Italy had under operation last year 8800 miles of standard-guage railways, 790 of narrow gnagc and 1770 of street railroads. Communities have their whims; In ■eggs New York will not use brown shelled eggs to any great extent; while if there is a common perceptible differ ence in quality compared with white shelled, the buft'-shelled are richer and far superior to any other, if we expect the rare offering of turkey eggs. Now Boston promptly takes all the dark shells sent realizing economy with true New England tact. Much interest is taken in French naval circles in the discovery of a com position which is alleged to have the marvellous property of rendering ves sels invisible beneath the rays of elec tric searchlights. It is stated that at the naval manoeuvres off' Brest tor pedo-boat No. Gl, representing the enemy, succeeded in traversing un seen the luminous zone produced by the electric projectors, having been coated with the new composition. Many inquiries are being made as to the possibility of getting into the Klondike country during the coming fall and winter, states the New York Tribune. The answer may be unhesi tatingly given. It would be folly to attempt to get in at such times. Those who are now on their way may get in, though it is believed that not more than half of them will. To attempt the trip after this month would be al most as hazardous as a journey to the North Pole. The new Hutch Cabinet is com posed of statesmen whose names can only be described as singularly appro priate to their respective offices. Thus, the Minister of IVar rejoices in the patronymic of Van Dam; the Minister of Justice is a Professor Drucker ("drucker" being the Dutch for some one who presses down heavily); the Minister of Finance is a Baron Gold stein, while the Minister of Foreign Affairs goes by the peculiar name of Van Oldnailer; the Minister of Canals and Waterways is a Mr. Lily; the Minister of the Interior is a stout nobleman of the name of Jonkhecr van Boll; the Minister of Marine is a Scotchman, an Admiral Macleod, while the Premier rejoiceß in the exceeding ly English name of Pearson. The Committee of Ten from the great colleges, which is appointed to consider standards of requirements in entrance English, and to secure, if practicable, uniform entrance examina tions in that subject recently appoint ed, to further its work, a sub-commit tee of fifteen, headed by Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler. This committee, in order to ascertain the opinions of well known English masters on the best books for additional reading in Eng lish, sent out a list of forty-three books, to which was appended this re quest; "Please mark with a cross the books in the following list that you have found desirable, with a double cross those that you have found espe cially desirable, with a circle those that you have found unsatisfactory, with a double circle those that yon have found especially unsatisfactory." Those who received this list replied readily, and as a result this committee has indubitable expert testimony on the best books for preparatory read ing. The balloting resulted in the tanking of the books as follows: 1, Merchant of Venice; 2, Julius Ciesar; B, Vision of Sir Launfal; 4, Sketch Book; 5, Silas Marner; 6, Ivanhoe; 7, Evangeline; 8, As You Like It; 9, Sir Soger deCoverly Papers; 10, Macbeth; 11, Lady of the Lake; 12, Bunker Hill Oration; 13, Ancient Mariner; 14, Courtship of Miles Stnndisk; 15, Mar mion; IG, L'Allegro; 17, II Penscroso; 18, House of the Seven Gables; 19, Conciliation With America; 20, Twice- Told Tales; 21, Essay on Milton and Addison; 22, Vicar of Wakefield; 23, Princess; 24, Midsummer Night's Dream; 25, Comus; 26, Life of Sam uel Johnson; 27, David Copperfield; 28, Paradise Lost, Books I. and 11. • 29, Sohrub aud Rusluin; 30, Lycidas; 31, Tales of a Traveler; 32, Twelfth Night; 33, Essay on Burns; 34, American Scholar; 35, Last of the Mo hicans; 3G, Pope's Iliad; 37, Wood stock; 38, Second Essay on Chatham; 39, The Abbot; 40, Life of Nelson; 41, Plight of a Tartar Tribe; 42, Palamon and Arcite; 43, History of the Plague. Of theso books Merchant of Venice alone received no unfavorable ballot. The History of the Plague ranked low est in favorable ballots, and at the name time received 123 double crosses, the largest number of negative ballots cast for a book. The low ranking of the Second Essay on Chatham, which always seemed to be a favorite with the masters, will no doubt surprise anany. FIELDS OF ADVENTURE. THRILLINC INCIDENTS AND DARINC DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA. In n T.'rrllili" Situation, "Jnko" Itpnnutt Stived tile Life oi His Sefsennt in pref erence to Ills Own—Xerve-Shattevlnff Experience of n Foreinnn in u Mine. "Jake" Bennett was about nineteen ' years obi, ami was probably the most awkwaril man I ever saw, writes an ex-Confederate soldier in the Louis ville Courier-Journal. He was long and angular, and bad a bony bead with strong jaws. His great white teeth were always shown when be smiled, and bo always smiled when he wasin a tight. In camp Bennett was a sloueby, unprepossessing fellow, and bis feet, wlii 'k were unusually large, were always in somebody's way. He was shy and never intruded himself, but when it came to riding aud shoot ing bo was in bis glory. I have seen him many times on the back of a fast horse, with the bridle rein in his teeth and a pistol in each hand, charging like mad and shooting with remarkable accuracy. He hail the reputation of killing three or four men every time there was a chance. He was then in charge of a detail on foraging expeditions aud got in many skirmishes along the road. Later he was unanimously chosen captain on nccouut of his braviry. Indeed, ho was like unchained lightning in a hand-to-hand fight, and it was in one of these that Bennett distinguished himself. There were about 1500 soldiers lying between Alexandria and Liberty. We had no chance on the field, and had to content ourselves with harassing the enemy and in cutting off their wagon trains and making it difficult for them to for age. The two armies lay confronting each other before the engagement at Murfreesboro, and I was sent with a detail of scouts to waylay any that I could. Being only 180 men all told, wo de termined to take advantage of the hilly road and the rocky hillside, which were thickly covered with cedars. Across the road were a number of felled trees, and while we were all mounted it was comparatively easy to keep out of sight, While we were thus ambushed a Federal wagon came slowly along the road, guarded by three files of infantry. There were eight wagons in the train, and we at tacked them suddenly and boldly, re alizing the necessity of quick work. The fight was close and hot for a few minutes, but when the infantry came rushing up we saw that the conflict would now be between pistols and guns. At this point Bennett's sergeant was unhorsed and had fallen to the ground. Just as he jumped up, however, a Federal soldier plunged at him with a bayonet. At the same instant another another soldier raised his gun to kill Bennett. In this terrible situation the alertness and courageous generos ity of "Jake" Bennett prompted him to shoot first the man who was attack ing his sergeant and then the man who was threatening his own life. I consider that this instance, where a man could so suddenly conceive the idea to defend his fellow soldier before himself, illustrates the innate nobility and generosity of the man. The great soul of awkward "Jake" Bennett re sponded to the impulse, and his self sacriticing act was the highest example of heroism that I witnessed during the war. A Mi no Foreman'* Ordeal. John Kendall, who was recently the foreman of a mine at Eossland, British Columbia, lately underwent an experi ence that has left him a physical wreck. His nerves were shattered and it will be months before he regains his former strength, It was about three weeks ago that Kendall and four other men lighted the short fuses under eight charges of giant powder in the True Blue rnino and then jumped into the basket to be hauled to the surface and out of harm's way. The basket raised a few feet and then stopped. Soon it began settling, and it looked as though the five men would be blown to atoms when the tremendous charges of powder were exploded. When the basket was with in four feet of the bottom of the shaft the fuses could be heard sputtering, and the men knew that only a few sec onds would y elapse before the blasts were discharged. Kendall jumped from the basket and began pulling the fuses from the prim ers, which were to explode the pow der. Kendall had extinguished five of the fuses nearest the bottom of the shaft when he heard the preliminary sputtering that betokened an immedi ate explosion several feet away. He stumbled towards them and fell, ex tinguishing his light. Then there was nothing but the spitting fire to guide him. I "Fortunately," he says in describ ing his actions, "the two shots had j been put down close together. X was | able to seize a fuse in either hand, j Providence was with me again, for ; neither blast exploded as I drew the fuse from the primers. What hap pened after that I do not know of my own knowledge. A great darkness came over me. They say they found me doubled up at the bottom of the shaft, with the fuses of the last two i holes clinched tightly in my hands." | It was afterwards discovered that the stopping of the ascending basket was due to the engineer's carelessness. He had forgotten to open the water cocks in the cylinders, and as a conse quence the slide valves choked and .would not act. Exciting Battling Incident. One of the most thrilling expcri encen of the bathing season was that lof two young women named Carrie ! Drew and Mary Anderson, off the ( ihore of Lake Bluff, on Lake Michigan, a few days ago. They were bathing, and were making use of a small raft anchored near the shore. Suddenly they discovered that the raft was adrift and had carried them far beyond their depth. It had been calm under the lee of the bluff, but as soon as the raft began to drift the strength of the wind was apparent. It was driving the raft straight off shore, aud the girls saw death waiting fa* them on the wide expanse of the lake. They screamed for help, and their cries were heard by three young men, Charles Surplus, William Murray and Frank Anderson, the last named being a brother of one of the imperilled girls. The three men rushed to the shore. No boat was available. There was nothing to do but swim to the rescue. Fortunately, nil three were powerful swimmers. They plunged in, and gained the raft without much trouble. But getting the clumsy structure back to the shore was another matter. The wind was pulling hard, and the waves began to be high. A fearful struggle ensued, the three young rescuers pushing and pulling at the raft, and seeming to gain not nil inch. Just as their task seemed hopeless a lull in the wind favored them. They began to make progress, and before another strong gust came they were near enough to be somewhat shielded. They worked hard under the Btimulus of hope, and ut last had the raft in shallow water. All three were utterly exhausted, and the girls were fainting from cold and terror. Man Was Shaken Like a Rat. In u battle with a vicious stallion near Petaluma recently, Cornelius Frederickson, a young man employed on the ranch of W. A. Lewis, at San Antonio Creek, came near losing his life. At the Lewis ranch there nre several San Francisco horses, among them being the running stallion Zue lin, now owned by Jules Gamage, Mr. Lewis' son-in-law. The animal ap peared as gentle as a kitten, but the owner had warned the farm hands that he was subject to vicious spells. How over, ho appeared so docile that the warning was forgotten. Friday morn ing Frederickson saddled the animal aud took him out on the road for an exerciso gallop, another farm employo named C. Meyer riding another horse. Frederickson returned to the ranch first, and, blanketing the horse, led him around to cool him off. Just as Meyer rode up Zuelin reared and his blanket slipped. As Frederickson reached to adjust it the horse plunged at him, caught liis arm, and, shaking as a terrier shakes a rat, threw him to the ground. Then the vicious beast commenced to paw the prostrate man with his front feet, keeping a good hold on the arm with his teeth, en deavoring to kick him and biting him fearfully, lacerating the flesh in a shocking manner. Tho cries of the victim attracted Meyer, who drove the animal away.— Healdsburg (Cal.) En terprise. In the JuwA of an Alligator. "While A. M. Nicholson was prepar ing to ship some alligators to a North ern customer ho became the victim of a painful bite from one of the largest saurians, tho reptile being about seven feet in length. He got into the cage ami in some way the 'gator got him by the foot and drove one of his large tusks nearly through it. The circum stances which led up to and attended tho accident were quite exciting. As usual, Mr. Nicholson had tied the 'ga tor's mouth, ns a precautionary meas ure, but when ho went into the den to drag him out the saurian writhed and twisted about until lie slipjied bis lasli, at which juncture the infuriated 'gator was between his keeper and tho only exit from the den, so Mr. Nich olson climbed up the side wall and watched his chauce to put his foot on the sauriau's mouth, but as he at tempted to do so the huge jaws flew open and closed oil his foot, the high side tusk penetratiug the shoe and sinking deep into the flesh. Nichol son had the presenco of mind to stand perfectly still until the jaws gradually relaxed their vice-like grasp, when he suddenly jerked his foot away and skipped out of the den. Had Nichol son forcibly attempted to release his foot the reptile would doubtless have rolled and floundered about until he broke or dismembered tho limb- Orlando (Fla.) Reporter. Hair Oil Iturely Used Now. "It is a rare thing nowailays for a i enstomer to ask for hair oil,"remarked a barber to a Star reporter, "though twenty or thirty years ago it was equally rare if a customer did not. There were hundreds of oil prepara tions or hair tonics, as they were called, in old-fashioned days, though I think bear's grease or bear's oil was most in demand. Pomatums were also much used and sold, for in those days barbers sold all tho hair prepara tions. As time passed along this trade, which was very profitable, went to the drug stores. In all hair pre parations castor oil was the grease used. For the so-called tonics it was 'cut' with alcohol and colored with nlkanet or cochineal and perfumed. In latter days about the only grease called for or used by customers is vaseliuo. To tell the truth, after forty years' experience in the barber business, I don't know of anything that will make the hair grow. I know this, though, when barbers controlled the hair tonic and hairdressing pre parations trade, there was more money in the business than there is now, for many is the week I made good wages fixing up and selling hair tonio. We often sold a gallon of it in a day. Now you cau't sell a gallon in six months." —Washington Star. Face Value. "My face is my fortune," she said, with enthusiasm. "No doubt of it," said the manager, as he signed a contract with the Beard ed Lady.—Harper's Bazar. Plant Cow-I'cas. The year-hook of the department of agriculture for 1896 has a good deal to nay in advocacy of the planting of cow peas—often called the south cornfield beans—for the renovation of exhausted soils. These peas have wonderful power of increasing the fertility of old soils by supplying them with the nitro gen they need. The cowpea is for the south what alfalfa is to the west and red clover to the north. It is really a bean and exists in many varieties, but all kinds benefit the soil they grow in. In recent years scientific observers have found that certain bacteria living in the roots of these leguminous plants take nitrogen from the air and soil, just as higher animals take oxygen from the air. As nitrogen is indispensable to a fertile soil, peas, clover, etc., accom plish for the farmer cheaply what fer tilizers do atgreutcoßt.—Atlanta Jour nal. IlintH for Beekeepers, Shade the hives when the weather is warm. Put starters of thin foundation in the section boxes. Look out for robbers when the har vest becomes scarce. Basswood is the greatest honey pro ducer while in bloom. Remove all frames filled with brood from the brood chamber. Put the honey in the driest, warm est room about the house. If exposed to cold or dampness honey will granulate in the cells. Strong colonies at the proper time insure a good honey harvest. If you work for extract bo careful not to extract too close. A little pine tar smeared on a board will drive ants from the hive. A weak solution of carbolic acid and salt is a good remedy for bee stings. Where the honey is extracted a large number of extra combs are necessary. The only way to keep drones for any length of time is to keep them in queenless colonies.—St. Louis Repub lic. liaising Stock for the Dairy. This subject is in season at all times of the year, as under present condi tions dairying is being largely carried on the year round. As a usual thing, farmers should raise enough heifer 3 for the supply of their own dairies. There are somo advantages in this over the practice of purchasing cows for the purpose as needed. It should be found cheaper and more satisfactory altogether. ,Tho farmer should be careful in the selection and breeding of his stock, so as to get the best for the uso to which they are to be put. If he is making butter, he wants a breed or kind best adapted for this purpose. He should constantly work with this end in view. Always keep a pure-bred male of sat isfactory ancestry, and thou if not able to at once invest in pure-bred cows, grade up from the best ones on the farm. In this way good progress can be made, and, perseveringlv continued in, will result in a fine working dairy herd. Select the most promising heifer calves for raising at any time of year. It will require a little better manage ment for the best success iu cold weather than in warm, but the condi tions in either case should be made as favorable us possible. The calves should be kept dry, warm and com fortable at all seasons of the year. This is very important where the best re sults are expected. As usually, after a few days or weeks old, skimmed milk is made use of, it will be found profit able to feed this until several months old—six or more. It should be fed at the temperature it comes from the cow, and not in too large quantities at first. A little gruel made from wheat mid dlings, or oil meal added to the milk, will help make up for the fat removed. After the calf gets old enough to eat ground oats, or oats and bran, the gruel can he omitted, as they Bhould do equally well on the other, and it will require less labor. After the first few weeks they will eat a little hay, and care should be taken to have a supply of fine early-cut for the pur pose. Last winter I saw an exceedingly fine pen of calves, from three to six months old, that were fed on skim milk, corn ensilage and second-crop clover hay. They had no grain, only what was in the ensilage. Winter and spring calves will do finely when kept in a comfortable stable or pen well into the summer and properly cared far. Calves dropped in early autumn can be very easily raised, usually more so than in cold weather. If fed milk through the win ter, and otherwise well cared for, they will be large and thrifty the following spring and ready for the pasture when grass gets a good start. The idea should be to keep the calf in vigorous health and growing thrifty from the first, until it is ready to take its plaoe in the dairy. For this pur pose it should be furnished with food suitable for growth and development for the dairy, but not for beef. The right kind of food will do this, and not injure [tho animal, either. Heifers that ore to become milkers at two yearß old need extra care all along, -ad ! particularly during the preceding mouths when they are preparing for maternity,and should at the same time be kept steadily increasing in growth and development. One of the most successful dairymen in Vermont, .whose herd of twenty seven Jersey cows and heifers averaged in 189G nearly 7000 pounds of milk, practices ;this method; of keeping the calves growing steadily from the first by liberal feeding and the best of care. As a result, the two-year-old heifers in mill: average in yield with the cows. This method of feeding and care is continued with the cows with the best of results, as will bo seen. One cow, about twenty years old, in 1890 gave nearly 12,000 pounds of milk, so it will be seen that liberal feeding does not necessarily shorten a cow's life or usefulness, and a Jersey at that.—E. It. Towle, of Vermont. Poultry Notes. Free range is absolutely indispensa ble if you want large specimens. Poultry of all kinds is easily digest ed, and has less tendency to create heat than fat pork. Don't try to keep all the different varieties of poultry. Two or three va rieties of the best are plenty. Overfeeding is expensive. It not only costs more for the feed, but the hens get too fat and lay no eggs. The old stock must not be neglected. Molting is beginning, and generous feeding must assist iu this trying period. No one breed of poultry has all the gcwd qualities. The best layers are not the best mothers, and the best table fowls are not the ones which sup ply the largest quantity of meat. Since we know of what the egg is composed, it is well to feed such things as will make the egg, especially lime, nitrogen and phosphorus. Noth ing contains these in more suitable proportions than green bone. Cold weather will stop the develop ment of chicks batched in June or later, and it will not pay to keep them over. Market early and avoid tho drop in prices, which comes when every one has a notion to sell. Plenty of fresh air at night and abundant shade during the day mean strong, vigorous growth from now un til maturity. Pure, sweet grain, and plenty of it; fresh, clean water, and grit where it is accessible, are very necessary. Separate your males from the fe males. It benefits them both aud makes the males more vigorous for the next breeding season. Cull out all your useless specimens nmong your breeding birds and keep only your best during the fall and winter. For tho first two weeks feed young turkeys on stale bread, moistened with water; after that they can take coarser food, and almost anything it may be convenient to give to them from tho table or granary. Fatten on old corn; green corn is not easily digested. Clean houses, clean roosts, clean nests and pure, fresh water must be the order of the day. Kerosene your roosts, upper and under sides, every week. Scald drinking fountains and renew nest litter frequently. Keep the lice down during the hot, sultry days. For a Great College In China. Dr. John Freyer, professor of Orien tal languages and literature, of the Cali fornia State University, has arrived from China, where he has been iu con sultation with high government offi cials about the founding of a great col lege at Shanghai for the education of Chinese in Western art, science and literature. Dr. Freyer declined an offer to be come the president of the institution, but consented to assist the project. It is intended that the institution will be an educational center, where the favored youth of the empire may go to gain knowledge of the Occidental civiliza tion. There is now at Tien Tsin an academic institution, but it is planned to have that at Shanghai of a much higher standard, As the nucleus of the Shanghai Uni versity, a normal training school is now in operation with thirty pupils, who are preparing to become instruc tors.—New York Mail and Express. A Novel Claim. Some oriental pastoral peoples drink milk slowly, almost as if tbey were chewing it, in the correct belief that that makes it more digestible. At a recent meeting of the Paris Academic de Medecine the doctors were suprised by the receipt of n pamphlet by a pensioned officer, who claimed to know, as a result of a wide experience in army expeditions, that liquors lose their iujnriousness if sipped that way, the saliva neutral izing tho effect of the alcohol.—New York Post. To Prevent Bursting Water Pipes. To prevent water pipes from freez ing in cold weather an automatio cut off is attached to the valve, consisting of a thin glass tube filled with a liquid which will freeze at a higher tempera ture than water and break the tube, thus relieving the pressure on the valve and shutting the water off, at the same time allowing the water to flow from the pipes above as soon as the faucets are opened. HOUSEHOLD AFFAIRS. Xlow to Blaticli Vegetables* Blanching a vegetable is accom plished by giving it a boiling bath. It is a common process in French kitchens, -where care in the preparation of food for cooking process is more minute than in others. A measure oi spinach, after being carefully picked over and washed, is immersed in a large wooden or earthenware bowl tilled with boiling salted water, and left for five minutes. The salt water is then 'poured off and cold water turned over it, after which it is care fully dried, minced and cooked, to be served with butter, salt and pepper and a bit of boiled egg. RUSH VH. Carpets, The woman who still cliugs to car pets on every floor and her sister who strongly holds out for rugs and hard wood have argued the question for a number of years and the victory seems inclined toward the housekeeper with the bare, polished floor and loose rugs. Carpets harbor dust, disease and moths and even where concession is made to carpets in the reception rooms, above the first floor nothing but matting will be found and the din ing room and library will have baro floors. Matting is ideal for bedrooms and may be kept in a perfectly sanitary condition if it is sponged over once a week with salt and water or water and sulphuric acid. The latter is one of the best of germicides and will not de stroy coloring. Those who fancy matting cold can use denim. An industrious housewife is just displaying a rug she has accom plished. She bought nine yards of expensive denim and nine of a cheaper grade. Both pieces she put into a tub, scalded with hot soapsuds, dried and ironed out. The lengths were cut into three pieces each and sewed to gether overhand, the cheaper denim used as a lining. This made two squares nine feet each way, which were basted together and quilted on the sewing machine in small checks with various colors of cotton—a row of stitching in deep red, one of olive, one of white and one of bright yellow-; then a plain space the width of the stitohed rows, then more stitching, etc. A fancy border of the colors fin ished it and when the rug was put down over r. light gray matting the effect was bright and artistic. A square of denim with a wide hem stitched down answers admirably for a bedroom rug. After a housekeeper has once tried tearing up her oarpets and having her floors relaid with hard wood, which will take a polish, or if that is too expensive simply painting aud varnishing the floors and laying down rugs, she will never again have a carpet in the house. The rugs are more artistic and moreover, if one moves, there are no carpets to be ren dered useless by the change in the size or shape of the rooms. Reel pes. Cold Monsseline.—Equal parts of thick mayonnaise, whipped cream and whipped aspic seasoned to taste with sugar, cayenne and tarragon vinegar. Cocoanut Balls—Grnte a eoeoanut; add to it.half its weight of sugar; then stir in the whipped whito of one egg. Roll the mixture into balls, and bake in a moderate oven twenty to thirty minutes. If the mixture is too soft to hold its shape, add a very little flour. Coffee Cake—Two cups brown sugars one cup butter, one cup strong coffee, one cup of molasses, four cups of flour, four eggs, one teaspoon each of soda and grated nutmeg, two teaspoons cin namon, two of cloves, one pound rais ins, one pound of currants. Bake in j loaf tins. Potato Pudding—Two cups of boiled nd mashed potatoes, yolks of four eggs, two small cups of sugar, one-half cup of butter; beat well together. Add juice and rind of one lemon, half j a nutmeg, half a wineglass of rose water. Beat the whites of the eggs and stir in gently last. Bake half an hour. Savory Cabbage—Wash a nice spring cabbage, boil it in water with a pinch of salt and a little soda. When the vegetable yields to the pressure of the finger, take it out nnd squeeze dry, ! thru p'rrt into a clean saucepan with a little butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 1 a tnblespoonful of grated cheese. Pour over nil a little milk, and stew for ten ' minutes. Serve very hot. Prune Jelly—One pound of prunes; one-half box of gelatine. Soak the prunes over night, and Btew until ten der in the water in which they have soaked. Remove the stones and sweeten to taste. Dissolve the gelatine in a little hot water, and add to the prunes while hot. Lastly, add the juice of a lemon and two tablespoonfuls of blanched almonds. Pour the jelly i into molds and set it on the ice to I harden. Eat with cream. Cheese Soup—Makes a good change where soup is required daily. Put one quart of milk on to boil with a blade of mace, a carrot and an onion. Rub two tablespoonsful of butter and two tablespoonsful of flour together, strain the milk, add the butter and flour, and stir until thick. Add three large tablespoonsful of grated cheese, j take from the fire, add the beaten : yolks of two eggs, with salt and pep per to taste. Serve at once with grated Parmesan cheese. Delicious Turnips—Turnips pre- j pared in this way make an excellent dish. This is a recipe for the old style j of preparing this vegetable. Peel j three large turnips and boil them in I milk; boil half a pound of macaroni in salt water; mash the turnips, put them in the bottom of a baking dish, sprin kle minced onion and red pepper over them; then lay in the macaroni, spread over with grated cheese, stale bread crumbs,' and bits of butter, pour over a teacupful of milk, and set in a hot oven until brown. | THE MERRY SIDE OF LIFE. j STORIES THAT ARE TOLD BY THE FUNNY MEN OF THE PRESS. j Revenge on n Rival—A Professional Prom ise— Corroboration Kxpensiye—Alas ka Conditions—Hot 1 Stuff—Ho Didn't Mind—Obeyed Not Classified, Eto. He traced Maud's name upon the sand— A tribute to the lovely bud— A jealous wave rushed up the land. Washed out the "a" and left it "Mud." Expansive* "What large features she lias!" "Yes; I (don't believe it would be easy to stare her out of countenance-" —Detroit Journal. Corroboration. "Is it any fuu getting a man to teach you how to ride the wheel?" "Fun! Why, I've been taught three times."—Life. Obeyed. Mistress—"Bridget, did you put the codfish to soak?" Bridget— ! 'Sure an' I did, marm. Here is the ticket."—Life. Valunble Advice. Wife—"My dear, the doctor insists that I must take a trip abroad." Husband—"l wondered what made his bill so high."—Detroit Free Press. Alnskn Conditions. "But the conditions of life on the Klondike must be hard." "Yes, even the milk of human kindness is condensed." Chicago Record. Not Classified. Teacher—"How many bones aro there in a human body?" Pupil—"l don't know. I haven't learned to ride a wheel yet."—Detroit Free Press. How She Took It. "Does Miss Merry smilo upon your suit, Chumpley?" "Smile? She laughs till you can hear her a block every time I propose." —Detroit Free Press. A Professional Promise. "Ah, doctor, this is the worst at tack 1 ever had." "Don't worry yourself, my dear madam. I'm quite sure you won't have another."—Pick-Me-Up. Hot stuir. Benny Bloobumper "Oh, the goat has swallowed a Roman can dle!" Mr. Bloobumper "That's all right. He merely wanted a light lunch."—Life. Ho Didn't Mind. Askins—"One of the drawbacks of married life comes wben your wife asks you to mind the baby; eh, old mnn?" * Kidder—"Oh, I don't mind it much."—Puck. Made Ilim Prove It. Mudge—"What would you do if you were me? Thomas called me a gib beriug idiot." Watts—"l'd make him prove it, every bit of it. I don't believe any one ever heard you gibber."—lndian apolis Journal. llenvy Handicap. Leau O'Leary—"Ma'am, I'm a wic tim of most adverse circumstances." Old Lady—"Poor man! What hap pened to you?" Lean O'Leary—"Ma'am, I showed my signs of greatness in me youth!"— North American. What's In a Name. "I like a good drink of hot water in the morning, but wo can't get it at our boarding house." "I used to have the same difficulty In our boarding house, but now I take coffee. It answers every purpose."— Boston Transcript. Too High. At a recent birthday party in Shep herd's Bush a young fatly began a song, "The autumn days have come, ten thousand leaves are falling." She began too high. "Ten thou— sand—" she screamed, and then stopped. "Start her at five thousand!" cried an auctioneer who was present.—Tit- Bits. Torture. The party paused now to contem plate Ixion on his wheel. "I don't see where the torture comes in," whispered ./Eneas. Pinto, who was personally conduct ing the tour of the distinguished Tro jans, pointed silently to the namo plate; it was a last year's wheel. The son of Anchises shuddered and hurried on.—Truth. "What nonsense it is," remarked the sentimental girl, "to take daisies and by plucking off the petals try to learn whether or not a man loves you." "Yes," replied Miss Cayenne; "it is very silly. A much better method is v to take the roses he sends you around to the florist's nnd find out how mncU they cost." —Washington Star. Esthetlcal. "Here are a few letters I wish you would mail for me, dear," said Mrs. Tenspot to her husband, who was pre paring to go out. As Mr. Tenspot took them he glanced at the stamps, and asked: "My dear, why did you put fifteen cent stamps on these letters? Two cent stamps would have carried them." "I know it," replied Mrs. Tenspot, i"but how would n red stamp look on ?nvelopes of that lovely violet shade# 'his new stationery is of an exquisite color, nnd I could not think of spoil ing its effect with Btamps which did not harmonize. These purple fifteen cent stamps ore the nearest match the tpostoffice keeps."— Harper's Bazar,
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers