India's area of wheat farms is now
About two-tliirdsas largo as tbat of the
United States. Tho wheat is stib
thrashed by being trodden out by bul
locks and buffaloes.
Two items in the budget of the bank
at Monte Carlo, for the year ending
October 31: "Payments to ruined
gamblers, one hundred thousand
francs; for the prevention of suicides,
one hundred thousand francs." Here
is a sermon, "writ large," on the ques
tion, Does gambling pay?
Tho Fremdenblatt, of Vienna, which
Is tho organ of the Austrian Foreign
Office, approves tho occupation of
the Kiao-Chou Bay and Port Arthur,
and says that one result of the open
lug up of China will be the stoppage
©f the emigration which is so disquiet
ing to Australia and the United States-
The Japanese do not intend to rest
supinely under the classification of
the Colonial Government of New South
Wales, which recently decided to in
clude tho Japauese in the Chinese
Restriction act, denoting them "as
other colored people." The Japanese
Consul at Sydney has protested against
♦he proposed legislation.
In South Germany finishing schools,
to train young women in presiding
over a home, have been recently de
veloped. Tho girls admitted must
have au ordinary grammar-school edu
cation. Not over twenty boarders are
fcaken in each school. These girls
aro obliged to take care of their rooms, I
and every week four are selected who '
must manage the household for the 1
week, buying supplies and attonding |
to all the details of cooking and other j
'work, including sowing and making of 1
garments. Under proper supervision j
this ought to make girls good house- j
keepers, and it certainly ought to !
have a tendency to keep down the 1
divorces in Germany.
In tho trial of a case at Newark, N.
J., Vice Chancellor Pitney, one of the ;
most erudite of New Jersey's judges, !
gave an interesting opinion on the
effect of noises ou human life. The j
case was a protest against the terrific ,
hammering in a copper boiler shop.
The complainants were property own
ers of tho neighborhood. Said the
Vice Chancellor: "Noises tend to
shorten life. It is a well-settled fact
that, all other things being equal,
people living in crowded streets and
subjected to incessant, often loiul,
noises, do not live as long as those !
whose surroundings are comparatively
quiet. The rule is that which ren
ders life uncomfortable should be
stopped. In considering the effect of
noise, wc should apply it to ordinary,
everyday people, such as the com
plainants in this case, not people
brought up in a palace, unused to i
noise of any kind, or people who live I
in a pigsty, caring nothing for noise j
of any sort. Tho Court must be judge
and jury in this case, aud the Court
lias been in a boiler shop and knows j
what it is. One man holds a small !
hammer inside tiio boiler, while an
ether man hammers on the outside. "
Although tho case was continued, the !
Court intimated that people involun
tarily subjected to suclr hurt-produc- \
ing noises had redress at the hands of !
the lav/.
Says the Boston Journal: "It is cal
culated by military students that fully
one-half of tho 11)11,000 mou who died
in battle on tho Union side from 1801
to 1805 were a bloody sacrifice to the
North's fatuous neglect of the science
of arms and of the most ordinary mil
itary precautions. If that is true,
then one-half of (he wounded and dis
abled veterans whose names are now
borne on tho pension lists owe their
disability to tho fact that their coun
try, in its long peace, had forgotten
the solemn admonition of Washington
and had allowed the great mass of its
youth to become absolutely ignorant
of the use of weapons and of martin
exercises. On this basis of reasoning
the national folly of the years before
the Civil War is now coßting tho Na
tional Government about .$70,000,000
a year, or more than twice the cost of
its present military establishment.
We shall never have a Civil War
again. Our only possible conflict is with
a foreign enemy, aud in all probability
we shall never have that if we main
tain an adequate navy and complete
our new und admirable system of coast
defenses. Seventy million dollars
would finish these defenses and arm
them. It would build a lleet of fif
teen first-class battleships and make
our navy the second most powerful on
the planet. The men who believe in
a policy of reasonable military pre
paredness for the United States can
justify their position not only by an
Appeal to the national honor, but by
the broadest considerations of genuine
•conomy."
WHY AND_WHEREFORE.
I know not whence I eame,
I know not whither I go,
But the fact stands clear
That I am here
In tills world of pleasure and woo.
And out of the mist and murk
Another truth shines plain—
It is in my power
Each day and hour
To add to its joy or its pain,
I know that the earth exists,
It is none of my business why,
I cannot llnd out
What it's all about—
I would but waste time to try
My life is a brief, brief thins,
I am here for a little space,
And while I stay
1 would like, if I may,
To brighten and better the p!ac<\
# ® a @© $
1 STRIKING A MATCH. ©
© ©
£LL, Miss nilclo-
Sf " > I(j* )Urll I must say
■ D I'm real sorry
ft/X \W/ M y° u and Mr.
ifriiwiirtffTnliiii \mr Gangster have
fallen out."
" ou ' MrR -
Collins, indeed
W&zxfnf'v you are mistakea.
'■-* jy There has been
no 'falling out'
between Mr. Sangster and myself.
Indeed, I am not on sufficiently soci
able terms with any of your gentle
man boarders to have a quarrel."
Saying which, Lucy Hilderburn, a
slight, delicate-featured girl of eight
een, walked out of the room with even
more than her wonted dignity of man
ner and carriage. ,
"Nevertheless, notwithstanding,"
pursued Mrs. Collins, resuming her
ironing, which had been interrupted
by the young lady's entrance. "I do
believe there's been a misunderstand
in' between those two, and a real pity
it is, for he did admire her amazinTy.
He couldn't conceal it. And 'twould
a been a good thing for her, poor
child! Only they seldom knows what
is good for 'em, these young things,
and she's a-lettin' her pride stand in
tho way of her happiness now."
"Pride, indeed!" sneered Miss Jane
Humphries, Mrs. Collins nice and as
sistant, a tall, red-haired, stylishly
dressed damsel of live-and-thirty.
"I'd like to know what right a girl
who earns her livin' by givin' music
lessons at fifty cents an hour has to bo
proud; and as for Mr. Sangster. I
don't believe ho ever had a serious
thought about her. The idea of an
intellectual young man like him fancy
ing a girl simple enough to be afraid
of ghosts. He was only amusin' him
self, plnyiu'/ou her vanity, and she's
found that out and is just poot'n' on
airs now to try and 'pull tho wool
over her eyes,' as the sayin' is."
"La, Jane, I don't know where
you eyes kin' bo, if you didn't see
how fairly wrapped up in her he was
about two weeks ago; and as to her
liavin' no right to bo proud, 'cause
she's poor, I b'lieve it's for that very
reason she is proud, poor little heart!
He's in real good business, Mr.
Sangster," Mrs. Collins presently
added, in a musing tone, "and is a
splendid young man, anyhow—just
tho best person to take care of that
poor little strugglin* seustive orphan
girl. I'll see if I can't mend matters
between 'em."
"You'd better be mindin' your own
business, I think, Aunt Martha,"
said Miss Jano, with a spiteful laugh
and a sidelong glance at her own
highly-frizzed and powdered reflection
in tho little square of looking-glass
that hung against the kitchen wall.
"Never you mind, June," persisted
warm-hearted Mrs. Collins; "I'll
manage it some way. Y'ou say she's
afraid of ghosts, poor lamb!"
And all that night she lay awake
revolving different schemes for the
reconcilation of her two favorite
boarders.
The following evening tho kind
liourtcd landlady tapped at tho door
of the scantily-furnished fourth-story
room occupied ly Lucy Hildebuvn,
and from which now proceeded a
melancholy strain.
"Studying your piano of nights,
againV" queried Mrs. Collins, re
proachfully, when the girl opened the
door.
"Yes," replied Lucy, whose voice
had a tearful inflection, despite her
efforts to conceal it, and whose eyes
were suspiciously red. "I am very
busy just now, and must put all the
time I can to study."
"Well, but you mustn't forget what
tho doctor told you about overworkin*
your bi*ain," said Mrs. Collins.
"However," she added, "I won't de
tain you longer'n I kin help. I'm
! come to ask a favor. I'm goin' to
tho theatre this evonin*. So is Jane.
' Su's everybody in the house, I b'lieve;
I and the girl has gone to bod with a
| toothache. So I'm goin' to ask you
|to give an eye to the furnace. I've
I just put on fresh coal and opened the
! lower doors; but will you please go
down at about eight o'clock and close
tho doors?"
"Certainly," assented Lucy, upon
which Mrs. Collins produced a lan
tern, saying:
"Just take this down with you.
Tho cellar's all dark you, you know."
Lucy took the lantern, closed the
room door, and returned to her piano,
while Mrs. Collins walked away,
chuckling to herself:
"That lantern'll go out just five
minutes after she sets it down, and
she'll find ha" lelf all in the dark.
And she's afraid of ghosts, poor
lamb! But what if somebody who
ain't A ghost should happen to be go-
The trouble, I think, with us all)
Is tho lack of a high conceit;
If each man thought
lie was sent to the spot
To make it a bit more sweet.
How soon we could gladden the world,
How easily right all wrong,
If nobody shirked
And each one worked
To holp his fellows along.
Cease wondering why you came;
stop looking for faults and Haws:
Biso up to-day
In your pride and say:
"I am part of the ilrst great cnuso.
However full the world.
There is room for an earnest man;
It bad need of me
Or I would not be—
I am here to strengthen the plan."
Wilcox, in Form.
in' down there about the same time,
and bo obliged to strike a match in
more'n one sense of the word."
And even while indulging in this
pleasing reflection, Mrs. Collins
tapped at a door on the second floor.
Her summons were responded to by
a pleasant-looking young man, who
just now, however, wore a very de
jected countenance.
"Ln! Mr. Sangster, I didn't expect
to find you at home this evening."
•"I didn't feel like going out to
night," replied the young man in a
weary, listless tone.
"Well, since you are going to be
at home," said Mrs. Collins, "would
you he so kind as to look after the fur
nace? I've left the lower doors open,
but I'll be very much obliged if you
go down at about eight and close 'em.
And you needn't take a light. There'll
bo one down there."
Mr. Sangster readily promised to
comply with the request, and Mrs.
Collins went away, hoping for what
she considered "the right results."
Meanwhile, poor Lucy Hildeburn,
sitting at her piano, continued to draw
forth such melancholy strains that
tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I must go away from here," she
said, half aloud. "I can't bear it much
longer, indeed I can't, seeing him day
after day, loving him as I do, and
knowing that matters can never be ad
justed between us. He is as proud as
I—but, oh dear! what am I thinking
of? It wants just two minutes to eight.
And how hot the house is getting! I
must go down and close the furnace
doors."
Thereupon she lighted tho lantern
and proceeded down stairs to the cel
lar.
The house was very quiet, and the
lights all burned with a dim, spectral
lustre that only served to produce
strange shadows throughout the rooms
and passages.
Every one seemed to have gone out,
and poor Lucy glanced nervously about
her at every step.
At length she reached tho cellar.
Ugh! What a chill draught was
blowing in through one the gratings!
And there were strange noises ull
around.
Lucy's heart thumped so violently
she was tempted to turn and run up
stairs again.
But goodness! The furnace was
dreadfully, dangerously hot.
Lucy summoned up all the resolu
tion, and, stooping down, closed tho
doors.
They swung to with a bang, and
when she essayed to open them again
she found the effort beyond her
strength.
What was to be done in case of the
fire needing more draught?
Sho might, after awhile, find it
necessary to put on more coal, and
then it would be well to put on more
draught.
But while she was debating with
herself concerning this, a much more
serious mishap occurred, for tho
candle inside the lantern suddenly
achieved the most inexplicable somer
sault, and she was left in utter dark
ness.
Moreover, to complicate the miser
ies of her situation, she heard stead
ily footsteps descending the cellar
stairs.
Poor Lucy stood quite still, with
her hands clasped together over her
heart.
This was a burglar, undoubtedly,
lie had seen all the mule inmates of
the house going out and the lights
lowered, and had thus chosen his op
portunity to come in and conceal him
self in tho cellar. He would, of course,
murder her. Burglars always did that
when they found any one awake.
The first idea that suggested itself
to her was to creep under the steps
and remain there until Mrs. Collins
returned.
Ere she had time to do this, how-'
ever, a man's form became visible in
the dim, semi-twilight that was shed
from the kitchen door above. The in
truder drew nearer until he stood
within a few yards of her, and seemed
to be fumbling in his vest pocket for
something. A dirk, doubtless.
Lucy, with a desperate instinct of
self-preservation, put up both hands,
exclaiming:
"Have pity on me! Oh, have pity
and spare my life!"
Upon this tho burglar drew back,
very much surprised.
"Miss Hildeburn!" he exclaimed, as
he struck a match on the box lie now
produced from his pocket. "What are
you doing here, and how can I serve
you?"
Now poor Lucy completely unnerved
and dreadfully ashamed of herself sat
down on a reversed coal scuttle and
burst into a fit of weeping.
Then Mr. Sangster knelt down be
side her, and a confused interchange
of explanations of various kinds en
sued.
The result was, that at the expira
tion of a half-hour, Mr. Sangster took
Lucy in his arms and kissing the tear
stained face, murmured:
"God bless you for this promise, my
own darling! And, with His help, I
trust these are the last tears I will
cause you to shed."
When Mrs. Collins came home, two
hours later, the house was very quiet,
the furnace in good order, and neither
Mr. Sangster nor Miss Hildeburn visi
ble. But the following day Lucy con
fided to her a secret, aud Mr. Sang
ster absented himself mysteriously for
about three weeks. After that, Miss
Hildeburn also disappeared.
"Gone to visit her aunt at Swath
more," Mrs. Collins explained to tho
other boarders.
But a fortnight later tho mail car
rier brought somo wedding cards to
the house.
"It was all brought about through
Ihe furnace," said Mrs. Collins, with a
gleeful chuckle.
But Miss Jane was infinitely dis
gusted.—Saturday Night.
How Stanton Defied Lincoln.
The application of a man who want
ed to be chaplain in the army during
Mr. Lincoln's Administration was re
cently found. Attached to it are a
number of indorsements which are not
only interesting in themselves, but aid
in disclosing the characters of the two
men whoso influence largely molded
the policy of the Government in those
turbulent times. The indorsements
read as follows:
Dear Stanton—Appoint this man chap
lain in tho army. A. LINCOLN.
Bear Mr.Lincoln—Ho is not a preacher.
E. M. STANTON.
Tho following indorsements are
dated a few months later, but come
just below:
Dear Stanton—Ho Is now. A. LINCOLN.
Bear Mr. Lincoln—But there is no va
cancy. E. M. STANTON.
Boar Mr. Stanton—Appoint him chaplain
ot-large. A. LINCOLN.
Dear Mr. Lincoln—There Is no warrant
of law for that. E. M. STANTON.
Bear Mr. Stanton—Appoint hiin anyhow.
A. LINCOLN.
Bear Mr. Lincoln—l will not.
E. M. STANTON.
The ajipointment was not made, but
tlio papers were filed in the War De
partment, where they remain as evi
dence of ,Lincoln's friendship and
Stanton's obstinate nerve.—lndian
apolis Journal.
An of Volcanic Make.
The British North Borneo Herald
describes tho new island which was
recently thrown up by volcanic action
011 the coast between Mempakoi and
Lumbidan. The island, which is
about forty-five feet high, 250 yards
long and 150 yards broad, has a very
peculiar npearance. It is chiefly &11
upheaval of the sea bottom, but at the
highest point presents entirely differ
ent features. Here the surface of tho
sea bottom has been broken through
from below and a mud crater formed,
which had evidently been forcibly
squeezed up through a circular hole
iu the bedrock further down.
Tho mud crater presents tho form
of a couo with the top and side in
places fallen in; tho portions remain
ing intact show plainly, by the smooth
striated sides, the effects of squeezing
the rock. The cone at its visible base
is perhaps twenty yards in diameter,
and is surrounded at about thirty
yards distance l>y a circular terrace a
lew feet high, which suggests that a
little pressure from below would have
resulted in a far larger cone being
thrown up. There is a lot of bubbling
going on in various cracks and holes,
which flares up wheu a lnatch is ap
plied and continues to burn.
Tainplne Done by Air.
A force of 200,000 men is required
to keep the beds of llio railroads in
order, and the expense of the work is
870,000,000 a year. But au inventor
has come forward who propose to do
the work with compressed air, and
promises greater expedition and a
saving of more than 810,000,000 au
nuallj'. The machine consists of a
Boot blower driven at the rate of per
haps 800 revolutions a minute. It is
set on toil ol* one rail, and has two
small wheels 011 which it can bo
trundled along tho rail like a wheel
barrow. When it is to bo used a lever
clips it fast to tho rail. Attached to it
is a hose twelve feet long, ending in a
metal feeder for the broken stone,
which has a hopper at the top, where
the stone or other suitable ballasting
material is shoveled in, and a bent
end at tho bottom, which is put under
the ties to direct the stream of filling.
In using it none of the ballast be
tween the ties need be removed. A
shovelful is removed at one end of tho
raised tie until the bent end of the
hopper tube can bo poked under, and
then the tilling material is blown iu
and packed tight by the machine.
•r Holler Voatr.
The curious spectacle of a marine
craft propelled by enormous air-tight,
disc-shaped hollow wheels suggests a
radical departure in tho methods of
boat-building. That the experiment
was a failure was tho natural conse
quence of the principles 011 which tho
craft was constructed. All of the ma
chinery and passenger accommodations
rested on a platform supported by
these air-tight wheels arranged in
rows on either side. Tho general
effect was that of a huge wagon, t>je
box of which rested on the water. One
of the causes of tho failure of this
venture was that the wheels took up
sufficient water to handicap them seri
ously. Au attempt was made to coun
teract this by increasiug the power,
but this added to the weight of the
machinery and did not work success
fully. A device to scrape the water
from the wheelc was equally futile,
and as it stands now the roller boat
has scored a most brilliaut failure.
Novtl Wedding King.
A novel wedding ring has just come j
out. Jt is a revival of au ancient
idea, and bids fair to be popular j
among this season's brides. The ring
looks like au ordinary, rather narrow,
plain gold ring. On the inside of it is
a tiny hole. You have ouly to insert
the point of a pin there to see the ap
parently solid gold ring spring apart
into two linked circlets. The date of
the marriage and tho initials of tho
bridegroom and bride are engraved on
the upper surface of the ring and a
motto—"Si vis nmari ama"—on the
lower surface of the other. When the
links are fitted together the inscrip
tions aro concealed and there is no
hint of the ring's secret. The bride
groom wears a similar ring. The jew
eler who is making thom says many
couples have bought them, and that
uiauy more hat 6 ordered them.
*\ Shoe Dont'ft.
Don't put away shoes in a dirty con
dition; wipe them, dress them and
store them in au airy closet.
Don't place shoes against a heater
after coming in from the rain.
Don't wear one pair of shoss steadily.
Two pairs worn alternately will do the
work of three pairs worn consecutively.
Don't shut up an array of shoes in
an air-tight closet.
Don't wear shoes that will not per
mit the great toe to lie in . a straight
line.
Don't wear a shoe that is tight any
where.
Don't wear a shoe so large that it
slips at the heel.
Don't wear a shoe with a sole nar
rower than the outline of tho foot
traced with a pencil drawn close under
the rounding edge.
Don't wear the top of a boot tight,
as it interferes with tho action of the
calf-muscles, makes one walk awk
wardly and causes the ankles to swell.
Don't fail to wipe shoes with f oft
dressing at least once a week.
Don't wear a shoe that has com
menced to run over. Have tho heel
straightened at once and finished on
the worn edge with a row of tiny nails.
Don't economize on footwear; a good
shoo in a cheap shoe.—Demorest's
Magazine.
IIHIH oT Many Styles.
Bonnets aud toques aro in the ns
•endant for dressy occasions, and
French toques bordered aud trimmed
with fur arc especially neat and ap
propriate with liandsomo street toi
lettes. People grow more and more
independent each year, ns regards
headgear, however, and those who
prefer hats, picture aud other, will
have the courage of their convictions.
A hat is moro convenient than a bon
net, fits better, and is often much
more becoming; there being few faces
that look their best iu a bonnet. Even
among hats, However, there ore found
this season somo shapes far from be
coming, especially among tho round
ones.
A woman should exercise much cau
tion iu the selection of her head cov
veriug; and not bo hurried in her de
cision by milliners or impatient shop
ping companions. One lady, whose
style [of face required a small, neat
toque, was persuaded to buy a large
hat with fan-shaped stiff wings at each
sido, giving tho wearer something of
the look of a wind-mill.
Among bonnets one finds some very
pronounced French styles—ono imi
tating an old-fashioned calash just iu
front, under which tho hair is to be
arranged iu the Merode fashion.
This bonnet is round at the sides,
very short above the ears and at tha
back, having strings of a correspond
ing shade of velvet to that composing
the bonnet itself. These velvet
strings are set 011 at the shortest part,
and the bonnet is trimmed with a
great profusion of feathers in various
shades of red, brown, olive and gold.
Cream-gray felt bonnets look well
trimmed with sablo bauds aud tails?
with green feathers and a colored bird
spreading its wings.—The Housewife.
Uo.Bip.
Buffalo (N. Y\) aldermen have re
fused to appropriate any money for the
instruction ol public school girls iu
cooking.
Miss Ada Negri, tho young Italian
poet who has been having a consider
able vogue in London, is an ardent
Socialist.
Mrs. Jessie Falmer Weber, of
Springfield, 111., a daughter of General
John M. Palmer, has been ehosen to
succeed the Into Miss Josephine
Clevelaud as librarian of the Illinois
Historical Library.
Women in France have just secured
a slight addition to their legal rights.
They may henceforth be valid wit
nesses to registration of birth, mar
riages nr.d deaths, and to the siguaturo
iu legal documents.
Miss Melvillo B. Wilson, whose
statue, "The Minute Man," President
MeKinley called "a good summer's
work," has made a new departure in
modeling small cabinet busts, which
Hire reproduces in marble and bronze.
Tho first Southern woman to have
fier name inscribed on a monument as
tho designor is Mies Virginia Mont
gomery, who has had her design for a
confederate memorial, to be erected in
San Antonio, Texas, accepted 1 by the
oommittee.
Alice M. Beck with, who will soon
assume her duties as County Clerk in
Weld County, Colorado, is beinggiven
considerable advertising in tho State
as one of the first women in a coun
ty office other than that of Superinten
dent of Schools.
Miss Alice Marie Clark, of Washing
ton, has been elected professor of Ger
man in the Centenary Collegiate In
stitute at Hackettstown, N. J. She
was graduated at the Woman's Col
lege in Baltimore in 189G, and went
abroad for travel and study.
Dr. Marie Louise Benoit, of Lowell,
Mass., has been appointed Medical In
terne in the New York State Craig col
ony for Epileptics at Sonyea, Living
ston County. She is the first woman
appointed as a Medical Interne in the
State hospital service of New York.
Miss. M. J. Frodsham lias been ap
pointed lecturer at the Training Col
lege, Cambridge, England. She won
the entrance scholarship at Hoiloway
College and tho First Founder's
Scholarship for Mathematics, and a
second-class Oxford honor moderation
iu mathematics.
Queen Nathalie has dismissed all
her Servian servants as an indication
tlmt slio has severed all connections
with her husband, ex-King Milan, who
is again in Belgrade, aud her sou,
King Alexander. The former Queen
is a Prussian by birth, very rich and
was educated in a school iu Florence
attended by several American girls.
The Queen of Portugal, who has
studied medicine, while walking re
cently in a wood near Lisbon with a
lady with honor, was startled by the
sound of a cry. Proceeding to the spot
she found that a woodchopper had
been injured by a falling branch. Tho
Queen attended to tho man's injuries,
and then with her companion assisted
him to reach his cabin.
There is a larger number of students
at Bryn Mawr this term than ever be
fore. and statistics recently made out
show that tho gymnastic training of
girls who have been some years in the
college is telling in the general aver
age of lung capacity, muscular
strength, height, weight, etc. There
are forty-two graduates for '9B, eighty
nine in the freshman class, and a total
number of 322 students.
Frenkn and Fancies.
rpneil protectors are now made in ;
sterling silver.
The enamel Walls-of-Troy belt,
joined by small jewels, is a novelty,
The low, squat shape is the newest
thing in large hall and banquet lamps.
Flannel petticoats are trimmed with '
flounces of white silk edged with lace.
Very long wrinkled sleeves are worn j
with tho low or half low waists of full
dress.
Fancy waists will increase, rather
than diminish, in favor during tho
coming season.
The circular skirt At ill retains its
vogue, although many of tho models
are greatly narrowed.
Amaranth red is a now color added
to the winter list. It is between a
crimson and a cherry.
For dressy occasions, sashes of chif
fon, with long ends edged with pleated
frilling or lace, are much worn.
Ciotli and corded silk aud drap d'ete,
or double-faced and moire, will be very
fashionably combined next season.
Bridesmaids', debutantes' and danc
ing costumes are made in primrose aud
palo pink crepe de Chine, and trimmed
with beautiful laces aud pearl and opal
passementeries.
Chatelaines in oxide and gilt, Rus
sian enamel, cut steel, etc., and in
open filigree work, havo all kinds of
convenient trifles attached, such as
tablets, purses, glove buttoners, pen
cils, etc.
Flower trimming is in favor for evea
ing gowns, rows of shaded pink roses
without foliage being much used: also
maidenhair fern and sprays of lilac,
laid 011 strands of ribbon un inch anil
a half wide.
Colored silk moreen is a good sub
stitute for tho tnffeta silk petticoat aud
it comes iu pretty stripes, plaids, and
changeable eifect3. It is not cheap,
however, but it is said to wonr nearly
three times as long as the taffeta.
A half-worn light silk waist may bo
very satisfactorily refurbished by strip
ing it crosswise with black velvet rib
bon, putting velvet ribbon around tho
plain collar band and adding a new
chemisette neck of laco aud a velvet
belt.
A blouse which combined purple,
black and wliite'was mado of cloth to
match tho skirt, plaided with broad
white stripes. The high collar and
the pointed revers aud cuffs were of
black aslrakan, tho material used for
muff aud toque.
Woven trimmings to imitate elabor
ate hand embroideries in shaded effects
are increasingly popular. These gar
nishes, made of silk, jet, cut steel,
beads, mock jewels, etc., produce a
very Oriental effect when used on
special parts of a costume.
Handsome little boxes, four inches
deep and large enough to hold plate
doilies, are lined with silver and pre
vided with a sachet mat for perfuming
purposes. The tops are covered with
any material desired, a quilliug of rib
bou or a frill of lace over silk finish
ing the sides. They are really useful
receptacles for tho dainty doilies that
need careful protection.
THINGS QUEER IN MEXICO.
According to law all books of cor
porations must be kept iu the language
of tlio country.
Mexican men and women carefully
refold their handkerchiefs before re
turning them to their pockets.
Milk is delivered from house tc
house from large cans with a flat sidti
that are slung over a burro's back.
Women doctors are practically un
known and the first woman to be ad
mitted to the bar recently took her
examination.
Most doctors havo signs as largo as
those of the dry goods stores, reach
ing clear across the front of their
office buildings.
Judges take a more active part in
trials than in the States, and, as a
rule, question tho prisoner and wit
nesses direct from tho bench.
In addition to the omnipresent bal
pony every window in Mexican houses
is fitted with iron rods on which to
aang a canvas awning.
Tho City of Mexico owns a closed
9treot car without windows that is
ased for transporting prisoners from
>ne part of the city to another.
As a usual rule commercial houses
have certain hours for paying just as
a bank and many of them only make
payment one day in the week.
It is sometimes necessary to hold
court at least for a short time on Sun
clay as under the law jury trials can
Qot bo continued for a longer time
than twenty-four hours.
Mexican butchers have no use for
saws. They cut beefsteaks, chops
ind everything else with oue big thick
knife, weighing several pounds, that
they use both as knife and cleaver.
To tho lowest classes of Indians and
peons knives and forks are unknown.
They deftly convey their food to their
mouths with a piece of tortilla, the
:orn cake that forms the stall of life of
tho common people.
No obstructions whatever can be
placed in the streets without authori
ty from the municipal authorities. A
painter must even get permission to
put up his scaffold from which to paint
t sign on a building.—Modern Mexico.
A Fifteen-Year-OM Check.
Mr. Pleas Chaudoin, living on Ens
lell Creek, in Green County, last week
received the money on a check which
bad been given him nearly fifteen
pears ago. The check was given by
Mr. Chaudoin by the Farmers' tobacco
warehouse of Louisville, in payment
for his crop of tobacco, and called for
$l7O. In some manner the check was
misplaced, ami "Uncle Pleas" forgot
ill about it. Besides, ho was a long
ways from a bank, and no one iu his
neighborhood had enough money to
rash the check, and "CJncle Pleas"
thought he would not worry about tho
loss of the check until ho fgot ready to
50 to town, when ho would havo the
missing paper supplied by tho firm.
Time went on, and the check was for
gotten, until about six months ago, in
looking over some papers he found
•he long-lost cheek and at ouco took
it to tho bank for collection. Some
lime was consumed in looking over the
books of tho Farmers' warehouse, and
in checking up their bank account,
but it was found that tho check had
never been paid, and last week an
other check was sent Mr. Chaudoin by
the big combine of which tho Farm
ers' house is now a member, and the
old check taken up. It goes without
Haying that "Uncle Pleas" got the last
check cashed immediately.—Glasgow
(Ky.) News.
Unique Altar Made by Indians.
A dispatch from Sioux Falls, Soutb
Dakota, says: "Situated at the ex
treme limit of tho eastern boundary of
South Dakota is the famous red p*pe
Htouo quarry, for whoso existence
scientists are at a loss for an explana
tion. This is the only quarry of the
kind known to exist on tho American
continent, or, for that matter in the
world. It is tho stone from which
tho Indians make their pipes and or<
naments, and for which the Indian!
make annual pilgrimages now, as tliej
have done in ages past.
"In tho neighborhood of this quarrj
a tribe of Indians located years ago
and became zealous converts to the
Episcopal faith. Bishop Haro visited
their community recently, and among
other things was called upon to com
secrate an altar, perhaps the most
unique that was ever erected iu 0
chapel. The material used was al
most wholly red pipestone, quarried
by tho Indians, and finished and poh
ished by them. Tho substance used
for polishing was honey, and the worb
was slow aud laborious, covering 0
period of several months. Tho altoi
is beautiful, tho symbols of tlicchurcb
being engraved upon the stone pan
els."—Chicago Chronicle.
lloorifthuess Explained.
A day or two ago I entered a Czech
cafe, in a little frequent..! part of
Prague, and chanced to forget totakt
oft'my liat immediately on entering, s
custom which prevails almost every
where in German speakiugj countries.
This apparently was taken as an insult
by the people 111 the cafe, aud to mj
surprise i was greeted by a veritabb
storm of shouts and hisses. For *
few moments, having no knowledge 01
the Czech language, I did not realize
my offouse, but seeing that they had
mistaken me for a German, and fear
ing that they might really attack mo,
as several Germans have been at>
tacked and maltreated lately, I called
out in Germau, "I am English." Tin
effect of tho Announcement was in
stantaneous, aud the tumult immedi
ately subsided. But later on I ques.
tioned tho waiter, who told me that
"pig" and "dog" were among the po
lite epithets the Czechs had shouted
at me when they mistook my nation
ality.—Westminster Gazette.