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.