♦ ♦ | KATRICIA AND THE IMAGE ♦ X VENDER % X ♦ The snow flurries were blinding the •yes of the passing throng, but Pietro stood valiantly at the curb, holding out his plaster images for sale. It seemed bitterly cold to the mufllod, skurrying crowd, but it was warm and balmy to Pietro. Though the hands which held out the little white image of the w4ng ed victory or a bust of Beethoven were blue and stiff, and the narrow shoulders of the thin frame were dou bled together in an attitude of cringing subjection, yet the eyes of Pietro were looking far beyond the brilliant shops of Fifth avenue. In his imagination lie was wandering in the Elysian fields i with his Beatricia, where the sunlight gilded the meadows and the smile of nature shone everywhere. O valiant heart of Pietro! For two years now lie had molded plaster casts nnd images and sold his wares on street corners and hoarded the meager gain to be able to get back to his Bea tricia. On the banks of the Tiber ho had left her, picking grapes with the fien and girls in the Roman vineyards, rnd he had come to seek an El Dorado before he claimed her as his bride. For one long, sad year of separation |he wrote to him. She upbraided liirn Jar his slowness in winning the wealth they had dreamed of, she scolded him Jor only luke-warm affection, she Wounded his sensitive soul with re lented attacks on his loyalty and love, f.nd gradually these criticisms, ema nating from the restless, passionate foul of the young girl, tender but sel fish, giving much but demanding more, crushed the ardent spirit of the young Italian, and he drew his love within the recesses of his heart and brooded fiver it, and ceased to pour out the foul's desires in the little message which he sent occasionally across the water. Finally, when she believed her love 100 little appreciated, she ceased alto BEATRICIA. £ether to write. Pietro had been wait ing and watching and counting the days for the letter which she owed. Weeks went by, then months, and no word came to lighten his labors and his loneliness. The first sharp pain of disappointment gave way to a long, dull, ceaseless agony that filled his heart to the brim and made It throb wildly at times within the tender walls. Oh, beloved Beatricia," he would cry out In the wakeful watcheß of the long night, "have you forgotten your Pietro?" The plaster Venuses and Mercurys and Sacred Marys stood side by side along the shelves of his shop, gazing down on him from their classic gran fieur with cold, unpitying eyes. Some times at night he thought that he saw the imperious Milo shake her head dis dainfully when he cried aloud. Mer cury sneered, ar.d a dimpled Cupid's head, by Praxiteles, broke into amused mirth. Once in his grief he knelt be fore a Mary, which he had himself molded that very day, and ho prayed wildly and despairingly, and, as if in lompassion, it seemed to him that the /acred lips of the imago moved to Intercede. He lived alone. Others In "Little Italy" sought o know him and draw him out of himself. He wa3 a hand jome youth, perhaps 22 years of age, nd many of the American horn young Italian girls cast amorous glances at him. He did not even notice them. Ho looked far beyond them and saw a little darlc-oyed girl, with a clear, rhlte, transparent skin, more beautl l)il than the day—a cameo with hut )he merest blush of pink. "He no goeda, he no gooda," shout id the mob of merrymakers, tossing back their heads in unbridled, mock ing laughter. They would look at one another when he passed silently, and then raise their eyebrows significantly nnd smile with knowing, conclusive smiles as they touched their foreheads with a finger. Pietro scarcely knew of their pres ence. He used to hear their uproar ious laughter, but It did not attract him. He had no respect for them. Many were but provincial born, and he, why. he, Pietro Gonzales, had been born in Rome itself, above the shop where Gonzales the elder had chiseled Ihe heads of prelates of the Vatican Vom the finely veined, dazzling white ilibs of marble from Italy's own hills and had been a true artist In his day, and had loved art and labored for it in the pare joy of creating. Money to him was nothing. He did not know hgw to earn It well, or to keep It. Art was everything. He deemed it worth the sacrifice of his son. whom he forced to go to America in order to extract a fortune from the new world. But Pietro was beginning to learn that fortunes are slow in coming, even )i young, thriving provinces, and his art was more than the art of chiseled marbles or of piaster casts. His lovo was his ambition. He placed It above I bis art, above his duty, above lite it self. And the object had only grown to mock him for his devotion. Often as ho sauntered along the city streets, absorbed in thoughts of her, he would stop with a startled look and search the face of some passer-by that reminded him vividly of his Beatricia. He saw her often in this way, for her image was really never absent from his mind's eye. In his reveries of her she used to appear to him, and, as in the days of old, she would wind her soft, gentle arms around his neck and whisper, Pietro, thou art a god." For a year now he had not heard from Iter. "She must be dead," ho thought at times. "If she were alive she could not but feel the power of my love, though the ocean lies between us." But. like all lovers, he was selfish and sensitive, and he had sworn on his honor never to write to her again; and he could picture her often making love to Marcello and Valentino, and others in the vineyards, as she had made love to him. A second summer of silence came, and Pietro wandered out into the coun try and walked among the wood ferns, crushing them to his breast with his passionate love of beauty. He would go and spend days under the sky, beg- ; ging for food as he went. He could not work. He was steeped, saturated, | overcome by the accumulated longing within him. The army of Laughing Fairies and Dominican Monks stood on their shelves, a neglected array, un- ; dusted and unsold. The citizens of "Little Italy" forgot his very existence. When he did not appear they concluded that he had returned to Italy for a time, and they j did not even care to inquire. One day , a little, old woman in shabby black, j with a coarse veil tied around her j head so that her face was wholly con- , cealed, came to "Littlo Italy" anil in quired for Pietro. She could speak no j English, and she seemed greatly agi tated. The women were consumed with 1 curiosity, and led her willingly to , Pietro's little workshop. Her terror I was pitiable when she found that Pie tro had gone and had not been seen for a month. She called on her saints in the calendar to help her, and then on death to relieve her, and she flung herself cn Pietro's couch and moaned for hours. Sho barred the door and j covered the window so that the curi ous ones could not watch her from j without, and she herself only emerged ! when she wanted to buy food. It was some day 3 after this occur- i rcnce that Pietro, walking in the coun try, saw a vision of his Beatricia, ; stretching out her arms to him and j crying to him in a sad, distressed way. The vision was so distinct that for a moment he thought it was real. "She is dying," he cried to the sky, "and she is sorry and would ask my. forgiveness, and I cannot go to her. Oh, God of tho poor, I cannot go!" It made such a powerful impression upon his mind that he turned about I immediately and began to retrace his way back to the city and to his shop. ! When ho reached "Little Italy," a doz en eager men and women rushed upon j him, seized him bodily, and dragged I him toward his abode. "Thy mother, thine old mother, is I here," they screamed. "Ungrateful fel- ; low, she is alone and awaiting thee." | For the first time in many months ! Pietro smiled. "My mother," he whispered, "is with j the saints and happy. What canst thou mean?" "Go, look for thyself, half-witted sluggard and beggar," they bawled | out. And they pushed him toward the j door. The little old woman who had im- I prisoned herself within caught the ! shouts and the voice of Pietro, and \ her heart gave one wild bound, and : she stood trembling at the door, ready j to fling it open. Pietro stepped cautiously and touch- i ed the handle. He did not know whom he might encounter, so his advance i was timid. As the door swung back j he gazed stupidly for a moment; then a cry of joy and pain broke from his ! lips as he laid his hand on his heart to still it 3 awful beating. "Beatricia. my beloved! Is it thou?" ho gasped. "Dost thou love me?" "Madly, Pietro!" "Thou didst come to find me, Beatri cia?" "Thou, alone!" "Thou hast come to stay, Beatricia?" "Always!"— Chicago Record. An Ancient Fnsr!le | maud in United States Hun Recently Do i clined—Massucliusetts* Ancient Codsllh. The salting of fisli dates from time immemorial. In oar own country it : began with the first colonization and has since been one of tho great iudus- I tries of our country. Just when the first fish was salted I in the world is a fact that nobody knows. Enough is kuown, however, j to enable us to suy that it was thou sands of years ago. We have records ! of codtishery off the coast of Norway as early as tho year 000. The en gravings on the ancient Egyptian mon uments testify to the fishery of the i ancients. At tho present time there is not a country in tho temperate zone where fish are not salted. It was probably not until the fifteenth century that j the consumption of fish commenced ; on a large scale by the great middle ; class of people, at which time it ceased to be a luxury. It is a well known that in olden times fish were eaten principally by the richer class of peo ple. Tho demand for salt fish in the United States in the last quarter of a century has shown a decline, due in the greatest measure to the develop ment of tho fresh water fisheries and the trade in using the products of the j sea fisheries. During recent years the growth of the fresh water fisher ies has been large and has made in cursions into the business of the sea i fisheries, both fresh and sait. The vessels employed in the fisher ies today are larger, faster and better equipped than ever before. The i catch of salt codfish by the vessels of the United States the last 25 years has increased from 75,000,000 to 150,- i 000,000 pounds. The catch by the vessels of the world, including tho fleets of Norway, Newfoundland, i France and Canada, is estimated at ; 500,000,000 pounds, the most of which is exported to tropical coun ; tries after being bard dried. In this | condition they keep ready for use and are very desirable food in the tropics. It is a light, palatable food and best ndaptod to the climate. , Then, again, the church imposes so many fast days that salt fish is always , in demand. There is not much information on the subject of tho early manner of ' salting fish, but there is no question < but there has been a great advance made in tho methods of curing fish for the market. There are 150 or j more varieties of food fish. Of these only a very small proportion are | salted iu large quantities for con- I sumption by the people. It is well known that in Europeau countries some varieties of fish are consumed as food which in our own markets are considered valueless, but oven in our own country there is a tendency, as the more important varieties grow scarce, to consume fish which have been considered unsuitable for food. The priucipal varieties of fish salt ed are the codfish, mackerel, herring, salmon, alewives, shad, trout, hake, j haddock, ensk and pollock. These i varieties of fish probably make up ' nine-tenths of the salt fish consumed | by tho people. The North Atlantic is probably I richer, both as to quantity and qual i ity, with odible fish than any other ; division of the globe's waters, and it ! may bo added that where it washes tho coast of North America is its I richest subdivision. The salt ground fish industry is lo | cated principally iu Massachusetts, where tho amount of codfish, hake, haddock, cusk and pollock salted in IS'.);) was 63,900,000 pounds. Tho codfish is synonymous with tho name of Massachusetts, and, using ! the elegant language of ltepresenta j tive Gal li van: *'Poised high aloft in the hall of Massachusetts' House of Representatives, riding serenely the waves of debate, unperturbed by the ebb and flow of enactment and repeal, all the desultory storms that vexed the nether depths of oratory, there I has hung through immemorial years an ancient codfish, quaintly wrought : in wood and painted to the light, i Humblo the subject and homely tho | ilesign, yet this painted image bears ; />u its finny front a majesty greater than the dignity that art can lend to graven gold or chiseled marble. Tho | sphere it fills is vastor than that ! through which its prototype careered I With all the myriad tribes of the great i deep. The lessons which may be learned from it are nobler than any to be drawn from what is only beau tiful. For this sedate and solitary fish is instinct with memories and prophesy, like an oracle. It cele i brates tho rise of free institutions. It emphasizes progress. It epitomizes Massachusetts. t4 lt typifies the world old simplicity of those who go down to tho sea iu ships, the goodly, godly race, whom the stately scriptural story has im i mortalized, whose sturdy virtues tho i Saviour himself distinguished in the choice of Peter, the apostolic fisher , mau, and *vhose singular achievemeuts , on sea and land, in the arts, alike in i peaco aud war, have glorified the an- I nals of the commonwealth." ! While the Bank salt codfish fleet at 1 many of the New England ports is a j tiling of tho past, there has been a tendency to suit fresh fish to supply ' the demand. The business of catch ing fresh cod and haddock during the 5 15 y:irs has boon carried on eu ergetioiillj with the result'of periodi • eat gluts ou the market. During : the=o gluts large quantities of fish ' have been split and salted; if they ' hap} eu to arrive during the season for finnan liadaies tho haddock are j smoked. The ampunt of this fish salted or smoked during the yea? was, roundly, 50,000, ODD pounds. Thus a great salt fish trade has grown up subsidiary to the fresh fish trade. Iu the salt fish trade of tho United States there is probably used iu a year about 500,000 quintals of salt codfish, hake, haddock, cusk and pol lock, besides 100,000 barrels of salt mackerel and 100,000 barrels of salt herring. Tho amount of smoked her ring consumed aggregates 1,000,000 pounds. In addition to this there is a good deal of pickled salmon, shad and other fish of minor importance. OU3 SUPPLY OF SHINCLES. Comes Largely from the Forests of New llrunnwiek and Quebec. Formerly all shingles made in the east were split from blocks and shaved by hand with a draw knife. Those usod iu Maine, New Hampshire and part of Massachusetts were piue or shaved cedar, 16 inches long. In other states 18-inch shingles were used. In the shingle machines then made, the saw struck tho bolt at the end, sawing lengthwise of the block. This made a rough surface on the shingles, which was said to hold the water and make them rot quickly. Iu 1865 there began to come into use machines made in Gardiner aud Bau gor, Me., which cut the block on the side instead of tho end. The shingles sawed in this way had a sur face almost as smooth as if shaved and wei e of tho same thickness. These machines caused a revolution in the manufacture of shingles. As the demand increased and cedar became scarce in southern Maine, manufacturers began to move toward the great northern forests. The Phoenix mill in Fredericton, New Brunswick, was changed from a long lumber mill and 16 machines were put iu that cut 221,000 shingles a day. Iu 1888 this mill passed into tho hands of an American company from Calais, which erected a mill at Edmuuston, New Brunswick, with seven innehinos. The logs for the Pk.inix mill are cut iu Aroostook county, Mo., and driven dowu the St. John River. In May, 1888, the first shingle mill in northern New Bruns wick sawing for the American market began operating at Dalhousie. The owner now has mills at Cabauo and Notre Dame du Lao, in Quebec. The cedar forests remaining in this part of the continent are in Aroostook county, Me., the northern counties of New Brunswick and the counties of Tomiscouata, liimouski Bouaventure aud Gaspe, in Quebec. Here cedar grows large, and there are more trees to tho acre than further south. It is found ou tho high laud as well as in the swamps. In Nova Scotia cedar doos not grow. In southern New Brunswick thore is not enough left to supply ties for the local railroads. The locations named are tho last of the cedar forests and these are being rapidly denuded to supply shingles aud railroad ties, aud in a few years all will bo cut. Goo 1 cedar lands bhould soon become valuable as the area is so limited. In 1888 the first quality of shingles sold in Boston for 53.60 a 1000, in 1898 for $2.60, in 1899 for $3.10. The shingles cleared through the United States consulate in St. John, N. 8., are sawed from logs cut in northern New Brunswick and Aroos took county, Me. The largest amount of shingles probably are manufactured in the consular district of Campbell ton, N. B. The manufacture is in creasing here, and during 1899 there were cleared through this office for the United States 121,028,750 shingles, valued at $221,015.40. There was erected during the year one mill, with eight machinos, in Cabauo, and another iu Notre Lame du Lac. Tho machines were added to the mill here, and several were set up in the woods to saw in winter only. The low price of 16-inch shingles has caused them to bo used iu Ver mout, Connecticut and northern New York, where formerly only J 8-inch ones were sold. All the large mills near Bamouski, Quebec, except the new one at Cabano, are owned by America.—New York Press. \r Partridge. One would imagine that with the modern facilities for traveling the hunters had long ago discovered all the game birds and their haunts in every corner of the world. But, to the surprise of everybody, a brand new partridge has just turned up. It is called tho Siberian partridge. It is found in the mouutains of southern Siberia, although Manchuria is be lieved to bo its real home. It feeds upou little wild nuts which give to its meat a peculiarly delicious fiavor. The birds are killed in the winter, aud, after a thorough freezing, they are packed aud sent by rail to Lilian on the Baltic. From there they are sent to London, whore they are sold for something loss than $1 a brace. As many as 360,000 brace have already reached the Londou market. New York Sun. Nothing Spectacular In Modern War. What struck one of the special cor respondents with Lord Methuen's force invalided home was the uucanui ness of the whole thing. There is no pomp of war, no stirring music, no gay uniforms, and, strangest thing of all, no visible enomy. What you see from tho standpoint of the British staff is a number of men clad iu khaki dodging their way up the hill, making for cover wherever possible. Two or three of them suddenly drop, perhaps one gets up and presses forwa d again. Tho others li j where they fell, dead or sorely wounded. As tho Boers always fire from cover aud use smokeless powder, there is nowhere sign of them. That he speaks of as a j circumstance more than all others j tending to demoralize the men.— London Leader. A ROMANCE OF THE PEERAGE. Strange Tale of Fii-o, Hired Assassins* Thefts and Poison. In a few weeks t, romantic story will be told to the House of Lords by a schoolmaster who claims to be Vis count Keuniure, and who seeks estates in Kirkcudbrightshire. At present the residence known as Ivenmure Castle, New Galloway, is occupied by a woman whose mother was the sister of Ada n, the last Viscount Ken mure, who died in 1847. The memorialist, John Gordon, in his pleadings, recites a curious tale. Viscount Keuniure who joined the re bellion in 1715,aud who was behead d on Tower hill the following year, left two sons, both of whom died unmar ried. His widow, neo Mary Dalziel, shortly afterward married her foot man, John Lumsdou, aud their chil dren took the name of Keuniure. In several ways, accordiug to Mr. Gor don, did she attempt to oust hor hus band's brother John from the position and the family possessions to which ho had succeeded. On one oceasiou she tried to burn Keumuro castle at an hour when her brother-in-law, his wife aud his child were asleep in tho Baliol Tower. During that night a box containing deeds, the property of tho Viscount, mysteriously disap peared. It was reported that Mary Dalziel had stolon the box. Ou tho other hand, she swore that it had been burned. John Gordon, Viscount Keuniure, afterward went to Frauce, and while iu Paris he was attacked by two masked men. Being a skilful swords man, he succeedr I in killing both. These two men had beeu engaged by Mary Dalziel to kill him! Iu order to see their work done thoroughly she braved tho channel passage and a long journey on horseback. This plan having failed, she represented that the nobleman was guilty of fraud, and lie was thereupon put into prison and remained in chains for eleven years. Ou the Viscount's return to Ken mure from France, Mary Dalziel visited him and drank wine with him at one of the leasts given in his honor. The glass he drank from, however, was poisoned by her and he died. The Viscount left two sous, one ot' whom, William, was drowned while boating in America. He was unmar ried. The other, James, found that Mary Dalziel had taken possession of of Keninuro Castle, and had spread the story that she had boaght it from his father, her brother-in-law, John. Eventually the rest of the property going with the title was seized by other people, and these succeeded in keeping James out of his rights. One of Mary Dalziel's children by her second marriage to the footman Lumsden forthwith usurped the title of Viscount Keu mure in 1821, and 0:1 his death, in 1810, was succeeded by his nephew, Adam Gordon, the last Viscount. In 1817 the plaintiff's grandfather began to move in tho matter, claiming to be the only male heir to the title and estates, as tho nearest male heir to the man who was beheaded on Tower hill. John Gordon, the pres ent claimant, pleads that he estab lishes his right to the title and Ken mure estates through the relationship he can trace to John Gordon, who was poisoned by Mary Dalziel.—Lou don Chronicle. Conquered nt Lniit. Teddler (opening his pack)—l have here, madam, an imjnoved rat-trap, which— Woman of the House—Wo are never troubled with rats. "Which cau also be used for crack ing nuts—" "We never use nuts of any kind." "Or as a coffee roaster. Adjusted iu this manner it —" "We always buy our cofTeo roasted." "Just so. Reversing the win s that form tho upper portion unl bringing down the side flaps thus, we have a device for holding eggs when cook ing—" "We never eat eggs." "And by holding those wire loops, as you see me doing now, it makes a handy arrangement for holding a small mirror "Haven't tho slightest use for such a thing." "While, by adjusting another small mirror in this position aud another at this angle, as you will notice, and placing it in a kitchen window, for example, it has tho curious effect of enabling the observer, seated at cue side of the window and entirely out of sight, to see distinctly through any window opposite aud to note what is goiug 011 inside, and all I ask for this most useful and comprehensive inven tion is one-half dollar, which is ouly about one-half—" "I'll take it."—Cassell's Journal. Tlie Trump's Advice. She was standing on the front porch reading tho story paper, which had just come in the mail. "Madam," said Meandering Mike, "lbl I see you brush away a tear jes' now?" *Spos'n I did," she returned. "It s no business of yours." "I spoke in kiuilness, lady. You ain't treatiu' yerself right to" cry an' read both at once. It's a double strain on yer eves, au' you might as wall listen to my hard luck stories, an' save yer eyes exclusively fur de weeps. If you likes touchin' stories, lady, here's yer chance to have 'era brought to yer door, 'an you needn't pay two dollars a year's subscription in advance, neither. It's de chance of yer life, lady, to trade off cold victuals for pathos."—Washingtou Star. The CoinolMtory Tlinnsrht. Sprottle— So poor Howies is dead. What a loss to literature ! Dim ley—Loss ! Why, now I can have his complete works bciud! Brooklvn Life. SICNOR TORRELLO THE LION TAMER Blgnor Torrello was a lamer of Hons— His uamu in the Bible was Brown— Ho could make the tierce brutos jump the rope, walk the wire, And turn somersaults aud lie down— Bignor Torrello Was quite a gay fellow, And rapidly winning renown. Bignor Torrello one day met a maiden Who charmed by hi 9 soul-stirring art, Stood iu front of tho cage and applauded M the lious As each played its wonderful part— tsignor Torrello, In words that were mellow. Laid siege to tho fair maiden's heart. Bignor Torrello could look at a lion Aud cause it to cower in fear, But tho look that gave Leo tho chills had no terrors For the lady who's figuring here— Bignor Torrello— ■ Alas, tho poor fellow!— Was conducted around by tho oar. Slgnor Torrello no longer tames Hons, Tho beasts turned against him one day; The look that once charmed tho in had ceased to he potent. Thoy roared and refused to obey! Bignor Torrello, Unfortunate fellow, All bloody, was hustled away! Bignor Torrello, subdued and discouraged, Now works by the day with his hands And is badgered for losing tho look that made lions In terror obey his commands— Bignor Torrnllo, Alack! how ho fell! O His case us its own moral stands. V. E. Riser, iu Chicago Times-llerald. HUMOROUS. Chollie —Willie thinks only of him self. Fweddie —Yes; he's so thought less. Nell—George proposed to me last night on one knee. Hell—That man would stoop to anything. Nell—This tea caddy usod to be long to my graudmother. Belle— Gracious! did she ever play golf? Billicus—Why don't you get mar ried? Cynicus—What's the use? I already have a parrot and a phono graph. She—Before we were married you used to teil me I was tbo light of your life. He—Yes; and now 1 have to pay gas bills. "For mercy soke, how many pan cakes have you had,Georgie?" "Mam ma, you know I've onl w , learned to count as far as ten." "It's always in damp places that mushrooms grow, isn't it, papa?" "Yes, my boy." "Is that the reason they look like umbrellas, pupa?" Mrs.Euggins—l hear you are break ing in anew se.xaut girl. Mrs. Mug gins—Not exactly; she's doing nil the breaking that's necessary heisai*. There was u young fellow out west, Who found that hard work was a pest, Bo he traded his wheel For an automobile, And now ho is takiug a rest. A school teacher lately put this question : "What is the highest form of animal life?" "The giraffe," re sponded a bright member of the class. Hoax—Why do you suppose that fellow at tho corner table eats so much ketchup. That's the second bottle he's had. Joai—Maybe he's a de tective. "Does your wife take to horticul ture, Billy?" "Yes, indeed; she gets out every liue day with the hoe and chops the head oil' something I've planted." Blobbs—Borrowell says you were j out tho other day when he called. Blobbs —Not exactly. I was in just exactly tlie amount he wanted to touch me for. Visitor (disappointed) —So Mr. Smith is away on his wedding journey? lam very sorry to hear that. House keeper—Yes, isn't it too bad? The poor young man. "Well," said the camel in the cir cus parade, "there's some comfort for me, after all." "What do you mean?" asked the elephant. "My hump is pretty bad, but it might bo worse. I don't ride a bicycle." "Have you got tho countersign?" asked tho sentinel. "Well," replied the raw recruit, who had left a de partment store to enter tho army, "when I left tho counter it was 'This silk twice loss thau cost' " Manganese In Chinese Vegetables. Au extraordinary thing which has been noticed is that nearly all of tho vegetables of Chinese origin have a considerable proportion of manganese. Professor Blasdnle has found that the great color characteristic of mangan ese was always present in a greater or leas degree upon igniting the ash of the Chinese vegetables. Tho water chestnut, or "ma hai" shows the largest quantity. This is a well T! known food iu Chiueso quarters. It has a ' sweet chestnut flavor aud is juicy and watery iu consistency. It lias a thick, tough, brown outer skin. Within it is white, and when grated yields quantities of starch. It is eaten either raw or boiled. It does not re eomblo the chestnut iu any sense, being a little bulb,aud growing at the bottom of a collection of long marsh grass stems. A considerable propor tion of Chinese vegetables are pro duced from swamps. Wllliolmlna ami Two Poor Children. Queen Wilhelmiua was taking her usual afternoon drive with one of her military officers when she saw iu the wood at the Hague two children, oue eight, tho other ten years old, seated on a bench crying. Her majesty asked what was the matter. One of tho children, still weeping, told the queen they had lost their mother, and there was no oue to look after them. "Well," said Wilheluiinn, "we must go aud see your father." The children, with much hesitation, explained that thoy had beeu sent out by their father to beg. Tho queen, after consider ing a moment, ordered the coachman to take them to an asylum,aud walked buck to tho palace wi:h tho officer. Jr London Chronicle.