Maine has gained 39,000 people in thirty years, anil Vermont gained about 17,000 in the same period, anil in the ten years ending with 1890 she gained 136 inhabitants. In the Government of Saratov, in Russia, horse thieves and cattle raid ers are lynched when caught. The latest case is the beating to death with sticks of four men by the peasants ol Diklei. The lato Prince Henry of Batten berg had a theory that every Nation was civilized in proportion to its ap preciation of music. On hearing a Chinese orchestra, ho once remarked : "These people ure hopeless ; they will never progress." Those married men who have al ready provided seal skin sacques for their wives and daughters are in big luck, thinks tho Atlanta Journal. Tho Alaska seal herd has decreased from 17,900,000 to 175,000 in twenty-five years and is still falling. It is a con eolation that a pretty woman dares not need a seal skin cover to make her at tractive. Aa enterprising London tradesman undertook to advertiso by telegraph tho othor day, and sent to several thousand prominent ladies a dispatch to tho offset that a great sale was in progress. Tho ladies havo been ac customed to looking at telegrams as matters of importance, and they wero ono and all annoyed. When the merchant got through apologizing to indignant husbands, big brothers and such, and had paid for tho insertion of not a few abject anologie3 in Iko newspapers, ho had mado up his mind that newspaper advertisements were the best, after all. The entire agricultural press is seeking to learn tho exact profit in farming. The time has passed, as serts tho San Francisco Chronicle, when the agricultural paper has ful filled its duty by making public the most successful methods of culture. What farmers want to know is how tc take in moro than they pay out. A paper published a Springfield, Mass., has offered 880 in prizes to farmers who sond them articles giving oithot actual cxperieneo of writers in money making from tho farm, or tho experi ence of any farmers' organization in buying or selling togcthor—tho prizes going to those furnishing tho most ideas, Thoro is a third class ol prizes to those who best toll how mark eting ought to be done. LosAngolos dispatches chronielo the foot that ot tho distribution of tho es tate of Pio Fioo, the last Governor ol California under Mexican rulo, only n gold watch and chain wero loft. Fioo was tho richest ol all the native Cali fornia hidalgos excopt Vallejo. He ownod rnnehos which coverod hun dreds of thousands of neros, nml his cattlowero unnumbered, but, likoVai lejo, he had no conception of the value of land or money. When the the Americans swarmed in he played tho hospitable host for several years, and when his ready money was gone ho mortgaged his estates. Twenty years taw him stripped of everything and for the last decade the man who was once the most powerful in tho State simply vegetated on the bounty of old friends. In the same way Gen eral Vallejo, who once owned the best lands in Central California, died in povcrly in tho house which once wit nessed his prinooiy entertainments. Tlio Atlanta Constitution notes that tbo experiments of Massachusetts an J New Jersey in the construction of first-olass highways have arouse t a good deal of interest in other States. Massachusetts spent 55700,030 last year on her roadways, aud she is will ing to spend still more this year. In New Jersey, too, the peop'o aro anxious to bo taxed if they cm get good roads. In mmy States, North and South, it is suggested that it would ho a good plan to work the con victs on the public highways. Their labor would in time furnish every lo cality with good roads, and thus em ployed they would not compete with free aud skilled labor. The outdoor work would bo a good thing for tho health of the prisoners, aud if proper ly guarded they could not escape any moro easily than under tho present system. With first-class highways our farms will rapidly increaso in value, and their owners will have bet ter facilities for carrying their pro ducts to market, while tho item of sav ing in tbo wear and tear of vehicles is of important consideration. With theso improvement, our rural dis tricts will attract settlers, and the country will draw the surplus popula tion of tho towns. Perhaps this points to the solution of tho convict problem. FOE TO STRONG DEINK THE GREAT LIFE WORK OF FRAN CIS MURPHY. Picked Up from the Gutter, He Has I,'ccome the World's Greatest Tem perance Reformer—Story of His Life and His Remarkable Success. Hluc Ribbon's Champion. There is no name better known in temperance circles the world over than that of Francis Murphy. He is without a doubt the greatest living advocate of the doctrine of total abstinence. During his long career as a champion ill the blue ribbon cause he lias carried happiness into thousands of homes and reclaimed from the gutters thousands of men who liavo since grown into prosperity and wealth. All this has been accomplished by a magnetic elo quence that strikes the heart of the listener. He is not highly educated ov even always polished in speech. Ho is better equipped than that for tlie work FRANCIS MURPHY. iii which he has spent the best years of his life. Though his phrases have not always tlie turn of grammatical excellence, ids words lmve tlie ring ot truth and deep feeling and his manner is of the genial, gracious, winning kind that naturally attracts men to liiui. Five minutes ill a man's company is enough to have Francis Murpliy ad dressing him by his first name or the abbreviation of ids last, and slapping him on ids hack, not rudely, but in a genial welcoming way. Francis Mui phy is not as vigorous a worker as lie nice was. Sixty years of fife have left lielr marks upon him. but while they rave deprived him of sonic of his force ulncss as a speaker they have brought i gentleness which is equally effective. Story of His Life, Francis Murphy, as his name initi ates, is an Irishman. "1 came to this country when I was 10 years old. It was twenty-six years ago in the city of Portland, Mo„ that I signed the pledge," says Mr. Murphy. "Before that I had been a leader of tlie young fellows who drank atiout that town. But all at once a new feeling took hold of me, a new force entered my mind and I determined to quit the life I had led. It was one of the surprises of tlie town when I did sign tlie pledge. But with me tlie first thought was of my bottle companions. I took a pledge and went among them, and in almost no tiipe sixty or seventy of them had put down their names to a promise never to drink liquor again. "It was noticed in tlie town at onee. Prominent business men would come down around where we lived, and, speaking to some of the neighbors, would say: 'Hello, Tom. or Joe, or who ever It was, you're looking different from what you did'; you look better. What's come over you?' And Tom or Joe would reply: 'Well, you know, I used to have a good deal of trouble with my hoy. He used to drink with Frank Murphy, hut now Murphy lias got iii in to sign tlie pledge. Since lie diil that my wife is a young girl again and I feci like a young man.' His First Temperance Lecture. "And so it went, until I had an invi tation from the mayor of the city, Ben jamin Kingsbury, to make a speech in the City Hall. 'No, sir,' I told him, 'I neve r made a speech in my life, nml I'm not going tg try In tlie City Hall." 'Well, you don't need to,' Ik pear there sober: that will lie speech enough for you.' I agreed to do that, Mils, fhancis and 1 went. The- Men pit v. City Hall wnsfilled ■tear out to tin- street, and there were such prominent men us Tom Reed, George Shipley and others of that caliber. At the proper time I was introduced to tlie audience as the young fellow who had begun Port land's great temperance reform, and 1 thought I ought to say something just to show my appreciation. But lo and lie-hold I couldn't say a word. I stood there trying to speak, hut I couldn't, and finally broke out crying. Of course. I was sliaim 1 ami humiliated, and thought I had brought disgrace on ev cry friend I had on earth. 1 hail no thought but to get home, and there 1 went as soon as I could get out of the crowd. And I stayed there three days, too, out of everybody's sight, until my friends began to inquire, 'Where's Frank?' Nobody could say, ami finally they came to the house to look nic up. Mayor Kingsbury was one of them. They asked me what was the matter, and I replied that I had disgraced tliem I all and iny family nml myself and ev | crybody else by the failure I had made at the City Hall. 'You haven't failed; I you've done magnificent,' said Kings- I bury, 'and T have fifty applications foi you to talk temperance.' "For a while I demurred, but then 1 went out with u little pledge, not ex peeting to make speeches, but simply to talk to one liiau or tivo nt a time. My success was greater than I expected, and the work 1 did resulted in the for nintiou of the New England Reform clubs, with which 75,000 people signed the pledge. That was the start of my temperance work. "The number of people who have taken the pledge from me I can not tell exactly. The only figures I have were those that were compiled in 1878, when it was reckoned that 13,000,000 people had taken tlie blue ribbon through tho work I had started. In the four years I spent with my sou, Titos. E. Murphy, in Great Itritain, it is esti mated that 5,000,000 people signed our pledge. In the city of Belfast, Ireland, my son took 10,000 signatures to the pledge in three days. That is the great est record ever made by a man In tem perance work. My best work was done in Pittsburg in 1870. I talked there for throe months ill one ball, anil as a re sult 45,000 men slgued tile pledge. It was that work, too, that started the movement that made the gospel nml lotal astineuce eaultse. It was that work, too, that gave me fame, and I have never made any money since I first had tho fame. I have refused to turn my work into a money-making business." Mr. Murphy has been aided l>y ills wife, who, lilco himself, is a winning apostle of temperance. WAS A MAKE-BELIEVE PROXY. flow a Rich Texus Girl XVon u Poor but Proud Lover, To the knowing girl there are more ways than one of availing oneself of tlie maiden's leap-year privilege. A story conies from rural Texas illustra tive of this truth and showing how a courageous girl may overcome difficul ties in winning the man of her choice. In a certain county of the I.one Star State there lives a very charming girl, who, being yet ill tho heyday of her youth and witlial l-lcli in her own right, has always had a long train of admir ers. The majority of them were well off as to tills world's goods, but Cupid had in liis usual mischievous stylo so arranged matters that none of them found favor in the girl's sight. The only man among them nil that had the power to set her heart fluttering and to whom her fancy had paid tribute even when he was nbscnt never press ed his suit. He belongs to that Innu merable army of poor but honest, anil his pride withheld the words that the Texas belle was so anxious to hear. The other day she went to him in tlie most bewitching costume and a smile that exactly matched. She told him with blushing candor that he was old enough and sensible enough to ho got tiug married. She had a young lady ill mind that would make him a capital wife, and if authorized by him she would volunteer to carry on negotia tions. Tills made the young mail mad and took him entirely out of himself. He served notice In very ley terms that he did not require tlie services of any one in conducting his affairs of tlie heart, and it was particularly exasper ating to have the only woman he ever did love or could love come to i Jtereedo for someone else. Now, tills was exactly what the sensi ble girl knew, and accordingly she hud laid a trap for the man of her choice. Her calculations had been accurately made, and when tlie poor but proud lover had been betrayed into the de claration of his passion and blushed more furiously than before and stani meringly insinuated that perhaps if he had disclosed his feelings earlier she might have been saved the perform ance of a very embarrassing task. The young man, finding tlie ground slip ping from under liiin, grasped at the nearest protection, which was, of course, the girl. She did not object strenuously, and arrangements arc now being completed for a wedding, which for gn.voty and general happiness shall east into the shade everything hitlici'tp seen In that section. DROPS OF WATER. The Aw."ul l'nin Their Continual Fall ing Inflicts. One of the Chinese modes of punish ment, especially when a confession is wanted from a criminal, is to place him where a drop of water will fall upon one certain spot in his shaved crown for hours, or days, if necessary. The torture this inflicts is proved by an experience of Kaiulow, the strong man. When he was in Vienna a few years ago a school teacher bet liiin that he would not he able to let a half litre of water drop upon ids hand until tho measure was exhausted. A lmlf litre is only a ill tie more llian a pint. Sandow laughed at the very Idea of his not being able to do tills. So a half-litre measure was procured, and a hole drill ed in the bottom just sufficient to let the water escape drop by drop. Then the experiment begun. Sandow laughed and chatted gaily at first. Tho schoolmaster kept count upon the num ber of drops. At about the two hun dredth Sandow grew a little more seri ous. Soon an expression of pain crossed his face. With tho entrance into the third hundred his hand began to swell and grow red. Then the skin burst. The pain grew more and more excru ciating. Finally, at tho four hundred and twentieth drop Sandow had to give iqi and acknowledge himself vanquish ed. His hand was sore for several days after. llutonr with tlie Puritans. Tlie first boatload from tlie May flower sera milled out on Plymouth Bock. "I suppose," remarked Miles Stand isli, emptying the water from his shoe, "that we can now be referred to as landed aristocrats." And when tills was repeated to Elder Brewster and explained to him lie almost laughed.—New York Recorder. Don't talk of your friends as your "set." It makes thein feel liku a vol lectlou of souvenir spoons. WILDS OF AUSTRALIA CAMELS CARRY TOURISTS AND BURDENS. The Bcaats Consume Astounding Quantities of Water When u "Con denser" Is Reached—Lakes with Mir age and Occasionally One with Wuter Water at Kiglit Cents u Gallon. In Australia camels are quite gener ally in use as beasts of burden, and journeys to the mining camps in the desolate West Australian Hush region are almost invariably made with them. They are used either under tlie saddle or hitched before a wagon or carriage. Camels are also especially trained for use us bearers of baggage and other burdens, and the animals accustomed to that can carry from 400 to 500 pounds for long distances. In the towns at the edge of the miuing district, which is as a rule covered with an intermina ble and monotonous growth of dense forest, these animals are not for sale or hire. At Coolgardie they can be hired at the rate of £1 per day for rid ing, and 12s. Gd. for pack camels, a big deposit being usually demanded on EN KOUTE. each one besides. A good fast animal for riding purposes costs about £7O, as against £3O to £4O for the pack animals. Traveling by camels is a very uncer tain mode of procedure. The Austral ian animals are inured to all kinds of hardships, but sometimes they travel fast and sometimes with exasperating slowness, and the efforts of the tourist to spur them on when they choose to advance at a snail's pace, are usually futile. Every once in a while, when traversing the wastes, one comes upon a condenser, a plant where water is collected, to be sold at the rate of four pence or eight cents a gallon. It is as tonishing to observe how much water wiil flow down the throats of the cam els, and the bill, after all have been daily watered, is startling. The first experience of actual bush life is novel, and this to a great extent compensates one for the inevitable "roughing it," a novelty which, by the way, however, 100 soon wears off and leaves the bare uncomfortable facts in all their uncompromising reality. Still, the first experience is not altogether un pleasant, and in the light of the big camp fire, with the surrounding forest extending like some huge cathedral Into the distant gloom, the effect is dis tinctly Impressive. Occasionally the traveler gels into the open country and sights a large lake, with water in it. To the reader to whom the wilds of western Australia may be unfamiliar this astonishment may doubtless appear strange; it is, therefore, necessary to explain that out in those parts a "lake" does not neces sarily contain water, though it may do so at certain times of the year, if any rain should happen to fall. As a gen- A CONDENSER. crnl rule, these inland sens are lint vast expanses of arid salty sanil, where upon the curious effect known as "intr age"usually takes the place of the miss ing element, and, as a rule, so realisti cally, that It was very hard, Indeed, to believe that the distant rippling water, looking so refreshingly cool under the glare of the scorching midday sun, was in reality hut a cruel deceptive 11 luslon, which would gradually retreat as one advanced towards it. It Was in His Bili. That reminds me of a story they tell about Itiulyard Kipling—indeed, I won't lie sure that it isn't lie who tells it. lie stayed at a hotel once upon a time, in Montreal, I think it was, and when lie came to go away lie asked foi the landlord. The landlord appeared. "I wanted to see you," said Mr. Kip ling, "because you are a wonderful man. I have never known your equal. I have sojourned in hotels all around the world. I have never seen one like this. The landlord swelled with pride. He intimated Hint the tiling was really nothing when you knew how to do it. He was in a seventh heaven of de light. Mr. Kipling waited till lie near eil the earth again. Then he resumed: "I want to tell you that of all the hotels under the shining sun I have never seen one that for unmitigated, all-round, tineiulnrnblo discomfort could not even he named hi the same day with yours." And when Mr. Kipling's Hill was made out, one item in it read: "To Im pudence, $3." Hut what's $3, when one has spoken one's mind?—' Was hington Tost. WILD SUNFLOWER BELLE. An Atchison girl started out the first of the year with a resolve to say nothing, hut always look iaterested and sympathetic. The other girls are still wondering what makes her so suddenly popular with everyone.—At chison Globe. THE SMOOTH BROW. The photographs of a decade ago, or even half that period back, look crudely old fashioued now. It is the heavy baug which then prevailed, aud which has now almost disappeared, that gives them their air of antiquity, l'ho btraight baug departed long since. The heavy curled bang belongs to past history. Aud even the light fringe, to which the possessors of high foreheads have clung, is retreating. It is being thinned, trained back, pinned off the forehead with sideeombs and all that will remain on most brows before long is a light curl or two to break its se verity.—New York Advertiser. AVOIDS THE PUBLIC GAZE. Mrs. Cleveland dreads publicity for ber children. She says her little girls uro private persons and that the public has nothing to do with them. To lier they are too saered to be gazed upon by the vulgar public. This is to be regretted, as persons who know the little tots declare them to be most charming children. So bent is she on preserving their privacy that she has never had their photographs taken by any professional photographer. Only one amateur is said to have been al lowed to mako sun pictures of them. She is a young lady, an intimate per sonal friend. Evidently Mrs. Clove land's 1 rust in her discretion was well founded. Mrs. Cleveland has no such feeling about her own photographs, which may he bought in agreat variety of gracoful poses at nuv shop whero pictures aro cold.—New York Journal. AN INEXPENSIVE BEAUTIFIED. If you waut to soften your face, try, instead of rubbers and unguents and balms, a little spiritual gymnastics. Look at yourself in tho glass. If the corners of your mouth aro down, and you arc an unhappy looking object, elevato your expression. Think of the plcasantest thing that ever haD penedtoyou; the kindest thing that was over elone for you; tho merriest timo you ever hud in your lifo; send out tho most generous, the sweetest, Iho most helpful thought you cau think to your friends, and if your faoe is not eofteucd more charmingly than ever a wrinkle rubber could make it, then you have not thought strongly, buoyantly, or generously enough. There is so much that could be written on Ibis that thoughts play leapfrog over my pen, and there is not time to adjust them properly or to utter them. It is clear, However, that she remains youngest who has tho widest possible range of sympathies and vivid ap preciation. Not knowest thou, not believest thou, but—lovest thou? is Ibo password through tho gates of everlasting youth, as well as to "the ucw church."—Boston Transcript. SPIDER WEB VEILS. Tho very latest is a large, delicate mesh somewhat resembling a spider's wo'i. A curious little white speck like a tty ncur the left eye and on the right oloso by tho mouth is an ar rangement of spotswhich might easily bo mistaken for a spider. This veil is bordered with a little narrow edge of Honiton lace and two loveltuots with in a reasonable distance of a pretty mouth. If tho veil is white the spider and the fly aro black, anil vice versa. This might truly be oallod tho allegor ical veil, assuming the face to be young and innocent, looking at the world beyond with wondering eyes. Tho old-time useful fashiou of gather ing the ends and front, making tho veil lit comfortably around tho face, has been quite done away with. In stead, it is allowed to hang loose and fall in fituuy little frills, resembling, on a smaller scale, the godets of our gowns. A few years ago this fashion was tho special prerogutiyo of old la dies. Some women have a born talent for buy iug veils, and it is generally tho woman who is not over young to whose toilot a beeomiug veil is more iuportant than all the rest. Tho most popular theEe cold days is a heavy chenille dot and very oloso together; iu this tho white-haired woman with a youthful faco i 3 seen at her best.— New Yoik Journal. Mrs. Mary E. Lease, the famous Populist politician, has loft the lecture platform for the pulpit. Two women servants in Taris nro the eolo legatees* of their mistress, who lately died possessed of $120,000. Miss Martha Carey Thomas, Presi dmt of llyrn Mawr College, has been elected a Trusteo of Cornell Univer sity. Mrs. Toulman Smith is the first woman to receivo tho appointment of Librarian of Manchester College, Oxford. jUiss Helen Gould has founded two scholarships in New York University ot SuOJO each, to yield §250 an nually. In England there is a woman auc tioneer who is successful in her chosen business, whioh sho adopted when she was only sixteeu years of age. There ere now in America 2338 wo men practicing medicine in one or tho other of its forms, and inclusive of 130 homeopathists. After an existence of fifteen years the Woman's Exchange, of Albany, N. Y., has been obliged to suspend busi ness on acoount of laok of patronage. Mine. Hatoynma, a Japnuose lady, is up to date in politics. When her husband was a candidate for Parlia ment she made publio speeches in his interest. Miss Ella Knowles, of Montana, set tled a lawsuit between two mining companies by submitting un agree ment so obviously just that both par ties accepted it and paid her $10,1)03. Kitty lleed, the Speaker's nineteen year-old daughter, is becoming a great favorite in Washington society. She is said to be a clever, sincexo and unaffected young woman. She has the Keed drawl. Miss Alice C. Fletcher was eleoted one of tho sectional Vice-Presidents of the American Association for tho Ad vancement of Science, tho first honor of the sort extended to a woman by the association. Mrs. Elliins, wife of the Senator from West Virginia, is a liruuette of remarkable beauty. She is very fond of society and has wealth to assist her, and her homo will probably be one of the gayest in Washington. Mrs. J. Stanley Brown (Mollie Gar fiold) is one of the most popular young matrons in Washington. She is a brunette, with warm golden brown hair, largo dark eyes and an cxquißito complexion. Sho has three children. Mrs. Gear, wife of the lowa Senator, has been an invalid for almost eight years, but takes a deep interest in her husband's career. Sho enjoys reading, but her specialty is embroidery, and 6omo exquisite work comes from her deft fingers. Mrs. Hernando De Soto Money, wifo of tho new Mississippi Senator-oleot, is a brunetto of small, slight, willowy figure, jet black hair nud eyes of almost a purplo tint. She is a woman of considerable literary talent and a clever talker. It is said that the Empress of Austria is a very different woman from tho dashing sportswoman who uso.l to hunt like a man. She is now fifty eight, and spends tho most of her time iu tho search of health. She is slowly falling a victim to consumption. Mary E. Wilkins is one of the most unpretentious of literary women, and when she read in a recent issue of au English magazine a description of her self that mado her out both youthful nud pretty, sho wrote and begged to have it oorreoto J, ns she was not yn-'i-, she said, and had no prefensiou ~ beauty. Sho is supposed to be about thirty-seven yeai'3 old. Tho Countess of Warwick, who is a philanthropist of tho visionary and sentimental sort, in addressing a meet ing of London workiugwomen not long ago assured them that they need ed more recreations and more pleas ures. Then sho described the benefits to be derived from two or threo hours vigorous horseback riding, n morning at tennis or a day in yachting. FASHION NOTES. Slight pnniers nro shown on some of the models of spring gowns. The plain gored skirt of serge, well lined, Hares to six 'yards in width at tho foot. Trained skirts of demi-length are gradually winning their way back to favor for ceremonious occasions. Light, dressy cloth wraps for out of-door summer wear are to bo fash ioned in the graceful Marie Antoinette shape. Bishop sleeves aro to be very popu lar in thin wash gowns. They are worn with French waists and wide, turn-over collars edged with embroid ery. Crisp taffeta ribbon is the note of tho raomeut for millinery use. It is to bo employed on spring and summer bonnets in great profusion. It comes iu all effects, Persian, olouded, chintz and in checks and plaids. French skirts, thoso now arriving from tho other side, measure from four and a half to five and a half yards arouud. Thoy are no longer lined throughout, but nro faced to the depth of about fourteen inches. Bound waists are by no means ban ished. Thoy are still used on very youthful, dressy gowns. A pretty finish for theso waists on slender fig ures is a flounce of gathered lace held in place by ouo of the narrow belts now so popular. Among tho long cloaks is one stylo which is considered sufficiently youth ful for very young matrons. This is the Marie Antoinette peliise of black satin lined with some gay colored silk, either light rose pink or bright green. It is made very effective by several short but full capes of velvet, trimmed with black ostrich feathers. Tho most favored materials for tea gowns nro thoso which are soft nud clinging, like nun's veiling, cashmere, thin crepon aud crepe do chine, but flowered silks aud priuted velveteens are very desirable this season; and in addition to theso there is a now kind of tapestry cloth which is much used for Louis XVI. tea jackots with JDirca toire frouts of plain velvet or silk- HOUSEHOLD AFFAIRS. SOMETHING ABOUT POTATOES. In a bulletin issued by Professor Bnvder, of tho Minnesota State Agri culture College, ho makes a point of interest to the housewife. Ho shows that where potatoes nro poeled and started boiling in cold water thore is a loss of eighty per cent, of the total albumen, and where they are not peeled and are started In hot water this loss is reduoed to two per cent. A bushel of potatoes, weighing sixty pounds, contains about two pounds of total nitrogenious compounds. When improperly cooked one-half of a pound is lost, containing six-tenths of a pound of the most valuable proteids. It requires all of the protein from nearly two pounds of round beefsteak to replace the loss of protein properly boiling a bushel of potatoes. r THEORY AND PRACTICE OF BAKING. A great many cooks make a failure of baking, simply because they do not understand the management of the oven, and seem to bo uuablo to grasp tho few simple facts necossary to its successful handliug. Most cooks fire up tho range and fix the proper point at the dogree when the outsido of the oven door will hiss sharply if tonchod with the wet finger. This is a degree of heat unsuited to almost all delicate articles. It scorches and sears them over; things that should rise are held in by the crust that forms too quickly, and daintiness with such management is out of the question. Cakes are crusted over and either become soggy or burst out at tho top of the dish and run over like volcanoes. This spoils the shape and symmetry and is unworthy of a culinary artist. As a matter of fact, the number of minutes an article should bake is but a very small part of the knowledge re quired for successful cookery. Ten f minutes in some ovens is equal to . twonty in others, and forty may make * the article as dry as n chip. The old fashioned brick oven had points of grace, perhaps because bakers know how to manage it. It has been suggested that the modern oven should be provided with a thermometer and that cook-books should have degrees of heat as well as the number of minutes required for bakiog. Under ordinary circum stances the oven is of proper tempera ture for plain cake when it will brown a sheet of white letter-paper without setting it on fire. Bread ought to be baked in an over as hot ns possible without burning, and tho heat should be maintained steadily until done. Cakes may have the heat slightly re duced by putting a little can of hot water into tho oven. This lowers the temperature aud should bo removed if the liro beoomes at nil slack. Prac tice, watchfulness aud experimenting are the only ways to successful bak ing, and will bo so until our rango ovens nro provided withthormomoters, A and until our cooks learn how to use them.—Now York Ledger. RECIPES. London Potatoes—Fry slices of cold potato, about one-fourth inoh thick, till a nice brown ; lay Ilium on a hot dish and place on each piece a thin ''.ice of hard-boilod egg, allowing two eggs for five persons. Pour over all the following hot: Bean Soup—Thoroughly mash the remaining half of tho beans; return them to tho liquor with a small minced ouion and a small handful of celery tops, dried and saved for soups; add water or stock if there is not enough bean liquor; season to taste. iSauce Piquaute—Melt 'a tablcspoon .al of butter ; sift in two tablespoon fuls of flour, stirring all tho time; add salt and pepper to taste, and then gradually one giii of water and oue gill of vinegar; stir well until tho sauce has boiled a few momouts. A , little parsley may bo added. j Fried Mush—Slice well-cooked mush (stiff enough to mold nicely iugreased pan or dish) about one-quarter inch thick. Cut in neat squares or olblongs. Drop in smoking hot fat as you would French-fry potatoes. When a delicate brown lay on* paper a few minutes. Servo with or without maple sirup. Cook enough mush for several morn ings. It keeps well in a cold place. Baked Tomatoes—The tomatoes from which tho juico was drained at luncheon should be drained again if still wet. Put a thin layer of fine bread crumbs iu a well-greased baking dish, a thick layer of tomatoes, just enough minced onion to flavor deli cately, many tiny bits of butter, salt, pepper nuduuotkerthiu laye.rof bread crumbs. Bepeat until tho dish is full, having crumbs on top. Bake slowly about an hour. Salad—Some string beans nnd boiled cabbage left from yesterday's dinner, und some beets pickled last fall, coarsely chopped; a tablespoonful or more piled on small lcttucu leaves on cuoh of tho necessary number of individual plates nnd a thiu mayonnaise dressing - over all. Tho lettuce can bo raised iu a roomy window-box in a sunny window, where it looks very pretty growing. A few leaves may be cut at a time as needed, tho roots left to send up more leaves. French Beans—Soak a pint of navy beans over night; put ou to boil iu one quart of fresh water ; at the end of half an hour add one teaspoonful, or less, salt and boil again gently and without breaking for unother half or three-fourths of an hour; meanwhile, cook a very small sliced onion in u cupful of tomato juioe ; strain or not, as you choose; about this time the beans ure done; thioken this with flour nnd butter ; put in half tho beans, well drained ; reheat und serve. Fivo-ccnt tolograms nro to be tried in Italy. The Government is also try ing to have tho tariff with other Knru l>eau countries reduced.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers