SNAKES' HYPNOTIC POWER.
Training Shy Girls.
If your daughter la growing up
too quiet and never seems to have
anything to say, exert yourself to
. draw her out.
Lead her into general conversa
tion at every opportunity and let her
feel that her thoughts and opinions
are of some weight and importance.
Do not let her sink into that state
of mind which is content to let oth
er people take the burden of conver
sation, while she sits by in apparent
stupid silence.
It is a habit which will grow upon
her and prevent her being gracious
and attractive, and will become more
deeply fixed if referred to in any way.
Some day her chances of happiness
may be ruined by It New York
Times.
nenioclcling Dresses.
Speaking of the remaking of old
dresses, one of the best dressmakers
in Paria Is authority for the statement
that it does not pay. "Do not rip up
your old gown; do not touch a scis
sors to It," says she, "but content
yourself with retrimming it." In
.these days a pointed guimpe of filet
and duchess lace can be set Into an
old blouse. This will give the new
Jumper effect. If the sleeves are
short and too puffy at the shoulders,
they can be made to look different by
by placing a flat piece of trimming
upon the shoulder seam. This makes
the shoulder look longer without al
tering the set of the sleeve. A long,
light lace undersleeve, coming to the
knuckles, makes the sleeve still more
modish.
Women Should Walk, Too.
I will say something to the ladles.
The young men are not the only be
ings in America who need to walk
for exercise. Our girls and women
need this recreation. American wom
en do not walk nearly as much' as
they ought to.
While in England I found the wom
en over there much stronger and
terous, loud voiced child, wkh rough
manners and shocking speech.
"All of these places soon become
so terribly crowded the children are
compelled to yell at the tops of their
voices, and they soon carry this cus
tom home with them. It has also
been found by many parents abroad
that these large playgrounds are the
means of spreading children's dis
eases over whole neighborhoods."
Fashion's Dictate.
"Since semi-precious stones have
become so extremely fashionable,"
writes Grace Margaret Gould, the
fashion editor, In the Woman's Home
'Companion, "women depend a great
deal on jewelry as the finishing touch
to their costume. Of course, we all
know that an abundance of cheap
jewelry is In the worst possible taste,
and no woman of refinement would
so bedeck herself. But to wear a
necklet of a fine gold or platinum
chain, artistic and unusual, finished
with a flower-shaped pendant made
of baroque pearls and white or green
metal, set with tiny diamonds, Is in
perfect taste If it is in harmony with
the type of gown with which It Is
worn.
"Bracelets can also give a very
artistic finishing touch to a costume.
Old-fashioned designs for bracelets
are much sought, and a new cameo
mounted on a gold band Is one of
the favored new ideas. An exquisite
design for a bracelet shows a large
plnk-and-white cameo having the
effect of being held iu place by
buches of pearl grapes.
"Flower pins studded with colored
stones are much used at present, for
this spring the- artificial flower Is
worn with street costumes, and the
pin to hold it has become quite a
necessity."
Experiments Disproving the Serpent Charm Theory.
Fashion Notes.
Patent leather belts have waned Iu
popularity.
Cardcases of cretones or linen are
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Laly Baltimore Cake: Recipe For the Famous South
Carolina Delicacy. "Here Is a South Carolina recipe for this
cake, deservedly a favorite in all Southern dining rooms long
-before Mr. Owen Wister heaped drawing room honors upon
it," says the Woman's Home Companion.
"Two-thirds of a cupful of butter, five eggs, two cupfuls
of sugar, four cupfuls of flour, one-half cupful of rich milk,
two level teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar and one level tea
spoonful of soda. Cream half the sugar with the butter,
beat the remaining sugar Into the yolks of the eggs, and sift
the cream of tartar and the soda twice through the flour; beat
the eggs and sugar together with the butter and sugar, add
the milk slowly, and finally beat In the flour and stiffly beaten
whites of the eggs. Flavor half this mixture with rose, and
into the other halt beat one teaspoonful of powdered cinna
mon, one teaspoonful of powdered cloves and one grated nut
meg, and flavor with vanilla, lemon or almond; bake In tour
layer cake pans two white layers and two spiced layers.-
"For the Filling: Cut fine one cupful of sedeed raisins,
shred thin half a citron melon, grate one small coacoanut and
blanch three-fourths a pound of almonds; make an ordinary
boiled icing, and into it beat all these Ingredients save the
almonds. Put the mixture thickly between the layers, and
finlph the top layer which should be a white one with
sprinkled powdered sugar and the almonds stuck In porcupine
wise. The measuring cups are ordinary coffee cups and are
filled Just level. This is a successful recipe and one easily
followed."
healthier than those In our country.
C think this is due entirely to the fact
that they spend so much time in
' walking. It is nothing for an Eng
lish girl or woman to walk a distance
, of seven or eight miles. Let the
' young ladles of New York try this
some afternoon, and they will not
suffer from a lack of appetite for din
ner. It the girls and women of New
York should form a walking club I
would be delighted to walk with them
some afternoon and give what advice
could. '
I think the fad for high heel shoes
tn New York and Paris is responsible
for so little walking among our wom
en. They cannot walk far in high
heel shoes. Their ankles become
twisted, and there is such a pressure
upon the instep that the pain will
prevent them from going any long
distance. Weston, in the Evening
World. -
Playgrounds For the Poor.
"I see you are planning for the in
troduction of playgrounds for poor
children in New York on a rather
elaborate plan," said Mrs. Clara B.
Lemar, of Berlin, to a New York Tel
egram reporter.
"I hope you will not follow the
tuodel of European playgrounds
which I have seen. It would be dif
ficult to find a more demoralizing
place for a child than the average
playground as now run in England
and on the Continent. -
"The first requisite for a boy to get
along in a public playground abroad
Is to be a 'bluffer' and a 'bully.'
"The boy who cannot fight a gang
and come out on top tour or five
times a day stands little Bhow In one
of our ideal public playgrounds.
"The moment he appears his toys
are taken away from him and be U
sent home to get money for the
'gang.' His standing at the play
ground after thatdepends either upon
his ability to steal from his parents
for the benefit of his playmates or
else his ability as a fighter.
. "The most modest and retiring lit
tle girl will be completely trans
formed by a week at one of these
public playgrounds into a rough, bols-
usetul and prety with light dresses,
and they are very easily made at
home.
The black satin coat has been
much abused and consequently dis
credited. If the chiffon bo black hung over
white silk the effect is satisfying to
an artistic eye.
There are hopes that the inartistic
white glove may be doomed, at least
for England.
A dainty lingerie hat Is embroid
ered in wallachian work, the flowers
done separately.
The exaggerated hat brim is in
rather poor taste and not worn by
those invariably well dressed.
Wings with jet hatpins formed a
striking trimming when carried out
in the fluffy white marabout neck
boa.
"Klmono,'r to be pronounced cor
rectly as the Japanese say it, should
be accented not on the second, as we
do, but on the first syllable.
Nothing is more out of keeping In
the realm of dress than a short walk
ing skirt and an elaborate big hat.
The two should hardly meet in the
street, to say nothing of appearing
in the same costume.
Even the woman with luxurious
locks patronizes the dealer in fine
hair goods. She is going to wear the
little curls and puffs which are so
fashionable and she isn't going to
ruin her own hair with the hot iron.
The high stock may be absolutely
straight and, like the Gibson types,
be of lace insertions, joined beneath
biased satin and taffeta strips or of
finely tucked net, self color, satin
edged and trimmed with tiny satin
covered buttons.
Mustaches in Alaska.
Mustaches are not worn by men
exposed. to the severity of an Alas
kan winter. They wear full beards
to protect the throat and face, but
keep the upper lip clean shaven. The
moisture from the breath congeals
so quickly that a mustache becomes
imbedded in a solid cake of Ice, and
the face Is frozen tn a short time.
It is a popular belief that serpents
have the power of capturing their
prey by casting a mysterious spell
over the victims. Even scleatlats
have seriously considered this sup
posed mesmeric power over birds.
Cuvier ascribed it to narotic
effluvia, Audubon to the self
sacrificing audacity of nest birds,
Bonpland to the "instincts of curios
ity and maternal devotion," Russel
Wallace to "optic influences akin to
hypnotism." The latter theory is the
most generally accepted, and in the
rural districts, both of Europe and
North America, bird charming snakes
are classed with such Indisputable
phenomena as fish deluding anglers.
Contemporaries of more than aver
age intelligence will describe the
glaring eyes of a rattlesnake that
paralyzed.A youngster on his way to
school and maintain that they saw it
charm down a squirrel from the top
of a walnut tree.
' An opportunity was afforded me
last summer of discovering the snake
charm theory. The pharmacist of a
medical college had procured a num
ber of live serpents tor experiments
with certain antidotes, and during
the summer vacation boarded his pats
In a suburb of Bennington, Vt. They
arrived In a moderate sized dry
goods box, and with the owner's per
mission my neighbor transferred
them to a roomy outhouse with a
close fitting door and a wire screen
front. Through a glass window their
movements could be watched in spite
of two bundles of straw and other
aids to comfort. Cold weather leth
arglzed them, but on warm after
noons four or five of ten rattlesnakes
and six moccasins were generally in
motion.
Were they trying to get out? Their
conduct rather suggested a sanitary
penchant for moderate exercise and
sun baths. And there seemed no
doubt that they had a memory for
meal times. Generally revivals re
peatedly preceded the gong by a min
ute or two. The owner's signboard,
"Dinner at 3 p. m.," attracted rather
a surplus of sightseers, and when it
became known that our experiments
promised to solve a problem of ages,
catering, too, became superfluous;
volunteer gifts of rats and blackbirds
arrived in excess of our needs. Be
fore the summer was over our visit
ors had settled the snake charm con
troversy. Twenty-eight out of thirty
intelligent witnesses agreed that
there is no hypnotism about it. .
Our first doubts were aroused by
the complacency of birds and small
mammals and their absolute indiffer
ence to the presence of their formid
able fellow captives. Within two
feet of a coiled rattler a blackbird
would alight on the rim of the drink
ing trough and adjust the defects of
his toilet, splashing wate in the very
face of the reptile that watched him
with piercing eyes. ' Then, after re
peated sips, he would condescend to
notice the crawler that had uncoiled,
by that time, and would finally hop'
aside just far enough to avoid a dis
pute about bathing privileges, . but
still within easy reach.
Nor had the restlessness of rats
anything to do with the dread of im
mediate danger. They were trying
to gnaw out, Init In the Intervals of
such efforts were apt to run straight
Into the pile of straw that formed the
favorite rendezvous of the serpents.
The snakeB, indeed, were in no hurry
to abuse that confidence. When they
did get ready they scorned hypnotic
artifices. A gradual elevation of the
head, a noiseless approach with a
short halt in reach of the bird that
was picking crumbs in his feeding
corner, then a slow contraction of
colls, a snaplike dart and a leisurely
retreat as from a task accomplished.
The bird had taken wing, thoroughly
alarmed now, and fluttered about the
wire screen in the desperate hopd of
finding a loophole of escape. In less
than thirty seconds the poison began
to take effect. The bird clutched at
the screen, with his head banging
further and further back, then re
laxed his grip, dangled by one foot
for a while and came flopping down
ou the floor. It was not dead yet,
but dazed, looking this way and that
and fluttering about In a strange,
aimless fashion, and more than once
right toward the destroyer, who at
last began to manifest an interest in
its antics. Once or twice the serpent,
coiled near the centre of the floor,
seemed strongly tempted to risk a
conclusive spring, but drew back
again, fully aware, perhaps, that a
better chance would be only a ques
tion of a moment.
The bird was' stilt on the floor,
staggering to and fro, when a side
ward collapse marked the beginning
of the end. Its foe watched it wflh
lifted head. The chance had come.
No risk of a rough and tumble fight
now; the victim had ceased to flutter,
and the old rattler quickly dragged
it off to the straw pile. A full hun
dred experiments repeated this same
sequence of manoeuvres in all essen
tials. The poison fangs of a snake have
no proper roots, but terminate in a
virus bag, and are attached to the
jaw by means of ligatures that make
them movable to the extent of erec
tion and retraction. This arrange
ment makes It difficult and rather
superfluous for the snake to secure
his victim at the first spring. The
fangs are adapted only for a snap
bite, but their owner can afford to
bide his time. The virus that has
been known to overpower strong men
In half an hour lethargizes birds and
small mammals iu half a minute.
Wherever stricken they are apt ' to
collapse In sight, if not in direct
reach, of their assailants, whose keen
eyes detect the slightest commotion
In the neighboring weeds, but who
would find It a very long time be
tween meals if they had to rely upon
the hypnotic, power of those eyes.
Thomas C. Mutton, in the Scientific
American.
THE MUSTARD TEST.
How Farmers Get Rid of Plague That
Jlns Cost Millions.
Do results justify the tremendous
expenditure of money and effort for
adapting science to the ends of agri
culture? Wild mustard has been and is yet
the curse of the farmer's field. , The
old method of dealing with the pest
was twofold, to summer fallow, plow
and harrow the infested field for a
season, then when the crop was
planted the next year, if the mustard
still grew, to have the children wan
der through the field plucking out
the weed by the roots.
This was a waste of time and grain,
for little plantlets of oats or barley
were trampled down or derooted for
every mustard plant pulled up. The
new scientific method Is to use no
seed that Is not guaranteed. But
what of the flold already infected?
And what of fields Infected by other
weeds quite as noxious as mustard?
It was in the spring of 1906 that
the American Steel and Wire Com
pany called attention of the agricul
tural experts to a by-product of their
Iron and steel manufactory, an iron
sulphate solution, which seemed to
destroy weeds without Injuring grain.
The chemists of the company con
ferred with the agronomy experts.
The iron sulphate was diluted in
water.
The remedy did not always act the
same. It was found that It would
not work early in the morning during
the dew-or after a rain, for the sim
ple reason that moisture diluted it
too much. Finally a suitable spray
ing machine was obtained from Ger
many and the iron sulphate was ap
plied about the third week in June,
when mustard was la the third leaf
and previous to bloom, and the grain
plantlets not yet high in the blade.
What was the result? The weed
was wilted up and burnt as if by fire.
The grain blade remained a little
blackened, but unhurt, for new shoots
came on in fresh growth.
Now in many Western States tb.3
oat crop represents a yearly yield to
the farmer of from $20,000,000 to
$30,000,000. Half that destroyed by
mustard represented loss of ten to
fifteen millions.
That amount is practically saved to
the farmers' pocket by the discovery
of the iron sulphate solution. Multi
ply that amount by the doien or
more States that are great oat grow
ers and the Importance of the discov
ery can be realized. Froni OuUag.
ADVERTISING CHARITY.
Paid Appeals in Newspapers Rest
Way, Snys Dr. Lindsay.
At the School of Philanthropy the
other day Dr. S. M. Lindsay instructed
the students in' the art of securing
popularity for the objects in which
it is Interested. One way was to buy
advertising space.
"You have got to have the news
papers with you In any campaign,''
said he. "The platform and the pul
pit do not exert the influence they
once did. You are going to be ad
vertised in the newspapers, anyway;
It's worth seeing to that you are ad
vertised right.
"Let me tell you how one man ad
vertised a group of social reformers.
He was a country boy, wtto came to
the city and made ten or twenty mil
lions by perfectly honest, straight
forward methods. He said to these
men one day: 'Buy a certain amount
of space In th9 newspapers of the
district which you wish to influence.
Present your e,.,)eal in that space,
and ask for money, votes and moral
support. You'll get back all or near
ly all the money it costs you, you
will educate the public and you will
acquire a control over the papers.
" 'I dispense my advertising money
through an agent, who controls per
haps $600,000 or $1,000,000 of ad
vertising funds. Occasionally in one
of the papers in which my advertise
ment appears I see an editorial hostile
to my business. Then I drop a note
to this agent, and he writes' to the
paper saying that the article in ques
tion is offensive to one of his advertis
ers, and he will appreciate It It the
publisher will refrain from further
utterance alongthat line. This letter
is read very carefully because it
comes from an agent that controla
$600,000 of advertising.'
"I wouldn't for a moment," said
Dr. Lindsay, "excuse the newspaper
which paid any nttentlon to such a
communication If it believed the busi
ness was humbugging the public. In
that case the newspaper ought to tell
the advertiser to take his advertise
ment and go. But in our case the
roclal reformer is not working to
humbug the public but to benefit it,
and is entitled to all the influence he
can gain for that end."
To Influence legislatures. Dr. Lind
say thought, petitions were nof'worth
the Ink it took to write them." Cir
cular letters addressed to legislators
often produced an actually hostile
effect. The only thing that really has
an effect on the hard hearted law
maker is personal app?r.l or a per
sonal letter. New York Tribune.
mtiioM
New York City. Fancy coats are
greatly in vogue at this time and are
to be noted made from a generous
variety of materials. AH over lace
Is a favorite, pongee is much in
vogue, linen will be extensively worn
Use of Fringe.
A Princess frock in mole-colored
satin charmeuse is draped simply
across the figure to one side and
caught with a heavy, knotted, seven
inch fringe forming a trimming on
the right side. On the other Is a love
ly silken embroidery made of various
neutral Bhades from faintest Wedg
wood blue to the palest note of Ber
gundy and yellow. These all seem
to harmonize with "the shade of the
frock, and compose a most glorious
combination.
Girl's Dress.
Simple little frocks made with
straight full skirts are among the
most practical ard the most desirable
of the warm weather season. This
one Is pretty and attractive and can
be made from almost any really child
ish material, the linens, batistes,
dimities and the like of the present
season and also challls, cashmere and
similar light weight wools. In the
Illustration, however, dotted batiste
Is trimmed with embroidery.
The dress Is made with the waist
and the skirt. The waist can be lined
or unlined as material renders desir
able and can be made with the yoke
as illustrated or with the neck cut
out on the square outline as liked.
The skirt Is straight and simply gath
ered at its upper edge.
The quantity of material required
for the medium size (ten years) is
four and five-eighth yards, three and
three-quarter yards thirty-two or
three yards forty-four inches wide,
one-half yard eighteen inches wide
throughout the summer, and black
Bilk and black satin aro both smart
end useful. This model is chic and
Jaunty while it includes seams to the
shoulders, which mean simple and
easy fit. It can be made with the
sleeves as illustrated or sleeveless as
liked; and the sleeveless coat will be
much worn throughout the warm
weather. It Is pretty, it Is greatly in
vogue, while for the three-piece cos
tume it makes an exceedingly grace
ful adjunct to the toilette. In this
instance lace or silk braid is arranged
over a thin silk lining and is finished
with plain silk braid with looped
edges.
The coat Is made with the fronts
and side-fronts, backs and side-backs
and with straight sleeves which are
gathered and Inserted In the arm
holes. If the sleeveless effect is de
sired these last can be omitted and
the armholes cut out on Indicated
lines.
The Quantity of material required
for the medium size is four and one
half yards eighteen or twenty-one,
three and one-half yards twenty
seven or two yards forty-four inches
wide, one yard of fancy banding for
the neck edge, four and one-quarter
yards of braid and of looped edging.
for the yolco, two and three-quarter
yards of banding two Inches wldo for
the skirt, one and three-quarter yards
Not a Wrinkle Permitted.
It Is imperative that the drop skirt
be fitted carefully to the figure, as
small hips irre In style, and there
must be no extra fulness at the waist
line or a sign of a wrinkle over the
hlpa.
Collars and Cuffs.
Lace and embroidered collar and
cuff sets are very much In vogue. The
round lace yokes with attached col
lars are of a dressy order, made of
Cluny and Irish lace. They are
shown with the half sleeves to match.
The Startling Hats.
Hats are almost btartling In their
color propensities. They are very
tall and they are trimmed in ways
that make them seem still taller.
one and one-quarter inches wide for
the belt and cuffs.
Soutache on Net.
If there is a net yoke or KulmDe to
the foulard frock trimmed with sou
tache, apply some of the soutache on
to tne net as well. This brings tha
color of the silk over on to the net in
an effective way.
Cotton Voilr.
The cotton voiles strike one very
forcibly this season, not because
they are new, but because they are so
plentiful and In such lovely colors.
r