Soudan Is to linvo ft newspaper nnd
till modern improvements. Tho prin
cipal improvement now in contempla
tion is tho iunblity to get anything to
drink,
t'niqne Japan, original in nrt, orig
inal iu literature, original in thought,
has conceived n cabinet tlio members
of which nve absolutely without party
affiliations. Ami tlio world looks ou
with amusement tempered ly amaze
luout. ,
According to tho methods of tho
present day militarism, it routs the
powers across tho water about $'150,
000,000 ft year to "preserve tho
pcaco" of F.uropp. Pence is a good
thing, but it should 1 o possible one
wonld think, to find some shutter and
easier ronl to it th.m that.
On European railways tho practice
of issuing fire transportation is nl
most unknown. In England there is
nn interchange, of passes between tho
chief oflleials of the road, but only to
a vory liniiteil extent. On the conti
nent of Europe e'.eii this prnetico
does not prevail n.'d cash payments
nre required fur nil forms of railway
transportation.
A correspondent of tho London
Daily News notes the growth of tho
so of English on the continent.
Wherever ho went he was nblo to eon
verse with Ktntesmen nnd diplomatists
iu his native tongue. Ho found that
ns a rule tlio governing classes iu Ku
ropo would understand nnd spcnU
English. In tho Russian royal fami
ly especially, English is the familiar
langnnge of conversation. Tho czar,
for instance, invariably speaks Eng
lish to the czarinnnnd his little daugh
ters. The decline of population is said to
have become utmost as serious a prob.
lem in the Kingdom of Greece ns it is
iu tho French republic, and the patri
ots are offering all sorts of schemes
for its solution. The most amusing
of all, snys the Westminster (Snzette,
is the suggestion of an Athenian jour
nal that the constituencies should re
fuse to listen to tho address of any
candidate for a seat in parliament
whatever may be his virtues or what
ever his party unless he bo a married
man! This universal demand of mat
rimony as a qualification for legisla
tion, our Greek contemporary thinks,
would exercise a powerful influence
npon the sottish bachelors of Hellas.
What splendid opportunities it would
give for "heckling," if it were only
partially adopted, we need scarcely to
ay.
The United States has a higher rep
utation for locomotive building than
any other country in tlio world, and
the Baldwins of Philadelphia, the
Brookses of Providence, the Schenec
tady Locomotive works, t lie Richmond
(Va.) company and other builders are
now shipping locomotives to nearly
every country on earth. Tho Chinese
government has recently ordered
eighty-three locomotives from tho
Baldwins, who send them also to the
British government roads in Egypt.
The Richmond company has recently
sent a shipload of locomotives to Rus
sia, the Schenectady company has
aohl a great many iu Japan, and there
is scarcely a nation where the whistlo
of an Amoricun locomotive cannot be
beard. Even the emperor of Germany
was hauled by an American locomo
tive when he went from Julia to Jeru
salem. At a recent meeting of the 'New
England Association of School Super
intendents a report was presented on
legislative enactments, by a commit
tee appointed a year ngo. This com
mittee consisted of the highest educa
tional oflicer in each of the six New
England states, and one purpose iu its
creation was to initiate a movement
for the extension to the smaller and
feebler towns of the superior facilities
as to education now at the service of
the ohildren in the cities. On this
point the committee' recommends that
the state supplement local effort in
providing such facilities, with due re
gard, however, to local interest iu the
eohools, and to local self-reliance iu
maintaining and inauugiug them. Oth
er recommendations are that laws for
compulsory school atteudauoe should
be more stringently enforced, that
there should be some minimum stand
ard of professional traiuiug for the
teachers, and that school committees
should be required to appoint super
, internments of schools especially traiued
and qualified to exercise that direct
educational oversight of the schools
that experience has found to be so
helpful to efficiency therein, auch
email towns as are unable independ
ently to employ superintendents to be
united into districts for such employ
ment, aud to be sufficiently aided by
: the state to insure lue success of tha
plan.
THE LITTLE RED SLED.
It snows! and a bsvy of rollicking boys
Aro shouting their nice In the streets!
My heart, ns it shnrns In their jubilant joys,
Htnrts up with it livelier bent.
Dut nil In n hrenth it Is henvy ns lend
Anil spnnks In A sorrowful tone,
As I think, with nsluh, of n little, rod Bind
That Is up Iu the attic, clone.
Oh, Hint little, red sled and tho talcs It could
tell.
With tlio raws It won. for n themo,
F.ro th Utile boy captain, who guided It
well.
Had wandered nwny In a dp'nm.
As swift a the winds' of thu wind wns tho
Ilk-lit
liown the lontf curving courses they sped,
While ns proud ns n prlnco nnd ns bravo as
a knight
Was the boy on that little, red sled.
A It harks to his playfellows merrily shout,
The little, red xlcil must know
It is time the K"0'l captain came, sturdy and
stout.
To welcome the potnlng of snow.
It is wondering why he Is w.iiting so Ion?
To portion his plnv with the rest.
That I'ov who was llrst In the frolicsome
throng.
And w hoso little, red sled was best.
And I know that good captain, wherever he
Is,
Could I hnrk to bis whisper, would snv
"l is his pleasure that marvelous racer of
hi
Shall join 111 the Joys of today.
I shad lead It where greetings aro lusty nnd
Ion I
Where hrawn and where heriuty W bred.
And tlio brnvest and eomellst hoy in tho
crowd
Hlmll ride on that little, red sled.
- Nixon Waterman, in 1.. A.W. liulletln.
i A. NHW ENGLAND
ivnit
i i
IX Li
Miss Hannah Davis sat in her ac
customed rocker and began to sway
gently to nnd fro. Rocking wns help
ful to thinking, nnd just now she was
perplexed.
It was a question of conscience a
New England conscience nt that ;
moreover, it began with a capital C.
"I've got it in the honsc.nnd I might
as well make it up," she mused.
It" wns a dress a silk dress a
relic of days gone by.
"It's been lying thero all these
years," sho went on, "and it seems
real kind of sinful packed away there
and not doing a soul a mite of good.
It isn't right to have things put away
'whero moth and rust doth corrupt."
She quoted this Bible authority
with satisfaction.
"And 'twill look awful handsome
made up. I guess 'twould be becom
ing, too."
She blushed guiltily, ns if the
thought were too vaiu for contempla
tion. "And it would save me buying, too,"
she added, hastily. "My old alpaca
isn't very good. I've turned nnd
washed it till it really ain't dpcont.nnd
'twould cost considerable to buy n
new one. And this dress all right in
the house and costing nothing. I
s'pose folks would think I w as terribly
extravagant, but then, I don't carp. I
guess if I give the money I'd take for
a new black dress and give it to tho
missionary society, and wear tho silk
instead, nobody can lind fault; but
then, I ain't obliged to tell 'cm any
way. Ihev don t know how much I
give to church purposes, and they
could it t say nothing even if I bought
the silk outright. But then I ain't
doing that. It's really saving. And
it's nwful handsome, too," she. .added
iu nu nudeatoiie.
Miss Hannah surveyed herself in
the small mirror. She readjusted the
light, nnd then moved it from one
side to the other, that she might seo
the image reflected more clearly. It
was a very neat little figure that she
saw. A somewhat wrinkle 1 face, yet
with a touch of youth nnd a pleased
light in the steel-blue eyes.
"I shall look better .than any one
there," she said naif aloud.
"As well as any one," she cor
rected.
"And I shan't tell any one that it's
an old silk made over. That ain't
necessary. Yon needn't tell all you
know, Auut Jane used to say, and I'm
sure she was a very good woman."
She smiled happily as she gavo one
parting glance and turned away.
There was a perceptdile stir when
Miss Hanunh Davis, closely followed
by hor sister-in-law, entered the par
sonage. "Hannah Davis's got a new dress,"
somo ouo whispered loudly as she
passed through a little knot of women
on the way to the bedroom to lay aside
her wraps.
"Aud it'a a silk one, too."
The eyes of the entire assembly
were ou her as she emerged from the
little room and sank down iuto the
nearest empty chair without making
the usual round of handshaking.
"She feels stuck up," ono wouiau
whispered to hor neighbor, "Well, I
guess a silk dress don't make her any
better'n the rest of us." The speaker
reared her head aud spoke across the
intervening workers to Miss Hanuuh.
"We were just talking about a sub
scription, Miss Huuuuh," she said in
a very audible tones. - "It's for the
Leavitt's. You know them. They've
had awful luck lately, aud there's a
lot due ou the mortgage, and we
thought if we could just give them a
little lift it would be roul Christian
like. "
"I think 'twould be real nice,"Miss
Hannah assented warmly. "I'll be
glud to give something, though I can't
give much, yon know."
She blushed as she spoke. All eyes
were on her iu the most uncomfor
table wuy. Why did they kind of
smiley
They must know she didu't have
much money.
Could she afford to give fifty cents,
she woudered.
"Well, how much will you give?"
' The roice caiuenrith startling distinctness.
"Fivo dollars, say?"
Miss Hannah started visibly. What
wore thoy thinking of? Her hands
fell into her Inp. They touched tho
smooth silk. It must be the dress.
"It's an old" she started to say,
hut tho words died on hor lips.
" lint did yon say? her tormentor
leaned forward.
Tho minister's w ifo was standing iu
tho door, smiling.
Miss Hnnnnli shut her lips tight.
"Yes, you can put me down for
flvc," she snid in n metallic voice.
A thrill seemed to pass through tho
room. 1 lion soma now comers en
tered, nnd eager nttcntiou was turned
to them.
. "I hope you renlizo thnt you r.ro
properly punished for your sinful
pride, Hanmili Davis," she said, ns
she locked tho door of her little room
that night, nnd hastily took olV the
oll'oiiding dress,
"It was vanity nil tho time (tint
made you do it, and you knew it, but
tried to salvo your conscience with
Saying it was 'economy.' "
Shu spoko rapidly.
"If you was so terribly anxious
about being economical," scornfully,
''why didn't you make over that
liingeiitn delaine? 'Twonldn't linvo
In en half ns becoming, but 'twould
have been just as economical. But
you didn't think of that, did you?" A
pause. ,
"And then yon tried to hush your
conscience by saying you'd give Mio
money a new druss would cost to the
missionary society.
"And now now you've gone and
given 85 to that woman for her sub
scription, and it's a sin to spend
money you can't afford."
She stared hard nt tho dress.
"And then you nre scared into it
because you w ns so proud, and prido
is another sin. You didn't want them
to think but what you could buy tho
dress and give nwny money, too. Tlmt
makes three sins."
She closed her lips tight, then re
solutely crossed the room and wrapped
a chiin pieuo of cotton about the neatly
folded dress.
Then she went to tho little daven
port and wrote two notes.
Into ono she slipped n five dollar
bill, and directed it to the treasurer of
the missionary society, then she
directed the other to tlio minister's
wife and went steadily across the room
and pinned it ou the bundle.
"1 shall send it over tho first thing
iu tho morning." she sni.l.
A happier light crept into her eyes
ns she blew out the candle.
"I guess my conscience will rest
ensier now," she said. Commercial
Tribune.
ADMIRAL DEWEY'S AD.
lie Is Itgnrdpil ns n Fiiililon rinttt Tor
lie Amprlenn Nitvy.
If there is any one tiling which
pleases Admiral Dewey it is neatness
in dress. He has never been known
to set n bnd example in this respect,
and is regarded by his subordinates
as a fashion plate for tho American
navy. One of the standing orders
following tho establishment of routine
duty iu the fleet when there wire no
more Spanish ships to light was ono
requiring nil officers to wear their
white uniforms.
Ono day a certain paymaster named
Martin, who is ufllicted w ith nn ab
liorniully bushy growth of l t d w hiskers
and a figurj of pronounced rotundity,
visited the Olympia on business con
nected with his department. As tho
paymaster mounted tho gangway ho
was seen by Admiral Dewey, nnd n
frown gathered on tho brow of the
autocrat of tho fleet. Paymaster
Martin was n sight to provoke a laugh
from n ship's figurehead. Ho was ar
rayed in a dun-colored suit of duck, n
loosely woven undervest resombling a
sweater showed beneath his jacket,
and ou uis head was one of thoso
enormous cork helmets with n circum.
ferenco eqtiul to that of an umbrella.
"Orderly, tell Paymaster Martin I
wi.sh to see him nt one.-, "said Admiral
Dewey, and the orderly sought tho
paymaster w ith a grin on his face. A
few moments later aud the paymaster,
vory much pleased with being no
orded the honor of visiting the qunr-tor-dock,
stood before the admiral
and executed ouo of his very best
salutes.
"Paymaster Martin," said tho
admiral in his chilliest touos, "I think
you nre drunk,
"I beg your pardon, admiral I
assnre yon I am not drunk I -1 am
perfectly sober," stammered the pay
master, staggeiing under the blow his
complaisance had received.
"i still think you have been drink
ing," continued tho little man in spot
less white, "for I can't believe yon
would come aboard this ship sober
wearing such an outlandish uniform.
Go back to your ship, sir, aud dou't
let me ever see soother violation of
orders like this."
AdvuncMt Kiliuslloii In India.
A native of Bombay, bearing the
name of Tata, has just devoted a large
part of his estate to the promotion of
scieutifio research. To a provisional
committee he has offered lauded prop
erty sufficient to yield lOl'.OOO a year,
or the par eqnivaleut in rupees which
have the same local purchasing pow er.
He means this to form the nucleus of
an endowment of a post-graduate uni
versity like the now famous Johns
Hopkins university of Bultimore. Mr.
Tata seeks to realize, or at least to
make a notable beginuingiu realizing
this ideal. Even meu like the Ben
gali physicist, Mr. Bose, have shown
what technical science can make of
Asiatics trained on right lines, Mr. Ta
ta's offer is the outcome of careful ob
servation aud the consulting of experts
in Great Britain and ou the coutiuent
of Europe, in Lahore, also, the lute
Hirrtar Dyal Singh has left 8400,000 iu
rupees at par for a college. Brot Wlyu
Citizen.
SCIENTIFIC1 SCRAP3,
Bpnce has a temperature of 200 de
grees below zero.
Fish w ith white flesh are more easily
digestod than fish with reddish flesh.
It has been proved, ns the result of
experiments, that the circulation of
the blood is affected by music.
A method of producing iodoform by
ftio aid of electricity has just been
invented, and is said to yield satisfac
tory results.
Corundum Is composed of the oxido
of aluminum (Ml ():li,but traces of tho
oxides of other metals nre generally
present as coloring materials.
Sinco tho passing of tho first vac
cination act in England, in the
death into from smallpox has fallen
from 57(1 per million to ill) per million.
A French statistician has calculated
thnt tho human eye travels over 2000
yards in reading nn ordinary sized
novel. The nverngi) human being is
supposed to get through 2500 miles ol
lending iu n lifetime.
Electrical hoi ticiilturp, Professor S.
Eemstrom assures ns, is now practi
cable, although not fully understood.
In his experiments of Inst year, tho
nppliealion of tha electric current in
creased the yield of seeds nt least ID
per cent., and of roots from 25 to 75
per cent., tho results varying with the
kind of plant and tho uaturo of the
Boil.
HOME LIFE IN PUERTO RICO.
Heading Xot n Strong rolnt of Ihn fslnntl'i
I'opiilutlfin.
Tho native early morning meal is n
cup of coffee with milk addiction tr
the black colVeo habit does not oxisl
on tho island and a piece of bread.
Breakfast is served at 11 orl' o'clock,
and is seldom elaborate, unless guests
nre in the house. Boiled eggs, bread
nnd coffee cntisfy the ordinary man,
but tho hungry ninn eats his garlicky
beefsteak in addition..
Dinner is tun meal of tho day, nnd
is eaten between I! nnd 7 o'clock. This
is tho native's only full heavy meal,
and this fact may account for his abil
ity to eat a quantity of food which
lenves the average Americau a victim
to indigestion and remorse.
The positions oC honor nt n dinner
table nre, nuiong tho older and non
traveled residents, (ill the following
order: Tho head of tho tnblo to tho
most distinguihed gne-.d; the rest, In
the order of their rank and importance,
ranged around to the right, the host
occupying the lost seat after Ins
cuosts. The wnniaC Mt at the left ol
the table, altogether. Among i
more cultured classes tho host occu
pies the head, the hostess the foot,
the seats of honor being to the light
and left of the host.
The evenings in tho homo for in
stance, of an alcalde, the mayor of a
tow n are spent around tho mnrble
topped centre table, lazily rocking to
and fro iu the big chairs. The men
smoke their cigarc"-es the women
never smoko mid a (low of small
talk, filled with simple jokes nnd
sallies, constitutes the entii'o even
ing's amusement. When they have
pianos, tho daughter" oxhibit their
limited skill ou instruniots which nre
jangled and out of tune. One novor
sees a book or a mitgnzinn in these
honsos, though in two or three of the
larger cities there aro many literary
men. Reading is not a strong point
of tho island population. Snccinl
Correspondence of Harper's Weekly.
l-'inhwlves M'ln 1'1'iim tlm Mayor,
Tho wives of tho boatmen and mussel-gatherers
living iu tho higlilv pic
turesque little town of Conway have
just come oil with Hying colors in a
municipal contest fought on novel
lines. It npuears that it has been
their custom for a long time past to
hang their weekly washing out on
liues hung along the quay frontage,
causing nn eyesore to the mayor, who
is a gentleman of lesthetin tastes, and
others jealous for the reputation of
their pretty little town. ilio mayor
tried in vain to bring tho good fish
wives to his view of tho matter, nnd
then warned tlieui that unless the eye
sore was removed ho would doit him
self. Tho next washing day ho was
as good as his word, nud on proceed
ing to tho spot cut down tho lines.
An exciting municipal contest was in
progress at the time, and the wives of
tho quay cottagers went ou the war
path, Thoy used their eloquence
against the Conservative candidates
ou the mayor s sido to such good of
feet that Radical members were re'
turned to nil the seats with over
whelming majorities; and the pros
pect is that for some years to come tint
osplanade of Conway will be adorned
with its weekly display of laundry
work as heretofore. Liverpool Post,
Tha Flaming Maoris,
Some three hundred Maoris were
shut up iu iutreuchiuents at a place
called Orakaw. Without food, except
a few raw potatoes, without water,
nonuded at by artillery, and under a
hail of rifle bullets and hand grenades;
unsuccessfully assaulted no less than
five times they held out for three
days, completely surrounded. Oen
era I Cameron humanely sent a flag ol
truce, inviting them to snrreudor hon-
orably. To this they made the - ever
famous reply: "Enough I We ill,' lit
right on, forever 1" Then the general
offered to let the women come out,
and the answer was: . "The women
will fight as we !" At length, ou the
afternoon of the third day, the gari i
ii.m in m lmdv elinrisd nt iiuielc iniLrelt
right through the Bullish liues, fairly
jumping over the heads of the men of
the Fortieth regiment as they lay be
hind a bank. Half of them fell; the
1'eniaiuder got clour away. The earth
works and the victory remained with
us, but tho glory was theirs. From
"TheLoug White Cloud," by- W. T.
Hueve.
mm
NEW YORK
j Mode3
That. Are Popular For
and Wrappers.
New Ynnx Citt (Special). Xo fea
tnre of tho sensou is mors marked,
says May Monton, tlntn the variety
shown iu tho coats, which are short,
long or of thvee-qunrter length, but-
A rnif! T.APTES' COAT.
toned down to tho edge or are finished
iu cutaway stylo ns preferred. Ihe
example given in the illustration runs
to no extremes yet is genuinely styl
ish nnd chio nt the same time that it
is useful and practical. As shown
the mnterial is tnu colored cloaking
cloth with a frill of satin ribbon ns
finish, and two handsome buttons used
as fastouings for tho collar but both
smooth and rough-faced cloths with
both volvet aud velours aro equally
suitable and are all iu vogue.
Tho backs lit snugly to the figure
but the fronts are slightly loose and
terminate in tho fitted flounce thnt is
fj couspiouous in wraps as well as
pis immfmmm
mmmm.
A BTRIKIXa AJTEKKOON- COSTUME.
gowns. The sleoves aro snug and aro
Httod with darts after the latest style
wiiMaIIiii wi-IkIk nnt finished with deei)
cireular frills thnt fall well over the
huuds. At tho neck is a deep collar
also furnished with a fitted frill that
in turn is edged with the ribbon
whioh makes a becoming as well as
smnrt trimming for tho coat. Being
of heavy cloth no interlining is re
quired nnd only sntiu of the saiuo
shade as the cloth is used, bn; thinner
materials demand more warmth and
call for wool wadding between the
liiiiiic nnd tht outside.
To make this cont for a lady of i
medium size lonr yarns oi maioriai
fifty-four inches wide will be required.
Flrit Hint of Spring Moilef.
In spite of the popularity and the
convenience of the odd waist there is
a certain inherent elegance found in
the entire eostnme aud well dressed
women aim to possess one ouch at tho
least. The model shown iu the large
engraving is stylish aud simple at the
same time aud includes the important
features to be looked for iu simple
spring' gowns which fact makes it
eminently desirable both for new
gowns and those that are to be re
modelled during tho long winter days.
All light weight wool stuff and such
silks as taffeta and bengaliue are both
fashiouable and suitable, but the
model is made from Henrietta cloth
in Cuban rod, vest with revers of
white satin including polka dots of
the same deep oolor, and a belt of
blnik velvet which adds the final
touch.
The waist, whioh is full but not
bloused, is tuoked diagonally across
tho fronts and the upper parts of the
sleeves and is arranged npon a fitted
Uuiug whioh closes at the omtre
FASHIONS.
Coats, Gowns
m
m
front. At tho neck is a deep collar
cut with points that rest against the
hair just back of tho ears and serve as
a setting for the head nnd face. The
slcoves aro snug and long as are all
thoso of latest cut, nnd are finished
with smnll roll-over cull's.
The skirt is gored nnd fits smoothly
about tho figure, no fulness being
shown nt the waist, but flares stylishly
at tho bottom and touches at the
front while it lengthens to form the
slightest of trains at the back.
To make this waist for a lady of
medium size two nnd threo-fotirth
yords of material forty-four inches
wide will bo required.
To make the skirt in tha medinm
size flvo yards of mnterial forty-four
inches wido will be required.
Moth Servlrrnhlft slut rirttiresnnr.
No ono of tho many good things,
brought to us from the F.ast is at oueo
more serviceable a:id more picturesque
than the Japanese Kimono which we
have converted to our own use nnd
ndapted to Western needs. At homo
in its native land it becomes formal as
well as informal dress, difference be
ing made in material rather than iu
cut, but with our somewhat more re
stricted ideas its nse iu this part of the
world has been confined to the hours
of ease and relaxation nnd to the mas
querado which makes all thiugs allow
able. As shown it is worn with tho sash
or obi ns is the custom of the little
Indies to whom it belongs by right,
and as it should always be when the
entire oostumo is to be preserved, but
for lounging nso it can be left to fall
free if preferred. The material chosen
for tho model is figured Japanese silk
with bnnds and rash of plain oolor and k
the combination makes a most satis-f
factory as well as characteristic effect.
But the blue and white chijnni cloth
and innumerable inexpensive cotton
stuffs can be substituted even where-
tho national characteristic, is to bo
maintained, while for nse within one's
own room it is perfectly correct to use
the form iu conjunction with any ma
terial that gives u satisfactory result.
Tho long, flowing sleeves, the perfect
adaptability to the figure, combined
with the iittlo width moau comfort.
KIMONO ron A L.IDV.
ease and grace without encumbrance,
in addition to which the Kimono is
simplicity itself and requires absolute
ly no skill beyond that possessed by
any woman who has learned to sew. -
mm
fg