I
I
I
The business of this country it
luiilt upon its farms ns n foundation.
Illinois spends nt lenst 00(1, 001) a
your In punishing criminals. It spends
Bcnrcoly anything for their reform.
The flovcrnor of Pennsylvania makes
l strong iileu for belter school fneili
ties in rnrnl districts in order to check
the tendency of country youth to re
move to the citiiin.
Hir Lnpel (Iriflin Rives the pnpiiln
tinn of the fiimiue districts in India in
41,500,000. The cablegram tiny thnt
a million and n quarter nre now em
ployed on Government relief work,
but such relief seems to be wholly in
adequate. Asbestos has recently been applied
by a Massachusetts firm to tbo maun
factnre of iihoes for woihingmcn em
ployeil in foundries nnd smelting
works. It is asserted tlmt the new
shoes, besides being more comfort,
nble, cost less thnn lenther shoes nnd
went' indefinite! v.
Tames It. Francisco, who died in
Fremont, Ohio, tlio other dny, was
one of the oldest engineers in this
country. He rnu the John Hull en
gine which was brought from England
in 18-'ifl nnd was put on the Cnmden
nnd Amboy Railway to take the place
of horses tbnt hnd formerly hnuled
tbo cars, Tbnt famous cngiuo was ex
hibited at the World's Fair.
It appears that one of the new conn
tries which nre next to surprise the
world is Siberiu.notes Harper's Week
ly. The surveyors nnd investigators
who have been looking into its re
sources and possibilities along the
proposed lino of tlio train-Siberian
railway report, as is no doubt their
business, that it has most things that
ought to bo stored in a great uudeveU
oped country minernls to burn and
others to smelt, great stretches of ngri
cultural laud, abundant wood, navi
gable rivers, and numerous other pos
sibilities of emolument. It is possible
that it' ever thu raw materinls of civil
ization which Russia controls arc
worked up, tlio United States will bo
relieved of tbo embarrassment of be
lieving itself to bo the greatest thing
on earth.
The past year has been a moment
ous one. Important questions have
ugituted many peoples, battles have
been tonght, political campaigns have
bcou waged ; political policies over
turned; discoveries in ado by daring
adventurers nnd painstaking students;
great disasters have wrought ruin
and denth. Amid the muss of events
the following seem to stand out with
greatest distictuess ns being those
that will make the year memorable:
The presidential campaign nnd elec
tion; Cuba's revolt nnd American
sympathy; general election in Cun
nda; the Manitoba question; settle
ment of the Venezuelan dispute;
Soudan expedition; Italy's fiasco in
Abyssinia; Dr. Jameson's raid; St.
Louis cyclone ; N'aiisuu's expedition;
discovery of X rays.
Tlio changes in dairying during the
past ilfteon years aro not appreciated
by one farmer in ten. Then, cream
cries were almost unknown, but now,
as Major Alvord says, there are 10.00C
creameries in thu country. Probably
25,000 cream separators are in Use in
America aud "Ibis one change prac
ticully obliterates the limitations ol
butter making due to climatio condi
tions, nnd butter factories can now
be operated without ice, about as well
iu Mississippi aud Missouri, as in
Maine and Minnesota." The Pacitlo
States, Colorado, Nebraska and other
states, lately largo buyers from the
east, are now supplying themselves
with bolter, mniuly with cheese, aud
often sending from their surplus to
neighboring states, nnd many of our
largo dairy markets feel these changes,
jn the controversy in Congressover
the adoption of a copyright law (a
controversy which culminated in the
pussugu of the Draper bill by both
branches of Coiigrem) the statement
was made that there wero 5,000 thea
tres and opera bousos iu the Uuited
States, representing u cost of $10,000
to $1,000,000 eaob. (fliese theatres
employ 50,000 persons exclusive of
actors and actresses. Upward of 400
manuscript plays written or owned by
citizens of the United Stutes are
played nightly. They give employ,
went to from 5,000 to 0,000 actors.
The cost of proJueiug these manu
script plays ruuges from 82,000 to
825,000 ui.ob, aud the purposo of the
new btulnle is to give jndgo of Ibe
Uuited Slates oourts full jurisdiction
over thu matter aud to make the
penalty imposad iu one circuit opera
tive throughout the country for un
authorized performances.
Washington in Danger.
Anil How He Was Saved by Ilctsev Ann messing.
N Iho summer of the
year of grnce 1770,
nrmy was stationed
in New York, the
commander-in-chief,
General Washing
ton, was indulging
in a brief restintr
spell after dinner when ho was np
pronched by an orderly, who saluted
and said :
"A young woman who calls herself
Betsey Ann Blessing would Lave
speech with Your Exoellcncy."
"Betsey Ann Blessing," repented
Washington, with a momentary shrug
of irritation; "wbo is she, and why
may she not defer her business nntil
to-morrow? I warrant me thnt her
lover is a prisoner of war, nnd sho is
rendy to swenr that ho is a loynl
Whig. What think you, Holdfast?"
"If you please, Your Excellency,
she is well favored, ns far ns I could
know from her crying, lot she is in
sore trouble.
"Aye! I am n true soothsayer 1
Crying, is she? Show her in, Hold
fast, and sco that the guard trouble
ber not. I misdoubt my own
judgment in giving nmlicnce to
strangers in theso troublous times.
It mayhap tbnt Mistress Blessing
prove a traitor in disguise."
The orderly soon returned, ushering
in a girl so young she appeared like a
child, nnd indeed, acted liko ouo, for
no sooner did she stand iu the presence
of the great man than she seized his
hand tbnt hand of stalwart propor
tions nnd dropping on her Knees
kissed it with the ardor of a devotee.
Mennwhilo tbo tears streamed down
her face in pi to mis torreuts and her
form shook with suppressed emotions.
sl3
i..w.aiii mivui iu.i imj iail.1i i mi - r -.r. uufc.'s.Li.Aji
TO-CXI. .5S&-Si5r3!s!
Wn r 1 i 1 n to i y Tomb tit Mt. Vernon.
Washington bnd n tender heart and
he was greatly distressed by this un
usual scene,
"You hnve something to eny?"ho
asked gently. "Speak on, but I beg,
my child, that you ceaso weeping."
"Oh, Your Exocllcncy you are too
kind," said the girl, nnd, rising to her
feet, she uncovered a beautiful down
cast faoe, whioh glowed pink and dewy
through her tours liko a rain-washed,
sun-kissed rose.
"Now, MistroBS Blowing," said
Washington, in bis kindest manner,
"tell me what brings you hither and
what your errand mny be?"
"I came hither to savo Your Ex
cellency's life," was tho startling re
sponse. Instead of laughing at tho nppnront
presumption of tho weeping girl, be
bade her tell him everything, promis
ing her immunity from punishraont in
case her news was not as weighty as
she anticipated.
Thus enoourngod, she bogan her
story.
"On the morrow Your Exsellonoy is
to dine with several offioors of your
command under guard?"
"How know you that, girl?" askod
Washington, much surprised.
"Yonr Excellenoy will lay certain
plans against the enemy before the
company ?"
"Proceed !" commanded Washing
ton, sternly.
"Among the dishes set before Yonr
Excellency will be a new vegetablo of
wbioh you are very fond."
"Ah," laughed the General, "you
Lave lost or forgotten an order from
the kitoben. Here is, indeed, a new
vert ion of the mountain and the
mouse."
"I know not, graeious sir, what
meaning that bath of the mountain
and tho mouse," cried Betsoy, "but if
a mess of green peas be served at the
table on, the morrow I beg and be
seech yon, sir, sot to taste of them!"
"Wherefore, Mistress Blessing?"
asked Washington in bis iter uout man
ner The peas will be poisoned 1"
"How know yon this?" demanded
the general in the tone whioh niado
bis soldier, quail when thoy beard it. !
Speak, and tee that yon trifle not
with me. Nay, child, do not fear I If
whnt you sny be true, not vou, but
the traitor who planned the dastardly
deed shnll stiller!"
"o! no?" retorted the trembling
girl, "no one must suffer! Is It not
enough that I have dared to come into
a lion's jnws to tell of the deed, to en
sure safety for the designer thereof?
Now thnt I have warned Your Excel
leney, permit me to retire from your
distinguished presence."
General Washington gave a signal
and instantly an nrraod guard of sol
diers responded,
"Arrest this girl 1" Le snid sternly,
"nnd keep her under gunrd nntil such
time as sho send for mo to confess her
fault!"
" That will I never, though I die in
prison !" was the defiant reply, ns the
girl, who had entered bowed and
weeping raised her Lend proudly nnd
wnlkcd out with the soldie.s liko n
young queen.
All was tumult in the kitchens at
Richmond Hill, nnd cooks wero run
ning about getting into ono nuother's
way, when a fair-haired youth in the
garb of a serving man loiterod in nnd
made his way unobserved to the great
fireplace,, where he uncovered tho
skillets in which the vegetables were
simmering on the hearth. When bo
came to thnt ouo containing tho pens
he dropped iu a handful of somo con
diment, and instantly took bis depar
ture. His noxt appenranco was nuder the
window of that room in which Mis
tress Blessing was incarcerated.
"Hist! Sweetheart! Tho dose is
ready. Keep heart until the morrow,
when I will myself relense thee to ride
pick-n-bnek on my roan horse. It is
4
told in tho town that Betsey Ann Bless
ing is arrested for a spy. Koep up
your courngo, sweetheart I"
"If you would befriond me, bctako
yoursolf to somo safer place," whimp
ered Botsoy's voioe through the bnrrod
window high nbovo him. "A halter
will be ready for your neck if you nre
seen or suspected, nnd listen if yonr
doso takes efioct, you are no longer a
lover of mine 1"
Tho youth went away, grumbling
about all being fair in lovo and war.
If Washington was different from
his usual self at that bUtorio dinner,
tho fact has not beeu recordod. Thero
was much secret disonssion of woighty
affairs with bis guosts, but be gave
close attention to tho viands sot be
fore bim. It was not, however, until
tlio vegetables woro served that ho
made any allusion to the food. When
his favorite vogotablo, a dish of grcou
pens, was uncovered, he doraauded at
tention, and wbeu all were silont re
marked in a loud voice :
"There is death in tho pot 1"
A great oxoitemeut ensued; the
guofts, who wore in full uniform,
drew their swords and murmurs of
"death to tho traitor I" wero beard on
every side.
Then Washington sent for Mistress
Blessing, wbo came with a defiant
light in her eye, aud was given the
seat of honor at ber host's right hand.
She took it with a dignity that called
forth approving and admiring com
ments. Soldiers are proverbially gal
laut, and those of "70" were no ex
ception to the rule.
A servant was next sent out by the
Commander-in-Chief on a poouliar
errand. He returned, bringing with
him a live and particularly active
obioken, wbioh partook eagerly of tho
dish of peas.
And in five minutes by the watch it
lay dead in their midst.
Betsey Ann Blessing married ber
lover, alter turning bim into a patriot,
aud Washington himself gave away
tho bride. How much bo knew re
mained bis own secret, but green peas
.never afterward graced his table or
were alluded to in bis oouvcrautiou,
Detroit Free Frew,
WASIIIJWroVN HELPMATE.
Martha Washington Wns at Stately
anil Noble Woman.
All neoounts agree that Martha
Washington wns n noble woman.
She was in ber youth beautiful, nnd
in ber old age was as stately and im
prossivo as Washington hlmsolf, though
lacking bis commanding stature.
Mnrtha Washington was born a
Dnndridge, nnd became Curtis by her
first marriage. Whon Washington
made her acquaintance nhe was a
widow with small children, and some
yenrs older than himsoif.
It is on this account that many hnve
nssnmed thnt Washington married
Mrs. Custis for her wealth. There wi a
no reason to suppose so. Washington
wns already a wealthy raau, ns the heir
of bis dend brother, Lawrence. Hi
estate of Mount Vernon was one of tbo
finest in Virginia, and Mrs. Custis hnd
children, nnd wns t bavo grandchil
dren, to set np in the world. A calcu
lating man might have foreseen tbeso
things. It wns the custom of the times
for a husband to manage his wifo's es
tate, aud in this capacity Washington
was never niggardly in dealing with,
tho Custis boirs. For tlmt matter,
Mrs. Custis was hersolf what is called
n "capable" woman.
There is other cvidenco thnn tho
merely negative. Washington wore
always about his neck a loaket-minia-turo
which served to remind bim of
tho fenturcsof his beloved wife. He
hnd her at bis side in camp and in bin
travels, whenever it was reasonably
possible
Aud she was a wotnnn worthy his
nffeolion. Edmund Pendloton traveled
with Washington to the Congross which
decreed the Revolutiou in 1770. In a
lotter to bis wife he said : "Mm.
Wasbinpton.as we were dopartiug from
Mount Vernon, addressed Mr. (Patrick)
Henry and myself liko a true spartan,
Sho said to us: 'You must stand firm
for America, I know that Georgo
will.'"
Early Education of Washington.
Our great President received bnt a
poor scholiutio training, as judged by
Nineteenth Century standards. He
wns lnrgoly self-taught, nnd bis writ
ings have been so carefully editod as
to remove all traoes of mistakes in
spelling, grammar nnd rhetoric
But Washington's education was of
WARiiiNnTos'a Mornrin.
a bigbor typa than raero book-learning
can produoe. He was developed
into greatness by the molding pressure
of stupondons events, wbiob, with
rapidly increasing weight, forced out
the fire and vigor contained beneath
his somewhat calm exterior. He was
a general and statesman in the highest
sense ot those titles, wuen be drove
the British out ol Boston 'in 1776,
None disputed bim the foromost posi
tion after that. And there is many a
ripe specimen of knowledge who would
find it impossible to achieve Washing,
ton's results, oven were the opportun
ity given.
Times Cliniige,
"I toll you the time iu whie'u one
lives has a great effect ou bis career.
Take Washington, for instance."
"Well, what of him?"
"VVhatot bim? Do you suppose a
man who would persist iu telling the
truth at all times in theso days would
ever get further in public lifo tuuu
notary public?" Harper's Bazar,
181 A
mtntmr. WAsmxoTny,
tub snow limn.
When all the ground with snow Is w lite,
'J'hi! merry snowbird comes
And Imps nlmiit with Krent (IHIxlit
To fl tho scattered eruinln.
How gla I he seems to get to eat
A pleea of cake or lireail.
Ho wears no shoes upon his fuot
Nor bat upon his li -iul.
Hut happlcnt Is ho, 1 know,
lleeaiisii no cntro with lairs
Keeps III in from wallilmr In the snow
And printing It with stars.
Frank I:-inpsti-r Klierinnn.
Tim JAPANESE StW YEAR.
The J.ipatiesu literally "turn over a
now leaf ou New Year's day; Iho
houso is cleaned nnd swept, new gar
ments nre made, tbo family shrines nro
brightened up. All debts nre paid,
and even tbo streets nro elaborately
decorated with bamboo, pine and
other native plants aud festoons of
tiny oranges, Tbo national flag the
risiug sun ou a wnito ground floats
from every house-front ; tbo girls, iu
their best clothes, powdered nnd
painted, (day battledore and shuttle
cock, tbo boys lly kites great mon
sters painted ou paper stiireucd by
bomboo strips nnd tbo very small
children play with pretty balls made
of cotton aud wound with various
colored silk threads.
All work stops, and for tbreo days
presents nro exchanged. Tlicsi are
usually sweetmeats put up in decorated
boxes of wood or paper. Chicago
Bei.'ord.
SNOW-VACIIT OP TUB BASSWOOD.
Have you ever seen the Kuow-yacbts
of tbo basswood? Almost any breezy
day iu early winter tliey frolic swiftly
' over tbo snow in tbo parks or iu tbo
woods. There is a funny little browu
sail about three inches long curled nt
tbo edges and looking very much like
a dried leaf. At the center of this
thero is a BHff stem with soveral little
green balls banging at the cud of it.
Wbeu tbo wind blows it catches tbo
sail nnd whisks it over the snow or
ice, nnd tho balls nro dragged along
behind, liko anchors.
This snow-yacht, sail and all, grows
ou tbo basiiwood tree in tbo summer.
The balls are tbo bassw-jod's fruit aud
tliu sail is a little bract. It baugg fast
to tbo limb until all of tbo leaves nre
gone ii lid good sleighing comes. Then
the winter winds twist it off, nnd it
falls to tbo surface of tbo snow, to bo
driven lar away from tbo parent tree.
In tbo little balls aro tbo basswood
seeds, nnd when the yacht is finally
lost in u drifted fonco curlier or near
a rottou log tlio bulls remain still until
tlio suow melts, and then the seeds
fall into t lie ground and a young bass
wood t-protitH, Naturo bus provided
this marvelous way for tho basswood
to scatter its seeds, sometimes for
miles across tlio suow.
t:ik m:VAiti) of onr.Dircs-cR.
An English paper revives the follow
ing pretty littlu "story with u moral,"
It is really tbo amplified version of a
Persian proverb:
A Persian mother gave her son 40
pieces of silver and ma I t him swear
never to toil a lie. "Go, my son,"
sue said. "I commit theo to God's
cure ; and wo shall not meet again."
Thu youth left tbo bouse nnd tlio
parly with whom bo traveled wero as
sailed by robbers. Ono of tlieiu asked
the boy what hu bud, aud he said,
"Forty florins aro sdwn in my
clothes." Too robb.-r htugliod, feel
ing certain that tbu boy jested. An
other naked him thu same ques
tion and reouived tbo samu answer.
At lust thu chief culled him aud
asked bim what bo had. The boy re
plied, "I have told two of your meu
already that I have forty pieces of sil
ver sovvu in my clothes." The chief
ordered the garments to be ripped
open, aud tho discovery of the money
proved the boy to be moro truthful
than most meu. "How oam you to
toll this?" uskud tbo chief. "Because,"
said the boy, "I would uot bo false to
my mother, whom I protuisod uever
to tell a lie." "Child," said tho rob-
ber, "uru you so mindful of your duty
to your mother, aud am I so forgetful
at uiy ago of tho duty I owe to my
God? Give me your hand that I may
swear ropuulaueo on it. " lie did so
nnd his followers, Impressed by hit
example, said: "You have bonn our
leader iu guilt; be tho samu in Ilia
path of virtue." And, taking tbo
boy's hand, they all took an onth to
repent;
WRITIXn WITH RT.enRT INK.
Somo of our boys and girls wlm
wish so carry on a secret correspond
ence with their friends should try in
visible or sympathetic ink. A whole
pngo mny be filled with writing nnd
still be entirely white, ns if there
wasn't a word npon it. In this way it
mny be seut any distance, and no one
can find out whnt it contnins. But tho
person who receives it knows tbo se
cret of "bringing out" tbo writing so
that it may easily bo read.
Ono of the simplest of tbeso invisi
ble inks is a very dilute solution of
sulphuric acid. Buy live cents' worth
of the noid at n drug storo nnd pour
in a considerable quantity of water, nt
lenst tbreo or four times ns much ns
there is of the iicid. Now, writo with
this solution, using an ordinary pen,
nnd blot tbo surplus "ink" us you go
ulong. To miko tbo writing show
black, nil your correspondent has to
do is to hold tho lotter close to a hot
stove, when presto! out ootno the
letters aud words ono by one, so that
they mny easily be read.
Auotuer good secret ink, moro diffi
cult to bring o it than tbo ono already
mentioned, can be niado by using a
cheap solution of sugar of lead. To
bring out tho writteu words it is nec
essary to spongo tbo letter with a solu
tion of sulphured of ammonia.
Another simple secret ink is mnda
of a solution of ordinary starch. A
letter writteu with this will remain en
tirely invisible until it is washed with
a solution of iodine, which quickly
brings out tlio writing.
Iu using nccivt ink it is boat to writo
an ordinary letter telling about the
weather and cither litiimjioitaut things
nnd tbeu between thu lines writo with
the secret ink. This will servo to load
quite nstrny nny ono wbo sees the let
ter, because there could bo no suspi
cious of nnythiiig writteu between tbo
lines. Chicago Record.
A HOl THAT CHEWS ClfM.
Black Michael, or Mike, for short,
is the name of a littlo cocker spaniel
living in Ij iko avenuc,ucur4tth street,
Chicago, Ho came all tho way from
Colorad by express, nailed np iu a
wooden box with siats across the top.
On the sid i of tho box was painted
in black letters, "Please givo mo a
drink," so that tbo baggageman would
not forget bim.
Sinco be has lived in Chicago he
has acquired tho piculiar habit of
chewing gum. It took l.im a long
time to learn that gum is not to be
treated ns food, but it is t bo chewed
forever nnd never Kwullowed. Before
bo learned the way of it ho was very
funny in his efforts to dispose of gum
is ho was accustomed to dispose of
everything that found its way to his
mouth.
Tbo first time a piece was given to
bim ho chewed quietly t it for a min
ute or two. When bo found that it
stayed just- tile same size aud would
not separate, bu treated it us lie would
a tough piece of meat, put bis bond
low down and chewed with moro
energy. But nothing happened, tho
queer stuff still stuck together aud re
fused to slido down his throat. Then,
bo threw bis head back an 1 bit augrily
at it, opeuiiig his mouth wide and
coming down on it with nil his might.
During this lively process the pieeo
of gum fell out of his mouth, aud ho
lay down on the floor all tired out,
mid looked nt tlio dented littlo wad in
disgust.
He is a gritty littlo fellow and ho
made np his mind ho would get the
best of that still', woatover it was. So
he soon got up, walked all arouud it
as it lay on thu floor, sniffing suspi
ciously, nud then pounced ou it sud
denly. Of course, it stuck to his
paw, and then bo was angrier thuu,
ever. Ho finally succeeded in getting
it off with his teeth, and tbeu he went
ut it again. He barked loudly, run
uing around it and pushing it with
his nose, but hu would not givo up,
nnd after many trials ho began to gut
tlio bung uf it und to enjoy chewing
it, Tho hubit has growu ou hint
steadily, and now be suillU nuder the
window sills and chairs and if the
small boy who lives in tbo sanu house
lias left his gum sticking arouud, he
is sure to lose it altogether. For
Miko Liiuws it off, uud putting his lit
tle Ktubby tail dowu goes off to a
corner, aud for uu hour is pcrfuutly
happy.