TOUCH YOUR LIPS WITH GLADNESS.
By Nixon Waterman.
Are you growing tired of the long and
rugged road,
Weary of the burden, oh, my broth
ers!
Men have found the surest way for light
ening the load
Is just to try to lighten it for others.
Hearts still hold the most of love that most
their love bestow
On lonely lives of those who are forlorn
ing;
Roll the Rtone from out the path where
tired feet must go,
! And touch your lips with gladness every
morning.
•—Success.
TWO
RESCUES.
By Ewan Macpherson.
4 ( y "J" I! ni! Hold on there,
partner!"
■ ! Jack Norton, with
Q hands buried in the
pockets of a heavy winter overcoat,
came striflng over the hardened snow,
flown the slope of a dark and deserted
side street that led to the East River.
He had just caught sight of another
man passing through the yellow patch
of light that marked a squalid rumshop
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 checked an impulse
to look hack, but only went on all the
more doggedly. Norton also quickened
his pace. After a few more strides lie
could see, iu the faint light which the
6iiow reflected from the last lonesome
gas lamp on the 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 stray beams of light, and
Dn into darkness again. The stranger—
a 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 yoH
Why."
!• The man in the peajacket turned and
glared at this intruder with the tall hat
and the air of another class. "Who In
thunder are you?" And then, as if a
new thought had suddenly occurred to
him, lie leaned forward and peered into
Norton's face.
"That's all right," said Norton, stand
ing up to the, scrutiny ns if lie hail
quite expected It. "I'm not off my head
?-not altogether. I only want to keep
you from a mistake I nearly made
myself. A few minutes ago I started
to eomo down here and—well, disap
pear in that darkness out there. See
those chunks of ico racing each other?
If you and I jumped this railing now,
we'd he racing like that next moment,
and with no more idea of where 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
6tlier 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 ns comical that
(he broke Into a roar of laughter,
pwakening the echoes of the winter
bight. Ills mirth instantly roused the
(resentment of the man in the pea
jacket, who, hacking away from the
railing, struck violently at him right
and left.
By 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 ids
face, hut reached his chest anil ribs.
The two clinched and stamped up
and down iu the dry suow, their steps
so muffled as to ho soundless, even in
the stiffness 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 nud the floating ice. Over and
over they rolled together, tint man in
the peajacket fiercely struggling to
wreak his exasperation on Norton's
face whenever a chance offered. It
was n bizarre struggle, what with Its
comical aspects, and 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
suppleness and 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
safety nnil yet humanely. If positions
bad been reversed, Norton would have
been in perilous ease; 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, had no general grievance:
tn particular he had no quarrel against
Touch your lips with gladness and go sing
ing on your way,
Smiles will strangely lighten every duty;
Just a little word of cheer may span a sky
of gray
With hope's own heaven-tinted bow of
beauty.
Wear a pleasant face wherein shall shine a
joyful heart,
As shines the sun, the happy fields
adorning;
To evejv care-beclouded life some ray of
light impart,
And touch your lips with gladness every
morning.
the slransci' whom he 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 be for him a happy
escape from the agony of his mcetiug
with her that afternoon, timing her
so affectionately intimate with that
supercilious middle-aged Professor
What's-hls-name, 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
peajacket get up and kill him, but
somehow bis 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 t. come
to her."
"Here, Connie!"
The man in the peajackot 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 a little girl in a pink
frock emerged from the darkuess 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 herself into his arms.
"Oh, papa, she didn't mean It—
mamma didn't mean for you to go
away and never come back! Won't
you come to lier now, please, papa?"
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 his late experience, ho 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 homo.
But you mustn't catch cold, little girl.
Here!"
He was tailing off his own overcoat
to throw over the child when her
father, still sitting in the snow hugging
her to his peajacket, looked up and
caught him in the net.
"If you take off that coat, you'll
eatcii your death of noomony, mister,"
he 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." lie nodded in the di
rection of the river. "I have no home
where I'm wanted, and no little girl to
run about iu the suow looking for
me."
Connie looked up at him over her
papa's shoulder. "Ain't yon got—no
body at all?"
"Nobody at all, Connie, nere, lot me
see if the coat's too long for you."
Her papa rose nnil gathered up the
trailing black shawl. "Run on home,
baby," lie said, wrapping it tight about
her. "Run on now, just as fast as you
can, and tell mamma I'm coming right
away—soon as I get through talking
to this gentleman on business."
Norton took something out 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 chucklo, said;
"You must have been clean off your
head, partner. And you tried to make
out I was. 1 wish you'd tell mo 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 had to see your things
all sold out—horse, and wagon, and
everything—and your wife saying
you're no kind of use "
"That's enough," Norton Interrupted.
"It's only money with you. Ey the
way, what's your name? McCorkle?
All right, McCorltle. I just want to
tell you that you don't kuow when
you're well off. Come on, McCorkle;
I'm going to put off that swim with the
lee cakes 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 my plunge just for one
thing—just o write n check to your
order. You agree to take that check
and use it? You won't? All right,
then. Good night." He turned hack
and began to unbutton his coat again.
McCorltle was really doubtful about
the suicidal intention of this top-hatted
man who had interfered with his own
impulse In that direction. He 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 jifst
around the corner on the avenue that
was his home. And so Norton had the
good fortune to meet Mrs. MeCorkle.
Norton was young in years, and still
younger in general experience. Much
of his life had been spent on a Western
cattle range, in a region where Mrs.
MeCorkle'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 MeCorkle home, he be
gan to think that a woman's word
needs much Interpreting and patience.
And that other person was of Mrs.
MeCorkle'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,who seemed
to be the cause of your outrageous be
havior, is going to be my stop-papa.
It was not for me to tell you, but
mnmma 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.
Fatal Temporal tire.
At what point does life begin? So
far as regards space of time, the ques
tion is unanswerable. Only a l'ew
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 wo
should expect even germ life to be
destroyed. When our greatest physi
cist in 18T1 suggested that seeds of
plants might have been born to this
world in a far distant age, the hy
pothesis seemed Incredible, because
(lie temperature of space, being at
least us low as minus 40 degrees Centi
grade would be fatal to life in any
form. Tills Is not so. Recently at the
.leaner Institute bacteria have been
frozen in liquid air, and even In liquid
hydrogen, and on tile application of
heat, and placed in proper incdin hnve
germinated. Tho process of life was
arrested, but the nascent life energy
was not destroyed at 200 degrees Cen
tigrade, say, 800 degrees Fahrenheit
of frost. Experiments are now being
made to And whether long continuance
for months or years in such cold takc3
away tho vitalism of those lowest
forma of life.—London Telegraph.
Women Elevator Operators.
From Boston cornea tho 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
be. Of course a girl couldn't run the
sort of car that has to be hauled up
and down by main strength with a
rope, but many of tho cars these dnys
travel through eighteen and twenty
more stories under the control of a
man who doesn't use any strength at
all. A metal crank does the work, and
a child could do the physical part of It
as well as anybody. The operator
simply lias to have a level head, and
if the head's a girl's, It Is just as good
as though It were a man's, Isn't it?"—
New York News.
Jlow Ho Snvcd 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 1 him from his published
portraits, they both opened tiro upon
Idm in regard to his novels, which they
praised In a manner that was unen
durable to tho sensitive author. For
tunately tho train entered a tunnel,
and In tho darkness the novelist, who
understood women, lifted tho back of
his hand to his lips and kissed it sound
ingly, When light returned ho found
the two women regarding one another
in icy silence, and, addressing him
with great suavity, ho said: "Ah,
mosdames, the regret of my life will
hereafter be that I shall never know
which one of you it was that kissed
me."
I'lsten to tho Mocklns Itird.
The story told by Septimus Winner
of how he 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 hqlding her
l>abe "in the mild September" to hear
the "mocking bird singing far and
wide;" Y'ears afterward ho saw the
child standing on the piazza scarcely
realizing that her mother lay dead.
From the one incident came the in
spiration of the popular melodies that
have not yet been relegated into ob
livion by "Come Back, Bill Bailey,"
and bis relatives innumerable.—Pitts
burg Tost
The Globe Fifth's Peculiarity.
The globe tisli—scientifically known
as tho tetrodon—ls said to be the only
fish capable of swimming and flouting
back downwards.
Captain Leonard.
Oh, I will be a sailor bold,
And sail the stormy sea;
I'll be an admiral. 1 think,
I'm sure it would suit me.
Perhaps I'll be a pirate, too,
And hoist a flag so black;
Or,
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 auite 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 i
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 Record-Herald.
j'jQW jrI£YOI)ARFI£LED.
Betty and Joan had quarreled aud
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. 1
Then tliey stood back and gazed at 1
each other. Suddenly Joan clapped
her hands softly together.
"What is it?" asked Betty.
Missing Husband and Sister Puzzle
An American woman in'otects the American llag. Find her husband and
sister.
"Let's quarrel and then make up
again. It's lots more fun than 'Catch
me, Robin,' and 'Run Round, Rosy.' "
"Good! good"' cried Betty. "It's just
splendid! But wliat'll we quarrel
nbout, and who'll begin?"
"Oh, anything. Call names, and we
must start even. I'll drop my hand
kerchief."
They stepped hack 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 them appeared to
get very angry; one could almost im
aglne 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 Enid '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 n little
serious as slip answered, "Sometimes."
—Chicago Record-Herald.
lUin Lore.
The weather Is a most Important
consideration, but, owing to the fact
that science has not yet discovered the
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 be governed.
"Tbo faster the rain, the quicker the
hold up" is n piece 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 are short."
A further adage on the subject re
minds us how
"The sharper the blast
The sooner 'tis past."
Many items of weather lore have '
been from time immemorial associated
with what is generally termed a "sun
shiny shower."
Although it fssaidtobe of short dura
tion, It is an indication that it will rain
on 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 last half an hour.'--
There is 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 Fridays, EO the Sunday;
As the Sunday, so the week."
Sunday's rain Is in many places re
garded as the fortrunner 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:
"Evming red and morning gray
Will speed the traveler on his way;
Evning gray and morning red
Will bring down rain upon his head "
' A red night is the sailor's delight;
A red morning is the Bailor'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 the 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 fine 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 kuowu to fail.—Washington
Star.
A Musical Hoop.
That children delight in rolling ordi
nary hoops is evident, says the New
York Herald, but how they cau fiud
any pleasure in it has long been a puz
zle to many of their ciders.
True, it requires some skill to keep
a hoop upright and to prevent it from
swerving from the right pntli, 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 fiud equal
eujoyment rolling a hoop similar to
the one shown in the accompanying
picture remains to he seen.
A novel affair it is, since certain
spaces are barred off in it, and these
contain little bulls or trinkets, which
make a pleasant Jluglo whenever the
hoop is set In motion. Here, at any
rate, is a genuine toy, not a mere circle
of wood.
In a matter of this kind, however,
children arc the sole arbiters, and con
sequently with them rests the fate of
this new hoop.
A Dainty 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.
&he Funny
of
Life*
The ihip'B Dizzy Mocean.
A young fady in crossing the ocean
Grew ill from the ship's dizzy mocean; ,
She said with a sigh, V
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.
Hiu Oversight.
He—"Why didn't you answer my let
ter asking you to marry me?" .
She—"You didn't inclose a stamp."—
Town and Country.
The Kxcoptfon*
Attorney—"lgnorance of the law ex- -
cuses no one."
Client—"Except, of course, a law
yer."—Town and Country.
Just So. y
Little Clarence "Pa, how many J
senses hare we?"
Mr. Callipers "Six, my son—live
senses anil a nonsense."—Puck.
Disappointed*
"So you were held up by bandits?"
"Yes, and that Isn't the worst of It.
They simply took my money without
detaining me long enough to give me
a start as a magazine writer or lec
turer."—Washington Star.
Elan;; Phruso illustrated*
On his own hook.—Scraps. /
Compensations.
Madge—"lt must he just lovely to he
a millionaire."
Marjorie—"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 ZVluch Settled.
She—"Really, now, aren't you a mar
ried man?"
He—"No. Why?" /
She—"Oh, you have such a settled -J,
look." '
IIo—"Yes; I've been refused by thir
teen girls."—New York News.
In tlio Depths.
"Ho Is trying to get a reputation a.
the worst pessimist In town."
"He is the worst already."
"Oino; he's only trying to he."
"But he declares lie knows It will
Just be bis luck not to succeed."—
Catholic Standard and Times.
HOP System Upset.
Mamma "You must be awfully
careful, darling. The doctor says your
system is all upset."
Little*Dot—"Yes, I guess It Is, mam
ma, 'cause my foot's asleep, and people
must bo terribly upset when they go
to sleep at the wrong end."—Philadel
phia Inquirer. v
A MartjT to Vogue.
"Wealth has Its annoyances," said V
the man who keeps dispensing ready- f
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 on my eating olives."—
Washington Star.
As Usual.
"Good morning, sir," said a stranger
accratlng Rip Van Winkle, as the lat
ter came down out of the mountains
from his twenty-year sleep, "and how
aro you feeling this morning?"
"I am feeling bum—very bum," re
plied Rip In the usual grumbling way
of mankind; "why, I never slept *
wink oil night"—Boston Post.
AB Unlcind Cor. V
A prominent man was chaffing acer- L- -
tain town councillor the other day
about the doings of the Council, anil
said:
"I'd sooner put up as a candidate for
a lunatic asylum than put up for the
Town Council."
"Well, you'd stand a much better
chance getting In," dryly responded
the town councillor.—'Tit-Bits.