The average daily attendance of
children in the public schools is high
est in Pennsylvania, being 779,000,
while in New York it is 757,000.
Five years ago there were two direct
Steamship lines from Southern ports
to Europe. Now there are eleven
cities, each of which has one or
more lines across the Atlantic.
Governor Fingreehas suggested thai
the present capitol of Michigan be
turned into a lunatic asylum ; and th
Legislature of the lake State is won
dering whether he meant anything by
that remark.
In 1869 a Rev. Dr. Crane wrote
tract on popular amusements,in whict
he said that "novei-reading has becomt
the vice of the age," and warned hit
readers and listeners against RO evil i
habit, so soul-destroying a recreation,
as novel reading. His son is Stephei
Crane, who has lately been making
considerable reputation as a writer ol
novels.
An adventurer's share" in tho New
River Company was sold recently in
London for $025,000. The company
was started in 1009 by Sir Hugh Myd
dleton to supply Loudon with water
from the Hertfordshire hills, forty
miles away. Half the shares went to
James the First as the king's moiety,
the others to the thirty six adven.
tnrers. Myddleton was ruined by the
speculation, but the company owns a
great deal of property in the city of
Xiondon and the counties of Middlesex
and Hertford. The interest on a
share is about $13,000 a year.
Under the operation of the child
labor law in Illinois, as enforced by
Miss Florence Kelley, Chief Factory
Inspector, there has been a positive
decrease in the number of children
employed in the factories. This de
crease has continued notwithstanding
the fact that a larger percentage ol
children usually finds employment in
these concerns during dull times, their
cheaper labor being sought and idle
fathers sometimes finding it necessary
to 6end them to the shops. Tho num
ber of children found unlawfully em
ployed in 1890 was 3.7 per cent, of the
total number of employees, as against
4.5 in 1595, G. 2 in 189-1, and 8.5 in
1893. This decrease is the more
marked because the inspectors covered
2007 more establishments than in any
previous year. In the stock yards
there is no noticeable change in the
number of children employed, but the
reverse is happily the case in glass
factories, where the report says the
dwarfing of children by their arduous
labors seems to have been decisively
checked. Sweat shops are still the
greatest evil to be contended with,
one-sixth of all the children employed
in the State working in the garment
trades. The ratio, the report says,
increases yearly in spite of persistent
persecutions of violators of the law.
The only complete remedy, the In
spector says, would be the prohibition
of tenement manufacture.
Mr. Peary, U. S. N., the arctic ex
plorer, told some interesting things of
the polar regions at a recent public
dinner. He said he could talk of only
one thing, and then laid hold of the
pole. Picturinga man standingover the
north pole, he said that this person
would have but one point to his com
pass, and that would bo south. He
could not move, except south. Time j
would he unknown to him. He would i
know no night or day. Experiences I
of Nansen and himself during the last '
three years, he said, had shown that
the ideal party to discover the pole
must consist of only two or three per
sons. The old idea of a large party
must be abandoned. By modern meth
ods the pole could be reached without
any of the horrors of the Franklin and
Greely expeditions. He considered
that the man who makes the discovery
will rank with Columbus. The ques
tion as to what good it would be to
such a man to discover the pole would
be like asking what good was tho
wreath at the Olympian games. It
would be a tribute to endurance, en
crgy, persistence, the conquering of
obstacles. It would bo the peerless
prize of the day, and should go to an
American. It had become possible,
with all tho recent light on the sub
ject, he said, for him to advise and
propose within the last month a prac
tical plan to get there. There were
only 200 miles beyond the highest
point already reached to be traversed.
He thought tho only way to reach the
pole would be to follow up Greenland
as it leaches toward the pole. A cer
tain tribe of Eskimos there could be
relied upon to furnish assistance. A
fund of $150,000 would keep such a
small party as he advised for ten years
working away. Under the arrange
ment he proposed, he said, to reach
the pole would be "entirely possible
and entirely practical."
BRING BACK TO ME.
You ask me what—since we must part—
You shall bring home to me;
Bring back a pure and faithful heart,
As true as mine to thee.
I ask not wealth nor fame,
1 only ask for thee,
Thyself—and that dear self the same—
My love bring back to me.
You talk of gems from foreign lands,
Of treasure, spoil and prize.
Ah, love, I shall not search your hands,
Bat look into your eyes.
1 ask not wealth ncr fame,
I only ask for thee.
Thyself—aud that dear self the samo—
My love bring back to me.
You speak of glory and renown,
With me to share your pride.
Unbroken faith is all the crown
I esk for as your bride.
I ask not wealth nor fame,
I only nsk for thee,
Thyself—and that dear self the same—
My love bring back to me.
You bid rae with hope's eager gaze
Behold fair fortune come.
1 only dreatn I see your face
Beside the hearth at home.
I ask not wealth nor fame,
I do but ask for thee,
Thyself—and that dear self the same—
My God restore to me.
—Juliana Horatio Ewing.
TRUSTING JN"PROVIDENCE.
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.
/> it's goin'
\f *° a B ? a PP* n '
mum Miss Elsa Rob-
bins, warming
vH MUIBL Gr D^erß ° Ver
"Am/'rm lerj
glad, mother, that we've got the rus
set apples safe into the cellar, for it's
on them I place my main dependence
for the interest money this year."
Mrs. Robbins sat knitting in the
cushioned rocker—a wrinkled, bright
eyed little old woman, whose caps
were always spotlessly clean, and
whose dresses never seemed to wear
out.
"Frost, eh?" said she.
"I rather guess so," responded Elsa,
with a shiver. "Stars shinin' like so
many little diamond specks, and a new
moon behind the pines."
"Well, it's a good thing we ain't
stinted lor wood," cheerfully observed
Mrs. Robbins.
"You're always finding out some
good thing or other, mother," said
Elsa, a little petulantly.
"La, child, the world is full of
'em!" said Mrs. Robbins, who had a
sweet, plaintive voice. "The Lord,
He's a deal better to us than we de
serve !"
"Well, then," quaintly remarked
Elsa, "I may as well tell you, now, as
ever, that the roof's leakin' dreadful
bad."
"Leakin', is it?" said Mrs. Robbins.
"Where?"
"Up garret," said Elsa. "Over the
west store room."
"Well, it's lucky it ain't leakin'
over the rooms we live in," said the
inveterate old optimist. "If it was to
leak at all, it couldn't have selected a
better spot."
"And the fence is down in the north
lot," remarked Elsa, "and neighbor
Carter's cattle are all in !"
"Bless mo!" said Mrs. Robbins.
"Well, there ain't much but rock and
mullein-stalks in that lot,anyhow, and
Neighbor Carter don't half feed his
cattle. I'm glad the poor creeturs cau
have a good bite lor once in their
lives."
"And I've had a letter from Walter's
widow," added Elsa; "and she wants
to come hero with her children."
"Tell her to come," said Mrs. Rob
bins. "It ain't a fine city place, and
mavbe she and the little ones will find
it hard to make out ou mash and mo
lasses and baked potatoes, as we do.
But she's my nephew's widow, and
she'll be welcome here."
"But, mother," said Elsa, "think
what you are doing. Another family
in this cramped up little house—a lot
of noisy children, racing and scream
ing about—a fine lady to be waited on,
who is certainly as able to take caro
of herself as wo are to take care of
her. And you know that we owe a
large bill at the grocer's, and we
haven't paid for the cow yet, and the
tailoress business is getting duller
ever year, now that folks have taken
the notion to go to the city for their
little boys' suits."
"Well, child—well," serenely inter
posed the old lady, "God will pro
vide. He always does. And it's a
dreadful thing to be a widow and
homeless. Write to her, Elsa, and tell
her to come."
"But she has no money to travel
with," bluntly added Elsa. "She
wants us to send her twenty dollars.
She has written to Cousin Marrett, up
at the grange, and they won't even
answer her letter."
"Dear, dear! that's bad 1" cooed
Mrs. Bobbins. "No money at all.
Poor soul! poor soul!"
"Well—but, mother," pleaded Elsa,
"we haven't got any money, either—to
spare!"
"There's the chicken money," said
Mrs. Robbins, looking wistfully up.
"But, that was to buy you a warm,
new cloak, mother."
"Well, I'll make the old gray Bhawl
do for another year," said Mrs. Rob
bins. "And Walter's widow must have
money to pay her traveling expenses
poor thing! It was very wrong of
Olivia Mmrrett not to answer her let
ter—vo?y. But Olivia and her husband
was always close. It's their nature, I
do s'pose."
And Elsa broke out laughing, with
tears in the corners cf her hard, gjay
eyes.
"You dear, old mother!" said she.
Let Walter's widow and her children
come. We're poor, and in debt, and
can't find bread for our own two
selves; but I believe, for once, I'll
follow your example,mother,and trust
in Frovidence."
And fiho sat do wit and wrote to Wal
ter Robbins' window, inclosing that last
twenty-dollar bill, with which she was
to have bought the warm winter cloak
for the old lady, who was so con
tentedly knitting in the coral glow of
the firelight.
Mrs. Walter Bobbins was sitting by
the fire also, but not such a fire as il
lumines the farmhouse kitchen with a
softer shine than any electric light.
It was a mero handful of coals, in a
rustic grate, over which she bent with
a shudder, as the wind howled by,
shaking the window-panes and rattling
the paper-shades. She was mending
the children's stockings, and as she
worked a little girl crept out of the
bed and stole across the floor to her
side.
"Mamma, T can't get warm," said
she. "Isn't there any fire?"
"There's a fire, dear," said Mrs.
Robbins; "but we can't have much, for
t here's only a peck of coal left in the
box."
"Mamma," went on thechild, "why
don't our fires shine red and bright
like the lires 1 see through other peo
ple's windows, someiimes?"
"We can't ailord it, dear," sighed
the widow. "If you let the coal blaze
and crackle it soon turns into ashes,
aud we must economize."
"Mamma," spoke up a tiny voice
from the bed, "I didn't eat quite
enough supper. Can't 1 have another
half slice of bread?"
"There is no more, Bessie," said
Mrs. Robbins, with a pang, sharper
than an./ serpent's tooth, at her heart.
"Go to sleep, dear; you'll soon forget
that you aro hungry, and in the morn
ing we are to start for the country,
you know."
Bessie's eyes sparkled.
"We can have all the milk we want
then, mamma, can't we?" said she.
"And pick up nuts where they grow
among the leaves, and eat apples with*
j out paying two cents apiece for them,"
chimed in Lillie. "Oh, mamma, why
don't every one live in the country?
Mamma, don't you love Cousin Elsa
and her mother? Is Cousin Elsa a
little girl? Will Rhe play with us?"
"I don't know," said Mrs. Bobbins,
with a quiver in her voice. "No, Rhe
is not a child ; she is a woman, like
me. But I think she must be an angel
in her heart."
For Elsa Bobbins' had been the first
helping hand which had been stretched
out to lift the poor little widow out of
the abyss of troubles which had al
most overwhelmed,her since her hus
band died, in the far-away ?<lexican
lands whither he had gone to make
the fortune which, alas! was never
made.
She had become sadly used to sharp
words and cold glances, but kindness,
sympathy, tender recognitions of her
claims to kinship, were new and pre
cious to her.
Just then there came a heavy, creak
ing footstep on the floor—a tap at the
door.
Little Lillie jumped up and scam
pered back to bed. Bessie drew her
curly yellow head under the sheets.
"It's a mistake," said Mrs. Robbins,
spiritlessly. "Nobody ever comes
here."
But she rose and opened the door.
There stood a stout, middle-aged man,
with cheerful blue eyes, a ruddy com
plexion, and leg-01-mutton whiskers,
slightly sprinkled with gray.
"Does Mrs. Walter Robbins live
here?" he aaked.
Miss Elsa had made waffles for sup
per, and had fried some fresh crullers,
brown aud light as butterfly wings.
She had brought in the parlor lamp,
and bunted up two little china mugs,
handlelesß, and with the gilt inscrip
tion faded off, which had been hers
and her dead sister's, as children, long
ago.
"They'll please the little ones," she
thought.
And Mrs. Robbins, in her clean cap,
sat smiling by the hearthstone, when
Walter's widow came in, her black
dress powdered over with the snow
which had begun to fall at the gather
ing of and with the two little
girls clinging to her hand.
"My dear," said Mrs. Robbins,
"you are welcome—kindly welcome—
you and the dear little girls!"
And Elsa came in, her face softened
for the moment, anil led them hospit
ably to the fire.
"It's a poor place," said she; "but
mother is right—you aie welcome !"
The children looked timidly around
at the black beams which traversed the
roof overhead—the deep-set windows,
with their broad ledges filled with
nmsk plants and fish geraniums—the
strings of red peppers above the man
tel—and the brass candlesticks, which
glittered as if they were made of gold.
And then the fire—the great, open
chimney piece—the blazing logs—the
tunnily shaped andirons, with round
heads, and the great Maltese cat,
asleep upon the gaudy rag rug. Was
it all true? or were they dreaming?
But when it came to hot waffles, and j
maple molasses cookies, with fjnnel
seeils in them, and milk—just as much
as they could drink out of those dear
little antique mugs—the children de
cided the matter in their own minds,
that they were not dreaming at all.
And alter they had gone to sleep in a
bed room just off the kitchen, where
the sheets smelled of tweet clover, and
the wallpaper was covered with
bunches of cabbage roses, with impos
sibly green leaves, aud blue ribbon
fillets around the stems, Mrs. Walter
Bobbins found courage to thank the
friends who had been so good to her
in her neceasitv.
"But there's something I haven't
told you yet," she said, timidly. "I
couldn't write it, because I did not
know it myself at the time that I ap
pealed to you. lam not so poor as
everyone thought. Boor, dear Wal
ter's mining* ventures have turned out
better than anyone expected. A law
yer from the South came to see me
last night, and told me that I am to
have at least a thousand dollars a
year."
"Eh?" said Elsa, almost incredu
lously.
"It ain't possible?" chirped Mrs.
Bobbins.
"And," went on Mrs. Walter, "if
yon will allow me to live here and
share it with you—" *
"No," said Mies Elsa. "We have
no right to it!"
"But," pleaded the widow, "yon
were willing to share all that you had
with me."
"That's quite another thing," said
Elsa.
"No, it isn't," said Mrs. Walter.
"It's the same exactly. And I have
always longed for a home in tho coun
try, and it is so lovely here; and—and
I feel that I love you already, and I
should be miserable anywhere else.
Please—please let me stay!"
And what could Mrs. Bobbins and
Miss Elsa 6ay but "Yes."
And when the gentle widow retired
to her room, Miss El6a looked at the
old lady with tears in her eyes.
"Mother," said she, "you were right.
Providence has provided. The mo
ment I made up my mind to leave oft*
caring and planning, and trust in God,
He has laid a blessing at my feet. I
think I will never doubt or despair
again."—Saturday Night.
Salaries of High Official
An American Cabinet officer gets
SBOOO a year, and has an allowance for
stationery and for a private secretary.
As principal Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs, Lord Salisbury drew
$20,000 a year and S2OOO for a*private
secretary.
The salary of the First Lord of the
Treasury is $25,000.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer
also receives $25,000.
The salary of the Lord Chancellor is
SIO,OOO.
The English Attorney General is not
a member of the Cabinet, but he draws
$21,000 a year and about $20,000 ex- !
tra in fees.
The Lord President of the Couneil
draws SIO,OOO a year, and so do the
presidents of the Boards of Trade and
Agriculture.
In addition to the Prime Minister,
the Foreign Affairs Minister and the :
Lords of the Admiralty get residences
in Downing street.
When an English Minister's term
expires he may receive an annuity of
SIO,OOO if he makes affidavit that he
actually needs it.
The English Minister of Foreign
Affairs is supposed to give three re
ceptions a year. If he is a poor man
he gives only the great dinner and
ball on the occasion of the Queen's
birthday. This sometimes costs SSOOO.
The Queen's household often helps out
by supplying the flowers from the
royal conservatories.
The Sheriff's "Poser. 99
When Jack Ringo was Sheriff of
Menefee County, Kentucky, and a
good one by tho way, says tho Hazel
Green Herald, he found that the own
er of some property in that county
had not pnid his taxes and was a non
resident, us he lived in the adjoining
county of Powell. So Jack, finding
nothing in his own county upon which
to levy lor the tifxes rode over into
Powell and drove one of the delin
quent's cows into Menefee to secure
the debt. Subsequently he met with
the lamented Congressman Wick Ken
dall, who was then Prosecuting Attor
ney of that district, and put the
question:
"Wick, can the Sheriff in one coun
ty, whero taxes are due, go into an
adjoining county, and levy on prop
erty to satisfy toe claim?"
"Why, of course not," replied
Wick.
"Well, I know better," said Jack.
"But I tell you it can't be done,"
persisted Wick.
"I know better," retorted Jack, "for,
by gum, I have just done that very
thing," and Wick admitted his defeat
in the argument.
Jlis Definition.
Tho best definition of good house
keeping that I ever hoard was that
given by a little slip of a boy, who,
after listening a loag time to a very
learned discussion from some of his
mother's club associates on the best
way to order a home, was asked:
"Well, my little man, what kind of a
home do you think is best?"
A beautiful light came to the child's
eyes. He tossed back his yellow hair
and shook his head: "I don't know
much about it. Just the ouly kind
that I like is the home that it's nice to
goto." And when all the philosophy,
theory, science and wisdom of the sub
ject had been exhausted, the women
there assembled had to agree that the
very beet home, after all, was the
home that—it was nice to go to. —
Philadelphia Press.
Prince of Wales Buying Land.
The Prince of Wales is buying large
tracts of land in the Dartmoor dis
trict of England, apparently intending
to form an extensive deer forest and
hunting region. To obtain the neces
| nary purchase money ho has, through
j his agerts, disposed of South African
! and other securities. There are signs
of a marked clearing up in the Prince's
| financial affairs. Any sums he owed
j to Baron Hirsch, Sir Albert Bassoon
! and others have been paid off. These
| debts never amounted to anything like
i the large sums generally reported.
I The Prince is now able to invest largely
in land,—New York Tribune.
THE FIELD OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DAR
ING DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.
A 31!uer's Heroic I)ce<l_Under an
Avalanche In Idaho—Geu. ilrant's
Toolness When a Lieutenant.
7T S brave an the noble Sparta
/V ens himself is miner Jim
Hems worth, of Rossland,
<£" British Columbia, was the de
claration of those who stood by while
a corps of physicians amputated his
arm at the shoulder to save him from
the fearful possibility of blood pois
oning as a result of his terrible in
juries, sustained in his heroic rescue
from certain death of two fellow-min
ers. That ho still live* is the marvel
of all Rosfclaud, for few have ever
been wrenched, mangled and bruised
as Herasworth was and lived through
his injuries as this hardy sufferer bids
fair to do. The doctors declared their
belief that he would survive in very
hopeful tones.
.Tern Smith and Frank Coneon were
working at the bottom of a narrow
I shaft of the Young America mine at
1 Rossland at a depth of nearly 150 feet,
engaged in loading ore into an iron
bouud bucket, while Jim Hemsworfch's
duty consisted in hauling the bucket
to the enrfaoe by means of a windlass.
The heavy bucket tilled with ore
had almost reached the top of the
shaft when the iron crank of the wind
lass suddenly snapped in two like a
bit of pine, hurling Hemsworth to the
ground. Springing to his feet, half
dazed by the blow, Hemsworth saw
the windlass whirling around at a
frightful rate of speed as the loaded
bucket shot down the shaft upon the
men below.
He had not a second to lose. There
was just one chance to save them, and
he took that chance. Jumping for
ward,, he threw his body upon tho
cogs of the whirling windlass, thrust
ing his arm and shoulder between the
swiftly revolving wheels.
Their iron jaws crunched and tore
the flesh, crushed nerves, bone and
sinews, tore ghastly wounds from
linger tip to shoulder, but the wind
lass stood still.
With an awful jerk the loaded
bucket stopped just above the heads
of the two terrified miners far down
in the shaft. Pale as death, and with
the blood flowing from him in streams
and suffering intense agony, he never
uttered a cry nor even a sound as the
jaws of the wheels pinioned him fast
as in a vise.
Superintendent Shields witnessed
the accident from a short distance
away, but so horrified was he at the
sight that for u moment he stood as if
paralyzed. Quickly recovering his
faculties, he rushed to Hemsworih's
aid, and in a twinkling had blocked
the machinery and caused Hemsworth
to be released from his perilous posi
tion.
As Hemsworth staggered back and
was about to fall, Shields caught him
in his arms, at the same time exclaim
ing, "My God, Jim ; this is awful!"
•'Oh, what's the difference," answered
the plucky fellow, "so long as I saved
the boys?"
It was not long, however, before the
intense pain be suffered, together with
the loss of blood, began to have their
effect on Herasworth's powerful con
stitution. and he became too weak to
stand. A litter was hastily formed bv
men who had by this time arrived.
Tenderly the wounded man was placed
upon it, and with the utmost care
Hemsworth wa6 carried to Kossland, a
mile away, and placed on a cot in the
hospital. He was unconscious theD,
but Dr. Bowers, who had been hastily
summoned in advance of the arrival of
the litter, was at his side, and with
restoratives Herasworth was soon
brought to consciousness.
His wounds were dressed and the
injured man made as comfortable as
could be under the circumstances.
Smith and Coneon, who were hauled
up from the shaft and assisted in carry
ing their brave comrade to the hos
pital, stood with eyes dimmed with
tears as they witnessed the sufferings
of the man who had made such a heroic
sacrifice to save them from death.
Smith said, in describing their sensa
tions at the bottom of the shaft:
"When I heard the bucket falling I
expected nothing but death, as there
was no way for us to avoid the heavy
load dropping upon us with such
frightful rapidity. I'll admit that I
was paralyzed and fully expected that
my hour had come. When the bucket
Btopped but a few feet above us, Con
son and I, iu awful suspense, stood
with heads bowed, awaiting to bo
crushed to a pulp. It was several
minutes after the bucket stopped bo
fore we recovered ourselves sufficiently
to realize that in some manner we had
been saved."
Superintendent Shields said that in
all his mining experience of tweuty
live years he had never witnessed a
more heroic ellort to save the lives of
fellow workmen than that of Jim
Hemsworth.—San Francisco Exam
iner.
Under an Avalanche.
AD extraordinary escape from death
was lately recorded by a newspaper of
Mountain Home, Idaho, a mining town
high up among tho mountains, where
avalanches of the most fearful descrip
tion are not infrequent. On the first
day of last December a citizen of
Mountain Home, Frank Andreas by
name, started at an early hour in the
morning to go from a mine to a black
smith shop, some distance away on the
side of the mountain. With him were
his two big dogs, which are iu part of
St. Bernard blood.
The dogs were gambolling about in
the snow some distance from their
master when a great snowslide, which
the warmth of the sun had dislodged
some two hundred feet np the mount
ain, deecondcd upon Andreas with such
velocity that there was no escaping
from it.
He was borne along with and under
the nnow, and lodged against the side
of the gulch much farther down.
Above him the snow was packed hard.
Andreas did not know how deep it was
—in reality it was about four feet
deep above his head—but he did not
know that it was so hard that he could
scarcely move a muscle.
Andreas quicklv began to experience
difficulty in breathing. Luckily he
had been carried along by the aval
anche in an upright position; he had
thrown up his hands in an effort to
save himself, and his left arm had re
mained in that position—thrust up
ward. By working it from side to
side in the hard packed snow, he made
a small opening up into looser snow
in which there semed to be some air;
at any rate, he could breath enough
to save himself from suffocation at
present.
He knew, however, that he could
not live in such a place long. He
struggled and pushed, and tried to
enlarge tho opening made by his left
arm, picking pieces of snow from
about hs body with his right hand
and working them into the opening.
But he would certainly have grown
discouraged, after ho had worked
vainly thus for half an hour or more,
if he had not heard a scratching and
burrowing sound above his head. He
knew by this that hin faithful dogs had
escaped the avalanche, had found the
place where he was overwhelmed, and
were digging him out.
This gave him strength for new
efforts. Now he bent all his own en
deavors, not to getting out—he left
tho dogs to uncover him—but to get
ting air enough to keep him alive un
til the dogs should succeed in digging
down through the hard snow. He
worked his left arm upward and about,
and as the dogs dug downward, he
soon succeeded in getting a little hole
through to the air.
For an hour and a half he and the
dogs were at work, and at the end of
that time he succeeded in dragging
himself out upon the side of the excava
tion the dogs had made. There, more
dead than alive, he took deep draughts
of the mountain air till these revived
him, and he was able to go 011 his way.
(Grant's Coolness.
While General Grant, then a lieu
tenant, was courting tho lady whom he
married, there occurred an event to
which he never reverted without a
shudder. A writer in tho Midland
Monthly, describing an adventure
which the young lieutenant and Miss
Dent met with, says:
While the water is high in the Mis
sissippi the swift current abrades tho
banks, and they frequently "cave in"
for Heveral yards or rods at a time.
In early spring, in one of their af
ternoon explorations, Lieutenant Grant
and the young lady were riding along
the bank of the river, passing from
one cove or valley to tho mouth of
another. Miss Dent was nearest the
water. The land was but a few feet
above the surface of the turbulent
stream.
Suddenly Miss Dent's horse began
to sink. The earth had given way un
der his hind feet. Grant's horse was
close beside hers. In an instant ho
saw that her horse was sinking into
the awful abyss!
Grant's cool head and splendid
horsemanship here had opportunity
to displav themselves. Quick as a
flash he leaned over, threw his right
arm around Miss Dent's waist, and
drew her to him as her horse disap
peared in the seething and murky
eddy that a moment later boiled and
surged in angry tumult over the place
where bank and horse had vanished
from sight.
It was a frightful moment.
Fortunately the earth parted be
tween the two animals, leaving Grant's
horse on solid ground. Lifting aud
firmly holding Miss Dent, and apply
ing the spur to his horse, he was on
safe ground in a moment; then he
gently lowered her to the earth —all
this without a word from "the silent
man," or u scream or murmur from
her.
As he hastened back to rescue her
horse she stood holding the bridle of
his, outwardly as composed as if noth
ing had happened.
Her horse had disappeared. Grant
followed down stream and hailed a
boatman in a skiff, who found the
horse swimming several hundred yards
below, amid driftwood and debris.
He lauded the animal at a place where
it could climb the bank, and it was
soon on safe ground, none the worse
for the fright and the bath.
Wedded to a Tree.
A curious custom prevails in certain
parts of India, which may be called a
symbolical marriage. In families
where there are several daughters the
sisters may only marry after the elder
sister is married. That, of course, is
not always the case, but the obstacle
can easily bo surmounted if the elder
sister declares herself ready to marry
some tree or large flower or some oth
er lifeless object. The elder sister,
must,'however,take care not to choose
a poplar tree, au elm tree or a pine;
if she chooses a plum, apple or apricot
tiee, she may get a divorce—that is to
say, shake it off as soon as a real maa
will ask for her hand, while if she
marries one of the first three named
trees she cannot easily shake her mar
ital bonds, for theee trees are sacred
and must not be trifled with.
Expensive Obituaries.
The obituary addresses delivered
upon the occasiou of tho death of a
member of Congress cost the Govern
ment a good deal of money. Usually
12,000 copies nre printed, with a steel
plate portrait of tho deceased, fifty of
which, bound in full morocco, with
gilt edges, nre for the family of the
dead Congressman. The cost of obit
uary volumes in the Fifty-tirsfc Con
gress was over $50,000.
WHEKE IS WISDOM?
They sny that ho is wisest who can always
listen best;
Who thinks in silence, an-1 so leaves the
| talking for the rest.
This may be so; but there are fools who pasd
as wise to-day,
Because they sit and listen and have nothing
much to say
But stay! Is that man, after all, not passing
wise who knows
Enough to hide the ignorance that talking
would expose?
—Cleveland Leader.
IIUMOR OF THE DAY.
Perdita—"l wish I were a man.'
Penelope "Yes, with all your money
you'd be quite a catch then, wouldn't
von?"—Truth.
"What is pronunciation, Uncle
.Tim?" "It is something you hunt up
in a dictionary one day and forget the
next."—Chicago Kecord.
Editor (to comic paragraphiet)
"Your jokes lack originality." Comic
Paragraphist (irritably)—"So does
your criticism."— Tid Bits.
"Do you thick that Wiggins is
really your friend?" Gosling—"l
suppose eo; he's always giving me
disagreeable advice."—Truth.
Bacon —"I see the editor has come
out for athletics." Egbert—"That's
strange! He told me he was going
in for them."—Yonkers Statesman.
Cynthia—"Do you think Frank will
love me when I am old, Maud?"
Maud—"Well, there's one thing, dear
—you'll soon know."—Pick-Me-Up.
"Is the sail the only thing that
guides a ship?" asked the green pas
senger. "No," said the mate. "There
are rudders."—lndianapolis Journal.
Kind Lady—"What would you like
to eat, my poor man?" Tired Tre
fethen "Soup, if yon have it. It
doesn't need chewin'."—Up-To-Date.
Physician—"Yon have only a few
minutes to live. Have you any last
wish?" Patient—"l wish I had en
gaged another doctor."—Yale Record.
With the first pall the bell rope
parted. The sexton was in despair.
Then a happy thought struck him,
and be wrung his hands.—lndianapo
lis Journal.
Mrs. Ton—"You used to say I was
the light of your life." Mr. Ton—
"Yes; and I suppose that's why you
are so easily put out now we are mar
ried."—Judy.
The Customer—"Confound you!
You have Cut my cheek." The Barber
"By Jove, so I have! I was won
dering what had taken the edge off my
razor."—Standard.
Riggs—"Halloa, old man !" Briggs
"Excuse me, sir; you have the ad
vantage of me." "Yes, I guess I have.
We were engaged to the same girl,
but you married her."
Friendly Criticism.—Artist— "This
is one of those peculiar pictures that
one has to be far off to appreciate."
She—"And 'way off to paint, I
imagine."—Harper's Bazar.
Ted—"How did that English noble
man manage to borrow tho money
from Cbollie ?" Ned—"On being in
troduced ho asked him if he wasn't
born on the other side."—Judge.
Often and Often.—"Ah, my poor
man," said the benevolent old lady,
"I suppose you aro often pinched by
want and hunger, are you not?"
"Yessum ; and by de cops."—Cincin
nati Commercial Tribune.
"It's a shame," cried the young
wife; "not a thing in the house fit to
eat. I'm going right home to papa!"
"If you don't mind, dear," said the
husband, reaching for his hat, "I'll
go with you."—Yonkers Statesman.
Waiter (to cook) "Steak for one!
Gent don't want it raw, nor he don't
want it burn't black." Cook—(an
grily)— "Is that what ho said?"
Waiter—"No; not exactly. I asked
him how he wanted it, an' he said
•medium.' " —Spare Moments.
Mamma—"l don't see why you call
Daisy Martin sellish. 1 think she is
a very nice little girl." Ethel—"Oh,
mamma, but she i* selfish! She's al
ways at tho head of the class, aud she
won't let any of the rest of us get
ahead of her."—Harper's Bazar.
"What do you mean, sir," roared
the irate father, "by bringing your
trunk to my bou6e and ordering a
room?" "I'm adopted as one of the
family," coolly answered tho young
man. "Your daughter said she would
be a sister to me."—Detroit Free
Press.
Customer—"l don't 6ee how any
body can handle a big stock of glass
like this without doing a lot of break
ing. Persuasive Salesman—"They
can't, ma'am. Two firms broke all to
pieces trying to handle this lot. That's
why we can sell it so cheap."—Chicago
Tribune.
He—"l suppose your thoughts were
all on your new bonnat during the
sermon this morning?" She—"No,
indeed, they were not." "I don't
believe you can repeat anything that
was said during the service." "Yes,
I can, too. I heard a lady behind me
say, *lsn't it stunning?' "
"I don't like your milk," said the
mistress of the house. "What's
wrong with it, mum?" "It's dread
fully thin, and there's no cream on
it." "After you have lived in the
town a while, mum," said tho milk
man, encouragingly, "you'll get over
them rooral ideas of your'n."—Tit-
Bits.
"Theoretically," remarked the man
who had lived in flats for years,
"there are always two sides to a story.
Practically, however, after you get
above the fourth story, the inside
doesn't amount to much." He spoko
somewhat lightly, as knowing the po
tency of an afl'eotation of gayety and
insouciance to lighten the sternest
Borrows.—Detroit Free Press.