The Bravest Battle. I The bravest bnttle thnt evor m fought I Rhnll I tell yon where and when? On the maps ot the world you will And it Dot "Two fought by the mothers ot men. Kay, not with cannon, or bnttle thot, With aword, or nobler poni Kay, not with eloquent word or thought, From moutha of wonderful men. But doep In a welled-np woman' hoart Ot womnn thnt would not yield, But bravely, silently, bore her part Lot there la that bnttloflold. No mnnhallng troop.no blvouno aong No banner to gloam and ware i But, oh I these battles, thoy last eo long From babyhood to the gravel Yet, faithfully still as a bridge of stnrs, Rhe fights In her wnllodop town Flghtson and on In the endless wars, Then silent, unseen goos down. 0 ye with banners and bnttle shot, And soldier to shout nnd praise, 1 tell yon the king-Host vlrtorios fought Were fought in these silent ways. 0 spotless womnn In a world of shnmo! With splendid and silent scorn, 00 back to Ood a white as you same, Tho klngllost warrior born ! Joaquin Miller. A Prearranged Marriage. As a boy I bail but one groat trouble in the world, ami its unruo was Eliza. "My Eliza," Godmother Richards called bor. She was a very nightmare. 1 am sorry to any that news of bor de mise wonld have given him intense joy. Bat thnt was my godmother's fault, for but for hor I nhould never have east a thought npon Eliza. My Eliza was nothing new to me. When I was in frocks this roodul little girl, a year my junior, was spoken of ecstatically, whenever Godmothor Richards cnino to the city. She Was her other godchild, a model of grace and beauty and obedience. "I shall bring her np for Billy," she would say. , "They shall be little man and wife. Don't you want to send a kiss to your Eliza, Billy a nice sweet one?" At four I usod to send it. At eight I allowed it to be taken. At ton I refused my lips. It was hard to bear then, but noth ing to the persecution it became at 16. men l was obliged to bear wont pieces my Eliza could play upon the piano how much French she eould speak how she had on long dresses how much handsomer she was than any godmother know, and, in short, how it was tho hope of the old lady's honrt to bring ns together some day and make a match of it. Even the dislike I had to quarrelling with the lairy godmother who oould convert my pumk'in of hope into a coach and horses with a wave of her pen, eould not make me exhibit any show of com placency when Eliza was spoken of. I scowled in silence and refused to praise, and had the satisfaction of hear ing my godmother inform my mother in a stage-aside, that actually the dear boy was head aud enrs in lovo with Eliza already. ( This sort of thing went on until I was 22, growing even worse with time, and fast approaching a climax. We were to be introduced to each other before long ; a meeting was on the tapis. We were ordered to be mutually stricken with love at first light, to do our courting in the short est possible space of time, and to live thereafter with Godmother Riohards, who confessed to having divided her property between us with a view to enr ultimate union. Aceording to her account ot affairs, the young lady ff.nM t)i,n nn nbkt.rtnlf in mv wav " w ' - " J "-' bat "folt as though she know me al ready. " "Forward little wretch," I said to myself. "She is perfeotly diHgusting. No power on earth ahull ever make us acquainted. Perhaps my brother Tom, who introduced 'My Eliza' into his conversation in a most trying man ner, nnd who drew a pioture upon ear room wall oi our imagiuary meet ing, wherein she fell into my arm in a highly dramatic style, excited my wrath against the yonug lady to a pitch to whioh it eould scarcely have arisen otherwise." Godmother Richards never did any thing like other people. She uever wrote to nay that she was ooming aud came, Bnt always pounced down ipon as at 5 of the morning or 12 at ni'jht, without warning. I was shaving in the early morning, when some one at my door cried, don't mind me," and iu oame the god mother. "Prepare yourself for a joy fnl sur prise, my dear Billy," she cried. "She has oonseuted at last to meet yon. I'm going to have yon both with your parents at my house for a week. Wednesday is the day, and it yon can't manage to make her say yes' in that time, why you're not worthy of your godmother. Tho surprise bad made me gash my ( ;n,and I turned upon ber with any 'I hope she hat not been annoyed on my account," I said, sarcastically. 'Don't urge her to meot me, I beg. I wouldn't have her do anything dis agreeable to please mo. " But she did not see the sarcasm. "Don't be angry," she said. "Girls are naturally timid, nnd she knows bow smart and handsome you nre, and ie just a little afraid of you. She thinks ever so much of you, and is always tnlking about you." I did't use wicked language, but I wanted to. "You'll be thoro, of oourso," con tinued my godmother, "nnd look your best. Bo sure to oomo. You'll ad mire ber so, I know." And hIio departed. "Go voluntarily to meet Eliza, never I Thnt afternoon I packed my trunk and flud tho houso, dotorminod nuvcr to return or give my godmothor a clue as to my whereabouts as long as Eliza awaited my coming. "Let hor leave hur confounded money where sho pleases," I said, apostrophizing my absent godmother. "No one shall saddlo mo with a wife against my will. " My cousins tho Cripins, took sum mer boarders. Thoir house nlwnys could be stretched to hold olio more. Thither, therefore, I posted without ceremony. "Wo enn accommodnto you with an attic room, if you'll put up with thnt," said tho old lady. "Wo hnd a very nioo room yostorday, but now its occu pied. But you've lost it for a young ndy, so you won't mind." I declared that I did not mind, nnd I meant it; when at the tea table the young ludy in question dnwnod upon me. A little brunette, with a rose btvl mouth and hair that waved aud kiuked in tho most magical manner. Miss Lizzie Smith by name, as my hostesB informed mo. That bight when I laid my head upon my pillow I felt that I hud mot my fate. I did not seek to fly it. I talked with hor; I sang with her; I rowed with hor nnd I drove her about I took board for a mouth instead of a week. It was not pleasant, io be sure, to receive nn angry lettor from home, upbraiding nie with throwing away my good fortune. Godmother Rich ards was very nugry aud had threat ened to disinherit me. All my own fault, what harm oonld it have douo me to know the girl. A good deal, I thought, if it hnd prevented mo from knowing Lizzio Smith. I wrote nn answer iu which I iu a measure, de- fled my godmother and s iid a good deal about youth ami health, and u ispositioti to keep myself, aud was glad after all that it wan over, ami went on boating nnd driving ns before. But one day I received a sadden shock, on earning that Miss Smith was goiug home. We wera to part I resolved thnt wo should not be Bopnrntod before I knew whether she rally liked mo well enough to make me happy. The next day I drove her over to an old fort and having reached the spot found onrNelvos alone ainidBt crumb- iug stones and grass and tangled bushes, jiirit as 1 hoped I should. Within the fort a great block of stone ay with moss upou it, thick and green and spongy. There I made her seat herself. "Lizzie," I said, "wo haven't known each other very long, but I have known yon loug enough to be sure that I love you with all my heart. Will you be my wile, Lizzie f " She oast her eyes down and blushed and said, nothing. "Cau't yon like ma well enough?" I asked bending over her. "I I think I do," faltered Lizzie. "But the thing is, what will they say about it? " "They?" I queried, venturing to steal on arm about hor waist "You mean your parents? " "Yes," said Lizzie, "and my god mothor." Visions of my godmother flashed across my mind. "You see," said Lizzie, "she's a very peeuliar old lady, and really did con sider herself bound to teach me my catechism. Most sponsors think giv ing yon a silver spoon it enough, you know, Bnt why the shoutd think she mnst choose ma a husband, I don't know." Again my godmothor arose before my vision. "Bat she did," said Lizzie, hysteri cally. "And that is not the worst of it, she thought when ha wat chosen I mutt like him. Oh, that horrible Billy, how I have bated him a nasty, red-haired little pappy, I am sure. Hit very name it insupportable. Billy, bah I He used to send ma kisses, and sugar plumsand hit love uutil Idid wish ha would have the tneaslua or wuoop ing eongh and not get well. It wat wicked, bat I did It, aud to and it all. the little wretch really thought I wat in lovo with him and intended to meet me at my godmother's. Then I oould stand it no longer. I rofusod to meet 'Billy' nnd made mamma tend me here for a month, I shall bo loft out of her will Godmother Richards', you kuow but I could not be married against my will for a million nor for the whole world ; and I'd die before I'd to much as speak to that dreadful Billy. Oh, what is tho matter, Mr. Brown?" "Matter I" I groaned J "matter I I can't believe It. You she I" "Oh, dear, what it it ?" criod Liz zio. "I buliovo," laid I, with the calm noss of despair, "that you are 'my Eliza.'" "Godmothor Richards docs call mo Eliza. I was christened so, but I hate tho name," said Lizzio, "and you yon'r not 'Billy?' " Then thore was a tableau. In endod with a peal of laughter which came from Lizzie. "So I ran away from you," the cried. "And I ran away from you, too," cried I. Then I told hor all, and wo looked at each othor. "We have such common namos," said Lizzie. "Mists Smith aud Mr. Browu. It novcr entored my mind that you wore 'Billy.'" "How could I dream that you wore My Eliza?' " I said. Aud then : Suffice it to say that I drove Lizzie home as though the little wagon were a triumphal car, nnd the next day wo went to our godmother's. The shutters of the house were all closed nnd everything was quiet. Afterwards I understood that the dis appointment hnd causod my god mother to take to bor bod with the idea that she wat extremely ill. No one answered our first knock, but nt the second an upper window creaked aud a head wat stuck forth. Then there came a little thriek and an ex clamation vehement if ungrammaticnl. "Gracious goodness, it's diem. I was goius) to alter my will tomorrow aud here's her with Billy and him with his Eliza." Aud in five minutes we wore ad mitted, embraced, forgiven and con gratulated. Now York News. During Plunge of a Steamboat. Tho development of tho great North west in sometimes attendod with peri lous incidents, Iu running steam boats from Rainy Luke river to Rainy Lake rocontly a steamboat was com pelled to pluugo over falls ten foet high. At tho lust moment tho engineer doomed prudeuoe the better part of valor, nnd decided not to make the perilous trip. So the captain fixed a wiro running from the pilot-house to the engine-room and attached it to the steam throttle so he oould shut off steam when he dislred. Then casting off Hues and pulling the throttle wide open, with a full head of steam on, bo steered iuto the curreut loading to the rapids above the falls, which is con fined iu a narrow gorge, and where the water runt with a fearful current With the force of the current and the full head of steam the steamboat shot uhead with the speed of an ar row, and as the brow of the falls was readied the captain pulled the wiro to shut off steam, tho steamboat shot out of the water full length, exposing tho. wholo bottom, keol, wheol and rudder, and then dropped into the boiling,swirling water below the falls, Tho current was twift,strong and tor tuous, hut luckily he guided ber lately into quiet water, when ttoam was ap plied nnd the wat toon to the la nding below the fulls. Northwestern Maga zine. Plants From Egyptian Graves. Probably there are no botanioal specimens that can vie with the old herbarium in the Cairo Museum in tho matter of age, says the "British and colonial uruggis it contains a qnantity of plants found in the old Egyptian graves, and in spite of their age and delicacy, the protection af forded to them by their covering bas kept them in por feet state of preserva tion. Even the oolor is, in most oases preserved. The watermelon found in one of the graves becomes a bright green when dipped into water. ' Most of the plauts are at least 4,000 years old. The olover from tbe pyramid in Dalschnr and the burley . and juniper berries found in a grave at Sahkara are as old as this, at are the flowers found in a mummy in Deir el Bahara, and those found in the graves of Abmes L and Rameaea IL Among the plants are found bine and white lotus, red poppy, oriental larkspur, palms, varioua kinds of chrysanthe mums, safflower, willow, and the vari ous grasses, and even celery. Tren ton (N. J.) Amorioant OLD LIVELIHOODS. Earning an Existence in Queer and Original Ways. A Unique Character Who Buys Left Over "Washing. The ever-incroasing energy neces sary to keep the wolf from the door in theso timet of pushing, jostling com petition hat driven many of tho rank and file of life to capture tbo Booting dollar iu queer and original ways. It occurred to ono genius recently that thoro might bo a profltabto trade dono through purchasing tho left-over linon from Chinese luundrymon aud disposing of it to indigent individuals who retain a lingering nmouut of self respect and a weakness for a clean thirt. The man to whom tho idea enme bat been mnklng a steady living since at hit unique business, and al ready has a competitor in the field. In almost every Chinese laundry there it an sccumitlution of linen, left there for t he most part by persons who forgot to cnll for it, and in tomo instnnccs through the loss of tbe ticket end the consequent hopeless noss of identifying tho owner. This left-ovor linon tho individual referred to makes a bid for, guts, usually at his own price, and retails at a hand some profit. Another queer way of getting a liv ing is that pursued by a mnn on the East River front, who it known from Cherry Hill to Oorlear't Hook at "Tho Grappler." In tho atimmor time, whon the piort and atringpieoet aro crowded with awnltering humanity from the east side teuomont houses, it is a common thing for soms unfor tunate to topnle over iuto tho water and be drowned before help arrives. Tbe body is usually washed aronnd by tho tides nnd eddies on the pier front and cannot be looated without a careful search by an experienced hand. "Tbe Grappler" is usually sent for by the sorrowing relatives, and be strikes a bargain to recover the body for so much mouey. The price usual ly paid him is 825. Then, armed with tools of bit own invention, "The Grappler" launohet bis boat, makes a careful study of tbe spot where tho body disappeared, draws his own con clusions as to the whoreabouts of the drowned from a lifo-long study of the ways of East River waters, and then begins to grapple. Sometimes a body will bo brought to the surface withiu hnlf nil hour. At other times the work has to be carried on patient ly for days aud weeks before the grap pling irons catch the remains. In some instances the grappler has failed to find tho body and has thrown np bis contract. As a rule, however, his gruesome task is successfully accom plished. . When not tearohing for bodies, "Tho Grappler" fills oat hit time fishing for anything he can get. He catches all torts of flotsam and jetsam, that be turns into oath. Old rope, lost anchors, chains, rnsty iron and other deposits of the river bed are all worth money to him. "The Grappler" says business is not flourish ing now. He suoceeded to his peon liar calling through bis father, who taught him tbe business in tbe days when grappling paid, and be cannot turn his band to anything else at this late date. One ot the remarkable band of camp followers thnt hovers on the outskirts of Wall street's speonlating crowd is Billy the Goose, an ex-stool pigeon of the police, who is credited with earning a weekly sum in a variety of ways. Billy is usually seen hold ing in his arms a pyramid of cast-off bats, whioh he sells for anything they will fotoh. These transactions are all dear profit to Billy for be gets the bats as gifts from tbe brokers of tbe neighborhood who have pnrohased new ones. Billy also loans money at exorbitant rates of interest to irapeon nious messenger boys, and makea a large profit in this manner. Then he acts as the broksr on commission to men who wish to speculate in the buoket shop, but who do not ears to be seen in this lone strata of Wall street sooiety. Every oue in tbe street knows Billy, sud if be were to an nonnoe that be bad accumulated a fortans and was about to retire from business, no one wonld ba at all sur prized. New York Reoordor. Phenomena of Human Hair. A medical expert reports that the early locks of three yoang girls be longing to a family whioh ia predis posed to nervousness straighten out very time whon they beoame exhaust mil br overwork or pleasure Thus it banpeus that if they go to a ball they enter npon the pleasure , straight- haired, after danoing a few times their locks begin to form again, and before the festivity is half over tht three pretty heads are covered with ringlets. Investigation has proved that these girls have to work particu larly hard on the days preceding the balls. They make their own dresses, do thoir own housework, eto. Tbe anticipation of pleasure may also have something to do with increasing thoir nervous condition- Similar observa tions bnvo boon made in the case of a 2-year-old girl predisposed to insom nia by norvous excitement She bat long, silky blonde locks, that straighten out if the child expnrionces any tenaation of a frightful nature, Thnt having passed, the hair is seen to draw up into ringlets. The microscope docs not explain the Inst mentioned phenomena; it shows, however, the nature of the cause thnt make tho hair appear white at the consequcnoo of . foar, distress, or any strong moutal excitement At alretdy stated, tho sensation is ap parently due to degeneration of the pigment mntter. According to my own investigations it is occasioned by air babbles arising in tho shaft of the hair, and completely oovering the color particles. How this process comes about ecionco hns not yet dis covered. It is sn ouon Question whether the air it admitted from out side or whother tbe elastic fluid is the result of decomposition in tho in terior of the hair shaft or roots. St Louis Globe-Democrat Connecticut's Wildcat Infested Swamp Leonard Perkins, a huuter and trapper of North Bradford, had a fight recently with two wildcats of large size while ooudncting a party of sportsmon through Wild Cat Swamp, a large area of wild land on the old Corby woodland, in the southern part of Essex. Perkins bad lost his party, and was cutting across the swamp to reach them when one of tbe cats pounced npon bts two dogs, clawing aud biting them, and completely blinding oue of them. Perkins shot tho cat through the heart as soon at he was able to single it out from the dogs. Perkins bad no sooner done this than a second cat, smaller than the first, attacked the blind dog, lacerating it to that it had to be killed. Perkins succeeded in shooting this oat as well. A large wildcat was shot in the same swamp last week by Bobert Fielding, an old Saybrook trapper. Fielding and bis dogs had a tussle of uearly half an hour with the cat. Five wildcats have now been killed iu this swamp during the past twelve months. It is believed there are sav eralmore in the swamp, und a party is being formed in North Branford to surround the swamp and capture them if possible. They are a menace to the safety of any solitary hunter Hart ford Courant. A Prehistoric Road. Herman C. Cooke and C. A. Fauble, who are exploring tbe San Miguel mountain, near this city, and who were reported some days ago to have found an anoient roadway and tuunel to a gold mine, are in this oity. They say it can easily be seen that a dirt road over the crest of the Hogback rising from Sweolwater river well np the mountain side was first traveled extensively. Later travel was diverted over a part of tbe distance to the level shelf, and this new rond is the one that creates wonder aud astonishmsnt. Tbe grade is so perfect that Cooke and Fauble believe it was established by the best of surveying instruments, and solid rock bas been cut out so deep that powder or some other ex plosive must have been need- The fills on the lower side have been made on true lines, and a distance of 1,000 or more foet of this kind of work shows educated workmanship. Traces of wagon tracks oan be seen on the surfaoe of the roadway. San Franoie co Call Corn Belt Moving North. A press dispatoh from St Paul quotes Mr. S. S. Russell ot North Da kota as saying, at the immigration convention, that the corn belt wsa moving northward, following the civ ilization ot the soil by wheat Wheat was a great oiviliier of the soil, and its effect was to prepare the soil for corn which sooouuted for the steady ad vance of the oorn bolt toward the north. We suppose Mr. Russell uses the word "civilize" in an adapted sense, though here at the east we ' look upon oorn, potatoes, roots, etc, as prepar ers of the soil for wheat and other graius, the finer product availing it self of the previously loug-oontinued working of the soil. It may be, how ever, that at the west, in luck of regu ular rotatiou, the wheat roots furuiah. that mast ot vegetable fiber on whioh the oorn delighta to feed, and so the Utter follows instead of precedes. Country Gentleman. . SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS. Aluminum is being used in making the bodies of ofiba. Gun springs nre now tampered by electricity in France. The procoss is satisfactory. i Tho Mississippi, at the point whore it flows out ot Lake Itnskn, it too feet wide and eighteen inchea doep. . Tbe total run of the wind in Kan sas last November wat 8,711 miles.tua highest November run now on rec ord. An oil-burning locomotive it run ning in regular tervice between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, Cat., nnd workt perfectly and very econom ically. Coal dust is successfully used at fuel for boilort by a process invented by a German naniod Wegener. It is lea to the furnace automatically, aut ouly ordinary chimney draft it needed. The power of taste it belioved-to be duo to the fungi-form papillae of the tongue. Those are from a twentieth to a fiftieth of an inch in dinmetor.and nre found on evory part of the tongne, but most thickly towards the tip. The officials of the various "homes" for domestio animals ia London ro port that tho mortality in cases ot in fluenza among dogs amounts to sit per cent: among cats, to 21 per cent, rind the percentage is said to be evon still larger among horses. : The town of Dcseronto, in Canada, where there are tevaral large lumber mills, it partially lighted by gas made from sawdust The sawdust is ohargod iu retorts which are heated by a wood fire, tbe gas from tho retorts passing into a series of ooila, and thence into the purifiers, which are similar to those used for coal gas. Lime is the principal purifying agent employed. Tho Sokol, Russia's new English built torpedo boat, is a long, narrow craft lyiug low in the water, and poe tesses four funnels. The bull is of nickel stool, which bas thirty per oont more strength than ordinary steel, and this permits of a considerable reduc tion of woight. There are eight boil boilers. Improvements have been in troduced for safeguarding tho stokers. and also to enable to boat to ran, even if some of the boilers should be injured. A Japanese Hostelry. ' . . . . T - L.iT fur away from a treaty port, he passes through the spotless kitchen, whore landlord, cook aud waitress all salute him with, "You have come with hon- v orable earliness." ' Here, too, his de- parture is hailed with, "Please return with august enrliness." The food pe pnrod in the clean kitchen, however, tho traveler will not like. Especially will he mi-s the meat to whioh he is accustomed, uuless he is near the sea whon an abundance of fish will be served. Tourists often, perhaps usually, take with them knives, forks, spoous, brend and canned meat. At the ho tel they find neither these, nor chairs, nor tables, nor milk nor ooffee, oi beds. Nor will he, unless the botol if very small, find quiet , Fish, rice, lily bulbs, boiled chest nuts and other articles of the sort dis posed of, the evening draws on and the bath is ready. This is in nearly tho moat publio view, and filled with boil ing hot water. Tbe first use belongs as a matter of honor, to the most dis- iingnisuea guest, luougu ne it Doanu to protest that someone else should precede him. And then the whole bonsebold nse the bath in turn. Next morning there aro again the fish, the rioe and the queer vegetables. No ooffee, no bread, plenty of tea, no milk. Home Queen. An Oklahama Contest. Clara George and Albert Jones wer claimants fur the one quarter-section of Und on tho Arkansas River, north of Perry, Oklahama, For two years they had been quarreling and even fighting over this exoellent tract of bottom land. Both bnilt hnmble cabins and have lived on the Und for two years. Some weeks ago Jo net was taken down with fever. Mist George wss informed of ber neighbor's) ill ness, and ventured to his lonely hat to see him. Her heart was touched at his affliotions and she remained while with him. All of Jones, neigh bors left him, and Miss George's ten der heart compelled her to remain aud administer to the wants of her con testant She remained for weeks, and when Jones got better ho proposed to Miss George to divide the claim and quit quarreling, and to this Miss George agreed. When Jones got np from hit bed be proposed that they I marry and enjoy the claim together. This was agreed to, and the eoopU wera married, Kansas City Tims. "
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers