j An Awkward Blunder. 5
a BY SOPHIE SWETT.
"Miss Mildred Brewster requests the
pleasure of your presence at a small
musicule at her house Wednesday
evening, June sth."
The girl to whom the note was ad
dressed read it with Hushing cheeks
and a cry of delight.
She started to her feet, dropping Miss
Floy Parnienter's wedding-dress in
a billowy heap on the floor, and ran to
the door of the litting room of the
dressmaking establishment.
But her mother was busy trying a
dress on Mrs. Commodore Skreeue and
eould not be hurried, and the girl
turned back, impatient to announce tile
news.
She whirled about in a little dance
before the cheval-glass i:i the privacy
of the inner room. Catching up Miss
Parnienter's wedding-dress, she held
the shimmering folds before her.
"How shall I look In an evening
gown?" she wondered, ecstatically.
"Oh, I suppose I am too silly, but I
have been so hungry for good times
of my own kind! They are my own
kind, those girls of Mildred Brewster's
set, though 1 didn't suppose they'd ever
acknowledge it. They never took the
least notice of me when I went—so
frightfully shabby!—to the high school
with them. And Mildred Brewster
seemed especially proud—although she
was kind to get us the naval people
for patrons. A muslcale, too! 1 won
der how she knew I should like that.
It may be that her brother Stanley
has heard me singing in the garden
when he has been canoeing on the
river.
"O mother, dearest!" and she turned
to her mother, who had Anally got
through with Mrs. Commodore Skreene
and now stood in the doorway. "An
Invitation for me from Mildred Brews
ter to a nmsieale! When I opened the
envelope I thought, of course, she had
only written about the chiffon for her
pink waist."
"I don't know why slip shouldn't in
vite you." said the little worn woman,
her seamy cheeks growing red with
pleasure.
"They are very aristocratic—very
proud of their old family. They live
In a colonial house a hundred years old,
with family portraits and old silver
and things; and you and I mother,dear,
are nobodies. I trim Mildred's pretty
gowns and she sends us her father's
checks. Those are the only relations
that are to be expected between her
and me."
"She hasn't seemed to think so,"
said her mother, quietly, but with a
thrill in her voice. Mentally she vowed
that, whether money were plenty or
scarce, Betty should goto tin l nmsieale
in a lovely gown. For she knew all
about the hunger for good times and
girls, although never a word had been
said. Mother eyes are sharp.
Meanwhile the postman had left a
missive in Miss Mildred Brewster's
handwriting at one oft lie old colonial
houses, "with family portraits and old
silver tilings." It was addressed to
Miss Frances Penliallow, and that
young lady, who was Mildred's dearest
friend, said she knew without opening
it that it was an invitation to Mildred's
niusicnle. She opened it, nevertheless,
and drew her brow into a frown as she
read:
"Dear Miss Mnrtln: Will you be so
kind as to take the very greatest pains
In matching the pink chiffon to my
waist? I am sure I can trust your
exquisite taste, but I should feel it to
be such a calamity if that delicate
shade of pink silk were to be spoiled
by a deeper shade of trimming.
"Hastily,
"Mildred Brewster."
"Just like Mildred! She has 'mixed
those children up!'" exclaimed Miss
Penhallow. "This note was meant for
Betty Martin, the dressmaker's daugh
ter. And she lias probably got my in
vitation! I'll drive round there and
carry this note, so that Mildred's waist
may be sure to bo all right. She has
more faith in those people than she
lias in Ma dime l'oiitenclle. I think I'll
get ir.anuna to try them. 1 remember
that liii- girl looked poor and forlorn
win 11 she went to school, but she Is
re -l IN effective now, she wears such
goinl tiiWiis. And there is something
quaint about her. with her hlirh fore
lit ad and her little peaked chili and
her mm fitiwcr-lilue eyes. If she could
manage to make tue look as she
do. s "
I'miif' - critically surveyed ill •
of il»> descendant of tlu* I'ciihnllows In
tin' long mirror, nml <l<l it >«-rn i <*!>•
"liuide up u fnce" lit It. It is inn- that
tlif tlifuiv wuh stocky mill the
thlcU, uuU thorn- ilUi'ouruiilnt; points
•truck tin- owner of tlu> figure more
for lily Hutu did the honest clearness
of the Ki-iiy eye*, or the sympathetic
sweetness of the mouth.
It wan Hetty herself who opened the
door of the I'tlon room, uml her
"qiiullll" fnee lighted tl|i at the sljflit
of the visitor. A friend of Mildred
llieWSter's hole with her a "charmed
atmosphere."
Frances, smiling u little In response
to the *hy radiance of tin- Klii's fare.
nii:d: "1 rcmemlier you at the high
school, nml I think )uu have such
lovely taste!" She felt that Hetty's
attitude ileuiitiiN something more
kindly than an Immediate plunge Into
tiusiucss. "I have seel) all the pretty
thint. that jruit have made for Mlsa
|trew*t»r."
••Minn Itrewster hs» heen no very
kind tu me'" >ll Id Hetty Mllh u tli'lll
in her voice. "She has sent me an in
vitation to a music-ale at her house!"
She displayed the card with childish
simplicity. "I think some one must
have told her that I love music," she
added, with a doubtful, questioning
glance at her visitor's face.
For a shadow had fallen upon the
lionest-eyed face, as Frances under
stood, in a flash, that it would be diffi
cult to explain the mistake.
Difficult! It was impossible, she
said to herself, as she caught a quiver
of the chin that was cleft at its peaked
tip by a childish dimple. There was a
suspicion of mistiness about the corn
flower-blue eyes. She did not suspect
the blunder. llow should she?
"I—l want to ask you about your dis
engaged time," faltered Frances. "I
have been trying to bring my mother
here for a long time."
Betty became businesslike at once
and brought her mother, who, on con
sulting a thick engagement-book, found
that she should have a few days to
spare in the course of the month.
"Of course, I might have given the
message about the pink waist," re
flected Frances, as she flecked a fly off
her fat pony's back, "but I was afraid
she would suspect how things were.
She was so pleased! To keep her from
knowing that it was a mistake seemed
the one important thing.
The pony was forced togo at a pace
which shook his fat sides and caused
him to turn a questioning and re
proachful eye upon his young mistress,
whose views of life generally coincided
very satisfactorily with his own.
Out on Paradlce road, just where the
air begins to be sweet with the locust
trees, Frances met Mildred setting out
with her brother Stanley and his
friend, Lester Wymau. Mildred sent
the young men on ahead, in obedience
to an imperative private gesture from
Frances, and then heard the story
of the dreadful blunder.
"It was stupid of me," said Mildred,
with a pucker of her serene brow.
"But I don't see how she could have
thought 1 meant to invite her! llow
awkward for you to have to explain!"
"Awkward! I simply didn't explain.
She was so pleased about the invita
tion! She thought you must have
heard how fond she was of music.
And I don't think that good times
have ever come much in her way. I
didn't say a word about your pink
chiffon. 1 thought you would rather
leave it to Providence than to run the
risk nf hurting her."
"Why of course, anything would be
better than to hurt her," said Mildred,
slowly. "So far as the pink waist
goes, I could write to her about it now.
She is perfectly presentable, but 1 wish
it could have happened some other time,
if I had got to make such a blunder.
I did want Lester Wyman, who is a
diplomat's son and accustomed to the
nicest people everywhere, to meet the
very cream of Old Ilarbor society!"
"She's the very creamiest thing in
the town, so far as looks go.and lie
need never know that a dressmaking
sign hangs out over her door! (Jive
tlu- girl a good time, and don't take
it so hard," saitl Frances, sagely, as
she touchedthe fat pony with the whip.
"'Hey, Betty Martin, tiptoe flue!"'
The little hard-worked mother gave her
girl a playful push toward the long
mirror, and the mirror reflected the
prettiest gown that its experience had
known. It was of pale blue silk mus
lin over pale blue silk, and to its girl
ish simplicity was added the Indefin
able quality known as "style." The
slip of a girl, her blue eyes wide with
half-incredulous delight, looked like
a princess—or rather as a princess
ought to look and Is no more likely to
look than any one else.
But as Betty turned away from the
mirror—away, also from her mother's
eyes—the delight faded suddenly, as a
candle Is blown out by the wind, and
the sensitive little peaked chin quiv
ered with a haunting reccollection of
the expression on Frances Penhallow's
face and the forced tone of liercongrat
ulatloiis. There bad been a mistake
made, somehow! It was not likely
that Miss Brewster had meant to iu
vite her.
She said that to herself at one mo
ment. and tried to think the next that
she had grown morbid and fanciful
bv much brooding over Frances Pen
hallow's look of surprise a look of
surprise, that was all. She had not
known of the invitation. Itetty hail
not brent lied a hint of her suspicion
to lier mother, whose delight had been
even great) r than her own.
"1 would go, for her sake, over red
hot plow shares!" Itetty said to her
self. giving a little kick to her U-autl
fut, shimmering, light blue train.
Tliat train was gracefully carried
on the night of tiie muslcale, and so
was the small, ash-colored head only
a trifle too high, And "a red and a
rest leas spark" burned oil Hetty's
chiek. Hut when she found, among
all the throng of young people, no
stare of surprise, or anything but the
friendliest courtesy, she gradually put
even the suspicion that their
lulnds had been prepared, and was gay
with the rest
Ili-r heart grew warm toward Mil
dud Itrew »tcr and rraneen I'eiiliallow,
who, without singling her out In auy
embarrassing way. coii>tauily took
iiulim that >ln' khould not fe<i herself a
stranger. It grew mi warm that when
Mildred show d her chagrin thai
Uuiiutuv li'Alinall. the > iisrmlng »Uig'
er of English ballads, had failed to ai>-
pear, she threw her shyness to the
windt> and said, with evidently a sim
ple eagerness to be of service: "Oh, I
can sinfe ballads—lf you think
wcC id care to hear me! I have not a
large voice, but it has "been trained. I
have an uncle who is a musiciau."
"If—if you will be so good," faltered
Mildred, polite, but as she afterward
confessed to Frances Penliallow, feel
ing "an awful dread."
But the "awful dread" was quite un
necessary. Betty had not, as she said,
a large voice, but it had the thrilling,
pathetic quality, the "wild, weird
sweetness" found seldom except in an
Irish voice, and most effective of all
in simple ballads.
Betty made a success. Before she
went home, In a carriage from the
livery-stable that was only a few
doors from the dressmaking establish
ment, she had promised to sing at an
other muslcale in another of the old
colonial houses.
"Now we shall know what to do for
her!" said Mildred, joyfully, to Fran
ces, whom she had kept for a private
conclave. "Every one will take her
up! She can give parlor concerts, and
she can get pupils by the score! We
can get her to give up the dressmak
ing."
But when the plans were matured
and laid before Betty Martin, she was
grateful, but obdurate.
"I couldn't teach,, it isn't iu me!" she
explained. "Mother tried it before she
married, and had a dreadful struggle.
And father was a lawyer, when he
ought to have stayed on the farm. We
think, mother and I, that when we
are born our work is born with us.
We're like the old mllkwonian—you've
seen her —who look her husband's
route when he died. She says it's the
work she was born for, whether it's
proper work for a woman or not. She
says she is like the kings and queens
—a milk worn all by the grace of God.
That's the way mother and I are dress
makers. I want her to put 'Dress
maker. Dei Gratia,' on the sign. If I
had the voice for a great career, I don't
know, it might be different. But as
it is, I like to earn my living by the
commonplace work that I know I can
always do thoroughly well.
"There is another little reason—"
Betty hesitated and drew a quick
breath—"which I'm afraid you will
think fantastic and foolish. My little
singing gift seems sacred because it
was my father's only solace from pain
in his long illness; it was our one cheer
iu the dark days. I can't bear to take
it to market!"
"It's a little disappointing," said Mil
dred to Frances, when they were alone,
"but I am not sure that she Isn't right.
There are so many struggling artists of
every kind, and never enough good
dressmakers! My pink waist is a
dream! Betty Martin, dressmaker, by
the grace of God! I really believe she
is."—Youth's Companion.
QUAINT AND CURIOUS.
Elephants have only eight teeth—two
below and two above on each side.
All an elephant's baby teeth fall out
when the animal is about fourteen
years old, and a new set grows.
Cinders from the forest tires on Cape
Cod were carried by the wind as far as
Boston, a distance of almost 50 miles,
falling in the streets and in tiie waters
of the harbor in considerable showers.
A pet Maltese cat belonging to an
English woman has been successfully
provided with spectacles to counteract
failing eyesight. A picture of a mouse
was used by the oculist to test the
cat's eyes.
In bread-making on an expensive
scale less than a third of the time is
now taken. One thousand pounds of
dough for biscuits is rolled, cut and
prepared for baking In three hours
and 54 minutes, as against 54 houra
by hand.
At a gathering of old folk in the tow«
of Claremont, Mass., the other day the
chairman called upon all present who
were over "0 years of age to arise,
and 7- respoiv'j»l. lie then asked all
those who v? '»ver 80 to stand up,
and there vvtr. » who.Zpassed that
limit. A similar calL, 112 all over the
age of tH» brought font -übers of the
gathering to their feel.
Perhaps the busiest time of the year
In old Colonial days was November,
called "killing time." When the chos
en day arrived, oxen, cows and swine
which had been fattened for the win
ter's stock were slaughtered early in
the morning, that tin- meat might be
hard and cold before being putin tiie
pickle. Sausages, rolllchcs and head
cheese were made, lard tried out a.id
tallow saved.
The Hebrew chllil In tlt<* iitfe of
captivity In I'iryi>t wort- only > 4 u|>»
Til.. Spartan boy wort- a little ••••iit, u*
lit' (IrunuiHl liU rude wagon nt play, aiiti
other tireclnn lads Wort* alinple slips,
in (it'll like their clil.-is. 'l'lt.'ii, during
tli« long Interval* that t'lii|ts...l, tiiM
loins .-hante.'tl. ami In the middle ug.»
far more fare wu« tl«*voted to the
clothing of the little girl* and lH>y«
There wa» a constant approach front
that (line onto the garb of the grown
folk*, until Willi the adoption of the ro
coco »tyh>, the hoy wu* a* elaborately
dressed as hi* father, lu writs an.l »lllt«
and »atlu».
Ou"lh lb* I
"Why don't you go out and hunt fa*
W'Uk Ilk.' other lll'll"l"
••I never a goo«l »port»uiua
UlUlii." lit Ull I I'wtt I* •patch.
PULLS ITSELF UPSTREAM
AN INGENIOUS BOAT DEVISED B\
OREGON STONE WORKERS.
Compelling the t'orcfH of Nature to Do
Work Tliut Woul l Otherwise Kequire a
Good ileal of Hard Labor A Craft
Which Work* lt« Owu I'assage.
Iu the St. Nicholas Francis Ellington
Leupp describes an ingenious device
by which certain Oregon stone-workers
save themselves a deal of unnecessary
labor.
Doubtless nearly every boy with a
taste for out-of-door sports, he says,
has made a boat which the wind or
the current would cause to float over
the surface of a pond. I have seen
some lads rig up rafts on which they
could themselves ride down a swift
flowing creek; and I knew one, even,
who was clever enough to build a com
plete little steamboat. He could light
a lamp under the little boiler, and the
steam would form, and the piston
would work, and the wheels would re
volve, just as in a big vessel that
carries passengers and freight. The
trouble with all these toy boats, how
ever, is that they will go only one way.
Having made their trip, they ha veto b.-
toilsomely dragged back by hand to be
started again in the same direction.
While traveling in Oregon, some time
ago, I discovered a boat which seemed
to me the most ingenious thing of its
kind I had ever seen. It was built by
some stoneworkers to convey their
stone from the quarry well up toward
the head of a small river, down to the
mouth. The stream is everywhere so
shallow that it can be forded without
danger; but it is broken at intervals
by stretches of rapids, or "riltles," as
they are called In that neighborhood,
often extending as far as 150 feet. The
men built a flat-bottomed boat, which
they loaded with stone, and it carried
its cargo down the stream admirably.
But then arose the problem, how to
get it back when it had been emptied.
It was too heavy to haul up the stream
by hand. Where the water was com
paratively smooth there was 110 trouble,
because one man could ride 011 the
scow and make his way along with
a paddle and a pole; but the difficulty
was to get up the rapids. The best of
boatmen could not hope to propel f t
against so powerful a current, and up
hill at that.
How do you suppose they accom
plished the task, finally?
By making the boat first work its
own passage.
They made two large paddle-wheels,
which they placed one on each side of
the scow, and joined tlieui by a thin
but strong piece of wood, in the shape
of a cylinder. This turned with the
wheels, and served the double pur
pose of an axle and a windlass. Each
end of the cylinder, near where it
joined the wheels, played in a socket
somewhat like the row-lock used with
an oar, only stationary, and mounted
on tiie top of a triangular truss. To the
cylinder was fastened a rope about
two hundred feet long. When the boat
reached the bottom of a rapid, it would
be made fast to the shore. Then the
man in charge of the boat would ford
the stream and mount the opposite
bank, taking with him the rope in
a coil, and paying it gradually out as
he walked, so as to keep it alwaysylaut.
At the head of the rapid, or trifle
beyond, he would fasten the further
end of the rope to a tree. The moor
ings of tiie boat would be loosed, and
the current left to do the rest without
assistance. The paddlewheels, unable
to resist the force of the water flowing
against their sunken blades, would re
volve. and.of course, every revolution
of the wheels would cause the rope to
wind itself around the axle. With
each turn of the rope the boat would
necessarily be drawn forward and up
tlis stream: so. by the effect of the
continued winding, it would gradually
rise and rise till it reached the place
where the current ceased to exert so
n iich power. There it would be made
fast again, until the rope could b> dis
engaged from the cylinder and colled,
ready for use when needed. Then the
man would cut loose, sieze his paddle
or pole, and work away till the next
rapid was reached, when he would
start off with his rope and repeat the
operation described above.
This process is wearisome with a
heavy stone-boat, but it struck me, as
1 watched it. that a bright boy could
adapt it to a toy scow and get a great
deal of amusement out of it. If the
experiment did nothing more, it would
ai hast be a less.m in the art which
every iuechan!<- must learn of making
the forces of nature Ills servants, and
compelling them to do for him what
would otherwise require a good deal of
labor at his hands.
Tttiflt »«ll I'ttwin<lt* I.
Before ids appointment as minister
at IVkln. Kir Claude Maidonald served
for over 'JO years In the Kcaforlh
Highlanders. He was for some year*
attached on special service to the agen
cy at Carlo, and it fell to his lot to try
many of Hie prisoners who had taken
pint in tiie Arab! rebellion, tin one
occasion in tiie military cotut over
vv iiicli be wii presiding, man after
man w .is brought up to be Interrogated,
anil each of tbelli told the same tale of
hating Joined tin- Arahl under cum
pulsion. At last one man Mood proud
ly forward ami said; "I fought with
Arab! because I hate the Kugl.*h. and
I would tight theciu a..till If I got the
chance," 'I lie major r«»e from hi» seat
and shook the iiiau by the hand, and.
telling hint he Mas the only man who
hail had the collragc to *|>eak lilt*
I. t.tll. old. led him to be at uiilv iii»
11. i"H» d
STRANGE CASE OF SOMNAMBULISM
Victim Wondered How He CJot Ills i'eet
foiled.
"All hotels have more or less experi
ence with somnambulist*," said the
clerk of one of the New Orleans houses,
"but we had a case here recently that
is certainly entitled to lirst prize, for
originality. .lust a week ago today a
gentleman registered with us from—
well, 1 guess it would hardly bj fair to
give his address—it was a town in an
adjoining state, and I assigned him
myself to a room on the second floor.
At about 1 o'clock the lirst night he
was here he walked downstairs and
disappeared through the front door.
In an hour or thereabouts he came
back, and as he was passing through
the lobby some guests who happened
to be standing there talking noticed
that he was barefooted. Of course,
they were greatly startled, but he paid
no attention to them and walked
straight on upstairs. Naturally, they
concluded that he was either drunk or
crazy, and when they told the clerk oil
duty about It he thought they were
joking. Neverheless, he mentioned the
matter to me, and I told him to keep
an eye open for the gentleman the
next night.
"I saw him several times during the
day, and he appeared to be all right,
but at about the same hour as before
he came downstairs again, and, sure
enough, he was in his bare feet. Other
wise he was fully dressed; lie had his
hat on his head and he wore the ex
pression of a man in a brown study.
As on the lirst occasion, he spoke to
nobody, and one of the employes of
the house slipped out behind hiin. He
went straight up the street, walking
very slowly and looking neither to the
right nor the left. After goiug eight or
nine blocks, he stopped, and then
strolled back. When he entered the hotel
he passed under a strong light, and it
was plain from the appearance of his
eyes that he was sound asleep. He
went upstairs, entered liis room, which
lie had left open, and that was the last
seen of him for the night.
"Next morning I took him aside and
told him what had occurred. He was
perfectly dumbfounded, yet he said
that he had arisen both mornings with
a vague recollection of having taken a
midnight walk, which he supposed was
merely a dream, lie had also been
puzzled to note that his feet were
soiled and bruised. He stayed with us
one more night, but did not repeat the
performance. The man is a well-to-do
merchant and assured me that he had
not walked in his sleep before—at least,
not to his knowledge—since he was a
child."—New Orleans Times-IJemoerat.
The liuioor Kulb Car<len.
In growing any plant under un
natural conditions we must, if we
would grow it successfully, imitate the
methods of Nature as nearly as pos
sible. Now Nature in her management
of bulbs sets them to producing roots
in fall, by which the work of spring is
supported and carried forward tJ satis
factory developement. This root
growth is all the growth made by the
bulb during the fall season. The
leaves and flower-buds remain dor
mant to a great extent, waiting for
spring. When that season conies,
they are ready to grow; and
they do grow, because there
are strong and vigorous roots to
help growth along. But if we
were to plant these blubs in spring,
they would have to make root-growth
and top-growth at the same time, and
:lie result would be highly unsatisfac
:ory, because each phase of growth
would be made at the expense of the
other. The natural consequence
tvould be £evv flowers, and these infe
rior ones, or none at all.
Now when the amateur pots her bulbs
fall for winter flowering, anil places
:he pots in the window as soon as the
olubs are In them, she is making pre
cisely the same mistake that we would
tf we were to plant our bulbs in the
open ground in spring. The action of
moisture, light, and warmth will ex
cite the bulb in such a manner that It
tvill make tjie effort to produce roots
tud develop flowers at the same time;
and tills is Just what it should not do.
—Eben E. Itexford, In Harper's Bazar.
l.unxtics iintl ICelntlve*.
Referring to the case recently wliert,
» medical man was arraigned for al
cged cruelty to his lunatic brother,
.lie London Lancet makes the follow
ng remarks:
The "'"H-i>■ ' m .112 lunatic paiiruts as
s now generally admitted. Is most
rely guaranteed when they are com
mitted to tiie ••are of strangers.
Experience lias abundantly proved
.hat the influence of a relative. liovv
•ver Well-intentioned. Is not only salti
ai.y, but is even prejudicial. There Is
t tendency on Hie part of relatives to
.ii- either Mm kind or 100 severe.
Moreover, we must take into account
lie reliance which nio-t Invalids pla.e
hi those Willi whom they are familiar.
I'lils reliance constantly oppose* by its
iicro inertia that awakening of the
•illative power of will which It Is the
ib.iect of uil mental treatment to eit
.'ourage.
*1 lie fr iifillali Soldier 1 * M«*imihoi |itnt»l*.
What our soldier* will look like in the
future is a t|tlc*tloll which few care to
'o*'lelnplate. The pipeclayed belt is
Olid to be doolllfd. the sciirht tllllic
■amiot survive, the helmet I* togo the
way of the tunic ami the belt, the
t alike most ab»urd of all a soldier's
iiauy eii< uiubranee* Is no longer to
ucoiiiniode him. ami, finally, the great
•oat rolled arolllid his clicvt to prevent
ui* breathing properly J* likeuUc r>
(aided as ih in - a way w.th The Scot*
unit
THE GREAT DESTROYER. 1
I'
SOME STARTLINC FACTS ABOUT
| • THE VICE OF INTEMPERANCE.
|
Ike Gmi and tl>e Man—When Mrs. Hayes
Was Mistress of the White House
Wine Was nanlslied—Force of Her Kx
ample—A Hint to Girl*.
They talk of the man behind the gun,
And the deadly work that he has done;
But much more deadly work, by far,
Is done by the fellow behind the bar.
They talk of the man behind the gun
Yet only in battle his work is done;
But never ccaseu, in peace or war,
The work of the man behind the bar.
Temperance Work For Girls.
J. G. Holland wrote in Mrs. Hayes's al
bum these words, "Women only can make
wine-drinking unfashionable, and heal the
nation of this curse."
What did Dr. Honand mean by "women
only?" Is it true that only women can
make wine-drinking unfashionable and heal
the nation of this curse? You and I need
to know this first; because if only we
women can do this thing, why it is an aw
ful responsibility upon us, each one of us.
And if some one else can do it, we like all
others would like to give that somebody
else the job. Mrs. Hayes became mis
tress of the White House, and it was for
her to say what the social atmosphere
should be which surrounded her guests,
and how they should be entertained at her
house. Well, she did an unheard of
thing. She banished wine from all her en
tertainments, with just one exception.
Secretary Evarts made a fuss. He was
mortified. He could not endure to have
Lord and Lady English, Count and Coun- •
tess French, Baron and Haroness German
come to the White House dinners and
have nothing fit for them to drink—not a
drop of poison. It was too utterly queer!
So. Mrs. Haves made one exception in fa
vor of those great foreign highnesses, and
only for once. Her conscience—high
souled woman that she was—smote her for
that one little cowardly compromise with
wrong. She could better endure to have
Secretary Evarts and the Smiths ashamed
of her than to be ashamed of herself. So
she quietly and forever after prohibited
wine from her table, and cheerfully en
dured the lifted eyebrows and shrugged
shoulders of the diplomats, British, French,
Russian, all, and the little short-lived hiss
of "fashionable" society until that niss
turned to a cheer, and fashionable society
turned round, like the spaniel it is. and
trotted on behind its mistress. It be
came unfashionable to serve wine and fo
offer wine in fashionable society while
Mrs. Hayes was in the White House.
What Mrs. Hayes did in the White
House every woman can do in her own
home if she will. If the girls who read
these words will each of them, altogether,
use their influence on the side of temper
ance they can make temperance fashion
able where they are. Will you do it?
General Grant did a manly thing in re
fusing to drink wine everywhere and in all
society. It is oply a strong man who can
keep his wine glass upside down—in this
ease right side up, too —while all the grand
people around him are sipping champagne
and toastinj each other in sparkling drinks.
[ Xo one can iell how "far this little candle
i sheds its light." But no man can do for a
, fashion in society what a woman can. It
| is women only, as Dr. Holland said.
1 wish some strong, bright angel stood
before you just now while you read, gir's,
to flash before you, as no words of mine
| can. the power you possess to help or to
j hinder f<(c cause of temperance; to make
you feel your responsibility, because you
i are girls, in this matter: to shudder at its
: weight, anil to never cease frying to ful
; fil it! Doubtless you have heard a great
; deal about the value of your smiles, but
do you know the value of your frowns?
i I wish 1 could make you feel the value of
your frowns and the importance of know
ing just what to frown upon. What a
! man must do by a blow, a woman can do
; by a frown. When the time comes that
| the young man who now shares his time
i in your soc.ety and the saloon, who jokes
! about temperance in your presence and
takes a glass socially now and then, is
made to feel that these things cannot be
if you are to be his companion at party,
ride or church; that good society cannot
tolerate these things in its members; in
short, that this kind of a man is unfash
ionable and unpopular, then alcohol will
tremble oi its throne, and the liquor
traffic will hide its cancerous face.—Rose
Elizabeth Cleveland, in Presbyterian Ban
ner.
Drink Make* Lunatics.
There are now 21,393 lunatics anil imbe
ciles in London, or chargeable to the Lon
don unions.
The sexes are in the proportion of four
women to three men. the actual numbers
being 12,082 females, 9311 males.
Drink, as usual, was the prime cause of
insanity. The medical experts are uniform
on this point.
"There has been a high percentage of in
sanity from alcohol." says Dr. Jones, "and
more than double the number of women
than men have been admitted suffering
from uania a potu. Drink was positively
ascertained to be the cause of fifteen per
cent, of the total admissions, probably it
is much higher. Alcoholic cases, uncom
plicated with polyneuritis or other marked
structural organic changes, tend to get
well, possibly owing to the volatile nature
of the poison, and the fact that (exclud
ing exceptional cases) alcohol is entirely
withdrawn from them during treatment.
"Women relapse from alcohol and are
r 'admitted with far greater frequency than
men. Their weakened inh'bition appears
to be unable to withstand the slightest
temptation in spite of clenr, earnest and
apparently sincere protestations to the
sub committee upon their discharge. Noth
ing seems to be a sufficiently strong mo
tive ID resist giving wav, and the proper
ami best treatment is that of long dcten
11< n in inebriate homes, which naturally
cannot apply to asylums where patients
are discharged when mentally tit."
Awful Hlghta In English Saloons.
The most terrible feature of the saloon
in Great Britain is that there seem t.> be
alnii t as many women as men. Itehind
the counter are the barmaids dealing out
the drinks as rapidly as the men. and of
ten the bartender* are boys of fourteen or
fifteen years. Lined up in front, elbow to
elbow with the men, are women of all
ai'es and conditions, tossing down their
g'as> of whisky, gin oi beer. Many hand
over bottles and pitchers to be filled. Some
are old and tottering and already half
drunk. Young mothers lead in their chil
dren and give them a portion ot their emu
glass Mothers sit at the little tables with
a baby at the breast, drinking a t mi) Id
ol urn or whiskv. It is just as common i >r
u you :g fellow and his sweetheart to stand
up at the bar ill a saloon and take thrir
beer or whisky as it is m the I'nited
States for them togo into a soda foun
tain, which IS unknown 111 Kuglaitd
The t'riisail* tu Itrlsf.
The saloon is the devil's hank
Whi k) II a deadly thing to the lu i.in.,
and Ihi'V are perishing ill Alaska veiy ra|
idly.
Li IMW mere were 17T.0U0 drink shops
HI llelg-uiu, or one lor evtiy thirty rive m
bsb.t int.'.
•Itid.is >old his Mutd tor silver, the
St,.ie soils the well living of thousands ot
its ■ :i. 'Us for a paltry license tee
ih>a<|liill .Miller the poet, who has »| M nt
some til.is HI Alaska, sacs To Use tilol'
II mis HI Mask* is tatal So one Rin C.s*
sWiiiuliiu s without set cons results "