CONVERTS GOLDBUGS
BRYAN'S GREAT SPEECH CON
VINCES THEM.
Four I ton ton Papers That Opposed Him
In IK9C See the Force of Ills Argu
ment —They Have Grown In Wisdom
In Four Years.
Following are extracts from four
of the leading newspapers of Massa
chusetts in reference to Bryan's great
speech at Indianapolis. One of these
Journals has a larger circulation than
any other paper in New England. We
believe that every one of these papers
opposed Mr. Bryan in 1896.
A Revelation.
Mr. Bryan's speech of acceptance at
Indianapolis is as great a revelation to
his opponents as it is a source of joy
to his friends. It is unquestionably the
most statesmanlike address that has
been made in recent years by a presi
dential candidate. It is devoted in its
entirety to a discussion of imperial
ism, which by the very force of this
speech would be made the issue of this
campaign if it had not already been
such. The tremendous subject is pur
sued to its utmost ramifications and
the argument and its deductions are in
every respect sound and logical.
There is no resort to invective and
little reliance is placed upon mere ora
torial effect. The speech is that of a
man thoroughly in earnest and sincer
ity shines in every sentence. We be
lieve that the arguments advanced
against the imperialistic policy of the
Republican party cannot be so con
troverted as to carry conviction to any
unbiased mind. Mr. Bryan has taken
up Republican claims one after another
and with calm but earnest reasoning
has torn them into shreds and flung
them, valueless, behind him.
No adequate idea of the strength and
compass of the masterly address can
be given in editorial limits. It is one
of the greatest and most statesmanlike
utterances of our history. It estab
lishes the paramount issue of the cam
paign and proves that Americans today
stand at the parting of the ways. We
must either cling to the honored tradi
tions of our forefathers, to the consti
tution and the Declaration of Indepen
dence, or we must follow the imperi
alistic policy to its inevitable conclu
sion—to militarism and high taxation
at home and to dominating oppression
abroad. There is no alternative. —Bos-
ton Traveler.
Calm and Patriotic.
Mr. Bryan was introduced to the
country four years ago in a single
burst of popular oratory. He has in
augurated his second campaign at In
dianapolis with an address which must
merit and receive permanent distinc
tion for the calmness of Its tone and
closeness and sobriety of Its reasoning,
and for its breadth of statesmanship.
The contrast marks and epitomizes
the growth of the man.
No one ever before nominated for
the presidency was so little known to
the nation at large as Mr. Bryan was
in 189G, but since that day in Chicago
there has been a continuous unfolding
of a remarkable character under a sun
light as fierce as any that ever heat
upon a throne. His rigorous honesty,
his constant frankness, his unfailing
courtesy, his undaunted optimism,his
intense patriotism have availed to pen
etrate the clouds of partisan and fac
tional prejudice until these qualities
are conceded by his antagonists and
become the reliance of his followers.
While the Indianapolis speeeh of ac
ceptance is not lacking in skill and
elegance, the reader will search it in
vain for idle symbols or mere flowers
of rhetoric. He will find instead an
unDroken thread of earnestness and
candor running through it, with no dts
gressive appeals to irrelevant passions.
In it Mr. Bryan has not planted him
self upon an epithet but upon a prin
ciple. Call the course of Mr. McKinley
in the Philippines imperialism or be
nevolent assimilation, as you please,
the Democratic candidate takes his po
sition squarely and boldly in opposi
tion of it.—Boston Globe.
Bold and Ajtgresnlve.
The presidential campaign of 1900
was opened boldly and aggressively by
Mr. Bryan in his speech of acceptance
of the Democratic nomination at In
dianapolis yesterday. The occasion
was one of much interest, not only by
reason of the impressive formalities of
the proceedings, and the great enthu
siasm of the largo assemblage, but be
cause the utterances of the candidate
fixed definitely the paramount issue of
the campaign which the party in power
has done its be3t to belittle and cover
up.
Mr. Bryan makes his stand squarely
' on tlte issue of republic or empire. In
his speech of acceptance the minor and
contingent questions of public policy
with which this election is concerned
do not receive consideration. The sol
emn duty of the people in the preser
vation of the principles of our govern
ment overshadows everything else at
this crisis. It is a question of national
life or national decadence, and on this
line the great struggle is to be waged.
Mr. McKinley has taken up, with his
party, the position of defense. Mr.
Bryan opens the attack with vigor.
The issue of imperialism is discussed
in Mr. Bryan's speech thoroughly, with
entire fairness, with great force and in
a spirit of nigh patriotism. It is a re
markable address, ranking perhaps
higher than any of its author's pre
vious efforts, in that rhetoric is held
throughout subordinate to logic, and
brilliancy of effect to convincing
strength of statement. It is an address
which defies condensation, so compact
Is its argument, so close knit its prem
| 'sen apt] conclusions. It is a speech that
carries conviction and that impresses
the reader, as it manifestly impressed
those who heard it, with the entire sin
cerity of the man.—Boston Post
The Popular Idol.
The people's candidate for president
has delivered a noble speech, solely
devoted to the supreme question. Quar
rel with him as we may on other is
sues, criticise as we may his past treat
ment of this issue, the fact remains
that he rather than McKinley places
the paramount issue where it belongs
—at the forefront of the discussion.
Whatever the past, Mr. Bryan rather
than Mr. MfKinley has ranged himself
and the great party behind him on the
right side of the debate. He throws
the whole organized power of the De
mocracy into the fight against the im
perialist program.—From the Spring
field (Mass.) Republican-Independent.
WHY HE CHANGED.
This is the simple story of how John
Smith came to change his party. His
father was a Republican. His grand
father was a Whig. John himself had
always voted Just as his father did.
From his early youth he had always
evinced an interest in politics, but it
was a quiet Interest. He didn't go
much on getting into arguments. He
was always content to believe that the
Republicans were more right than the
Democrats, so he voted a straight Re
publican ticket every time.
John keeps small store in the sub
urbs of a large city. He sells, grocer
ies, oil, candies, stationery for the
school children and deals a little in
meat, especially in the winter time
when it is easier to keep meat than
in the summer.
John has noticed of late that his
profits amount practically to nothing,
still he does a fair amount of business;
he is steady and does not spend hia
money extravagantly, tries to buy
pretty good things for his store, al
| though he never buys very much and
he keeps things neat and clean about
his place.
A few months ago John got hold ol
a newspaper with some interesting
articles regarding the growth and de
structiveness of the trusts. His busi
ness was quiet, he had nothing else to
read, so he glanced over the article.
Very soon he became interested and
read them very carefully. As a result
he is in a predicament, is worried con
siderably. He can no longer accept
the presentment of the Republican
side of the case as he used to. The
other day he read in a paper about the
great prosperity throughout the coun
try. about the enormous amount ol
goods shipped and bought by Uncle
Sam, of the Increased amount of busi
ness being done and of the increase in
the amount of money in circulation.
He does something now that he never
did before. He questions the truth ol
these statements. For instance, he
wants to know where the money goes.
He is not making any; his friends In
business tell hint that they are not
making any money. Some years ago
they used to make money and they
used to spend it liberally, too, but now
they are forced to play close to the
cushion.
John Is doing a little figuring now
all by himself and is doing consider
able thinking. He wonders why it is
that he and his old friends, those he
knows in town, are not making any
money. He figures that there are
more people around town than there
were in the days when business was
good. He figures that they should eat
as much as ever, in fact should spend
about as much money as ever. But
do they? He answers himself by say
ing that he does not spend as much
money as he used to spend; he doesn't
get hold of it to spend. He figures
that what is true of him is true of
other people. The question, who gets
the money? is what he is trying to
figure out. He looks about the store
at his small supply of goods ana re
calls from whom he buys them. Near
ly everything he has in stock Is handl
ed by trusts. There is no competition.
He must buy from that one party or
not buy at all. They bull the price.
He has to pay a large sum for the
goods, but he cannot always charge a
large price, because the people won't
pay it, for what is equally as had. they
can't pay it! What is the result? The
result is that the trusts make the mon
ey. The merchant is forced to buy his
stock from concerns that tolerate no
competition. He is forced to sell his
goods in competition with his fellow
merchants, owing to the combines that
are formed, the profits of the whole
sale houses are never cut. If the
prices of the goods are raised to the
small merchants, it simply follows
that Its profits are diminished. The
merchant's loss is the combine's gain.
And it is equally true that the com
bine's gain is not only the merchant's
loss, but the public's as well. This
is the fact which John Smith has dis
covered and about which he is ener
getically telling his friends and neigh
bors. And as a result of having at
last seen the light upon the trust ques
tion he has decided to vote against
them by easting a ballot for Bryan.
Thus ends the simple story of John
Smith.
Republican ex-President Harrison,
ex-Speaker Reed and ex-Senator Ed
munds, having also put themselves on
record against criminal aggression, are
dismissed with an epithet—'They are
'has beens.'"
Republican Senators Hoar. Welling
ton and Mason, having denounced the
colonial policy of the administration,
are contemptuously dismissed by Mark
Hanna with the remark: "Let them
sulk."
CURIOUS FACTS.
The sword blades forged at Toledo
by the Sarncens could be coiled up like
n clock spring ami would resume per
fect straightness as soon as released.
After lying in the dead letter office
for thirty-seven years, a letter has
been returned to n Smith Centre (Kan.)
man, with the memoranda that his
brotner cannot be found at the ad
dress.
A seventy-two-year-old recruit re
cently passed the doctors' examina
tion for the Imperial Yeomanry. He
had served twenty-eight yenrs in the
Black Watch, the Gordons and other
Highland regiments, and has six sous
serving in the army, four of them ut
the front in South Africa.
The costliest crown in Europe, ex
perts say, is that worn by the Czar of
Russia on State occasions. It is sur
mounted by a cross formed of five
maguiilceut diamonds, resting upon an
immense uncut, but polished, ruby.
The ruby rests upon eleven large dia
monds, which In turn are supported
by a mass of pearls. The coronet of
the Emprdss. it is said, contains the
most beautiful mass of diamonds ever
collected in one band.
In Germany the use of wooden bells
for telephones is being adopted, owing
to the disagreeable sound of metal tel
ephone bells, particularly when there
are a number of them in the same
room. It was found, however, that
these wooden bells were apt to split
through changes in temperature and
other causes, so a bell has been re
cently invented made of a composition
which gives a muffled souud distinctly
heard at a considerable distance.
In Philadelphia until the year 1793
a cowherd stood every morning at the
corner of Dock and Second streets,
blew his horn, tramped olf to a distant
pasture, followed by all the cows of
ids neighborhood, who had run out to
him as soon as they heard the famil
iar sound. He led them back to the
same place at night, when each re
turned alone to her own home. Sheep
herds or shepherds in Colonial days
also took charge of the sheep of many
owners in herd walks or ranges by
day ami by night in sheep folds built
with fences and gates.
Large numbers of plants have been
worshiped nuiong the nations of the
East, including the lily, tile myrtle and
the onion, the latter having been an
object of worship among the Egyp
tians. The Jains, a religious seet very
numerous in Bombay, worship five
grades of life—first, trees and plants;
second, worms; third, ants and creep
ing things; fourth, winged creatures,
and fifth, all higher animals. In the
Tonga Islands of the Pacific Ocean
the natives lay offerings at the foot
of particular trees, with the idea of
their being inhabited by spirits. The
Tnlein, of Bunnell, before they cut
down a tree, offer prayers to its "ka
luk," or inhabiting spirit, and the
Siamese offer cakes and rice to the
tnkhicn tree before they fell it, and
believe the inhabiting nymphs or
mothers of trees pass into guardian
spirits of the boats built of their wood.
Jn Ceylon the Bo tree is found in the
precincts of every Buddhist temple.
At Aunrajapoora there is one of these
trees of peculiar sanctity, to which
thousands nununlly repair to offer
prayers for health and prosperity.
The Pocket Gopher.
One of the worst enemies of alfalfa
is the pocket gopher, which digs its
runs three or four inches under the
surface, cutting off (lie roots that hap
pen to lie in its path, but worst of all
it throws ui> a chain of mounds along
the run which renders mowing very
difficult. If unmolested this pest will
carry on its depredations to such au
extent that the field will have to be
plowed up. No preventive has been
found. Trapping may be employed,
hut it is tedious and unsatisfactory.
Poisoning is. perhaps, the easiest
method of destroying the gopher, and
if properly done the pests may be al
most entirely exterminated.
To poisou them as soon as a fresh
mound is seen get some potatoes and
cut them as for seed and procure a
bottle of crystallized strychnine. With
a knife silt the pieces and put a crys
tal of strychnine not larger than a
wheat grain in the silt, so it will lodge
near the middle of the potajo. The
potato being moist the strychnine will
soon be dissolved and carried all
through it, and it should be used as
soon as poisoned. With an iron rod
poke into the ground around the fresh
hill until the run is located, and open
it with a spade. Drop in a potato and
cover up. Gophers are very fond of po
tatoes, und one dose is usually fatal.
If too much strychnine Is used, or tile
potatoes are not used whtffi freshly
prepared, the poison is not so effec
tive. If the field is gone over once a
week, the old hills leveled down and
the now ones given n potato, the goph
er's work will soon lessen.—Santa l-'e
New Mexican.
Protected Carrier PigeonH.
Thin bamboo tubes are fastened to
carrier pigeons lu China to protect
them from birds of prey. When the
bird is lu motion the action of the tilr
through the tubes causes a whistling
sound, which alarms prednceous birds
and keeps them at a respectful dis
tance.
Calcium Carbide In Italy.
A new industry which has uow as
sumed considerable Importance in
Italy is the manufacture of carbide of
calcium, which Is used chiefly for
making acetylene gas. The United
States and France occupy the first and
second places as producers of carbide.
Italy comes next.
WHAT'S THE USE?
What's the use o' workin'
Or a-diggin' in the ground
To get a livin', when there's one
A-lvin' all around?
What's the use o' workin'
When the sun's n-shinin'
On the fields and medders,
So's it sets a feller pinin'
To git away into the woods
Where the crick sounds cool an' sweet?
Sometimes fellers in the sun
Is overcome by heat.
Seems 's some people
Must be hoein' corn or plowin'—
Workin' day an' night now,
An' every one allowin'
To take a rest sometime
I'd ruther sit or lie
Around now, while it 's pleasant,
An' work—mebbe—by-an'-bv.
-Puck.
JINCLES AMD JESTS.
Said mother: "Willie's Uncle Dan
Has sent a lovely bike to him."
"Indeed!" said pa; "what led the man
To take such strong dislike to him?"
Mrs. Esau—"What is the matter with
that mess of pottage?" Esau—"That
is 'the kind mother used to make.' "
Brooklyn Life.
Friend—'"Did fortune smile on you?"
Rejected Suitor—"Well, she gave me
the laugh, if that's what you mean."—
Syracuse Herald.
"Do you believe the old saying,
'Laugh and the world laughs with
you?'" "Not if you persist in laugh
ing at your own jokes."
"He's generous to a fault." That's true!
But then it's always shown.
The fault that he is generous to
Is just one of his own.
—Catholic Standard.
Father—"Who prepared this pud
ding?" Mother (looking at her daugh
ters in succession)-"I mustn't tell—
the author desires to remain anony
mous."
"What's the difference between
knowledge and wisdom?" "Weil, it
takes knowledge to build an auto
mobile, but it takes wisdom to run it."
—Chicago Record.
Business Man—"Sn.v, did you sweep
the offlce out this morning?" Boston
Office Boy—"No. sir. the feat you sug
gest. borders upon the Impossible. I
swept the dirt out, sir."—Chicago
News.
"Jane, How do you feel towards
me?" "John, I can't tell you until I
know how you feel towards me."
"Well, but you know that all depends
on how you feel towards tue."—ln
dianapolis Journal.
The Neighbor—"You mean to tell
me you didn't notice those eats yowl
ing all last night? What a sleeper
you must be!" The Other Neighbor—
"l wasn't asleep. Neither was the
baby."—lndianapolis Pres.
Farmer Honk—"l hear that that
long-necked young city teller that is
boardin' with you has got pajamas?"
Farmer Summertime—"lt's a lie! lie's
been at our house nearly two weeks
now. an' he ain't drunk a drop nil the
time."—Puck.
Grnpbter—"Hang it. I loft my pook
etbook home, and I haven't a penny
in my clothes. Say, lend me a fiver,
will you? I'll return it. to-morrow."
Phoxy—"l'll do better. Here's a nickel;
you can go home nud get your pocket
book."—Philadelphia Press.
"A pretty lot of children you are
for a minister to have," exclaimed a
West Side pastor whose children were
misbehaving at the dinner table.
"Then, why don't you change your
business, papa?" asked four-year-old
Nellie.—Trained Motherhood.
"It is claimed that a Chinese poet
wrote the original of 'Poe's RaVen*
several thousand years before Edgar
A. was born." "I wonder how he ren
dered tlie 'Nevermore!' " "That's easy,
'Alice samee 110 comee some buinby
yettee.' "—Cleveland Plaiu Dealer.
Foyer—"You seemed to enjoy the
vaudeville show hugely last evening."
Lobby—"it was terrible." Foyer—
"But you laughed as though you'd
die." Lobby—"Yes; I couldn't help
thinking how funny it was that I
should sit there and be tortured."—
Boston Transcript.
Incident, of tlio Mexican War.
"Three men were lookiug over the
bulwarks, evidently called there by
the challenge of the steamer—to whom
Parker, proficient as a native in Span
ish, spoke. But there was uo falter
ing; we boarded her at once, aud as
the clash of our cutlasses betrayed
us, one of the Creole's crew of seven
hailed the sentry on the castle. The
alarm had been given as the cutter's
crew gathered together the men of the
vessel, and the officers plunged into
the hold to lire the vessel. Heaping
against a light inflammable bulkhead
the sails of the craft and bits of wood
lying about, the mass was ignited. It
burned slowly, aud then flickering, it
died out. The officers added to the
pile the tails of their shirts, and one
glowing ember being found, Hynsou
emptied upon it the entire contents of
bis powder flask, starting the lire
again, but severely scorching his
bands, arms and face. The clamor
from without came to them above the
hiss and crackling of the increasing
conflagration, and when they saw
that their efforts were eminently suc
cessful they hurried on deck.—Robert
C. Rogers, in Harper's Weekly.
Species of tli© American Skunk,
There are distinct species of the
American skunk—the jet black and the
black and white striped. The latter
is regarded as one ot the most beauti
ful creatures ot the animal kingdom.
Its pelt is highly prized, ns it makes
the prettiest of muffs, wraps and neck
boas. The jet black pelt is also high
ly prized, but is noi so valuable as the
black aud white striped. The pelt of
the latter can always he sold for one
dollar. The oil from the skunk is
worth fifty cculs an ounce, aud Is
used in severe eases of croup, colds
aud kindred diseases. The oil does
not have the unpleasant aroma of thu
ekunk.
JfySieiylt
My Shadow.
1 I have a little shadow that goes in and
out with me,
I And what can be the use of him is
more than I can see.
I He is very, very like me from the heels
up to the head,
And I see him jump before me when I
jump into my bed.
The funniest thing about him is the
way he likes to grow—
Not at all like proper children, which
is always very slow;
For he sometimes shoots up taller,
like an India rubber ball,
And he sometimes gets so little that
there is none of him at all.
One morning very early, before the sun
was up.
I rose and found the shining dew on
every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an ar
rant sleepy-head,
Had stayed at home behind me and
was fast asleep in bed.
—R. L. Stevenson.
Tlirt>© Hoys and Their Does.
One summer when I had grown to
be quite a big boy. father and mother
said I might take my two younger
brothers camping, if I would be very
careful of them and of myself, and
write home at least three times a week.
We boys were very much delighted,
and made all sorts of promises about
not getting drowned and not burning
up the tent.
Father helped us buy and pack our
outfit, and as he had been camping
lots of times himself, we didn't forget
many things we ought to have; and
our "stuff" made a pretty big load
when we got it all together.
So we started off for Mallett's bay,
an arm of the lake, about eight miles
away, and one of the most beautiful
camping places in the world. Of course
our three dogs went with us—"Vickel,"
the pointer, "Crusoe," the little, rag
ed. faded spaniel, and "Don," the
great, good-natured, homely, laughing
dog belonging to my brother Charlie.
It was a sizzling hot day, but, we
three boys and the three dogs walked
all the way to Mallett's bay, getting
there ahead of John Manor, who had
to drive slowly with our big load. By
the time he arrived with our things
we had hired a boat for three weeks
and gained permission to camp on one
of the high wooded points jutting out
into the bay.
We had a hard and puzzling time
getting all our stuff into the boat, and
when we finally did get it stowed away,
there was just room left for one per
son to sit on a thwart and row. I got
in to row the boat over to the point,
but Bob and Charlie declared it was so
terribly hot they wouldn't stay there
and wait. So as they seemed just
ready to cry, I told them to climb in on
top of the stuff. When they did this,
of course, the three dogs had to come,
too, so we were loaded down to the wa
ter's edge, and must have made a funny
picture. Don sat up on top of the
tent and blankets, in the bow, grin
ning. Crusoe was hugged up against
my back, on the bread-box. and every
time I bent back, rowing. I would
knock him almost off the box. Vickel,
Rob and Charlie sat in the stern, on
top of the big grocery chest and the
sack of potatoes. It looked as if the
slightest tipping of the boat would
throw them into the water. We all felt
that it was a ticklish voyage we had
started upon, and that we must sit
perfectly still if we wanted to come out
of it alive.
We had almost reached the point,
and were getting into shallower water,
when a big, buzzing, biting fly lit on
Don's side, and before he realized what
he was doing he had thrown over his
big head to snap at it, and splash!-
all the boys and dogs went into the
water, except me, and if I hadn't been
low down on the seat, I would have
gone, too.
It was a terrible scare. The boat had
not quite tipped over, but it had taken
in about a barrelful of water and was
just on the point of sinking. I was so
flustered I didn't know what to do, and
if it hadn't been for Don I am afraid
some of the party might have drowned.
But Don seemed to realize that the
blame rested on him, and that he must:
do what he could to set things right.
So he swam around the boat (Don was
a splendid swimmer), and let Rob and
Charlie catch hold of him —one had
hold of his ear and the other of his
tail —and just towed them to where
the water was shallow enough for wad
ing. I rowed the boat as near to laud
as it would go.
Then we three boys, standing up to
our knees in water, got the stuff out of
the boat as fast as we could. Luckily,
it didn't get so very wet, either. Not
until we were all drying ourselves on
the rocks, with the things spread out
in the sun, did we say a word about
our adventure. And then we laughed,
as boys will, and Don—the rascal!
wagged his jaws and laughed at us.
This was our first adventure. But,
after we had got our tent set up and
were living in fine shape, we had an
other adventure which wasn't our fault *
at all. The weather had been terribly
hot. We had been four days in camp.
During the evening of the fourth day
a tremendous black storm came up.
We watched it blotting out the sunset 1
and piling up from the west. Finally
it grew almost pitch dark, and away
out on the lake we could see what
looked like a swaying black curtain, <
with a white fringe at the bottom—
the storm driving across the water.
We got inside our tent and fastened
the flap. The air was full of a low,
rumbling sound, and beside the growl
i ing and crashing of thunder, and pret
j ty soon we began to hear the trees lash
and roar. The next moment the
squall struck us with the force of a
big pneumatic sledge hammer, and %
over our tent went as neatly as a ten
pin!
There we were, three boys and three
dogs, squirming badly under the can
vas and trying to find some place to #
get out. The rain and hail were drum
ming on the tent like a shower of
buckshot, and the wind was uprooting
great trees and flinging them down on
every side of us.
I tell you we almost suffocated be
fore we got out from under the heavy
soaked tent! And then what a time we
had getting the dogs out! Poor dogs!
They couldn't feel around for the edge
of the canvas, and lift it up, as we did.
They could just flop around and howl
and struggle, tossing the canvas into
waves, and twitching it out of our
hands when we tried to raise it and let
them out. The tent got more and
more tangled up, and it was not until
the storm was almost over that we saw
our faithful dog companions emerge.
I didn't know as we were ever going to
lay eyes on them alive. But at last
we got them released and they ran
howling off into the woods. Not one of
them would come into the tent again
all the time we stayed.
During the last two weeks of our
stay several funny things happened,
chiefly on account of the dogs.
Charlie gave Don his fish line to hold
one day when we were out in the boat,
and a 10-pound pike got hold of it and
came near pulling the big dog into the
water. The line snarled in his teeth,
and he howled terribly. Rob finally
caught hold of the line under water,
and we got the fish.
Another time the dogs got so hungry
that they hunted up the lard pail, roll
ed it down the bank on to the rocks,
smashed off the cover, and ate the
lard. We had left them In charge of
the camp, and my, how sheepy they
looked when we got back.
I shall never forget the fun we had
in camp that summer. We got tanned
like Indians, and our appetites simply
couldn't be satisfied. We caught fish
by the dozen, but they were all gone
by the time the next meal came
around. We drank four quarts of milk
a day, and swept the neighborhood
clean of eggs. Finally we just had to
go home to get filled up. The poor
dogs were nothing but bags of bones.
They would sit around in a circle and
look at us sadly while we ate. Some
times Crusoe would creep up and nudge
Rob's arm with his nose. But there
was never anything left. We meant to
save something for them, but when it
came to the point we couldn't. So we
had to go home to prevent their starv
ing. And when John Manor came out
for the stuff, you never saw such dog
antics in your life! I really believe, it
John hadn't been 80 years old, and as
dried up as a beetle nut, Vickel and
Don and Crusoe would have eaten him
on the spot.—Little Folks.
A Surprised Organ-tarlndor.
An amusing story is told of a young
school teacher. She was one day re
turning from her class with her
hands full of flowers, the gifts of her
pupils, when she met a friend, and the
two stopped to speak to each other.
While they were thus engaged, an
old Italian, whose companion was
grinding melancholy tunes out of a
worn-out hurdy-gurdy, approached and
stood beside them, shaking his hat in
dumb show of begging.
The teacher had no purse with her,
and, therefore, paid no attention to the
man; but so persistent was he that she
thoughtlessly and impulsively turned
and said:
"I have no money; Here, take these
flowers!"
The Italian, unusued to such a favor,
which, in his native land, is considered
a great compliment, looked at her for
a moment in startled surprise, but
quickly recovering himself, he bowed
low, so that his hat almost touched the
ground, and with a smile, in which
humor and gratefulness struggled for
supremacy, he repeated again and
again, while he continued to bow and
scrape:
"Nica lada! Gooda lada! Nlca
lada!"
The chagrin of the teacher may be
imagined, as she hastily left the group
of laughing bystanders; but the Ital
ian was unabashed, and continued to
call after her:
"Nica lada! Gooda lada!"
Kn*w Arithmetic Anyhow.
A teae ler of music in one of the
public schools in the south desired to
impress the pupils with the meaning
of the signs "f" and "ff" in a song they
were about to sing. After explaining
that "f" meant forte, he said: "Now,
children, if T means forte, what does
'ff' mean?"
Silence reigned for a moment, and
then he was astonished to hear a bright
little fellow shout:
"Eighty!"
Delight in our neighbor's inferiority
does us more harm than any act of
his.
The man who is taken in is usually
out.