ce'cArefuu In speaking of K psrton'i fnullit, l'ray, don't format your own) liemember thoao Willi "home of glati Should seldom throw a stone." If if hv nothing else lo do Hut titlk ol thorns wno Bin, Tl iictinr we ihmilit think of home, ' And Irom Ihnt paint In-glii. Imvo no 1 k'ht 10 J?nl)3 n nmo lull tw'it fnlrlv trlfds Phoiild wo not ( 1 k Iiih powii'inv, nr. Hi n- rl I if wl.l.-. bum itinv linn ia.il:.inh. nlm hav no;? 1 lr t.l 1 nn wll no yiiiinir. I'rhii wa may, for aviKht WD know, Have fifty to thnlr on. Lavender By ELIZABETH ti Jeannette was In a hurry, but Bhe lingered at the gingham counter. Sho Ignored the probability that she would be half an hour late for luncheon, to Which her Aunt Maria, who could not tolerate tardiness, was invited. She ven forgot that she had meant not to ho late, so absorbed was she In a juaint little country girt and a quaint eld man, presumably nor grandfather, who stood also at the gingham coun ter, earnestly and carefully selecting two drosses for the little girl. Jeannotte could not help hearing their serious discussion as to the pret tiest colors and patterns. In fact sho lingered because she did hoar, and be cause Bhe was very much concerned lest the little girl should choose an al luring lavendor and white check, which both she and her grandfather evident ly regarded with deep admiration. Jeannette was suns that the lavender would fade. Jeannette had, almost to a fault, a keen personal Interest in the smallest detail of the welfare of other persons. Her Aunt Maria described It as "a fondness for putting her fingers into othor people's pics." Her brothor Fred aid as graphically Hint Jeannette liked to "put in her oar;" and even her loyal and cherished mother said that her daughter had a delightful and weet, if sometimes Just a little over cealous, habit of offering advice. Certain it is that Jeannette stopped Strange children on tho street and ad vised them to button their Jackets, lest they take cold, or pointed out to them the superiority of peppermint drops over chocolate creams. And she pave her little sister Elsie so much advice as to the spending of her weekly al lowance that the poor child usually ended by cot spending it at all. As Jeannette cald, this really wa9 good for Elsie It taught her at one and the same time economy and tho value of knowing her mind. Jeannette knew her own mind so well that she nover listened to those hints of her family about pies and oars, although she did listen to, and sometimes remembered, her mother's occasional warning. She remembered it now, but she was none the less agitated. The little girl and the old man were fingering the lavender gingham. Jeannette was more and more certain that it would (ado. "That lilac piece is real pretty, Scr ny," said the old man approvingly. "Yes, grandpa," said the small girl, "It is, and I love that color; it's just like violets." "It will fade," said Jeannette to her elf. "I know It will fade!" "That pink and white stripes real pretty, too, deary," said the old man. "Seeln' as you're going to have two, why don't you get that for one? Your ma used to wear them pink and white tripes when she was your Blze." "Did she, really?" said the little girl. Then I will; It Is real pretty. I'll take five yards of this pink and white tripe," she said, shyly, turning to the clerk, "and I think I'll take some of this lavender and white check, too; wouldn't you, grandpa?" 1 think I would, deary," said the old man; "it's real pretty." OU wm too .ouch for Jeannette. 8he touched the little girl lightly on Um shoulder. "I think that lavender will fade," she said in a low tone. Tlie little girl looked up in surprise. She stared at Jeannette for a moment; then abe said, gravely, "Do you think It will?" The selection of the two new dresses was a serious and weighty matter to her. That a charming girl should see this did not seem at all remarkable to the little girl, or, apparently, to her grandfather. "Do you think It will, miss?" the old man sold, anxiously, to Jeannette. "Yes," said Jeannette, "I am almost certain it will. Lavender Is my fav orite color, and every summer I have lavender gingham shirt-waist, and very summer it fades the flrst time It la washed." "How dreadful!" said the little girl, In sympathetic tones. "I've alwayB wanted a lavender dress, and I've nev er hod one," she added, wistfully. "Does it always fade?" "Well, I don't suppose it always does," said Jeannette, "but all the lav ender gingham shirtwaists I've had did. "Why don't you get blue? That won't fade. My little sister always has llue and pink, too. My mother says there's nothing nicer for a little girl," ha continued, comfortingly. The little girl's face brightened, and the old man regained his cheerfulness. "Just hear that, Bereny! Now I re member your ma used to wear blue at your age; and grandma, she'll like It, deary." . .... u.., ., , "Orandma said I could get what I liked," Serena explalnod to Jeannette. "Grandma says I'm big enough now 40 jafcooM my own dresses," she proudly rded. Jeannette smiled. "Wnt( then, you I'll tall yon of a belter plan, And find It work qoltu welL I try my own defect to cur, Betor of othra' tell. Aurt, though I kouieilmc hope to be No won than mmi 1 know. My own noricomlni.M M I m it The fault ol otlivr gi. Tlin let lis lit', whn w commence To ulan.ler ftti'tid or fin, Th'nk nt tlio hnrm tlmt one may do To lli'M wo little know, Itemi tnoer run" a aoiniilm, Ilka Our rhtckvii. "rooft nt hom,i" Don I i-p-ak of other' fiiulte until Wo have none of our own. Gingham. I McCRACKEN. surely don't want to choose anything that will fade." "Oh, no!" said Serena, decidedly. "I gitess I'll got some blue," she said to tne clerk. "We have a blue with a pattern Just like that lavender," ho said, kindly. "Have you?" exclaimed Serena nnd her grandfather in one delighted breath. The clerk produced It, and it was re garded with approval and even enthu siasm. The clerk measured off five yards, and gave the two parcels to Serena. Tho grandfather paid the lit tle bill, and they turned away, after thanking Jeannette for her kindness. "Don't mention it," said Jennnette. "I Just told yon because I knew you would be sorry if you did get It and It faded." "I would have been," said the little girl, earnestly, "and the. blue it al most Just as pretty." Jeannette smiled at them, as she hurried home to luncheon for which she was so late that the family and her Aunt Maria were just leaving the dining room. "My dear," whispered her mother, re proachfully, "you might have been on time especially when you knew Aunt Mai la was going to bo here! Aunt Maria thinks, anyway " "That you haven't brought mo up properly?" said Jeannette, kissing her mother on the dimple in her cheek. Her mother laughed, but she said, reproachfully, "You might have come before we were quite finished." "I know It," agreed Jeannette. "I know It. I meant to, but something out of the ordinary happened that I really couldn't help being late." "Then I will forgive you," said her mother, "but you must be particularly nice to Aunt Maria to make up for it." Jeannette succeeded so well that her Aunt Maria decided that she wna, after all, not so Improperly brought up as she had feared. Fortunately she did not stay very long, or Jeannette might have spoiled this good impression by relating her newest adventure. The door had hardly closed upon her nunt when sho rushed to her mother and told her about Serena and her grand father, and the lavender gingham. "Why," exclaimed her mother, as Jeannette paused, "I was at that, very counter this morning, and, my dear, I bought some lavender anil white checked gingham for you a shirt-waist! I don't think wnat I have will fade." "Where is It?" gasped Joannelle. Her mother brought it, and they opened It It was the Identical ging ham that little Serena and her grand father had so reluctantly left un bought! They laughed until the rest of the family hurried lo the spot in alarmed surprise, to demand an explanation. The more they explained, the more they laughed. "Anyway," said Jeannette, at last, "I still think it will fado. I hope it will!" "Jeannette!". they all remonstrated; but Jeannette insisted. "Imagine how I shall feel if It shouldn't but it v. 111!" She could hardly wait to make It Into a shirtwaist; and when it came homo from the laundry the first time, the family seized the box containing It, and almost tore it to pieces in their eagerness to see the contents. It had not faded! Jeannette played golf in it; she wore it at the seashore; it did not fade. She wore it the entire spring, and every one said, "How fortunate you are with that waist! It hasn't faded a bit!" It had not; it would not! To Joan n site's eyes It became more and more lavender. Her remorse was so keen that when, one .lay, Elsie asked what she should buy with twenty-five cents that Fred had given her for "caddy ins" all the afternoon, she said, "My dear child, don't ask me! I give no more advice!" "My dear." her mother said, "you are not to blame. You meant kindly, and It might have been expected to fade. Any one would have hesitated, and especially before getting it for a child. The blue was far better, and lavendor is so uncertain. "It certainly Is," said Jeannette. "But that little girl wanted It so! I have no way of finding out where she lives. They were Just in for the day from the country. She never will know and she might just as well havo had It!". Jeannette actually went to the ging ham counter not a few times that Btim mer, vaguely hoping to find Serena and her grandfather. She looked at all the little girls and ell the old men Bhe saw on the street. She wore tho lavender shirtwaist whenever she could wear It, hoping that It would suddenly fade.' "I really think It would, if I should ever see Serena when I had It on," aha said pensively. "It couldn't have the audacity not to." v She did not, see Serena; hut one day, when riiu happened to be wearing the lavender gingham, and to be riding in n open car, she saw 8erena's grand father! There was no mistaking the old man. She precipitately left the car at the next stop, went quickly down the street, and touched the old man's arm. "Do you remember me?" Jennnctta ashed, breathlessly. The old man Kiuod at her blankly for an Instant; then be nulled. "Well, well, who'd ha' thought It?" ho raid, In pleased recognition. "If yon ain't the one that helprd Hereny buy her dresses, nnd kept her from getting that lilac that would ha' faded!" "But It dutn't," said poor Jeannette. "It didn't fade!" Then she told the old man the whole amusing story, and even called upon him to witness the flaunting color in her shirtwaist. Ho chuckled and laughed, and said, "Who'd ha' thought It?" at least six times; and laughed arraln, and looked at Jennnetto's waist. "Sereny liked them dresses sho got," he said, "but she always sort of bank cred for that, lilac gingham." "But It didn't!" said poor Jeannette with decision. "Do let me get It for her! It will be such a comfort to me!" The old man did see how much it really would comfort her. He went with her to the gingham counter; and with tho aid of Jeannctto's shirtwaist, they actually matched the lavender and white check, and Jeannette bought five yards of It, and sent it with her love to Serena. Then sho hurried home to tell the family. In a few days she had a sweet little letter from Serena. "It's Just like a story!" wrote Serena Joyfully In her postscript. "With a moral," added Aunt Maria. "Which Is keep your fingers out of other people's pies." "Oh, no!" said Jeannette's mother. "Tho moral Is, If you must put your fingers In at all, put them In as far as they will go." "Well, anyway," said little Elsie, "you and Serena have both got some thing lovely to toll and think about whenever you wear the lavender ging ham" "Which won't fade!" Jeannette add ed. Youth's Companion. QUAINT AND CURIOUS. Eskimo dogs have been driven forty five miles over the Ice In five hours. A picked team of these dogs once travel ed six miles in twenty-eight minutes. A card press In the government printing office, Washington, prints 60, 000 cards on both sides In one hour. They are printed and cut from a web of brlstol board. It Is said that Macauleya memory was so retentive that, after reading a book once, he could give all the sali ent points of It, and recite, many long passages of it verbatim. A strange accident befell a boy who was chopping wood near Augsburg, Germany. His ax struck a wire clothesline, and at the same moment a flash of lightning si ruck the line, passed down the hatchet and killed him. A horse In a wild state lives to be from thirty-fix to forty years old; when domesticated he Is usually played out at. the ago of twenty-five. It Is thus seen that civilization does not contribute to the longevity of the ani mal. Passtouklior!, a Russian topographer, or surveyor, in making ascents of mountains In the Caucasus, having suffered from "mountain sickness," found a remedy in tea, almost boiling hot. it Is reported that another party, prostrated by the Illness, was able after this treatment to continue the ascent. The king of the Belgians has just Imported a beautiful little 'Chinese house as a curiosity. After much trouble It wns acquired by the Belgian Consul at Shanghai. The house is a marvel of beauty. It Is carved from top to bottom In splendid wood. The rooms are large and all furnished lu Chinese style. , The house, which will travel in pieces to Bolgluni, Is to be set up at I.aeken, where the king has his country house, and has already erected a Chinese pagoda and a Chin ese tower. Do Violins Get Sick? Can a violin be played out or get sick? I confidently say No; nor does any benefit, result from giving them a rest. Tho tone of any violin docs not appeal to our ears at all times alike. This is mainly due to the state of our health and hearing varying and, part ly, the 1 lent nes or otherwise of the atmosphere. To prove this, play on three or four of your violins (If you have them); you will then discover them all suf fering from the same complaint, 1. ., sick or sulky. This should be con clusive, since It Is not likely that they would all fall sick on the same day, nor could they all be played out at one time, especially when one violin got more use thaa the others. It la well (on sick days) to put the instru ment away for a day or two. Perhaps the next time it is used all the ail ments will have vanished, or, rather, our temporary indisposition, and the violin will seem as responsive, bright and sonorous an it ever was. I may not be wandering from thla subject by adding there is the same sense of fall ing oft in the tone of organ pipes at times, which conclusively proves that our ears are out of order not the pipes since the latter cannot vary from day to day, either In quality or quantity of tone. . . ... . . r, Ready for School. There's bustle nnd stir In the brisk autumn air, For school days have come and vacation 1 o'cri There are books In the satchel nnd clothes on tho choir. And spick nnd span boot Handing blacked on the floors 4 now tlu for luck, end a new cup benlde An outfit mot xiothliig to any boy's pride. Mamma la di-lightm! but not o her t nd.ly, Though school time approaches, I fear he's not ready. Vou bave but to prop In his antohel nnd ten I'm, peiii llH nnd pad In a goodly arrny: And a Inn -li Jut as tempting u tempting can l And the sun smile welcome that bright en tho dnyt Dut thn ruin might ss well pattor heavily down, For Dilstv blue eyes view the world with a frown. Though hi boots, clothe sad atchl stand wnltlnit nnd ready, 'Hi far from the cue with our unwilling Freddy. Plttabnrg Dispatch. A Winged Highwayman. We naturally wonder why a wasp cannot successfully defend Itself against a fly, but In addition to its sword-llko proboscis, the robber fly is also endowed with Icr of unusual length and power. It Is thus ennbled to hold its victim nt such a distance that the envenomed sting cannot be iiBed. Powerful and swift as Its wings are. It seldom seizes Its stinging vic tims In mid nlr, but usually hurls Itself on tho back of the unsuspecting wasp. Caterpillars, spiders, moths, beetles, dragon files, and even plant bugs are all seized, and dispatched by this swift assassin. St. Nicholas. Red Squirrels. It has been my experience that they are rather Irritable nnlmnls. It Is a common thing, when meeting a rvl squirrel In tho woods, to havo him drop whatever he may be doing, and Just sit and scold, us though you Intended to rob him of all he possessed. If you make a quick movement to start !o him, he will often sit bolt upright, with quivering lower Jaw, clasp his breast frantically with one or both front paws, and look nt yon with an Injured expression which scemn to say, "How cruel! When you knew I .nd heart trouble, too!" He la a pluyful little fellow, though, and would be a welcome tennnt in tho garden If It were not for his fondness for birds' eg&s and young birds. Some time ago a pair of scarlet tanngers built their flimsy nest of twigs and grasses in h pine tree near our front door. One morning we beard the birds screaming plteously, and rushing out, I found a red squirrel deliberately eating one of the eggs, which he held In his front paws, while the contents dripped from his Jnws to the ground. I did my best to drive him away, but to little purpose; so I bor rowed a gun and did what I had not done for more than 15 year:-, I shot something. Ernest Harold Bnynes, In the Woman's Home Companion. A Blue Fishing Experience. Wo bad so much to do during the daytime that we never succeeded In getting over for the day. So It was do tnrmlued to have a go at it at niuht. We went over twice. The first night We were fairly successful, getting half a dozen good fish. The second night it was pretty dark nnd we had taken two fish, both of them coming on my Ine, probably because I was more ex perienced and got tho line out farther than the others. But at any rate things were getting rather dull when, after a cast, I felt something strike, and front the stroke thought I had on a good sized fish. But almost Immediately tlio line slackened, not enough to show that I had lost him, but, as I supposed then, enough to show that he was not a very big one, and more than that was swimming up with tho line. I pulled faster, lest he should unhook himself, but was not particularly In terested until I felt a pull like a horse which absolutely Flopped my liawlhr; in for a second. I called out to the man next to me, "I've got a big ono this time," mid then my attention was too much taken up for further re marks. Ho came nJoiig sawing from side to side, and when he set back I feared for the line. Just before ho reached tho surf ho made one break, and tho spln'ih thereof was enough to make me think that I had caught tlio real king of bluefliih this time. As ho came through the surf I ran down Into the water In my excitement and inter est to land him safely, and by this time two- of my three companions were about me ready to give aid. At he came splashing in he looked at least 12 feet long, but not quite the shape and make of a blue filsb, as one can Imagine, for, as wo beached him he proved to be a shark, and although not fully the 12 feet that he bad looked he did actually measure more than nine feet in length. He was neither as use ful nor as valuuhle as a blueflsh of five pounds, but he was far more Interest ing and the fun was great. Walter Camp, in Tho World's Work. A Day With an Ugly Spot. Marjlo Leo's mother always woke her up with a kiss and these words: "Daughter, here Is another fresh, white day. Try to keep It spotless." Marjle used to think that no day would be worth while without that greeting, and she never quite forgot Ifie w'ord.t no matter how busy or full of play she was; they made her tea tier e.nd more unselfish. And thea there was the other end of the day, when, Bitting In the pretty bedroom at bed time, M.trjlo and her mother gave the day back to Ood bofore they said good nisht. At that time all the spot neve confessed ami grieved over. Some times a sad "I am so sorry" would be sufficient to wipe the spot away. At other times a humble prayer and peni tent promise, were needed. "It Is always so much easier." moth er used to say, "to blot a day than It Is to take tho blot away." And then came tho Friday night when no word or tear seemed enough to undo the bitter er ror. Kneeling by her mother poor Marjle sobbed out the story of her cruel wrong. "I was going to surprise you, moth er. I was going to show yoti how hard I had tried. It was this way: A week ago Miss Hobson said that this Friday she was going to give a prlzo to the girl who stood hlphest In all her stud ies. You know Miss Hobson's prizes are worth trying for, but more than all else I wanted to show you how I waa Improving. Well, today at noon, Ruth Martin and I were exactly even and wo two were ahead of all the others! Then came arithmetic. That is my worst study, and It Is Ruth's, too. Sho wns sitting next me and oho looked so pale and shabby that I was ashamed to hnve her there." "Oh! my dear little girl!" They were the first words Mrs. Leo had spoken since Marjle began, but they were full of sorrow. "Don't speak like fiat, niuher!" pleaded tho small penitent; "I simply cannot bear It. Press my head closer, mother. I need It more than ever." Mrs. Lee smoothed the tumbled curls and kept very quiet. "The worst Is coming, mother, and If you tako your hand away, I do not know what I shall do. When tho states were given out I glanced at mine and I saw five great, long examples. I Just shuddered. Then I looked at Ruth's nnd hers wero as easy as easy could be. She was getting her poncll from hor desk fvid quick as a flash I took her slate nnd gave her mine." Tho gentle hand on the bowed head made no sign, but a deep sigh followed tho confession. "When we passed the slntcs In I saw Miss Hobson look surprised, then she said: "Marjlo, your examples are all correct and Ruth has several errors, so, of course, you have won the prise. But these examples are much simpler than I meant to give you. I haze made a mistake. However, It Is too late now to remedy the error, and I cougratulato you upon your success.' I took the prize, mother, and walked la-k to my seat, while all the girls clapped. 1 thought my heart would break. Then I looked at Ruth. Her face was very pale, and I saw that she knew. But, mother, she was clapping and smiling. I bavo never liked her, but when I saw her bravery and strength, I Just hated myself. I could not show you tho prize, mother. I hid It In my desk at school. There Is nothing to take this blot awny, Is there mother?" "Where does Ruth live, dear?" Mrs. Lee spoke softly and gently. "On Franklin terrace. 1 do not know where it Is." "1 do. It Is over In tho poorest part of town. You have rarely spoken of her. What do you know about Ruth?" "Not much, mother. She has not been at sihool long. She dresses shabbily and never talks about herself. The girls sort of leave her alone." "Marjlo, It Is only 8 o'clock. You and I must see this poor child to night." An hour later In 'the parlor of a cheap boarding house Mrs. Lee waited while Marjle went up stairs lo soo Ruth, whose hood was aching so badly that she was lying down. MnrJio found hor lying on a hard couch In a cheerless hall bedroom. "Ruth," she whispered. The little sufferer opened her eyes and started up. "Marjle Lee!" she gasped, "what is the matter?" "I've come oh! Ruth, what can I say? I've come but you know all, you bravo, strong Ruth! Only, please, please forgive me!" In an Instant Ruth was off the couch, forgetting her own paiu and grief. "Marjlo Ice, you must not say another word. Just to see you when I feel so sick and lonely Is enough." ""Cut, oh! Ruth the slate!" "I Know, Marjle, but any other girl would have waited until Monday. I have been most unhappy thinking of how miserable you would be over this. Of course I wanted tho prize awfully, for I knew It would make father, so happy. Ho goes on long business trips and since mother died It makes him so miserable because he must leave mn. It anything nk-e happens to me whllo he is away he is gladder about It than I. But I knew that you would make It right long before he came back. I have always liked you, Marjle, better than all the other girls and to have you here Is lovely." When the two little girls came into the parlor Mrs. I-ee had her plans laid, for from the landlady she had learnod ell Ruth's pathetie little story. Sho took Ruth home with her for a Ions visit. The wrong was righted before the whole school. Marjlo would bave 110 half way measures. She herself hand ed the beautiful prize to Ruth and tho applauding girls did not know which to honor most. Elizabeth S. Morre',1, In Pittsburg Dispatch. A Resort to Medieval Cutomt At Cologne recently a thtei chased by the police took refuge in a church and kneeling before the altar, claimed sanctuary after the medieval fashion. The police arrested blm all the same. " SCIENCE NOTES. " It Is usually Imagined that the In candescent electric. light gives mil very little beat As a matter of fad only six percent of Its energy goes to make light, while ninety-four goes Into heat. In a hilly EngllFh town, where the local street watering was done with a team of six horses, the substitution ol mechanical for animal power seems a wit e wove. The P)otiraniouth tank watering cart carries four tons of water and on steep grades this Is a very heavy load to manage with horses. The adoption of a motor driv en water-cart la expected to effect large economies In the service. A hydro-electric plant Is being dev eloped at Pike's Teak, which will rep resent an expenditure of over $1,000, 000. An interesting feature of the In stallation Is tho great head of water utilized. Three miles of 21-Inch pipe will convey the city water from a point above the Half-Way House to the power house, where tho water will have a drop of 22W feet, the head be ing utilized through the Intermediary of turbines. A French scientist, M. Ouilloz, hns Invented a remarkable device, by which nn apparently solid image may bo produced of a broken bone or a foreign r.nbstance embedded in the Oosh. He takes a photograph by means of the X-rays, but In order to get solid or sterescoplc effect he causes the tubo producing tho rays to oscil late by means of a cam revolving 300 times a minute. Tho cam Is so cut that the tlmo taken In moving ' from one position of rest to the other Is about one-tenth of tho period of revo lution. Two radiographic Images of the same object, as seen from different points, are thus formed on the viewing screen, and by means of Bhutters, elcc-tro-magnetically controlled by the os cillating apparatus, tbo right eye sees one image and the left eye the other, vision being cut off while the tubo is changing Its position. The result is that the combined image stands out like a solid reproduction of the object. In a beautiful garden nt Crouch End, belonging to one of the fow old world bowers which have withstood the tempting offers of the building specu lator, may be seen ono of t lie queerest freaks that Nature has ever played In park or garden, says the Westminister Gazette. About three years ago a long row of glass ginger-beer bottles were placed neck downward in the ground, with a few Inches of the other end projecting to form a border for tho kitchen garden paths. Each of these bottles now contains a falry-IIke resi dent In the shape of a dainty little fern, perfect In form and color, and of many varieties, the ribbon fern and bart's tongue predominating. As no ferns had at any time been planted In that part of the garden It Is amazing bow they got there. Perhaps Nature thought It foolish to waste so many little natural hothouses, and put in each a pinch of tho stuff she makes ferns of. If so, she must view with much pride the result of her experi ment. Vhsleback Now Ob;elete. In recording the fact of the con version of the whaleback stenmer No. 11 into an oil tanker, at Philadelphia, a newspaper of that city say that "ves sels of her peculiar shnpe are seldom seen off the Great Lakes, where they have become the most popular type of steamer." Whllo It Is probably true that whaleback steamers or barges are seldom Been on salt water, although a number of steamers of that type are (successful deep sea freighters, It is not true that the whalo back has become the most popular type of steamer on the lakes. It would be nearer the truth to say that the whaleback is gradually going out of popularity on the lakes, as fow vessels of that type are now launched. In comparison with the number of steamers of the conven tional typo that are annually construct ed at lake shipyards. The whaleback Is undoubtedly an Improvement on the old low freoboard tow barge, which she was designed to supplant; but she is far inferior to the steel lake carrier of large size, with double decks and high freobcard. As a steamer she is not to bo compared with the ships of tho conventional type which are now taking the places of the smaller freighters. The whaleback barge will undoubtedly pass away with the tow-barge business, which is des tined to decllno rapidly, because of the fact that only large craft are now con structed for the ore and grain trades, and tho "big fellows", have all they can do to take caro of themselves without a: sumlug the role of consorts for barges wallowing astern. Milwau kee Sentinel. Gigantic Railroad Projected. M. Da Ixibel, a distinguished French promoter, Is In New York endeavoring to enlist American capital In a schema by which It will bo possible to go from that city to Pa.-ls by rail in 14 days. The Russian government, he says, has already granted necessary concessions through Siberia and Canada is giving tho matter favorable attention. M. De Lobel claims to have $50,000,000 al ready promised, but says four time thst amount will be necessary tc launch this enterprise popularly. Ma terials for eonfctructlon will alt be pur chased In the United States. The route Is to be from Irkutsk via Ja koutsk, East cape, Bebrlng strait. Prince of Wales cape to Yukon City. As a ferry across Behrlng strait Is Im practicable, the promoter ha planned to build a tunnel 36 nines long, to cost I64.000.VOO. ( I6X. Hie 7 Value of Watercren. Wat-rrrcss, If obtained from a retie factory rotirce and thoroughly washed. Is a very good purifier of the blood. H should be eaten at breakfast. To Destroy Carpet Bugs. Take threo-fourth powdered borax to one fourth arsenic; mix these thor oughly, and use from a salt-shaker. To keep tho bugs from carpets, sift this powder on the floor one-fourth of a yard from tho wall, under the car pet. If you have been troubled rery much with theso bugs or moths. It would be well to sift close to tho wall In tho crevices aftor nailing down the carpet This Is used also w'aon pack ing away clothing that Is kept In the summer, alwavs sifting In the bottom, of tho box or chest and occasionally through the box. By rubbing fur the wrong way and sifting this powder through, one can keep furs free from bugs or moths. It Is always best to put furs away In paper bags. Wom an s Home Companion. . Hints to Housewives. An artist gives as a simple general rule for hanging pictures, that where jniy ono row is to bo hung the central point In each picture should be on the level with tho eye of the ordinary per son. This point Is easily discovered or tho eye unconsciously rests upon It at the first glance. In a vignette portrait, for example, the central point Is the chin. Careless and Ignorant framers of pictures often disregard thle point, which hottld regulate their R'ork. The central point should be at cho exact intersection of two diagonal lines drawn from the corners of the ,'rame, not the mat. It Is a disregard of :his which often gtvea the picture the effect of slipping1 out of Its frame. A useful trifle Is the knowledge that llcohol will quickly remove an obsti nate porous plaster and the unsightly stains which it often leaves, and upon which soap nnd water have no effect. twin trifle, that may somotlme be of jse Is that a drop of castor oil In the ?yo to remove a foreign body Is as use ful and much more manageable thast the better known flaxseed. Harper1 Bazar. Errors In House Building. The most common error In house building is perhaps to allow too little room for stairs. Stairs are used many times a day, and can hardly be made too easy, but It takes space to make in easy stairway, and avoid the itralght, steep flight so commonly found. Another common error la to make the bamroom too small. In a household where there are children, a roomy bathroom Is more to be desired than roomy bedrooms. A small bed room, provided it has good air and proper wall space for bed and bureau and a fair sized closet, may be found is desirable as a largo one, but the bathroom which must be used by all members of tho family Is much of ten -er made too small than too large. It heating It Is better to allow a wide margin for an apparatus that can be run at low pressure than a small one that is constantly worked at the top notch, for not only will tho appara tus work longer, but it will be found to consume quite as little fuel and pro vide for the occasional extreme tem perature. In tho plumbing, tho simpler fixtures of the best make are desira ble. The enameled Iron baths and lavatories, oven kitchen sinks, are dur able and clean, and, what is a consid eration, more attractive in appearance. These are not necessarily the expen sive fixtures. Indeed, they cannot be (00 plain, but should be finished with pipes exposed sn a matter of cleanli ness. Good Housekeeping. The Prize Loaf of Bread. Because of the lack of a standard tor bread making the office of a Judge of bread exhibits, at agricultural and other fairs. Is no sinecure. Whom there is a committee of three to do cido on tho merits of the loaves there may be as many standards of perfec tion. One woman likes her broad slack baked, another likes hers browned by long, slow heat, and a third may hav a tar.to too blunted or falsely educated to detect slight acidity. Personal pref erence bocomos the standard for each.. Shape of loaf, color, texture, and flav or ought to be marked by a scale of points by an expert and no prize given to an Inferior article. At a recent fair a misshapen loaf bore a prize card. Two women piusod beforo It silently for amomont, when one exclaimed: " 'Taln't no groat shakes for looks, but broad Is made to be et, not looked at." In tuis way she exonerated the Judges w'no had awarded a premium to an unworthy object, for uneven rls ing means uneven porosity or texture In bread. There are also a good many people who like to have their foott good to look at beforo It Is "et" With some, looks even decldo whether tney will cat at all. At tho present stage of civilization man does not snatch at a crust or a bono like a dog, but his palate Is ap pealed to somewhat through the eyo Simple dishos perfectly made stioulJ be the aim of home aookery. Phila delphia Telegraph. There is in the United States Treas ury cash and bonds to the amount, la round figures, of $1,000,000,000.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers