A recent Oerman writer on dueling
trio to prove that it is not forbidden
by tbe Christian religion.
Tbo largo majority of families in
thin country have not over $500 a year
to live upon, says the Now York Post.
According to the Philadelphia Times
Sp in has decidud to organizo 40,000
additional troops to be sent to Cuba
by the 1st of October.
Tho new womnn bns invaded India.
The question of laying out parks in
town for gymnastic exercises of Zenana
women is being ventilated in the press
of that countrv.
According to a Loudon decree, a
householder cannot interfere with the
playing of an organ grinder, unless it
hurts his business, injures his health,
or nnless be has sickness iu tbe
house,
An English-speaking race may be
losing much influence in Europe, Asia
And Africa, but in the three Americas
its future is to be even greater than its
past, maintains the New York Mail
end Express.
If every state in tho Union would
eimply adopt a measure to iuduce
perfect drainage of tho roads, it
would be a long step in advance
toward good roads. In many parts
of the country that is about nil that is
necessary.
No specially prepared tablo of sta
tistics is necessary to support the as
sertion that Germany is tbe most in
tellectually industrious of the Euro
pean countries. Thinking men often
refer to it as "the ' homo of higher
philosophy and tbo hot-bed of
sciences."
According to the census of 1990 the
Amount of wogea paid annually to
mechanics, artisans and laborers in
the United States was 81,5!9,516,0!)7.
Besides th a over 8300.000.000 was
paid to piece workers nud about $400,
as salaries to officers, clerks aud other
employes of firms and corporations.
In all the enormous sum of $2,283,-
250,000 is shown to be paid out every
year in salaries and wages to those
who work, day by day and month by
month, for tbe support of themselves
and families. It is a sum ho vast tha'
the imagination can hardly grasp it,
and it exceeds by more than a third
the whole amount of tbe national
debt.
The unprecedented distinction
which awaits president Cleveland is
tiiat his portrait and figure are to ap
pear in the great frieze of tbe rotunda
of the Capitol at Washington. Sena'
tor Hausbrough and his committee on
library have decided to finish out the
frieze, on which work was stopped
seven years ago, by adopting for the
vacant panels these three historic
scenes: (1) Tbe discovery of gold in
California ; (2) the driving of the last
spike in tbo transcontinental railway;
'(3) tbe formal opening of the World's
Columbian exposition at Chicago by
president Cleveland Sketches of the
three scenes have been made by the
artist Costaggiuni.
It appears to Harper's Weekly "that
we ought all to do what we oan to get
more people hanged. In states wbore
apitul punishment is administered by
eleotrioity that method of taking life
will answer.bnt the law that prescribes
it must be enforoed. The electrical
machines must not be allowed to stand
idle, aud we ought to use our influ
noe to keep them in frequent use.
Of eonrse our duty iu this particular
is painful, but it is imperative. The
question is whether we shall kill
murderers r they shall kill us. By
all means let ns kill them. They need
killing fur more than we do, so long
as wo are peaceable and deoently be
haved. A supplementary question is
whether murderers shall be killed by
due prooess of law or by moba Lot
us have them lawfully executed, for
that gives by far tbe best results.
More than ten tiiousaud people were
esardered in the United States last
year. In tbe year 1888 loss than four
thousand were murdered. The in
crease of population in seveu years
has been considerable. Last year
business was bad, and people were
or usB and more murderously inclined,
no doubt, than common. Still, tak
ing everything into consideration, the
inorease of murders was astounding.
It ought to be checked, and tbe only
practicable way to check it is to have
murderers suffer the legal penalty of
their crime.' It is shocking to kill any
one, bnt if one must choose between
killiug the guilty after conviction and
having the innooent killed off-hand,
thera cannot be any hesitation about
what duty andoommon sense demand.
Murder must be made mora unpopular
in tbe United State."
BETTY BOSTON'S FOURTH,
BY ft Oft A 1MVRY.
FOURTH of July is
coming, and we
must do something,
we positively
must," cried Betty,
as she pulled from
her calendar the
slip of paper that
recorded the 30th
of June, and was
confronted by the big black lettering,
"July."
"Do ecmetbing about what, pray?"
inquired her older sister, Anne.
"The Fourth."
'The what?"
"The Fourth of July. If father wore
hero he would do something to cele
brate it but I've a whole guinea left
of my allowance and I can buy
"Hetty, yon are not going to bny a
lot of firecrackers and torpedoes to
disturb the whole neighborhood?"
"lucre nren t any neighbors near
enough to disturb."
Near enough I bat about the
Stafford? How do yon suppose old
Lady Stafford will like your firecrack
ers and torpedo explosions, and what
no yon suppose sir Bichard and all
the rest of them will think of our
flaunting this Fourth of July business
in their faces? It's outrageous taste,
anyway, Betty, to show off onr brag
of independence from their country,
like this."
"I ain't doing it for them. I ain't
going to invite them."
'ion might as well ; they 11 hear
the whole uproar. It's an awfully
vulgar kind of way to celebrate any
thing. You'd better" with increas
ing sarcasm "get some boys to play
'Yankee Doodle for you, on a drum
nnd fife."
But the American Club in London
celebrated the day, and at the Ameri
can minister's last year"
"On, res, with nags and speeches at
their dinner tables; they didn't fire
off a lot of crackers and torpedoes for
everybody to hear. Oh, Betty, don t.
I should be so ashamed of such a show
oft before these English people. It's
all to vulgar, the wholo brag and blus
ter of it."
Yon are always bothering about
these English people what they'll
think of us; what they'll say. You
haven't a bit of independence."
"1 don t care for tbe independence
WW
DICKEY AXD BOB CELEBRATING THE FOURTH.
that is always going 'round offending
and hurting people's feelings."
"Well, I don't want to hurt these
English folks' feelings. But I don't
think they are very careful what thoy
say to us. Old Lady Stafford calls mo
Betty Boston instead of Betty Barton,
and that Miss Stafford that yon look
np to so"
"Look np to 1 That's ridiculous,
Betty."
"That yon look np to so," coolly
prooeeded Betty, "said to me once :
'Yon don't talk in a nasal tone at all,
as I supposed all Americans did.' "
"She means to oompliment yon, and
celling you 'Betty Boston' is) old Lady
Stafford's fun. She likes you very
mnch, I can see, And oh, Betty, don't,
I entreat yon, go and turn them All
Against us by making that beastly up
roar of a celebration. Now, promise
me that yon won't?" imploringly and
tearfully "promise! promise i"
And Betty promised.
"What's tho matter, Betty? What's
gone wrong? Yon look awfully cut
np."
"I I'm disappointed about some
thing, Dioky, that's all."
"It must be a pretty big 'all by
your looks. Tell me what it is, Betty ;
maybe I can help yon."
"Yon I oh, no you're the last per
son to tell"
"Why? Why? What have I done?"
"Yon haven't done anything; it's
only what you are it's only," bnt
here Betty stopped short
"Betty, Betty, go on."
"I can't I ought not to have said
as mnch as I have."
"But, having said that, it's unfair
not to go on. Whatever . you've got
against me whatever you think I am
that I shouldn't be, yon ought to tell
me and give me a ohanoe to defend
myself. I didn't think you would
hurt a fellow's feelings by being un
fair like this," and Dioky Stafford
flushed up with vexation.
"Oh, I don't want to hurt any of
your feelings that's what I told
Anne," cried Betty with a little by
aterioal laugh.
"And yonr sister is in it, tool
Well, I must say but instead of say
ing anything, I think I'll bid voa
good morning, Miss Barton. Yon
can't .want the company of a follow
you think"
"Ob, Dickey, Diokey, stop, stop,
don't go off like tbat 'Tisn't any
thing against yon it's me," regard
less of grammar "I was going to do
something, and Ann didn't want me
to do it Ob, dear, I've tangled and
DECLARATION 01
i
bungled so I shall have to tell you the
truth, or you'll think it's something
worse than it is ; but first yon must
promise me you won't tell any of your
family, Dickey."
Dicky looked astonished, but never
theless gave tho promise with tho
greatos alacrity ; and then Betty told
the story of her 4th of July plan, and
why she had relinquished it.
"As if my people would care because
yon celebrated A victory gained over
us roor'n a hundred years ago ; I'd
like to hear what my father'd say to
thin," laughed Dickey.
"But you're not going to toll him
you promised not to tell any of your
family," cried Betty in alarm.
"And I'm not going to break my
promise ; but I know they'd feel just
as I do"
"No, yon don't know. They might
take it as Anno said they " would.
Anne knows more about the world
than you or I. Anne is eighteen."
"Anne's a goose," thought Dickey.
He was a clever little fellow, and
though Betty by no means told him
everything that Annie had said, or
that she herself had said, he under
stood a great deal more of Miss Ann's
motives than Betty imagined. "And
to think of her spoiling all of this fun ;
it's a shame," he further thought.
"But tell me everything all the de
tails of what you wanted to do," he
presently said.
And Betty told him confessing
smilingly that she would even have
liked to had "Yankee Doodlo" played
by a drum and fife, as Annie had sar
castically suggested.
"What's 'Yankee Doodle?'" he
asked.
"You never heard of 'Yankee
Doodle?' " cried Betty.
"o, Betty, I never did. I n only
a poor ignorant little English boy,
you must remember."
"Ob, you may laugh at me. but I do
think it is ignorant not to know that
'lankee Doodle was the rallying tune
of the Americans in tbe war of the
Bevolntion ; not a great big dignified
national thing, but a little oatcby
hurrah quiokstep, tbat all the Federal
troops xnarohed by. Hear now, thia
is it." and Betty hummed the lively
strains, playing an imaginary fife as
she did so. Dicky jumped up from
the garden seat beside Betty, after the
first few bars, and began to danoe to
the quiok measures, and then he be
gan to whistle them and in a minuto
he had snob, an ear for a tune he had
the oatohy little quiokstep perfeot,
"and oh, Betty, it's the very jolliest
thing I ever heard," he cried, "and I
know a fellow who'd do the drum, aud
I'd do the fife, if you'd only go ahead
and"
"But I can't I've promised not to ;
and I couldn't go against Annie, and
my father and mother away don't
you see?"
"When will yon father and mother
be back?"
"Oh, not till next week ; long after
tbe Fourth. They're gone to town,
yon know, to have father's eyes
treated by a great oculist there. I
told you about it,"
"Yes, I know."
Anne from the tower window had
caught the sound of the voices in the
garden below.
"Betty and Dioky," she said to her
self. She oouldn't hear what they
aaid ; she didn't even catoh the sound
of 'Yankee Doodle,' bnt when they
came around the corner of the house,
she saw Dioky danoing merrily down
tbe path before Betty, and laughed At
the sight. And Dicky was danoing to
the softly whistled tune of 'Yankee
Doodle l'r Betty was tall for her ag
Dicky was sixteen and abort for his
age. "I'm a year older than Betty
though you wouldn't think it i but I'll
grow up to her by and by, you'll see,"
Dick had said merrily, at the begin
ning of the summer. Anne laughed
again as she remembered this.
Anne had A great liking for English
people, especially English people of
IXDEPEXUENCE.
high degree, and she was delighted
when she found that tbe house i her
father had taken for the season at
East com be was so near to Sir Bichard
Stafford's place. In fact it was part of
the Stafford property, and Sir Bich
ard bad rented it gladly to the rich
American manufacturer who had come
over from America to put himself un
der the care of Dr. Eyelet, the great
London oculist; the doctor himself in
troducing Mr. Barton to Sir Bichard
and recomtnotiding Edgecombe, as in
easy distance of London. Tbe Staf
fords had been "very nice," as Anne
had expressed it, and Anne was happy
in the anticipation of further niceness
of getting quite chummy with the
Stafford perhaps. But as yet the
only ohummtness seemed to be be
tween Betty and Dicky. DicKy had
taken to Betty at onoe. "A girl who
can ride a bicycle like that little
Yankee is no fool," Dioky had an
nounced at the start, and Betty had
told her family that "that little red
headed English boy was a very jolly
little boy."
"Things are going on swimmingly,"
Anue said to herself as she watched
the two chums from her tower, "and
if Betty's dreadful American assertive
ness don't interfere there is no know
ing what we may be to the Staffords
some day."
On the morning of the Fourth of
July Anne was blissfully dreaming
tbat she was at a grand party at Star
lord hall, danoing the opening
quadrille with Bob Stafford, tbe Ox
ford undergraduate. She was at the
very height of her triumph, when sud
denly the fine orchestral strains
changed to a qneor piping tune-
tootle, tootle, tootle, And thou, a bum,
bum, bum, that was strangoly familiar
to her ; and with this tbe nndergrad
ate disappeared, and tho ballroom van
ished, while the tootle, tootle, and
bum, bum of the drum grew harder
aud harder, so loud that Annneopenod
her eyes, then started and started,
then sprang from her bed and rushed
to tbe window in breathless horror,
when tootle, tootle, the clear fife
notes with the bum, bum of the drum
wafted up to her the deathless old
tune of "Yankee Doodle."
"Oh, how could Betty have done
this? she promised mo, sho promised
me I wailed Anne,
Sir Bichard was strollng about nn
dor his trees in his usual fashion that
morning when be suddonly pricked up
his ears at the sound oi a drum and
fife. Where were thoy and where had
ho heard that tune before? After a
minute or two ho began to whistle tbe
tune, just as Dioky had done, and
then all at onoe it flashed upon him
whero be had heard it before. It was
two or three summers ago 'way out on
a great oattle rnoh in America, where
he had been a guest for a few days.
One of these days happened to be the
Fourth of July and his hosts fine
young Americans, gentlemen all of
them had celebrated the day with
great jollity by a lot of fireworks, flag
flying and other holiday domonstra
tions, none of whioh was more inter
esting to the Englishman than a drum
and fife performance by two oolored
men of that quaint quiokstep "Yankee
Doodle."
"The jolliest tune I ever heard,"
mused Sir Biohard, who, like his son,
had a great ear for tnnes. But where
who oonld be playing it bore?
"Why, those tonants of mine, they
are Amerioans, and by jove to-day is
the Fourth of July, and this is what
they are np to, celebrating the day ;
and there are only those two girls at
hornet Why didn't I remember?
Dioky I Bob 1" and calling these names
sir Kiohord hastened towards the
house.
"What is it, what do you want of
Dioky and Bob?" asked old Lady
Stafford, who was just then coming
down the path to meet him.
"I want them to help those young
Amerioans, the Bartons, to cany out
their holiday plans. It a the Fourth
of July, you see, their National holi
day. Don't you remember?" and Sir
Kiohaid recalled for his mother that
American ranoh experience of his,
even to whistling for her "the jolliest
tune he ever beard.
Lady Stafford remembered perfect'
ly. "And yon wanted Dicky and Bob
to help," abe began, when Sir Kiobard
interrupted with : ,
"Yes, I wanted them to help those
two girls ; I hsve just thought tbat tbe
mother and father are away.
"To be sure. It's a shame for those
two young things, strangers as they
are, to have no neighborly help in
their holiday work. Bob isn't down
vet and Dicky's off somewhere.
heard him np half an hour Ago: but
I'll tell you what we'll do, we'll just
step over there now, yon and I, and
offer them any assistance tbey need.
There's a lot of those nrettv JaDanesa
torpedoes and firework things in the
ooaohhouse. We'll offer those to them
for one thing."
"Bnt isn't it pretty early In the
morning for A call?" demurred Sir
Bichard.
"A call t Don't be absurd, Bichard ;
we are going over on a neighborly er
rand, and we've got to be quick about
it, or we shan't be of any rise, for
they're in tho thick of their fun now
as you hear," and Lady Stafford hur
ried her son forward with such energy
that in a few minutes the two were
entering tho Barton grounds jnnt as
Anne came running out of the house
to stop "that dreadful drum and fife
noise. Betty was following in the
rear. If Dicky was to be quenched,
Betty was bound to stand by him and
be quenched too, and so had dressed
as expeditiously as possible to be "in
at the death."
Lady Stafford catching sight of the
two girls, nodded vigorously, and
when she Was near enough began !
"We heard your drum and fife musio
and eamn over to ask if yon "
"Oh, Lady Stafford, I was just com
ing out to stop it. It isn't my fault,
and I m so sorry, I
"fault I sorry I echoed Lady Staf
ford, staring at Anne with a puzzled
astonishment that brought ber brows
together in A frown that both the
girls misunderstood, and that stirred
up Betty to say :
"No, it lent Aunef fault, its
mine," and then with a little fiery
sparkle in her eyes at what she thought
was the unwarranted fault-Uniting oi
these English people, Betty, in spite
of Anne, told the whole truth of her
patriotio purpose and how it had been
frustrated, and why, and ber own
disappointment thereat, winding up
with her confidences to Dicky, and
the result.
And it's Dick after all," broke
forth Lady Stafford, her lips twitch
ing with her appreciation of the situa
tion thus revealed to ber. "It's
Dicky ; ah, here he comes, the scamp I
Dicky, how dared yon do this when
you knew how Miss Barton felt about
it?"
"Hullo 1" cried Dickv at sight of
his grandmother and his father ; "how
came you here?"
"Well, Miss Barton will tell you
that we were disturbed bv this patri
otio racket and came over to protest
against it. Tbat it not only hurt our
ears but our feelings; that oh, Miss
Barton, Miss Barton," breaking into
the jolliest of jolly laughs, "How
could you think we were suoh silly
folks as to take your oelobration as an
offense? "Why," and here Lady
Stafford explained the real state of ber
own and Sir Richard's feeling, aud
the real reason of this early visit,
greatly to Anno's confounding and to
Betty s unmixed delight
"And didn t I tell you so? cried
Dioky, hiluriously, nodding to Betty.
1 knew they d take it all right ; and
then straight to his lips be lifted his
fife again, and tootle, tootle, bum,
bum, he find his little drummer start
ed up that jolliest tune Sir Biobard
had ever heard, "Yankee Doodle."
And that night after the Japanese fire
works had been set off by tho two
brothers, tootle, tootle, bum, bum,
Sir Biohard would have the tune
again ; and it was to this tune that tbe
whole party were marched over to tbe
hall, where "dear gran," as the moth
erless Stafford children called Lady
Stafford, had a little feast spread to
finish up tbe day.
"But it's for that dear little, honest,
independent Betty," declared gran, in
the privacy of her own family. "How
she did stand up to me, and defy me
with the whole truth, when tbat foolish
sister was for wriggling out of it. I
liked littlo Betty Boston from the
start, and now I have a great respeot
for her."
"Yes," Added Sir Biohard, "she has
character enough to stand by her
guns."
"And not to run with ours," Jaughed
tbe undergraduate.
"As her sister was constantly trying
to do," joined in Miss Stafford, the
young lady of Anne's admiration.
But it remained for Dicky to bestow
npon Betty tbe most effective tribute
in this family oonclave.
"Betty? Betty is the pluckiest girl
and the prettiest girl and the best
bioyole rider on either side of tbe At
lantic," he cried, "and when I grow
np to ber, I'm going to see if I can
persuade her to come over here and
celebrate the Fourth of July every
year with me," and tootle, tootle,
Dicky whistled tbe tune of "Yankee
Doodle" to his father's applauding
laughter and gran's approving nod.
Atlanta Constitution.
A Transplanted Custom.
Onr habit of reading the Dec
laration of Independence on the Fourth
of July is derived from tbe old English
onstoms of having tbe Magna Cbarta
read twioe a year in tbe oatbedrals.
The bishops not only read it, but ex
oommuoioated those who broke it.
"WHAT'S inB MATTEn, BETTY?"
Then and Sow,
Nephew "I don't suppose yott
mind hearing a cannon go off, do you,
nnnle?"
Veteran "I should say not. Why,
I've heard hundreds at a time, but
llt h
I wasn't so near to them as that,
my son." Judge.
Fourth of July Fun.
To the patriotic small boy the Fourth
of July is a game that is always worth
the Boman candle.'
Some leave the oity on tbe Fourth
for quiet, while others, following tbo
fireworks' example, go off for a lively
time.
Jokes which Inclnde the exploding
near people of tho largest-size cannon
crackers are of the kind that it is bet
ter not to dwell upon.
Stranger "Your orator has a loud
voice, but he is murdering tbe Queen'
English in the most horrible manner."
Native "Why shouldn't he on the
Fourth of July?"
Young America "Did Thomas Jef
ferson write all of tbe Declaration
himself?" Patriotio Parent "Yes,
my son, he wrote every word of it with
his owupen." Young America "Wby
didn't he hiro a stenographer and type
writer?
Grandpa (looking np) "What is it.
my boy?" Freddie (at window)
"stand out a little farther on the side
walk. I have a pnckagii of torpedoes,
and I want to drop them down on your
bald head."
Giant firccrakers this year are four
teen inchss long, and contain powder
enough to break a plate-glass window
when exploded on the curb. Small
boys will not only have to look for
their fingers on the- Fourth, but par
ents will have to look for their boys.
President Cleveland on the Fourth,
The day is celebrated, not becanso
on the Fourth of July oertain English
colonies in America declared their
Ireedom and independence, but bo
cause on tbat day tha first step was
taken on this continent toward trust
ing human government to the control
and management of the people to be
governed.
This reflection leads to the further
thought that such a project oould
never have beou entertained except
iu the faith and expectation that those
intrusted with self-government would
guard and cultivate tbat unselfish And
self-sacrificing dovotion to their
scheme of government which is abso
lutely essential to its purity and
safety.
Inasmuch as this sentiment is the
life of our institutions, And because
tbey are threatoned with the stiflling
atmosphere of selfishness and cupidi
ty, we Bbould so commemorate Inde
pendence Day as to etimulate and in
tensify a patriotio love of our Govern
ment for its own take, while our
rejoioing should be measured by the
extent to which we and all onr coun
rymen are imbued with this feeling.
Groveji Cleveland
Independence Day.
Bang! Boom! Rattle and slszl
By siKns like these we know It ts
Dear Independence Day!
A smell of powder In the air,
A small boy present everywhere,
Engaged in mtmio Iray!
A trumpet's blare, s it rum's loud beat,
A quaint procession In the street
Of little "minute men"
A cheer, a shout, a proud buna,
And patriot "Young America"
Applauds the Past again.
A bright, bewildering array.
Of "goddesses" lu ribbons gay
The colors of the free!
A Nation's honored Half full mast.
And In the heart, thank Ocd, a fast,
Firm love for Liberty!
Susan M. Best, in New York Independent
A Jiew Supply,
Mrs. Bingo "I thought you weren't
going to play with that little boy next
door any more?"
Bobby -"I wasn't; but my fire
crackers gave out before his."
Relics of tbe Great Declaration.
The accompanying picture shows
the table upou which tbe Declaration
of Independence was signed and the
obair of the President of the Congress
at tbat timeiu session. Tbey are now
in Independence Hull, Philadelphia,
Tha Government of India appropri
ates 10,000,000 rupees a year to tht
maintenance and care of forests.