Thero are mor limn 17,000 prisons
iu tho Vnilud States anil nearly ns
many fuuntlo nsylnm.
Tbo "Lord High Executioner" n!
Prussia get 837 "a head" aud travel
log cxpensos, and there ia always
rush fur the offlca when it in vaenut.
Canada nud Auttrnliii wont to join
themselves to Britain by a eable which
no one vine In to nto, and representa
tives are at London from tlio colonies
to talk the mutter over.
There is a great dearth of tcliool
teacher in Russia, owing partly to
the fact that educated mon are nnwil
liug to exile themselves in villago fnr
tray from all intellectual companion
hip. The work done by twenty-live
sculptors and twenty-two painter in
the way of decorations for the library
of Congress at Washingtou will cost
the United States government more
than $300,000.
Even Chicago begins to hnvo its
old landmarks, Tho Green Tree Inn
is now sixty-three years old, nud the
local Historical Society has beon ad
vised to buy it and presorvo it as nn
interesting rolio of antiquity.
A dispassionate review of the busi
ness of 189(1 shows to tho satisfaction
of the Now York Herald that, whilo
there were more failures than in any
other year except 1881 and 1893, pros
perity was simply checked by national
and international complications.
. John IL Inman, tho cotton dealer
of New York, lost 9000,000 iu nt
tcmpting to advance- tho prioo of cot
ton, and though this amount was less
than one fourth his entire capital, ho
1...0... A.. In I. ...111. . n.l ,Ji,1 Tl..
moral is obvious, thinks tho New Eng
land Homestead.
The system of school savings bnuks
introduced in South Jersey about two
years ago has brought excellent re
sults, announces tho New York Trib
une. Savings to the amount of f 27,
G02.12 have been laid up by 5,012 de
positora. The Woman's Christian
Temperance Uuion is urging the ex
tension of tho system. It is a familiar
saying that he'wbo docs not Icaru to
save while yonng never will.
The raoea of this world are setting
raixod ; Europeans settle in Afrioa
and in Asia; while Orientals go West
ward and form colonies in the younger
continents. Chinese scatter themselves
over the fsoe of the earth ; and Amer
ica both North and South is dotted
over with Italian, Gorman and Norwe
gian settlements; while Afghans are
' living in Australia; and Hindus in the
West Iodios. In the course of titno
these races will assimulatc.
In rosponse to the ultimatum of tho
combined powers, the Sultan is credit
ed with liuving cxolaimed, I may be
the last of the Caliphs, but I will
never become second Khedive 1"
Which is very grsndiloqneut, but
scarcely in keeping with Abdul
Hsmid's notorious cowardice, moral
and physical. When the time comes
he will cringe boforo superior force
in order to ssveascmblance of royalty
and his pin money. He ia makiug his
last blott"
Only a few years ago there wore but
six furniture . faotoriea in Canudu,
making two classes of work, one a
very expensive and the other a very
cheap class. Today, announces the
American Cultivator, there are fifty
- firms mannfuoturiug praotioally all the
furniture that is consumed in Canada,
excepting possibly that nsod by the
very wealthy. ' The furniture men
now utilize the material that is grown
iu Canada. But a few years ago elm
was only used as staves for barrels.
Now it is utilised in every furniture
faotory in Canada. The material is
principally bought from the farmers,
and has largely iuorensed the price of
.elm.
. With such an array of ohefa as she
possesses, expert in entrees and intri
cate culinary confections, the present
plague of rata in Paris ought to be
turned to profitable account, instead
of being, as it is, the oooaaioa of pop
ular alarm and apprehension, main
tains the New York Tribune. Ia the
t'T ot Iter aiege by the German
l: anoh a visitation might have
t;on as welcome as that of the torn-
r::t-driven quaint to the famished
children of Israel. In seasons of
I"oes and bandanai it is, of course,
1. rent, but th skill wbiou converts
tls t""3ileas Beeesary cat into no-r-;
':."' re ;outa ought -to be equal to
- r' -' conversion of the rat,
' v t' s advent there of a pied
' j of Untuoliu is much to
UiiU.iLiji:
DAVID'S BABY.
ny RtiU F. MOHnv.
"lie's jest a common sized boy,
ma'am."
This was the baffling reply to Mrs.
Wilmot's question about tho size of
Mrs. Brown's boy. Mrs, Wilmot was
tho minister's wife, and Mrs. Browu
ono of his outlying parishioners, n
inouutainocr from one of tho steepest
and wildcat peaks of tho Ridge, . Her
husband hud died in tho grunt snow
storm of the paBt winter, and David,
her only boy, was her sole prop nud
atny. Mrs. Wilmot thought a suit of
clothes would not como amis', wen if
secondhand.
But what was "a common sizo" for
boys? In Mrs. Wilmot's experience
they wero of all sorts and sizes. Her
mind reverted to Richard, her long
boy, nud his Aunt F.llou's frequent en
treaty: "Richard, my donr, uncross n
few of your legs!" to Robin, a head
shorter, who was now crumpled tip in
a heap over "Stories of Lion Hunting
in South Africa," nud Johu, a round,
roly-poly of a boy and she lookod
slightly perplexed.
"No'm, ho aiu't to any big, nor yit
small; he's jost a common-sized boy,
betwixt and between."
Mrs. Wilmot in despair wont niter
tho clothes, and saw by tho delight in
bis mother's eyes as soon as she h iw
them, that they might nt lonst bo worn
by David.
"I'm rao' than thankful, ma'am."
nor voico trembled, and Mrs. Wilmot
hastened to ask:
"Havon't you a little girl, too?"
"Thar'a two gals Luoy, she's goin
on seven, and the baby; tho folks calls
her 'David's Baby,' he's so good-natured
with her. I never sea a boy so
tnk up with baby be To'. She ain't
a mite of trouble when bo'a 'round ;"
and her hard-worked thin, worn fuoo
looked quite illumined by her smile of
pride and delight.
Robin lot bis book fall. "Are thero
any bears on Priest's Mountain?" he
asked, suddenly. .
"Ob, nonsonso!" said his mother;
but Mrs. Brown answered seriously :
"Jut it's a mild winter, tnobbe you
won't see one ; but in a long freeze
they'll come right low down the moun
tain. Tbey don't giuornlly attack
humans, the damage tbey does mostly
ia to young creoturs pigs and seen
things. I seed one myself; 'twas in
the summer too, three or fo' years
ago; and I don't want ier soo an
other." "Toll ma about it, "said Robin.com
ing over to the chair next hers.
"Well, 'twas a long hot spoil, and
I'd gone out to git blaokborries. Mob
of 'em was leetle and dry with the
drouth; but just above my head ou a
long ledgo of rooks I see a big clump
ot briers, all hangiug with berries,
big juicy berries, ez shiny ez silk. I
kin see 'em now, oz pretty ez uny pic
ter. I put my baud out to pull tbu
nearest branch down, and then I huerd
a growl there aiu't much more on
plessaut noises than a growl or a hiss
in the woods, I kiu tell ye! Thar
stood a big b'ur just ou 'totbur sido o"
the blackberries, showin' his tcoth in
an ugly sort o' griu. I didn't stop to
have uo words 'bout the berries iu
fuo', there was mighty few berries iu
my basket when I got homo, I came
so fast. Tbem was the finest berries
on the mountain," she added, regret
fully; "big and shiny and swoct-look-in',
and jest burstiu' with juiou; and I
hadn't fa'rly teohed 'em when 1 heard
that'growl."
"Would be have showed fight if
you bad stayed?" inquired Kobiu, eag
erly. '
Mrs. Brown's eyes twiukled.
"I dou'tkeer to argy a p'iut with
I biro," she answered.
"wuut oiuer wuu boasts live noar
you?" pursued Robin, in a tone of pos
itive envy.
"Why, squirrels and 'possums and
foxes aud wildcats it do sound
mighty lonesome to hear 'em cry. I
reckon the woods is right full o'
prowliu' varmints artor nightfall."
"But you have David to take oare
of yon," said Mrs. Wilmot, .'
am
"Yea'm ; nml he's tolerable strong
fur a boy. He kin shoot, too, tnos' ez
well ez his uncle. He's been tnkin1
David cut hutitiu' with him this spring
nud aninmer."
A few weeks after this talk David
bustled into tlio mountain cabin nt
"sundown" in groat excitement.
"Hello, Sissy !" to Lucy "there,
honoy!" to the baby, who was laugh
ing nud gurgling with doligbt to see
him "Brother will lake you inn niin
uto jost ez soon ez lid kin wash his
bands."
David Brown was a plain, freckle
facod boy, ao tanned that his skin was
several shades darker than bis flaxen
hair and polo eyes) but tho swectncai
nnd good humor of bis homely fnes
mndo it a plonsaitt sight to moro than
"David's baby. " Everybody on the
mountain liked David, from the gruff
mountaineers themaolves down to
their curs that snapped nud snarled nt
almost everyone else. As ho whistled
to the baby, who was now changing
bcr rapturous noises to a more imper
ative demand, Spot, his own "yallcr
dog," watched bis every niovmciit
with his keen, blinking eyes, nud tho
black kitten, n recent stray, rubbed
itself botweon his legs with a satisfied
purr, nnd gazed up into his face with
its yellowish-grcou opals,
"You've got hoiiio news, David,"
said his mother, bringing out tho meal
and a sifter.
"Yon are tho bcalin'est ono to
guess, Mother?" exclaimed David, ad
miringly. . "I'vo got a job. Mr.
Jones wants mo to help him to drivo
his cattlo down to tho station tomor
row, and ho'll give mo a man's pay if
wo have 'cm thero ou timo nnd in
good condition. Me nnd Spot'U do
tho job fine, won't we, youug 'nu ?"
nud he held out his bauds to tnko tho
baby.
"Yon set a lot o' sto' by that chilo,
David," observed his mother laugh
ing. "Yes'm. I set a lot o' sto' by tho
bnby and Luoy, too;" nud bo patted
tho older child's head, as she flushed
with delight. It wns not David's way
to forgot any ono.
"Mother, 'spose you take the chil
dren and go with mo cz fur ez Uuclo
Martin's! I don't liko leavin' you all-
a passel o' wimmon-folks," ho said,
laughing nt tho very small one on his
lap "by yo'selvosall day; and mubbo
I'll be back late."
"ItM be powerful louesomo horc,"
answered his mother, "thot's a fuc'.
But how could I know when you was
back?'' she added anxiously.
"Why, I'd 'lowed on raeotin' you
at the dividin' fence 'bout dusk, and
totin' tho baby fur you. An' the
moon 'd be up early ; ef I git back
sooner, I'll oomo up tor the cabiu, but
I'll be eho' ter be at the fence, by
nightfall, auyhow."
Mrs. Brown enjoyed her long,
neighborly day, gotting a new receipt
from sister Martha, and hearing old
Mr. Martin say how "peart" the baby
was, and Luoy as rosy as, a poach
blossom. ' As for David, she never
wearied in talking of him, anil it wus
really dusk before she was fairly
started. The "dividiug fence," u
boundary line between two largo tracts
of mountain laud, was often used as a
trysting place by other than lovers,
aud would save David a good many
steps.
She had wrappod up tho baby well
from the uigbt air, and Uncle Martiu
bud muuy jokes ovor tho huge knot in
which she hud tied a bauduua handker
chief at the back, ''jest cz cf you
wanted ter tote it by a bundle."
Poor mother! If she had only kuowu
the tiso that would be made of this;
but sho did not, aud wcut on hur way
down the steep path in good spirits,
I.uay following close behind.
As they reuohed the fouoe in tho
woods a cloud was over tho moon, and
it was quite dark ; but she could soe a
dim figure on the other side.
"David, have you been waitiu'
long?" she called out, and handed the
baby over in a hurry, turning as she
did so to aoe what waa the matter
with Lucy J for the child clung to her
bkirts in fright and oried ont that it
wasn't David.
When with some difDoulty she hud
lirted her over the feuoe, struggling
and crying still, 'and had herself
cliined ovor Mrs. Brown was not us
aotive hs she had been there was no
one in sight,
"David I" she cried. She beard a
rustling in the bushes i but the moon-
shining tu,t at that instant, showed
the plaao empty. "David I" she cried
again, iu terror.
Then ho appeared just at the bend
of tho mourAfin path whistling chnor
ily nnd with Spot leaping and barking
at his tools. But where was the
bnby ?
For ho hnd called out to her to give
him the ebild as soonnshe had caught
sight ot her, and David wns not given
to fooling. She could not answer for
her sobbing and oryitig-
Lucy tried to toll him the ntrange
story. When she said, "A blg.blaok,
"buggy man," he threw himself on the
ground, examining every mark. Spot
studied too, and his yollow hair be
gan to bristle with rsge, and be
growled fiercely, for there wore sure
ly the recent footprints of some Inrgo
nuimal.
"Mother, run back nnd rouse tho
neighbors. Toll 'cm to bring their
rifles," and, breaking off a stout stick,
Duvld dashed into tho bushes, Spot
springing iu front nnd lending the
chase. '
Once David thought ho heard n half
stifled baby's cry and hurried faster.
For a "common-sized" boy, be was
making good speed; but Madam Bruin
was on the hoinc-streteh,ntid she knew
It.
At Inst he caught a glimpse of a
big, clumsy, dark form, trotting
briskly nlotig with what seomod like a
bundle dangling from its month. He
wus none too soon. The cave in which
the littlo black cubs rolled about, im
patient for their supper, was but a
hundred yards or no distant. He
thought sho must bo near homo by
her quickened gait, and he knew, if
she over got tho bnby inside its black,
yawning mouth, thoro would be no
hope ot bringing it out nlivc.
With tho energy of despair he
darted forwnrd nud gave tho bear a
sharp blow over tho noso with his long
stick. Spot closed iu nt the same
momont, yolping and snapping nt bor
logs.
Tho hugo beast, enraged but not
hurt by thU simultaneous nttuok
dropped the baby, nnd reared up on
her hind legft, looking in the mingled
moonlight and shadow so liko a human
figure that David did not wonder after
ward nt his mother's mistake. She
showed her sharp, white teeth with a
tier co snarl, nud stretched out bcr
forcpnws for a grapple. Sho twas
near her own babies now, and she
meant fight.
' David looked nt tho precious bun
dle. It lay just under tho crestnro's
terriblo claws, nud to attempt to pick
it up would have placed him nttorly
nt tho bear's mercy, unless her atten
tion could bo diverted.
"At her, Spot ! at her, good dog!"
he shouted ; and again be rainod a
shower of blows on ber cyea and nose
so quick aud fierce that, bliuded aud
coufuscd for tho instant, she bucked a
step or two, growling horribly.
Spot inflicted a sharp bito on bor,
hind quarter, and sho turned hor head.
It was his only chuuee. Quick as
flush he seized the baby and fled, loav
ing poor Spot to recoive a tcrriflo blow
from the brute's paws, at which be
too, broke aud ran, tho blood stream
ing from bis wound, and howling at
every jump. ,
Halfway dowu tho mountain they
met tho Martins with dogs and torch
es. The bear, after a fierce fight was
brought to bay aud killed, and the
i cnba taken captive.
Old Martin untied with rough but
trembling fingers the knot ho bad
laughed at the knot which had saved
the baby's soft limbs from the boar's
teeth. David hardly dared to be cor
tain that he bad heard a cry in bis
headlong flight; but when tbey bad
unwrapped fold nftor fold and uufns
tcued tho veil, thero lay tho baby
"David's baby" now, without .doubt
or qtiostiou ns rosy and fresh ns a
flowor-bnd, it big blue eyes full ol
wonder and fright, but ready to smile
nt the first sight of David.
D.ivid was more his mother's hero
than ever. She nevor told the stoiy
without adding:
"Aud ho was jest a common-sized
boy when be douo it 1" Now York
Independent,
Iu the Nearly 100 Years Age.
As long ago as 1821 tho fountaiu
pens wore in use, for - in that . year
Thomas Joffersou saw a ooutrivanoe of
this sort, tried it, and wrote to Gou
oral Bernard Peyton, of Richmond,
asking him to guttone of tlieui. The
peu waa of gold and tho iuk tnbe of
silver, and aocordiug to Joffurson's
letter, the maker was n Richmond
watch repairer, named Cowuu. The
price, he understood, was fivepeuce.
The first Amerioan patent for a foun
tain peu was granted in 1830 to one
Douglass Hyde, but the earliest Eug
dish pstout was issued tweuty-one
years before. Boston Trausorlpt,.
Tofcnp.s of i:oi.ou.
Scarlet or pink or n touch of yellow
are all good colors if sparingly nscd
to brighten nud roliove tbo mouotoncs
of a blue and white room. Any one
of the colors may nlso bo used to keep
a grocn and white room from
monotony. If tho prevailing colors
in a stooping room are pink and white,
nso palo olive, or olive and blue, or
pink and violut for a oontrsst,
ff.mininr Finn nniOAtiR.
Tbo littlo town of Nusaol.in Swedeu,
has a feminino department, 100 strong,
in its fire brigade. Tho wntorworks
of the village oonsist simply ot four
groat tubs, nnd it is tho duty of the
women "llromcn" to koop them full
in case of lire. Tlioy stand in two
continuous lines from the tub to the
lake, about throe streets away, one
line passing tho full buckets, and tho
other sending thoin back. Tit-Bits,
aiib women's feet laikirr?
It is a fact that tbo foot of Ameri
can womon aro growing turgor I Devo
tion to ntbletio exorcises is the cause,
and some one is daring enough to say
that tho dainty, delicate, littlo Ciu
drolla foot that find amplo room in
No. X and No. 2 slippers will bo un
known twonty years from now. Any
exorciso that keeps ono on thn foct for
any groat longth of timo will surely
broaden and flatten tbo foot, aud a
year's steady course in a gymnasium
will show a marked increaso in the
size of tho feet. Now Orloans Pica
yune. WIIKN A FOnTUNB BltlNOS IIRVKIISKS.
When a sudden revorse of Fortune's
whoel brings with it the necessity of
esrning tbo daily bread, the Amorl
enn woman turns instinctively to the
'gontoel'' paths of toil, unskilled
teaohing, drawing, painting, and the
liko, all good starving professions,
which involvo as well an immonso
amount of wear and toar on the ner
vous system. Her British cousin, on
tho other hand, is far more apt to
turn hor attention to moro practical
and profitable pursuits. A largo pro
portion of tho first-class millinery and
dressmaking establishments in Lon
don, for instance, aro ownod and run
by titled dames who hold high posi
tions in the world of aooiety.
Tna AllTS OF IIOMF,
Teobnioal training for girls in tbo
arts of tho home is very much needed
in this oountry. Abroad it is carried
on extensively. Hundreds of institu
tions are maintained by privato sub
scription, others are managed by tbo
proprietors of large manufacturing
establishments, who sea in the training
of the mothers and daughters bettor
labor rosults in the fathers and sons,
and still mora are conducted by muni
cipalities. Many of these schools are
perfect onursesin housekeeping. Tho
pupil begius at the bottom round of
tho ladder, learning how to manipu
late the tools of cleaning, washing, iron
ing.disbwashiug, waiting at table uud all
the rest of tho household detail. She
learns to market aud mako out a pal
atable mouu, aud is taught the nutri
tivo constituents nud economical val
ues of each food served. She must
keep a record of hor expenditures aud
waste. She b-uriis to buy and mako
clothes, aud wheu she enters hor own
homo is fitted to bo its keeper. All
through Germuiiy the schools are
growing in number. Holland, Bel
gium, Wurtemburg, Bavaria, Austria.
Switzerland, Fruuoe nud Italy havo
thriving school intended for tbo most
part for the children of luboring peo
plo. In tbe Uuitcd States tho work
bus barely boon beguu iu the few
kitoheu-garden schools which can be
counted. New York Post. ;
CAST-OFF GARMENT.
Winter aud the spring are tho times
wbon the olothiug of a family is silted
out aud much giveu away, and a wo
man who has worked among the poor,
both in the oities aud in the oountry,
gives a very aonsibla word or two
about the tuattor. She says I "Nevor
give away clothes to poor people that
need mending or buttous or anything
of that sort. Give them away whole
ad clean, and if you have any pieces
of the stuir give thorn also, mid in o)
neat bundle."
The very poor have very little timo
to mend, for all their time is taken iu
the struggle for daily brcsd, aud littlo
of that. People who have not bean
much among thorn cannot realize what
it is to theso poople to havo clothes
givou them, especially for their chil
dren, that are in good condition,
Mended and clean, they are a Josson,
an object lesson that people in other
and moro fortunate olassos do not at
nil understand. Very ofton these poor
women, while doeply grut ;ful for such,
gifts, have nothing to mond clothe
with no tieodlcs and no thread, and
assuredly no pieces to patch with.
Thon, too, they have no time very
ofton, aud very usually no ability to
do tbo work ; and so tbe alothes go on
to the poor little children in the con
dition in which thoy are reoeived. It
is simply thoughtlessness that the
olothiug is so given, and because at
tention has nevor been called to it, for
h would bo a smsll matter for tho
mother whq gives them away to give a
day, if uced bo, to the mending, or to
give it to tlio family seamstress to do,
or, still hotter, to hire some pour
woman who needs the work to do it
and pay her for it, porhnps afterward
giviug hor tho clothing to use herself
or to givo away to tbos9 whom sho
may know of who need tho tilings.
But this last plan must bo carefully
managed, for such clothing mean-,
money nnd could bo pawnod for a
small sum. Unless a persou is known
to be trustworthy it is well to dispense
tho clothing from headqitartors. Never
givo away llnory to any poor people.
It docs them no good, and positive
barm.
They want whole, neat, clean, thin
or thick clothing, as tbe season may
be, but fiuery never. Old silk dresses
nro a ourse and not a blessing, and tho
same with old and soiled ribbons. If
one can find one of tho thrifty conntry
women who knit rag carpets, or who
preparo the rags for the loom, or who.
muke home-made silk curtains, that is
the plnoo to use all such stuft ' Uaally
beautiful onrtains may be made out
of scraps of silk, and sometimes they
aro good enough to be made into little
quilts for cribs, or for the lining of a
comforter...; Those iliistgsarb done in
the country, where thore is more leis
ure than iu tho hnrriod ruth of city
life, nud many a gown is taken home
soiled or crushed, aud spoiled, that
would be a boon to a girl iu the coun
try where the summer boa been spent..
It is certain that attention need only
bo called to the matter to briui? about
a reform as to how clothes are given
away aud where also what. It is as
tonishing as ouo goes through the
world to find how very generally peo
ple are ready to help one another."
Chicago Reoord.
' FANHIO NOTES.
The newest coats are saoque shape,
and extend only two inohes below the
ws 1st.
With tho wide nse of corselets and
girdles, buckles and fancy buttons ar
becoming more popular thau over be
fure. Tbo wiutar roses of thin crumpled
crepe and velvet aro lovely. They
seem to shade liko the real down of a
rojo petul.
Comb aigrettes imitating the tail
fjutbur of a bird of parudiso uru duz
zlingly bountiful aud are marvels of
tho jeweler's skill.
For the back of a ribbon bolt thero
is a steel buckle six inches wide sud
bout to tho figure, with loops of rib
bon above and bulow the canter of tho
buckle.
Buckles are begiuuiug to appear iii
the front of the wide corselet belt,
aud those oouie iu steel and paste, iu
sleudor shapes and in lengths of six to
ten inches.
Tho luteal buttons aro square and
ara rather large iu steel, enampl,
paste, pearls of every oolor.set in cut
steel sud a new composition that im
itates mother-of-pearl very well
There mukt be a touoh of black ia
thu seusou'a cloth gown if it lays any
- . 41 . I. .1
Claims io lusuiou. udueruuy iu
somber hue is woveu in the good,
often so subtly thut it is ouly b ill
seen.