THE M1DDLEBURGE POST. T. H. HARTIR, Son urn PaVa. MIDDLKm RfiH. PA., OCT. M. Bince tho beginning of the centnry France bus fallen from the second to the fonrth place in point of populatiou among European countries. Emperor William, of Germany, Is keeping h'.j soldiers so bard at work playing war that tho Now Y-rk Tele grant sirnests they possibly might welcome tho reality ns a relief. There in aclnl in Ili rlin called "Tha Giants," every member of which in sii feet tall. Vienna litis a "Lazy Clul),' no member of which clocii anything for a livinir, Mid London a "ISnlilhended Club," where nothing but polished !iull are seen. The Meilicnl New voire a very freat truth when it siys thit "it Rerun strange that ieoplo tu!1 Mibmit to tho indignities of tho noisc-mnkcri. A thotiHiml are outraged in order that one or a few nuiv possibly lw benefited nr relieved of u tritiiir; expend. Thero seems t thi New York Xcws to Ixi nn epidemic, of embezzling prevalent in this country nt tho jres ent time, for it in iriii'isibl to pick up a iiewfpr.prr without finding RoniO rase in which trur.t has liren betrayed by the treasurer of either public or private funds. These c-uibe..lcinciita or shortages, as they are sometimes less humbly called, ore in the majority tf case the rcntilt of reckless expendi J:iro on the pnrt of tho persons who defuult. The wandering St. llegis Indians, who are. found in cntnps and villages on both Hides the St. Lawrence, still reUiu their own language, though most of them nprak lwiglish and roiiio of them French. They uddros one Another and their beasts, dogs and horses in the Indian tongue, and, tic cording to their belief, "tho robin bird speak tho Indian language." The women ore industrious, kindly Mid shapeless in middle life, while the men are fat and idle, after tho manner of Ravage males brought under civil izing influences. The California co-operative experi ment known as "Tho Atkinson Colony," in honor of Edward Atkinson, is at last to have a trial 1U locating ... !'vr , in Kern County, where tract of tou square miles under irri gation has boon secured. A small mini is to be paid down for tho land, the balance to bo secured on long-term payments. The prospectus has been carefully guarded, but the San Fruit Cisco Examiner professes to have seen it and gives an accouut of tho aim and hopes of the colonist. No recruit it to be barrod on tha Hcorc of religion. Women aro to bo admitted to member ship, and the promiso of wages as high as thoHo paid to men is held out to them as an inducement to join the colony. Payments for all services and exchango of commodities will be made by means of a system of credits given at tho conclusion of each day's work A colonist who oau show by his book that ho has credits will be entitled to merchandise at the colony store. Hhould ho desire any article not in stock it will be tho duty of the mer chant to order the article and chargo reasonable price for it. The profit will go to fhe common fund, which the Hoard of Directors will control. A marked point of difference between this experiment add others is that in dividual ownership of land will be per mitted, the community interest ex tending only to the products of the soil The funds from the sale of crops will go into the treasury until the regular dividends shall bo declared. Tho ar ticks of association explain that employment will be furnished to every colonists, and that the members w ill receive full value for actual labor and uo more, so that no one or more meu in the community will be enabled to absorb the product of any number of bis fcllow-oolonists. To maet the "unearned increase" problem Ue colonists propose to "divide the in creased value of the lands on which colonists settle among the actual workers every six months." One pro vision in the articles prohibits sale of liquor within the colony. Schools will not le established, the children availing themselves of tho instruction furnished by the Bute. The colonists are to take possession of their land next spring, and live iu tents until they are able to build bouses with their own bands. "Eveut woman loves one man once lu her life, and she never loves twice." Paul BourgeU This French man talks nonsense. He does not seem to be familiar with the genius of the women of his country, let lone that of those of other countries. AUTUMN SUNSET. Across the wheaMelds or tbe western Ml, The blood-red sun is sinkings crimson brftcht Along ths valler (loo Is the sonnet light, And thwn rfloetml front below, until Tbe whole wide sky tbe sunset eolors fill And on old woodlands far along the right Steals down the deeper glades tbe ap proaching night, And down the vaJs wbero glides tbe glim mering rill. Along the west the fluids of rtpnalng grain strfteh over dale and upland, hill and plain, Add, toMing plumed beads ol golden groen, Irlnk ths rloh pure noetar drops that run From the upturned gobM of tbe sun, And mix their golden with Its crimson sheen. James T. Shotwell, In Toronto Week. Closer Than a Brother. tr ihji:t JonNso. ERCIVAL WAR- elcy seemed to exist only to en joy life and to make life eu joyitblo to oth ers, und by all who knew him it was adm it ted that he succeed ed wonderfully et his chosen duties. He never was r-ecu without n cheer fnl expression on his fnee, and, nlthotiga ho was not at all brilliant, his conversation was to thoroughly in Keeping with his countenance that almost any one wns glad to exchange a few words with him. Home young men, when they heard Pcrcival's praises souuded by young women, insisted that they could bo quito as agreeable and light-hearted as tho popular youth had they noth ing to do but enjoy life nu 1 spend the money that a busy father hud saved for an only son. Probably they were mistaken, for Percival was not tlie only young man in New York 'ho had plenty of money and no business oc cupation, yet some of tho ot hers looked quite as dull and unhappy as the poor est people they met on tho street. Nothing, though, in this imperfect world seems quito as it should be, s there was a drawback to the entire en joyment of any one w ho sought Per cival Wureluy's society, anil who were willing to help him spend his money. It was the ymng man's closest friend, Mr. II eury Drock. This person was at least fifteen year's tho senior of yonug Wareley, who was only twenty four, and be took all tho pleasures of the rich so calmly that people won dered if be enjoyed them at all. Vet Percival seemed fonder of him than of any other man and took him wherever be went, introducing bim nto society and proposing him at clubs as if there was no doubt that others would enjoy Mr. Drock's society quito as much as Percival himself. People will stand a great deal from young men who are rich tut well is acrrceable, so Drock was endured politely, some middle-aged people remarking that there was 100 times as much to him as to Percival himself, for tho fellow seemed entirely sensible, und could tulk fairly well upon tho affairs of the day, whereas Pcrcival's interest in any thing which did not produce amuse ment in largo quantities were limited. Meanwhile, that Droek reciprocated bis young friend's regard could not bo doubted for an instant. No matter bow uninteresting anything might seem to the older man, bis eye never rested upou Percival without display ing an active and honest fondness. Borne people were mean enough to suggest that Drock's regard was that of a well-kept dog, nud for the same reason ; but Percival had insisted ut one time, when conversation chanced to be about his friend, that Drock was ono ot the hardest men iu the world to do a favor to, for his tastes were few and bis means ample. Young women of tho class that snys anything that comes to mind had ex pended tnnch curiosity aud some ques tions upon tho couple, but all they lesrned was that Drock had known bis young friend from early boyhood, and always liked bim ; he had first met bim in tho town where Pcrcival's father had found a w ife, aud where the family spent a month or two of every year. Ho baid ho never ha.l met a Letter-natured, more open-hearted young man, and, such qualities being scarce, bo liked nnd respected them accordingly. It did him (Drock) a lot of good to see a young person enjoy life so heartily nnd persistently, in stead of turning against it on being satiuted with pleasure, and he thought it did men good, anyway, to bo some times in tho society of meu younger than themselves. Drock evidently meant all bo snid, but his fondness for Percival did not meet tho approval of some men and women who wanted Percival to beoomo fond of them. Young and impression able men who are rich in their own right and scarce iu any society, so there were handsome women some years older and a hundred timos smarter than Percival Wareley who would gladly have married tbe young man for his money. Likewise there were scores of men, young and old, who would have given their very souls to coax the youth and his money into business with thorn, even if their highest ideal of business was to get ahead of the bookmakers at the race trscks, or to try some "sys tem" on tbe proprietors of other gam bling establishments. But Drock was always in the way ; be never talked business himself aud seemed to have no business training. To see Percival without Droek was next to impossible, for the two meu kept bachelor's bsll together, and no mount of contriving sufficed to get Drock ont of the wsy whilo Percival should be "let into" some grand money-making scheme "on the ground floor' Ladles fared rather better, for Per cival's bosom friend was not an even dropper, yet the women who were longest headed had no faith in ever resuming their blandishments just where they had dropped them at the end of a chat, for they felt sure ttat Percival unbosomed himself to his friend, and that Drock's counsel would go a long way with a yonng man so impressionable snd so entirely desti tute of obstinacy. Desperate cases require desperate remedies, so a couple, of experienced and businesslike belles one day formed an alliance for the purpose of securing Percival and his money ; one of them was to marry Drock, who hinnclf, ac cording to the yonuger man, was well o3, and then to bring bcr bosom friend and bcr husband's together at her own house. It wns a well laid plan, nnd neither woman doubted that it would succeed for each, just for fun, had brought dozens of men to her feet ; it failed, however, through Drock's utter inability to perceivo that a handsome woman was making love to him ho was so stupid about it as to spsro ber the mortification of thinking herself deliberately rejected. It was a great disappointment, aside from tho financial loss, for the belle had been iu soniety long enoutrh to have learned that a matter-of-fact fel low without any vices was the raest satisfactory material from which to make a model husband, especially if he had tho virtue of constancy to the degree which Drock: manifested in bis regard for Percival. A month or two later all the men raged, for Drock and his yonng friend went into business together as part ners. The theory that Drock intended himnelt to get all of Pcrcival's money was spoiled by the new firm securing as confidential ofilee manager a mau who occupied a similar position for mauy years with Pcrcival's father. The partner in the new firm took business cares lightly, but whilo at the office or on the street they still were almost inseparable, going downtown together and lunching together. Then society and every one else who wanted anything from Percival would have given up had not the young tnaa still spent his money freely; he gave yachting parties end coaching parties in good style, and seemed to delight in seeing people enjoy themselves; but ono condition of the enjoymeut remained, that Drock should be ono of tho party. Still, this slowly became less a penalty thau a pleasure to people who regarded tho younger partner as auy thiug but a gold mine to be worked by any ono who could get at it, for Drock slowly but surely took to city ways and manuers, until bo became quite as good company as most of the men of leisure who helped women to kill timo. Suddenly, however, tha fateful d, that awaits auy young man was reached by Tcrcival Wareley, the fate taking the form of a young woman whom Percival thought far prettier and sweeter than any other. So quickly diil the sfTnir take shape that society did not have an inkling of it until the engagement was announced, for tho lady, although well born and well-to-do, was of a retiring disposition and out of tho rather lively set into which the accident of birth aud of a gayety loving mother had placed Percival. Tho society that bad known and enjoyed Percival did not intend to bo robbed of him, for if the young man had done bo much entertaining while a bachelor, what could ho not do when he had an establishment of his own? Tho young lady who was to become Mrs. Wareley was suddenly loaded with attention and overwhelmed with calls from ladies who kuew her yet had rather ignored her in earlier days as being dreadfully uninteresting and spiritless. Sad to relate but the truth must bo told several determined efforts were made to break the match on the principle that a young man who has broken with one girl is easier thau any other to snap up. Then, bow ever, Drock, who. had become rather an old story, resumed bis original prominence, and some spiteful maidens wondered whether be was present during ull tho formalities aud delights of courting. There was ono place where he could not be, women thaukud their stars, and that was at the bouse of the young man's intended during ths hours in which women exchanged calls ; all of tho fuir sex, therefore, who owed bim grudges did their best, in their own skilful manner, to excite curiosity aud suspicion in tho mind of tho young lady who bad secured the great catch of the season, aud they succeeded far enough to prompt her to mako many inquiries which seemed , to annoy Percival, whose general auswer was only that wheu he liked any one be liked with all his might, aud never changed, as tho bride would find out to her own satisfaction, lie also said that Drock had long been kuown and trusted by the elder Wareley, and a son ought to be allowed to be fond of a man whom bis father bad liked, no matter bow strangers might object. "But," said Pcrcival's fiance one evening, in tones which sounded as if thero was a flood of tears impending, "some of tho girls insist that you won't be ablo to livo without him, even after we're murried. I don't want any other mau beside my hus band in the house all the while." "The girls don't know anything about it, my dear," the young man re plied assuringly. "You shall be ruler of the bouso and no one shall come into it, not oven my dearest friend, except wheu you like. Drock thinks too much of roe to offend any onj whom I love. Besides, he's Terr bsuov for my sake, that I'm going to ntrry snob a love of a girl, and I've besrd bim say, Over and over again, that the happiest husbands and wives are gen erally those who see least of other peo ple. "But how is he going to get accus tomed to the change, after htrving been closer than a brother to you for sev eral years?" "I'm sure I don't know. Perhaps he'll follow my example and take a wife. To tell the truth, I well, I'll toll you some other time." "Oh Percival I A secret! You're keeping something from mo." "Only for a little while, nnd I assure yon there's nothing dreadful about it 'twill make you laugh when you hear it, I'm sure." "When will yon tell me?" ''Just as soon as we're married ny dear ; husbands and wives mustn't have any secrets from each other -so Drock himself says, aud I'm sure ho knows." The yonng woman would no more have repeated this conversation to any one than she would have drowned her self before trying on ber wedding dress, but somehow the impression was passed from ono to another that there really was some secret behind the inseparable companionship of Drock and Percival. So male gossips tried nt once to ex tract it from Drock himself, but that honest fellow met all the insinuations by the assertion that Pcrcivsl was a real good fellow the clcauest hearted young man he J-new and that no one was gladder then Drock that be wat about to get a sweet and trustworthy wife, and to bo as huppy as be de served. Drock kept close to the yonng man right up to the wedding day, whieb wa also the twenty-rltth snuivcrsary of Pcrcival's birth. Mo even scted nt "best man" at the ceremony, during which bo looked as happy us if he were not giving away a friend. When tlx young couple were at last securely bound together for life and had es caped from the church to tho seclusion of their carriage, Pcrcival's attempt to kiss tho bride again was frustrated by u small but determined hand, as the young woman said: "Not until you'vo told mo the secret about Drock." "Oh, 1 don't want you to lough ot mo so soon after marrying me. Do let me wait a fow days." "No not even a few minutes. Y'oti promised to tell me as soon us we were married." "Very well, then ; I'll kepp my word, although there's really nothing to it. Y'ou see, when I came of age my father declared that I hadn't sense enough tc go in when it raiuud. Wasn't that funny?" "No ; I IbJnk 'twas real horrid." "Well, dear, perhaps be was right. Toil see, he was a very matter-of-fact man, while mother, although as good as gold, was a gay, thoughtless, care less creature, and every one said I wot her right over again. She bad died s vfnr r two before I came of age, and . failed rapidly a year or two after, and bad lots of money, and I was the only child, and he was afraiJ I'd go to the bad. He had no rela tions to leave me to, but be remem bered Drock as a man who bad alwayi seemed very fond of me when I was s boy up iu the country, where mother came from. "One day he sent for Drock and bad a long talk with him, and then he told me he bad turned as much as possibh of his property into cosh and given it to Drock to give to me when I reachec my twenty-fifth year, if I'd previously acted according to bis advice, and formed no habits of friendship ol which Drock didn't approve. I was tc be allowed to spend all thj money 1 liked in any decent way, but not s cent on any sort of vice or dissipa tion." "Drock hss really been your kecpet then," said tbe bride, instead of yout friend, as every one has supposed?" "Really, my dear, bo has been i big-hearted, sweet-tempered friend, in spite of his position, and, us I look back, I suspect that I tried bis pa tience awfully at times. To tell the truth, as I got some sense, little by little, my patience was tried, too not by anything be did or say, but be cause I really seemed unfit to go about without a keeper. But Drock did bis best by me, aud I" "And you turned ont so well," said the bride, suddenly volunteering a little shower of kisses, "that I think all rich young men should be treated just liko you, and not be allowed to run at large without some sensible person to take caro of them." Once a Week. How tho Apple Tarls Went. Meyer, the confectioner, stood be hind bis counter and gazed sadly at the huge pile of apple tarts which were beginning to grow stale, for during the last few days business bad been unac countably slack. Suddenly be be thought himself ot a plan. Sitting down to his desk bo wrote out the fol lowing advertisement aud sent it to the newspaper office : . "Uenuine Offer of Marriage A young man of agreeable exterior and ample means desires to form tbe ac quaintance of a lady with a view to making her his partner for life. Beauty and wealth are not so much an object as a good character aud an amiable disposition. Young ladies who may feel iuolinod to cost in their lot with bim hereby requested to call at Hcrr Meyer's confectionery establishment to-morrow afternoon at three o'clock, aud, as a means of recognition, to eat an apple tart. " ' A few minutes after three tbe wholo stock of apple tarts wss clesred out Sheffield (England) Telegraph. It is estimated that last year 1,285, 000.000 bsnanas were consumed in the Waited States alone. HOW gminrnitnmnimritMMHmiMitmurim Hajiimiuirumumtmiiiiiiiiiiiitm Are you supporter of the present financial system, which congests tlt currency of the country periodically at tha money centres aud keept tL, masses at the mercy of classes, or do you favor a broad aud LIBERAL Which protects the debtor while it docs If you feel this way, you thould not jirojne n riguis, The Atlanta Weekly Constitution Published nt Atlanta, Ga., and having a circulation of MORE THAN 156,000 Chiefly among the farmers of America, and going into more homes than auy weekly newspaper published on tho face of tho earth. IT IS THE BIGGEST AND BEST WEEKLY vv 7?o V. Ht..l 1 ! A ! 'i-nrj!njn-r iu 01 iMieii 111 jimrrica, covering me news 01 mo woriu, Having correspondents in every city iu America aud the capitals of Europe, and n porting iu full the details ol the debates in Congress on all questions, of publio interest. THE CONSTITUTION Is among the few great newspapers me people as against European ii nearny aavocai.es: 1st. THE FREE COINAGE Of SIIVER. JgKXrS in e prif)iril.y ol Uiu gruai iiiml-m ol nave airesuy grown ncn y leuersl 7fl TARIFF RFFflRM B'h'evlngthat by throwing our port open to markets of tb au. i wmi i imunm. World by )evving cnly ,noilgU jiport duties to py the sviukl etpwiikM ol ilia government, the peopl will be beitsr Mr ed than by making tuvuj uuuun yrnca iur protection Oil IU lUPflllC TY Believlne ou. nil limumi I HA. Um tn, "burdens of the government in ths ms prepor. nun iu luuki wu imvtt lime. The Constitution heartily advocates an EXPANSION OF THE CURRENCY Until there is enough of it in circulation to do the legitimate business of tbe country. 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M SYSTEM iustiro to the creditor. be without that great champion oftlJ Tfc 1 .t . .1 it publishing daily editions on the side of domination or our money system, and Ujm people, though it may proQt the lew wh protection ana federal fubtidy. MHO. I that three who have much nrenartv ihruldl that by so doing you will help yourself, countryi WFEKLY CONSTITUTION has no in America! Its news reports COVef and agents are to be found in almoit Western btates. more such matter as is ordinarily found in magazines of the country than can l Of instruction for every member of
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