Spain is in a position to fit out a magnificent navy it she will utilize her hardships. The French built the Suez Canal ■nd the British nre getting the largest part of the benefit from it. There is no national feeling in China. The different sections of the country hate each other more cor dially than they hate foreigners. Such military and naval forces as ex ist are provincial rather than imperial. Bulgaria is going to take effective means to increase its population. For every son born beyond a minimum number 95 will be paid not only to the father, but to the mother also. A soldier showing a dozen sons will re ceive a pension large enough to sup port him, and besides a decoration- The same reward will go to his wife. It was Schley who discovered Cer vera in Santiago Harbor. It was Schley who discovered Cervera as he started on his dash to destruction. When Schley discovered Cervera's ships on May 29 he said: "I have got them, and they will never get home." And prophet Schley had the pleasure and the honor of bringing about the fulfil ment of his own prophecy. Several object lessons have been presented for tbe consideration of nations in the war. One is that America can strike swiftly and strike hard. Another is that spirit of gen erosity toward a conquered foe which is as much a tradition here as the love of freedom. The one lesson is a warn ing; the other is an example which will certainly bear fruit in future wars. A member of the Volksraad of the Orange Free State, South Africa, rec ommends Sunday observance as an effectual cure for the rinderpest. Re cently in tho course of the debates on the new Sunday Observance Act of that State, he assured the members that if they only passed a stringent Sabbath law "rinderpest and all other plagues would vanish, and the laud would be one flowing with milk and honey." Tho new act, by tho way, prohibits "goods trains, except per ishables, pleasure trains, and all games, the latter under penalty of §OO or one month." Oh the Fourth of July a young man of Stockton, Kan., took his best girl to a picnic. There she accepted so many attentions from another young man that the first young man became en raged and went home, leaving the girl to get back to her own house as best she might. She hired a hack, for which her father paid seventy-fivo cents, and then the old man sent the bill to the sulky young suitor. He re fused to pay, and the old man sued him a iu justice's court, alleging that having taken the girl to the picnic it became his duty to see her safely home at his own expense. Both sides have hired lawyers, and the case will be fought to a finish. History notes the fact that Bahia Nipe, tho third large harbor of Cuba occupied by the United States, was the scene of the first landing of Col umbus on the shores of the greatest of the Antilles. It was at Nipe bay that the voyager took his caravels aftei sailing southward from San Salvador, and, after moving from that point west ward for some distance he turned, be lieving, it is narrated, that he had en countered the shores of Asia and could not hope to sail entirely around that great continent. So he went back eastward and thus made his way back to Spain to toll of his wonderful dis coveries. Nipe bay thus connects it self with two widely separated stages of the history of Cuba. Consul Smith at Moscow has made a report to the State Department in regard to the education of children in Finland. "About thirty-eight per cent, of the population of Finland," he says, "can read and write. There are 1400 schools, supported in part by the Government; twenty-one of these are intermediate schools. Each of the 408 districts has an inspector besides a board of directors. Children com mence school at the age of ten; from seven to ten they receive instruction at home from the parish priest. Co rducatiou has been most successful iu those schools. In Finland women share in all industries, and are espe cially capable as teachers. Both men and women teachers receive careful instruction and preparation. They are treated with the greatest defer ence, nor aro their duties confined to the school room; they exercise a supervision over the selection of books for home reading, and during the tammer vacations they accompany the Ihildren on excursions, giving them lessons front nature." g|fp(;tior> AN OLD FAMILY PORTRAIT. If you couM think, if you could speak, I woiulor how your voice would souudl And wlmt opinion you would hold Of those who idly crowd urouud! Why nre your eyes, with passive pnzo, Fixed on us as we Inugli or weep, As though you seemed to stand aloof Aud mystic self-communion keep? Can all we say, and all wo do, And all wo are or might tiavo been, Be naught to you, as though we were Unknown, uncared for, and unseen? 'Tis ages since tho artist's brush Upon a snowy canvas drew Your features; then rovered and loved. Now only known by name to few. It may be ages since you left To enter on your endless trance; But day by day we love to build Around your face some freab romance. —II. N. SI., in Chambers's Journal. g03000030000000:>00300000Cg |IHE COHVIGTJNIIO ESCIPEOf Q By Joseph Percival Pollard. Q 00000000000000300000000030 HE liue that di ) 'Hi v ides Texas I from a presurn- I <>bly yet move JL furnace-like re gion was on this fit ' ess ev *^ eu f than usual. The I fiit "n. J air seemed visi ~ V'y shriveling EUt-fi" the excess of H imut, aud the ill r sun hung above V 1 gj* the parched earth like a per petnal menace. Granite Mountain glistened iu the glare with its thousand ruddy points sparkling like fireflies. Around the base of the mountain the long canvas covered sheds gave the appearance of a huge yellow snake coiled up aud at rest. Iu the sheds where they were hewing and fashioning the stones that were to grace the walls of tho State House, the heat was even more fear ful. Tanned and leathery as were the skins of tho State's prisoners working there, they yet gave vent to an occa sional sigh; breath came with diffi culty, and exhaustion was everywhere evident. But, since they kuew that this day must come to an end at last, and since escape was, even in attempt, sheer folly, the convicts continued to ply their hammers and chisels without ceasing. For they knew themseves to be mere incidents in the building of the great capitol that was to outlive them and tho memory of them. There were many among these con victs, indeed, to whom this work of cutting granite at Granite Mountain was iu the nature cf an immeuse relief from a far greater evil—the Swamps. Iu all the history of convict labor there is nothing more horriblo than that chapter in which the names of those American convicts who have died in the swamps are recorded. These places have all the loneliness of the Siberian steppes, and are plague spots besides. Consequently, when a number of con victs were transferred from the swamps to Granite Mountain, there to be taught granite-cutting, these men came gradu ally to consider themselves as having been lifted from a hell to a heaven, and to behave gratefully as a recom pense. The guards who paced up and down at every point of the visible and invisible horizon were rarely obliged to bring their Winchester into actual use; attempts at escape were few and far between—firstly, because tho lot of these convicts was indubitably the happiest in the gift of the State of Texas, aud secondly, because the for mation of the country near Granite Mountain wns especially unfavorable to success in eluding the rifles of the outposts. It was almost possible to stand at any point on the mountain itself aud see every outlet of the camp at once. When it did happen that tho soundof the chisclsstrikiugthe granite was interrupted by the sharper "whang" of Winchesters, the question usually uppermost in the mind was not "Did he escape?" but "Did they kill him, or only wing liirn?" Any attempts at escape were mostly the result of a soito; frenzy that convicts are victims to; it is a state of mind much akin to the temporary insanity that juries find so convenient a label for suicides. When, therefore, tho hot stillness of that place was broken on this day by the quick crackling of several Win chesters, the granite-cutters merely listened a moment, sighed, and bent down again to the veined blocks of stone before them. In tho guard house the guards who were not on outpost duty smiled at each other. One of them said shortly— "lt's always on these very hot days," and tho others nodded. Out on the western ridge of the great red mountain, John Temple, the guard whose Winchester had spoken, was standing over tho body of a con vict who lay prostrate, a gray spot on tho dull bed cf rock over which a little stream of blood was trickling. Another guard approached presently, and they carried the would-be fugitive down into r sort of ravine, where tho sun couid no penetrate aud where there was both coolness and shade. Then they scut for the doctor, who came riding up aftei a little while, and pronounced the man wounded to death. "He may live an hour," he said. The wounded man opened two weary eyes; his right baud fumbled down against the rough sail-cloth upon which he lay, striving to grasp it, to elenoh it so that he could steady himself. "Bring the sergeant," he gasped; then his head dropped, and he seemed to sink into restfulness. When he opened his eyes again, the sergeant was standing waiting at his side. It was very still there, in that shadowy place; death was already writing his signs upon the face of the prostrate convict, and the awe of him was upon the faces of all. "Maybe," began the convict, look ing at the sergeant, "you remember what I'm in for, and maybe you don't. Any way I've got to tell you, so's I can make clear the whole of it. It's weak in me, I reckon, and there ain't no real call for me to tell it, but I'm n coward; I don't want to leave this world under the cloud I've lived in. "I reckon nil you know me by now is my number; but before I was sent up iny name was Wainwright. I used to live up in Lampasas; kept a general store there, and was getting on fairly well for a young fellow. They were a pretty rough lot, the people who trad ed at my place—cowboys, and poor farmers. But I managed to keep out of trouble and was laying a little some thing by, every year. I was saving up until I had enough so's I could ask Mary Horton, the postmaster's daugh ter, to marry me, which I hoped was going to be soon. This was fifteen years ago—fifteen years ago. Mary'd told me she was willing, and wo were as good as engaged, only I'd never thought it quite fair to have her bind herself until I was quite sure I could provide for her. "And then Mary set eyes on a young cowboy of the name of Farnly one day, —and she never was the same to me afterwards. I thought I'd oat my heart out, to see how she was all glow ing with love for him: for he was n reckless sort, and I don't think he'd make her a good man. You see, I loved Mary; if she was going to be happier with Farnly, I wasn't going to stand in the way. It would hurt, I knew that; but if she wanted it that way "Well, one day, another cowboy from the same ranch that Faruly was punching for rode into town, and started to drinking. He went over to the postofficc and called Mary Horton out to the door. Faruly was in my store, just opposite the postoffice, at the time, and we could see everything 2)laiuly. 'So yoo're the girl,' began the cowboy, leaning heavily against the frame of the door. Then he tried to kiss her; she flung out ber hand at his face, and he, laughing drunkenly, was beginning to press forward, when there was a shot and the man fell. He died in five minutes. "That shot was fired from my store. Tho jury and the evidence declared that it was I who fired the shot that killed that man. And that's why I'm here. But I'm going too fast. Be fore tho smoke cleared away and out of the room that Farnly and I wero standing in, I looked at the pistol—it was still smoking—and then at Farn ly. 'lt's mo she loves,' I said. The same thing was in both our minds. Ho shook his head. 'Look at this,' and he handed me a note. It was in Mary's hand; what else it said I don't know, but at the last she declared she loved him, and that she would break oil' with me. For a moment or two I felt like killing Farnly, I reckon; then I took the hot pistol and held it so until they came and found me. All the evidence went to show that it was I,"driven on by jealousy, who fired the shot that killed the cowboy. But is was not I. In was Farnly. If she had not loved him—if she had not de termined upon sharing his life, what would it nil havo mattered to me? They might havo found the smoking pistol in his liau.l for all I cared. But I loved her—do you understand that? —I loved her. She loved him; if slio knew that he was a murderer, it would almost kill her. As for me, she no longer cared for me; my fate would only grieve her! for a space; I was nothing in her life now. And so—l took the blame." Tho feverish utterance ceased sud denly, and tho dying man closed his eye 3 slowly. In the distance you could hear the whistles of the fore men, too dull echoes of blasting, and the tinkle of chisels. Tho doctor looked away from the pallet for an in stant; his eyes wandered up towards where the sua was now visible over the edge of the ravine; when ho with drew them, they were slightly moist; the snn had probably been too strong, i ,"Tbnt," went on the convict, open ing his eyes again, and stnriug at the guard with a horrible smile on his gray lips, "was fifteen years ago. Well, since then—l have been here, and in the swamps. It is hard, isn't it, to bo a prisoner—hopelessly—for so long—when yon are innocent? But rather than spoil her happiness I would have died. She must believe in her husband—always to tbe end. And so—l cotild never speak. Only now, only now, when it can do no harm—and because it feels easier to pass ont without tho stain than with it. It is only that you may remember that convict sixtv-nino was innocent. I won't say anything about what I've endured. I'd do it again, gladly. I hope he made her happy. And now you must promise—you must promise me—a dying man, that you will say nothing of what I have told you; that you will regard it as sacred, and that thero will ;be no raking among the ashes of fifteen years ago. Fromise me that, gentlemen, promise me, or —l—cannot—die—in—peace." His dim eyes wandered from face to face, imploringly, and yet with some thing of command in them. The sergeant looked at the doctor, and both their eyes shone. "It's against the law," said the ser geant putting out his hand and laying it on the doctor's shoulder, "but for a 'mas like that, i'd —doctor, if I omit this from the records " "I'll do the saino." said the doctor swiftly. The he spurted a. the guard, "And if you say a word " "I'll be hanged first," was the fieroe reply. Then there was a silence, un til the dying man spoke again, very slowly nnd with an effort. "I suppose you wonder why I— tried to escape. Well, it was a mad ness, I think. I can't explain it my self. But I was out there with the blasting outfit to-day, when suddenly I looked up and saw the figure of a woman against the skyline, on tho slope of the granite mountain. She had on a big sunbonnet, and to me, in my sudden madness, she was the image of Mary Horton as I used to watch her coming from the district schoolhouse in the long ago. I reckon it was really one of the guards' wives; but I didn't think of that then. I saw that figure, and—all of a sudden —everything gave way in me—all but the longing for her. I forgot the years—the place, everything. There was Mary— out there on the moun tain; if I could reach her aud tell her how miserable I was; if I could but kiss her once; but once speak to her And then, I started forward madly, running at full speed, in a kind of frenzy—and—now—l—am— here." He noticed the anguish on the guard's face, and went on, looking up smilingly at him "Oh, you did your duty, you know. How were you to kuow the madness that was iu me? For it must have been a—madness. Yes, surely, it must have been. And so, you have all promised me that you—will say nothing? Ah, thank you, thank you. It makes it so much easier for ine, if I can think that she will never know. It—might —worry—her ' r His breath went from him in a gen tle sigh, and the eyes closed. The doctor stepped forward, aud put his head down towards the man's heart. It had ceased to beat. "Dead!" he said briefly. A tear glistened on the guard's ! leathery cheek. "He v. as white," he said thickly, "clear through." Thou he put his hand to his cheek and wiped away a tear. "When an army soldier dies " he went on, looking at tho sergeant. "Yes," said tho sergeant, "go on; he deserves it." Over in the guard-station they list ened to the shots aud looked up. "What's that?" asked a lately ar rived guard. "A convict has escaped!" was the answer. WISE WORDS. Out of debt out of danger. Slander is the revenge of a coward, and dissimilation his defense. Life is too short to be wasted in petty worries, hatred aud vexation. Chance opportunities make us known to others, aud still more to ourselves. He is young enongh who lias health, and he is rich enough who has no debts. The only failure a man ought to fear is failure in cleaving to the pur pose he sees to be best. Self-knowledge is that acquaintance with ourselves which shows us what we are, and what we ought to be. A false report does not last long, aud tho life one leads is always the best apology of that which one has led. Great efforts come of industry and perseverauce; for audacity doth almost bind and mate the 'weaker sort of miuds. Tho moral courage that will face obloquy in a good cause is much a rarer gift thau the bodily valor that will confront death in a bad one. Passing of the Oldest Coin. One of the oldest coins of Europe will shortly disappear. The Austrian, "krenzer" was withdrawn from com mercial circulation on June 30, iu accordance with the convention es | tablishing a copper currency of equal valuo for all parts of the empire. It will be received at public banks iu payment or in exchange for new money until December 31, 1839, but from the first day of tho coming cen tury it will no longer be legal tender. The "kreuzer" has been in existence since tho fifteenth century, taking its name, of course, from the cross which it hore in common with many other coins. It circulated freely in North as well as South Germany at one time, but for some twenty-five years has not been current beyond the Austrian frontier.—Loudon Chronicle. Sicns For lilcycllenncs. To pick the seed ball of a dandelion and blow away every tiny piece of fluff at the first effort means that you must turn back at once, as you are badly wanted at home. It is supposed to be lucky to see a black cat in your path, provided yon don't frighten it or send it away. To ride over or in jure a black cat is declared to be at tended with serious consequences. To pass a novice in distress aud not offer to help her means that you will bo in similar need of assistance before the day is out. On the other hand, if you curtail your ride and dismount to offer your help you will meet tho friend you most like before your ride is over.—London Cycle. Wiltl Camels in Arizona. It is believed that some of the camels imported in 1853 to run wild in Arizona are still in existence. Indians occasionally report having seen some, and lately tho International Boundary Commission saw two with their spy glasses on the Mexican border. Centenarians In ltussla. Servia, one of the smallest coun tries of Europe, has more centenar ians than any other country. Of a population of 1,300,000 there are 575 persons whose age exceed one Uuu [ dred years. FIELDS OF ADVENTURE. TKRILLINC INCIDENTS AND DARINC DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA. Flglitlnz ITltli Kliales-Tlio Experience oi* (apt 111n lln-r off llatToriie—Secret ol Mlsilftnnry'i Welcome—Unharmed f>y II nattier—The Cadet's lleecue. -Oaptain Autoneßose, of the whaling schooner Joseph A. Manta, lias arrived at Proviucetowu, Mass., his homo, having been obliged to leavo his vessel on aecouut of sickness, the result of exposure while lighting a whale. The schooner reached the Hatteras whaling grounds on April 24, and tire next day, soon after daylight, the man in the crow's ne3t at tho mainmast head raised whales, and in five minutes the boats were away to the chase. The irons were soon to the hilt in a lively young twenty-five barrel whale. After a few moments'tussle the fish started to sound, taking tho line over the bow at racehorse speed, making things smoke in tho chocks. Suddenly the line kinked, ami in the twinkling of an eye the remainder of the rail was out of tho tub, catching with a snap for an instaut pn tho stem of the boat, just long enough to tear it out and wreck the boat. Tho boat steerer's kuife flashed in the air, and tho monster was free, taking the line with him. All attention of the crew was turned to the boat, which was quickly filling, and it was quick work to save their own lives. The mast and the six oars were lashed across the gunwales to keep her from capsizing, and she slowly began to settle. Higher nnd higher rose the water, until it reached to tho shoulders of the men as they stood on the seats. There they stood four long hours, balancing ou their precarious foot hold, hanging to life by a thread, until their vessel could bo worked up to them from her distant position on the horizon. When rescued some of the men were nearly dead. One poor fellow was unconscious, and it required an hour of hard work and quantities of hot coffee to bring him back to life. The next day, nothing daunted by their rough experience, the boats were away again in the chase, and soon had a monster as long as the vessel spout ing his life blood. At 5 o'cloek that afternoon their prize was safely moored head and stern alongside the little schooner, and the work of get ting her out of, tho rough waters of the Gulf stream began. They worked steadily until oo'clock the next morning, but their efforts were unavailing, as a heavy gale had sprung up aud was blowing with hurricane force. Barks and schooners could be seen ou all Bides lying hove to under bare poles. Iu order to save the vessel Captain Rose was obliged to cut the warps and let the eighty-barrel prize, worth fully §2OOO, drift away. The long ex posure in the cold water and hard work aggravated an old strain, and Captain Rose began to grow siok and tvas obliged to work the vessel in to ward the laud for assistance. Sighting a tug off Long Island, the captain took passage for land, and sent his vessel to sea again in charge of his first officer, hud has speut tho last five weeks in the New Bedford Hospital. Unharmed bj a Serpent. The incident of St, Paul and the viper and the stories of Zinzeudorf and Erainerd aud their serpent visitors are lead by every ouo with the thrill of interest always felt where a human life is at stake. We can imagine the effect upon those who were eyewit nesses of the fact, and saw these men escape without a wound. Near the middle of the last century David Brainerd left his mission among the Indians at Stockbridge, Massachu setts, and traveled southward to the "forks of the Delaware." He had heard of a savage tribe in the heart of the New Jersey forests, and yearned to bring them uudcr Christian influ ences. With his pocket-Bible, his tent cloth and a few simple utensils for preparing his food strapped in a bun dle on his back, he pushed on through the wilderness till he found himself in tho neighborhood of the Indian vil lage. Ho was not tired, and mount ing his little shelter-tent on sticks, he camped under the trees to rest nnd to fortify himsolf for tho new undertak ing that lay before him. What peril was near him from savngo hands ho could not know, and like his Master iu "a solitary place apart," ho talked with heaven until ho felt refreshed aud strong. \Y hen he finally reached the wigwams, he was an astonished man. His faith and hope had mado him bold, but he little expected when he faced the en emies of his race that a "wholo vil lage" would come out to meet him as if ho had been a long-lookcd-for friend. Led by the chief, the Indians wel comed him as their guest, and seemed almost to reverence him as a prophet. He stayed among them nnd preached, winning tho hearts and the faith of the nututorcd natives,until he gathered a church of between seventy and eighty Christian Indians. Brainerd nover knew, until they told him, the secret of his welcome. The •avages had discovered the white stranger in the woods, and a party of them had waited to steal upon him and kill him as soon as he entered his tent. Peering between the folds of the can vas, they saw him on his knees, pray ing. Ignorant wonder held them back, nnd their wonder turned to awe when they saw a rattlesnake crawl over the stranger's foot and pause beside him, with its head raised as if to strike;but it only gazed at him a momont, flick ered its red tongue, nnd glided out of the tent on the opposite side. The Indians hurried back and reported that the white man was under the protec tion o! the Great Spirit.—Youth'a Com panion. Ilcscuod the Cadet. An engineer cadet, who is now nn assistant engineer on one of the cruisers in Cuban waters, went ashore in Honolulu to weigh coal for his ship one morning about live years ago. When he returned aboard for luncheon all hands were at mess, except a loutish, moon-faced landsman, a former farm hand from interior California, who had been the butt of his mates as an inno cent of the rawest kind. This lands man had bolted his dinner and was leaning over the starboard rail, look ing no more stupid or inert than he generally did. A big coal lighter was moored alongside the ship, and the cadet in order to get aboard ship had to climb from the steam launch that brought him off onto the lighter, and then pull himself up on the fixed iron gangway ladder to the gangway. There was a space of about two feet between the coal lighter and the ship. Into this space the cadet, missing his hold when he attempted to clutch the ladder, fell, feet foremost, with a splash. The crew of the steam launch heard the splash, but did not know what had caused it. It was about 100 to 1 against the cadet's sav ing his life by his own efforts, for when he came up his head was due to bump against the bottom of tho lighter, and it is a hard proposition even for a good swimmer to keep his nerve un der such circumstances. The cadet didn't keep his nerve, nnd ho surely would have been a goner had it not been for the loutish laudsmnn leauiug over tho starboard rail. Tho loutish landsman proved to bo tlia right man. He did not oven kick off his Govern ment brogaus before ho let himself fall into the space between tho lighter and tho 3hip at tee exact jioint where the cadet had goue done. Tho crew of the steam launch saw this move and wondered what it meant. They did not know the cadet was under neath tho lighter. In about half a minute the moon-faced landsman came from beneath tho lighter, and ho had the cadet along with him. The cadet, his nerve gone, was very wild, and clutched the landsman fiercely. The landsman freed his right arm from tho grasp of the struggling cadet aud gave him a jolt on tho point of tho jaw with his big right fist that the cadet declares ho feels yet. Tho blow put tho cadet out of the game altogether, but it saved his life. He would have pulled his rescuer down with him bad ho not been knocked silly, and this was one of tho times when.an enlisted man struck nn officer without being punished for it. The landsman and the cadet were hauled into the steam launch by tho crew, nnd the ship's company proceeded to hunt up an other butt l'or their humor. The moon-faced landsman wasn't made to ■Servo in that capacity any longer. Towed Six antes by a Swordfisli. The steam yacht Chetolah, N. Y. Y. C., owner A. J. Wise, put in at Sen Cliff, IJ. 1., recently with a swordfish on board measuring thirteen feet ten inches long aud weighing G25 pounds. The fish was caught thirty-five miles southeast of Block Island. Ho gave the party an exciting chnse, towing the yacht's gig and a small boat six miles before he could bo killed. Mr. Wise and a party of friends went cut on tho Chetolah from Green port on a swordfishing trip. An offer of a $lO bounty was made to the sailor first sighting a big fish. About tho middle of the afternoon one of the sailors caught a glimpse of the mon ster, and the yacht was quickly got iuto a position from which the skip per, J. W. Matthews, who is an ex perienced swordfisherman, could har poon him from the bow of the yacht. As soon as Mr. Matthews had made his mark the party got iuto the gig and tho small boat, and a thrilling pursuit ensued, which lasted nn hour aud a half before tho fish received its death blow. It took five stout sailors to work tho tacklo which hoisted the fish to the deck of tho yacht. A box was hastily put together nnd tno fish was packed in ice in order to give tho ladies of tho family aud their friends a chance to see it. A Qulclc-'.Vltted Swede. An Ordnance Sergeant stationed at ono of tho I'ncifio coast artillery posts went suddenly i isane n few years ago. His mind had been disturbed for some time by the hnrd-lienrtedness of a young woman who declined to marry him. On the day that his wits went completely awry ho made for the magazines with the intention, as he quietly announced to a young Swedish recruit whom he met on the way, of blowing them up. The Swede's eyes stuck out at this, but he was one of the tribe of quick thinkers. "Ay tank Ay'll go alang an' linlp," said he to the crazy Ordnnuce Ser geant, whose eyes gleamed with in sanity. The Sergeant made no response, and tho Swedish recruit walked after him. The Sergeant opened tho door of one of the main magazines, that held many thousands of pounds of black smooth-bore powder, and start ed to break out a big box of it. The Swede saw that the crazy man actually intended to blow up the magazine. When he was convinced of this he picked up a shellbar, waited for the insane man to turn his back aud banged him over the head with it. Then he carried tho crazy Ordnance Sergeant on his back to the guard house. The Swedish recruit was a Corporal the next day. The Diameter of an Atlantic Fog.' The captain of an Atlautio liner, after many calculations, has come to the conclusion that the general size of a' fog in the Atlantic is about thirty miles in diameter. HOUSEHOLD AFFAIRS. l'aate tv Mend CUlna. China nnd porcelain may be neatly and easily mended with a paste com posed of oxide of zinc nnd chloride of zinc. The paste is pure white, and hardens quickly, but until it is quito set it is better to fasten the parts to gether by binding round with twine. Preserving Itibbons and Silks. To preserve ribbons and silks put tbem away in brown paper, for wbito paper contains chloride of limo, aud frequently produces discoloration. A white satin dress should bo pinned in blue paper, with brown paper on tho outside, sewed together on the edges, 'Door Drapery. An effective door drapery for a door way leading to a room or hall furnished in dark tones is composed of a series of wrought-iron chains of graduated lengths, those at the sides reaching half way to the floor and shortening toward tho centre to form an arch overhead. Tho chains are slender and the effect is far richer than that of the now so common bead portieres. How to Clean a Straw Hat. Scrub the rim of the hat first with the juice of one lemon. Cut out an oval piece of ca. dboard the size of the crown. Scrub the straw and rinse in cold water. Tut the piece of card hoard inside the crown and lay tho hat upside down and press the card board firmly into the crown. Turn the bat down on a piece of wrapping paper, cover the rim with paper and place heavy weights on tho riui and leave ovei night to dry. Keeping Meals Warm. When it is necessary to keep a meal hot for n belated comer, do not set tho plate holding tho food in a hot oven, thus discoloring the china as well as drying the food; instead, place the jilate upon the fire over a pan of boil ing water, covering the plate with a pau that will just fit over the edge of tho plate. The food will keep hot, aud there will ho enough steam from the boiling water in tho lower pan to keep tho plate moist aud prevent tho con tents hecomiug dried. Washing Quilts. During tho warm mouths the thiu quilt takes tho placo of heavier bed covering. They require frequent wash ing to keep them clean, but this is not a difficult task when one has a good washing machine and wringer. Put one or two quilts (owing to tho size) in the machiue, heat enough soft water to cover thein until it is almost boil ing hot, and when you have made good suds, pour the water over the quilts and wash them. Pass them through the wringer, empty the water out of tho machine, and replace it with a clean suds prepared like tho first. Wash through this aud rinse through two waters, adding a little bluing to the second. Hang them on a strong line, folding one edge over just enough to hold it, and put a clothes piu every ten or twelve inches. A bright day should be chosen for this work, and if a gentle breeze is blowing, they will look nicer when they are dry. Table Decomlions. Table centres are no longer the newest things certainly, but they are still mnch used and are made of all kinds of material. Tho soft cream silk, fluffed into billows, edged and crossed with trails of smilax, with sprays of roses, either all of one color (though varyiug in shade) or harmon izing in tint, laid on it, would look exquisite with tho silver lamps, es pecially if you had a rather high bas ket filled with roses loosely arranged as if falling'] out of it, a trail being wreathed around the handle and kept in placo with a deftly tied bow of satin ribbon for tho centre piece. Decorations appear to vary now be tween extreme height and extreme lowness, so that the guests may either see each other uninterruptedly over or under the decorations. The epergne, if really a handsome one, might very well be used, if artistical ly decorated either with fruit or trails of roses and smilax. The fact is, there is not any very definite -fashion (beyond the question of height men tioned above) in table decorations just now, but every one uses what seems best and most artistio in their own eyes and most convenient for their resources. Clutha glass, Aller Valo Rhodian pottery, Delft, Rouon ware, etc., aro all used; and, in faot, the great point is variety, and, if possi ble, originality. Granted this latter, especially if combined with beauty, any stylo is permissible and admired. —Philadelphia Times. Kccipcs. Tineapple Jelly Sauce—Tick into flakes one ripe pineapple and strew with sugar. Cover tablespoon of gelatine with two of cold water. Add a gill of boiling water, aud the juice of four oranges. Pour over the pine apple and set in refrigerator. It should be used in an hour, or the sauce will lose the jelly quality. Mook Crab Sandwiohes—Cream two tablespoons butter, add quarter cup grated ehee3e, season with one-quar ter teaspoon each of salt, paprika and mustard —a little anchovy paste is an addition—add one teaspoon vinegar; beat well; spread between thiu slices of good bread. Cut short slices across lengthwise, after tho sandwich is made. Olive Sandwiches —Cut thin slices of wholo wheat bread and butter. Trim them neatly. Boil two eggs twenty minutes, hiy in cold water a moment, then mash with silver fork and mix them with one dozen large olives, finely chopped, add the juice of half a lemon aud Beason to taste. Spread the mixture on the bread and butter and roll, or cover with another slice and cut in any desired shape. This sandwioh it one of the dainti /1 lor afternoon teas.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers