THE IRI8H BIRD-CHARMER. IWM more or less o' tuneful grace. As fits a Celtic singer, Fve praised tho "great bird of our race," The stork, the hlesstn'-brtnKer. Wben first to my poor roof ho came, ' How sweetly no was suns to! 1 en I led him every ilaelnt name That 1 could lay my tmiRue to. But glorv me! that imilso Hum me Bo incased the simple crayture Els visits hero have come to be A sort o' seroml nature. tm glad to see him now and then. But, glory be to Heaven! here he Isn't hack atialn, An' this Is number seven! . crc! thouirh this gift o" song may be In mnnny nays a blesHln', H hrlnja) some popularity That gfis to bo dlsthrcssln'. Hew, mind. 1 love tills Irish bird We couldn't live wldout him 'An', ahure. I'll not toko baelc a word I ever raid about him, !Bhit now when all these mouths to feed Ate up our little savin's, The birds who visits moft we need Are ould Ellsha's ravens. XegorT if they wero 'round these days, An' 1 could mnke them hear me, JTd sliyt them sueh a son? o' praise Twould keep them always near me. T. A. Daly, In tile Catholic Standard fund Times. Stella hurried through the errand which had taken her to the kitchen, and as she regained the hall leading to the front of the house, her face lost the pained look which it had worn while she had been giving instructions to the cook. For the last two years Stella never went to the rear of the louse if it were possible to avoid doing HO. From childhood days she had spent krag, happy hours in the spacious yard f l ho Tolbert house, and since the en woachment of the city had walled them In on one side and at the rear, he had been heart-broken. She loved the old yard with Its great shade trees and its velvety turf. She mid remember when all the other Itooies along the shaded streets had en of a osimllar sort. That was be fore the trolley brought the suburb within, a quarter of an hour of the ity. Then fine old mansions had teen razed to make room for long rows of Brick houses Intolerable in the monot ony of their architecture. Each had Its tiny lawn in front, its six fodt grass Slot at one side, and another plot in She rear, but the back yards blossom ad only with the Monday wash, and the great trees had been cut down be cause the front "lawns" were far too mall to accommodate the sturdy oaks and the tall elms. Across the street from the Tolbert louse was a public park and on the ether street side was a corner lot was another old fashioned house, part f the Bain estate In litigation, which seemed to Insure the permanency of he landmark. On the other sides the rick monstrosities reared their ugly roofs. Stella had shut up the rooms on that side and in the rear or had screened the view with stained glass windows. From the windows of the rooms she ased she could see the trees and the sort of houses to which she was ac customed, and only when necessity de manded did she venture into those looms from which an unobstructed riew of the unlovely backyards could fee had. Stella's hatred of the march of the Uy and Its encroachments upon Cas tleton was fierce and unreasoning, but he had the Tolbert stubbornness and her brother Bert nor Frank Flem ing could hold out against the new or 4er of things. The building up of Castleton had vastly Increased the value of all prop arty, and the taxes were growing heav ier each year, but this was an added ffense, not a reason for accepting her rother'8 suggestion that she sell the Wld mansion and purchase a house fur ther In the country, beyond the limits laf the city's probable expansion. The home had been left to Stella as their father's business had been left Ao Bert He shared the home with er, and Stella lived in dread of the "ay when he would marry, and move way, but she was stubborn In her refusal to find another home. "I won't be driven out by these hor rid new people," she had declared. The home is still pleasant enough if I live on the open side, and I won't let the Teal estate men have their vie . tory. That had become her war cry, and van when Fleming had urged her to hare the new home he had purchased some five miles further out In a care- folly restricted section, she had de- dared that when they were married m must live in the old home. Only Homing's tactful silence at this crisis jsrevented a broken engagement Stella,, the kitchen safely behind her, ' nsoonsed herself In her favorite cor ner of the parlor, as far as possible from the sight of the hated, semi-detached rows. The soft closing of the front door roused her; and she called to know who bad entered. At the ' sound of her brothers' voice she ran mlckly into the hall. His early ap pearance augured some evil. "What has gone wrong, Bert?" she asked, breathlessly. ,' "Nothing wrong," he declared, try (fng to force his voice into natural tones, "Everything's right, in fact I Bad chance to leave the office early, - land I came out, that's all." "It Isn't all," Insisted Stella. "What ft It, Bert?" fy Bert .tried to laugh, but the effort I was not entirely successful. Stella 'followed him Into the library with her land pressed against her heart to still jfts rapid beating. I Odos in the comfortable room, Bert A Wta Stella Ctaoi . Ear 13. g '" ' sank Into his favorite chair and his sister down upon his knee. "I hate to give you pain, dear," he began softly, "ft Is only the knowl edge that I am wounding you which puts me ill at ease. The fact Is that Beth promised me last night that she would marry me in June. Frank is coming out this evening to dinner, and I wanted to slip home and tell you so that you could get over It before he came." Stella sprang to her feet. "You are going to be married?" she cried. "You are going to leave me and the dear old home and make a home somewhero else." "It had to come some time," he argued defensively. "You see, Both's aunt will have to go back West short ly, and that will leave the poor child without any protection. You can't ex pect me to remain a bachelor all my life," he ndded with a trace of Irrita tion. "I think we have all been very patient with your, whims, Stella. Kiss me like a good sister and wish me joy." "I hope you will be very happy," said Stella dully, but she did not offer to kiss him and she slowly left the room. Bert watched her go with the sense of helpless lnilatlon a man feels when he has unwillingly hurt a woman and know9 that really he is not to blame. He made no effort to stop her, and Stella slipped off to her room to fight out her battle alone . And here a fresh shock awaited her, for as she curled up in the window she glanced across the street and was hor rified to see two heavy trucks piled high with ropes and tackle stop before the house across the way. Gilt lettering1 proclaimed them the property of the Metropolitan House Wrecking Company, but Stella did not need the signs to tell her their pur pose. All along the street within the past two years those wagons, or others like them, had stopped In front of some old house, then presently the yawning hole where the cellar had been was all that was left of the land mark. Then other wagons had brought new material and half a dozen of the hateful brick houses had risen to replace the noble mansion. So the house wreckers mowed down old homes and neighborhood pride alike. Stella hurried down the stairs and burst into the library. "Bert," she cried, "there are the wreckers in front of the old Bain place. We must send Robert over to tell them they are making a mistake." "There Is no mistake," said Bert gently. "There was a decision In the court of appeals last month. Frank and I did not tell you because we did not want ycu to worry about It until you had to. They are going to put up a row of fiat houses." For a moment Stella was stunned by the announcement, then she went over to her brother's chair. "Let's ask Beth out to dinner to night," she said as she kissed him. We'll plan for a double wedding, dear." Bert reached up and drew her down to the comfort and protection of his strong arms. "Im glad you're going to give in and marry Frank, even if he doesn't insist upon running away from the house wreckers," he whispered. "But it's the first time I ever saw the house wreckers act as Cupid." American Cultivator. WHERE PEOPLE LIVE LONG. Men of Seventy Not Regarded Old Simple Life and Longevity. In Norfolk there are In every vil lage individuals of more than eighty years of age and not infrequently one or two over ninety, and those of sev enty and upward are regarded as net even old. Many farm laborers of seventy are quite hale and hearty, working from early morning up to 5 and 6 o'clock in the evening, and some are so vigorous as to earn a full man's wages. And the women In the, country (writes a correspondent) are more te nacious'of life perhaps than are the men. In one village personally known to me, containing about 300 people, within the past six months have died three women of more than ninety years of age, the oldest of these being no less than ninety-six. In another Norfolk village with inhabitants to the number of 400 there live a man of ninety-five, a woman of ninety, a wom an of eighty-nine, a woman of eighty seven and several of both sexes over eighty. In yet another village there are a blacksmith aged ninety-six and the widow of a country medical prac titioner whose years mount np to ninety-two. This longevity of the Norfolk peas ant, comments the Lancet, has a very Interesting pathological side to It. The chief enemy of the farm laborer of the eastern counties from the standpoint of health is rheumatism. Not many reach even middle age with out having been the victims of rheum atism, and a large number ' are crip pled in their old age by this disease. But In spite of this the average of longevity seems to be the very high, although as well as rheumatism he has to contend with the lock of ade quate housing accommodation and want of proper sanitary -arrangements. That to eat sparingly ,of plain whol some food, to be much in the open air, and to work sufficiently to occupy the able a man to defy more or less .the evils of environment would seem to be shown by the toughness of the Nor folk laborer. London News. His Excuse. "But why did you backslide?" "Because of the preacher." "How was that?" , "He painted the pjeasures of the world sofbeauUfully that It made m homesick." Nashville American. At Dinner. No matter where we children are Wo run In answer to the bell. And dinner comes In piping hot: It makes ua hungry just to smell. Poor father sharpens up his knife, And enrves with nil his might und main; But long betore he's had a bite Our Willie's plate comes back again. We eat our vegetables and meat, For mother, who la always right, Enys those who wish to have dessert. Must show they have an appetite. And when a Sunday comes around, So very, very fcood we seem. You'd think 'most any one could tell That for dessert we d have Ice cream. Aldcn Arthur Knlpe, in St. Nicholas. Stopped the Cow. Edwin, aged four, owned a picture book, In which a fierce-looking cow was running after a small boy. He looked at It a long time, then care fully closing the book ho laid It away. A few days Inter he got the book again and turned to the picture. Bringing his chubby fist down on the cow, he exclaimed in a tone of triumph, "She ain't caught him yet!" The Delinea tor. Cherry. I must tell you about the bird we had. Its name was Cherry. It was a mother bird, and a very tame one. Sometimes we would let her fly all over the room. Once when mamma wanted to put her in the cage again she couldrt't find her, but at last she found her upstairs. Cherry would sit on the back of a chair and let ma wbeeljor all about. Once she rode on rmimma's shoulder. She seemed to understand everything that was said to her. One day, when she was about two years old, she laid four blue eggs. She was a beautiful singer. When we were boarding we had to have the walls papered, and Cherry was taken up to my grandmother's, and there she died. I was very sorry. Three years later I had another bird, named Dick, but I never liked him half so well as Cherry. Helen Camp, in the New York Tribune. The Chinese Hoe. The Chinese farmer stands second to none in all the world. This is all the more remarkable since he has really so few implements with which to work the marvels he produces. His only implements are the hoe, the plow and the harrow. Beyond these the Chinese farmer never dreams of desir ing any other. The first of these tools seems never to be out of his hands, for It is the one upon which he relies the most, and is his most effective im plement. It really takes the place of the spade in England, though the lat ter Is never put to such extensive and general uses as the hoe. The Chinaman can do anything with It hut make it speak. The farmer well on in years cau easily be recognized, amidst a number of worklngmon, by tho cure his hands have taken from holding the hoe, in the many years of toil in his fleld3. With it, if he is a poor man, and has no oxen to plow the ground, he turns up the soil where he is going to plant his crops, and with it he deftly, and with a turn of his wrist, levels out tho surface so that it Is made ready for the seed. With a broad-bladed hOe ho dips to the bottom of a stream or of a pond, draws up tho soft mud that has gath ered there, and, with a dexterous swing, flings tho dripping hoeful onto his field nearby, to increase Its rich ness by this new deposit. Tho King's Own. The Foolish Rose. White I was walking in the garden one bright morning, a breeze came through and set all the flowers and leaves a-flutter. Now that is the way flowers talk, so I pricked up my ears and listened. ' Presently an elder tree said: "Flow ers, shake off your caterpillars." "Why?" said a dozen all together, for they were like some- children who always Bay "Why" when they are to'.d to do anything. The elder said: "If you don't, they'll gobble yon up." So the flowers set themselves a shaking till the caterpillars were shaken off. In one of the middle beds there was a beautiful rose who shook off all but one, and she said to herself: "Oh, that's a beauty! I will keep that one." The elder overheard her and called: "One caterpillar Is enough to spoil you." "But," said the rose, "look at hlB brown and crimson fur, and his beau tiful black eyes, and scores of little feet. I want to keep him. Surely one won't hurt me." A few mornings afterward I passed the rose again. There was not a whole leaf on her. Her beauty was gone; she was all but killed, and had only life enough to weep over her folly, while tha tears stood like dewdrops on the tattered leaves. ."Alas! I didn't think one caterpil lar would ruin me." One sin indulged has ruined many a boy and girl. This is an old story, but a true lesson. Morning Star. Dickie's New House. Dickie's cage was only a borrowed one, and when Carl had given him to Donovan be had said: "When you get a new cage you may give this one back to us. If you will, for. ooe of sur other birds." So the very nsxt day after Dickie cum to bs out of. the family, mother took Donovan and Eliz abeth down town to buy the new cage. They chose a pretty gilt one, and as soon as they reached home they want ed to put Dickie into it, but the ques tion wad how to get him in. The chil dren could not imagine how it could be dont. But mother had had birds before und this Is what she did; she put the two cages, the old and the new, close together on the table, with the doors open. The doors were Just the same size and fitted up close to each other so that there was no place for Master Birdie to get out of, and It was just like a little wire house with two rooms and a doorway between. Then she put fresh water and seed Into the two little cups thnt were In the new cage, and on the floor she put a nice bunch of crisp, green chick weed. Dickie seemed to admire the new house very much. He hopped down to the floor of his old house and peeked through the door into the new one. He even reached over and pecked at the gilt wires, but he didn't venture to go In. Then he sow the chlckweed, and how he did want some of it! At last he reached through the " door and pulled oil a leaf. The children were so pleased thnt they both gave hap py little squeals, and at the sound Dick promptly flew back to his perch again. Several times he went down and was almost ready to hop through into the new cage, but every time some body moved or somebody said "Ah!" and that always sent him back to his perch. At last father took the children into the other room to tell them a story. Mother moved the chlckweed to a place where Dick could not reach It without going all the way into tho new cage,' and then she kept very still and waited. Soon down he went again, but he put his head first on one side and then on another, then he put his head through the door and looked at the chlckweed. Mother didn't move even a finger, and in a few min utes Dick forgot nil about everything excepting that tempting little .bunch of green, and with two or three little hops he was Inside the new cage, with his bill full of chlckweed. Then very quickly and quietly moth er drew away the old cage; the door of the new cage went "snap," and there was Dick In his new house. Louise M. Oglevee, in Our Little Ones. A Brave Heroine. ' Not all brave, venturesome spirits are rewarded as was the "Pioneer Heroine," told of in The Youth's Com panion, but It is well worth the while of any of our young readers to culti vate the spirit of an Indomitable cour age that will serve to carry them through all the supreme tests of life. An instance of unusual heroism, con nected with the burning of Royalton, Vt., by the Indians in 1780, is record ed by Zadoc Steelo, one of those who were taken captive, in a book pub lished in 1818. A Mrs. Heudee, with her little son, 7 years old, and a daugh ter who was still younger, was try ing to make her escape. When the Indians overtook her and captured the boy. Anxious for the fate of the child, she Inquired what they were going to do tvlth him. They replied that they should mnke a soldier of him, and hastened away. She determined to get possession of her son, and proceeded down the riv er. She soon discovered a large body of Indians stationed on the opposite bank of the river. Wishing to find the chief and supposing him to be there, she set out to cross the river, and just as she arrived at the bank an old Indian stepped ashore. He could not talk English, but re quested by signs to know where she was going. She signified that she was going to cross, when he, supposing she intended to deliver herself up to them as a prisoner, kindly offered to carry her and her child across on bis back; but she refused to be carried. He then insisted upon carrying her child to which she consented. The little girl cried and said "she didn't want to ride the old Indian." She was, however, persuaded, and they all set out to ford the river. Having proceeded about halfway across, they came to deeper and swift er water, and the old Indian, patting the mother upon the shoulder, gave her to understand that, if she would tarry upon a rock near them which was not covered with water until he had carried her child over, he would return and carry her also. She there fore stopped and sat upon the rock until he had carried her daughter and set her upon the opposite shore; when he returned he took her upon his back, lugged her over, and safely landed her with her child. She hastened to the chief and bold ly inquired what he intended to do with her child. Overcome- by the sim ple boldness of the brave heroine, he assured her that her son should be given to her. She also obtained the release of eight other small boys and led them all away. She carried two of the children across the river on her back, one at a time, and the oth ers waded through the" water. After crossing the river, she traveled about J three miles with them and encamped for the night The next day she mads her way to a place of safety. I' ' LOOK FOR HEC0RD YEAR Hotel Men Think White Mountain Season Will Bo Its Best New England Cooking Again to Co Enjoyed on tho Breezy, Cloud clndSummltof Mt. Wndiingtou. Bretton Woods, N. H. Encour aged by their financial success last season, as well as by tho improving business outlook, the hotel proprie tors in the White Mountain region are preparing for what they confidently look forward .to as tho most prosper ous summer In a good many years. While the enow still lies deep in the ravines and notches and tho ma ple sap 1b still trickling Into the sugar buckets, the hotel men are actively preparing for the opening of their houses, big, little and medium sized, around .the last of June. During the winter months rooms have been re furnished, additions built on, orches tras, riding masters, gold managers and "help" re-engaged and confer ences with the railroad companies with reference to next summer's train schedules held, and just as soon as the ground Is in lit condition the an nual work of improving highways and laying out new mountain trails and bridle paths will commence. New Hampshire, which monopo lizes the largest and most popular of New England's mountain areas, is looking right after Us highways, and, as a result of wise legislation and lib eral appropriations, it expects to have in the near future one of the smooth est and finest systems of State roads In the country, comparable with those that have helped to make Switzerland and other European countries bo fa mous as tourist centres. Already the majority of highways in the White Mountains section are in admirable condition, and they have their lifting corollary in the splendid liveries with which all the first class mountain hotels are equipped. Both driving and riding are constantly on the increase in the mountains. Bretton Woods will, as usual, be the chief social centre of the mount ains this season, as far as the elite are concerned, and the managers of the big palace hotel which has been Instrumental In making it such are al ready wondering how they are going to properly accommodate all the multi-millionaires, captains of Industry, diplomats, beautiful heiresses and rich dowagers who even this early have signified their Intention of spending a part of the summer here. In a social sense the Bretton Woods season of 1909 bids fair to eclipse In brilliancy all of its predecessors. It seems, somehow, to be taken for granted .that President Taft and fam ily, who are to spend the entire sum mer at the picturesque north shore of Massachusetts, will make at least a flying visit to the mountains. There is, of course, no official authority for this belief, but It does soem Reason able to suppose that the President, being so near to this fascinating coun try. of high altitude, would be tempted to run up for at least a few days, es pecially In view of the fact that Bret ton Woods has a golf course that la second to none lu New England. There have been few important changes among the leading mountain hotels, tho most important being the transfer of the well known Maple wood Hotel to new ownership. Regu lar patrons of the houso will be glad to know, however, that It will con tinue under the management of Mr. Leon H. Cllley, who for a number of years has so successfully filled that position. At Bethlehem and elsewhere there will be some additions to the cottage colony, a feature of mountain sum mer life that Is carried to such per fection at Profile House. The cot tage, camp and bungalow nre becom ing a most important summer vaca tion institution throughout all of New England. Professor J. Rayner Edmands, the well known White Mountain enthu siast, will undoubtedly again lend his expert services to the Improvements of the trails on and around Mt. Wash ington. In past seasons he has done valuable work along this line that every visiting "tramper" has good reason to be grateful to him for. And speaking of Mt Washington, the .traveling public will be interested to learn that the same arrangements with respect to meals which so much pleased the visitors to the Summit last season will again be in effect this year. The historic old Tip-Top House, which has served as a substi tute for the Summit House, destroyed by fire last spring, will again do serv ice as dining hall, refrectory and shel ter. Tourists who partook of Its plain but abundant fare last summer were delighted with the noyelty of the idea, and some of them have not yet ceased recounting tonhelr friends how they relished their lunch of Boston baked beans, doughnuts, sandwiches, pump kin pie and coffee away up there among the clouds, more than 6000 feet above the level of the distant ocean. Train passengers and trampers alike will be accommodated In a cul inary way at this unique altltudlnous cafe, and it will be a not uncommon sight to see a khakl-clad bunch of trail-hitters scattered among the sharp pointed rocks at the summit en joying an outdoor lunch mada up In part from the contents of their hav ersacks and In part from the stores of the Tip-Top House larder. Last sea son Miss Clark, the well known man ager of the bouse, and her staff, held the fort on the summit until September TAFi'S SUMMER HOMET President Locates Hot-Weather Capital on the North Shore. High Compliment Faid to Beautiful Region Thnt Is the Abiding Place of Millionaires and Diplomats. Boston, Mass. In deciding to make tho famous north shore of Mass achusetts his official summer home. President Taft has made a selection that will surprise no one who is fa miliar with the natural beauties and attractions of this peerless "vacation section." Already the summer resting place of half of the foregln legations in Washington, and socially, architec turally and financially a sort of com posite of Bar Harbor and Newport, the President and his family certainly will find themselves in congenial compnny, as well as in the midst of some of America's finest seacoast Bcenery. Within the last few years the "North Shore" has been quite con spicuously in the social limelight, for It not only has been the refuge of sundry ambassadors, ministers and their families and retinues and the abiding place of multi-millionaires and men and women of distinction in literature and society, but it has fig ured, In a way, In International poli tics. That Is to say, in 1905, during the famous Peace Conference between the representatives of Russia and Japan, held at Portsmouth, It was the sum mer home of Baron Rosen, one of the Russian representatives of the con ference; and It was in his house, overlooking the shining waters of Massachusetts Bay, that M. de Witte and Ambassador Rosen frequently talked over the progress of the ne gotiations. . Generally speaking, the north shore begins at Nahant, the home of Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, and ends at Gloucester, on the tip of old Cape Ann. This means that it includes Nahant, Lynn, Salem, Swampscott, Marblehead, Beverly (where the President is to reside), Manchester, Magnolia and Gloucester, all of these picturesque communities and most of them of great historic interest. ' Sometimes the term "north shore" Is held to Include also the more east erly side of Cape Ann and the shore of Ipswich Bay, taking in Rockport, Pigeon Cove, Annlsquam, Essex, Hamilton and Ipswich. Hamilton, In a social sense, certainly is a member of the north shore family, for some of the "swell" citizens of Massachu setts live there, and the town is t,he seat of one of the most popular clubs In that vicinity. The entire region Is one pictur esque, breeze - swept beauty spot. One Is never far from the sight and sound of the restless sea, and the shores are alternately bold and shin gly, with surf-swept reefs and islands breaking the surface of the bay here and there. It Is an Ideal place for boating and yachting, and the little coves and harbors at Beverly and Manchester always have a flotilla of sail or motor craft at anchor or under way. Some of the cliffs are almost high and bold enough to suggest the Frenchman's Bay region, and then at Manchester there is one of those rare freaks of naturo, a patch of "singing" sands. Genial nature has done everything for Cape Ann and the north shore, in cluding the gift of a salubrious cli mate; and enterprising and artistic man has not been far behind it. His appreclativeness is exemplified In the magnificent mansions and villas that have been erected by the wealthy during the last few years; by tho splendid lawns, grounds and groves with which they are surrounded; by tho oiled highways that help to give it a touch of Santa Barbara or Mon terey, and even by the well-kept right of way and flower and vine-embowered stations of the Boston & Maine Railroad, upon which most of these north shore communities are located. The President will not be able to look in any direction without seeing the foliage-surrounded red roofs of some muiii-miiiionaire or aipiomai, ! unless he looks In the direction of the I sea, and there he will always find a marine picture both restful and in spiring. Illustrious Americans who at one time and another have made their summer homes upon the north shore, Include Henry W. Longfellow, James Russell Lowell, Rev. Dr. Edward l!v- erett Hale, Richard Henry Dana, Jr., N. P. WillU and Daniel Webster. It was Charles Sumner, who, visiting the Manchester neighborhood for the first time, declared the place to be more beautiful than Biarritz, the summer home of Napoleon III. Norman's Woe, immortalized by Longfellow; Rate's Chasm, Kettle Cove, Eagle Head and Thunderbolt Rock are a few of the points of In terest in the neighborhood. The drives, of course, are magnificent, and may be said to form the chief pastime of the sojourners there. They may be extended around the entire native cape for many miles. Of the many "summer palaces" in this regal vacation section, the most magnificent Is the home of Henry Clay Frlck, the Pittsburg steel magnate, at Prides, In Beverly. It cost, with its surrounding estate, nearly $2,000,000, and required the services of several hundred artisans and laborers for two years. The house is one of the finest and most costly in the country. The sumptu ous "cottage of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., at Beverly Farms, is another north shore landmark. Not far front it la Justice O. W. Holmes' home.