! CHILDREN'S COLUMN, j Tli Owl mid the Katydid, etlll im the night, and tho wood were ntlll Ring heigh! alng ho! mjr honay! When the Owl and the Katydid chatted awny In a fashion qnatnt and fnnnyt Hlng heigh! ting bo! my hoaeyl Said the Owl, "I called on the Moon this eve," filDg heigh! ling ho! my honey! Bat a voice trom below chirped, Katy, did, too; Now that was xwdlngly fitnnyi Hlng heigh! ilng bo! my honoy! "I sung to the Moon," aald tho Owl, In glooj Hlng hoot! alng hoot! my honey! But the other laid, "Katy did, Katy did, too," Ping hnlk-h! King ho; sing Katy dldl Hlng heigh! alng ho! my hunuy! Then all again In tho woods wnt Mill, Hlng heigh! alng ho! my hony! And the Moon peopml ovxr the eastern hill. Now Isn't my story funny? Hlug heigh! alng bo! my honeyl Trapped by ft la Hate, A writer in Cassell's Little Folk tells an interesting story of a runaway ipnopotnmns. Id the days when Mr, A. 1. Bartlettwas king o( the London eoo the hippopotamus onco managed to break out o( its bouse. It employed its freedom very properly to make a call npon Mr. Bnrtlott. Tbe latter, however, was not qnite pleased to see his hnge charge out of bounds, and sent for one of the elephant keep ers to preach pence and swept reasonableness to the creature. To this man the "hippo" had ' uan ex treme dislike, and when he shotted to it it turned round nnd chased him. Away Hew the keeper at the top of his speed townrd the "hippo's" don, the big beast in hot pursuit. The keeper darted through the gnta and up the fairs to the pint form over the "hip po's" tank. Here he was safe. Mean while Mr. Bartlett, who had been fol lowing the runaways, had aeenrely fastened the gate, and the "hippo" was, of course, again doomed to lan guish in prison. Kir Day In Vnr-Away China. There is one time of the year when every boy would not object to becom- ' ing a subject of the Chinese emperor for just oue day. This time is the .ninth day of the ninth month, accord ing to the Chinese calendur. On this day a kite-flying festival is bold. Then every Chinamau who has any regard for his spiritual and physical welfare nd can afford a kite and thore mo few, indeed, who cannot nfford such an inexpensive trille goos to a hill nnd flies bis kite the whole day long. This enstom prevnils, more generally, of course, in the rural districts, fur were tbe inhabitants of a groat city like Canton or Tekin each to send np a kite the strings would become en tangled nnd the very heavens wonld be darkened with such a collection of paper and string as nover was seen, i The custom was originated by a man Vho had a strangely roalistio dream, in which it was revealed to him that some calamity wonld befall his house on a certain day. Wishing to avoid this unknown but Inevitable disaster, lie took his family to a neighboring hill top and amused the children by flying a kite. When he returned home that night he found that his honse had literally fallen to the ground, thns killing all the dogs and pigs that had teen left at home to keep honse. That et tbe fashion and since then when ever the anniversary of that day eomes ronud other families, remembering the providential escape of their country men, fly tbeir kites from the hills in the belief that as the paper toys asoeud they will carry off the evil spirits that might otherwise demolish tbeir own houses and bury them in the ruins should they stay at home. gmd af the Crams and ftnowilrnn. A very long time ago snowdrops and roonses grew only in one beautiful arden, aud all the croense and all be snowdrops in all the world are Dinner from those first anoeHtora. i In tbe earliest days, instead of Vlroopiug their heads, the snowdrops Wew straight np. Indued, they were pert little flowers, and excessively J proud of tbe delicate green markings r 4h.t ra MAVAi tliAll V lllnnaas Crocuses, too, in those days were not as now. They were smaller aud pure white, without a touch of color. Even the little stamens and pirtila were all white. One morning, in the wonderful gar den, where would be many, many flowers later iu the year, orocuses aud snowdrops were blooming together. "You poor things!" said a t ill little snowdrop, swaying back and forth on her slender stem above the croouBea, 'How cold you lookl It is yon ahonld be named for the snow iuatead of I. It really makes me shiver to look at you, you are so white! Now I, you nau, unvv uvuuuiui u'oau vuiuruiueiy on my frook, greeu us the grass and I trees will be by aud by. Every one who sees me cries, 'Oh, spring ia ) codling! Here is a snowdrop!' But , jfoa I don't wouder they hardly look I t you." T'm B111.A wA all li.va rfl'Oan lltlnn.ii growing np around us," ventured one newly opened crocus, bolder than the rest. - "Booh I Those are only leavos. Every one has leaves," said slow drop, tossing her head, i "Grass blades are leaves, too," mnr inured the crocuaea. Yet they could not forget the words of the now drop, aud tbey became very sor rowful, for they wanted every one to love them. And next morning, when the angel of tbe flowers came, there was a froeen tear iu each little pale cup. It was very cold that morning, but tut crocuses did not mind the "Why do yon weep, childrenf" asked the flower angnl. 'Because snowdrop has been telling ns we don't belong to spring, but are only a bit of winter t lint's left over, and people will be glad when we are one." 'Snowdrop is very vain of ber green markings," said the nngol, "But be patient children, and we shall see." It was still dark, for it was very early. Just a faint glow showed in the east, where the morning star shone brightly, and below the star, as if swung from It like a pale, golden censer, hung the slender crescent of the old moon. High np Arctnrus flashed, and northward, clear among tbe lessor constellations, gleaned the dipper; while, still further north, fol lowing the "pointers," the eye came to the great white star that never sets. Tbe angel Hew straight east until she fonnd tho sun, whose messenger she was, and told her etorv. "Ureat king," she ended. "They are very sad the poor, white cro ruses. I wonld some new gift might be granted to cheer Ibom." "And because they are and," naked the king, "do they droop and fade, refusing to live the life I have or dained?" "They lift their heads qnite brave ly," snid the angnl, "and await your coming. Only the frozen tear lies at the heart of each." "It is well" said the king. "do southward now, for tbe peach trees bloom and the magnolia begins to bud. They need your care." The angel bowod nnd went. Then sunrise came to the great gar den. In the onst the sky grew brighter. Now it was soft rose, blending to gold towp.'d the horizon. In the midst of the rose glow still hung the moon and planet, tinged with faintest golden greon. Southward violet clonda were turning gold and saffron at their edges. As the color grew in the sky, what was happening to the sad little cro- enses? They were enrely growing taller and moro exquisite iu shape. and was it a rejection from the white clouds that tinted some of them? But it stayed when the clouds burst into flame. Then the snnhenms came, and, as they touched each cup-shaped flower, they dropped jewols of gold within. Evou those that had staved white re ceived the jowels, nnd those that had caught the tinge of violet deepened, while one whole family, where the sun beams came lust mid stayed the long est, turned to gold all over. What a show they made, the gold and the violet, nnd the white streaked with violet, and the pure white, with gold at the heart of them. Aud how ther shouted and sang! "The Bttnbenms, the sunbeams are painting us! Oh, fehull we be always thus?" "Yea," whiaperod the sunbeams, "it is because you were humble aud obedient. When the pert snowdrop heard that she hung he1' head, ashamed to look the great sun father in the fa-e. An 1,' as she gazed at the glowing crocuses, she grew very meek nnd said, "I was wrong; and, oh! you are more beautiful than I can ever hope to be." "Nay, not so," cried the generous crocuses, "Never before were you half so lovely as now, with your sweet, bended head." And the little sunbeams caressed the snowdrop gently, bidding her be of good oheer, for the kind sun father loved to forgive his children. But snowdrop never raised her pretty head. All the other snowdrops hung their heads, too; for bad they not ap plauded their Bister? And, by and by, as the years went on, people grew to love the snowdrops for their meek and lowly spirit, as mnoh as tbe crocuses for their gay colors; and always the two flower tribes dwell olose together, in most perfect harmony. Christian Register. Had Pappsr and kluiwrd. "Down in my section of the United States there is mnch to interest an ob serving man," said Alfred J. Smith of Nogales, Ariz., "but there are two things which you don't have here which play an important part in the every-day life of a portion of the in habitants, and for the sake of a brief description I will desiguate them as buzzards and tnmales. "The Mexicans are inordinately fond of red peppers, They grow to enormous size compared to those you soe here, and iu the honses and to the eaves of the porches of every Mexican habitation, be it ever so humble, in Mexico, Arizona aud California, one will observe strings of this brilliant rod condiment hanging with the ends of the stalk twisted into braids. "The Mexican mixes tbe red pep pers with his food with a lavishness indicating his extreme fondness for its hot, burniug flavor, aud in a man ner that is unacceptable to the Amer ican palate. It outers into the eom position of all his dishes, "Now for the buzzards. These justly named scavengers of the air are very numerous iu the sectiou I have named. Tbe association between Mexicans aud buzzards lies in this: Tbe former's flesh is so saturated with red peppers that when he is ovei taken by death on the plains or desert buz zards will not eat the bod At least, this is the common understanding in the section I hail from." Washington Star. Marry and Papar Currency, Counterfeiting was once punishable by death in England, a fact which lad a judge, iu passing sentence on a man convicted of the crime, to say: "I can hold out to you no hope of mercy here, and I must urge you to make prepara tion for another world, where I hope you may obtain the mercy which a due regard for the credit of our paper ourrenoy forbids you to hope (or now. ' ABOUT SENATOR VEST LAST OP A FAMOUS OBOUP OF 8TATESMEN. They Were tin me O. tllalne, Hosroe Conkllng, Iald DatU, IHin Vonrliwa, Ilannlhal Hamlin, Justin S. Morrill, Allan O. Thnrman and a Tow Others. There Is considerable national Inter est In the announcement maue recently by Senator George Graham Vest that he will retire from public life at th end of his present senatorial term. The senator Is almost the last of the fa mous group that was for years the chief part of American official life. They were Conkling, Blalns, Bayard, Thurman. Voorhees, Beck, Cockrell, Vance, Hnmlln, Morrill, Ingalls and David Davis all glnnts representing a variety of Ideas, many sections, and millions of people. Sennto Vest hns long been rated as one of the famous senatorial debaters of all American history. His sharp and ready tongue, brilliant In repartee, terrible in Invec tive, and classic In certain phases of Its humor, has been a delight to his friends and a plague to his enemies. A Btory told about 8enator Vest and a hoy Is somewhat Illustrative of the senator's methods In getting close to the people. Tho time was not more than ten years ago, when his senato rial sent was not In dnnger. The boy was an 18-year-old reporter on the Kansas City Times. The youngster had neither vote nor Influence. One nj-LrLTLrL-u-Lru-Lru-LrLrLrif-rtjijif-.-if-ii-..--.-i-' 8ENAT0R day when Senator Vest was in the or flee somebody Introduced the two. The youngster, unusued to greatness, was so much awed by Mr. Vest that he could not find words. The senator took the young man by the arm. "Come," he said, starting for the ele vator, "are you going outT" The young man was not, so far as he knew, but the senator's persuasion and gentleness changed bis mind. "Let me see," the big, little man went on, "don't I know your father? I think I met him last year when I was mak ing a speech up the country." As the elevator went down the youth regained some of his composure. He managed to answer the sen ator's question. At the bottom the two stopped. There the senator, tilt ing his hat over his eyes and putting his hands In his pockets, leaned his roly-poly form against the wall, and began to ask questions: "Have you been In this town long? Do you like the newspaper business? Where did you go to school? Do you know about your country's' history? Do you expect to become a great man?" In the course of ten minutes the young man felt that he amounted to some thing. Senator Vest has never been closely allied to a church, writes a Washing ton correspondent. In Missouri the senator's great following has not re garded him in a religious relation; yet, with all his apparent Indifference, the senator has long been a student of the Bible and a most tolerant observer of religious faith and form In others. Two years ago, Col. John Carroll, solicitor tor the Burlington railroad system, while in Washington on business.eall ed on the senator at his home. Mr. Vest sent word to have Col. Carroll come up to his room. When the caller entered he found the senator lying In an easy chair with a Bible on bis knees. He had been reading tbe Twenty-third Psalm. "That's a beautiful thing, John," he said; "and let me tell you that's a mighty flue book." "I'd like to get a picture of you Just now," said Col. Carroll, "to show to the folks in Missouri." . Tbe senator smiled. "It might sur prise 'em," he said; "bur. I have never eared to talk much shout my religious Ideas." Mr. Vest was educated at Center College, Danville, Ky., an Institution that has graduated forty-four college professors, twenty-six congressmen, four United States senntors, seven gov ernors, two vice-presidents of the Unit ed States, one Justice of the Supreme court, forty-nine editors and thirty- nine circuit Judges. In the early fifties Mr. Vest married Miss Sallle 8need of Kentucky. The two set out for California, with never a thought of becoming residents of the Mississippi Valley. Tbe lumbering ve hicle was not In good trim. A break down occurred at a small village one of the quaint, ugly, Irregular ante bellum settlements of tbe new south west. The place was Georgetown, and there It was that young Mr. and Mrs. Vest found themselves at the mercy of a broken wheol. While the stage passengers were thus awkwardly waiting, an old negro approached the young lawyer and BBk ed his assistance. The black man ex plained that he had a son who was nccuscd of murder. Feeling against the boy was very strong and the fath er pleaded with the traveling attorney to stop and lend his assistance. Mr. Vest concluded to allow the stage to proceed while he undertook the task of helping the negro and his boy. When the trial was over the boy was acquitted. A mob was speedily formed) the young man was taken from the! Jail, and In a little while he was dead. Because of his connection with this case Vest was not particularly popu lar; and for this reason, as much as for any other, he concluded to become '- VEST. a MIssourlan and stand his ground. He at once began to secure a following, and In a remarkable short time he was rated as one of the Important lawyers of the section In which he lived. In sunshine and storm his sense of humor has always been one of his excelling qualities. As a candidate before the people his speeches brimmed with quaint story and allusion. In Wayne county, Missouri, In the early seven ties, when Vest was a candidate In op position to a wealthy citizen, he sum med up his claims In a few words In one of his brilliant speeches. "The gentleman who opposes me," be said, "is a man of wealth and position. I am only a poor, ragged, ex-Confederato soldier. I ask for your support" "One afternoon, driving along a Washington street, he compared his state of health to that of a certain an cient negro. "See here, Sam," asked the negro's friend, "what's the matter with you?" "Don't know, boss," said the old darky, "but I think dat I am a-suffer-In' wlf anno domino," lllut to fruit Men. "I got a letter from a friend to day," said an American who was born In England, but wbo has beeen In this country a good many years. "She spent several weeks over here, and when she was ready to sail for ber borne In England again I saw ber off. On my way to the pier I bought a big banket of fruit, such as you can got on any of the good class street fruit stands. There were some apples, some pears and a few things like that. That was about three weeks ago. Well, In her letter to-day sho tells me she took most of the basket to ber home In London and the family bad a great treat. Tbe fruit was all sound and splendid. Then she laments and she says that ber family and frtends who enjoyed the basket all lament their inability to get such fruit in tbe Lon don market Now, that Is Inexcusable, you know. Where the fruit can be had in such quantities here and so cheaply, there Is no reason on earth why the same thing can't be had In tbe Eng lish market Undoubtedly there is de mand there for It, and it seems to me that some of our fruit merchants In the fruit exporting business would de well to look more sharply after tbe business." THH ElSITd, New York City (SpeclnD.-Tbe dls- plnyof dainty, expensive things for the neck Is so Irresistible this season thnt they seem to bo a positive necessity TStt trmtoB ron the neck. ns an accessory of every well regu Intod outfit. Added to nil tho smaller fancies In ncekwenr nro tho fichus berthas of expensive luce, the llltlo pelerines with long ends nnd the most charming slk scarfs with applique luce MODELS OP WASH TAILOR Q0WK3 SELECTED FUOM A RECENT IMrORTATldtt on tho ends. Tho pretty fichu, shown iu tho Illustration, which U repro duced . from tbe Now York Run, Is made of cream mousscllne do solo, trimmed with black Chantllly luce nl tjjrnntcd with groups of tucks. An otllcf'flchuC very stylish, Is made of chiffon In gathered frills separated by jwvs of bct-liisertljii, run wltjj. bebe rlTibbu. "This Is" uinde'ouTf shaped foundation of the chiffon fitting tho shoulders carefully. There are capo collars of Venetian ntd Iteimlssnnce lace; all sorts of Jabots, uiodi of luce and chiffon; dututy collnrs of lawn, trimmed with lnce; pretty, Inexpen sive stocks of duck with narrow white lawn tics; tics of wnsli net Mulshed with Inoc-edgod ruffles, nnd little turn down collnrs of India muslin, finished with a narrow Insertion. Utcful Clothing; Por Summer. Having a friend at court enabled ns to get u u advance peep at tho very first Importation of wusli tailor gowns, Just received by ouo of our most ex clusive shops, Tho only trouble was among so many beauties which to cbooso to show you, says tho l'hlludcl phlu Kecord. Tho two sketches hero, however, embody several of tho new est aud most dcslrublo of tho features of theso gowus for this Benson. The llrst Is iiiudo of kbakl, the mnnrtcst and most exclusive of cottou stuffs for this summer's tiillor-inades. Tho rouud, dip frout, Eton jacket, with very plain sleeve, is the very proper est spring Jncket model. Tho rovers are covered with nn applique of heavy white embroidery, nnd a bund to match heads tho circular rulllo on tho skirt These circular rutlles nro still la mode on tailor gowns of cither wool or cotton, but only run across the sides and back, finishing at each side of tbe bos plait. Then, too, thoy do not flare nearly bo much as Inst season, being cut plainer, with a scarcely percepti ble Hare. Tbe combination of the tan ulsh yellow of the kbnkl and the heavy white embroidery Is stylish In tho ex treme. A white pique, cut with oue of the new kilted skirts. Is showu In the soc- Of fashion. ond sketch, with heavy xvhlto Insertion trimming the bodice. This Is also very smart gown, Its trimmed nnd . fitted bodice making It rather drcsslcl than tho other one, although their stylos do not conflict with one another. ns they are designed for different oc casions. While the Jncket suit may, with perfect propriety, bo worn for nny occasion where n wnsh gown Is permissible, yet, ns has boon said, the design of the other makes It mora dressy nnd gives It rather less of gen eral utility style thnn the jacket model. Elesant t'ettlroat. The womnn who drives need not give up her petticoats, nnd, let fashion take whnt whim she will, nothing can rival tho soft "frou frou" of n sntlti or silk underskirt, or the delightful daintiness of while cumhrl and Vn lenclonncf. When we wear n petti coat now It Is of the most olnbornto order, nnd hero brocade Is really requisite. The most fantastic old Wuttenu brocades, and oven satin grounds with Horn I designs outlined with pr.nno, nro utilized for tho under skirt, with bright flounces trimmed with beautiful luce, caught up with rilibnus or held In place with dainty headings and goffering. IlluA Ktminel Itrncelat. A pretty bracelet Is made of sky blue, enamel, with hero nnd there a! touch of gold, sometimes n more Una of gold npitcnrlng. These are most be coming to n fair nrm. But there Is lit tle doubt that n white nrm looks Its! whitest wlien n blnek velvet band Is) worn at the wrist. This seems to em phasize the fuirucss of tho pretty arm and baud. . A Pralty llnitlre. A pretty bodice lo n gown Is mniUj Eton effect lu black lnce Insertion nnd ribbon, the jacket stopping nbous three Inches above tho waist, tho Inser tion being carried down to tho wnlot lino like straps over tbe plaited t hlffoa bodice of white worn uudernentb. This stylo bodice has boon woru llill wlutor, and Is very pretty. The Inrilauensaula Cravat. A waist without a cravat this sura ruor is like tho play of "Hamlet" with Hamlet left out. Ono of tho veiy latest designs for n summer sill; shirt waist ami Its cravat Is hero repro duced. It Is of white foulard, tucked l t U back nnd frout and slightly Mous ing In frout over a nnrrow girdle. Much of the stylo of this waist Is ob tained from Its exceedingly stylish double collar finished with rows of mnchino stitching. The Indlspeuxublo crnvat Is of white foulard, with navy bluo polka dots, aud Is tied In a four-ln-hnud kuot just NEW sruuEu WAIST. at the bust. Its very sharply poluted ends ndd much to Its effect. A good feature of this attractive waist Is that its shield aud slock may bu made ad justable nnd much variety obtained by having several of different tluts and denlgus, I V