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I 1 It Gould Mot llHpp«n Now. Ere country ways had turned to itreet. And long ere we were born, A lad and laes would cliaoce to meet, And often she'd Uf glc'ct hur tank. The willows b'jwed to nudfje the brook, Tlie eowalipa uod 'ed K^y, And bu would look and sbe would look. And botb would look away. Yut eachâ€" and tbia \a so absurd- Would dream abou' tbe other, And sht; w^uld niivor breath-j a word To that good dame, ber mother, ♦â- ^urgirU are wiser now. 'Twaa very qu-iint. 'twas very strango, Eitreninly strau^e yuu must allow. Dear me I huw modeii and customs (change ; It cou d not happuu now. Nextdav that idle, naacbty lass Would rearrange ber hair. And por.d^T lonti before tbeMlass Which bcjw shrt ought to wear : "Why do you bhish libo that'.*" And seldom care to cbac. And makn her mother frown and ask : " Why do y<'u blush like tha ?" And now she'd haunt with footsteps alow That njead with i;uwsli;'9 yellow, Down which shu'd met a week ajj'j That stupid, staring fellow. Our ("iris are wiser now. 'Twas very quaint, 'twas very ttrant^e, E.xtreinely struugo. you must allow. Dear me ! bow moile-* and customs change! It could uuC happen now. And as for him. that foolish lad, He'd hardly clotso an e>e, And look BO W' e-iiejiona and ead Hed make his mother cry. " He Koes," shnd say. " from bad to wors*. My boy, ^o blithe and bravo. Last nigbt 1 f -'imd him writing; verso About a lonely u'rave!" And, lo ! next day her nerves he'd shock Wiib laugh and song and caper; And there'â€" s 'It! d find a i< )tdea loc k Wrapped up in tissue paper. Our bo\ s *ro wi-er now. 'Twas verv fpjaiLt, 'twas v«ry etrango, Extremely strange, you most allow. Dear me ! buw modes and customs change 1 It could not happen uuw. ~F. Liingbriilije in Good Wi>n24i, r*^^ # * \\ '? I Iir TWO HALVES. H<>r ChriatmiiH Gift. A woman stood on weary feet, biftiuf; an aiih-barr^-l in the street, And to her »>k rts clung, rhatrering, A little, lout-led, merry thing. " To-nmrrow f'lirisf ma* ;,''ft8 will comr ; I know, dcâ- ^^ (Irauuy, we'd havM some." Bbo answert-ri uoc. "Heart sitk and sore, febe picked the refuse o'er and o'ur. She would not Kpeek tbe bitter tbougbt- •* To such -iH UH Christ couieth not." Bhe paused to wipe I or Uslies free ; It gave ber C) ts new > « >ulli to se^. A doll !â€" a black. discardeJ thing, But \et a d' II I Willi band trembling. The eag r wuiau Bnilehed the prizu And bid it [rem tbe bab> s eyes. " To-mor ow Christmas gif's will come ; I know, (iear Liraiiuy. wo 11 have some. ' " Ab I aarling, may you uev^r doubt ; Christ will not let you du witboui. " D«ar Lltll« AlU'v. ;D*ur little Aliceâ€" may her jo\H increase â€" Awokt^ (ti e night, and netir tin- mantel piece Beheld OM S^i.taCiaus, with bai{ aud box, ' Qaite busily en»;aued i. hlhug rtocks. DelighteilK she lifted up her voicf- That childish treble made bin hear: rejoice â€" An't said : " Dear Sau'a. 1 bave wuited long To talk to yt>u, and iiave 1 then done wroug .'" •* Not HO." ihe Ksint â-  t Christtuassaid andsmiled. While a Ktili radiance (eil upon thH child. **Not su ; for those aluite my face may see Who very go. d aud uoblo strive to be. Bpoak tb< n. my child; what it thy ^luest with nie '.'" Then answered Alice, " I cannot forget, Dear Banta Clans, a little girl I m<'t. Bagged and bumeleHS and with eyes so sad That my putrr heart has never t>iuco been glad. fTake tbe" to her, dear Santa Clans, I pray. All the rare ' hings you brouybt for me to day; Take ibtm to her brighteu her eyes of blue, Aud aay ihe-e presents came from me and you.'' Then sleep quite ovt-rcame the little maid ; Back un the pillow ber round cheek was laid. 'Old Santa va islied ; but an an^el fair -BBQt hoftly down aud kissed her golden hair. The CbristmaaTrve. o, the Christ- mas tree Bo bright aud gr«en, awaits Old Santa Claua aud tbe cliim uey place all swept and clean gapes wido its ponderou<) jaws. Tbe little stockiijgs are all bung up. und baby's just uiakeA four. Won't Old Kanta Claus bu surprised when he tinds there ia one more! There's an elegant place up in tbe treetohang.Johuuy'sgutt and a place fur May aud one "for Ka e tj Ie*ve| their d"Ils upon. Ibit for little baby blueeyesal'^wer brincb ho must chooso Wbere she may reach and llnd the place be'a bung ber first new shoes. Turndown tbe light a little, now, so. Old Santa Clans can Bee. At.d baby and all must go to bed and ue u« gootl as can be^nd tomorrow morn get upearly.aftor a long night's sleep, and eoDie softly down to the Xoifts t r«« and see Who will get the il rat peep. Dolly, lau't Christiimt Jolly? Dolly, isn't Christmas jolly ',' Uon't you wish 'twould stay all year '.* It is always C' ristmas, Dollv, Where you came from '/ Tell mo, dear ! Di'l you live with good Kris Kringle In bi-i home so far away '.' Are >ou gl«d or sorry. Doi'y, Th*t you're here with me to-day '.' Dolly, isn't Christmas jol'v ? Oh, if you could only talkâ€" It sepnib too funny that you can't. When you can laugh and cry and walk I'll try awful bird to teach you If you'd only fellow mo ; 1 think you could learn a little â€" Come now, just say .V 1* C I Dolly, isn't Christmas jolly '.' on, if you e uld only uat 'â-  I liiivo lots of nuts and candy .\!id phim-pudding awful sweet! I think you could eas a little - Jus c. little -if you'd try ; W'ouUl you like sinie candy. Dolly, .\ud home fruit cake aud souio pie ? Dolly, isn't Christmas j'>liy .\ n't you glad Ihii^ Santa Clans l*ut you' in my sti)ckiMg ,' I am. And I think ibat you are, cause Vou do siH'iu so awful hapv»y. Do you lovo inu LV>lIy dear ',' Oh, ain't Christmas awfully jolly ',' Don't yju wish 'twould stay all year '* _ .^ . , , â- â€" Juveulla Joy. Benevolent Old Gent â€" *' ITow my heart bounds when 1 neo the happy faoea of child- hood at thia jovous Chri.^iuias Keason. Note the beaming nmilo of the little boy now ftpproaching. Heaven itaelf aei'Uia to have iUuiiiiuated those littlo featurea. I will â- peak to biiu. Ouo tnoaieut. littlo boy. Why are you ao happy ? " Little lioy (^rianing)â€" *' Ma got mad and pauked me with bor uow four dollar hair braib andâ€" she broke it/' TIE FTXL&T VJiLF. Wet Mid dreary. It ia mid-winter; the scene ia Kirklint^ton, oa tbe London & North weetern ; the time a quarter to 11; juat after the night mail had flasbed through without stopping â€" bound for Liver- pool act the north. The railway ofiici&la are collecting, preparatory to going off ducy for ttiu night. •* Where'a Dan ? " asked one of the crowd upon the platform. " I aaw him in the hut jaet after the quar- ter to 11 went through. Can't have tiome to any hartn, surely ? " ** No ; he Haid he'd aeen somethini: drop from the train, and kif> went down the line to pick it up." Aud Dan had picked up eometbing. It waa a basket, a common white wicker badket, with a lid fasieaed down by a btring. What did it contaia ? Dirty olotht^B? What? A bttbyâ€" a child half a dozen weeks old no ojorb. " Whore did 30a come acrosa it ? " asked ooe. " Lying on the line, jaat where it iell. Per bu.pH It oida't fall, pt^rhapa it was chucked out. What matter ? l\e t^ot it, and got to look after it, that's enough for me I " The little mite's Linton waa white and of tine Luacerial. but lay upon an old shawl and a few bus of dirty ll&Qnel. All they found wau a dilapidated purse, a common soap bag purse of faded brown leather. luaidti wad a brass thimble, a pawn ticket and the half cf a Bank of Kngiand note of £100. A new parson â€" Harrold Trtffrvâ€" h»d come lately lu KirkliDgtoo. Hu in uow [jayiug a roaod cf parochial vie-its, accoinpaciea by an old college cbam, who is epcudiu^ Cbrmtmaii with him. •â-  Voudcr," said Trtffry, pointiui; to a thiu thread o( smoke which rose from some gaunt treed into the sullen wintry air, •• yonder is the boose -ii, indeed, it de- serves H) grand a name â€" tbe hovel, rather, of one whose case is the hardest of all the bard ones in my pariah. This man is a mere hedger and ditcher, one who works for any master, most often fur tbe railway, bat who is n«ver certain of a job all the year aroand. He has a swarm of youc^ children, and baa jaet l06t bis wife. Ue is absolutely prostrated ; aghast probably at hid att«r incapacity to do bis ducy by his mothbrlees little ones. I wonder whether yoa could rouse bim. If you coald only get him 10 make a sign, or cry, or laugh, or to take the smallest intertst iu cuumou affairs. Jack, I believe you're tbe very man. Yuu might gel at bim through the chtl'ireu â€" that marvelous hanky paukv of yuors, those sarpriuing tricks ; a child lakeu to yOu naturally at once. Try and make friends with these. Perhaps when the father sees tfaeui interested and amused he may warm a little, speak, perhaps ap- prove, perhaps smile, and in the end give in. Jack, will you try ,'" Jack Newbiggin was by profession a con- veyancer, but nature had intended bim (or a new Uoudiu, or a wizard of the uorth. Ho was more than half a professional by the time be was full grown. In addition to the ijuick eye and facile wrist, be had the rarer gifts of tbe suave manner and the face of brass. He had even studied mes- merism and clairvoyance, and could upon occasion surprise his audience considerably by his power. They entered the miserable dwelling tO(;ulher. The childrenâ€" eight of tbem â€" were all skirmishing over tbe floor, except one, a child of G or 7, a bright-eyed, exceed- ingly beautiful boy, the least â€" were not nature's vagaries well known â€" likely to be born among and belong to aucb surround- iugii, who stood between the legs of tbe man bunself, who had his back to the visitors, and was crouching low over the eciuty lire. 1 be man turned his head for a moment, gave a blank stare, then an imperceptible uod, aud unce more he glowered down upon the tire. " Here, little ones, do you see thiagen- tleuiau .' Ue is a conjurer. Know what a conjurer ii. Tommy ? " catching up a mite of J or 5 from the floor. " No, not yon ; nor yon, Sarah ; nor you, Jakey "and he ran through all their uames. They hiid now ceased their gambols and were staging bard at their visitorsâ€" the moment was propitims ; Jack Newbiggin began. Ue had fortunately tilled his pockets with nuts, oranges aud cakes be- fore leaving the parsonage, su he had half his apparatus ready iu band. The pretty boy had very soon left the father ut the fire and had come over to joia iu the fan, goiug back, however, to exhibit his share of the spoil aud describe volumiuou?ly what had occurred. This ai.d the repeated shciits of laughter seemed to produce some impression on him. I're- sently ho looked over his shoulder and said â€" but without animation : " It is very good of you, sir, surely ; very good for you to take so kindly to the little chicks. It does them good to laugh a bit, but it Mu'i much as they've had to make "em lately." " It is good for all of us now and again, I take it," said Jack, desisting and going toward biui, the children gradually col- lecting in a far off corner and comparing notes. " You can't laugh, sir, if your heart's heavy ; if yoa do it can bo only a sham." While hfl was speaking ha bad taken the Bible from the shelf, aud resuming his seat began to turn the leaves over. " I'ui an untaught, rough countryman, air, but I have heard tetl that these strange things you do are only tricks ; ain't it so? ' Hero was indeed a hopeful symptom. He was rousod then to take some interest in what bad occurred. â- All tricks, ot course; it all comes of praetioc," said Jack, as be proceeded to ez.- pUin some of the simple processes, hoping to enchain tbe man's attention. " 1 hat's what I thought, sir, or I'd have given you a job to do. I've been in want of ft real conjurer for many a long day, and nothing less'll do. See here, sir," he said, as he took a small, carefully folded paper from between tha leaves of the Bible, " do yeu sue this ?" It was half a Bauk of England note for £100. " Uow, sir, could any conjurer help me to tbe other half?" " Uow did you ocme by it?" asked Jack at once. " I'll tell you, sir ; ihort aa lean make ii. Conjurer or no conjurer, you've got a kindly heart, and I'm main sure that you'll help if you can." Dan then described how he had picked up tbe basket from the lU.'lu Liverpool ex- press. " There was the linen ; I've kept it. See here ; all marked quite pretty and proper, with lace round tne edges, as though its mother loved to make the little sue smart." Jack examiaed the linen ; it bore a monogram and crest. The tirst ho made out to mean U. L. M., and tbe crest was plainly two hammers crossed, aud the motto, '* I strike" â€" not a common crest â€" und he never remembered to have seen it before. And that was ail ? " 'Cept tbe bank note. That was in a poor old purse with a pawn ti(;ket and a thimble. I'kept them all." Like a true detective Jack examined every article minutely. The purse boretbe name Hester Corrigan, in rude letters in- side, and the pawn ticket was out iu the same name. THE SECOND HALF. When Jack Newbiggin got back to tbe parsonage hu found inat bis host had ac- cepted ttu invitation for tbem both to dine at the " big bouse," as it was called, the country seat of the eqaira of tha parish. " 1 have been tigbting your battles all day, " began Mrs. Sitweil. the hostess, when seated at dinner next to Jack. •' Was it necessary ? I should have thought myself too iosiguihcant." •' They were talking at lunch of your wonderful tricks in conjuring, and one said that the skill might prove inconvenient â€" when you played cards for instance." " A charitable imputation ; with whom did it originate ?" " Sir Lewis Mallaby." " Pleaee point him out to me." He was shown a grave, scowling face upon the right of the hostessâ€" a face like a mask, surface rough and wrinkled, through which the eyes shone with a bale- ful light, like corpse candles in a sepulchre. Jack 1st his companion chatter on. It was his habit to get all the information possible about any company in which be found himself, for his own purpose as a clairvoyant, and when Mrs. Sitweil tlagged he plied ber with artless i|uesti<>ns, and led her on from one person to another, making mental notes to serve bim here- after. It is thus by careful and laborious preparations that many of the strange and seemingly mysterious facts of tbe clair- voyant conjurer are performed. When the whole party were assembled in the drawing-room after dinner a chorus of voices, headed by that of the. hustecs, summoned Jack to his work. There ap- peared to be only one dissentient, Sir Lewis .Hallaby, who not only did not trouble him- self to back up the invitation, but when the performance was actually begun was at no paius to conceal bis contempt and dis- gust. The conjurer made the conventional plum pudding in a hat, tired wedding rings into quartern loaves, did all manner of card tricks, knife tricks, pistol tricks, and joggled on conscientiontly right through hid repertory. There was never a smile on Sir Lewis' face ; he sneered unmistabably. Finally, with an ostentation that savered of rudeness, he took out his watcli, a great gold repeater, looked at it and unmistakably yawned. Jack hungered for that watch directly he aaw it. Ferhaps through it he might make its owner uncomfortable, if only for a moment. But bow to get it into his bauds ? He asked for a watch â€" a dozen were offered. No, none of these would do. It must be a good watch â€" a repeater. Sir Lewis Msllaby's was the only one in tbe room, and he at hrst distinctly refused to lend it. But so many earnest entreaties were addressed to him, the hostess leading tbe attack, that he could act in common courtesy continue to refuse. With soinetbiug like a growl ho took his watch oil the chain and banded it to Jack Newbiggin. A curious, old-fashioned watch it was, which would have gladdened the heart of a watch collector â€" all jewelled and enameled, adorned with crest and inscription â€" an heirloum, which had probably been in the Mallaby family for years. Jack looked over it curiously, meditatively : then, sud- denly raising his eyes, ha stared intently into Sir Lewis Mallaby s face aud almost as quickly dropped them again. "This ia far too valuable,' he aaid courteously, " too much of a treasure, to be risked in any conjuring trick. An ordin- ary modern watch I might replace, but not a work of art like this." And he handed it back to Sir Lewis, who received it with ill- concealed satisfaction. Ho was as much pleased, probably, as Jack's expression of possible failure in tbe proposed trick as at the recovery of his property. xVnothcr watch, however, was pounded into a jelly and brought out whole from a cabinet in an adjoining room. " Oh, but it ia too preposterous," Sir Lewis Mallaby was heard to say, quite angrily. The continued applause pro- foundly disgusted him. "'Ibis is the merest charlatanism. It must be put an end to. It ia the commonest impostare. These are things which he has coached up in advance. Let him be tried with some- thing which upon tbe face of it he cannot have learned beforehand by artificial meaus." 'Try him. Sir Lewia ; try him your- self," cried several voices. " I scarcely like to lend myself to such folly or encourage so pitiable an exhibi- tion." But he seemed to be conscious that fur- ther protest would be iu Jack's favor, so he said : " Can you tell whit I have in this pocket ?" Ue touched the left breast of bis coat " A pocket-book." " Bah 1 Every one carries a pocket- book in hia pocket." " But do you ? " asked several of the by-3tandera, all of whom were growing deeply interested in this strange duel. Sir Lewia Mallaby confessed that he did, and produced itâ€" an ordinary morocco leather purse and pocket-book, all iu one. " Are you prepared to go on ? " said the baronet, haughtily, to Jack. " Certainly." " What does this pocket-book contam ?" " Evidence," " Evidence ot what ? ' " Of facta that must, sooner or later, come to light." " What ridioulousDousenae I I give yoa my word that thia pocket-book ountaiBS nothing â€" absolutely nothing â€" but a Bank of England note for illOU. ' " Stay I" aaid Jack Newbiggin, facing him abruptly, and speaking in a voice of thunder. " It is not so â€" you know it â€" it ia only tha half I " .\nd as be spoke ha took the pocketbook from tbe hands of the really stupitied baronet, and exhibited for inspection â€" the half of a Bank of England note for £100. There was much applause at this harm- less and successful denouement of what threatened at one stage to lead to alterca- tion, perhaps to a quarrel. But Jack New- biggin was not satiatied. " Aa you have darul me to do my worst," aaid he, "listen now lo what I have to aay. Not only did I know that was only the half of a note, but I know where the other half is to be founil." " Bo much the better for me," said the bironet, with an elfort to appear humor- ous. "That other half was given toâ€" shall I aay, Sir Lewia?" Sir Lewia nodded iaditierently. " It waa given to one Hester Corrigan, an old nurse, ai.x years ago." " Silence 1 Say no more," cried Sir Lewis in horror. Sir Lewis had been a yonimuT son; the eldest inherited tbe family title, but died early, leaving bis widow to give him a posthumous heir, tbe titlu remaining in abeyance until time showed whether the infant was a hoy or a girl. It proved to be a boy, whereupon Lewis Mallaby, who had the first information of the fact, put it{on execution a nefarious project which he had carefully concocted in advance. A girl waa obtained in a founding hospital and substituted by Lad\ Mailaby's nurse, who was in Lewis' pay. for the newly-born son and heir. This son and heir was handed over to another accompli^.-e, Heater Corrigan, who was bribed witti tlOO, half down, in the shape of a hali note, tbe other half to be paid wlun she announced lier safe arrival in Texas with the stolen child. It occurred to Mrs Corrigan in her transit between London and Liverpool thai ihougb i'lOO wonld be acceptable on ber arrival ttje child would only be an incumbrance. She therefore threw tbe ba-ki-t containiL'g him out of tbe window, forKetiiug that in it she had deposited her purf-e. It was the watch borrowed from Sir Lewis Mallaby ubiih tirst aroused Jack's snapicicna. It here the mnie urest - two hammers crossed, with the i:;ono, " I strike, " w Inch waa Uinrked upon the linen of the child that Dan Bli-cltitt pitted up at Kirklington station. The initial of the name Mallaby cuincided with the mono- gram H. L. il. Frciri tliehw facts and what we have heen told by Mrs. Sitweil, Jack rapidly drew his coi elusions and made a bold shot, which hit the mark, as we bave seen. Lewis Mallaby's cot fecbiin, ccirbined with that of Mrs. Corrigan. who was found by the police, soon n iKstat^d the ri,.Lht(ul heir, and Dan Blockiit in after vears had no reason to regret the generosity which had prompted bini to give the little foundling the shelter of bis rude home. The Way Ulrl« Uu It. " Oh, Kitty '. I've something the best to tell voa I " " No ?'â-  " Oh, hot I have, though I" " Do tell me, quick ! " " You'll never lisp it to any one ?" " No, indeed 1' " I wouldn't have vou breathe it for the world :" " Oh, I won't " " Not to any one, remember." " No â€" hope to die if I do. " '• Well, thenâ€" oh, it seems so funny !" " Ob, do hurry up and tell me." " I'm afraid you'll tell. ' " Oh, indeed, indeed, I won't. " " I'd never forgive you if yeu did. " " Well, but I won't :" " Uo might not like it, vou kuow. ' " Whoa ho ?" " Oh, I forgot I How foolish 1 am ! " " Are you ever going to tell me ? " "Yes; yesâ€" I said to myself right away that I'd tell you anyhow.' "Well, do, then." "Well, thenâ€" oh, you will be awfully surprised I " " Oh, do hurry and tell.' "Well â€" I â€" I'm engaged! ' "No?" " Yes I " " Well, who to ' " " To Charlie Lawson.' "Whvâ€" Lol-lirighaml ' "lami" " I'ee, hee, bee! " " Isn't it funny? " " Why. you old darling '. " " Don't you congratulate me ? " " Of course, I do. Charlie's perfectly lovely. I'm awfully glad for yon both. " "Oh, thanks!"â€" ;->etriii« Frn' Prrsf. An EpiHutlii-ifcl ll«iiuty. Mabel â€" " I didn't see you at Edith's party laat night, Maud." Maud -" Dear, uo ; I couldn't go. And I beard somebody say jou were just too pretty for anything, dear. I do wish I could have been there to see how you looked. Were vou at all natural ?" A Trusted Friend. Popinjayâ€" I see Bigsby hangs around your store a good ahare of tbe time. I suppose hu is getting to be your tried and trusted friend ? Blobson Yes. he is my trusted friend and by and by, if he doesn't pay up, he will be my tried friend. Unequal Warfare. She (five feet, eleven)â€" I can't listen to another word 1 Ue (five feet, five) â€" Do, do hear me ! I may not bo large, but I have a largo heart go and love somebody of -I" Sheâ€" Oh, do your own size. Sir Edward Clarke, the present Attorney Qeneral ot England, began hfo as a clerk in hia father's grocery store in Loudon. Ue then entered tbe civil service, but left it to study law. A St. Louis sportsman recently procured in Oregon a trophy th.it is one of the great- cat cariosities of its kind ia tbe world. It conaiata ot a large and perfect pair of cari- bou autlera which are entirely covered with a fine, close growth ot hair. THE "DOLLPflON^S." Mr. Edison's Wonderful T07 Little Girls. for Nice N Doll* That Slug "Koek-u-Uy-Babj"â€" They Can Talk Iu Any LnuKUiteaâ€" UoKs Thut Bark ttuil Cats Tbat .\aU fur ittilkâ€" RvpeatlQjp a " E*luiple :3entenctt," Children all over the world will (>afore long bave reason to bless the uameol 'i'hoB. A. Edison, for that wizard has juet per- fected a toy the like of which was never dreamed of by them even on Chriatraaa Eve. In Mr. Edison's laboratory ut Orange, N. J., ihtra are numbers of aoils which speak aa naturally as any human being. They are not like tbe old mechanical toys which by one's pressing their diaphragm squeak forth "mamma" and " papa, " bat they talk naturally and well, and repeat long aentencea. They are called the Edison talking dolls, although Mr. Edison coined a new name for them yesterday, in speaking of tbem tt> the Eveninij Sun representative. Ue called them " DoUphones." The talking dolls bave engaged the inventor's attention oS and on for the last two years, but it is only within a few weeks that they have been perfected. Now nothing remains but to manufacture them in large quautitiea and ship them to all civili^wd countries, so that at the proper time children, not only in America, but also in Europe, and even in far oS Russia, will be able to possess dollies that in their owners' native language can talk to them. Kxmiimo.N or tiieik powkrs. In a littlo room in the second story of the great laboratory at Orange wery a do/.on or so of the dolls yesterday in various stages of manufacture. Some of them were dressed and ready to entertain company, while others, while they could speak, did so, strange to say, without the use ot their heads. Mr. Edison picked up one of the dolls, whose golden, curly hair and pink cheeks wi re lovely in their perfection, and whose light blue eyes stared in mild sur- prise at tbe reporter, aud wiDding ber up by inserting a clock key in tbe small of her back, banded her to the reporter. He then prei-sed a spring, and the doll, still looking at the reporter, aaid in a plaintive tone : "I love yoa, mamma; I love \oa dearly, mamma, but I am tired and sleepy uow. I'leaee put me in my little bed." Another doll baby, who waa mosically inclined, sang in a sweet, childish treble, " Rock-a-by baby on the tree top " all tba way through with good expression, and without a false note. She sang it quito loudly, too, so that any onc-cculd have heard her across a mcderate-six'-d rooa. Still another sang a pretty littlu German eoog, but as the reporter did not under- Btaiid German, he is unable to tell « hat the song was about. " I have only lately succeeded in bringing this toy to a state of perfection. " said tha inventor, as he lovingly stroked the curly pate ot one of his little talkers. Mr. Edison permitted the Kveninii Sun man to talk to one of the doll pboncgraphs. To thoroughly test it the reporter repeated this simple sentence : " Eliminate space which is aeeription of a perfect mathematical reason fur a co- existing plaraUty, and all thouiibt is resolved into a syuthetic unit, which tind» for ita ultimate habitat the bosom cf tb» great Logos. " Contrary to hia expectations, the phono- graph didn't break nor leave tbe room of its own accord, but inetead repeated th» sentence accurately . now rilEY UIK CeN>STllCCTKD. " The phonographs," said the inventor, " which are used iu these d»ils are practi- cally as perfect in their articulation and loudness ot tone as the larger onea. They are on the same principle as my original phonograph, but whereas that weighed about 7") pounds, and cout from JT.'j to iSQ, these weigh only about a pound ami a half apiece, and will be retailed at from i'.i to 87. inoluding a handscnie doll. The great dithculty has been to train ltIs to talk with sufficient distinctness to the phono- graphs, but that wo are now overcoming." Tbe little phonograph which, with its accompanying clockwork, is placed in each of the toys is the perfection uf delioato mechanism, but at Ihe same time >â- < -to strongly made and so durable that it will last as long if not longer thau the doil itself. The cylinder which receives phono- graphic impressions is made of tiu, and is consequently very durable. With ordinarily careful handling it will repeat a senteMj» thousands of times, and the lant repetition will be aa perfect aa the first. The main difficulty baa been in inventing machinery to make the doll phonograph so exact in its working that tbe cylinders may b»j inter- changeable, and now cylinders with new sentences be substituted for the old ones at aay time. So if a ohild should get tired ot hetring its doll repealing over aud over again the same aentenoe, for a trifling sum, probably less than 91, we can supply a now cylinder with any sentence and iu any voice that the purchaser may desire. The cylinders were in reality banil.^ of metal about two and a half inches iu diameter, about oneeightii of an inch in thickness, and half an inch wide. The surface before it received the impression of the phonographic needle was perfectly sniootb, but after being talked to was full of minute depressions, some of them so light aud delicate as to be scarcely visible to the naked eye. The mechauiam of the clockwork to wh ch they are attached for use in the speaking dolls is too delicate and intricate for examination here, .\ttaclicd to it is a governor like that on a steam engine, wliicli prevents the doll from talking too fast, and so running the words into each oilier. So Kindly and dis- tinctly do these wonderful dolls talk that Mr. Edison informed the reporter ho had listened to one talking over a long distance telephone from Boston to New York city. Tba doll talked with the tek>phone iu Boston aud waa heard ]uite plainly in this city. Indeed, tbe tele- phone rather tended to soften and improve the tone. But Mr. Edison has not confined himself to speaking dolls. The company will also manufacture dega that bark and ask plain- tively for meat ; cats that mow and call in unmistakable tones for milk ; horses that neigh and express a wish to he fed upon oats ; cows that moo and boast of theL ' milk giving t|ualitiea, and roostcra tbii crow as uaturally as the real, live article. â€" Evening Sun. ^i /v. â- ff'^'i-'--*-