It costs Illinois $2,000,000 annually to punish criminals. A Philadelphia woman has sued her heartless husband tor divorce because he has forbidden her to eat pie. Out of 111 colleges and universities i in the L'uited States, ouly forty-one are closed to women. All the others are now co-eduoationah And, besides, womau have 113 schools of tho higher education, with 30,000 students. An interesting series of experiments in the cultivation of the olive tree has been lately in progress in India. At tention being called to the immense growth of wild olives in the hills be low Murri, a large number of the best trees have been imported from Italy for the purpose of making "grafts" upon the wild varieties which, iu their present coudition, are quite unpro ductive. For tho first time in many years England produced in 180G more pig iron than the United Statos. Ger many, too, had a big increase in pig iron production. The figures in tons for the last five years are as follows: United Great Voar. Slates. Britain. Germany. 1892 9,157,000 0,010,810 4,937,161 1803 7,121,302 0,820,811 4,930,030 189 6,057.388 7,301,715 5,559,322 1895 9,416,330 7,895,675 5,783,798 1890 8,023,157 8,750,000 6,100,000 The greatest fluctuation in produc tion has occurred iu the United States, dropping near thirty per cent, from 1892 to 1894 and then recovering to the higu water mark in 1893. The production in Germany has shown the steadiest growth. As compared with our own progress in naval construction, the activity ol England in the same direction is al most startling, declares the New York Mail and Express. The British navy wiil be increased during the present yeur by the nddition of sixty-six now ships, and forty-two others will be well advanced toward completion. This enormous expansion of her sea powet is England's answer to the vast under takings of Germany and Russia, and it means that Great Britain keenly realizes what scientists and experts art universally declaring, namely, that the next great war between first class nations will bo determined by their fleets rather than by their battalions. Beople who indulge iu all sorts of superstitions about tho number thir teen may be interested to learn that Dr. Nansen, the distinguished ex plorer, not content with being born on the thirteenth of the month, went off on his last expedition with a com pany of thirteen, all of whom re turned safely. Tho Fratn got clear of the iee on the thirteenth of tho month, on the same day ou which Nansen arrived at Tromsoe, and to crown ali, he was entertained by tho Royal Scottish Geographical Society on the occasion of its thirteenth anni versaiy, held on Februry 13. After all this, tho number thirteen should bo reinstated in the good graces ol the most superstitious. It is said that one of the candidates for the mayoralty of the city of Toledo, Ohio, S. M. Joues, is a remarkable man. Politically he is very much like Hazen S. Pingree, but has moro ot the spirit of Mazzini and of the Chris tian Socialists then the well-known Mayor of Detroit and Governor of Michigan. It is said in the New York Independent that he is oue of the few men in tho oil business who have eluded the Standard Oil Monopoly, and at the same time managed to make a good deal ot money; iu fact, by an invention which made him independ ent, he has been fortunate enough to set up a little monopoly of his own, In his factory tho only rule for the guidance of his employes is the Golden Rule, which he has posted up, and which, moreover, he lives up to him self. He is accustomed to pay all his men more than the market rate of wages, aud does all sorts of extra things for them, taking them on ex cursions ou holidays and giving them social pleasures of various kinds. Once he was visited by the leaders of the local union in the trado pursued by his workers, and having his atten tion called to tho fact that none of his men had joined tho union, ho at once subscribed for as many copies of the trades union paper as he had men, and had a copy handed to each one every week with his pay. Mr. Jones has been deeply alleotod by the writ ings of Ruskin and Mazzini and their American sympathizers, and is pos sessed with tho idea that tnoso who believe those doctrines and preach them ought to do their best to practice them. Iu fact, he is a "dangerous man in the best sense of the word," and if he receives the election somo very interesting results may be ex. pected to follow. CROSS AND CROWN. Life is a burden—bear it; Life is a duty—dare it; Life is a thorn-erown—wear it, Though it break your beart in twain; Though the burden crush you down; Close your lips, and hide your pain. First the cross, and then the crown. —Rev. A. J. Ryan. L\TER RU PTETTF il lENPS HI P. V CAPITAL girl was aft Marcia—the sort of trirl that Tom Morris bail long felt that he 'Cra 'ra wished for a wifo; but " !Ut B ' le h e rself was t ' lo B' r ' wns 9 '°w to rea '' ze - Indeed, I fi'. '' oul,t whether ho I would have realized at all hail they con ■[ vSSSS tinued to go on side hy side, as man and gs> woman, as they had done when boy and girl. The Morrises aud Leons had been neighbors and friends for two gener ations, and Marcia and Tom had known each other all their days, Yet more. His dear sister, Margery, had been Mareia's best friend until death had snatched her in her fair maiden hood. Then it was that Tom had put aside his disdain of Marcia as that mistake of nature, a girl, and come to her to paste kites, mend balls and dis cuss lessons and games. Afterward sho went off to school in Kentucky, and for three years she and Tom did not meet—for tho intervening vaca tions she spent with schoolmates. Then sho came home, ready to take up the old friendship where they had laid it down, for Tom was still just Tom to her. But she was no longer the same Marcia to hira. During her absence she had budded into fresh, sweet young womanhood, attracting men as naturally and inevitably as olover draws bees. Tho first symptom of love Tom felt was a twinge of jealousy when he saw the other fellows monop olize her. He watched her from a distance. Of the three sorts of wo manly beauty, beauty of color appeals to the crowd, beauty of form to artist and critic, beauty of expressionto lover and friend. Not noticeably lacking in the first two, Marcia, strong, pure and tender, was richly dowered with the last. More carefully noted, she seemed more loveworthy. Woman aro usually quick to see the transformation of a man into a lover, but in this instance Marcia was blind. Tom was so firmly fixed in her mind as the unsentimental comrade of her girlhood days that it never occurred to her that he could make love to anyone, least of all to her, until he was actually doing it. It was an August day. They had walked together to Mountain View—a favorite resort near her home, where the mountains seemed to curve and rise so as to lay bare all their beauty and grandeur. Glorious at all times and seasons, tho sceno was doubly so now in the long, pervasive Jight of the summer eveniug. Marcia tixod her eyes on the distant slopes where sky and earth seemed to meet and melt to gether. She looked with delight, which deepened till it grow almost to pain. "Oh, Tom!" she cried, turning her moist eyes to him ia a quick need of sympathy. But, disconcerted, she started back from what met her— Tom's steadfast look of love and ad miration. He oaught her hands in both his and poured into her astonished ears the story of his life. What was all the mountain splendor to him when there at his side was the one face in all the world which could make bright the darkest scenes—tho face which ho longed to have by his side always as that of his dear, true wife? "No, Tom, no," sho cried, snatch ing her hands from his clasp, "you would not say all this, of course, un less you thought you meant it, but you don't, really. No, no; you don't truly want me for your wife. Say you don't, Tom," she pleaded. "Marcia, darling, have you known me so long only to think so mean ot mo as to deem me a thing of straw, not knowing my own mind, my own heart? Want you? Sweetheart, I shall never rest, until I win you." "Oh, Tom!" interrupted Marcia "is this to bo tho end of our friendship, so long, so true? You were always like a dear, good brother, and I cared for you as—" Tom laughed grimly, and inter rupted in his turn. "Don't say like a brother, please, as the girls in the comio papers always do. At least spare me that." Maroia had recovered sufficiently from her surprise to take refuge now in a quiet dignity. "No, Tom," she said gently, "you need have no fear of my treating you to tho commonplaces of a discarded lover. I was think ing"—her voico faltered—"of Margery then." His face, too, softened. "I romember how we have been together child with child, youth with youth, and I feel sure that this other feeling of yours will pass soon and leave our friendship strong and loyal as in old days. I am just back after a long absence, you see, and you areu't used to my beiug grown. You look on mo as some other girl. But soon you will see that I am your same old comrade, Marcia, your friend, good to laugh and chat and walk and ride with, to confido in, to sympathize with—hut to make love to—never! Bo sensible, now do, you dear old bear! Why, in three months you will be ready to thank me for having shown you your mistake." He caught reproachfully at the sug gestion in her last words. "Ah! how little you know me after all, to think mo so tickle, so false. In three months, then, so be it; three months from to day I shall show you my heart all unchanged and olaim an answer to my question. Meanwhile, promise me, dear, you wili try not only to l&pro ciate my love, but to give me some in return, if ever so little. I can wait. I can bide my time in patience. You must see thai the hov-and-girl affec tion, good of its kind, could not last, yet makes secure foundation for this stronger, true love. Ouly try to love me, my Marcia. Give me—give vour self— time. Only three little mouths. Meanwhile no word, no look shall an noy you. My love shall still masquer ade in friendship's guise." Marcia demurred. "For old sake's sake,dear," he pleaded, and Marcia hositatcd, then yielded. "Three months, then," sho said. Even had he so desired, Tom would have found little opportunity during tho ensniug week to press his suit. There were many to claim her as part ner in the rides, drives, dances and picnics which made Orvillo gay in the summer season. Shj did not avoid him, but sho let herself be so raouop- , olized by others and was so serenely indifferent to his tender glances that he was piqued and felt a small desire to try to pique her in returu. The op portunity he sought seemed at last to come. A school friend came to visit Marcia. Sho had, of course, been de scribed to Tom with many charming superlatives. "She is so beautiful, so gentle, so sweet'" said Maroia, "you will be sure to like her, and you mnst help mo to make her enjoy her visit. Bo sure to call soon and often." Tom said to himself at first that he would do nothing of the sort; then suddenly came a plan, a purpose, none tho less strong because so quiokly formed. He would try Marcia by at tention this friend of hers. He would see if he could not start a spark of jealousy, anu prove that for all her apparent indifference some tire of love smoldered in her heart. "All's fair in love and war," ho exclaimed as conscience warned him that this course was neither manly nor honora- j Die. Miss Arnold came, a doll-faced blonde with appealing eyes and sweet, confiding ways. She adored Maroia— strong, intellectual Marcia—with a school girl's passion, and Marcia, oil her part, gave Annette a tonder, pro tecting love. Tom found the gamo of piquo de lightful, although he could uot make sure whether or uot Mareia cared. In deed, iu his enjoyment of Niss Ar nold's society hequite forgot to watch. Ho was discontented whenever anyone else engaged Miss Arnold's attention. Ho felt a grievous jlack in any day ! which did not give him somo words j with her alone. The touch of her < wind-tossed ribbons thrilled him, the I rose dropped from her hair gathered cigar sceut iu his pocket. Iu fact, his heart had passed from his keeping be fore he realized—shamefully enough— that Marcia had been right in calling his admiration of her a fleeting fancy. But Marcia, whose love ho had sought, was ho right in thinking that she was changed, distrait? The cause? Ah! that he sought in vain, and at last, iu sheer despair, ho gave up to tho whole some fact that no man can know a woman's mind unless she tells it—if she can. Tho inevitable crisis came. A merry party had been making tho round of the golf links lately established, and had been driven home by a summer shower. Tom had proposed to Miss Arnold to try a jncturesque little mountain path. It was rough. He apologized profusely for suggesting a i.ny so unlit for hor tread, but 1 can not sny ho regretted a choice which made it nccossiiry for her to lean on his arm so often, so frequently accept the aid of his hand. Ou a declivity her foot slipped. Ho caught her! in hia arms. And then—the dear face was so tautaliziugly, so irresistibly near his own—instead ol releasing her he pressed her close, close to his heart and dropped liiß lips to hers in a long, clinging caress. A quick flush, half of joy, half of modesty, dyed her face, aud her lashes drooped over tho love-light in her eyes. He would liavo poured out his passionate tale of love, but a sudden thought cheeked him. Marcia! He had craved her love—was even now hiding tho time he himself had set, aud what right had ho to make love to another? In silence he placed Annette's hand ou hi 3 arm and they took tho homeward path. As soon as might bo ho weut off alone to com mune with himself. Mareia was right. That was a passing fancy. She was his dear friend. But love—ah! ho had never even dreamed what it meant till this hot, delicious tlood coursed through his veins. Oh I to toll her, his darling, all he thought and felt. There was hope for him—hope spoken by her quivering lids, her Hush, her silence. Oh, to chaugo it to glorious certainty! "But no," ho said. "I have wronged Marcia, and now the least I eau do is to wait iu all honor liko a man till tho three mouths end, and then, if hon orably Inm free—oh Imy littlo Ann ette! Only three months!" But ho had to wail longer. IVhen Annette returned homo, Marcia went for a visit to Kentucky, and the chill ; splender of December was abroad when sho returned. At tho first op ' portumty, Tom asked her to walk with 1 him to Mountain View. They were silent on tho way—each thought-busy. Long they stood with eyes all nnsee -1 ing turned toward tho sunset pageant, I ere Tom mustered courago to speak. "Marcia," ho said, "the three i mouths after which I was to have my i answer are more than passed." "Tom," sho faltered, "I am sorry, but—as she lifted her eyes such a sud den radiance of joy shone in his that she pausod bewildered, then as the truth flashed on her, she laughed mer rily. Her laughed wus irresistible. Tom joined. 1 "Oh, you ridiculous boy!" she cried when she could get her breath. "It is true. You do euro someone felse." And if Tom's heart had been his own he would have laid it at her feet, because she refrained from say ing, "I told you so." "Yes," he said, "yon were right. I loye you dearly as my friend, my sister, Marcia, but the other foeliug I did not know before." They were silent for awhile. "Can you give mo Miss Arnold's address?" he asked abruptly. She clapped her hand. "Ob, Tom, is that it? lam so glad! How stupid I was not to see 1 But about that time I was thinking more of—of something else. The fact is—we are such friends, Tom, I ought to have told yon before,but I wasn't quite sure of myself till lately. There is some body else. He is Annette's cousin. See I" and she held cut her hand. Tom wondered that he had failed to noticed that jeweled circlet. The sunset spread its golden glory before them and they looked at it with eyes shining with joy. The world lay very beautiful before them. Twilight fell slowly, softly. At last Marcia turned to Tom. "Tom," she laughed, "it's absurd. I know, but what do you think I want? You'd never guess. A race down hill like the ones we used to have long ago." Tom held out his hand. "Come then." And hand in hand they ran down the hill, back into the dear old land of friendship. —Times-Democrat. The First Lighthouses. Lieutenant John M. Ellioott, U. S. N., writes for St. Nicholas, a paper on lighthouses, entitled: "Iho Lights I That Guide in the Night." Lieutenant! Ellicott says: When ships are sailing upon tho ocean the lights of heaven are their guides. Even in the dark ages, when | tho compass and sextant were un- I known instrumeuts, the seemingly mo tionless polo star hung like a beacon j light in tho northern heavens, and the { rising and setting of tho sun and stars j distinguished the east from the wost. , When, however, ships come near the land tho lights of heaven ore not suffi cient safely to guide them. Rocks lio i in their paths unseen in tho night; reefs and shoals spread under tho water; while unsuspected currents sweep the frail craft all blindly upon ; these dangers. Nevertheless, ships wore sailed along I dangerous coasts lor centuries before i a plain system of marking dangerous places was invented. The early ma riners were bold and reckless rovers, more than half pirates, who seldom owned a rood of the coasts along which they sailed, and could not have estab lished lights and landmarks on them hud they cared to do so. The rude be ginning, then, of a system of light houses was when the merchants with whom the reckless mariuors traded in | those dark ages built beacons near the harbor mouths to guido the ships into port by day, and lighted tires for their guidance at night. As such a harbor guide had to be a sure landmark in the daytimo and a light by night, it soou tool: on a settled shape—a tower on which could bo built a lire; and such a tower was usually built of stone. This method of guiding ships into the ports which they sought was' scarcely established before human I wickedness used it as a means for their destruction. Bands of robbers, or, as they came to be called, "wreckers," would hide themselves somewhere near the haven sought by a richly laden vessel, and after overpowering the lire keepers would extinguish the beacon lire on tho night on which the ship > was expected. Then they would light ; another lire near some treacherous reof. Tho mariner, sailing boldly to- . wards tho false light, would dash his , vessel to destruction on tho reef, 1 whereupon tho robbor band would plunder tho wreck and make off with the booty. Flowers Without Fragrance. While tho llowers of California nro 1 famous for brilliaut coloriug, it has been remarked that llowers with fra gran no aro remarkably rare among I them. On the other baud, it is said that the lragrance that tho llowers should possess has been transferred to leaves and branches. It is believed that California can present a larger list of odor-bearing leaved plants in proportion to the number of species known than any country in the world. Tho peculiar odors of stems and leaves are credited by one of the schools of modern biology with the duty of pro tecting the plant from predacious creatures. It is said that there is no accounting for tastes, and among such a vast variety of scented leaves it might bo that tho tastes of some wild animals would bo just suited to some particular class, though objec tionable to others. But there seems to be no end to tho "purpose" lor which the peculiarities of plants may bo construed to serve.—New York In dependent. Silver Services Stored. So many of the finest silver services aro stored away in vaults that they show themselves to the world but once or twice a year. The finest de signs in such form aro generally hid den, unless owned by a warship or some wealthy family having a largo safe of iis own. Some families have resorted to having plated wnro mado like their historic, richly valued pieces. Fail Witii Two Handles. A recently patented devise for oper ating a fan lias handles so arranged that pressing them together turns a system of wheels and rapidly revolves four fan blades attached to the axle of tho last wheel in the Reries. The devise is small enough to bo carried around in tho hand and the "breeze" can be di rected at will by simply turning the device in tho hand.-—Chicago News. THE rATIIFIN'DEIt's WIDOW. j Mrs. Jessie Fremont, Tom Benton's I daughter and John C. Fremont's | widow, is one of the notable residents ofLosAngeles, CaJ. She is now seventy throe yeurs old, and aeeording to a recent writer, "as sweet and noble a woman as ever lived." —New England Homestead. FIRE LASSIES, In the little town of Nasso, in Swe den, the firemen happen to be women, however paradoxical that sounds. The place is only a little village, and four enormous tubs constitute tho "water works." One hundred and fifty wo men make up the Fire Department, and one of their duties consists in al ways keeping the tubs filled with water. The women are fine workers, it is said, and know how to handle a fire with as little confusion as possi ble. men FABRICS. In reviewing the fashions of the present season, the special features which stand out from all the details of dress are the elegance of fabric and tho daring combinations of rich and beautiful trimmings. Something seems to have been borrowed from almost every country and every century. One of the special features of the season's modes is the use of velvet for entire gowns, wraps, waists, bolero jackets, bodice trimmings, and couutless modes of combination that make it so popu lar. —Homo Queen. DOOTEESSES OVERSEA. Angelica and Alexandra I'angiotas, two maidens of Athens, are tho first Greek doctresses, who recently grad uated at tho Berlin University, with tho rarely bestowed predicate of Bum ma cum laude, "very good," After a solemn address from the chairman of the examining board of the medical faculty, they rocoived their degree and diploma in full form and with much applauded laudations. Among the latest medical associa tions in Switzerland, and probubly the first of the kind in Europe, is an as sociation of Swiss Doctresses, founded last month. It started with twelve members, about one-third of the num ber of female physicians settled in tho Alpine republic. WIFE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT. A most fascinating woman is Mrs. Hobart, wife of tho new Yice-Presi dent. She is graciousnoss itself to all sorts and conditions of people, her very smile insures a cordial reception, and her manner is thoroughly un affected. She is one of the hand somest women among the ladies of tho new official family. She has one son, haying unfortunately lost her only daughter some two "years ago. On the evening of the inaugural ball this son, Garret Hobart, Jr., a hand some litile chap about ten years old, holtl his mother's train as she and the Vice-President followed the lead of President and Mrs. McKiniey through tho ballroom. His face was a study of childish pride and delight, although when his mother proposed his acting as her page, ho frowned with manly gravity, and said: "Well, I don't know about it; it seems rather con spicuous, and I don't iike tho idea, anyway, of having my mamma march in a procession." The masculine in stinct which leads almoet every man to consider his woman relatives too sacred for public exhibition was appermost at that moment.—Harper's Bazar. GOSSIP. Only two Englishwomen in every hundred now wear earrings. I Mrs. Marilla M. Bicker, a lawyer of Dover, N. H., announced herselt as a candidate for the offico of United States Minister to Columbia. Carlotta, Maximillian of Mexico's | widow, whoso physical health during 1 her iong insanity lias been good, is I said to bo now rapidly declining. Lady Tryon has assisted Roar Ad miral Fitzgerald in writing the biog raphy of the late Admiral Tryou, whose naval career began in 1818 on board tho Wellesley. Miss Mina Zaiglor, of Dresdon, Ohio, has jußt been admitted to mem bership in the Philadelphia Horologi cal Society, an honor of which no other woman can boast. The Populist Governor of Kansas lias appointed tho wife of ex-Governor John P. St. John, the Prohibitionist, to a place on the Board of Regents of tho State's Agricultural College. The Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lome, objects to her portraits be ing sold or reproduced. A beautiful photograph of her was peremptorily withdrawn from circulation some years ago. Mrs. Daniel Howard, of Jefferson ville, Ind., had her home connected by telephone with tho XTesbyterian Church, being at times jirevented by illness from attending the service. The experiment was successful. A home where all unfortunate onn find help has been established at the east end of London by tho Duchess of Newcastle. This is called St. Ger trude's Home. Tho Duchess has taken up her dwelling in this quarter, that she may devote her life to the needy. Two American women, Miss Alice Luce, of Maine, and Miss Ida J. Hyde, of Chicago, hiWe conferred a benefit upon their sisters by opening another foreign university to them. They have recently received the degree of Ph. D., each magnum cum laude, from the University of Heidelberg. "Whero God leads the way, Ho has bound Himself to help you go the way," wrote Florence Nightingale in reference to the work of women. She would have her sisters feel that any work given them to do, vocation or avocation, is work confided to their trust. Viewing it in this light pre vents overtaxing, discouragement, presumption or idleness. Among tho orders which are given to women, there is none more hand some than the Austrian Order of Merit, which has just been presented by Emperor Francis Joseph to "Car men Sylva," the Queen of Eoumania. The decoration consists of a miniature portrait of the Emperor, surrounded with a wreath of diamonds, other costly jewels being also used. The eldest daughter of Lord Brassey is making herself widely known through tho rural districts of England by establishing resident trained nurs ing associations. The plan advocated is for a certain number of parishes ad jacent to each other to combine in order to provide resident trained nurses used to country life, whose services shall bo available when re quired in serious and urgont cases. Mrs. Hobbs, an intimate friend of the first Duke of Wellington, has just died in Ireland at the age of 103 yeurs. Her husband was badly wounded at Quatro Bras. Five of her fourteen children and six of her forty-tour grandchildren are serving in the British army, and she has besides thirty-two great grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. On her 100 th birthday the Duko of Cam bridge congratulated her in behalf of the army. Out of 150 college women recently interrogated, 169 are teachers, 47 librarians, 22 nurses, 19 journalists and 19 clerks, while the remainder are distributed around in various unclassi fied positions. The majority of a given number of women, asked in re gard to tho matter, said they received less pay than men for tho same kind of work. A small number were found who get tho same pay, and a very tiny fraction of a number re ceived more money than men in sim ilar positions. FASHION NOTES. A jacket for a theatre wrap is of broouded gray silk, with cuffs and an odd collar of black with an edging of silver cord and rhinestone ombroidery. A new cycling skirt has two straight plaits in the back which are made separate and pnrtially detnehed, so that they fall gracefully on either side of tho wheel, and boneath this is u regular skirt at the back which com pletes it for a walking skirt as well. The handsome and graceful baskets that may have been received, filled with bonbons as gifts, may bo con verted into beautiful flower holders by lining the empty basket with a fitted piece of waterproof cloth on n thin painted cloth and sewing it closely around the edge of the basket. Fill it with wet sand and stick the sand full of blossoms. Spring jackets are as varied as the wraps, uud come in three different lengths, with both high and low col lars, so it is impossible to decide yet which will bo the leading style. They arc made of ladies' cloth, serge and meltoD, in both dark and light shades, and the palo tint of yellow ecru lined with some delicato shade of satin is considered very elegant. The Russian style of coat has a placo on the list, nud the French jackets display quite a little decoration be sides buttons and stitching. An ex ample of this is in black cloth, and it fastens on the left sido with two large steel buttons. It is lined with pink Bilk. The collnr and crcsent-shapod rover aro covered with tho same color and finished on tho edgo with a unr now band of black velvet and a two inch insertion of yellow Vcnctiun point above. Among tho floral decorations at a reoent English wedding, instead of a marriage boll a number of smaller bells of various sizes were hung togother. The bells wero made of white blos soms with a small orango suspended by a white satin ribbon for the clap jier. These bells wero hung from an arch made of green foliage plants. A flight of white birds was another new feature among the decorations. Many of tho brds were suspended by invisible wires, nnd onoortwoof them wero resting upon npon the mounds of flowers or the handles of ribbon trimmed baskets of blossoms. One of the newest tailor-made cos tumes has princess sides nnd back, with vest fronts in well defined points over a full-length front of a contrasting fabric. For example: A seal brown cloth is made up with the sidos, buck, sleeve-caps and a collar of the brown. The full-length front and the close fitting sleeves are of tho lighter shade. The vest fronts are of velvet, wrought in a pattern with heavy silk braid. Tho side sections of the skirt overlap tho front and are trimmed with passementerie ornaments in groups of three. Tho front of the skirt has pipings of the material placod straight across in a group, of five, a little dis tance above the hem. A'JKICULTUIIAL TOPICS. TRIMMING APPLE TREES, Apple trees may be pruned or trimmed at any time between the fall ing of the leaves and tho starting ol the bads. February or March aro the favored months with most fruit growers. Trees that have been properly cared for when young do not require very much trimming after wards, the main point being to keep the centre of the trees open, so as to admit freely light and air.—New Eng land Homestead. MIXING MANURES WITH MUCK. Muck, by which in this countrv is generally meant vegetable-mold, is"too poor in fertility to warrant carrying far or much handling. As for mixing it with stable manures, we would not advise such a practioe, as the manure without the muck is none too efficient. There is one partial exception to this rule. When a heap of manure is fer menting it saves the waste of am monia to throw over the pile a small quantity of vegetable mould, and this when tho heap is turned must bo mixed with the stable manure. WELLS IN BARN BASEMENTS. Every basement barn built for housing stock should have a well under it. In this way water of proper warmth can be always seoured for oattle, and a tub or kettle kept full all the time will add greatly to their comfort. It is well for all stock to run out of doers in cold weather for awhile each day, but the animals ought never to be forced to drink water nearly or quite down to the freezing temperature. We have scores of times seen cows turn away from tho water under a hole in the ice because they were 60 chilled that further drinking of icy water was impossible. Much of tho lack of thrift of cattle in winter is due to drinking ice cold water, and will bo remedied by having a supply of water from a well in the burn basement.—Boston Cultivator. POULTRY DISEASES. Most of the diseases that afflict poullry are the effects of unsanitary surroundings, and due entirely to the carelessness or indifference of keepers. Naturally poultry is not sickly, aud if given proper care will keep in good health without being dosed with any drugs or nostrums of any kind. Tho writer has had a good many years of experience in poultry keep lug, nnd in all that time has never found it necessary to give any great amount of medicine to his ilocks. Pure feed, pure water, comfortable quarters and cleanliness in all the surroundings of the flock will insure its health and thrift. The poultry keeper who has "bad luck" with his flock and finds it lwindling away from tho ett'eot of dis ease is nine times out of ten receiving the just penalty for sorno of his sins of omission.—The Silver Knight. UNHEALTHFUL FOOD. Farmers do not seem to bo awaro of the double IOSB sustained through tho giinding of cobs by millers, says A. P. Steele, of Pennsylvania. Corn is taken to the mill at tho rato of seventy pounds to tho bushel. Fourteen pounds are deducted for oob3 and are not paid for, but the milter grinds these with oat hulls, making No. 3 chop, which sells at sl2 to sl4 por ton, thus giving tho miller a clear profit. This cheapchop isunhealthful and its sale should not bo allowed. A friend of mino recently lost two shouts and was unable to assign a cause. Ho oalled a veterinary surgeon, w ho found that death hud resulted from clogging of the intestines with this cheap chop. The man had paid $7 for a half ton of chop and had lost SSO from its use. The manufacture and salo of it should be stopped and then there would be an increased demand for rye, oats and corn. State Grange Master Leonard Uhono is investigating tho matter. Why shouldn't we have pure food laws for the animals as well as for human beings?— American Agriculturist. To Preserve Flowers' dolors. The natural colors of flowers may be preserved with almost their orig inal brilliancy after boing dried very thoroughly in sand. Tho Gardners' Monthly, which suggests this simple process for manufacturing artificial flowers, states that tho most delioate flowers cau be made in this wayj look for several years as though thoy had been freshly gathered. Tho flower should bo placed in a pan or other dish nnd covered with perfectly clean, dry sand. This should bo sifted over tho flower so as not to break or bruise the petals. Every ohink and cranny should bo filled without disturbing the natural position of tho leaves. When the pan is full nnd evory crevice has been filled solidly the flowers aro al lowed to dry for several days. It is often effective to warm the sand and keep the buried flower in a warm oven. Tho sand should not bo re moved, great ciro being taken not to break or tear the leaves, which will be very brittle. Tile Effect Spoiled. Senator Voorhees once had suoceeded in delivering an appeal which had brought tears to the eyes of several jurymen. Then arose the prosecuting attorney, a old man. with a pip ing voioe and nasal twang. "Gentle men," said ho, deliberately, "you might as well understand from the beginning that I am not boring for water." This proved so effectual a wet blanket to the emotions exoited by Mr. Voorhees that ho realized the futility of his own "boring."—Ar gonaut. Fishers vs. Farmers. An acre of good fishing ground in the sea will yield more food in a week than an aore of the best land witl do in a year. —Philadelphia Press.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers