AN OLD MAN'S IDYL.
By the Winers of ;.ife .fe sat together,
Jy t tie Winers of !ife .fe sat togeth
Hand in hand in the imldeti iIhvs
Of the beautiful early Rummer weather,
When skiea were purple anil breath wan
praise.
When the heart kept tune t) the carol of
birds.
And the hints kept tune to the tonga
w hich ran
Through shimmer of flowers on grassy
swards,
And trees with voices Aeolian.
By the livers of Life we walked toother,
I and my darling, unafraid;
And lighter than any linnet's feather
The burdens of l'eing on us weighed.
And Love's aweet miracles o'er us threw
Mantles of joy outlasting Time,
IA t up from the rosy morrows grew
A sound that seemed like a marriage
chime.
In the gardens of Life we strayed together:
Aud the luscious apples were ripe and
red.
And the languid lilac and honeyed heather
Swooned with the fragrance which they
shed.
And under the trees the angels walked,
And up in the air a sense of wings
Awed us 'emlerlv while we talked
Softly in aftcrcd communings.
In the meailoas of Life we strayed to
gether, Watching the waving harvests grow;
And under the heni-oiii of the Father
Our hearts, like the lambs, skipped to
ami fro,
And the cowslips, hearing our low replies,
vW.
(
THE BLACK ROPE.
By PAUL
In the region about his own home
Jay Hazleton had earned the na.'.ie
of being a "driver." In the busiest
season of the farm year work never
crowded Jay. Instead, he crowded
his work with all the relentlessness
of which his sturdy frame and squnre
chin showed him capable. Strangely
enough, during the summer of 1S9S
this very trait of forehandedness
came near to wrecking the young far
mer's fortunes.
.lay's "hired man" was scrawny
youth of about eighteen years, the
farmer's opposite in physical and
mental characters! Ics. Jay had
hired him partly In pity of the boy's
widowed mother, who rented the
farm a mile southeast of his own,
and partly, It must he confessed, he-
cause such help came cheap, and
Jay believed that a few allopathic !
doses of "hustle" might Induce the He tied Daisy and Lass to the back
dawdling Watson to do almost the of the wagon, and drove slowly Into
work of a man. I the road. It was terribly hot. this
On jthe hottest afternoon the sum- July weather. The dust rose so thlck
jrter hart known Jay was sorting eggs j ly about him that at times he could
down In the basement of the barn. I hardly see the fields he was passing.
The little eggs were good enough for I lie had to drive slowly because of the
the farmer and his assistant, and the j
othe's would bring a fancy price from
town customers. He was In even more
of a hurry than usual, for this par
ticular Tuesday was an important
day for the old Hazleton farm and
its master; from the place was going
the first herd, of Hereford cattle that
he had ever sold to a certain dealer.
A dozen two-year-olds and Daisy and
Lass, two of Jay's star mothers, had
been purchased by the Worthington
Stock Farm. The man who was to
take them to their new home was
probably In town at this very mo-
ment. He and his car were to have '
arrived during the morning, and as !
Jay remembered this, he called to
Watson,
"Hey, boy," he shouted, "it's time
you were getting started with the
cows! I don't want you to have to
hurry them. You'd better get the
team out and be going."
There was a moment's pause, as
if the young fellow at work In the
tool-shed was trying to think of an
excuse for procrastination; then, "I
don't like to start Just now, boss,"
he sang, in his nasal tone. "There's
going to be a storm before an hour's
past I can feel it, and the stock is
plumb nervous. Better let me wait
S while."
"Wait at the other end, Watson!"
commanded the farmer. "If there's
going to be a storm, all the more
reason for getting the herd down
town barn might be struck, you
know. And come to think of it, I'll
let you take the young stock instead
of Daisy and Lass. The herd would
be harder to handle in a storm, and
1 can't start Just yet."
Jay laughed to himself at the
pause which followed this announce
ment. He had purposely shifted to
the boy's shoulders the harder part
of the work, in payment for what
he considered his attempt to dawdle.
"All right, boss!" Watson agreed,
after another pause.
The sound of the grindstone's
buzz ceased abruptly, and a few min
utes later Jay beard the collie bark
ing and heard the hinges of the gate
give out a resonant squeak. He knew
that he was alone; and instantly he
began to doubt the wisdom of send
ing this inexperienced young fellow
to town with four thousand dollars'
worth ' of fractious cattle. Only
twelve of them there were, but they
were the finest in the State and to
Jay they meant success or failure in
the business of raising fancy stock.
With the money obtained from them
be could buy a couple of Imported
animals and put up a small stable.
If they should be damaged in any
way and the man broke the egg he
was transferring to the case as the
thought struck him he must begin
again at the beginning. He threw
In the last dozen eggs, and hurried
to the door of the basement.
Down the road, beyond a series of
little bills, a cloud of dust was ris
ing. It might be floating above his
Broidered fairer the emerald banks,
And glad tears shotie in the daisies' eyes,
And the timid violet glistened thanks.
Who was with us, and what was round ua,
Neither myself nor my darling guessed;
Only we knew that something crowned us
Out from the heavens with erowna of
rest;
Only we knew thnt something bright
Lingered lovingly where we stood,
Clothed with the incandescent light
Of something higher than humauhood.
0 the riches Love doth inherit!
All, the alchemy which doth change
Dross of body and dregs of spirit
Into sanctities rare and atriums!
Mv flesh is feeble and dry and old.
My darling's beautiful hair is gray
Hut our elixir and precious gold
Laugh at the footsteps of decay.
Harms of the world have come unto us,
('una of aorrow we yet shall drain;
Hut we have a secret which doth show ua
Wonderful rainbows in the rain;
And we hear the tread of the years move
by.
And the sun is setting behind the hills;
Hut mv darling does not fear to die,
And I am happy in what Hod wills.
So we sit by our household fires together,
Dreaming the dreams of lone ago;
Then it waa balmy summer weather.
And now the valleys are laid in snow.
Icicles hang from the slippery eaves;
The wind blows 'tis growing late,
W ell, we have garnered all our sheared,
1 and my darling, and we wail.
-Richard ltealf.
)
C. TRIEM.
cuttle, and It might be simply a dust
hnlo above a wagon. At any rate, for
hotter or for worse, It was beyond
his recall. To the west some strange
orange and black clouds were peep
ing above the prarle. The farmer
stared at them for a moment, then
turned, caught up the filled egg-case,
and hurried with It Into the farm
yard. Into the back of the wagon he
shoved the egg-crate. He noticed
thnt the team was restless, but as
It had been hitched and waiting for
an hour this did not surprise him.
When he went to the stock barn for
the two cows, he found that they,
too, were nervous and Irritable.
"Guess they're feeling the heat,"
he mumbled. "It's time I was on the
move. 1 made the boy start out In
the teeth of this storm, so I guess
I ought to risk It myself."
i oiwrtmwKSSEnM
NOT WHAT wi GIVE, but WHAT wi SHARE
(rOR the GIFT WITHOUT thi GIVER, is BARE;)
who GIVES HIMSELF WITH His ALMSFEEDS THREE
HIMSELF, his HUNGERING NEIGHBOR, and ME.
(Lowell.)
I
I
cows, and this poking gait irritated
the team, so that they Jerked at the
lines and shied nervously every time
a weed stirred beside the fence or
a stone turned under their heels. A
light breeze was blowing down the
road, going in the same direction as
the wagon, and bringing a fog of dust
along with it. Suddenly Jay. no
ticed that even this breeze had died
out; and as he turned bis head to
catch any sign of wind in the dis
tance, the sound of a continuous.
humming roar came to him. He farmyard, where the cyclone had not
whirled in his seat and stared back come. The straight wind that fol
up the road. j lowed It had sufficed to tear them
The highway upon which the Haz- from the trors and to strew thera
leton farm lay was the old State ( for rods in every direction. And
road, running straight as a plumb- across the fields the watchers could
line for nearly two hundred and fifty see a straw stack burning, where the
miles. Between the farm and the
town lay a few Insignificant hills, but
for several miles on the other side
there was neither rise nor depression.
For this reason, when Jay turned in
his seat he could see nearly to the
old creamery, two miles away not
quite so far, because coming down
the middle of the road and hiding all
that lay behind, dragged what ap
peared to be the frayed end of a
great black rope. Into the air tow
ered this strand, bulging as It as
cended, until it had reached its sum
mit, two hundred feet above the
prairie, and had widened into a fun
nel several hundred yards across.
As Jay sat clamped to his seat, the
sultriness of the day had disappeared,
as far as he was concerned. He
seemed to be freezing, and the sweat
that ran down his lace was cold
sweat. The cloud was advancing with
the speed of the wind the swiftest
of winds, for that matter, for the
young man knew that he was directly
in the path of a cyclone.
The act of forming the word In
his mind seemed to release him from
the terror that had bound him help
less in his seat, and he turned to
whip up the team. A little way ahead
a lane opened from the highway and
led toward the distant house of one
of Jay's neighbors. Straight for this
lane be urged his team, shouting to
the cows behind to step up. After he
had turned into the lane he looked
back, and found that the storm had
gained so rapidly that he still was
in Jeopardy. He could see, too, that
the cloud was broader at the base
than It had looked when farther
away, so that anything within a wide
radius was sure to be caught. Then
he turned back to his team, and let
them out to a greater speed.
He was, going as fast as he could
without dragging the cows from their
feet, and with stubborn resolution
he refused to look round or to heed
the swift advance of the cloud. He
could hear trees snapping In Its path,
and by thlB sign, and by the very
heavens above him, he could tell
something of how near the storm was.
Certainly he did not expect to csenpe.
When the noise of the tornado sound
ed behind him, and he found that he
and his horses were bMU on the
ground, he was surprised rather than
relieved. He was not out of danger,
however, for as he looked down the
road after the dragging rope of the
cyclone, a terrific crash of thunder
sounded, and he saw the mass of
clouds before him torn open by a
ragged seam of fire.
In the quivering, rosy light of the
flash, he had a last glimpse of the
storm-cloud sweeping past the lines
of the fence, rising occasionally and
leaving spots unhnrnied, then droop
ing to tear up trees, and even posts,
with Its whirling tall, and to All I
the njr with a mass of rubbish.
Afterward the darkness of night cov- l
ered him. Crash after crash of thun
der shook the ground over which he
was driving, and with dazed faculties
he strove to control his maddened
team.
Fortunately his neighbor's barn
was directly In line with the lane.
Still more fortunately, the double
doors were open. Jay guided his
team through the dark arch of the
doorway, and brought up against a
row of stanchions. That was all that
kept him from going through the
barn and out the back way, he after
ward declared. With the shaking
knees of one who has been through
the valley of death, he crawled from
his wagon and tied the team to the
stanchions.
Half-heartedly he examined the
two muddy cows. They were puffdg
and wlld-eyd, but apparently unin
jured by their run. Then he went
to the door, waited for a flash of
lightning to show him the house, and
started toward It on a run. He had
stood the strain as long as he could
without human companionship, and
even at the risk of being struck by
the darting lightning, he was deter
mined to reach the house.
He did reach it, and was received
by the two old people within with
gestures of welcome, but without a
word that could be distinguished.
After half an hour tho storm began
to abate, and Jay was able" to tell of
his race with the tornado, and of the
misfortune thnt had overwhelmed
him for in the loss of his cattle the
young man thought he had been more
stricken than he would have been by
death Itself.
"And tho boy!" hr groaned. "His
mother a widow, and mo sending him
to his destruction when he didn't
want to go! I thought It waB Just
his shiftlesBtiess. He was always
I
isnasi
8
making excuses for putting things
off."
"You're not to blame, Jay," the
woman of the house comforted him.
"No one will blame you. And you've
lost all that fine stock. It's terrible."
"You did the best you could," the
husband agreed.
After the storm had gone, leaving
behind It the odor of wet dirt and
fragrant meadows, the three went to
the door to see what was left. Limbs
of trees were scattered even in the
lightning had struck it. As they
stood on the porch, the telephone bell
rang. It was a party line, and the
old woman kept count.
"One, two, three and a short!"
she mumbled. Then, "Why, that's
your ring. Isn't it, Jay?"
"Yes," said Jay, while the white
line about his mouth widened and the
fear in his eyes grew more intense.
"I'd rather be shot than answer It
but I've got to."
Shakily he walked to the tele
phone and took down the receiver.
"That you, boss?" a nasal voice
reached him. "Glory be! I was
afraid you had started for town and
got caught in that tornado. I'm glad
to hear your voice!"
Jay's hand shook so that he had
to press the receiver hard to his ear
to keep from dropping it. His eyes
had grown bright, and Joy sounded
from his voice when he answered his
hired man.
"Where are you, Watson?" he de
manded. "How did you miss the
storm? Did it kill all the cattle?"
To this three-barreled question
Watson replied with his usual delib
eration. "I'm over at mother's, and
I missed the storm by reason of goin
half a mile south of. it. The cattle
is all right little bit skittish, but
I guess we'll beat you into town yet."
The boy explained afterward that,
feeling sure a bad storm was com
ing, he had taken the road to his
mother's place. Instead of keeping
on toward town. And for once Jay
did not scold him for disobeying
orders. From the Youth's Com
panion. Pennsylvania exports large quan
tities ot ginseng at fifty cents t
pound.
For the
Younger
Children.
THE GIANT AND THE DWARF.
"I can't" is a dwarf, a poor, pale, puny
imp;
His eyes are half blind and his walk ia a
limp.
"I can" is a giant unbending he stands:
There is strength in his anus and skill in
his hands.
"I can't" ia a alugganl, too lany to work.
From ituty lie sin inks, every task he will
shirk.
"I can" is -a worker j he tilla the broad
fields,
Anil digs from the earth all the wealth
th it it yields.
"I can't" ia a coward, half fainting with
fright;
At the first thought of peril he slinks out
.' - v''t.
" I is n hero, the first in the field,
Though others may falter, lie never will
yield ;
How gr...i..iy and nobly he standi to his
trust,
When roused at the call of a cause that ia
"I can't" has no place; act your part like
l 'o.
Auti vviiun uuly calls answer promptly, "I
can."
l'liiladelphia Ledger.
THR HARVEST BARREL.
T:.-... l:i:1 Betty had Just eaten
supper when the door-boll rang. They
were expecting the expressman to
bring th..i something, so they ran
to the window to look out.
"It's cornel It's cornel" cried
Bobby. "It's out on the side porch
now!"
"Look, mother, do!" cried Betty.
It was a barrel) and such a big
barrel that two expressmen had all
they could do to bring it upstairs.
When it was rolled into the centre of
BR'ER SI1
the kitchen it looked larger than ever.
Why, it stood as high as Bobby's
head, and together the children
could not rench around it.
Bobby got the hammer and chisel
and helped his father pry out the
cover. Around and around they
pounded until out it sprang.
On the very top Betty found a card,
and every one listened while mother
read It aloud:
Dear children Here is another
harvest barrel from grandpa and
grandma. How we wish . you were
here on the farm to help us harvest
the grains and vegotables and fruits.
We are looking forward to Thanks
giving Day, for that is the time we
"gather in" all of our children, large
and small, and we long to see you.
Love from both
Grandma and Grandpa.
The letter was laid aside, and
father rolled up his sleeves and be
gan to unpack the barrel. First there
was a layer ot straw, then a layer of
tiny seckle pears, a layer of ripe,
yellow pears as large as one's hand,
and a layer of green pears to be laid
away to ripen.
Then came some red apples, some
green apples, some yellow apples,
some brown russet apples and some
long apples called "sheep's noses."
Then came vegetables parsnips,
beets, carrots, turnips and cabbages.
A long green stem was pulled out,
and what should come with it but a
round pumpkin with tag on it, which
read: "Bobby's own pumpkin."
"It's the one I planted," said
Bobby. "When I left grandpa's, it
wasn't much bigger than an apple,
and now look at it!" It was as
large around as Bobby could possibly
reach.
"Wouldn't it make a fine Jack-o'-lantern!"
exclaimed Betty.
"Yes, but I think I'd rather have
some pumpkin pies!" replied Bobby.
More vegetables were taken from
the barrel, then a box ot grandma's
good molasses cookies, a paper bag
full of hickory nuts and chestnuts,
and six boxes of honey.
By this time it was hard to reach
down' into the barrel, and it was
turned over a box, wnen out rolled
potatoes and potatoes and potatoes.
As soon as the barrel was empty,
everything had to be put away in tho
cellar.
Then came the story hour before
going to bed. To-night instead ot
having mother read a story, the bar
rel packings were put It. the fireplace,
and the children watched the flames
dart atiout and the sparks fly up the
chimney. It was then that each one
toll what he liked best in the barrel.
Bobby liked the pumpkin and
Km yCk
grandma's cookies. Betty liked the
honey, futher liked the apples, and
mother liked the pears.
When the fire had gone down,
Betty and Hobby gave good-night
kisses, and then each went to a little
bed for the night.
The very first thing they did In the
morning was to write a letter full ot
thanks to grandma and grandpa,
which they dropped In the mall-box
on their way to school. Maud Burn
ham, In KIndergnrten Review.
SQUIRREL FRIENDS.
Very Independent are the squirrels
In Independence square.
And why not?
They live on the fat of the Innd,
without labor or worry. A number
of persons, who pass through the
square dally take them tidbits In their
pockets, while the kindly firemen In
the engine house on Sixth street are
always ready to give them a treat.
It is doubtful If the tamest ot them
would not go to live In this fine en
gine house, only for the love of
scampering up and down trees.
Delighted thousands pause to watch
the tamest of these, as he looks
critically over his human admirers.
He's very keen at determining
their worth, too. Some of them are
merely curious. Some, hateful to re
late, are not above playing him a
trick. Others, however, are good
citizens and regard him as a good
neighbor, if not an actual taxpayer.
ADY-TAIL.
To these last Bre'er Shady-tail gives
his confidence. lie knows they will
reward his attentions with some deli
cacy, especially nuts with not too
hard shells.
Of the plentiful peanut, to tell the
truth, ho is often weary. So he
buries It until a day when his sup
plies may run short.
This burying, by the ..ay, does not
delight the man . In charge of the
square, as It complicates the cutting
of the grass. But he should take
Into consideration the delight given
tho passer-by and not grudge the
charming squirrels their self-chosen
larders. '
Though these squirrels lay by
enough for the cold days, than!;:, to
their Instinct, they are seldom forced
to hunt up their hoardings, as must
their brothers who dwell in forests.
As a rule they dislike children.
One little maid is trying to win over
the tamest of them, however. Though
Shady-tall Is suspicious, it will not be
many days before he learns that his
dear little friend always brings him
something good and never plays him
a trick. He may in time take to
searching in her pockets for treats,
Just as he does in the pockets of some
of his trusted men friends. From
the Philadelphia Record.
A FEW GOOD CONUNDRUMS.
What is the difference between a
mother ape, the Prince of Wales, an
orphan, and a bald-headed man? An
swer: The ape Is a hairy parent, the
Prince of Wales Is Heir Apparent,
orphan has ne'er a parent, and the
bald-headed man has nary a hair ap
parent. Why is the thief in the garret like
an honest man? Answer: He is above
doing a wrong action.
What two letters of the alphabet
described a faded loafer? Answer:
C. D.
Why is I the luckiest of all the
vowels? Answer: Because it is in
the centre of bliss.
When was grog first introduced
Into the navy? Answer:, When the
Kangaroo went into the Ark with
hops, and they had bruin there.
What musical key should a man
study when he Is walking on Ice?
Answer: C. Sharp or B. Flat. Suc
cessful Farming.
A railroad in Nigeria, Africa, will
be constructed by the British colonial
government to develop the resources
of the country, and In particular to
stimulate the cottongrowivt; tml i.ufy.
The road will be about 400 mil?
long.
WrM 75.TL7 T
According to L'Electrlcian, a Vien
na firm has recently placed on the
market brushes made of glass, which
are to replace emery cloth for clean
ing and polishing the commutators of
dynamos and motors. These brushes
are said to clean the commutators
without scoring the metal, and their
use avoids the Inconveniences and
dangers of emery cloth.
An Inexpensive Instrument called
the "snakebite lancet" has been In
troduced in India wltii Bplentljc re-'
suits. It is being distributed by the
government In nn effort to redurs the
fearful loss of life, which amounts to
75,000 persons each year. A report
Is to the effect thnt one person suved
the lives of twenty persons bitten by
cobras and karliits within the last
year by the use of one lancet.
M. Magglora, who purposes to abol
ish fog and has submitted his explo
sive scheme to the London, County
Council, seems to have no doubt of
the efllcacy of his method the shoot--lng
of strong and searching currents
of air out of hue cannon or pro
jectors. Eight or ten of thess
weapons would, he snys, be needed as
a permanent anti-fog apparatus for
London. "Twenty explosives, costing
7d. each, will dissipate any fog in
twenty minutes," he says.
The automatic signalling lead of
Sjostrand, a Swedish engineer, Is a
so-called "water kite" that Is kept at
a depth regulnted by the line given to
It and that Is uncoupled thus regis
tering a signal on the vessel's deck
when Its forward end touches bottom.
,The roof-like planes pointing for
ward and downwurd cause the kite
to "fly" directly downward as It is
pulled through tho water. On becom
ing uncoupled, the apparatus rises,
when It Is pulled in, and after a slight
adjustment is ready to be thrown
again. Without slacking speed, dan
gerous shoals can he guarded against
In foggy weather or In unfamiliar
waters, or depth observations can be
made for any purpose. -
One of the features of the recent
submarine testB at Newport was an
apparatus for the escape of occupants
of a disabled craft under water. It
Is like a diving piece In appearance,
with head-piece and Jacket. In the
Jacket Is a copper flask filled with
oxyllte, which generates oxygen. Be
fore closing the glass face visor the
woarer places a tube In his mouth
connected with the flask, and the
moisture from his breathing acts on
the oxylite so as to produce fresh air
to sustain life. Oxyllte was discoverd
by a Frenchman, but Its application
to this purpose was made by the
makers of the Octopus. The test was
made In a hogshead of water, but was
not outlrely successful.
Cutting Both Ways.
A company promoter who adver
tised for an office hoy received a hun
dred replies. Out of the hundred he
selected ten, who were asked to call
at the office for a personal interview.
His final choice fell upon a bright
looking youth. "My boy," said the
promoter, "I like your appearance
and your manner very much. I think
you may do for the place. Did you
bring a character?"
"No, sir," replied the boy; "I can
go home and get It."
"Very well; come back to-morrow
morning with it, and If it is satisfac
tory I dare say I shall engage you."
Late that same afternoon the fin
ancier was surprised by the return ot
the candidate. "Well," he said,
cheerlngly, "have you got your char
acter?" "No," answered the boy; "but I've
got yours an' I ain't coming!"
Ladles' Home Journal.
Honeymoon in Arabia.
For seven days after the wedding
the Arab bride and bridegroom are
supposed not to leave their room. The
bride may see none of her own family
and only the women folks of her hus
band's, who wait on her.
She remains In all her wedding fin
ery and paint and does absolutely
nothing. The bridegroom generally
slips out at night after three or four
days and sees a few friends privately,
but he persistently hides from his
wife's family, and should he by any
accident meet his father-in-law before
the seven days are over he turns his
back and draws his burnous, or halk,
over his face.
This Is their view of a honeymoon,
and they grow as weary of it as any
European couple do of their enforced
Continental tour. Wide World Mag
azine. '
Paragraphic Repartee.
"Half the paragraphers do not
know what they are talking about,"
says the Florida Times-Union, evi
dently not speaking ot the para
grapher's better half. Richmond
Times-Dispatch.
A monument has been erected to
Anna Holzel, in the Schlossgarten, at
Mannheim, Germany. She was the
wife of a carpenter, who, in 1784,
saved the poet Schiller from .
debtor's prison.
A woman Is almost as angry when
her husband bets on a horse and
loses as when he wins and doesn't
tell her. From "The Geutle Cynic,"
In the New York Times.