TOUCFI YOUR LIPS WITH GLADNESS.
y Nixon Watermnn.
Are you growing tired of the long and Touch your Jips with gladness and go sing
rugged road, ing on your way,
Weary of the burden, oh, my broth- Smiles will strangely lighten every duty;
.. , ers - . , lt , . , Just a little word of cheer may span a sky
Men have found the surest way for light- ot gray
ening the load With hope's own heaven-tinted bow of
Is just to try to lighten it for others. beauty.
Hearts still hold the most of love that most Wear a pleasant face wherein shall shine a
their love bestow joyful heart,
On lonely lives of those who are forlorn- As shines the sun, the happy fields
ing; adorning;
Roll the Rtone from out the path where To every care-beclouded life some ray of
tired feet must go, light impart,
And touch your lips with gladness every And touch your lips with gladness every
morning. morning.
—Success.
TWO
RESCUES.
By Ewan Macpherson.
6 j Y ~J I! Hi! Hold on there,
partner!"
i 5 Jack Norton, with
" hnnds buried in the
pockets of a heavy winter overcoat,
came striding over the hardened snow,
down the slope of a dark and deserted
Bide street that led to the Kast River.
He had just caught sight of another
man passing through the yellow patch
of light that marked a squalid runishojj
in a basement, and some instinct had
prompted him to hail as "partner" this
man whom he then saw for the first
time.
The strange man cheeked an impulse
to look hack, hut only went on all the
more doggedly. Norton also quickened
his pace. After a few more strides he
could see, in the faint light which the
snow reflected from the last lonesome
gas lamp on tlio block, that there was
no need of swiftness .to catch up with
this man; the street ended right there
In a sort of platform with an iron
railing at Its edge, and immediately
below this railing was the East River,
where cakes of ice swirled out of the
darkness Into straj' beams of light, and
On into darkness again. The stranger—
n strongly built man in a thick pea
jacket—stood there, grasping the head
of an iron rail in either hand, staring
out beyond.
"It's no good, old man," said Norton,
Crunching over the fresh snow on the
platform to reach the stranger, "no
good* Thought of doing it myself. If
you'll hold on a minute I'll tell you
Why."
f-The man in the peajackct turned and
glared at this intruder with the tall hat
and tile air of another class. "Who in
thunder are yon?" And then, as if a
new thought had suddenly occurred to
him, he leaned forward and peered into
Norton's face.
Wl'hat's all right," said Norton, stand
ing up to the scrutiny as If ho had
juite expected it. "I'm not off my head
r,:not altogether. I only want to keep
you from a mistake I nearly made
myself. A few minutes ago I started
to coruo down here and—well, disap
pear in that darkness out there. See
those chunks of ieo racing each other?
If you and I jumped this railing now,
we'd be racing like that next moment,
and with no more idea of wliera we
were racing to. It's all like that, the
other world is. Chap named Hamlet
settled It all long ago."
"Well, say, If you ain't crazy you've
got more gall than anybody's got a
right to and keep their senses. What
you got to do with my affairs?"
Norton laughed aloud. "Your af
fairs! Don't you see we're in the same
boat, you and I? You just listen to
me "
"No, I won't just listen to you," the
Other man growled. "And if you know
What's good for you, you'll get away
out of here."
This threat to a man who had all but
resolved on suicide struck Norton so
suddenly and sharply as comical tlint
Ihe broke into a roar of laughter,
awakening the echoes of the winter
night. His mirth Instantly roused the
resentment of the man in the pea
' Jacket, who, backing away from the
railing, struck violently at him right
and left. /
JJrßy instinct and long habit Norton
put up his hands. He was the taller
man of the two, active and more skill
ful in self-defense than the other; but
a long winter overcoat is an awkward
garment for boxing In, and the gloves
proper for a gentleman's afternoon
calls are not at all the prize-ring type.
Handicapped like this, he was less dif
ficult for the smaller man, whose furi
ous drives and swings fell short of his
face, but reached his chest and ribs.
The two clinched and stamped up
and down in the dry snow, their steps
so muffled as to he soundless, even in
the stillness of that deserted nook.
They fell, grappling fiercely, and the
street lamp blinked down at them, like
a solitary and impartial witness for
both sides, while a river steamer went
puffing and groaning past, as if intent
only upon its own struggle with the
tide and the floating ice. Over and
over they rolled together, the man in
tbp peajacket fiercely struggling to
wreak his exasperation on Norton's
face whenever a chance offered. It
was a bizarre struggle, what with its
comical aspects, nnd what with the
threat of tragedy that increased every
moment, as Norton realized his op
ponent's terrible earnestness.
At last it seemed that the greater
■uppleness nnd length of limb had tri
umphed; Norton was on top. the other
man's arms securely held down in the
snow. But then arose the difficult
question how to dispose of this man
safely and yet humanely. If positions
bad been reversed, Norton would have
been in perilous case; an evil light
(was glaring out of the two eyes that
met his. a reckless demon of hate
against the whole world. Norton, on
the contrary, bad no general grievance;
In particular he had no quarrel against
the stranger whom ho held pinioned
In the snow. Only one person had
been in his thoughts as he came down
that lonely side street, and her he
would not have harmed for all that life
could afford. It had seemed, though,
that death would he for him a happy
escape from the agony of his meeting
with her that afternoon, fluting her
so affectionately intimate with that
supercilious middlo-nged Professor
What's-hls-nnme, and his just resent
ment met with what sounded to him
like a heartless sneer, and all this after
years of absence in constant love and
hope. By all logic Norton ought to
have been glad to let the man in the
peajaeket get up and lull him, but
somehow his impulses had all been
changed by this chance meeting with a
fellow creature to whom life seemed as
unbearable as to himself.
The solution of the problem how to
release the desperate man came to
Norton when the panting still was
feebly broken by the distant voice of a
child calling. The man on the ground
raised his head, as if from force of
habit, to listen. The voice came
nearer.
"Papa! papa! Mamma wants you."
"Let me up. That's my kid."
Norton jumped up delighted.
"Papa! Mamma wants you to come
to her."
"Here, Connie!"
The man in the peajackct sat up on
tile snowy curb, trying to rid himself
of the marks of his rough-and-tumble
in the snow. Norton was picking up
his tall hat when n little girl in a pink
frock emerged from the darkness of the
street. The little girl appeared to for
get that it was a cold night, and that
her black woolen shawl thrown over
her head was a very slender protection.
The shawl was trailing behind her as
she ran to her papa, and, sobbing,
threw frerself into his arms.
"Oh, papa, she didn't mean lt
mamma didn't mean for you to go
away and never conic back! Won't
you come to her now, please, pnpa?"
Norton, brushing his silk hat, felt
once more moved to laughter—perhaps
not the laughter of a merely humorous
appreciation, but still laughter. Taught
by bis late experience, bo moderated
his laugh to a hardly audible chuckle,
and then, as that excited no fresh out
break on the part of Connie's papa, he
spoke up:
"Yes, Connie"—he had caught the lit
tle one's name—"papa's going home.
But you mustn't catch cold, little girl.
Here!"
lie was taking off Ills own overcoat
to throw over the child when her
[atlier, still sitting in the snow hugging
Iter to his peajacket, looked up and
caught him in the act.
"If you take off that coat, you'll
■atoll your death of noomony, mister,"
10 said.
"I shall not have time for that, part
ner. Why not? Because I'm going to
send you home with Connie while I go
the other way." Ho nodded in the di
rection of the river. "I have no home
where I'm wanted, and no little girl to
run about in the snow looking for
me."
6onnle looked up at hirp over lior
papa's shoulder. "Ain't you got—no
body at all?"
"Nobody at all, Connie, nere, let me
sec if the coat's too long for you."
Iler papa rose and gathered up the
trailing black shawl. "Run on home,
baby," he said, wrapping it tight about
her. "Run on now, just as fast as you
can, nnd tell mamma I'm coming right
away—soon as I get through talking
to tliis gentleman on business."
Norton took something put of his
pocket, stooped, and transferred the
something to Connie's hand, whisper
ing to her, and she, after one puzzled
stare, disappeared up the street. He
looked after her a moment, and then,
turning away with a chuckle, said:
"You must have been clean off your
head, partner. And you tried to make
out I was. 1 wish you'd tell me what
the trouble is. But, anyhow, I know
now you hadn't half my excuse for
wanting to jump into the river."
"Think so, eh? How would you like
it if you had worked hard for ten
years, and then hod to see your things
all sold out—horse, and wagon, nnd
everything—and your wife saying
you're no kind of use "
"That's enough," Norton Interrupted.
"It's only money with you. By the
way, what's your name? McCorkle?
All right, McCorkle. I just want to
tell you that you don't know when
you're well off. Come on, McCorkle;
I'm going to put off that swim with the
lee enkes until to-morrow night. Ugh!
It surely Is a good deal more comforta
ble with this coat on. Hope I didn't
seriously hurt your arms just now."
The two late combatants began to
plod together through the snow In the
roadway. "Now, see here, McCorkle,
I'm putting off ray plunge just for one
thing—just to write a check to your
order. You agree to take that check
ami nso it? You won't? All right,
then. (!i)Oil night." lie turned back
and began to unbutton his coat again.
McCorkle was really doubtful about
the suicidal Intention of this top-hatted
mail who had interfered with his own
impulse in that direction. Ho had to
acknowledge himself conquered on this
line, too, for the sake of his own peace
of conscience, and having had suffi
cient proof of his inability to save the
other man by physical force. Besides,
he longed to be back with his wife
and Connie. So he solemnly promised
to accept the check and consented to
show Norton the little tenement just
around the corner on tfie avenue that
was his home. And so Norton had the
good fortune to meet Mrs. McCorlclo.
Norton was young in years, and still
younger in general experience. Much
of ids life had been spent on a Western
cattle range, in a region where Mrs.
McCorkle's sex was scantily and not
favorably represented. Pondering the
situation revealed by Connie's sobbing
message, and by the scene at which he
assisted in the McCorkle home, he be
gan to think that a woman's word
needs much interpreting and patience.
And that other person was of Mrs.
McCorkle's sex, though in unlike cir
cumstances. Upon which Norton re
solved to wait for the interpretation of
events.
The following note reached him at
his hotel next morning:
"Dear Jack: If you had not gone off
in a huff you would have learned be
fore now that Dr. Brereton,wlio seemed
to be tile cause of your outrageous be
havior, is going to be my step-papa.
It was not for me to tell you, but
mamma says I may—now. She would
have told you herself, if you had come
up and had a cup of tea with her.
You may thank her for this note; I
would never" have written it. I could
have shaken you. He thought your
tantrums so funny!"— New York Times.
Fatnl Temperature.
At what point does life begin? So
far as regards space of time, the ques
tion is unanswerable. Only a few
years ago it would have been said that
in regard to that seemingly essential
condition of life temperature we did
not know pretty nearly a superior
and inferior limit. Little of life is
there below the freezing point or above
the boiling point of water, and far
above or below these critical points we
should expect even germ life to be
destroyed. When our greatest physi
cist in 1871 suggested that seeds of
plants might have been born to this
world in a far distant age, the hy
pothesis seemed incredible, because
the temperature of space, being at
least as low as minus 40 degrees Centi
grade would be fatal to life in auy
form. This Is not so. Recently at the
jeuncr Institute bacteria have been
frozen in liquid air, and even in liquid
hydrogen, and on the application of
heat, and placed in proper media have
germinated. Tho process of life was
arrested, but the nascent life energy
was not destroyed nt 200 degrees Cen
tigrade, fhy, 300 degrees Fahrenheit
of frost. Experiments are now being
made to find whether long continuance
for months or years in such cold takes
away the vitalism of those lowest
forms of life.—London Telegraph.
Women Klevulor Operators.
From Boston comes the news of an
innovation in tho form of the woman
elevator operator. An official in a com
pany that makes elevators was asked
if he thought there was any likelihood
of elevator girls for New York.
"There aren't any yet," he said, "but
I see no reason why there shouldn't
he. Of course a girl couldn't run the
sort of car that lias to bo hauled up
and down by main strength with a
rope, but many of the cars these days
travel through eighteen and twenty
more stories under the control of a
man who doesn't use auy strength at
all. A metal crank does the work, and
a child could do tho physical part of it
as well as anybody. The operator
simply has to have a level head, and
if the bend's a girl's, it is just as good
as though it were a man's, isn't it?"—
New York News. . ,
How Ho Saved Himself.
A distinguished French novelist,
whose works are extremely popular
with the fair sex, recently found him
self traveling in a railway carriage
with two very talkative women. Hav
ing recognized him from his published
portraits, they both opened lire upon
him in regard to his novels, which they
praised in a manner that was unen
durablo to tho sensitive author. For
tunately tho train entered a tunnel,
and in the darkness tho novelist, who
understood women, lifted the back of
his band to liis lips and kissed it sound
ingly. When light returned he found
tho two women regarding one another
in icy silence, and, addressing him
with great suavity, ho said: "Ah,
mesdames, the regret of my life will
hereafter be that I shall never know
which one of you it was that kissed
me."
Listen to the Mocking lltrri.
The story told by Septimus Winner
of how lie drew the inspiration for his
famous songs, "Listen to the Mocking
Bird" and "What is Home Without a
Mother?" is touching. A mother was
wont to stand on a piazza holding her
babe "in the mild September" to hear
the "mocking bird singing far and
wide." Years afterward ho saw th
child standing on the piazza scarcely
realizing that her mother lay dead.
From the one incident came the in
spiration of tho popular melodies thai
have not yet been relegated into ob
livion by "Come Back, Bill Bailey,"
and his relatives innumerable.—Pitts
burg Post.
Tlio Globo Fish's Peculiarity.
The globe fish—scientifically known
as the tetrodon—is said to be the only
fish capable of swimming and floating
back doivn\va i ds.
.. V/W-HE® C\ _ 'S
iSA-i
Captain Leonard.
Oh, I will be a sailor bold,
And sail the stormy sea;
I'll be an admiral. I think,
I'm sure it would suit me.
Perhaps I'll be a pirate, too,
And hoist a Hag so black;
Or, p'raps, I'll stand and hold the
wheel,
And "bring her round" or "tack."
Of course, I'll find some hidden gold
In some far desert isle;
I'll often "scud before the breeze"
In quite the proper style.
Then, when I've made a fortune great,
\ I shall, of course, retire,
And "spin long yarns" about my
deeds,
Beside a roaring fire.
Perhaps you'd like to know just why
I'm going to do all this?
It's 'cause I've got a model boat
From mv dear Uncle Chris.
And it I've such a splendid ship,
Why, then, it seems to me,
That I must be a sailor bold
When I'm a man, you see.
—Chicago lieeord-llcraid.
[jtOW^HCYQUARRCLED.
Betty and Joan had quarreled and
made up and were now looking at each
other with glowing faces.
"Isn't making up awful nice?" said
Joan, giving her friend a rapturous
kiss.
"Isn't it, though, just?" agreed Bet
ty, returning the kiss enthusiastically.
Then they stood back and gazed at
each other. Suddenly Joan clapped
her hands softly together.
"What is it?" asked Betty.
Missing Husband and Sister Puzzle
'An American woman protects the American ling. Find her husband and
sister.
"Let's quarrel and then make tip
again. It's lots more fun than 'Catch
me, Robin,' and 'Run Round, Rosy.'"
"Good! good"' cried Betty. "It's just
splendid! But what'll we quarrel
about, and who'll begin?"
"Oh, anything. Call names, and we
must start even. I'll drop my hand
kerchief."
They stepped back and made their
faces as serious as possible. As the
handkerchief touched the ground they
began to call the most terrible names
they could think of. But, curiously
enough, neither of tbcra appeared to
get very angry; one could almost im
f||
agine they were using all their self
control to keep from laughing.
"Why don't you get mad, Betty Law
ton?" asked Joan at last, desperately.
"Why don't you? I only said 'cat'
when you got really and truly mad."
"And I only called you 'spitfire.' "
"It's awful hard to get sure enough
mad, isn't it?" asked Betty, as they
joined hands and raced across the
yard.
And Joan's sweet face grew a little
serious as sho answered, "Sometimes."
—Chicago Record-Herald.
Rain Lore.
The weather is a most important
consideration, but, owing to the fact
that science has not yet discovered tho
laws of rain, men are unable to fore
tell it for any considerable period.
Hence there are in use many lists of
weather wisdom by which the fall of
rain is supposed to lie governed.
"The faster the rain, the quicker the
hold up" Is a pieeo of weather lore
dating as far back as Shakespeare's
day, for in "Richard II." (act 2, scene
1), John of Gaunt is represented as
saying;
"For violent fires soon burn out them
selves. Small showers last long, but sud
den storms arc short."
A further adage on the subject re
minds us how
"The sharper the blast
Tho sooner 'tis past."
Ifhny items of weather lore have
been from time immemorial associated
with what is generally termed a 'sun
shiny shower."
Although it is said to be of short dura
tion, it is an indication that it will rain
011 the following day about the same
hour.
Among the numerous rhymes, this
one is current in some of the midland
countries of England:
"A sunshiny shower •
Never lust half an hour."-
There JS a popular fancy that rain
on Friday insures a -wet Sunday, a
superstition—embodied in the familiar
couplet:
"A rainy Friday, a rainy Sunday;
A fair Friday, a fair Sunday."
Another version of this rhyme says:
"As the P'ridaya, to the Sunday;
As the Sunday, so the week."
Sunday's rain is in many places re
garded as the fortruuner of a rain
week.
In Norfolk it is commonly said:
"Rain afore chutch (church),
Rain all the week,
Little or much."
Rain in springtime is regarded as a
good omen.
"A wet spring, a dry harvest."
The possibility of foretelling rain by
observation of the sky is referred to
In the following rhymes:
"Evjning red and morning gray
Will speed the traveler on his way;
Ev-ning gray und morning red
Will bring down rain upon his head "
"A red night is the sailor's delight;
A red morning is the sailor's warning."
"A rainbow at night is the shepherd's de
light;
A rainbow at morning is the shepherd's
warning."
The duration of rain is supposed to
be governed by tlie following rule:
"Rain before seven, quit before eleven."
Many of the charms used by children
to avert rain are curious. This one is
current in Northumberland;
"Rain, rain, go away,
Come again another day?
When I brew and when I bake,
I'll gie you a little cake."
In Scotland children are often heard
apostrophizing rain as follows:
"Rain, rain, go to Spain,
And never come back again."
In Durham a charm prevalent to in
sure a line day consists in laying two
straws in the form of a cross and
saying:
"Rain, rain, go away,
Don't come back 'till Christmas day.'
It is said that this mode of procedure
is seldom known to faU.—Washington
Star.
A Musical Hoop.
That children delight in rolling ordi
nary hoops is evident, says the New
York Herald, but how they can find
any pleasure in it has long been a puz
zle to many of their elders.
True, it requires some skill to keep
a hoop upright and to prevent it from
swerving from the right path, but such
skill is rather easily acquired, and
therefore it is somewhat strange that
children who are experts in the art
should continue to roll hoops and ap
parently enjoy themselves quite as
much as their less skilled brothers and
sisters. Whether they will find equal
enjoyment rolling a hoop similar to
the one shown in the accompanying
picture remains to be seen.
A novel affair it is, since certain
spaces are barred off in It, and these
contain littlo balls or trinkets, which
make a pleasant jingle whenever the
hoop is 6et in motion. Here, at any
rate, is a genuine toy, not a mere circle
of wood.
In a matter Of this kind, however,
children are the sole arbiters, and con
sequently with them rests the fate of
this new hoop.
A Dalmy Lunch.
That word "dainty" never being used
to describe the lunch spread for men,
we have decided that it means that
there is not enough to eat.—Atchison
Globe.
(She Funny
of
The .Ship's Dizzy M.occan*
A young fady in crossing the ocean
Grew ill from the ship's dizzy mocearli... ,
She said with a sigh,
And a tear in her eigh,
"Of living I've no longer a-nocean."
—Chicago News.
Quite Natural.
"Do you think the photographer flat
tered her?"
"I suppose so. Everyone does."—De
troit Free Press.
Ills Oversight.
lie—"Wliy didn't you answer my let
ter asking you to marry me?"
Slie—"You didn't Inclose a stamp."—
Town and Country.
The Excoptton.
Attorney—'"lgnorance of the law ox- 4P
cuses no one."
Client—"Except, of course, a law
yer."—Town and Country.
•lust So. A
Little Clarence "Pa, liow many
senses have we?"
Mr. Callipers "Six, my son—live
senses and a nonsense."—l'uck.
Disappointed.
"So yon were held up hy bandits?"
"Yes, and that isn't the worst of It.
They simply took my money without
detaining me long enough to give 1110
a start as a magazine writer or lec
turer."—Washington Star.
Slang Pliruse Illustrated*
V
1
On his own hoolt.—Scraps. *
Compensation*.
Madge—"lt must be just lovely to he
a millionaire."
Marjorle—'"Oh, I don't know. There
Isn't half as much pleasure in buying
things when you know you can afford
them."—New York Times.
Very Much Settled.
Sho—"Really, now, aren't you a mar
ried man?"
He—"No. Why?" -v
Sho—"Oh, you have such a settled W
look." /
Ho—"Yes; I've been refused by thir
teen girls."—New York News.
In the Depths.
"Ho Is trying to get a reputation a*
the worst pessimist in town."
"He is the worst already."
"O! no; he's only trying to be."
"But he declares he knows it will
Just he his luck not to succeed."—
Catholic Standard and Times.
Her System Upset.
Mamma "You must be awfully
careful, darling. The doctor says you*
system is all upset."
Little "Dot—"Yes, I guess It Is, mam
ma, "cause my foot's asleep, and people
must be terribly upset when they go
to sleep at the wrong end."—PhiladelJ
phla Inquirer.
A Martyr to Vogue. .
"Wealth has its annoyances," salt L
the man who keeps dispensing ready.
made philosophy.
"That's right," answered Mr. Cum.
rox, in a tone of deep confidence. "If
I hadn't got rich, mother and the girls
wouldn't insist 011 my eating olives."—-
Washington Star.
As Usual.
"Good morning, sir," said a strange*
accosting Kip Van Winkle, as the lat
ter came down out of the mountains
from his twenty-year sleep, "and how;
are you feeling this morning?"
"I am fueling bum—very bum," re
plied Rip in the usual grumbling way
of mankind; "why, I never slept a!
wink all night."—Boston Post,
An Unkind Cut. j
A prominent man was chaffing a eer
taln town councillor the other day
about the dolngß of the Council, andl
eald:
"I'd sooner put up as a candidate for 1
a lunatic asylum than put up for
Town Council."
"Well, you'd stand a much better
chance getting in," dryly responded
tbe town councillor.—Tit-Bits.