 1 that
it was discovered long ago. I'o that
as it may, the Japanese government,
on receipt of Mr. Mizutaui's report
last June, decided to call the island
Minami-tori-shima, or southern bird
island, in allusion to the immense
colo: y of penguius—twelve diflV r.-nt
kinds—that have their habitat there.
The prefix minami is used to distin
guish the island from Tori-shima (bird
island), which lies farther north and
nearer to the Bonins. There are no
people living on Minami-tori-shima,
and a ten years' lease of it has beeu
granted to the discoverer, who is said
to be making a very profitable specu
lation by exporting its fruits, as well
as the feathers and flesh of the pen
guins. The climate is equable, the
thermometer standing generally in the
neighborhood of 80 degrees Fahren
heit. There is an abundauce of vege
tables, but little rain, and a great
scarcity of water, so that five stills
have had to be erected.—Japan MaiL