J? MOTUFR S
I THOMPSON'S
$ EASTER.
HERE now, Jane,
you kick the fen
der while I go
through yonr fath
er's pockets." The
spenhor was a mitl-(lln-nged
woman
with lnrk brown
hair, parted in tbe
middle and plainly
combed back over
her ears, and snapping black eye.
At first glance she and he? daugh
ter, a pretty pink and white, golden
haired blonde of abont fourteen, or
thereabouts, seemed the only occa
pauts of the room. The fir? had been
covered for the night, and the girl
Jane sat by it, and when her mother
whispered again in a more emphatic
tone, "Jane, kick the fender," she
proceeded to admonish that unoffend
ing piece of furniture, which, being
of sheet iron, and aided by the rattling
of the shorel and tongs, made consid
erable noise.
I have said they seemed the only
oconpants of the room, bnt a more
comprehensive glance showed that
such was not the case.
In the back room, in a sort of an al
cove, was a bed, and on that bed lay a
man known as James Thompson, and
who was husband to the black-eyed
woman, while Jane was their youngest
daughter.
James Thompson seemed to be
sound asleep, so sound that the clang
of the shovel and tongs, aided by
Jane and the fender, made no impres
sion npon him, but the moment Annt
Harriet, as she was known to the
neighbors, removed his trousers from
the lower right-hand bed-post, where
they hung, and thrust her hand into
the pocket, bringing forth a handful
of coin, with its peculiar chink, chink,
a sandy-haired, gaunt figure raised np
in the bed, and said:
'Harriet, woman, what are yon
robbing my pockets for?"
The black-eyed woman gave him no
answer, but turned to the girl, say
ing, "June, go to bed."
The girl crossed the room, opened
a .door and went upstairs. Then,
turning to the bed, the woman con
tinued: vJTow, Thompson, the time has
come; we might as well have it out."
Then she drew a small rocker to
the side of the bed and sat down,
while the man sank back on his pil
low with a sort of a groan.
"James Thompson, you and me"
when excited Aunt Harriet always fell
into bad grammar "yon and me
might just as well come to an under
standing, and yon needn't groan about
it, either. 'When I married you, near
onto twonty years ago, everybody said
married you for your three farms
and your money. However that may
be, a young woman in exchange for
herself should have something, and
yon know I have made you a good
wife and yonr four daughters and son
a good mother. Look back and you'll
reaiember a talk we had when you
asked me to be yonr wife. You re
member how you told me that scan
dalous story of Melissa Orvis, the
Tftian girl who worked for your
Tether.
KTVHarriet," came again from the
pillow.
"Don't stop me, I say. You mind
the girl well enough, and you know
her child, too; yonr child was only a
little over a year old when I married
you, and you know, too, that one of
the conditions of our marriage was
that you should oare for and edueate
young James Thompson, who I held
in my own arms while his mother died
and when I had him christened by
yonr name, I had the heart of a wom
an in me, and I could not have the
child in the honse witn my own chil
dren, but yon know as well as I do
that I have always looked after his
raising and his education, and that
until he was twelve years old he
thought me his ant and you his
nnoie.
"Lie still, Thompson. I'm not
done yet. You know how stingy and
mean you have always been; how, al
though you are the richest man in the
SHE WENT DOW THH BBOAJ WALK.
onnty, with three farms and ' two
stores, I have had to slave and man
age to keep myself and yonr children
clothed. But from this day forth when
I ask yon for 85 I want it, and when
James Thompson, Jr., graduates you
will help him to atudy law, exactly as
though he was our Willie and not the
child of Melissa Orvis. Whether
married you for your money or not
- lies between you and me, but I'll not
be a beggar and neither will I feel
sift
4w
that me and My children are getting'
what should belong to another."
Therewith, as though to emphasize
her words, she gave the fender a kick
on her own account, while her spouse
turned his face to the wall, bnt lay so
qniet that she was sure his sleep was
only a pretense.
After this a change Wk place in
the household. Four handsomer, bet
ter dressed young women did not
enter the village church than the
Thompson girls, while young Willie,
the yonngest of the flock, was re
splendent in black velveteen and brass
buttons, which set off his blue eyes
and blonde cnrls and mado him look
more like an overgrown cherub than
evec
Soon after this young James Thomp
son graduated. He called occasion
ally on the family and, always spoke of
Mrs. Thompson as "Annt Harriet,"
although he had long known the story
of his own birth, and he also knew
that most of tbe good things in his life
had come to him through her.
The day after he was admitted to
the bar Mrs. Thompson called oG him
and told him to draw on them for
what money was necessary to start,
hira well in business.
He fell on his knees by her side,
and buried his head in her lap, while
he poured forth his gratitude, begged
to be allowed to call her mother, and
told how he would try to be on honor
and a comfort to her in her old age.
Everything he did prospered. He
graduated, then practiced a term, and
was made prosecuting attorney, then
State Representative, then went to
Congress, and from that removed to
New York, whence reports came back
that there was no lawyer there more
highly respected than he, aud no one
HIDDEN
Thoy told as a wonderful story,
As the days of Maroti went by.
Bow, hidden deep In tbe rabbit's nest,
Tbe eggs of Easter lie.
They said we must get up early
Long ere tbe break of of day
And hurry out over the meadow land
And ebase tbe rabbits away.
who was piling up more honors or
more property.
The years went on, and old James
Thompson was called more of a akin
flint than ever. The two eldest girls
were well married, in neighboring
oity. Yonng Elizabeth and Jane wore
the belles of the oounty, while Willie
was away at college, and, report said,
going to the dogs as fast as possible.
No charaoter ia without a flaw, and
Harriet Thompson was no exception
to the rule. And everyone is said to
have a hobby, which they ride. This
was also true of Aunt Harriet, and hor
hobby was riddon with suoh vigor
that she almost went roughshod over
everybody, and rods it to death.
' she was nosseesed Br the t'.evil ol
J"goj boutekeeptiig. After that;
"Tmnm-obia -vitwTfl there had been a
change in the house, it bad been re
juvenated from garret to cellar.
At first the family sat in the sitting
room, to save the parlors; then they
sat in the dining-room tojiave the sitting-room,
and then ahe had a sum
mer kitchen built and they sat in the
old kitchen to save the dining-room.
Then young Willie, who was borne
from college, said a bad word,
slammed the door and went to the
tavern.
Her husband was old and feoble and
went to bed to escape her fretting.
But young Willie went from bad to
worse. He had spent too muoh
money, had played cards and lost,
then had drank and gone utterly
wrong. The lad was yonng and it was
the first time he had utterly broken
over the traces. He spent a misers
ble night. He had not been fit to go
home, and with tbe morning came
self-knowledge and repentance.
When he got to his home, however,
it was an unlucky time. It was the
general houaeoleuniug, and it was also
tbe day before faster. His mother,
his sisters and tbe maids were armed
with mops and brooms and brushes,
and all the paraphernalia of cleaning
Bo full were his mind and his heart
with his errand that he ran up the
front steps, through the ball and into
the best parlor, where stood his mother.
She gave him a reproving glance, as
she said;
will Jii
DEEP IN THE RABBIT'S NEST THE EGGS OF EASTER LIE.
-On, WUHe; you hare not cleaned
your feet I"
"Mother, never mind my feet. I
want to see you."
"Child, child, how thoughtless yon
aret Don't you know this is oleaning
day, and I am busy, clean up to my
eyes?"
"But, mother, I tell you I must see
you. Is there not some place where
we can be alone?"
She gave a sigh and started, he fol
lowing. As they reached the dining
room he took a chair and was about
to sit down, when she gasped:
"Willie, not that chairl It betongs
to the parlor, and, Willie, don't lean
on tbe table cover, you'll muss it!
And now, child, if there is anything
you want to tell me, be quick, as I've
got to go back to the girls. Williel
Willie! don't you know better than to
open that window? Thpre's no screen
aud every fly in the neighborhood will
be in the house!"
Tbe boy was young in years and
young in wrong doing. Jumping to
his feet, he gave the table a shove,
threw tbe chair into a corner and
stepped in front of his mother.
"Mother, I came to make a man of
me. Yon have turned me awayl
Now, I don't care what beoomes of
me. You prefer your housekeeping
to yonr anly eon, so make the most of
it. I Slope I may never see tbe old
honse again."
He then strode from the honse, and
as Aunt Harriet threw herself into a
chair a panorama of her life seemed
to spead out before her.
She saw her young married life,
when she tried to bury her heartaches
under her household cares. Uhe had
lost her chance. He was gone fore-ever.
That down In the grass we would Dad them
Tinted In every huo
Marvelous egs of the Easter time,
Mottled and red and blue.
And so we'll go out this morning,
Hunnlng our little legs
Almost off In an eager ebase
Looking for Easter eggs.
From that timj on her one purpose
in life waa to find him, but it was of
no avail. She would hear from him,
thongh always indireotly. He was go
ing from worse to worse. He was likd
a will-o'-the-wisp, first in one city
then in another. Latters came book
unopened and there aeomed no way to
teach him.
During this time the twovotber
girls got married end James Thomp
son, Br., died. Five years wore away,
and the anniversary of her desertion
came around once more. Tbe earth
was beginning to put on her green
mantle and the old homestead looked
very cheerful. Harriet Thomspon was
a young woman for her years. Albeit
aCST ti with her years had
ccae wisdom.
Ever since that day. which was
sore snot in ner memory, sue nau
thrown wide open the doors and the
windows, taken the oovers off tbe fur
niture, tried to make the house cheer
ful and thought of the home-coming
of her boy. It had been the day be
fore Easter when he went away, and
now she remembered that the next
day would be Easter Sunday. Bhe
went down the broad walk, bordered
with boxwood, that led to the gate,
and gathered great bunches of daf
fodils, which she placed in the parlor
windows and on the table.
As the evening grew on she looked
at the old dock in tbe corner and saw
it was 9 o'clock, and just then the old
knocker changed. Bhe almost fainted.
Then she looked up with a thrill of
disappointment as the maid ushered a
tall, heavy-bearded stranger into the
room. He took but two ateps to reaoh
her aud then, clasping her in bis
arms, said:
"Mother, you don't know me, but I
am James Thompson. I have oome to
bring you an Easter present, which I
hope you will accept as a proof of the
love aud gratitude I have always felt
for you."
The mother s Heart grasped at wliat
she had so longed for, aud as she re
turned his caress she hardly dared
aak:
"My Willie! You have beard of
him? Is be dead?"
The door opeued again and another
smnHrr,on!y younger and more blonde
than the other, came in.
"Motherl Motherl Can yon take
back yonr wandering son?"
The dark head, nearly white,
ion HAVR TtmNF.D MB AWAY.
was bent over the blonde as he knelt
by her side, while the elder brother
leaned over the two with bis blessing.
Then the three drew near together,
while the fire and the candle light and
the golden don ers shone around tbem,
and James Thompson told bow, in one
of tbe cases before him for trial, he
had recognized Willie; how he had
taken the boy home and done every
thing for him. And now he was started
on the right way and wished to live
and make her happy.
Then, as Aunt Harriet clasped her
boys, as she called them, by tbe hand,
she looked first at one and then at the
other, and said with proud and happy
glances from her eyes:
"My children, 'cost your bread npon
the waters and after many days it will
return to you.' "
Tint Kastor llrltte.
Eater anthems, Easter flowers,
All the joys of Eastertide
But the sweetest thlnir It lirlngetb
Is the blushing Easter bride.
White and slender Easter lilies,
BtnndlnR tali In pure orrnv
How the glint or bridal ratlh
Kteals your glory halt nwnyl
Mr si
Ere begins the wedding peal;
master uuiisstin deck the altar
Where the Eastnr bride will kneel.
Fashion's fads and fashion's follies
Itolfjn nnewnt Eastertide;
After Lenten prayers anil saekeloth
bullies sereuo the Easter pride.
Laura llerteaux Iiell.
Spain's "Easier Kins."
In Spain tbe advent of Easter brings
out a masquer who calls himself
"Easter King." He is garbed in a
grotesque robe and wears a tin crown.
All wayfarers obey him and the story
runs that, ignorant of the personage
he was addressing, an Easter King
once bode Emperor Charles V. to do
him homage by uncovering his head.
I he J'.mperor complied with a sigh,
and addressing the paschal dignitary
said: "My good friend I wish you joy
of your crown; you will find the
duties of a monarch sadly troublesome,
I fear."
Ranter Monday anil Tuesday.
Easter Monday anil Enster Tuesday
are both celebrated as holidays in Eng
land. On Easter Tuesday tbe scholars
in Christ's Hospital, London, march
in a body to the Mansion House, where
they are received by the Lord Mayor,
who distributes to them "tips" called
"Easter bobs." These "bobs" are se
lected from bright now coins placed in
piles on a table before the Mayor, and
they range as high as a sovereign in
value. The laus also receive as a sort
of luncheon two Easter buus and a
glass of lemonade.
Easter's Variable Date.
Easter may oome as early as Maroh
22 or as late as April 25. In 1818 it
fell on Maroh 22 and iu 1880 on April
26. It will not come again this cen
tury or in the twentieth on March 22,
but in 1043 it will fall on April 26.
Some Easter Notables.
A BAD EGG
FRHH EGO r 3TAl- SCO
The Date For Kaitar.
"Thirty days bath September"
Every pnraon oaa remember.
Hut to know wbea Easter's oome
Purile even sobolara lorae.
When Maroh the twenty-nrat Is past,
Just watch the silvery moon,
And when you see It lull and round,
Know Eaator'll be bare soon.
After tbe moon ha reaobed its full
Then Eauter will be here
Tha very riuuday after.
In aaub aud every year.
And If It hap on Buuday
The moon should reaoh Its height,
The Hin.duv following this event -
Will be the tauter bright.
Bttou Transorlpt.
it
A GOOD . EG
F
A'
"Peace Hath
Her Victories
lesj renowned than
mm. .
war, said Mtlton, and now,
(h the Spring, is the time
to get a peaceful victory
over the impurities which
have been accumulating in
the blood during Winter' u
hearty eating. The ban
ner of peace is borne aloft
by Hood's Sarsaparilla,
It bring rost and comfort to the weary
body raeked hy pains of all sorts and kinds.
Its hennllelnl effects prove It to tie the
irrnnt specific to be relied upon for vletory.
uoou s neper uisnipoinf.
8't Bheum -"My mother wns serious-
ly nfllifU-il with ealt rheum and painful run
ning sores. No medicine heed her until
Hood's Knrsaparilla was iiimI, which made
her entirely wed." Kkhk K. M AfLKMToNB.
m Dearborn Street, ChlcaKu, III.
Tired Foedlng -"I had that tired, dull
feellnir. ilvwn -iiln. hendarlicH nml Mliiklnu
eilfS but Hood's Httrretpurllla made mo a
now man. I never was better than now."
Joim Mack, Uskaluoso, Iowa.
3(bcd'J SaUatmhiflt
Hood i Pllli rar hir tlli:nnn irrttftttnff nd
the only cut turtle to inkft with Hoort'd Sttrtup.-ulliiC
GOLDEN CROWN
LAMP CHIMNEYS
Ar th hfHit. Ak for them CoU no wore
tlinn cntmnon trhlimifys. All ritmlrr.
I'l r i sin uu (,lahs ci)., Aiifljciirnr. r.
WANTED i of hni hMh rtiM H l-P A N R
will not hnrnr.Htnl ftxtR.hi Hipani rtimnlral
Co., New York, fur lOfmmjileii aud low imtliiioniftl".
The Pioneer Medicine
is Ayers Sarsaparilla
Before sarsaparillas were known,
fifty
B MMi(i 1
have confidence at once. If you want an
experiment, buy anybody's Sarsaparilla; if
you want a cure, you must buy
The Sarsaparilla
THE GLORY OF MAN!
Strength, Vitality, Manhood,
THE SCIENCE OF LIFE ; OR, SELF-PRESERVATION.
nVfinttiimtt-
KNOW IHYStLr. HEAL THYSELF.
It Contains l'J3 Invaluable Prewrlptlnns fnr aetite and ehronlo disease. Embossed, full gilt,
Pnii'B ONLY I II V M.UI,('Uled). (NVw edition, with latent otiei vm of the author.)
ltrnd thin (MEAT WultK now and KNOW THYSl-a.F, lor kuowlett U power.
Aililivaa The lVuboily JioJicul Institute, No. 4 Uillllnuh tit., Uonlon, IIiim, lKM.iblii.htil In 1S80.)
Chief Continuing t'h.VfciL'iitti and Author, Orailiuite of Harvard Metlieul CoIU'k, Clin lHil. Surgeon
Kittli M iHHiiulnifHhi Uuiiueiit Vol. The Hunt Diulueut Sixiclsliitt la auiurlra. nha lure Where
Othera Fall. Commit ttion iu person or by lettur. v io 0 ; huihluve ID to 1. ConlMeiiilal.
The National MtMlcul Awociution awarded tlm (lolil Medal for tlilHdrsnd I'i u Treatise, which
U truly A HOOK Kolt KVKKY MAM, Yoiiii. Middk-aird. or Old, Married or KIiikIb.
Til. Dl'ik'iiontlcUn, or Know Thvaelf Muiiual. a Ul-mme iwinphL-t wltli kwtliniHiiala and endorse
menta of the him. I'riee, oOuento. hut mailed KKKK fortlnclm a, Ki-nil now. It la a iwrfeul VALiB
tllCDUU ami of great villus for U'KAK oad j'.lM.Vt .la'.V or a Humanitarian and Celebrated
ledleul Author, iiintiiiKUi!tlied throughout thlaeountrr and Europe. AddrtMH as above. Tuu iirewt
vurvwher. highly Biuionui th. fualHHiv Medieai linaltute. Head the following.
tlia l'eabody Medical liuililut. has been eouihliidied ia Boston 87 years, and the fame which It ha.
attained lias auhjected it to a teMt whk-h oulv a lueritorioim liiatllulioa aoilld utiderKo.-ifcMtuM Jvunwk
" XU tcuOuUti itiUivat Jiwtilul bus many imitators, but uo ttuuula."-Jfai UwutiL
To Make blvnree Kaay,
Lithuania, a province of Russia, has
a strange custom, which is Intended to
protect the bride, should ber marriage
prove unhappy. Previous to the wed
ding ceremony the mother, In the pres
ence of witnesses, severely bozee the
bride's ears. As time goes by ahouldj
the benedict prove faithless or unkind,
his vrow can sue for a divorce on the
plea that she was forced Into the mar
riage by her mother against her will,
and on tbat score the verdict of the
Judge will be In her favor.
Rnowlerlf .
tTnless the heart Is In perfect sym
pathy with the head, the comprehen
sion of any great work of art is lm-
Dosslble. Oeotho.
Eajt ( tinnrra.
A slip may sprain, a thump may bruise,
easy chance for pain and trouble. An
easy way to oure rlRht off Is to use St.
Jacobs Oil. It takes no obanoes and
knows what It can do.
The highest price ever paid for a
race horae was 1150.000 for the famous
Ormonde.
Wo-To-Hae foe Fifty Cents.
Guaranteed tobacco bablt cure, makes weak
taenstroug, biowl pure, fioo.tl. All drugn law.
Alaska babies rarely cry. When
they do, they are held under a little
stream of running water, usually un
der a barrel tap, until they stop.
Knocks Con aha and Cold.
Dr. Arnold's t'onith Killer enres Loughsand
ColdD.PrevoutsLouauniiition.AlldruKKWla.HCio
It Is believed that aluminum was
orlKlnAliy discovered B. C. 40, but if
so the discovery was confined to only
a few, and was quickly forgotten.
fldneata Tear Bowels Wltn Casearete.
Candy Cathartic, cure eonstlpatlen forever.
Mo, see. If a O. O. fail, druggist refund money.
Frederick Remington, the artist,
who Is Just bark from Havana, al
ways used a small, folding pocket
camera while In Cuba, designed by
him and made especially for his use.
years ago, it began
its work, oincc
tncnyoucan count
;the sarsa-
parillas
by the
thousands
with every
variation
of imita
tion of the
original, ex
cept one.
They have
never been
able to im
itate the
quality of
the pioneer.
When you
Avefs on
a bottle of sarsa
parilla that is
enough; you can
9
rs
which cad: Sarsaparilla famous
A Great Modical Trcntiso on Happy
Marriages, the causo and euro of Ex
hausted Vitality, Nervous ami 1'liysical
Debility, Atrophy (wukIiiik), nml vari
cocele. iiIhixiii ALL DINKASK3 AND
WEAKNESSES Otf MAN Jrout what,
ever cMiuie arixi'ncr. True Piineiples of
K74I nn. rimo. wiLli K11-.