A SONG OF
Ob", to coin hom once more, when the dusk l falling,
To see lh nursery lighted and the children' tabl spread
"Mother, mother, mother I" the eager voice culling.
"The baby wu so sleepy that he had to go to bedl"
Oil. to come borne once more, and see the smiling face,
Dark bead, bright head, clustered at the pane;
Much the vears have taken, when the heart it path retrace,
But, until time i not (or me, that image will remain.
Men and women now they are, standing straight and steady,
Urav heart, gay heart, fit (or life's emprise;
Shoulder set to shoulder, how should they be but ready 1
The future shines before them with th light of their own eyes.
Still each answers to my call; no good has been denied me,
My burdens have been fitted to the little strength that' mine;
Beauty, pride, and peace have walked by day beside me;
The evening close gently in, and how can I repine?
But. oh, to see once more, when the early duak is falling,
The nursery windows glowing and the children's table spread;
"Mother, mother, mother," the high child voice calling.
"He couldn't stay awake (or you, he had to go to bed!
Sonbuer's Magazine.
MATILDA'S.-. GOOD .-. IMPRESSION
By Harriet Lummls Smith.
"Matilda!"
The girl turned to see her mother
standing on the steps with a yellow
envelope in her hand. Her fresh
color, which was the only remnant of
bar girlish prettlneBS, had disap
peared, and she was Very pale. Ma
tilda was beside her In a twinkling,
breathless and big eyed. "Oil, what
Is It, mother? Bad news?"
"I bardlv know whether to call it
bad news of not," said Mrs. Ellicott,
with a little ripple ot laughter, al
though the tears started to her eyes.
"Your Great Undo John is coming."
Matilda dropped the hoe with
which she had been working among
the tomato plants, and sat down on
the steps. She hnd heard about her
Great Uncle John ever since she
could remember. She knew that he
had brought up her father, and when
bo was twenty-one had given htm his
choice between letting books alone
and going into business, or relin
quishing all expectation of becoming
his heir. It had not taken Matilda's
father long to decide, and a number
of people, Uncle John among thorn,
thought his choice showed a lament
able lack of good sense. In the oc
casional letters that had come from
him since Matilda was old enough
to understand their import, he bad
always taken the ground that his
nephew, working for a small salary
In a little village academy, had made
a failure of life.
"I suppose I ought not to feel as
I do," sighed Matilda's mother, in
lelf-reproachful accents, "butv I
dread his coming, dear. Your Uncle
John is one ot the people who think
It a crime to be poor. I can't bear
to have himlooklngdown on father."
A hot -presentment at the very sug
gestion rose in Matilda's heart and
burned in her cheeks. "How long
Is he going to stay?" she demanded,
clutching at the hoe handle as if it
bad been a weapon of some sort.
"The telegram says a day or two,"
answered Mrs. Blllcott, referring to
the yellow slip of paper in her hand,
"and he will be here Thursday."
"Thursday! Ob, that's some days
off! We must put our best foot for
ward, that's all." Matilda's fore
bodings vanished in a sudden rush
ot resolution. "We can' fix things
up to they'll pass for a day or two.
My chickens are fine for eating now,
and the garden is doing beautifully.
It's the spare room that's the prob
lem." Ten minutes later, as she stood in
the guest room, a room seldom unoc
cupied, for the Blllcott's hospitality
wait not proportioned to their bank
accounf, the problem seemed still
more difficult of solution. Ordinar
ily, when family friends were ex
pected, Matilda dusted the battered
furniture and turned the rug so that
the most worn portion would be cov
ered by the bed all with a light
heart. But now she looked about
hes through the disapproving spec
tacles of Uncle John, and the result
was not reassuring.
"He'll got such a bad Impression
at the start, with everything worn
and shabby, looking as if it needed
paint." Matilda stopped abruptly.
Suddenly sho- recalled advertising
pictures she had seen representing
i ladles in artistic gowns renovating
dilapidated furniture, and her eyes
lighted with eager resolution.
Five mluuteB later her brother
John, Matilda's faithful henchman,
was hurrying to the nearest hard
ware store. In half an hour the ex
periment was under way. The first
results were notrwhat Matilda had
expected, and sho called in John for
suggestions.
"I guess maybe you ought to sand
paper it first," said John. "That's
the way Harvey did when he painted
his boat."
Matilda looked about the room
and compressed her lips. Then she
said shortly, "Run to the store and
get some sandpaper. A good lot of
It. We've got to be quick if we're
going to make a good impression on
Uncle John."
When Matilda went down to sup
per that night sho looked tired and
antious. She had begun to lose
faith in the advertising ladles, wield
ing their brushes without detriment
to their dainty gowns. She had
potted her drei.j and spattered the
floor, and had sent John out twice
for turpentine to repair damages.
Moreover, tho original complexion of
the furniture showed darkly through
the white coating she had given it,
as if determined to assort Itself, and
the spots and scars seemed mora in
evidence than ever.
"No wonder you can't cover up
the hard knocks ot twenty years in
one day," her mother comforted her.
"It will look better after anofher
coat."
. "I shouldn't wonder If It took
twenty coats, one for each year,"
aid Matilda, gloomily. "I wouldn't
caro It you didn't have to wait for
one to dry before you put on the
next; my time is so short."
Her forebodings were not alto
tether realised, however. By the
thirl coat the furniture began to
look really white, and titer the fifth
TWILIGHT.
was applied the family held a Jubi
lee. "It looks beautifully clean and
fresh," Mrs. Ellicott declared, "and
you've got It on so smoothly, deary,
that at first glance It would pass for
new. I'm sure I should never know
the old rocking chair, would you,
father?"
"I shouldn't recognize a thing In
the room," said Matilda's father, ad
miringly. "Matilda is a fairy, with
a paint brush wand."
Time was really short now, but
the rent of Matilda's preparations
could be' quickly made. From her
own room she brought out all the
pretty trifles which girlish ingenuity
and good taste had evolved from lit
tle or' nothing. When the transfer
was complete Matilda's room was as
bare as a garret, while the spare
room had so blossomed out that the
most critical of bachelor great un
cles would have been obliged to look
twice before finding fault.
As a rule Matilda bad a horror ot
borrowing, but In this case she did
not scruple to ask the doctor's wife
to lend her a rug for the front hall.
And the doctor's wife, who knew the
whole story, patted the small hands
which had worked so faithfully, and
insisted on adding a table cover and
a jardiniere for the palm.
All the family treasure were
brought out and put on display. The
children went about asking questions
and admiring everything, as if they
were attending some sort of exhibi
tion. Matilda had explained to them
that they must be careful not to
move the cushions that covered the
worn places of the parlor furnttnre,
and to be sure that the footstool was
left standing over the bole In the
rug.
Uncle John arrived in the middle
of the afternoon, and found his
nephew's family arrayed In their
best. It was evident that he was
agreeably surprised by, the appear
ance of things. When Matilda took
him to his room she flattered herself
that he looked about him with an air
ot distinct approval. The girl's
heart sang happily. There wa3 fried
chicken for supper, and the green
corn and tomatoes from the garden
could not be beaten anywhere. If
Uncle John supposed that her father
was a failure or that his family
wanted anybody's pity, he should see!
Supper was a cheery meal. Matil
da's father was in the best of spirits.
He recalled ono event after another
of his boyhood, and Uncle John
Joined in his laughter over the rem
iniscences. But the old man's at
tention was not riveted on his
nephew's chat. His sharp eyes
rested on the little woman behind
the coffee urn, now on the tall girl
across the table, whose deferential
manner had in it a touch ot deflanco
which amused, and, to tell the truth,
rather pleased him, now on tho
the freckled face of John, and more
briefly on the well mannered young
er children with their air of content
ment and happiness. Uncle John
was thinking.
It was not till they were leaving
the dining room for the front porch
that Matilda caught sight of some
thing which drove the color from her
cheeks, and then brought the blood
crowding back In a flaming fiood
that scorched like Are. As Uncle
John stood aside to lot Mrs. Ellicott
precede him, bis back was toward
Matilda, and It presented a most re
markable appearance. His well fit
ting suit of b'ack was specked with
blotches of white, suggesting some
naw variety of trout, The children
stared, fascinated. Only Matilda un
derstood. A moment later a crestfallen girl
walked out on the front porch.
"Uncle John," she said, in a stlP.ed
voice, "if you wouldn't mind putting
on a suit ot father's for a little
while "
"A suit of your father's!" cried
Uncle John. He looked at his tail,
slender nephew and then down at
his own generous proportions. "What
does the girl paean?" he inquired in
a voice ot much bewilderment.
"It was that old rocking chair!"
cried Matilda, struggling with her
tears. "I had to put on so much
paint to get the cane part white It
didn't dry as quickly as the rest.
You're all over spots of white, Un
cle John, but I can get It oft with
turpentine tf you'll let me have It
right away. It's lots harder it It
dries.'.'
Later, when the change had been
effected, and she worked over the
spotted fcu't In the quiet ot her own
room, the breeze brought to her ears
the sound ot her father's boyish
laughter. Matilda was glad some
one could laugh over the occurrence,
although the tears were rolling down
her own flushed cheeks. A step
sounded In the hall and paused at
the open door. Matilda did not look
up.
"Ploase go away, John!" Matilda
Implored. She could not bear that
any one should see her cry.
There was no Indication that John
was beating a retreat. Matilda
looked up. Uncle John stood in the
doorwar, looking critically about the
bare Utile room, stripped ot ell but
the mere necessities. ' Then he looked
at Matilda's tear-wet eyes.
"Look here," said Uncle John.
"That" not worth crying about."
There was another pause. . "Paint
was pretty fresh," said Uncle John,
thrusting his hands Into the pockets
ot his nephew's dressing gown.
"Yes, It was," answered Matilda.
VI painted It after we heard you
wore coming."
"You painted It!" Apparently
Uncle John was about to express sur
prise, but thought better of It. Af
ter a moment he asked casually,
"Why were you In such a hurry?"
Matilda laid clown her work and
turned toward him. The eyes lifted
to his were like those Uncle John
had seen In a boy's face twenty-five
years before.
"Uncle John," Matilda began, "you
think father's a failure because he
hasn't made money. You're mista
ken." Her great uncle leaned against the
wall, as if to listen more comfort
ably. He showed no disposition to
speak, which was fortunate, as Ma
tilda was not In the mood to brook
Interruption.
"He's taught In this little school
ever since I can remember," Matilda
went on. "He's waked up lots of
young people, girls that were silly
and lazy and boys that thought it
smart to be dissipated. He's made
them ambitious to amount to some
thing. Hardly a week goes by that
he doesn't get a letter from some ol
his old pupils, saying that he first
opened their eyes to what llf
meant."
Uncle John cleared his throat.
"He wasn't much more than a boy
when he came here," Matilda went
on. "He knows and loves every
body and everybody knows and love1
him. They send for him when peo
ple are going to die, and they name:
their babies after him. Lawyer Bell
says father Is all the time reducing
his income patching up quarrels.
And as far as we're concerned," said
Matilda, explosively, "we're just thf
happiest family that ever lived!"
"Yes, but about that paint?"
"I'm coming to that," Matilda an
swered. "I knew that you wouldn't
understand about these things. You'd
look at the house to see If fatbei
had succeeded, and It It looked worn
and shabby you'd make up your mind
that he was a failure. The furniture
in the spare room was so battered
that I thought I'd better paint It.
But It was such a short time that It
didn't quite get dry. The rug In the
front hall is borrowed, and so Is the
jardiniere, and the pllldws on the
divan In the parlor are fixed so as
not to show the holes in the uphol
stery." Uncle John looked at the black
suit. "Aren't you afraid that the
paint will get too dry?" he inquired.
"Yes, I'm afraid it will. Thank
you for reminding me." Matilda
went to work with a will, and Uncle
John walked off, whistling.
The next day's supper was an early
meal, for Uncle John was to take the
7.30 train. He said very little to
Matilda since their encounter ot the
evening before, and she was sure
that she had mortally offended him,
although her conscience acquitted
her of doing more than telling him
the truth. Consequently she was
quite unprepared to hear him say
abruptly:
"Nephew John, I have been talk
ing with your wife about this girl of
yours, and she confirms my idea that
she has ability, is clever with tho
brush, in short."
Uncle John paused with a grim
smile, and then continued: "I imag
ine she would profit a little, how
ever, hy a course in the Fine Arts
Academy. If she thinks best to ac
cept my offer I shall consider it a
prvlllege to meet her expenses."
for once Matilda was dumb, but
her father accepted this good for
tune as he had accepted all the
evant3 of his life, good or ill, with
sweet and simple dignity.
"I'm glad to have you say that.
Uncle John," he said, "for I am am
bitious for my daughter. I am sure
she has ability. She will do you
credit." ,
"If she does, she won't be the
first ot the family to do it," said
Uncle John. He put bis hand on his
nephew's shoulder and let it rest
there heavily. "I hope," he said, "I
may live to be as proud of Matilda
as I am of her father."
And in that crowning moment,
when all her dreams seemed coming
true and the way was open to her
heart's desire, Matilda had room for
but one thought. All else was swal
lowed up In the Joy of knowing that
her father was vindicated, his suc
cess recognized. Youth's Compan
ion.
Philological.
Jones met Smith.
'How are you, old man?" said
Smith. "I haven't seen you for some
time."
"No. I've been out in my new au
tomobile." 'indeed. I didn't know you nad a
motor car."
"Oh, yes. Thought I'd follow your
example. Automobillng is great fun,
Isn't It?"
"Splendid. Fine weather, too, for
motoring. By the way, what is
your car?"
"My auto is the Skiddo." -
"Ah, yes. Good car.".
"Fine auto." ' ,
'Motorcar!" .
'Automobile."
"Prig!"
"Dub!"
Here they fight each ether to thj
death. Life.
French Urtur Extinct.
Mr. Murphy, British consul at Bor
deaux, states that the supply ot
"French" briar root Is practically ex
hausted. The product, which former
ly came from the Department ot the
Landes and from near the frontier lu
the Pyrenees, Is now obtained In
Scotland exclusively. The pipes are
manufactured In St Claude.
An Atchison dressmaker explains
that when a shirt waist costs to ex
ceed 1 6 it Is called a blouse and pro
nounced "bloose." Kansas City'
Star.
Quaint?
and
furious
At Hochheide, In Germany, 1020
school children had their teeth ex
amined, with the result that ninety
per cent, of all the teeth were found
to be detective. Only thirty-five ot
the children bad sound sets of teeth,
and In 896 children a poor bodily
condition was directly due to poor
teeth.
In a London police court the other
day a woman, testifying to bad lan
guage used to her by another woman,
stated that ber next door neighbor
came out to see what the trouble
was, and when Bhe heard the lan
guage she dropped dead.
A native doctor In India, in certify
ing to a death, wrote: "I am of a
mind that he died (or lost his life)
for want of foodlngs or on account
ot starvation. Maybe also for other
things of his comfortables."
The Great Western Railway Com
pany, England, has an ambulance
corps which It drills In rescuing sup
posed victims of railroad accidents
and giving flrBt aid to the Injured.
Verona has the noblest site ot any
Italian city not on the sea. It lies
up in a far corner of Italy, backed
by the Austrian Dolomites, hemmed
in by great fortifications, beyond
which the plains stretch away to Sol
ferino on the one hand and the lovely
Lake Garda, with Its blue waters and
mountain background, on the other.
Mobbed occasionally by smaller
birds, a long-tailed parrot was seen
in Kew Gardens, London, flying from
tree to tree and climbing about in
the branches of the tall Lombardy
poplars.
Natives of the east coast of Africa
do not object to the presence of tho
great white ant colonies In their
neighborhood. The ants exercise
great fertilizing power on the crops.
A resident of that country writes:
"Every' season I have seen the won
derful effects the white ant hill pro
duces on the Kaffirs' maize and corn.
Whenever there happens to be an
ant hill in a garden its immediate
vicinity can be at once distinguished,
as the maize and corn are fully dou
ble the size of the surrounding crop.
The bush country a few miles from
this place is swarming with white
ants and has also a large native pop
ulation. The ants do .ot attack green
crops to any extent."
DYING PEARLS.
The Fate of Necklace Once Worn by
the Wife of M. Thiers.
In the Louvre Museum at Paris is
to be seen a pearl necklace on its
deathbed. Not literally on a bed,
but on a velvet cushion. It is the
great necklace left by the great diplo
mat and statesman, Thfers, which
once belonged to this prominent
statesman's deceased wife. It Is
mounted In an unostentatious style
and has no value as an article de
vertu beyond the former valuo of tho
pearls, which was about $60,000.
It consists of 145 pearls in three
rows, which weigh altogether 2097
grains. The largest three pearls
weigh thirty-six, thirty-nine and
fifty-one grains.
The peai3 of thi3 neeklaca aro
destined to die, says the Deutsche
Goldschmlede Zeitung, as they are
gradually losing their ltystre from
day to day, and will during the next
few decades turn as blacl: as the
faded roses of the much handled
wreath. But why? Because pearls
will only retain their original lustre
when they aro worn by beautiful
women and come In frequent con
tact with the warm skin of tho
wearer.
When a pearl necklace la removed
from the neck, where It has been ex
posed to a high temperature, and Is
placed In a cold marble tablet, which
io of about one-halt of such high
temporature, it may bo Justly inferred-
that the scales of the pearls
will contract and lose some of their I
brilliancy. When pearl necklaces
aro habitually placed on velvet cush- ,
ions- after having been worn this
rri I'pn matAtlnA. mn v nlcn wpll r-nntv'. I
oute to the detriment of the beauy
of a pearl, while the chemical com
position of the color may bo an ad
ditional factor in this direction, not
to overlook tho 'effects of a strong
light.
The management of tho Louvre
y.usaum has held this, necklace of
J Thiers in hftrh patHpm. nnri it 1im4
i robably noticed the gradual dctsri-1
oration with serious coue3rn. The,
lack of authority to do haa no doubt
prevented the board ot managers ,
from taking the responsibility of ex
perimental steps advised by compe
tent eipcrts tn snvo this necklace
from further deterioration.
How long pearls do live that Is, '
retain their lustre has aot been de- ,
termlned. Examples do exist where !
pjurls have retained their beauty for I
ererr.l hundred years. On the other
'nr.nd, it has also be;n demonstrated .
Unit under adverae treatment pearls .
v i;i die quickly. Justifying tho prov
t.' , "You must not throw paaris to
Pen For Captured Cut. ,
.'.3 the Hindu population objict to
I'.yj killing of rats, an Influential na
tive banker proposes to provido a
"rat ruksha" or sort ot pen in which
the captured rats may be confined as
pensioner's for tho natural terr. of
their Uvea, the male and female ani
mals bel,g kept apart.
To-the homestaytng Europeans this
aonears too "Oilbertiau" for nrave
consideration, but tho propouula has I
li'jen most gratefully received by j
Major Buchanan, I. M. 3., who is In
charge of the plague operations.--journal
of Tropical Medicine.
A LONG-LIVED FAMILY. "X ,
Atorjr of Trees Thousands of Yearn
Old and Still Growing.
We have not to cross the channel
to find trees of a standing long prior
to the date t St. Luke the yew
trees of Braburn, Kent (3000 years
old); Darley Churchyard, Derby
shire (80 years), and Fortlngal,
Aberfeldy, Perthshire .2500-2600
years); while other long-lived Brit
ish yews are those of Crowhurst, Sur
rey (1400 years); Gasford, North
Wales (1400 years), and Fountains
Abbey, RIpon, Yorkshire (1200);
these Instances and figures being
taken from Humboldt's "Views of
Nature."
Pausanias tells us that the reputed
oldest trees still living In his time
were the willows in the sanctuary ot
Hera, at Samos, the oaks of Dodona,
the olive ot the Acropolis of Athens,
the olives of Delos, the laurels ot
Syria, and oldest of all, the plane
tree of Caphyae, called after Mene
laus because "they relate" that when
be mustered his army to sail away
against Troy he planted It there by
the spring above the city for a me
morial unto all generations to come.J
Pausanias also tells us that there was
still preserved the remains of the
wood of "the beautiful plane' tree
whence flowed limpid water," re
ferred to by Homer. Altogether the
"Itinerary of Greece" contains six
teen references to celebrated plane
trees, but It nowhere mentions the
Paeonlan plane tree of Cos, although
it refers in detail to tho worship
there ot Aesculapius and to the olive
trees that grew about his altars. As
for St. Luke (whose name is of Latin
origin) having rested in this plane
tree grove, the suggestion too closely
resembles the association of this
Apostle with "St. Luke's summer,"
and the more that there is the simi
lar tradition of his having lodged for
a while in the hollow of the plane
tree of Megaspelaeon In Arcadia and
painted the ikon ot the Blessed Vir
gin Mary In the little chapel conse
crated in its trunk to the Panagls
Platanlotlssa.
There is no reason to doubt the
antiquity of the plane trees ot Cos.
Those, "the seven brothers" of Bu
yukdere, "the great valley" on the
Bosporus, are said to be 5000 years
old; and Darius and Xerxes may
have sat In their shade. Xerxes,
when a day's march from Sardis,
passed a plane tree so beautiful that
he presented it with golden orna
ments and placed It in the custody
of one ot his guard ot "Immortals;"'
and the traveler, W. J. Hamilton,
found its gigantic trunk in 1835-37
still throwing out some thin leaved
branches. The fact is that the plane
tree, Platanus orientalls, has ever
been held in the highest veneration
and worship throughout anterior
Asia and the Levant. It was to the
eastern Aryas what the oak was to
the western, and the pine to the
northern Aryas. It was the "tree of
life" of the Achaemenlan Persians,
the Armenians, and apparently of the
Pelopldae. It is a native of the Cas
pian shores of Persia and Asia Minor,
and thence gradually spread into the
countries of the Mediterranean
shores of Europe. It is the chestnut
of Genesis, xix., 37, and Ezekiel,
zxxl., 8, its Hebrew name Armon,
'naked," referring to the annual scal
ing of its bark, a natural process ol
Jry washing, to which undoubtedly
It owes its ever youthful freshness
and beauty, and Its miraculous long
evity and reputation as a "tree ol
life." It Is named once by Homer,
s already shown, and by Theognls
(870). The finest description of 11
Is given by Plato "Phaedrus" (229),
Tbeophrastus names It over and ovei
again, qnd once or twice with Inter
esting circumstance. Pliny traces ttf
migration through southern Europt
from the Isle3 of Dtomedes, off Apu
lia, to "the land of the Morinl"
"Extremlque homlnum Morfhi" th
Pas de Calais!
The Coan plane is one of the fines!
In anterior Asia and its wide extend'
ed branches cover the whole market
place of Stanchlo. They have beot
supported from century to conturj
by marble columns taken from th(
accepted Bite ot "the temple ot Aes
culapiuB," and these columns art
now so completely embedded In the
bark of the immense boughs they up
hold as to appear a perfectly natural
feature of the wonderful tree. On?
frequently observes a like phenome
non in India, and I once found in
the very heart of the trunk of s
strenuous plpal (Eo) tree in the Vic
toria Gardens, Bombay, the carved
teak wood column (now in the Asi
atic Society's rooms In the town
hall) of a temple ot hanumtn, a?
frfsh and sharp in its carved work
as on the day it was set up, at least
200 years previous to Its midnight
discovery by the late Profe3sor Buh
ler and myself. George Birdwood, in
London Times.
Clogs Worn by English Workmen,
An acknowledged authority has es
timated there are at least 4,000,000
pairs ot clogs sold in the northern
counties of England every year.
uinerent woods are preferred In
different districts. The workers l:i
factories and other Indoor occupa
tions in such districts as Bolton.
Oldham and Preston prefer a soli
made from either elder or birch;
while In the colliery districts, sue')
as Wlgan, beech, birch and ash ari
most generally used, the first named
In each Instance being in greatest di'
mand. Some idea of the inimeuBj
quantity of soles used may be gath
ered from an estimate that each pall
of clogs will bs resoled twice before
being replaced by a new pair, thus
averaging threo pr.lr of soles to th I
life of one pair of clogs. Shoe and
Leather Reportor.
Safety on the High Seas. '
From the mass ot carefully com
piled shipping statistics one face
stands clearly and at once arrests at
tention; it is. Indeed, the leading In
ference or deduction from the tables
as a whole. Briefly stated, it
amounts to this that year by year
there is Increased safety for life and
property at sea. Shipping World.
The person who discovers a meth
od ot communication between plauuts
will receive $20,000 from the French
Academy e( Science.
HOW THE
YUMAS LIVE,
Their Homes and Games TVe
Cremation of the Dead.
The westbound train arrives at
Yuma early in the morning. Every
where are Indians in gay garments,
and with blankets around them de
spite the heat.
Some of the men wear straw hats
snd jeans; the women have their
beads covered by black shawls which
fall over their shoulders. All of
them have blankets-. All of them
braid their black hair, so that from
behind one cannot distinguish sex.
Crossing the great iron bridge
over the Colorado, says a writer in
the Southern Workman, you are on
the Yuma Reservation. The stages
leave here for Laguna, where tho
Government is building the largest
dam In the world, except that of the
Nile.
The horse corrals near the stage
itatlon interest the stranger. They
are mere stalls of poles, for In Yuma
mey need provide neither for rain
nor for' cold.
There are signs everywhere warn
ing people against being on the re
servation without a permit, and also
against trading with the Indians.
No sign Is Been, however, prohibiting
Photography, and so we level the
kodak at a woman. In an Instant
she has hidden her face under her
blanket and has. scurried away.
A little further away on the reser
vation, where the arrow weed and the
pigweed rise to the height of pampas
grass and bide vast coveys of quail,
are scattered the adobe huts of the
Indians. Here, there, auywhere they
choose", they build their shacks, some
of them miles from the nearest
neighbor and hidden from sight in
the arrow weed bushes.
The huts are Bquare, and in iron!
the roof overhangs a mass of dried
brush fastened to two poles at elthei
corner. At the sides open tho cage
like corrals for the horses, mere
poles set fence fashion. Dogs are
everywhere, us numerous as iu Tur
key, and they and the men and the
women slink by absolutely noiseless.
Even the innumerable children aro
quiet.
There Is a small church on the
reservation, and at lt3 side, In o
frame, an Iron bell that the Catholit
priest is ringing. It takes mo back
to the days of the missions.
In contrast, across the railway or
the bluffs, is the modern Indiar
ichool. The jaunt to it is always in
teresting to the visitor. Across the
bridge you go in company with sad
faced Indian squaws, very dark, and
the darker for their gay-colored gar
ments of many hued, borders. On
their heqds the long black hair lie
uncombed, and they sometimes weai
bags bound on the forehead and
hanging down the back; these serve
as a kind of ornamental top comb,
and In them the supplies are carried
,trom town to reservation.
Among the Yumas there is held a
coca feast every September, when
Ml the tribe gathers for a three days'
meeting. Then there are games and
dancing and singlns and a feast of
corn and watermelon and anything
else that can be purchased. The
principal game of the adults on the
reservation here Is hoop the pole,
the hoop being rolled on the flat
desert and the pole then thrown
through it.
This the bucks will nlav nn tha
hottest day, no matter how freely
the perspiration falls from them.
Shinny Is another favorite game.
Some of tho Yumas have mm-i-tort
according to tho riles of the Catholic
inurcn, Dut, ror the most part, nup
tials ore accordlns to the Indian ena.
torn.
- Burning the dead, as observed
among the Yumas, Is interesting.
The body is first thorou-hlv wrannori
and then placed on logj and brush
over a hole In the ground. A bed of
logs Is built up at each side and at
the head of the bier, which is next
covered and surrounded by dry fag
gots. The flames ore applied and while
they burn the clothing, blankets, etc.,
of the deceased are added to the fire.
The horso of the dead man, however,
is not burned among the Yumas as
Is the custom with some Indians.
A dny or two after death the wig
wam of tho deceased, If an adult, is
burned, th9 re3t of tho family then
going to live with some relative.
The Yumas make a great show of
sorrow over their dead. Later they
ore never mentioned at nil.
The medicine men ure still largely
In control among the Yumas and the
Government makes no attempt to in
terfere. Usually their patients grow
sicker, so that they proclaim them
doomed to die and their prophecy
will almost always come true.
The Government allows its 800
Yumas 4500 acres of land an ir
regular tract extending fourteen
miles up the river and ten down. Of
this 1800 acres will be irrigable
when the Laguna dam Is done.
Inasmuch as the Indians may set
tle where they choose on the lands,
it is probable that the widely scat
tered houses will then be drawn
closer together. As It Is now, Yuma
itself is really the only village among
them.
Other Indian tribes receive food
and clothing, but the Yumas receive
only the land. When not bunting
or mending their houses or attending
wedding festivities, groups of Yu
mas, living in one long wickiup, will
take work on the railroad, or on
farms, or else cut and sell wood from
the timber on the reservation.
The Indian women are the laun
dresses of Yuma, receiving a dollar
a day for their work. Gambling is
the cardinal vice of the Yumas, but
as this is never done outBlde of the
tribe, the money remains in the fam
ily, so to speak. There is no saving,
however; everything goes for food',
and only when that is gone will they
work out to get more. Fortune
seekers, moreover, stay away, as this
tribe receive no money from the
Government
M. Jaures, the French socialistic
leader, finds socialistic Journalism
"profitable. t
thk cincis.
Once npon a time, a man in Calcutta,
Hindoostan,
Thought he'a like to own a cirens just
for fun
So he hired from the town most fascinat
ing Clown
To sssirt him; nd he found liim just the
one
i'or he'd travel went and emit to consult
with bin! and boast,
And persuade them, in his charming
way, try mret
Near the city of Khartoum, where they'd
nave nnumtant room
For the cngc, rings and side-shows on
the street.
Now th mitii, all confens, was a wonder
ful hucrctt,
And the .)tiich. with her feathers,
proved the belle.
The Orang-ouUng with' ense swung upon e
high trajie.e.
While a kit-king Kangaroo performed as
well.
Some Inrge Bulls, from fnr Madrid, made
living pyramid
How the Imping Leopcrd cleared it with
a hound!
Then an agile? Ape, of course, jumped
(hroL-irh luom unon a horve
And nn Klepliant threw daggers at e
Hound. .
People cainc from near and far just to se
the .laugar
And a Tapir trip the trolley, with
Seal.
And a t-nlmnn shoot the chute; while a
Kah on plnyed a flute
When the Lion looped the loop upon
wheel.
On the whole, thev Mid no well from th
(nu to tho Gazelle.
That it, trul', was a wondrous sight to
see!
And they nil had been so good that thoif
mnHter snid he should
Xow release them from their promise;
they were free.
Said the Yak, "We're quite content. No,
we really can't consent.
But I'll tell you what the animal will
we niue'i prefer to roam, and we do not
sigh for home.
We will travel for, perhaps, a year or
two."
All rejoined, "It's just the thing; we will
meet thon evei-v spring,
For we nrver will be parted from th
Clown!"
So it's riopillo you may see the circus
some line day,
Anil the long procession going through
the town.
Cornelia Walter McClcary, in St. Nich
olas. Briggs "The Highblowers keep
sixteen servants." Griggs "That's
a good many peoplo to work for."
Judge.
Blobb3 "Remember, my boy,
faint heart ne'er won fair lady."
Slobbs "Yes, but she's a brunette.'
Philadelphia Record.
Repentance for repentance sake
Is hard to find to-day.
The few bad habits that we break
Are those that do not pay.
St. Louis Pout-Dispatch'.
"How are the new football rules
going to work?" "We can't tell until
the lists of dead and wounded begin
to come in." Judge.
"How do you like your new auto
mobile?" "I'm worried. The man
that sold it to me said that it would
last longer than I would." Detroit
Free Press.
The Young Girl "But what would
you do for me?" The Old Suitor
"I'd die for you!" The Young Girl
"That's nil right but how soon?"
Cleveland Leader.
Twixt optimist and pessimist
The daference is droll;
The optimist sees the doughnut,
The pessimist the hole.
Reporter "I called,' sir, to ask you
If you could tell me anything ot tho
affairs of the bank whose wreck la
just announced." Substantial Cltl
13?. "Good heavens, man, how
should I know anything about Its af-.
fairs? Why, I'm ono of the board
of dtwetors!" Baltimore Americau.
"You to'.d me your youns man was
a fine horseman, and I've found out
ho can't ride a bit, and that he's not
r rich man at all, but a department
more clerit." "I never told you ho
v. as a horseman. All I said was that
ho had been pronounced nn expert
iu handling the ribbons." Bnlthnoro
American.
Volcanic Fertilisers.
That there Is a silver lining to
every cloud. Dr. Stoklasa. profeaor
Ht- the Technical High School at
i-Vague, again proves In tho results of
M tests In connection with the late
eruption of Mount Vesuvius. In fact,
according to his calculation?, the cra
ter has throwu out upward ot Cfty
milliard kilos of volcanic mud. Baud,
lava, ashes, etc., upon the surround
ing ground, 'ihese, he estimator,
contain an average of at liaal 0.1
per cent nitrogen in the form ol am
monia. The mountain ha3 conse
quently produced about fifty million
ki'.os of fertilizer, representing mora
ammonia and citrous ucid than in
used in the whole of England. Ho
has found besldcj enormous deposits
of potassium phosphate ana othor fer
tilizer readily rssimllated by tho
vegetable kingdom. The vapors con
stantly rising from the mouth of Ve
suvius cont&ln much plant food, lit
fac; t'ao Burioundlnss ot volct-oed
ere always h'ghly fertile, and iuvo,
no ncod whatever of artificial fertll-i.-.ers.
Dr. StuUlasa haj shown that
amnioula i3 always liaiaj f.-om th3
crater as white 6moi:e. EclentlUa
' '".lean.
A Long r.oot.
An Irishman, with ons Jaw ?ry
much swollen from a tooth that he
wished to have pulled, entered tho
office of a Waslilugi.03 dontlsl.
When the su33rlr.g Calt wu.3 put
Into the chair and aw the gleaming
forceps approaching his face, he posi
tively re.'usad to ope:i his mouth.
Being a man ot resource, tha dentist
Quietly Instruct :d his assistant 13
push a pin into the patient's leg, so
that when the Irishman opened nil
mouth to yell the dentist could gat
at i.l:o refractory molar.
When all was over, the dentist
Erjlllusly aiked:
"It didn't hurt as much as you e
pocisd. eld it?"
"Well, no," icl.ietantlj!,pdmitteil
the patient. - "But," he added, as be
ran his hand over tho place inco
which the assistant had Insartea tUa
pin, "little dH I think thsm roots
wlut that far down!" -Succasa,
Moro than iwa million sheep aro
r.iton tn Paris in a year.'