A medical journal commends the
invention or discovery of a method
of treating certain diseases by a doctor
in Trinidad, West Indies, but savs
that "unfortunately" he is debarred
from putting it into practice in his
country owing to the scarcity of these
particular diseases there. The people
of Trinidad probably will not sco
where the misfortune comes in.
/ In area Australia equals the United
Btates. According to the census of
1891 Australia contains 3,075,238
square miles and a population of 3,-
801,050. This population is strongly
British. Especially is this true of tin
religious profession. The sects an
all slips from the English planting
the Church of England, the Presby
terians, tht l Methodists, the Baptists,
the Cougregationalists. The Luther
ans arc an exception. Of the 2,(198,-
029 Protestants more than half belong
to the Church of England.
Exclaims the London Illustrated
News: What an admirable place for
chevaliers of industry of all kinds
must Tunis he! A lady having had a
dream there that whoever drank of
the water in her cistern would escape
cholera, 20,00(1 people passed through
her premises (at a penny a head) in a
couple of days. O, Santa .Simplicities I
what a town that must be for the eon- j
fldonco trick and all the other little I
swindles that have fallen under suspi
cion elsewhere ! What a place, if nut j
to dream of, to dream in !
Tito Christian at Work avers that in
the United States the M< tin p.list Church -
stnnds first in point of numbers, hav
ing 51,000 orgaiiizationsand 1,598,000
communicants; the Baptists are sec
ond, and have -10,000 organizations and
3,743,000 communicants; the Presby
terians are third, with 13,500 orguui- j 1
rations and 1,278,000 communicants; ,
the Roman Catholic organizations j I
number 10,270, with 0,258,000 indi- ! 1
vidunls in them; tin Lutherans have j '
8595 organizations and a cqmmuni- I .
cant membership of 1,231,000. | ,
If any sanguine prophet ten years
"go hail predicted that early in the Inst ; :
decade of this century the world would
I-OG a railroad oil the Congo built bv j I
the natives of the country, muses the '
Bait Francisco Chronicle, ho would '
fcavc been set down as a wilder crank !
than Wiggins, of Montreal, who 1
figures out when the. cyclone will
smite the Western prairie. At first
the railroad contractors had great
difficulty to secure laborers, as the
native would have nothing to do with
the work. Now, however, they have
begun to take an interest in the enter
prise and scores every day gather
about the newly-graded road-bed an I
work for nothing at laying rails.
Savage Africa will soon disappear front
the maps as completely as tho great
American desert if this work goes on.
The sudden fall of tho iron roof of
the railroad station at Dover, in Eng
land, carries with it a lesson to our
iron bridge constructors, and especi
ally to the management of the elevated
railroad system of this city, remarks
the New York Tribune. The roof in
question was old, having been eou-
Btructcd sonic thirty years ago, and,
notwithstanding repeated coverings of
paint and of other protective ma
terial, it seems that the metal was
eaten away to such an extent by rust
that it ended by fulling of its own ac
cord, and without the slightest warn
ing. It remains to be seen how long
the iron girders of our elevated rail
road system and the steel cables of tho
Brooklyn Bridge will bo able to with
stand the wear and tear and vibration,
as well as the atmospheric influences,
to which they are subjected.
What is supposed to he tho onlv
frostlcßs belt in the United States lies
between the city of Los Angeles and
the Pacific Ocean. It traverses the
foothills of the Cuhuenga range and
has an elevation of between two and
four hundred feet. In breadth it is
perhaps three miles. The waters of
the Pacific are visible from it, and the
proximity of the ocean has, of course,
something to do with banishing frosts.
During the winter season this tract
produces tomatoes, peas, beans, and
other tender vegetables, and there tho
lemon flourishes, a tree that is pe
culiarly susceptible to cold. Tropical
trees may lie also cultivated with sue- |
coss, and in counootion with this fact f
it ia interesting to know that a part of '
tho favored territory lias been acquired
iiy LOH Angeles for park purposes, arid
It ia only a question of time when tho
oity will have the unique distinction
of possessing the only tropical parkin
tho United States. Strange to buy,
inly tho midway region of tho (In
titlcnga rnngo is froo from frost, thc|
lower part of tho valley being ooou
jionally visited.
j A LOVE SONO.
Wlion the summer was bright, lovo, • '
And the world was fair and free,
i And the soft moon shone at night, love,
Over tho restless sea,
You eamo with wondrous charm, lovo,
On a happy summer day,
Aud with never a thought of harm, lovo,
' You stolo my hourt away.
The summer days are dead, lovo,
And tho world is white and chill i
: And the moon is pale and cold, love,
\ And the birds' sweet songs are still j
But deep in my heart id-:lay. lovJj
Burns hope's undying gleam*
N ; And hidden safely away. love.
, - | Is the summer's blissful dre irrt,
v May 11. Taylor* in Munsey's Magazin?.
A HORSE THIEF.
BY ALICE MACQOWAN.
(Tj RACE PENDLE
TON rode into
/t the ranch, jump*
f L \l ocl lightly clown
! [J\]i \ from her pony,
j| .C n )\ p Hll d shouted once
1 or twice, thereby
1 •* *2 discovering that
there was nobody
' the place, even
' I having
n thought well to
f Vm K iv herself a
holiday while her
-\l young mistress
1 ;) was away.
( vV So Grace un
I fastened tho parcels from the tie
strings of her cowgirl saddle, tossed
j them into the kitchen, and, taking her
j pony's bridle over her arm, went to
j the corral to put him up herself.
Grace had been but one year from
j tho conventionalities, refinements and
I restrictions of an Eastern home, where,
• to all appearances, she was a thor
ough-going society belle. She had
! come to Randall, one of tne Texas pan-
I handle counties, to keep house on the
! J-T ranch for her brothers, Jack and
Theodore; and she was a more fear
less rider, a better rustler and a more
complete all-round ranch woman than
most Texas girls who had been born to
tho life; to say nothing of her lively
enjoyment of the whole thing.
As she strolled down to the corral
the sun, which was low behind her,
sent a shaft of light against the spout,
panting side of ait unfamiliar pony
tied so that it blocked the opening to
the corral; and before she could take
another step a voice from within called
fiercely:
" Who arc you? Stop where you
are, you cursed butchers! I've got
twelve shots hero for you ! "
Grace's first feminine impulse was to
flee to the house and barricade herself ,
against a lunatic. But tho speech was
that of one pursued rather than an [
aggressor; then there was a bit of
rising anger at being ordered out of
her corral.
" Who's in there? M she called sharp
ly ; "I want to put my pony up."
At the sound of the girlish voice a (
hand with a long, bloody scratch
across the knuckles, reached out
against the strange pony's side ami
pushed him back, and a tall, young
fellow stepped or rather staggered out
before her.
lie was covered with both dust and
mud, and the edgo of a blood-stained
handkerchief showed beneath his cow
boy hat, which h • made a faint move
ment to raise. But even in such a
plight, and despite the suspicions man
ner of his introduction, there was the
well-nigh inetfaceiible indication of the '
well-bred man about him.
"O, I'm sorry; did I frighten you? i
But I'm at the end of my string. I'm !
lohu Farris from over in San Miguel I
County—over in New Mexico. There's
a crowd of cowboys from away up in
The Strip after me, for a horse thief.
I'm not tin; man they want; but there's
no reasoning with them. They had
me this morning. That's where I got
this," lifting his hand to his bloody
handkerchief on his forehead. 'They
will hang me as sure as they put
hands on me, if tliey don't shoot me
as soon as they get in pistol range, j
You've only my word for it, but, if
you can, help me —help me quick. !
You'll be glad of it."
"1 know who you arc," said Grace.
" 1 his is the J r ranch. I'm the sister j
of Jack Pendleton, who was up buy- \
ing ca*tle of you last month. I'm tho i
on v soul on tho. place to help you. !
kI,uII 1 do—what can IV "Tell'
j mo quickly."
"It in tho traokß," said Farris. "1
see my pony s got a broken shoe, an i
I haven t come across grass. r V( , t„. en
I in roads for ton miles—ever sinco 1
! 1 got across Deaf Smith, anl I've left
them a clear trail to follow. If there
i WHS any one here to ride the pony on
; and get rid of him somehow, and yon
1 would ho willing to hide me, they'd
go past, eventually."
"How much time have we?" asked.
Grace; then, an she looked at him,
clinging white and faint to the corral
' gate, " come in the house, au.l lie
, down! I'll do something."
"No, I'll be all right," answered
: Farris.
' , "I'm not much hurt. They're about
two hours behind me, I think—l threw
j them out that much this mornin-."
'Two hours," said Grace, looking!
at the pony; then a thought flashed
across her.
"I can do bcth," said she, "go an 1
get rid of the in away to hlind them,
' and get back in time to hido or din- ,
gniso you some way, safely. And I
can talk to them and get them away.
Now go and rest," and she jumped
upon Hush once more, caught his
pony's bridle, which he tossod up to
lor, anil hurried away as fast as his
tired little foet could go. "All the
guiiH arc in the office room," she called
buck, hh Karris's foot was on the door
it. -p. Then dust and distance swal- |
lowed her up.
Ferris went in to find food, which
he ate like a famished man ; then the
guns, which he inspected, loaded and
laid handy, from time to time ques
tioning, with haggard eye, tho trail
up which he had come. 1
It was a cruel, hard task Grace h ft d
set herself. She argued with her piti
ful heart all the way and averted her
eyes from the tired pony she was
leading, lest, the sight of it should
blunt her purpose*
She rode, with all speed possible, to
the Punta do Agua, four miles south
onßt of the ranch* and now running
harik-fiill and furious, on a red rise.
Once there she tried to force Farris's
pony into the creek, and when he re
fused to take water alone, she guessed
desperately at her chances, took her
life in her hands, and drove her own
frightened and reluctant horse in,
with spur and quirt dragging the other
after her.
When she had gotten them both in-
I to the stream edge she held Rush back,
i and sent the other ahead with a sharp
' lash of her quirt. When she was well
| into the current she drew her small
| revolver from her saddle pdeket, aimed
carefully at his head) and, setting her
I teeth ill a sort of agouy over the
• i cruelty of the deed, shot him.
The swift, red, muttering waters
) caught him, whirled him round and
r ' hurried hi 111 away, down stream.
draco fought her way out; and it was
t nil she could do. She rode homo
. across pastures at a hard pace, with
j the courage and tirelessncss of a man,
| hut with her heart aching and her
eyes half hlin led with womanly tears
. over the fate of tho poor, tired little
pony.
1 No reasoning nor philosophizing
availed to soothe her shocked ami
i smarting sensibilities. It was the act
itself that hurt her so, the act, that
i seemed like a treacherous murder of
tho willing creature that had helped
you through thus for.
[ But sho had short time to dwell on
the mutter or grieve herself over it.
As she came thundering down toward
I the ranch house, at, a full run, And
bending low in tho saddle, she saw,
I above a slight rise that hid from her
trail up which Furris had come, and
hid her flying figure from anyone
traveling it, a line of dust that indi
; cated several riders, approaching at a
' moderate pace.
I They were about a mile distant
| from tho house, on the west, she the
same distance away on the southeast.
Gould she make it in time? She
would--she must!
j "God help me," sho gasped; "God
! defend the right! Come, Rush !" and
| bending yet closer over him, bracing
herself firmly in tho saddle, sho dug !
the spur deep into Rush's side, at the j
same time bringing clown tho quirt, j
j again and again, with tho wholo
strength of her arm.
1 Tho horse, which was a good one,
find whose ability to make a splendid
dash had given him his name, at such
j ttaVagO and Unaccustomed punishment 1
sprang forward ill pain aild fright, j
and ran the mile that separated them
from the man whose life hung upon
• their help in long, convulsive leaps,
' like u wounded deer.
She dropped the rein on his neck
and threw herself off him as he stoppe I
at the door; and lie wheeled and ran
t ) the covra l , every limb shaking.
"They're coming," sho gasped, as
.-lie staggered in to Farris, cramped, '
trembling and dizzy from her terrible
ride.
"I know it," he said, quietly. "Go
into tho further room ; I'll fight it out; ,
this is cruelly hard on you."
Tho food and rest ha l steadied him ; j
his face was washed, his wound bound
iup decently; and as ho glanced over
his arsenal, rose up to the height of j
his six feet, and turned a very white
but manly and determined face toward
her ; he was decidedly a figure to please !
a woman's eye and touch a woman's
j sympathies.
"O, horrible!" she cried. "No, no;
you wouldn't have any chance at all— 1
you'd be shot down like—oh!
"Come," she drew him with her to
the kitchen, an I dragged out from a !
little room beyond some women's'
clothing. She hurried a calico dress
onto him, bound a red Mexican hand- j
kerchief over his head and brows, and '
j threw a sunbonneb on over this. Then i
' she caught up a pun, filled it with po
tatoes and thrust it into his hands
along with a sharp knife.
! "O, sit down," she cried, hysteri
' oally, seeing the dress, though broad
enough for two of him, was a foot too
rhort, and showed his dusty cowboy I
| boots.
"ilere," and she pushed a chair io
to the back of the room between the i
stove and table aud turned it so his |
ba \v would be toward the door; "peel
tin* potatoes, when the men couie in." !
He did everything just as she told
him, "You're a captain, Miss Pendle
"V! "oT 1 r ° 11 ' tru,u P" he said ; j
they n never suspect for a moment." j
nen looking up and seeing her ,
blanched face and shaking hands, he
"O, don't be so frightened; don't I
fee. so badly ! I .1 rather have chanced '
it with them in the road, alone, than
make you (such distress. Don't worry
co ; they'll never guess it's me, nnd at
the worst they wouldn't kill me here
| hoforo your eyes. With you by I
could probably get them to listen to
my explanation and—"
| "Hero they are," whispered Oraeo
through white lips', nnd though the
world reeled around her, tho foremost
of tho pursuers found her, when he
came to the kitnhon door, with tucked
up riding habit, anil hands full of
kindling, building a tiro in tho stove
between them aud tho old Mexican
woman peeling potatoes in tho further
| corner.
"Bug pardon, miss," said he, while
I several others stood behind him, "any
j of your men folks about?"
"No," said (trace, "there's nobody
f here tint old Felipa and ni —wo just
got in ourselves a few minute, ago."
I "Re's here, boys, hid somewheres,"
, to those behind him: then to Grace,
"It's a hoss thief we've been ehasin'
all day. He gave ns tho slip this
morning. Don't be skeert, miss:
you're safe, now; an' we'll git him
an' take him away safe an' quiet."
"Bob, you Btay here with the lady
j —she's sorter skeert—while we hunt
' through the place/'
The agony of those moments I Tho
mad panic of fright and horrible un
governable apprehension that pos*
| sessed her* while she built that tire,
; Farris peeled potatoes and "Bob"
stood leaning in the door, watching
her idly and expectorating tobacco
juice.
! Suddenly the leader came to tho
door, and looking past her said:
"-Could the old woman get us a—"
I Grace interrupted him, deprecat
ingly, her voice almost failing her for
terror. "She -she's old and a little
lame—and she don't understand any
English—what is it? Anything I—"
and she clutched at the table in the
\ extremity of her agitation, though
j Farris plainly tried to reassure her by
turning his head half way round, s
j that only the sunbonnet edge partially
i hid his face, and handing her som
j sliced potatoes very naturally
j "O, no, miss. You just tell ue
; where—" but at this moment there
j came a shout from the gate:
j "Come on, boys! Quick!
I "He's ben an' gone while nobody
! wuz hyer. Here's his huff tracks to
j the corral an' out agiu at t'other gate,
an' up the trail 1"
"Jump on yer bosses an' git!" said
the man who was speaking to Grace.
"We'll leave you, miss. You needn't
be oneasy. fer he's on ahead. We'll
j git him safe enough; an' ho won't
trouble nobody after we onct git our
1 ban's onto him 1"
And in a minute's time thev were
I gone, every boot, spur and six-shooter
! of them.
| Grace scarcely dared breathe till the
i last hoof-beat died into silence on bet
' ear. Then she sat down weakly in n
chair, and they discussed what should
be done.
I It was decided that Grace should
j change her habit for her usual home
| dress, and Farris remain as he wap,
! as tho men would probably eomo back
when they found tho proofs of theii
| horso thief having been drowned in
| the Punta de Agua.
Supper was all got ready and they
I waited, Grace hoping the boys would
I come.
They did not, but just nfc dark tho
horse thief hunters were heard coming
back, down the trail. They stopped
and hailed, outside, and Grace went
to the door.
"We thought we'd jest stop an' tell
ye not to worry 'bout thet hoss thief,
miss," said tho spokesman; "he's
perf'ckly safe. Tried to cross the crick
down thar. 't's on a red rise, an'
drownded hisse'f —pony an'all. We seed
tho hoss, ketehed agin a moM o' drift
a mile below. He waru't nowhere
about. Th' ain't nothin' nowhar fer
him to hide in—jest open plains—so
he's drownded ez safe ez if we'd a
strung him up, though't ain't near so
satisfactory."
Then they rode down tho trail once
more, and Grace went in.
Since the day of these exciting hap
penings there has been a wedding at
tho J-T, by which it lost its mistress. I
"There's an enterprising girl, my
friends," says Jack Pendleton, when
ho waxes facetious over his Bister and
his new brother-in-law, "an enterpris
ing girl!"
"Despairing of getting a man at
home in the elTeto East, she came to the
wilds of West Texas, where thoy were
reported to be plenty, and easy of cap
ture. Failing to find ono in any of
the ways ordinarily employed, she res
cued a fleeing malefactor from the
haltert Yes, sir; snatched from the
hands of pursuing vigilantes, and
married a horse thief! A common
horse thief I"—Washington Star.
Fishing Bogs.
At a certain point all tho men and
dogs came to a halt, says the author of
"Life With Trans-Siberian Savages."
Half the dogs and men then moved
further along the water's edge about
*2OO yards. At a concerted signal tho
dogs were started from their respective
points, and swam straight out seaward
in single file in two columns. At a
wild, sharp, cry from all the Ainus
the right column wheeled left and tho
left column wh - led right, until the
head of each column met. Then at
another signal all of them swam in
line toward the shore, advancing more
aud more in crescent formation.
AH they neared the shore, increasing
numbers of fish appeared in the shal
low water, frightened forward by the
splashing of the dogs, which, as soon
as their feet touched bottom, pounced
upon tho fishes as quick as a flash.
The dogs promptly brought the fish
which they had seized to their mas*
ters, who cut off tho heads and gave
each dog the head which belonged to
him UH his sharo of the catch. - Tho
dog which caught nothing got nothing,
t believe this dog drill is entirely
| unique.
Money In Canaries.
For more than a century tho breed
of canaries has been a thriving indus
try in parts of Germany. In 1850 the
j German dealers began to ship the
1 birds to Xew York, and then to South
America and Australia. The profits
are small, but tho industry is a god
soud to tho poor, who make the small
wooden cages.. It is estimated that
about 250,000 canary birds are raised
every year in Germany. Tho most
! important market is tho United States,
which take about 100,000 birds per
, annum. When the birds are shipped
to this country they are always accom
panied by an attendant. <>n the re-
I turn voyage these attendants tako
' American birds and animal® to Europe.
I —Gyicago Herald,
THE MERRY SIDE OF LIFE
STORIES THAT ARE TOLD BY THE
FUNNY MEN OF THE PRESS.
The Coal Man- Free For All-Put
Him OR—Life's Most Serious Ill
ness, Ktc., Etc.
ID winter's frosty atmosphere,
Against the scales he leans ;
Untiringly, hie place Is there,
Discussing weighs and means.
—Washington Star.
No REMEDY.
'I don't believe you will ever marry
her. She has postponed the wedding
seven times already."
"I know it, and I haven't even the
power to apply elotnre."—Judge.
PUT HIM OFF.
Ed (the bill collector) —"I'm one of
the most popular men in town."
Ned—."Why do you think that?"
Ed—"Wherever I go, I'm always
asked to 'call again.' " —Chicago Rec
ord.
FREE FOR ALL,
Poet (enthusiastically)—" Yes; I say
with one of old, 'Let me write the
songs of a Nation, and I care not who
makes their laws.'"
Practical Friend—"Well, who's hin
dering you. "—Puck.
WILLING TO ACCOMMODATE.
"I should like to know when yon
are going to pay that bill? I can't
come here every day in the week."
"What day would suit you best?"
' 'Saturday."
"Very well, then, you may call every
Saturday."
FASHION'S PENALTY.
Customer—"Was it because your
business was so dull that you dis
charged half your help?"
Drygoods Healer—"Not at all.
The saleswomen wore such big sleeves,
you know, that we had to reduce the
force one-half or enlarge the shop."—
Bostou Transcript.
LIFE'S MOOT SERIOUS ILLNESS.
Mr. Filiate—"Miss Rosalie, 1 under
stand that you have been attending
the lectures on "How to Treat Ordi
nary Illnesses?"
She—"Yes."
He (drawing nearer) —"Can—can
you tell ine what you would do for a
broken heart?"— Vogue.
TOO MUCH ON HER MIND.
"How long have wo been engaged,
George?" she asked.
"Why since last August," he ans
wered.
'I couldn't tell whether it was
August or June," she replied. "You
see I keep getting you and Freddie
Smikens mixed. "—New York Mercury.
A CLEAR CASE.
Arrival (at 1 a. m.) "Can I sleep
here all night?"
Clerk—"No, sir."
Arrival—"What's tho matter?
House full?"
Clerk—"No, sir; it's 1 o'clock in
the morning."
Arrival—"Ob, ah!"— Detroit Free
Press.
A COMPARISON.
Swell of the Period—"Oh! Doctor.
I have sent for you, certainly; but I
must confess I have not the slightest
faitli in modern medical science."
Doctor—"Oh! that doesn't matter
in the leant. You see, a mule has no
faith in the veterinary surgeon, and
yet he cures him all the same.Tog
licho Rundschau.
▼AST POSSIBILITIES IN TO AT DIRECTION.
He—"What disagreoable things that
Miss Smarte can say ! I heard her say,
after the party last night, she was sur
prised that I had made such a fool of
myself."
She—"Oh, I wouldn't mind. She
never would have said it had she
known you thoroughly." Boston
Transcript.
NO DECEPTION ABOUT IT.
"And when you told her she was the
prettiest woman in tho world, you
think she believed you?"
"Oh, dear, no. Had she believed me
she never could have any regard for
my intellect. She knew I was lying,
and also knew that T must think a
good deal of her to tell such a whop
per."—Boston Transcript.
WHY INDEED?
The celebrated Signora Howlinski
was in tho middle of hor solo when
little Johnny Fizzletop, referring to
tho conductor of the orchestra, asked :
"Why does that man hit at the woman
with his stick?"
"He is not hitting at her. Keep
quiet."
"Well, theD, what does sho holler so
for?"— Yankee Blade.
ON HIS MIND.
Blaggins is one of the men who
speak disrespectfully of eminent peo
ple. A great pianist was pointed out
to him recently, with the remark :
"Do you note the weary expression
of his face? He seems to have a gTeat
deal on his mind, doesn't he?"
"A great deal on his mind?" re
peated Blaggins scornfully; "oh, yes,
you mean hair."—Washington Star.
ENCOURAGEMENT.
Elilerly Fiance—"l hope yon nre
not impressed by the silly sentimen
talists who hold that because you've
married once you ought not to marry
again?"
Pretty Widow—"Don't let that
worry yon, dear. I've no such preju
dice. My own dear mother was mar
ried three times, and I only hope that
in all things I may follow her exam
ple."—Vogue.
A FAMILIAR WEAPON.
An Irishman in France was ehal"
lenged by a Frenchman to fight a duel,
to which he readily consented and
suggested shillelaghs.
"That won't do," said tho second.
"As the challenged party, you have
the right to choose tho arms, but chiv
alry demands that you should decide
upon a weapon with which Frenchmen
are familiar."
"Is that so?" returned the Irishman.
"Then, begorra! we'll foight wid
guillotines."—Brooklyn Life.
SO TENDER HEARTED.
She sat down with tho fierce light of
controversy shining in her eyes.
"What's the reason you think women
should not be allowed to vote?" she
aggressively inquired.
"I don't object to the single woman
voting," he answered, "but I think a
poor married woman who has a hus
band to look after has all the trouble
on her hands she deserves. That's my
only reason."
Bhe arose with her face in wreathed
in smiles.—lndianapolis Journal.
MAITD AND MAMIE.
"Ob, say, Mamie," exclaimed Maud,
"you just ought to seo Harry since he
: joined the National Guard. He looks
perfectly lovely."
"He must!" rejoined Mamie raptur
ously.
"I do BO hope there won't be any
war!"
"It wonld bo dreadful if Harry were
to get killed."
"I wasn't thinking of that. Lots of
people go to war without getting killed.
But he'd be just certain to spoil his
clothes."—Washington Star.
now RHR HELPED HIM.
Ho had been for some time trying
to get his courage up to the proposing
point, but had not yet succeeded.
During his oall one evening, the con
versation turned upon fraternal insur
ance companies, in whioh he was in
terested.
"Tell me," said she, "can any one
become a member?"
"Any one who is acceptable," an
swered he ; and then, a sudden thought
occurring to him, he added: "You
see, it is like other things; you must
bo accepted first, and then—"
"But, no," she shyly interrupted;
"isn't it different in that if you are Ac
cepted you become a brother?"
The cards are now out.—Puck.
HE IIAB THE PROOF.
"Undo Eben," said a young man
who was disposed to be jocular, "do
you believe there is luck in a rabbit's
foot?"
The old man's eyes twinkled. Put
ting his hand in his vest pocket he
drew forth a velvety rabbit's paw, and
said gravely, as he held it at urin's
length:
"See dat?"
"Yes."
"Wall, dere ain' no use tryin' ter
tell me dat luck doan go wid dat rab
bit's foot. I's got de proofs right
hyur in de kitchen."
"Proof of the luck that goes with
that rabbit's paw?"
"Yassir," and the old man's eyes
twinkled more than ever. "Do rabbit
dat used ter wear dat paw is cookin'
in de pot dis minute. An' if rabbit
stew ain' luck, what is?"— Washington
Star.
Electricity for Cooking Purposes.
In tho last issue of the Electrical
World reference is made to a series of
calculations intended t# determine
tho efficiencies of coal and electric
stoves for cooking, and although the
calculations are necessarily only very
crude they are of some interest. Tho
cooking efficiency, that is the ratio of
the heat used in cooking to the total
lieat in the coa', was found to bo
! three hundredths of one per cent.
, Adding to that the heat used in heat
ing tho water in the articles them
i selves, as well as for washing, tho
| total all day efficiency was found to
4.2 per cent. Professor Tyndall ob
tained six per cent.
' Similar calculations are made for
j an electric stove to do the same work,
and it is found that as far as actual
I cooking is concerned electrical cooking
is about ten per cent, cheaper, but it
becomes thirty-five per cent, more
expensive if tho water is also heated.
Heating the water in a coal heater is
therefore suggested, which will havo
an efficiency of fifty per cent., and
then do the cooking in an electric
stove, in which caso there will bo
practically no difference in efficiency.
In conclusion it is stated that the
electric oven is bound to come.
Ortolan** in India.
The fraudulent ortolan enters into
the menu of most of India's provinces.
For the genuine ortolan—that deli
cious mouthful —is, as far as my ex
perience goes, very strictly localized.
I have seen, shot and eaten them in
only one district (Kishnaghur), but I
have had ground larks, sand martins
and many other small fowl offered to
me in the name of the ortolan in
twenty districts and three provinces.
The sport provided by this winged
delicacy is, I need hardly say, poor;
it is, in fact, demoralizing, for there
can be no question of aiming at this
bird or that; the shootist has to fire
his charge of dust into the brown of
the swarm that whirls over tho dusty
plain like unto a cloud of dust. But
if one cannot get ortolan save by
shooting them, then I should feel in
clined to shoot.—Blackwood's Maga
zine.
It is stated by authorities in naval
architecture that a steel vessel can
carry twenty per cent, more than an
iron ship.
WISE WORDS.
Self-conceit is one of the first gods
men worship.
The party who refuses to forgivo is
the one who is wrong.
The only way to have constant peaco
is to hare constant trust.
There is hope for the man who is
conscious of his own faults.
The only thing that keeps a stingy
man from stealing is the risk of tho
thing.
Love and hope always live together.
Kill hope, and love will bring it to life
again.
It will be time wasted to undertake
to preach any higher than your owu
experience.
It will not help your own crop any
to throw stones at your neighbor's
truck patch.
Many a man's religion, if boiled
down, would be found to be nothing
more than notion.
One reason why some men do not
havo better wives is because they are
such poor husbands. i
The sun keeps right on shining, no
matter how much men have to say
about its black spots.
The man who lias a kind word for
everybody will not need a brass band
to draw mourners to his funeral.
It is about as wise to sit on the limb
of a tree and saw it off, as it is to worry
about things wo cannot help.—Ram's
Horn. r
Strange Lama.
The following is said to be a trno
story of the piny woods of Mississippi.
It is now some time ago that a zealous
young Presbyterian minister, whose
heart yearned over the ben i ghte 1 con
dition of the denizens of the piny
woods, determined to make an expe
dition into the creek
some forty miles back from the const,
to csrry the gospel there, llis friends
tried to dissuade him, saying that tho
people of that region were mostly
Methodists and Baptists, but ho re
solved to persevere, and mounting his
horse one Saturday morning, took tho
road into the woods. He had to camp
out over night, aud it was about 8
o'clock Sunday morning when be
reached the first house in the neigh
borhood which he desired to visit. Ho
found a woman there who, in response
to his request for a breakfast, invited
him in aud regaled him with black
coffee, cornbread aud salt pork. His
wants satisfied, he turned to his er
rand and asked the woman where her
husband was. "Oh, he's out a-hunt
in'," she replied; "he goes huutin'
every day!" "Well, but this is Sun
day !" said the astonished minister.
"Yes," she responded, "it is purty
sunny; but the mast's good, an' tho
turkeys'll be out on the bills." "But
I mean Sunday—the holy Sabbath
day," said the astonished preacher.
"Isn't yonr husband afraid of tho
Lord?" "I do'know !" she answered,
indifferently; "I reckon he ain't much
afraid. He alius takes his rifle along."
Tho minister paused, nonplussed for
awhile, and then began agp.in : "I hear
that there are a good many Methodists
aud Baptists around here?" "Mought
be," replied the woman; "they's a
powerful lot o' varmiuts in these hero
woods." The minister rose in despair
and prepared to go. "Do you think
I could find any Presbyterians in tho
neighborhood?" "P'raps so ! I never
seed none; but I kin tell you how to
find out. Jes' you step around the
house au' take a look at tho baru.
John's got the hide of about every
varmint in this neighborhood nailed
up there. Maybe you could tell 'em
by that." That was a little too mucb
for the devoted missionary, and ho
took his departure without so much
as a glance at tho hides—so tho story
goes.—New Orleans Picayune.
'J
Remedy for Chapped Hands.
The trouble of chapped hands is a
common one among farmers and tho
membeis of their households, as well
as with all other persons who have oc
casion to wet the skin and will not take
tho pains to thoroughly dry it before
exposing it to the cold wiud. There
is a very simple method of preventing
this painful condition of the hands.
This is nothing nore than to dry tho
hands (or face either) after washing or
any other kind of wetting with a towel,
and as to the hands, rubbing one upon
the other until the skin glistens and
shines. Then the use of a glove when
the hands are exposed to the cold
winds or to the snow will do the rest,
and the hands will be kept comforta
ble and the skin soft. Frequent wash
ing of the hands, with perfect drying,
and the use of a little pure vaseline
afterward, will greatly prevent the
roughness of the hands that is so com
mon among farmers. It is by neglect
of such simple precautions and care
that the farmer becomes as often said,
"horny handed."—New York Times.
A Musical Language.
A philological curiosity, which is
said to be the invention of an Italian,
is the Cosmolaugue, a new universal
tongue, which is expected to do for
the world what Volapuk tried to do
and failed. The new language is con
structed entirely of combinations of
the musical syllables, do, re, mi, etc.,
and can be written on the musical staff
with notes, all those composing one
word being joined together by a bar.
Here is a little specimen of it: Misi
(our) sidofa (father) lado (who) re (art)
mido (in) lasola (heaven). The in
ventor thinks that it would be very
easy to learn, being composed of so
few and universally used elements,
very easy to write, which is done by a
few simple marks on a staff of five
lines, and altogether is well calculated
to become soon tho oue language of
the world. One evident advantage is
that it can be whistled as well as
spoken, and thus might easily be
taught to mocking birds.—Picayune,