iiiHiB AMERICAN GIRL'S FOOTWEAR. There nre no women of any country that dress the foet as prettily at Amor Iran grt do. In fact no women who fcave such pretty feet to dress. Spanish women have tiny feet, but they are too short and broad for real beauty. And French women, by some mysterious process, always wear sninll nhoes, no matter what size foot they I) a vp. Rut the foot of the American girt, which Is as famous as her wit and beauty, Is always small enough to ex actly suit her slender, thoroughbred build, Is exquisitely modeled, rarely (nowadays) pinched, and dressed with the utmost taste, appropriately for every occasion. It was this side of tlio Atlantic, that women started the fad for the stout mannish cut of shoe for street and country sports, and It took the Amer ican girl to first refuse to play tennis In French heels. This does not mean that English girls hare not worn big calf skin shoes Always a lot, and frequently inappro priately. Every one knows the British pirl's propensity just the reverse of the French for wearing shoes that make her feet look large even If they chance to be small. Hut their stout boots arc coarse in texture and com mon In cut; while though the Amer ican girl uses for heavy wear heavy wots, they are of the smartest cut, the most flexible material, and while never tight always fitted to perfection, comfortable over' the Joint and snug up under the Instep. For a while she did make it a little bit of a fad to accentuate the man rriahncss of her boots, her soles were uselessly wide nnd thick, but even then carefully fitted and most swag ger in cut and finish. But this sea eon her street boots are Just heavy enough for protection, no useless weight, and as perfect In make as her dancing slipper. Her outdoor shoes, high and low, are ct a calfskin, softly dressed, or of dongola kid, or a dull-finish leather. For nice street wear, shoes are a little more pointed at the too and with Cu ban heels, of patent or enameled leather. For home wear, for afternoon re ceptions, for evening, shoes may this year match the costume, and for dancing they must' White nnd pink and yellow suede or dull kid for danc ing, slippers, tr lace over satin, or painted satin fire best form. With many varie'les of brown cos tumes, bronze slues nre extremely good style, nnd so nre brown suede, al ways with stockings to exuetly match. Of course you can bo very well dressed by adhering to patent leather .for nil day-time dress occasions, but for evening a black or bronze slipper would be inartistic ' dressing; and white, though it can be worn with tinted frocks, is only best style wlUi .white. But quite as Important as shoes to match gowns nro the stockings to match shoes, and there has never beeu a season when such an InUiiito va riety of colored stockings were to be aeen la the shops. Browns In every possiblo shade of onion-skin, mnhogany nnd docque de roche tones; blues nnd purples; reds, light and dark and in all strawberry, pond lily and watermelon tints, and yellows, pnle and oranges. And newest of all, shaded stockings, xvulte at the hem nnd deep-toned nt the toe, and every sliade of one color In between; not a bit good taste, but nevertheless with some popularity. The open-wori etocking that was entirely crowded out by the gauzn niesh stocking last year, is coming in again this winter, the open-work show ing elaborate lace designs and fre quently inset with lace. It is still smart, though eccentric, to have a monogram on the left in step. And just at this season of out door sports college girls and school plrls frequently embroider the flag of their brother's college on the instep of a ailk stocking. Or a sweetheart's Initials in hit college colors adorn a ilk instep. And all this colored silk embroidery on stockings, and also the craze for colored hosiery, brings up the torment lag question of laundering without losing color or lustre. The ordinary process of boiling and rubbing means ruined hosiery of the delicate sort. Indeed so heavy can the loss be from careless washing of line stockings, that a great many girl- do up their own, Just as 'they do their laces and tuble embroideries. Their plan la to . use warm water made soft with borax and soapy with taut lie soap. First, they souk the stockings for half an hour in cold borax water, four tea apoonfuls to a pall of water. Then Into a pall of water that has Just boiled is shaved a quarter of a cake Of soap with a tablcspoonful of borax, i The stockings are rubbed a few min utes by hand, rinsed twice in cold water and lot .drip dry in the shade. Out of doors in the wind Is best, but surely out of the suu. All of this means not each laundering. And it's worth the trouble if you waut to fol ow the fad for pretty hosiery. NO TITLE LIKE "MOTHER." There is 110 title mora beautiful than "mother;" the good woman glories jo It and fits herself to be worthy the sin In ever saaae. Willingly she goes, down Into the valley of the shad off of death that she may rise almost glorified In her new honor. Unfortnnately, there are many er ring, selfish mothers, as well as good ones many who should never have been mothers. The woman who ac cepts the crown of motherhood should discharge her duties faithfully, even though they involve sacrifice. Rever ence would be the natural possession of every child If the parents were worthy the respect of their children. Parents may feel that It does not mat ter whether their children respect them or not: that the achievement Is not worth the effort which it costs thorn; but It matters to the children. Their own welltieing demands that they reveveiiee father nnd mother. As binding as this duty should bo considered by parents, equally so Is the one of providing In early life for their own old age. Parents should not, when the evening of life comes, be dependent on their children, thns Interfering with the responsibilities those children must nattirnPy have as sumed. A mother has no niornl right to Interfere with the marriage of her daughter; It should be the duty nnd privilege of a mother to teach and fit her daughter for wife nnd motherhood. A good mother cannot be forsaken In her old age. nowlthstanding the nu merous duties a daughter may assume; that daughter will always find time to cheer nnd solace the parent stem; the golden quality of mother love wilt beget love untold. To the aged mother or father, for whom the sands of life have nearly, run, every thought of daughter and grandchild will be a solace. Every triumph, every woe of the absent child will be sympathized with by the parents who have proved themselves worthy. There nre sure to be days when, with aching heart and tired brain, the child will give any thing on earth to creep Into the humble home nnd feel the embrace of those loving, aged arms. What a comfort to the parent who has been i. worthy one will such actions be only the mother henrt, tried and true, can tell! No woman has the: right to deprive her child of its rightful inheritance. Parents owe it to themselves and their children to make easy the downward path of life; they should also fit them selves to be companionable, sweet tempered and unselfish to those about them in the declining years of their lives. The mother who has become selfish and irritable in her old age must surely have been amiss In her younger life, for trials und sorrow and suffering tend to make a good woman better; they nre brothers to knowledge, be cause they educate and refine. The mother who has become an In valid or Is In poverty should not be deserted by son or daughter; yet some other means, rather than the sacrifice of a child's dearest hopes, should be devised for the 'maintenance and comfort of such a parent. Herein comes the blessing of making one's self sweet tempered nnd adaptable. A good mother is a blessing and a Joy, one to bo prized above ail things else; her name should be breathed with rev erence. A bad mother is a lasting disgrace to children aud the commun ity. Some mothers will not live alone and refuse to have a son or daughter In-law iu the house, or to live in the house of a son or daughter-in-law, lest their llttlo failings become known selfish, selfish to the core! To tho good mother every head should be bowed; earth and heaven will do homage to her. For the selfish mother there Is only a lonely old age. A. F. M., in the New York Tribune. IN WRITING. A LETTER. Do not WTlte long business letters. Do not write brief letters of friend ship. Avoid writing over the bead of your correspondent. Never use words with which you are not familiar. Always use unruled paper of fine texture. Avoid a pronounced color. Under no circumstances send half a sheet of paper, even for the briefest note. Use only black ink. Never write of another anything which you would not want him to see. Do not write of personal or other important matters to strangers or or dinary acquaintances. Do not fill your letters with lengthy excuses for your silence. Do not offer advice unless you are asked for It, and should you have occasion to admonish your friend, let It be done gently and lovingly. Do not send an Important Message on a postal card and never use them for notes of invitation. The Inquirer. LONDON'S BATHING WOMEN. ' Who could guess that London's edu cation committee employs bathing women among its numerous classes of 'workers? Yet such is the case. They are called in to superintend the washing of children in the schools for the mentally deficient They are paid sixty cents for one and a half hours' work. In addition, however, they are called upou to wash the towels aud tidy up the bathroom after use, lira. Leland Stanford is now In the Esst In an endeavor to find a minister for Stanford University to succeed the Her. Heber Newton, resigned. New York City. Simple waists with fralsteoat effects are among the new est features of fashion aud exceeding ly attractive. This one it mude of BOX I'l.EATED BLOl'SR WAIST. royal blue chiffon taffeta combined with ecru lace, but It is Milted to all walstlngs and all simple dress mater ials as well as to both the entire gown and the odd waist. The sleeve extension, which form box pleats A LATE DESIGN over the shoulders, make an especially noteworthy feature and are becoming to the gcuerality of figures. When liked, the vest can bo of velvet or other contrasting material so making still greater variety. The waist is made with a fitted lin ing which can be used or omitted as preferred, and consists of the fronts, back, centre front and vest portions. The lining is closed at the centre front, the waist invisibly beneath the edge of the left front and the waistcoat at the centre. The sieeves are made in one piece, mounted over St ted linings, on which the deep cuffs are arranged and their extensions are arranged over the shoulder seams. The quantity of material required for the medium size is four yards twenty-one, three aud one-half jards twenty-seven or 1 and three-quarter yards forty-four inches wide, with three-quarter ysrds of all-over lace to make as illustrated. Faahlonabla Cull, If long, tight redlngotes and basqued Jackets are all the rage, the little, short loose paletot has certainly not disappeared, for I se many editions of it among the new models, and I gladly ball its appearance, for it is so useful aud eouvenlent and looks Just the thing to wear with a simple skirt With a Trio of Houuuh Though ruchlngs on aceordloned flounces are yet evidences of petticoat prettlness, a lovely novelty in brown shows three flounces, each hemmed top and bottom, each shirred three times, and each sewed to the ope above. - Cappar-Coloradltfsraboiit Faathrra, Lovely as 'possible is a pastel cop per atole of marabout feathers, with a liberal sprinkling of ostrich. At the ends It la nearly while. for morning expeditions, shopping, etc. The new "t'arrlcks" are cut In much the same shape and have capes that come over the shoulders, but with out covering up the coat completely. They are fastened to the side seams and so do not Interfere with the grace of the silhouette. Many Carrlcks are unlined, the big pelerine being suffic iently warm. These outer sleeves or capes are fastened with automatic buttons so that they can be taken off If desired. Paris Fashions. tilnnte or Shirt WaUt. Waists that are simple In style yet a little more elaborate than the shirt waist till many needs anil are In great demand. This one Is exceptionally at tractive and .Is adapted both to the odd waist nnd to the entire gown as well ns to a variety of materials. As Illus trated, however. It Is made of dark red ehllTon taffetn stitched with cor tleelll silk and worn with a blavik tie and belt. The yoke adds largely to tho effect and Intensifies the broad shoul der line, but can, nevertheless, be omitted when a plainer waist Is de sired. The wnlst consists of the fitted lin ing, which Is optional, fronts nnd back, with the yoke and sleeves. The sleeves nre made In one piece each and nre laid In pleats both at the upper edge and above the cuff portions. The closing Is made Invisibly at the left of BY MAY MANTON. the front and the neck la finished with a regulation stock. The quantity of material required for the medium size la five yards twea- BLOttNK OR SHIRT WAIST, ty-one Inches wide, four yards twenty seven inches wide, or two and three' quarter yurdji forty-four inches wide, Ptilt, Mhuula ! One of the prettiest of the simpler gowns Is gray luce combined with ill rer lace. The high bodice has a yoke and collar striped with silver, and the draped girdle Is largely composed of the silver. The skirt Is full and long, and bus several Hues of the silver tbove the hem. BulUiflr on Bba. Quite the lutest butterfly vogue Is to weur a butterfly ou the front of the evening slipper. The Cotswold Shsep. Cotswold sheep have been bred pure for at leant three centuries. The Cots wold of today Is In many ways at vari ance with the old type and It Is sel dom now that we see a flock of pure bred Cotswold that cannot lay claim to the Ideal type of a combined wool and mutton sheep. Truo, they are as large a breed as we have, but did you ever know of a market on which a prime Cotswold lamb would not bring the top figure? Borne very careful experiments have been marie In recent years to test the different breeds for profitable feeding. Tho Cotswold nlways Is right nt the. top. Tho now desirable export trade demands the heavy weights thut Cots wolds rtinUo at two and three years. Cotswold ramH have been used by tho largest sheep company In tho west chiefly tor tho last IB years. New stud-breeding flocks are being found ed all over the country to supply the demand for Cotswold rams that Is In creasing with each succeeding year. As sheep of beauty and high charac ter In their whole general appearance, It can be said that no other breed equals thorn, and for real sterling qual ities as a wool and mutton producer, they are more than holding their own in this country. Applying Manure. Farmers will have their own views and practices how to apply the ma nure. Circumstances and conditions will make more or less difference. A farmer Hhould study the matter care fully and by experimenting on his own land try to find the best methods. Both methods of plowing manure under and surface applications are practlcod, and each will have Its ad vantages. Coarse, strawy manure should produce the best results by plowing under, as It Is difficult Incor porating It with the surface soli to any satisfactory degree by harrowing. Turned under It will be out of the way of cultivation, decay and furnish food for the roots of the plants as they extend downward. It will also serve to lighten the soil and furnish vegetable matter which Is of Importance. The wrltor usejl to have an idea that surface manuring, at least on his own laud, was alto gether the boat, .but later develop ments rather Indicate that plowing tho manure under has Its advantages, and Is to be preferred. Of course, soils, seasons and depth of plowing will have some Influence or affect In the matter, and one should not be so decided In his opinions and practices that he will not be willing to make a change when Indications point to an Improvement In so doing. Then, In conclusion, do all possible of the plowing In the fall, do It In the best manner, and carefully apply all of the manure available In the manner calculated to do the most good. E. R. Towle, In The Massachusetts Plough man. Crib-Biting and Wind Sucking. A noted English veterinarian says that he couples these bad habits to gether because they ofton are Insepar able, and says: "Either may exist without the other, but one (crib-biting) may lead to and end In the establishment of the oth er. Crlb-bltlng Is hnblt contracted by Idle horses who start by playing with the manger licking or biting It It may be copied from the habit of an other horse, aud therefore a crlb-blter In a stable Is undesirable, because it may teach other horses the habit. Just how and when it arises is a difficult question to answor. I remember one case In which the habit was contract ed In only a few days. A horse may "crib" and not wlndsuck, In which state I hold the horse has a vlco. When he wind-sucks. Is he vicious or unsound? Mere cribbing does not dim inish his usefulness. Wind-sucking may not Interfere with the working ca pacity of a horse doing regular, con stant work, but should anything occur to prevent his working as, for In stance, a lame leg or a sore back he will soon diminish his capacity for work. Most horses require some rest ing place for their teeth or Jims bo fore they wind-suck, but a few are able to do so with no fixed point to rest against. The evil of wind-sucking, I assume, is the distention , of the stomach by swallowed air. This leads to gastric defect. ' I do not believe that the habit has, as a predisposing cause, a gastric affection, nor do I recognize any evidence that Indigestion leads to wind-sucktng. I consider it merely a bad habit a vice loading to un soundness." Indiana Farmer. Profit In Guineas. One branch of the poultry business has been very much neglected, and that is guinea raising. A flock of guineas are about the most profitable that can be kept If they can have the range of the farm. The common guinea Is Just as good as the albino or white variety, but when cooked the flesh Is not so white, la the morning when let out . of the poultry bouse they often stop no long er than to pick up a little of the grain given to the flock before they wander to the fields in search of weed seeds an! bugs which tbey like better than anything that can be given them. They never becomo tame like hens. Tbey Garden will lay In the nosts with the hens dnr Ing the forepart of the season, but when ready to set they will steal oft and hide their nests and hatch their eggs unless watched. Do not let them hatch their own eggs, as they are most careless mothers and a guinea hen that will raise two chicks out of 20 hatched will be doing pretty well. Hatch thorn under hens and let the hens raise them. They will develop a great affection for their foster moth er, refusing to be weaned during tho wholo season and following her faith fully whenever she Is out of the poul try house. When first hatched guineas aro exceedingly wild nnd unless con fined will wander off and porlsh, leav ing the nest very frequently and with in two or three hours after hatching. Guinea eggs do not 'sell well on the mnrket because of the small size, but for house use they are as good as any nnd are produced In such abundance and at such little cost that any one can afford to keep a flock for the eggs. B sides being a cheerful bird, they are as good as a watch dog to tell when st rangers are around. They detect a stranger as soon as he comes near and set up tholr shrill cries. They also serve to frighten off hawks as they are sure to raise a clamor If one comes In sight Mrs. Henry Koster before Dubuque County (Iowa) Farm ers' Institute. , The Busy Bee. If your hives are poorly sheltered, or full of cracks, the heat will pass out and the bees will have to consume Just so much more honey for fuel. If your bees have a good warm hive, a good queen and plenty of honey, very little care will be required from you until next swarming time arrives. If any hives are gaping In the cor ners now will bo a good time to renall them, and put on an additional coat of paint Do not try to keep your bees warm by closing up the entrances of the hives. Make the top as tight and warm as you please, but allow sufficient bot tom ventilation. To protect empty combs from the moth larvae, place them where they will get a good freezing during win ter. Nearly all empty combs will be found to contain moth eggs in au tumn. If the combs are kept In the cellar, or other moderately warm place, theso eggs will hatch Into lar vae, and feed upon the honeycomb. Look out for mice getting lato bee hives during winter. They play havoc with the combs. Remember, It Is Just as Important to take proper care of the honey, and put It on the market In a first class condition, as It is to use the best and most economical means of securing It. One of the essentials of proper care Is keeping the honey In a very dry and warm place; especially is this true of comb honey, or extracted honey In open cans. Honey taints very easily, and for this reason It is best to use as little smoke as possible when extracting. After many experiments In melting honey, I have come to the conclusion that It cannot be done without Impart ing to It a waxy flavor. When hunting wild bees, light a small fire and burn small pieces of old comb or beeswax, drawing the' bees In this way. Then take a comb of honey and let tho bees settle on It, and place it Inside of a box. When your first bee gets filled, keep your eye on her. After circling several times, each circle being larger, she will start on a straight line from you sometimes she will start for home when so far away that one needs good eyes to see her. If the colony Is close by, there will soon be others following the' first bee. When you can see them leave the comb and go without circling, then get a direct line marked by something you will remember. Get some of the bees Into the box and carry them to some other location where your observa tion will not be broken by trees, and let your bees down on the comb, watching them as before, till you se cure a straight line from this point. Now, all you have to do, Is to follow up this line until you como to where the other line crosses. F. G. Herman, In The Farm Journal. Pinning Off Onion Smart, "I have beta putting up preserves and pickles for. thirty years," said a Brooklyn housewife of the old school, "and I discovered the other day that I am not too old'to learn something new. I went to New Jersey to see my son's young wife, an Iowa girl. They were married last winter. She was putting up onions a decldodly dis agreeable task. But her eyes ere not watery. Tbey were as clear as the Bky. She slmplynodded and mut tered something between closed teeth. " 'What In the world are you keep ing that piu between your teeth for?' I asked. "She removed It long enough to say: 'To keep the onions from hurting my eyes. I'll be through lu a minute.' " 'Do you mean to say that will do It?' I asked Incredulously. "She nodded. The pin was In Us place agaiu. She kept U there for ten minutes while I watched ' her work, and her eyea were as dry as a walnut" New York Press. , BOMB SWEET PEAS niNTS. Any one msy have sweet peas with their delicious fragrance, throe to four weeks earlier, by sowing In the fell In stead of spring. Vhey are' hardy and will stand quite a freeze after coming up. I prepared the ground by giving s light dressing with well rotteu ma nure; spaded up and sowed In the usual manner. On the 2d of March, when the ground was thawing ont I raised the board and was surprised to find the peas com In through the ground. Later we bad two snow storms and several freezing nights, but It did not seem to hurt them. D. DeYecmon, In The Epltomlst STRAWBERRIES. Where possible spring planting ' should be employed, ns better fruit crops result than where plants are set In the fn II. but where the summer heats destroys the iihts fall planting 's essential. Tho soil should be In perfect condi tion and well mulched. Plants should be obtained from the nearest plant nursery nnd there should be no delay lu putting them to the field. As soon as there has been a good rain the plants should be obtained, set with especial care and frequently hoed until they are established. If the soil he roines dry the plants must be watered or they will soon die. For fall plant ing nbntit twice the number of plnnts are used than when set In spring. Every effort must be put forth to ob tain the most vigorous growth, as there Is at most only ten or twelve weeks In which the plants can devel op and strengthen their fruit buds. THE TLUM AND ITS ENEMIES. Those who have orchards of plums still prefer the jarring of the trees to all other methods for capturing of the curcullo. Early In the morning the curcullo Insects nre in a half torpid state, and a Jarring of a tree causes them to drop quickly. A sheet la spread on the ground to catch the In serts, and they are then burned or otherwise destroyed. It Is a better method than spraying. In orchards of plums where hogs have the run of the enclosure and where the Jarring Is practiced bu: few curcullo will be found after the first year. The few plums that fall punctured by the cur cullo which were not destroyed or which have done .their work before, are eaten by the swine, which pre vents the exit of the larvae; and In. this way an orchard la almost im mune lu a few years. There are var ious devices for Jarring the trees. Some drive in an iron plug, which Is struck by a heavy mallet, others use a block of wood padded where It Is attached to me tree, and this block Is struck with a heavy mallet. Be tween Jarring the trees and destroying fallen fruit before the larvae can es cape, the pests can be so lessened as to Insure a crop of fruit after it is set Spraying the foliage and fruit when youug, to kill fungi germs. Is also to be recommended, or the crop may be lost through the fruit rotting. Prac tical Farmer. PANSIES AND SPRING BEDDING. Numerous varieties of pansles are given from four or five types. The Odlers are marked by three In the catalogues, but they nre all derived great velvetry blotches; the Bugnots by live. Both are foreign strains, but thrive admirably lu this country. The Odler pansy Is finest, however, when given the protection of a cold frame lu winter. Casslers and Trlmardeous are both superb, large flowered sorts, the latter rattier flabby in appearance. The English pansles are large, round, velvety beauties not very well adnpt? ed to this country. The bedding pan sles sre a mass of small, brightly col ored flowers; tbey fairly bloom them selves to death. It is time to choose between them, or to sow sll of them, if you have room. Usually before the last flowers of last year's seedlings have faded there will be young pansy plants springing from self sown seed all over the bed. An old cold frame that can be shad ed in the duy time is a capital place In which to sow pansles now. Lack ing this, they can be sown in a box or pot in the window, on a corner of the porch or in a cool, sheltered nook almost anywhere In the garden. If an outdoor bed is chosen tor the sow ing, be careful that the soil Is deeply dug', very rich and moderately porous with leaf mold and sand; also that the surface of the ied Is raised enough to keep the water from standing ou it in winter. Otherwise too little need lings will need to be transplanted. My own seedling pansles are always transplanted from the cool, sheltered nook that early fall or midsummer sowing presupposes, to a well pre pared one that gets the sun and the shelter of buildings all winter. In other words, I do my transplanting In October Instead of In the spring. From this sunny bed the plants are trans ferred after tbey have bloomed through April, May and June, to one having a northern exposure. Here they rest and give a few blooms dur ing summer, blooming finely again In fall. When the fall rains begin each old root will send up strong new shoots thst In a llttje while will be full of lovely flowers. The bedding pansles may be sowu lu quantity iu spriug for summer flowers. Vick's siaga sine. 'The French provincial railroads are among the poorest In the world.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers