t
Times change. This year all the
County fairs have X rays, bicyole races
and the megaphone as pnrely agricul
tural exhibit.
The British authorities in India
have been obliged to discontinue the
bounties on dead snakes, because the
natives went into the business of
breeding the reptiles on a large scale
in order to secure the reward.
One curious result of the fall in
cereals and other products is to ren
der obsolete the cable codes used by
shippers and speculators. Trices hare
gone under the lowest figures which
were thought to be possible when the
codes were compiled.
The development of the railroad,
the bicycle, and other substitutes for
the horse has brought about a peculiar
condition of affairs. In North Da
kota, Montana, Northern Idado, and
Washington, there are one hundred
and twenty-five thousand horses roam
ing around the prairies, and eating
, the grass that might be used profit
ably in feeding cattle and sheep. The
horses are practically valueless, and
the owners are helpless.
The British Government is about to
copy a leaf out of Uncle Sam's book
in regard to the consular service and
the assistance which it can render the
commercial interests of.the country in
providing reports on the state of trade
and labor, and the class of merchan
dise wnicn wouia be likely to meet a
ready market in each particular dis
trict. Europe is to be mapped out
into four districts, each under the con
trol of a commercial attache, whose
duty it will be to forward systematic
reports from his district. Asia is ap
parently to bo treated in tho same
manner, as consuls are to be sent out
to the recently opened ports of Japan
and China.
A German gentleman one day re-
ceived a telegram from the proprietor
of a hotel in the South of France, in
forming him of the death of his aunt,
ana asking for particulars as to the
disposal of the body. The gentleman
begged that the bedy might be sent to
Cologne, and, after telegraphing to
the deceased's relatives to assemble in
that city, traveled thither himself. In
due time the coffin arrived. On being
opened, it was found to contain the
body, not of an aunt, but of a Russian
general in full uniform. Further tele
grams elioited the information that
the coffin containing the body of the
deceased lady had been forwarded in
error to the relatives of the Russian
general at St. Petersburg. Urgent
telegrams were dispatched to St.
Petersburg, and after three days of
anxious waiting this answer was re
ceived : "Tour aunt has been interred
with full military honors."
In the North American Sir Walter
Besant discusses in a very interesting
way the "Future of the Anglo-Saxon
Kace." He begins with the well es
tablished proposition that wherever
the Anglo-Saxon goes he absorbs he
Is never absorbed. He is a restless
and masterful oreature. He is never
content with what he has, and is both
individually and collectively grasping
more and more property and power.
The Anglo-Saxon possessions at this
moment take in 120,000,000 of people
who apeak English as thoir native
tongue, without counting the Hin
doos, who are fast acquiring it The
English speaking race in the sixteenth
century did not number more than
M ii .
iimuuns, out wey nave come
to stay, and where ther are located
they .are destined to remain. The
A , . f . . . .
o-ugio-oaxon aosoros foreign races
like the Frenob, Dutch, German,
Italian and the Norwegians. The
remarkable fact is that in a hundred
years the English speaking race has
leaped up from 20,000,000 to 120,000,
UOO and has extended its possessions
to something like the fifth part of the
babitable globe. The English apeak
ing race is one great empire and one
great republic. The advantage, so far
- as position and strength go, seems to
be with America. While all the States
that have come ont of Great Britain
have had to create their own form of
Government, every one has become
praotioally a republic In the begin'
sing, the development and the pres
ent position of the Anglo-Saxon raoe,
there are aix great oountries, two fully
grown, the United States and Eug
land, and four, Canada, Australia,
South Africa and New Zealand, prao
tioally only in their infancy. The
future of this race is one of the great
at 'and most fasoinating problems.
adds the Atlanta Journal, It ia not
an idle boast that English will one
day, in all probability, be the lan
guaga of the great mass of the human
family, and that there will be m
National power on earth which will
cempare in strength with thoaa of th
Asslo-Eexon.
Memory Children.
I see them whim eve time comoth,
Whore misted meadows glow
The beautiful fnlr-halrnil children
From fields of long ago.
Bwlftly they Rather nliout mo,
Each with a rose In nor ham!,
And glints of gold In their tressos
Of a fur-olT, sun-kissed Innd.
Hut they will nut stay the children
Tho' I fondly cnll each ly name,
Fade where, the minted meadows
Horder on sen of 11 nine
And singing still ns they vanish,
C'nllltiR mn fondly ly name,
Tho tienntlfiil fnlr-hnlred rhlldren
Thnt seem forever tho snme.
Romo time In tho enro-woru faces
I pn on tho busy street.
I see n look of tho children
A glenm of their smiling sweet.
I long to say n. they o. mo.
Dear hearts, let M not forget
The love mid trust of our chlld-tlmo
Will keep us like children yet.
I'rny Ood, when my cvo-tlmo comcth,
Tho gmy of life's afterglow,
Tho beautiful falr-lmlreil children
From mondow of long a w
May gather blithely about mo.
A star-eyed and laughing throng,
Voicing tho hush of my ovc-tlmo
With fnlnt, sweet echoes of snug.
Sophie Fox Hen, In Iowa Htnto Iteglster.
Farnsworth's Revenge.
In all Singleton there wns not a
prettier girl than llcssio Wells. With
the moderation of this statement her
many admirers would doubtless quar
rel ; but, since the fact of their being
admirers exposes tbem to a suspicion
of partiality, tho first limited claim
shall en lllce. Very pretty sbo was.tben,
mid endowed bv nature with nu inex
haustible fund of gnyvty, forever well
ing up from tho light heart, to sparkle
in the sunny, hazel eyes, and dimple
about the ripe red lips.
But, beside all this partly, per
haps, in consoquence of it Mies Bes
sie was a (lirt. Unfortunately, there
can be no question upon tho subject.
Never a city belle hns been more
thoroughly versod iu wiles aud witch
eries than was this villnge beau tv, who
counted her victims by the score, aud
whose rustia coquetries were so many
meshes for the hearts of tho unwary.
Vet the girl wns not cruel, nor even
deliberate, in her mischief. It was
constitutional instinctive like the
sport of the kitten with her mouso.
This itnpul80 of fascination scorned as
natural, and often as unconscious, ns
the drawing of her breath. If harm
came of it, she was ready to shed piti
ful tears, and bo everlastingly sorry
for five miuutos aftor which the
smile came out ouoe more, aud she
began to weave frosli snares. Bo it
was, and so it was likely to bo, until
her own heart should be held in the
bonds of a strong, roal love ; the only
lasting spell of such a nature.
Among Bessie's suitors, Will Forns-
worth undoubtedly had the advantage,
if resolute persistence could avail to
win the prize. Euergotio and deter
mined, ho had no thought of yielding
to despair until such aro siguatiou be
came absolutely necessary which
certainly was not yet. Fur, if a nega
tive hope be worth anything, Will's
case was far from hopeloss, sinoe his
sweetheart at least afforded little en
couragement to his rivals. Wherefore
he kept a stout heart, under the con
viction that, as long as her liking
belonged to no other, there was a
chance of its some day becoming his
own.
Such was the young man's theory,
from which, hitborto, he bad derived
a good deal of comfort. But, in the
summer about to be recorded, he
seemed in danger of witnessing its
inverse demonstration after a fashion
not at all to his taste. That Bossie
Wells bad at length found her match
the young men and maidens of Sipgle-
ton agreed; so did the elder, village
gossips, whose time and tongues might
I have been more
usofully employed ;
and, last but not
least, iu view of its
vital imporUnoo to his own happi
ness, so did poor Will himself. And
it certainly did look very much as
if tho little coquette had surren
dered to Alfred Gaines, the young
city gentleman who occupied tho
" parlor chamber" in the widow
Wells' pleasant, whito cottage. Not
only had he bcoome her constant
attendaut at all the rustio merrymuk
iugs, bnt, day after day, the two might
be seen strolling throughout thesunny,
dewy mornings, over meadow and
woodland, with smiles on their lips
and flowers in their hands, or passing
away the long and lovely twilights,
among the woodbine and climbing
roses that twiued around the pillars
and swung from the roof of the cosey
cottuge-porob. And, all the while,
people talked and speculated J tho
girls envied Mist Bessie; the boys
bated Mr. Gaiues aud Will Farus
worth was miserable. '
' For a time he kept away from the
bouse, but finally abaouoe grew too
heavy a burden for endurance, and, at
the risk of increasing his nnhapplncss,
he resolved t see her. For once she
was not iu thit porch, nor yet within,
where he sought her, unsuccessfully,
until directed by Mrs. Wolls to the '
gnrilon. Turning his steps thither,
lie presently came upon a picture
which, however charming from an ar
tistic point of view, was anything but
pleasing to the unappreciative gaze at
Hint moment bout upon it. Standing
bcsldo Bessio, Alfred Gaines held her in
tlio swing with one arm, while tho other
was stretched upward iu tho endeavor
to gain something which, with both
hands, she held away from him. Both
were laughing, but not too heartily to
hear the rustio made by tho intruder,
as, in turning quickly, his baud hit
and shook alow-droopingapple-bough
that fell across the path. Recogniz
ing him in tho clear moonlight, Bessio
started so violently as to throw her
head ngainst Mr, Gnincs' shoulder,
but for which, and the encircling arm,
she would have fallen to the ground.
Immediately recovering herself, how
ever, she drew away from him into a
patch of shadow near by, leaving Will
no choice but to advance, with a very
hot and uncomfortable sense of false
position, indicated by his first words.
"Cood-eveuiug," ho begnn, doubt
fully, addressing no one iu particular
"I hope I'm not intruding ? "
Boyoud a corresponding salutation
Bessie lnndo no reply, but her com
panion was not so reticent.
"On the contrary," he said with a
mischievous laugh, glaucing toward
the girl "you are extremely welcome
to mi', nt least. I have quite worn
myself out with swinging Miss Bessie
whose weight is really something
surprising I and shall bo glad to fiud
so nble a substitute."
But, with a saucy retort, Bessio de
clared herself tired of tho sport, and
the party sought the porch. Here,
however, it was no better. A spell of
mischief seemed to hold Bessie, who
could not or would not talk, but sat
silently weaving a wreuth of rosebuds
with the ivy that cntwiued one of the
rustio pillars. Chilled with this cold
reception, ill very soou rose to go,
but, mukiug one lust effort, ho said,
hurriedly:
'Bessie, won't you walk down to
tho gate with me? I've a message for
you."
Slowly and reluctantly the girl com
plied, stopping short nt the gute, aud
nskiug, coldly:
"Well, whnt's your message?
shall be taking cold here."
Now Will s mossnge wns some un
important trills which might as well
have been reserved for another time,
aud, having heard it, she tossed her
head, sayiug:
'Oh, is thnt all? I'll go back,
then. Good night."
Well, go back I" said Will, fioice
Iv. as she turned away "go back to
him, if you want to, but I swear "
Whot do yon mean?" she cried,
half frightenod by the savage whisper,
the abrupt stop, seeming to mask
some terrible meaning, and the des
perate, passionnte face revealed by the
mooulight "What wore you saying
please, Will?"
She took a stop toward him, just
touchiug his arm with her hand, but
he shook it oft, and muttering "No
matter I'll not keep you here,
pulled open the gate, and walked down
the lane without a single backward
glance. Bessie, after watching him
out of sight, returned with a rather
troubled faoe.
Will'a intention had been to solicit
Bessie's company for a sail which was
to come off the next day, on Brant
pond, but the coldness of her recep
tion had checked his purposes. Never
theloss she was there; all life and
gayety as usual, and as usual also no
compauied by Alfred Gaines, Will
was there, too, for, as the best sailor
his skillful manogomout could not be
spared from the boat. But.silcnt and
busy, he had very little to do with
Bessio, who in the other end of the
boat, laughing and chatting, amused
herself by unsuccessful snatches ufter
floating water-lilior. Presently Mr.
Gaines volunteered his assistance,
reached fur out, lost hie balauoe and
foil, just as Will Farnsworth, perceiv
ing his poril, gave a shoot of warning,
"And be cannot swim I" cried Bea
aie, in trembling dismay. Before
tho words were spoken, Will bad mado
ready for tho resoue.
"Oh, Will I" sobbed Bessie, in a tone
that betrayod her heart, as she saw
his purpose. He gave her one look
and pluugod in. Guinea had sun
twice before he oould reach him, and
was just going down for tho last tim
when a strong baud caught him, hold
him aud bore him in' safety to the
boat. His exhaustion was complete.
and. when somewhat revived, he was
placed in one of the smaller boats,
rowed ashore and oarriod home by
Will Furmworth, who quietly carried
all the preparations without
word or look for Bessie, pale and silent
in her seat.
Worn out as he was, Alfred Gaines
was quite able to talk, and during
their solitary rido to the Widow
Wells' cottage ho manifested his grat
itude toward his preserver as best he
might by certain statements to tho
fleet thnt he was engagod to a cousin
Bessie; thnt ho had known the
otter from her childhood, and that,
on his establishment In the House
hold, he had entered into n playful
compact to shield her, by an apparent
devotion, from the unwelcome atten
tions of others, adding his own private
conviction that the girl was fonder of
Will than she would like to ndmit.and,
girl-like, sought to freeze him into an
nconscionsnessof a feeling thnt fright-
ned herself. To all of which the young
man listened rather silently, promis
ing compliance, however, wheu his
companion entreated ns a personal
favor, that he would come to the cot
tage that evening, when he himself
honld be more fully recovered. The
result of which strategy was that Will
did come to find on the porch, not
Alfred Gaines, but Bessie Wells, who,
greeting him shyly, but sweetly, mur
mured: 'How kind it was, Will! How
noble to risk your life for him when
you were
She stopped, blnshingly. The young
man filled up the pause:
"When I was jealous of him? Yes,
thnt I was, wickedly jealous but,
Bessie, must I be so, after this, of him
or anybody? Tell me, Bessie dar
ing." And ho took her bund.
'Oh, Will I you are a great deal too
good for me," she said. The tears
were in her eyes, but she did not take
away her hand, although feeling her
self drawn closer and closer. I do
not think that Will Farnsworth has
ever regretted his revenge.
Birds or I'rey.
Tho manner in which vultures and
other birds of prey gather whenever
a carcass is left exposed is explniuod
by Sir Samuel Baker, as follows. He
writes: "When an animal is killed
and skinned, before tho operation is
completed the first bird to appear is
tho wily and omnipresent crow; tho
next is tho ordinary buzzard. Both
these birds are near tho surface of the
earth, seeking their food with untir
ing onergy. But although they may
have great powers of scent, even they,
in my opinion, ore mainly guided by
their aoiitoness of visiou, as they are
always on the nlui t, hunting in every
direction, aud iu fact keeping n sharp
lookout. The third arrival is the
small, rednecked vulture. Tho bird
descends from a grent height. It is
now most interesting to wntch tho
concentration from all quarters of
tho compass. This is easily arranged
by lying beneath a bush aud shading
tho eyes while you gaze iuto the deep
blue sky.
"It will appear to be all alive with
the smallest flics, all moving, all
hurrying and descending. These
become rapidly larger and you aro
aware that they are vultures, collect
ing from such enormous altitudes that
were a mountain top exposed it would
be capped with everlasting snow.
"While you are straining your eyes
to peer into these blue vaults you are
startled by a tremendous rush, like
the roar of a rocket. This is the de
scent, with closed wings, of some of
the large bare-necked vultures, who
have plunged like a plummet for some
thousaud feet, to share iu the feast
below. All these birds flying at
high altitudes have been soaring npon
tireless wings, never fiitiguod by
motion, as they seldom flap, but only
adjust themselves to tho currents of
nir upon which they float; and hav
ing, with their extraordinary powjrs
of sight, obsoi ved the hurry of smaller
birds to some attractive point, they
have at once direoted thoir course to
fulfill the bibical expression: 'Where
the carcass is, there shall tho eagle
(vultures), be gathered together.' "
Strength of Wlro Itope.
Given an equal number of strands
to make up the rope, and each of the
same in circumference, it may be
readily shown, says the Chicago
Chrouiole, that wire, twisted into rope
form, will make a rope so strong as to
admit of no comparison even with the
best hemp rope. Twisted hempen
cords will sustain 8,710 pounds, if the
rope be one inch thick, but one-eighth
of an inch in diameter of iron will
sustain more than one inch in oirenm
enoe of hemp rope. No rope, what
ever its material, could bear compari
son with an inch rope inude of piano
steel wire, such a rope being able to
bear not less than 208,003 pounds, or
nearly 120 tons, before it could be
torn by a dead weight,
BLIND WOMAN LAWVER.
Miss Christine Blanche Labarraque,
a blind girl, who has been a study for
the educators at Berkeley College,
California, is going to boa Inwyer.
She will be the first blind girl lawyer
in thnt State, and her determination
to tuke tip the profession of law hns
led to much discussion among those
that have assisted in her college
course. The young lady has had a
remarkable career, and has been tho
subject of much comment becanso of
her great learning.
THE NEWEST SrSSnAPB."
The latest Parisian sunshades aro
small. It is suggested that at tho
present rate of decrease we shall soou
be using the tiny silk aud luce togs of
our grandmothers.
Those most popular nt the present,
however, are of rational size. A re
cent novelty is white, with flowers
printed on its surface, such as convol
villi, poppies and the like, used with a
hnudle whose color harmonizes with
the flower and a knot incrnsted with
precious stones. New York Journal.
QUEENS AS MOTHEHS.
The Queen of Spniu looks npon the
personal traiuing of the young King
as part of tho business of a sovereign,
and has rarely, since her widowhood,
been absent from him for a single
day. The Queen Regent of Hollund
has educated her daughter nlmost iu
solitude a state of things which, it is
rumored, the little Queeu Wilhelmina
promises herself one duy to niter. The
Empress of Germnny is an eqnnlly de
voted mother, and would possibly take
a more active part iu the destines of
her little sons if her somewhut auto
cratio consort permitted her to.
"MVRDER H"ATS."
A correspondent of the London
Chronicle thus relieves her mind, thnt
paper printing the letter with th
above heading :
Sir: Mr. Ruskin tells us that the
reol meaning of the term "vulgar is
callousness, indifference to tho feel
ings of others; nnd Cardinal New
man's famous description of a gentle
man is summed up iu the sentence,
"One who never unnecessarily inflicts
pniu. " According to these authori
ties, then, I think the wearing of the
poor heron's plumes may juitly be
described as a vulgar fashion, and one
unsuited to a lady. Yours faithfully,
A Ladt.
8KB DESIGNS rAFCR DOLLS.
The paper doll seems an insignifi
cant article of trade, but its designing
is a not altogether unimportant branch
of art One of the firms which is re
sponsible for the brilliant-looking
damsels who inhabit "play" houses in
all well regulated nurseries has for its
chief designer a young girl of sixteen
Marguerite Macdonald. When she
was only thirteen the little girl began
her career as a sellor of designs, al
though for years before she had de
lighted her own circle of acquaint
ances with her handiwork. She is the
daughter of a naval officer, and lives
iu Washington. She has received no
instruction whatever beyoud thnt af
forded by tho public schools, but her
talent is so marked that she expects
some day to be as successful in "reg
ular" art as she now is iu its toy de
pnrtmout.
TUB "DIKB BOl'QCET. "
Two pretty new fashious nave ap
peared recently, adding much to the
brightness of our publio gatherings.
One is the adoption of white cycling
habits by lady riders. They are beau
tifuilv cut. having the skirt a trifle
fuller than the old riding habit, and
the natty little coat finished by a pale
colored tie, which matches the ribbon
on the white sailor hat. Thus attired,
a pretty girl looks her very best. It
is now the oorreot thing to carry a big
posy of flowers fustetied to the front
of the bicycle, near the bandle-bar,
One damsel will have roses, white, red
pink or yellow; another cornflowers,
another pinks, aud so on. What
brilliant opportunity for devoted
awains desirous of paying delicato yet
not too obtrusive attentions! The
'bike bouquet" ought to have a dl.
tinguished ruign. New York Adver
tiser. SHE RUNS A SAWMILL.
A woman runs a sawmill in Maine,
and the Lowiston Journal thus de
scibes her: She doesn't run her saw
mill at arm's length or in a dillettante
fashion. No ; Miss Clara M. Stimson
of Honltou not only hns had the prac
tical experience in making boards and
planks aud shingles, but she applies it,
nnd there aro few mills in Maine
where tho employes are scrutinized
more carefully by tho proprietor than
at the busy, screaming mill at Masar-
dis, Aroostook county Me, Miss
Stimson is a firm believer in the
theory that any woman ought to' do
what sho can do well, and make money
by doing. She is a sawmill owner by
hoice.
"Now, I could make a living at
dress-miiking," said she, as we sat in
her cosy Houlton library tho other
day. "I kuow that the hats I would
trim wouldn't have any sale, and as
nn artist I would have a struggle for
brood and butter. But when we come
to shingles nnd handling a crew of
men, I claim, without egotism, I trust,
that I know my business. If I didn't,
I should have loft the trade."
Shingle making comes to Miss Stim
son as a natural heritage. Her father
was a lumber manufacturer. When
he died some years ago his daughter
took up the business where ho left off,
and since then has handled that line
along with other speculative opera-
, : .1. 1 1 l
uuus wuu sucu energy nun rare guou
iniifT none mm hiiii now in romcnnnti
wiiu mo souu muuuiuciurerg oi Aroos
took.
Hor lumber and shingles have earn
ed a reputation in the markets now,
but the plucky little woman found
many discouragements at first. When
she went away to Worcester, Mass., a
few years ago, doalers, she says, were
afraid of her. They couldn't under
stand the situation. The idea of a
woman operating a shingle-making es-
luuusumeui evmonuy inspire", mem
with as muoh apprehension as though
she hud come with a proposal to
cut their hair and trim their whisk
ers. But she had samples, and she
knew how to talk plaiuly, direotly
and eminently business-like. She
said, "No, you dou't know me,
and I dou't know you either. But
you're buying shingles and I'm selling
them, I back my shingles. I live in
Honltou, Me., but I haven't any ref
erence", i won t ask any one lor ref
erences and I dou't think they amount
to much. But my shingles are just
what I say they are, and I warrant
them to be so on the word of a woman
with a desire to develop a business
nd make au honest dollar. Do you
want to purchase?"
The dealer with whom she talked
looked at the alert womau from Houl
ton, Me., aud said that he believed ho
did. Ha bought, and hat been a
patron ever since. Her market now
comes to her. Ocoaiiounlly sue makes
a trip to the big oilios when prioes do
not suit her, and she never fails to
stir the dealers up to an appreciation
of the quality of her goods,
FASHION NOTES.
Skirts made iu seven gores are vory
popular.
Side-combs are as stylish as ever,
bnt are not so conspicuously worn sa
formerly.
Stockings with small pockets on the
outer side, just above the knee, are
shown in the shops.
Black etamine mude up over a bril
liant colored silk produces a handsome
frock for matrons, either young or
old,
The fichu needs the touch of an ar
tist quite as muoh as the veil, as the
folds must be arranged gracefully and
the ends eoquettiahly twisted and fas
tened with funoy pins to make a suc
cess of this pretty article of dross.
For house gowns the princess reigne
supreme in favor.. The big Paris
dressmakers are turning out costume
after costume on this pattern. All
shades of gray ure eagerly sought, but
the slate, the gria ardoise, as our
French oousins have it, is perhaps the
most popular.