AT EVENING.
The ttnoh of evening fell oa IB
A thonaod mlla from Inml,
The mn Lut forth tlmt myitis power
1 fiarcd to unrieratend,
Trf, laughing, dancing nil ttie day,
Foam klMdil 'nratn aklni no fair.
1h ntlUnraa of the nlcht wrapped til,
(laddering It everywhere,
And pltll-M a crii' l Fate
The Krnjrueri cloatd on me.
Iitndinir my r.i-ari nn icy cnaina
'lb vbalLl of Pestluy.
Gore wore my hopM. Tntil" h"l my drcittr.9,
And toruirinx my fuitrs.
The evening wa, no in my lift),
A mtaty realm of Tear.
I THE COURTSHIP
A Poetical Interlude in the Life of One De
voted to His Profession.
From the
SiiwuiuiuiUiiWiuuiUiUiUiu -
My friend, Bobby Bubbles, tho repor
ter for the Dally Stoara Whl3tle, hns
never had anything to say in pralae
of poets. He, a practical newspaper
man, who sees things as they are and
then simply photograph with his pen,
to to speak, has no use for poetical col
oring. But since the affair with Dora Potter
he absolutely hates poets. For tho poet
Crane Is to blame for tiie whole mis
fortune according to Bubbles" view.
In began In a most harnilefs way.
Just like the Chicago fire and ether
disasters. On one of those moist, sticky,
summer daya Bubble was sluing in
the restaurant of Mayer & Mayer de
vouring his luncheon. I purposely do
not say he ate his lunch. Ho did r.ot
eat, but devoured, because he was al
ways afrnid that something might be
happening somewhere without his
knowing it.
"Ah, Bubbles, how are you?" said a
volco suddenly. "Will yoa allow me?"
and Crone, the poet, soated himself
without moro ado at the same table.
Ho had Just received $10 for a poem
and thought he would celebrate. "You
are in bad spirits, my dear Bubbles."
"Heavens, yes. This change of weath
er, and nothing doing, nothing at all!"
"Why don't you go Into the country
old fellow? Take a two weeks vacation
and come with me, I am going to
Mamaronegg In the Echanzunk moun
tains. Oh, you ought to see It!"
And between the chicken and the
stewed pears he pictured the delights
of Mamaronegg as only a poet could.
Bubbles could really hear the trees
rustling and tho birds Kinging, and be
swelled the spicy mountain air.
"I guess you are rlrht," said Bubbles,
as lie stirred his coffee, and collected
his strength. "Well, I will get leave
of absence and go with you. We can
drive togother, row, fish, only don't ask
me to write poetry, I draw the line at
that."
The business manager cf tho Dally
Steam Whistle granted Bubblrs the de
sired vacation with pleasure. Two days
after, the poet and reporter were In
Mamaronegg sitting In a little snow
white hotel with green window blinds
nd a red roof. There were only a
few people in toe hotel, among them a
young lady, Dora Potter, a small but
spirited widow of Eomo twenty sum-1
rners, who was always smiling and
working on a silk necktie for some
unmarried gentleman. That was her
delight
When Crane and Bubbles had recSs
tered their names In the front room,
the ardent Dora appeared and looked
to see what their names wore, where
they came from and what they were.
She suspected she might put both
young men on the necktie list.
"Literary men!" she murmured, de
lighted. "Charming!" She bad a weak
ness for such people.
They appeared hugely Interesting to
her, for they wrote of love. And was
that Indeed Bubbles of the Dally Steam
Whistle, the famous Bubbles who had
accomplished unheard of Journalistic
feats? Who had been a hansom driver
lor two weeks in order to describe his
experience with bis patrons? Who ask
ed the Vanderbilts for a sleeping room
and breakfast whereupon they put btm
la the lunatic asylum, the life and
workings of which he described? Wlio
served Padorcwskl In tho hotel as a
waiter, ana published a most witty ac
count of It?
Yes it was he. This little man with
the red hair and the freckles was the
great Bubbles,
From now on she had only one do
slre, to know the man and to make
him a silk necktie. The opportunity
to become acquainted offered Itself the
next morning when he went out on the
veranda.
The rext day he Invited her with
Crane to take a walk, and on the third
she began a necktie for him. Cruno
was quite enthusiastic about Dora.
While she was making the tie for Bub
bles, Crane was composing a poem
about her In which be extolled her as
Venus of the necktie.
"Bubblca," said he, as they were
walking through the quiet village one
evening, "Bubbles, go ahead! The
deuce! such a fine woman and money,
too; $8000 a year Income to live on!
She told me that la strictest confi
dence." '
"Folly!" replied Bubbles. "I marry!"
but he smiled as be said it.
Bubbles went ahead on a shimmer
ing;, fragrant, moonlight night. The
bullfrogs were singing on the banks,
and tbe note of " 'Way Down Upon
tbe Buwanee River" floated down from
hotel where a troupe of minstrels
were singing.
Dor sat In tbe boat looking at Bub
ble and smiling. - la the moonlight she
sraa bewitching. It was too much lot
Thus at I atood, bereft of Bop,
A Ilitht earns from rrtnr,
Vnct-rtnln flrnt It ahone on me
lha lint Inlut Evening Bur.
Oh, little atar of hope and love,
A-cendant In the aky,
henrilng your mwnine pure and tweet
lo wanderer tuob aa I.
The moon rope from her alitor couch.
The gravnma pnan-d away,
1 be path acrois the rvatieat tea
Wua clear aa In the day.
The atnr haa bid me trut again.
Ami bow tieneath the rod.
1 he mot nllKht thnwa the road It tonga
lhat tenia the way to God.
' Monde M. C Ffonlke.
OF BUBBLES.
German.
iUiaiiuuiiuiuiwiiiaiUiUiurs
Bubbles. When they had returned to
the hotel and Bubbles was on the way
to his room he met Crane,
"I have gone and done it!" said Bub
bles. "Ah, I congratulate you, my dear
boy," replied Crane. "And you will let
me dine with you every Sunday later,
will you not?"
"She has made one condition. I must
immediately give up my position on
the newspaper. I am to look for tome
thing quieter on a magazine, or what
ever suits- me. She says I need not
hurry-, as we are Independent."
"Splendid! And you agreed?"
"Yea, that I did. What was I to do?"
Eoon the three returned to the city.
Bubbles resigned his position, to the
disappointment of his employer. '
"However," sold the business man
aped of the Steam Whistle, "If you ever
alter your decision you will be welcom
ed by us. Hope you will enjoy your
honeymoon."
So they parted.
Dora was radiant. She became ar
dent. When she embraced Bubbles be
gasped for air.
"Oh, I love you better every day,
Bobby, dear," Bald Dora one Sunday af
ternoon, when they wore sitting on tho
sofa.
And Bubbles asked himself anxiously
what would become of him If that were
only the beginning of her love. Would
he not burn to ashes?
Just as the ardent Dora prepared for
another embrace the sharp gong of the
fire engine sounded in the Btreet. Bub
bles pricked up his ears.
"Fire!" he cried, tearing himself
away from Dora, rushing to the window
and looking out "It seems to be the
hotel opposite. 1 must go. Will return
soon."
With tt.at he gave Dora a hasty kiss
and stormed down the stairs. "Being
enpaged to an ex-reporter has its draw
li&ck," sighed Dora, "It Is always
cropping out somewhere."
Alter two hours Bubbles was back. It
had been splendid, thiB fire eight per
sons burned, 15,000 damage. One could
sea how he had enjoyed It Dora hoped
he would soon give this up, but it did
not happen soon.
On a lovely afternoon late In the
summer they were sluing happily in
the little casino In the park. A sudden
clatter cf horses' hoofs sounded on the
iriveway. Then tbe signal whistle of a
policeman.
In a moment two fiery steeds har
nessed to an elegant carriage tore past.
The coachman on the box was as palo
as death. In the carriage sat two fine
ladles clutching the sides in sheer
fright. A mounted policeman followed.
"There Is an accident ; excuse me for
five minutes, my dear."
And Bubbles bailed a hansom, sprang
In and pursued the runaway. A full
hour poor Dora was obliged to sit and
wait, her lovo for Bobby abating by de
grees. At last be came, beaming.
"All In pieces!" be cried, out of
breath. "Ran Into a loaded van. One
dead, three badly wounded. Policeman
fell from his horse, skull smashed.
Great!"
He seated himself and related all tffe
details. Dora reproached him.
"Oh, dear child," he laughed, "that Is
born In mo. It Is as if a hare ran past
an old hun'.cr. I will Improve with
time."
One evening they were on their w ay
to the theatre. All at once the cry was
heard: "Stop thief! Stop thief!" and a
man shot past as quick as an arrow,
pursued by pollcemeu and others.
"Here is your ticket I will como
soon," said Bubbles.
Ho pressed it into her hand, and, liko
ono possessed, yelling "Stop thief!"
niKhcd off before Dora realized what
bad occurred.
"That la too crazy," said she to her
self. In the entrance she waited, but as
no Bobby appeared she betook herself
angrily to her seat. Only at the begin
ning of the last act did he arrive.
"Forgive me," he whispered, as he
let himself sink Into the cushioned
seat. "Wonderful story. Great diamond
robbery. The fellow "
"S-st!" sounded from those near by,
as they scowled at Bubbles.
" Broke in through the cellar.
Three necklaces every
"S-st! 8-stP
" $5,000 worth. Tell you later."
Dora nudged htm and he was silent
After the performance, when they were
In a restaurant, she gave him a sound
scolding. He promised to do better.
But that wos no easy matter to bring
about He was indeed hopeless.
Dora lost all pleasure in her engage
ment She always feared that a Are
alarm or an ambulance might destroy
a kiss or aa embrace and cause Bub
bles to flea. Every day ah grew more
nerveu, and whni -m- her birthday,
Bubble came three hours late to a
cold dinner because he had been pres
ent at a great light on the west tde of
the city, her decision was made. The
day after, Bubbles received a letter
from Dora which said:
"Sir: You are without doubt jaet as
excellent a reporter as you are totally
unfit for an engaged man. Return to
the Dally Steam Whistle. That is your
wife."
When Bubble read the letter he
scratched his red head and mid:
"Poor Dora! But she Is right I ant
no good as a fiance. If I had only not
gone with Crane to Mamaronegg! That
poetical donkey got me into It"
Then my friend Bubbles returned to
the Steam Whistle and wrote a humor
ous article, "What It Is To Be En
gaged," while Dora began a new heck
tie.
QUAINT AND CURIOUS.
The coroanut palm has leaves near
ly thirty feet long.
Most reptiles are notoriously deaf,
except caymans and crocodiles; the
boa absolutely so.
The Kansas wheat farmers are or
ganlztng independent shipping ar
rangements with Liverpool.
Banyan trees are remarkable for tho
fact that their branches droop down to
tho ground and take root as separate
stems.
It is reported that 2573 out of 2,894
Congregational ministers In England
and Wales are total abstainers, while
In Ireland and Scotland the proportion
is still larger.
The oldest ship in the world, the
mall schooner Vigilant, running into
St. Croix, F. W. I., although now under
the French flag, was built of Essex
oak at Essex, Mass., in 1S02.
Not so very long ago a safe expert
was summoned from New York city
all the way to Mexico, with his ex
penses paid, in order to open a time
leck safe in which the mechanism
had stopped.
The cargador, or carrier of Mexico,
Is a remarkable individual. Nothing
seems too bulky, nothing too heavy for
him to carry, and it is quite wonder
ful how he manages not only to lift,
but to balance his cumbersome loads.
It is nothing for a man to carry a load
welching 400 pounds.
The people in Whiting, Me., have
found new employment recently which
proves to be a very lucrative business.
It is that of hunting for honey made
by wild bees, and John Crosby and bis
brother went out in the woods and
found a tree with 22T pounds of the de
licious compound inside.
Nearly all the fashionable tailors in
large eastern cities now carry adjuncts
to their business in the form of impe
cunious young men of good family and
high social standing, who are not
averse to accepting their clothes gratis,
as a return for which they lose no op
portunity to boom the tailor who thus
supplies them.
The proportional increase In the
population of the cities was less dur
ing the last ten years than previously.
Chinese fire-fighters beat gongs and
tom-toms and wave banners to drive
tho flames away. Old kerosene tins
filled with water are also used, and at
Peking there are also a few old hand
power engines. v
Aluminum cooking utensils are be
ing pushed by many of the big shops
here. They are brought out in shapes
as attractive as the line sliver, copper
and gold-lined cooking vessels used in
wealthy households. The stew pa,
terrapin dishes, coffee urns and tea
kettles of aluminum have now such
beauty of contour and finish that they
seem almost more appropriate to the
dining-room table that to the kitchen.
Haw to Make the Brain Grow.
Over 25,000 brains of human be
ings have ben wolghed and examined,
and a French scientist ha lately writ
ten an account of the discoveries that
have been mado. His articlo has been
translated from a French magazine by
tho Literary Digest. He comes to
three Important conclusions, aa fol
lows: (1) It la not the weight ot a brain
that counts. The heaviest brains that
have been examined were those of epi
leptics. (2) Those who have the largest
ld'.-as develop larger brains more
c.ilrkly than thoBe who have merely
nrtivo brain3.
(3) It Is better to have a large
brain than a small cno, but the main
thins is to have the brain well
trained and to keep it thinking on
large questions.
A Rtfjtlme City.
Moscow seems to be a city where
nobody knows with any degree of cer
tainty what time it Is. Arthur ffymons
in his new book on "Cities" says that
no two decks in Moscow agree; even
In the best hotels a clock will solemn.
ly strike three a quarter of an hour
before Its neighbor strikes seven. The
confusion is Increased by tbe fashion
of sticking up dummy clocks in tbe
st roots as advertisements. Tbe mad'
denihg moment come when you have
to catch a train at Moscow. . The rail
way timetables are worked on St Pet
ersburg time, which differs by half an
hour from Moscow time. When yon
are told that the St. Petersburg ex
press leaves at 9 o'clock you are in
doubt as to whether it leave at 1. 10,
I or J .80 by your carefully adjusted
watch.
THE-RUG MAKERS' WORK
IT TAKES MILLIONS OP LITTLE
8TRAND3 TO MAKK A MASTERPIECE.
Weary Year of Labor Required to
fix In Place the Minute Piece
Which Qo to Build Up the Marvelous
Whole.
Some uard wIiofo name Is not given
us ha told tho story of the oriental
rug and hanging a story that Is now
illustrated by an Armenian in Lo An
geles who patiently weaves his rug
each day In the window of one of
Broadway's stores, relates the Times
of that city. It Is a story full of Inter
est, replete w nil life lessons and one
which will delight those Interested
In the rare and beautiful products of
the Orient
E'en as you read it you may be en
sconced in the oriental corner of your
home, Its allurement showing Indis
tinct through the fascinating subJucd
light that come from everywhere yet
seem to come from nowhere and to
reach its peaceful depths and bury
yourself in Its Innumerable cushion
you must pass over the big rug which
deadens tho sound of your footstep
and add Its full share to the glory ot
the room.
It is a splendid work of art, thla
tug all Its color so beautifully har
monized and blended, Its design intri
cate but perfect Many times it ha
gladdened your artistic eye but ha
your mind ever counted It cost? Have
you ever wondered how It million
of pieces were grown, gathered, col
ored and finally woven to make the
work ot art that you crush beneath
your feet? Do you know what part of
a lifetime y.s, what part ot a llfo
went Into that rug?
Years of a lifetime weary years ot
patient painstaking work with minute
pieces, each fixed in its appointed
place to build up the marvelous whole.
In the far-off hills and vales of Ar
menia the rug maker's sheep graze,
and from them he gathers the wool to
weave Into his masterpieces. From
the plants which he finds on the broad
acres he distills the dyes which give
to the fabric its distinctive and artis
tic colors. Splnnlug the rouRti
threads and coloring them, be clips
them into millions of pieces between
an Inch and two Inches long.
Then for a time the artisan gives
place to the artist for the rug maker
must be a designer ot patterns as well
as a craftsman. Hour after hour and
day after day he bends to his sketch
ing work, and when at last It Is fin
ished and he says "It is well!" he
lays aside tbe paper, having no need
for it In the process of weaving ex
cept, perhaps, for occasional reference
Tbe pattern has been so carefully
worked out on paper that every detail
I fixed in his mind, and he sits down
to his loom and builds bis rug as the
painter coming in from a day with na
ture, glances at his sketch book and
puts the hills and trees and Bky into
his picture from the impressions his
mind carries of what his eyes have
seen.
For it is only the employe who
hangs the pattern above bis head. The
lono rug maker, representative of tho
old, picturesque school, needs no pat
tern to guide him, for he takes his
work at Its beginning and carries It
to completion from the wool on the
sheep's back to tho masterpiece which
adorns your floor.
Just now he is at work on a rug
only 2x4 feet in size, but it will re
qulro not loss than three months' work
to finish It. "Tho big rug, tbe fine
one," ho says, stopping a .moment to
answer some questions, '"many years
the rug maker must work on It many,
many ears I cannot tell how many.
For we work not by days and years
when the masterpiece Is In front.
Time? It is nothing! What do a few
years count if the work is done well?
And the rug maker thinks not of time
but of a masterpiece."
Picking up a few of the inch-long
strands and weaving them slowly and
carefully between the threads of the
loom in front of him, he smiled as If
in pity for the emptiness of the ques
tion. Stopping again In his work, ho
turned to the Times' representative
sitting beside him and continued.
"You Americans; you ask not those
questions of tho painter. Why? You
take his picture, and put It on tho
wall, and call blin great, and write
much In your papers about him. It Is
his masterpiece Ho himself is in tho
picture. It is gTeat, wonderful. It Is
so with tho rutr maker In Armenia.
Vhe rug Is his picture ho loves to
make it as tho painter loves to paint
anil what difference if a lifetime Is
gone when the rug Is finished, so that
tho work Is well done? It is not work,
that which we do for Icve of It, and
the rug maker loves his work, nl
vvays." Employe rug makers earn from 10
to 20 cents a day think of It! But
tho spirit ot commercialism and lovo
of gold are gradually penetrating to
the home of the oriental rug makers,
and thcro is grave danger that the
oriental rug will pass into history as
have the buffalo of the western plains.
For the Armenian has discovered that
lio can go Into other countries and
earn from. $1 to $3 a day In other lines
of work, and be is slowly but surely
abandoning bis weary, poorly-paid vo
cation. The members of tbe "old
school" will continue to make rugs as
long aa they live, but they cannot be
gin to supply tbo demand and the
younger generation, the active and
ambitious workers, are net satisfied
with the meagre remuneration offered
by the rug-making profession and the
"work for the take of working" spirit
appear to be diminishing In Armenia
lutt as It ts In other countries.
It yon are a lover and owner of
orientals you will be interested in this
Broadway rug maker, and a visit to
him will make you more than ever ap
preciative of tbe masterpiece upon
your floors. The rug he is now mak
ing 1 48 Inches long by 4 Inches
wide. Allowing only one-sixteenth of
an Inch for the width of each thread
mid this I generous it will require
about half a million pieces cf thread
to complete this rug. and If exact fig
ures could he had the number would
probably approximate million. This
Is a coarse rug, too, and from It you
can get a faint Idea of the millions
possibly billions of pieces required
to make ono of the large silk rugs.
You can also figure how many, many
weary years It takes to finish one of
those masterpieces.
A COLLECTION OF MANGERS.
One of the 8lghts In the New Bavarian
National Museum.
The great charm of the new Bava
rian National Museum at Munich per
haps lies In the fact that Its collections
were made first and Its building after
ward. This method hns resulted In un
usual harmony and surprises at every
turn. Tho architect has planned arches
to be borne by stone columns from
early Roman Bavaria, and rooms to
be celled by genuine panel from the
Middle Ages; he ha cut doorway to
fit tho worn doors nt his command, and
haa built a vaulted chnpel to hold the
wealth of ecclesiastical treasures.
Among the many Individual collec
tion of the museum, by far the most
original is the so-colled "Krlppen
sammlung," or collection of mangers.
To the ears of Trotestant America this
expresses little or nothing, and seem
to be a more appropriate department
for a county fair than for an art mu
seum. But the Roman Catholic church
In Its constant appeals to the eyes and
ears of Its followers, has, through long
centuries. Invented some very beauti
ful methods of teaching little children,
as well as those children of an older
growth, the unlettered and tho un
taught Thus It Is that the Holy Sep
ukher Is still built on Good Friday In
ninny foreign churches, while on
Christmas eve the story of Holy Night
Is represented to the eye by a group of
little figures gathered about a manger.
Whoever has happened on such a
scene at Christmas time In a Catholic
church In our own country has doubt
less been more Impressed with the or
iginality of the method than with any
artistic merit in the figures; but. In tho
land of artists across the sea, much
skill and beauty have been wrought
Into the little Christmas mangers.
These have been a part of the equip
ment of churches and monasteries for
centuries, but In times of disestablish
ment and poverty many of them were
scattered abroad. About a thousand
have been gathered into this Schmeder
collection at Munich, which represents
German, Austrian, Neapolitan and Si
cilian workmanship, and for variety
and Interest leaves nothing to be de
sired. Imagine, If you can, hundreds ot
little figures dolls If you choose, but
rather miniature men and women, for
most of them are carved with a skill
which amount to art. So full of life
Is every line and feature that ono half
expects to see them move. Somo are
of wax, but most of wood or bisque,
a few aro only two or three lniftes
tall, but tho majority are from eight
to 16 inches. The coloring of tbe fea
tures is lifelike, and the poses of the
figures are naturul; tbe costumes are
elaborate, and would charm the doll
loving little girl, while the soldier?,
clad In full armor, would delight ber
brother as well.
Many of these fascinating figures
are displayed In cases whlda fill sev
eral rooms, but the most Interesting
part of the collection consists of
scenes actually arrauged as they were
every Cbrixtmas In tho churches and
monasteries for which they weri
made. Great panes of glass are set
In the walls of darkened passages, and
behind these are constructed minia
ture landscapes, the extreme back
ground formed by pamtcd scenes
which seom to carry the eye for miles.
The only light comes from above, and
is so cleverly arranged that it adds
the last touch of reality to the wbolo.
In such settings the little figures are
so lifelike that one seems to be look
ing at human beings through reveised
opera-glnssos, or to be as near tho
land of l.llllput us the thickness of a
pajne of glass. From Emma Ernestine
Porter' "Christmas Mangers" in the
Century.
Widows.
A Chlrago mathematician announces
that Chicago, with 60,390 widows, has
A larger number than any other com
munity In the country. It is added that
the number of widowers In tho city Is
only 23,097.
As a matter of fact, the state in
which widows are most numerous Is
New York. In which they number 320,
000. Tho city in which they are most
numorous Is the city of New York,
Where there are 105,000.
There were by the last federal cen
sus 2.720,000 widows In the whodn
United States, of whom, It is not worthy
to remark, 88,000 were in Indiana and
only 8000 In Utah.
There were 128,000 In Massachu
setts, less than the total number In
the two states of Alabama and Mis
sissippi, though the view pretty gen
erally prevails that tbe number of
widows is disproportionately large
throughout New England.
There are nearly 2000 In Hawaii and
1700 In Alaska, a proportionately larg
er number than In the city of Chicago.
New York Sun.
Vienna, Austria, Is now suffering
from a dust plague, the low tempera
ture rendering It Impossible to water
the street with safety.
WAR UPON PORCUPINES,
Pennsylvania Lumber Owner Employ
Trapper to Kill Off the Pests.
It Is doubtful whether In all Penn
sylvania a more extraordinary task
was ever undertaken than that which
three men from Bentcn are now en
gaged In. It Is the extermination ot
porcupines from a vast tract ot tim
ber. In which the little, animals aro
destroying trees. Ino men are Rich
ard and William Hess and George
rarker. Tbey are trappers of recog
nized ability, and have been engaged
by Col. Rlcketts to tra-i porcupines
In his vast tract of timber in -illl-van,
Wyoming and Luzerne counties.
It Is a unique Job, Indeed, but none
the less Important, for a family of
balf a dozen porcupines Is known to
have ruined a dozen or more trees In
a single season. And when It Is re
membered that there are hundreds
open hundreds ot the pests on the
Rlcketts property, and that every tree
destroyed means the loss of anywhere
from $10 to $30, the effort at exter
mination becomes an important busi
ness proposition.
Tho three men were chosen for the
work because of their knowledge cf
the habits of the porcupines. They
have followed the business ot trapping
otter, mink, weasels wild cats and
bear for years, so that the matter of
capturing the costly "porkles" Is next
thing to sport for them. They have
already spent two weeks at the work,
and In that time have captured over
50 porcupines. Incidentally, too, their
Imps have caught a dozen raccoons,
moro than a score of muskrats. three
fine mink and a magnificent specimen
ot the catamount, or "bob cat," as the
woodsmen and trappers call It The
catamount Is a clcse cousin to the
lynx, and is an altogether undesirable
foe. The one caught by these trap
pers Is as large as a small leopard,
and was as defiant a.i n prisoner with
a crunched leg could afford to be.
The porcupine Is a born pest' All
night long the scratch, scratch,
scratch, nip, nip, nip of the "porkles"
can be hoard as they gnaw at the
trunks of trees. In the bark of which
Insects or grubs have taken refuge.
It is remarkable, too, what an amount
of damage to a tree one porcupine
can do In a single night
The three trapper will continue
their work until snow comes, after
which the pestiferous "porkles" take
to their winter cuarters and remain
dormant until spring. It was an Idea
of his own that induced Col. Rlcketts
lo employ the trappers, and It Is cal
culated that in two or three seasons
the porcupine will either have been
all caught or their number reduced
to a harmless few.
The porcupines are partial to par
ticular parts of tne state. Up in the
hardwood forests of Potter and Ly
coming counties there are compara
tively few "porkles," but In the hem
lock and plno districts of Columbia,
Sullivan and Wyoming counties they
teem to thrive in abundance. Their
quills protect them against all comers
of the animal kingdom, hence very few
are killed In combat. Even a fierce
dog Is generally worsted bofore a bat
tle' progresses very Tar, for tho ca
nine's ncne and paws soon become
punctured with the poisonous quills
and he Is glad enough to lot the ugly
faced porcupine alono. But they are
greedy things, and a baited trap gen
erally entices tho "porky" to his down
fall. Even after ho Is caught he I
next to worthless. Some render their
fat, laying that it produce an oil
having in it rare medicinal qualities,
hut a n usual thing their death Is
sufficient cause for rejoicing, and tbey
are permitted to lie in tbe woods.
There are times when "porkles,"
If numerically strong, will attack a
man, and in that event tbey can make
It most uncomfortable for him, as with
claws and teeth and quills they pos
sess weapons that anyone might have
a wholcsomo fear of. But, like all
ccwards, the "porkles" must have
their whole gang on band before they
will attempt the aggressive. Phila
delphia Record.
Water In the Bush.
Nine year ago water at the West
ralla gold field was dearer than beer
In London. At special times half a
crown a gallon was paid for newly
condensed water, still warm from the
condenser, and at the best of times no
ono grumbled at a shilling 'a gallon.
The public pasted the whlBkey bottle
over for his customer to help himself,
but he measured carefully the amount
of water mixed with the whiskey. The
popular system of bathing was to have
a bucket of water with a false bottom
held over your head. The bottom was
removed with a Jerk, and tho water
ran down into a tub on the floor.
There it was carefully collected to
serve for the next comer, as it had
probably served for half a dozen bo
te you. This cost half a crown
Scarcity of water and badness of food
brought on tho great typhoid fever ep
Idomlcs, from which the gold Holds
suffer to this day, and lads hunting foi
wealth diod off a though the band of
God had passed in anger over the
place.
Western Australia is a colony ot
bold men. Tbey saw that ncthing but
radical treatment would avail for this
scarcity. Hence the water scheme
running about 360 miles to Kalgoorlle,
carrying nearly C.000,000 gallons a
day, and largely solving the matter, so
far as tbe supply for human being
around the main centres Is concerned.
London, Mall,
One Exception.
"You will have to admit that women
are better at driving bargain than
man are."
"Not Invariably. Suppose the bar
gain la a pound of nails?" Kansas
City Journal.
Covering Pantry 8helve.
The old fashion of covering pantry
shelves with paper has fallen Into dis
favor. In fact, tho custom was que
tlonable from a sanitary point of view,
as any one may know who has ever
changed the paper coverings' and ob
served the amount of dirt they man
aged to accumulate In a short time.
Pantry shelves should be painted with
several coats ot white paint, or cov
ered with white oilcloth. Either plan
'. good, and the shelves may be
scrubbed as often as necessary.
Homemaker and Housekeeper.
To be a first-rate housekeeper re
quire ability of no mean order. It
implies a knowledge of food, sanita
tion, household decoration, and econ
omic. It demand the power to con
trol and direct servants, not to speak
of managing the members of the house
hold, says Harper's Bazar. House
keeping Is, In fact, a business, and
calls for executive ability and a con
structive mind. But home-making is
an, systematic and strong, who con
quers all the problems of housekeep
ing, who controls and retains her cook,
who never has a fly or a moth within
her four walls, whose plenteous table
is faultless in all its appointments, Is
an absolute Philistine as regards
home-making. She provides all the
environments of a delightful borne, but
leaves a blank where the heme Itself
ought to be produces tho frame and
k aves out the picture. "Her house Is a
dream but her home Is a nightmare!,
was a comment on one household.
Home Is made by considering it
essentials, and putting them first A
home Is a place where the happiness,
the freedom, the health, and the com
fort of the family are provided for. A
place that offer bodily comfort and
health, but neither freedom nor Joy,
is not home. To call It so is
to take the sacred name of home in
vain. Rigidly fixed rules, which never
take account of the need or convenience
ot members of the household, may be
good housekeeping; they are bad home
making. Freedom and sympathy have
been well called the foundations ot
home life. "No things, but souls,"
Is where the stress ot the homemaker'
activity should be laid.
Hints to Housekeeper.
Green tomatoes, cut In halves, rolled
In flour and fried In drippings are de
licious for breakfast. After tbe toma
toes are fried pour all but a very lit
tle of tbe drippings out ot tbe pan, add
a dessertspoonful of butter, and add
slowly half of three-quarters of a cup
ful of rich milk. Pour this sauce over
the tomatoes. Broiled ham accompa
nies this dish.
The dense pulp and heavy flavor of
the banana is sometimes Improved by
mixing It with other more acid and
watery fruits. A can of cherries In
which the quantity of syrup overbal
anced the fruit was improved recently
by straining oft the liquid and cooking
diced bananas In it until they were
transparent Then tbey and the cher
ries were mixed.
If lemons show signs et spoiling or
growing hard and horny, place them
In more than enough water to cover
them. Change every day or two.
Roquefort cheese ran be kept fresh
and moist by wrapping It In a cloth
wrung out in brandy or wine vinegar
and covering it with oiled paper.
To keep a Dutch cheese from mould
ing pour into it a little brandy and
wrap in an oiled paper.
For neuralgia apply an ordinary
bread poultice aa hot as can be borne
to tbe affected parts. This has been
tried and is well recommended.
Pure olive oil, mixed with a little
glycerine. Is recommended a a cream
for massaging tbe face at bedtime. It
feeds tbe tissues without yellowing the
skin.
When Ironing, rub the hot Iron light
ly over a piece of ordinary yellow
soap and the clothes will look much
nicer, and the work will be done much
quicker.
Recipes.
Sauce Plquante To one cupful of
drawn butter sauce add one table
spoonful each of vinegar, lemon Juice,
chopped capers, pickles and olives, a
little onion Jure and cayonne pepper.
Celery Root Salad Pare the celery
roots; put them Into cold water for
twenty minutes; then put thera la a
stewpan; cover with boiling water;
add a little salt and let conk until ten
der; pour off the water; cut each
root In slices; when cold pour over a
French dressing.
Wheat Muffins Cream two tahle
spoonfuls of butter, add two tablo
epoonfuls ot sugar; beat two eggs; add
to them one and ono-balf cuptuls of
milk; pour half of this over two cup
fuls of flour and the butter and sugar:
beat well; add the remaining milk and
rgg; one level teaspoonful cf salt and
four level tcaspoonfuls ot baking pow
der; fill buttered muffin pans two
thirds full and bake.
Fowl Pilau Warm on cupful of
rooked fowl; to one cupful of water
add one cupful ot tomato, strained;
season with salt, pepper and one tea
spoonful ot curry powder; when this
is boiling add halt a cupful of well
washed rice and cook until the rice la
tender about twenty minutes then
add the fowl and three tableepoonful
ot butter; whan very hot turn out on a
platter and garnish with toast point.