CHINESE HILL OF FARE, RICE THE STAFF OF LIFE IN THE FLOWERY EMPIRE. Butter and Clieese Abhorre.il—'Tlie Celes tials Can Stoinacli Many Things We Could Not Eat, But Dislike Some of Our Articles of Diet. A Chinaman will oat anything that ho can bite. He turns up his nose at nothing, although he is not so fond of rats, mice and puppies as we are inclined to think. In fact, authorities agree in saying that as far as their experiences go, they have never seen either of these animals exposed for stile in the market except nt Canton. Of course, the very poor, those who cannot get anything else, will car what necessity compels, which in all probability will be a large sleek ro dent. Such animals, carefully fed for the purpose on rice and such food, arc no donbt to be found if you know where to look for them, but to say that these creatures form the com mon articles of food forthe millions in China is no more truthful than it would be to say that the American dines on horseflesh. Itiee is the staff of life in Chinn. That is, in the southern part, but in the northern regions millet takes its place as the mainstay of the peo ple. Both of these grains are con sumed in enormous quantities. One according to the part of China in which you are, appears on the table twice a day, for that is as often as a Chinaman is supposed to eat, in the homes of the rich and poor alike, though he generally stows away a few tilings between meals. The dif ference between the tables of the rich and t lie poor is to be found in the rel ishes or side dishes which accompany this staple diet. The laborer is content to find on his table his bowl of rice and a vegetable or two. Sometimes a piece of pork or a fowl is added; fish are greatly prized, and are eaten in all manner of ways. None are too small to be thrown away, none so large but what they can be devoured. Sharks' tins are considered a great luxury, and are not found except on the tables of the rieh. Neither are the fishes' maws despised, but rather consid ered as a dainty. Small fishes of a variety somewhat* like the sardine are eaten alive, and the evident enjoyment which the Celestial derives from feel ing them wriggle their way down affords a sight nearly as amusing as it is disgusting This is not the least of the articles of food considered as great delicacies by the Chinese which are rather nauseous to us. Hundreds of greenish brown worms, fresli from the rice fields, are offered for sale by peddlers, while salted and pickled eggs, having for their recommendation their old age, are greatly prized. There are, however, certain things which a Chi nese stomach rebels. Our fondness for butter and cheese, for example, is ut terly incomprehensible to the Celes tial. Cows' milk is rather tolerated than liked, while women's milk is sold on tlie streets, being considered very healthy for the aged and infirm. •Snakes are eaten by the poor people in some parts of Chinn; for instance, in the neighborhood of Antoy. In some districts of the Canton province they are also eaten, but many other varieties of the reptile specie, as the eel, are undoubtedly included in the term. One authority on the subject says that he saw n man in Swatow hawking long brown snakes In a bas ket for food. "There were three or four of them," lie says, "tied with strings around their neck, the strings being fastened to the top of the basket to prevent their escape. They are rather an expensive article of diet costing about seventy cents each," which is a great deal in a country where a man's wages are from three to five cents. The famous birds' nest soup is made from birds' nests brought all the way from Ceylon and Malaya, where they are gathered at great risk from tlie caves on the seashore. These nests are not at all like the ordinarj- birds' nests of which we are accustomed to think, composed of job lots of twigs and sticks, and hay and grass, but they are made almost entirely of a ge latinous substance similar to Irish moss. The best quality, those free from twigs, etc., command .S2O to S3O per pound, while none of the poorest fall myparlu'fe' birds' nest soup, translated from the Cl.mese* "Tnkc clean white birds' nests y shreds, or birds' nests, and soak thor oughly. Pick out al! the feathers. Boil in soup or water till tender and of the color of jade-stone. Place pigeons' eggs below and add some ham shreds on top. Boil again slowly with little fluid. If required sweet, then boil in clear water till tender, add sugar candy and then eat. This is a most clear and pure article, and thick or oily substances should not be added. It should be boiled for a long time; for, if not boiled till tender, it will cause diarrhoea." The manner of preparing food in China is totally different than with its. Boasts are seldom indulged in, nearly all kinds of food being boiled, as the Chinese regard roasted foods as very unhealthy. Meat, instead of being the staple food, is the relish. The meat, when eaten at all, is to relish the rice or the vegetables, and not the vegeta bles to relish the meat. Although nom inally taking but two meals a day, the first at about S to 10 and the other at 5 or 0, nearly every one knocks off at noon for a bite between meals. These lunches are procured nt any on" of the numerous restaurants and generally consist of a bowl of fish eongce or some other tasty soup or dish. Pea nut oil and soy are added to all of the , made-up dishes which form the food of the people. Tea is drunken univer sally. Hard toiling laborers are al lowed five good meals a day. Perhaps, my fair renders, you would , like to try a Genni duck. This is how ■ it is done: "Take a fat duck. Open and clean. Take two mace of salt and rub over it both outside and in. Put into an earthen dish and take of fan spirits j one cup, and put the cup with the j spirits Inside the duck. Do not let the spirits fall onto the duck; only the va- j por of the spirits is wanted. Steam : over water till quite tender. Lift out i tlie wine cup into the bowl. Done In this way there is no need of minor vegetables." The Chinaman is a native cook, young John Chinaman cooking as readily and neatly as his mother. j Tlie Doctor'* nnml.liakv. The Journal of Hygiene, of Paris, tells us that from the earliest times ! the most familiar gesture of the phy- j sicians has been to place his hand on the wrist of the patient to feel his pulse. Even to-day, in spite of so many of the disappearances of many of the old customs, the doctor who neglects this preliminary ceremony loses his credit. This is a formality, but he must accomplish it before he has the power to sign a prescription In due form. According to the French journal the doctor can replace this without any | danger to the patient by a simple grasp - of the hand; the vigor of the patient's grasp revealing his precise state of! health. The grasp of the hand of a ' man in health is frank, spirited and rather rough; if it is given against the! rules of politeness, it betrays a tempo rary weakness of physical strength. The hand extended litnp without pressure indicates little energy, either! moral or physical. If the grasp is rapid or nervous, the person possesses a temperament which ] is quick and easily overexcited. The j hand which is given passively and j without nervousness always betrays a ' weak condition. Physicians can find in the study of the hand grasp one element more to smooth the difficulties of the diagnosis. AnnntimMng the DiH-KiiKugeinciir. A very late fad—mark that "the lat est" is not used in connection with it, j as that means something very differ- j ent—is to announce in this way, by j letter: "The many friends of Mr. 1 Jones and Miss Smith may be inter- j csted to know that their engagement is off. Each is receiving congratula tions." With this announcement is in i closed the card of "Miss Smith." II looks, don't you know, as if the lady had seen her mistake and wanted her ! friends to know of it at once, but be fore she got to the end of the letter a qualm of something—goodness knows what name to bestow upon it— j overtook her, and Instead of saying ; as she at first thought she might that j she was to be congratulated she al- j lowed that "each is receiving congrat- j illations." As yet such an announce- j inent has not been received by a man j in a similar case—he might use differ ent language in his. But the better i than half-blind could probably read between the lines as well as in the I case of the woman.—Boston Tran- j script. All Amusing Kagle Slory. An amusing story Is being told of M Brunei lore, the distinguished editor or the Bevue des Deux Moudes. He is an authority on Bossuet, often styled the "Eagle of Menux." A visit to America brought M. Brnnetlere a let ter from a showman of the Barnuin 1 type as follows; "I have just heard j that a Menux eagle, very celebrated, | it appears, in your own country, has become your exclusive property. As ' proprietor of one of the largest mu- J seums in the States. I may say that this Meaux eagle, whose reputation ; has beeu enhanced by your eloquence, ! would be valuable to me. If you will let me have this rare bird, and tell me i how you feed him. you can quote your 1 own figure." M. Bruiietiere politely explained that this "rare bird" had | been dead for nearly 200 years, and had never even been stuffed! Hull lint Frightened the Oilier*. Swarms of rats have been making their home about the Carpenter steel works. The other day one of the fore men succeeded in capturing a big one. He tied a little bell about its neck ami I then gave the rat its freedom. As the b-ffi began to ring tlie other rats lie- ' fanie" completely demoralized and' rushed toward (fie river. Some were I drowned and others swam down the Schuylkill to places of safety fai [ away. The workmen estimate that fully 500 of the rodents left the steel j works.—Philadelphia North American j Deoertiiiß l'orrlilfjo For Tea. Statistics show that Scotland as a j nation grows madder year by year, and j the local government report now blunt- I ly tells us that our unpatriotic deser-1 tion of porridge is one of the principal j causes. Matters have, indeed, come j to a sad pass when Scotland, whose | stalwart sons have advertised by their J appearance the virtues of porridge in ' all parts of the globe, is now stigma- < tized in a Government report as ana- I tion of intemperate tea drinkers'— j Glasgow Evening News. Cotton Mill* in CMna. Tlie principal cotton mills in China are those at Shanghai. They now j number eight, and have 273.000 spin- I dies and 3450 looms. At Niugpo there j is one mill nt work with 11,000 spin- ' dies, and at Hankow there are two with 30,000 and 50,000 spindles re- ' spectively. The proportion of workers i in these mills in every 100 is 51 wom en, 24 men and 25 children, and the average wages all round are $2.50 a month. OUR BUDGET OF HUMOR. LAUGHTER-PROVOKING STORIES FOR LOVERS OF FUN. An Apprehension—More Karli Summer— Indefinite—Hl* Bad Break—Conceded —A (iood Artist—Wanted Time—lm possible—Another Good lteason, Ktc. j The sun rises early these mornings so fine, It puts us to shame when to sleep wc in cline; i If thus it continues we'll find with dismay, i It has somehow contrived to get up before day. —W ashinglon Star. More Bach Summer. "Miss Old girl seems to keep cool, no matter wlint the thermometer Is."' "Oh, yes. You see, she's only forty eight in the shade."—Philail' %,M, dn Bui j let in. Indefinite. Daisy flusliley—"Oh. you darling! I ! just heard of your engagement, to i day." Cissy Sununergirl—"Which one?" Brooklyn Life. Ills Bad Break. Summergirl (lazily)—"l'd like a good novel." Harold D'Kygoods (posing as "club man," absently)—" Third lloor—second counter to the right."—Brooklyn Life. "Maudy," said her elderly relative, 1 "that young Spoons more hasn't a cent Ito his name. You would be simply j crazy to marry him." j "I am, auntie," replied Miss Maiuly. A Good Artist. Dauber—".Mrs. Goodsolc, I believe, | remarked that she thought I wus a I very good artist." i Criteek—"Yes: it seems she saw you ; in church last Sunday."—Philadelphia : Ilecord. Wanted Time. "Early rising is commendable, but I can't afford if." i "Can't afford it V" "When I get up early I waste n lot of valuable time admiring myself for it."—Chicago Record. I mpoaftible. The Prosecutor—"By the way, weren't you once arrested for horse stealing in Arizona?" The Witness—"Fer horse stealiu'? In ArizonyV I'm still a livin', ain't I?" , —lndianapolis Press. Another Good Beano ti. "You call your parrot 'Money.* I see. Money talks." "Not at all. Don't tell any one, hut I call him that because nobody about flic bouse can make liiui lly as well as my wife can."—Chicago Tribune. | "I might, have known better than to trust my money to that broker." I "Why so? Are appearances against j him?" j "No, confound hiin! It's his disap j pearance."—Brooklyn Life. So aiitcii Sn viiii* Mf'.ligger—"So old Stinginess Is dead. I Of course he hated to die." ! Thingumbob—"No, his death was j quite a happy one. In another week ! the annual premium on Ills life iusur ; ance would have been due.' —Pliiladel- I phiu Press. Tliu Old lioliil. ! Ida—"No,those suburban folks could not get over the old liablt, even though j afloat." May—"What did they do, dear?" Ida—"Signalled from their yacht, "Lend us your lawn mower."—Chi- I cago News. Not Novel or liii|,re..iv* lo llfin. "This sacred fire," said the guide, I proudly, "burns night and day. It is | never permitted to go out." j "Jest the same as the lire in that there railway catln' house of mine lo | home," said the blase tourist.—lndian- I j apolis Press. Kenource*. j "Will yon give it up now?" deuinnd | od the scorpion, administering another sting. | "Never!" shrieked the centipede, ' coming back at its antagonist game- : j ly. "Never, while I linvc a leg to ■ stand on!" Chicago Tribune. Co.t., "I believe," said the well-meaning man, "in giving your friend a little ' wholesome advice whenever the occn- 1 I siou arises. It doesn't cost vou any | thing." I "It costs you your friend very of | ten," said the wise man.- Philadelphia I Press. j Doesn't Find it So. I ! Kuowsitt—"The menial condition of a man regulates his physical eoudi-' tion." | Bitesitt—"Oh, I don't know. I write J Christmas stories all summer, and i | summer stories all whiter, hut It never! affects the thermometer at my bouse." ! —Baltimore American. Their Own ilnoh*. j Smith—"Say, Brown, bow is It that | your wife always dresses in the latest j style, while your clothes are generally ! I seedy?" Brown—"Oh, that's easily explained.' j My wife dresses according to the fash-1 j ion books, while I dress according to my bank book."—Buffalo Commercial. Already l'aviiu; Taxcn. j "You say your wife is wcrtli her I weight in gold?" I "I do, sir." | "Are you willing to pay taxes on her [ at that valuation?" j This, of course, was bringing things down to an extremely practical basis, but it feazed the liusbautl only for a ! minute. [ "My dear sir," he replied, "I am already paying taxes on her at a high er valuation than that, and she makes the collections herself."—Chicago Evening Post. Where to Locate? WHY. IN THE TERRITORY TRAVE:RSED BY THE Louisville j **•> Nashville Railroad, -THE fircat Central Southern Trunk l.inc, —IN— KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, FLORIDA. WHERE Farmers, Fruit Growers, Stock Kaisers. Manufacturers, Investors. Speculators and Money Lenders •rill find tho greatest chances In the United l states to make "big money" by reason of the j abundance and cheapness of Land and Farms, Timber and Stone, Iron and Coal, Labor—Everything Freo sites, financial assistance, and free- ! dom from taxation for the manufacturer. Land and farms at SI.OO -er acre and up. wards, and 600,000 acres in West Florida that san be taken Rrutis under the U* S. Home, itead laws. Stock raising In the Gulf Coast District s ill make enormous profits. HaJf faro excurKloiiH tlio first mid third Tuesdays of each month. Let us know what you want, and wo will Ml you where and how to net it—hut don't delay, as the country is filling up rapidly. Printed matter, maps and all information free. Address R. J WEMYSS. General immigration and Industrial Agent Lou svllfo. Kv. Thero in more Catarrh in this section of the country than all other diseases put together, and until tho last few years was supposed tohe , (L or , H Kfoat many years doctors monounced it a local disease and proscribed local remedies and by constantly failing to cure with local treatment, pronounced it in curable. hoience has proven catarrh to boa constitutional disease and therefore rermires i constitutional treatment. Hall's Catarrh Cure manufactured by F. .1. Cheney & Co., Toledo' Ohio, is the only constitutional cure on the market. It is taken internally in doses from U drops to a teaspoonful. It acts directly on i the blood and mucous surfaces of the system. 1 hey offer one hundred dollars for anv case nU! i to A C V i°" S M r V I /. ol ' ci, ' r ulars and' testi monials. Address !• .J. CIIENEVA Co., Toledo, O. r>old by Druggists, 75c. Hall's Family Fills are the best. Of the 4,110 varieties of flowers known and cultivated in Europe, scarcely 401 have any odor, and of these nearly 50 have an odor which is, if anything, dis agreeable. Dyolng is as simple an washing when you use PUTNAM FADELESS DYES. Sold by all F druggists. The Spanish import duties paid dur -. ing the first six months of the current I year exceed by 55.000,000 pesetas those I for the corresponding period of 1899. j The Bent Prescription for Chills , and Fever Is a bottle of GltOVK's TASTELESS CHILL TONIC. It is simply iron and quinine in a tasteless form. No cure—no pay. Price 50c. The island of Guam is 3.500 miles | from Honolulu and 1,600 miles from Manila. To Cure n Cnl1 in cn(timlif ion witli ttonrl v llflv exhibitor* Irnni nil pnrr* KARTII. TIIU ON I. V <• It ANII PltlZi: ever nwiinlcd for AUTIIK IAI, I.l>llls. Tin- (iRAMI J'HIZi: ranliH above (lie (iUl,l> AlFI) M. and i tbe IIHJHL'ST AWARD. A. A MAIIKS, Tiii bmaaway, Mew York. DEAR Bin:- My right V! was amputated four Inches above th* knee. In I pur chased an artificial leg of you. I am com relied t<> -ay af'ir ten < ear- of constant u-e I am convinced tliar I made no mistake in tatting your patent. My occupation is farm ing: I often saw wood all day; I have picked ldti pounds of cotton m a day, and that was about as much as I was able to pick before 1 lost my let;. J. I>. CLUCK. It 701 Rri tail way. New York. Dr. AI Si it- I lmve worn one of your rubber feet for over fifteen yt ar.-i witn entire sati*fiu?!i>ii. lam a truckman ami have to lift several It 11 mired weight Ht n time. 11. UKKWHTER. <^ r ' ihcinl NCML for .LLRERKFT* Trrntinenn Artiflrinl 530 pit am aid HOO a a umvo 701 R'WHT. llluMiraiioun. A complete work on the* reatorulion o! liie ui alined. A. A. MARKS* New York. If a woman's crown of glory is her hair, Jessie Fraser, of Fine, N. Y., must be a queenly woman. She wrote us, last January, that her hair was nearly 64 inches long and very ! thick. And she gave Ayer's Hair I Vigor all the credit for it. Ayer's Hair Vigor may do | this for you. We don't claim the 64 inches every time, though. J. C. AYER COMPANY, Practical Chemists, Lowell, Mau. ' Ayer's Sarsaparil'a I Ayer's Hair Vigor ' Ayer's Pills Ayer's Cherrv Pectoral Ayer's Ague Cure J Ayer's Comatone ! MX iN CHILDREN ARE i Worms 3-HSa* etHMBBEnHCMMBB results rauy follow, j The me'licino which for the past 60 years (has hold the word fr successfully rid , ding ch lld ron of thoso posts is Frey's Vorfnihigc—made entirely from vege • tablo products, containing no calomel. 25 ct. at druggists, count rv stores or by mall, ; postpaid. E. & 8. FKKY. Baltimore, Md. DROPSY NEW DISCOVERY; ( Boole of tost .moiin?"nn.l 1 o'ilnvß^fc/eetmenl I Free. Or. 11. U. QUEEN'S SONS, Box B. Atlanta, Q*. P. N. U. CB. 'OO. * That Litila Bcok For Ladies, ?s*:& ALICE MASON, liOCHESTKB. N. Y. | A. A. MARKS,