The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

OLD FRIENDS MEETJ^SD^Ks IramAiilately be ralwd hin head and inovinK his great sxi-ltemont^ Aa I ' drew ixmrer to him n. keeiter •ppeared _, „„ 11..... u. „_^ ivam ftnd calleil out to me to keep away. PU name w«« 'Colly; he ana. were „j^^^^.^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^.^, elephant I" he 70un« togelhiT. Wb«-n 1 was a young „,[,,_ ..jj^.^ ^g^y ,.,.,,g„ to-day, and I man 1 went several time* to India aa dare not go nt^ar him myielf." iupen-argo, and once, In the year 1832, liut wilhoui realizing iny danRer, I . I f » ..!i »«.,.> ii..o»<in to hud already M)me within the hiiRO Ha I waa about to aail from Uoston to „e,,^^^., Vcac,i. and iKifore I could Calcutta on my third voyage, at tbo^itijdraw Le put hia trunk i^tHM»d ray tg» of 22, a man cume to lU" who wish- wiiist, and drawing me (jrenlly up to •d to Imiwrt au elepluinl and aaked him betwwn his tu,sks held mP presa- X r\ J f â„¢ Ki„, t^ I,..,, P'' aKainst his forehead ait tenderly as me to take an order from hini to buy ^ hu^nn' mother would hold her child, a larga elephant and bring it home to i ,,„tted him and talked to him, but I jjun WHS triad enouRh whi'n ho unwound his W. made as a«r^mont and aigned '^^^tn\rCInn1^^C' itu^'^wft^h a written coniruci, which stated tbat j^j^ trunk for my sea Jacket riockets, the elephant's height should bo uieas- where he u-scd to find ship biscuits at ured at hia shoulder, a certain price to se.i, and I called to an old black wom- , ., , ,„„ t.^t In i,„;r,v,t witli an who sat near by with cakes for be paid for ten feet In height. witU ^^,^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^,^ ^^^^ |!00 added for every inch beyond 10 („ fgp,j ,i,g ^^0,1 ^jj friend who had teet, and $100 less for every inch less. , reineml>ered me so many years. After I reached Calcutta and attend- I The kecjmr watched all thi.s scene in . . , _,., , ..,;, V, IK- ,i,i,,>a Rreat e.xcitemeni, and finally came ,d to business connected with the ships ^„^„.^^j_ beRging to tell him what It leturu cargo, I started one day to go n,e<ant., "For," said he, "I would not to an indigo plantation about seventy i h.'ive given a farthing for your life miles up the Kiver Hooghly. w here, 1 i when I saw you in the elephant's iiriia told, a man lived who had a herd ^''/.q'^" .. g„|,, j ..j,e i, an older friend of mine than he is of your.s," and then I told him the story of ray old ac- qunlntance with Colly and of our long voviige toRclher six years Ixifore. When I turned to leave the place the dear old fellow stretched his head for- ward to see me as long as he cx)uld, seeming to winh I would stay with him, but after one look backward at the noble creature I turned a corner and never aa whim again. of elephants. Ho received me most ho.spilably, and took me out to a grove whore he kept About twelve elephants of different aizas and ages, each chained by one hind leg to a tree^ Uo invited me to make my own choice among them; but ta 1 waa quite ignorant of their valu- ftble points, and 1 had not the alighleitt Idea how to judge of them, 1 told him I would prefer to have him select one for me. This, however, he refused to do, laying that he would not take the riak; and no I finally pointed to a fine, large fellow, who aeemcd not too old (he was about 30 years old), and said: ("There's the one 1 want." "Oh," said the owner, "how came you to choose him I 1 would rather give up any of the others, for be Is my finest and bravest tiger hunter, and 1 really don't want to spare him." 1 stood film, and declared that I would have that one or none, and so we cloiied our l>argain. Xhu huge crua- tuxe measured at the shoulder 10 feet and 1 inch, and 1 paid for him 1,200 rupeesâ€" equal at tliat liiue to about ytiOO 1 then arranged for bis native keeper, or mahout, to come with me to Uos- ton. 1 had a hoiue or pen built for him on deck, knowing that we should ar- rive oft the New Kngland coast in win- ter weather. 1 had a warm covering made lor him and thickly wadded with cotton. Fancy an elephant dressed in wadded pajamas 1 They swam him down the river nearly all the way from the plantation and kept him for a few days outside of Calcutta, until all was readyj There they put on him a heavy belt, or girth, which 1 bad had iiuuie of four thick- nesses of canvas with heavy iron rings at the top, and he waa driven to the dock after suutet, as it was forbidden to bring an elephant into the town by day. At the dock we had a crane such aa U used for hol-itiug heavy goods, and. Its strong hooks bein^ lowered and caught into the iron rings on the ele- rhant's waistband, the poor old fellow, rumpeling with terror and dismay, waa swung like a monstrous bale of goods inio the big pen on deck where h« was to spend the next six mouths at sea. He stayed there very comfortably through the long voyage, petted by all on l)oard. He and 1 became great friends, and every morning when I went t (jhis pen to talk to him, 1 car- ried in lay po<-kel9 some piecea of â- hip bUcuit, which he learned to find ana take out with his trunk. Ills usual food was cither rloo or gram (u kind of dried peas) and wc bad a large quanlily on board for his use. After cooking it, the mahout would make a sort of hen's nest of h;iy, fill It with the cooked grain, and lay It as far inside the elephant's mnuth as his hand could reach; Kight or ten of th(«je "bird's-ncst puddings" ware needed for one meal; and when Colly wanted a glass of water he would draw up Into his trunk a whole pailfull at one draught, and then, turning the end of hi.'* trunk into bis mouth, squirt U down his throat. The ma bout had a large shovel to use for cleaning out the i«n, and one day when be bad left it standinf^ at one fide. Colly took it up by curling hui trunk into the hole in the handle and began to scratch himself with the blade all over his sides and wherever he eould reaohj After that ho would never let the mahout have the shovel, but kept it for his own "backscratch- er." At lost our long voyage waa over and we arrived safely at iloston. Col- ly was as anxious as every one else to go ashore, and a ^^ide heavy gangway or landing stage wiis placed Iroiii the •hip (n the pier for him to wnik aahore; but he had only taken one step when ho felt the planking sag under bis weight.. Ho drew back, and t be mabout, with all his cries and urging â€"even Jabbing him with a sharp gniid â€" could not make him venture furlh- fr than to try it with one fore fool. told the man to kenp quiet and wait and let him take his own way, for 1 was sure he would tie as glad io l)e on Innd, as we would be to have him get there. Itefore long ho Iwgnn to fexil bis way again, cautiously pressing on the gang- way wit h both fore feet; then kneel- ing down on all four knees, ho hitched himself along in that |)o.silion all the way across io the jiier. II soemed wonderful that ho should know that by spreading the weight of his body over a large surface h« could get over mora safely than by Iwaring on his feet. He was then delivered to hia now owner, who kept him for a short lime In an old barn in Kast Huston. I wont I hern two or three times and took friends to sco my big [xit, whom I was Very sorry to lose sight of, when he wuA soon after removed to parta un- known. .Sii years later I went to a circus In Havana.! Walking Ihroiigh a side iiassage of the raml>ling old buildiuK I came aut in a place whore I saw an •lephnnt beyond. As I looked at him I seeraod to see a likeness to my old |jel of six years before, and I iiallod out to klia â- â€¢Coll>l" THE GERMAN EMPEROB. Change of Heart In UN Frellnc* Toward* EncllDhmrn. Notwithstanding hb headstrong ab- surdities and his occasional mistakes, the German Kmi»eror is of sufficient importance in Europe to make It a matter of gratifii-ation that he appears to be considering his ways. » The Ilritish nation did not by any means succumb to his belligerent cablegram to President Kruger, and when the re- sponse to the general state of things which that missive provoked was Britain's fitting out of the flying squadron in a few days, the Govern- ment that took that step was univer- sally applauded in the United King- dom.i Nevertheless, aa it did not seem quite satisfactory for Germany, the historic ally of Kngland, to be against her, and for the Queen's grandson to be fuming himself into a bad tem- per, the signs of bis returning to him- self and to a proper consideration of things cannot but be regarded with satisfaction.! On the 20Ulh anniver- sary of the birth of Keilh, the brave Sootcbinaii, who was a l-'ield Marshal in the Prus.siun army, and who fell in the disaalroua defeat of Frederick the Great at Uochkirchen, those who celebrated the event at Peterhead were surprUcd and delighted by a uiBs.sage from the KaLser, in which he s|M>ke of I lie kinship lietwecn llri- tons and Germans. Apparently there has been a revulsion of feeling in the Imperial breast as to the sentiment that "blood is thicker than water," for again we find him sending a wrejilh to the First (Uritish Itoyal)' Dragoons, of which he is honorary colonel. At the time of the bitter feel- ing caused by the Kruger mes.sage the young officers of that regiment tore the jwrtrait of their honorary colonel from the wall of their mess-room and flung it into the fire. And now the Kaiser "gets back" at them by send- ing them flowers to adorn their col- ours on the annivoraary of Waterloo, thus not only showing himself able to ri.se above their insult, but proving himself to be somewhat chivalrous. And there is notliing in the German Kmperor's history to afford a liasis to the sneer that his change of heart is the result of calculation and craft. Wilhelm is not built that way. METAPHORS BADLY MIXED. Jnnible .Ma<lr by An Orleninl Ijtwjrr .idilmiitlnff Ihr t'oiirl. A native pleader in India in a recent cose lM<fore a local magistrate, got his metaphors entangled in this extraor- dinary style: â€" "My learned friend, with mere wind from a teapot, thinks to browlieat me from my legs. Hut this is mere gorilla waj-fare. 1 stand under the shoes of my client, and only stuik to place my bono of contention clearly in your hon- our's eye. My learned friend vainly runs aiuuok upon the sheet anchors of uiy c4i.sc. Your honour will be pleased enough to ol)servu that my client is a widow, u poor chap with one post-mortem son. A M'idow of this Country is not able to eat more than one ml^al a liay, or to wear clean clothes, or to look after a man. >So my poor client had not suih physic or mind as to l)e nlilo to assault the lusty complaiuttiit. lot she has been de- iirivud of some of her more valuable leather, the leather of her noso. My learned friend has thrown imlyan ar- fiimunt ad bDiiiiuy upon my teeth, hal my client's witnesses are all her own lelatluns. Hut they are not near relations. Their relaliimship is only home<>|Mitblc. So the misty arguiueutH of my learned friend will not hold wa- ter. At least they will not bold good water. Then luy leiunod has said that there is on the side of his client a re- spectable witness, viz., a pleader, and sini'o the wit mas is iudeiiemloiit au he should Im> lielirvBil. Hut your honour, with your honour's vast experience, is pleased enough to olworve that truth- fulness Is not so pleni if ul as blackber- ries in this couulry. And I am sorry to say, though this witness is a man of my own feathers, that there are in my profession black sheep of every com- plexion, and some of them do nut al- ways speak the Gospel truth. Until the witness explains what has becimie of my client's nose leather he cannot lie believed. Ho cannot be allowed to rai.se a c&stle in the air by boating upon a bush. So, truiling in that adiuinis- tralion of ilritish juiitlce on which the sun never sits, I close my case." TEE AMIES_0_F THE WORLD THEIB STRENGTH, ORGANIZATION, AND EQUIPMENT. | A Valuable gummury of tke milUry Es- (mbllxhuienU of Varloni Kallona-Haga- aloe ItlUrt - Huiall Ciillbreii â€" Cavalry Kaulpuientiiâ€" liir.< of Alamlnluni. There is a treaaure of condensed In- formation in the "Notes on Urganiza- tion, Armament, and Military Pro- grecfl" Just Issued by the United States. In glancing along the list of coun- tries reviewed, the eye naturally rests at this time, upon Spain. To thia couulry is ascribed a population of 17,- 560,000, with an army strength pro- per. In rank and file alone, of 84,000 lor the year 18 <5-06. Hut this last does not include the "guardia civil," or gen- darmaric, or the colonial forces ; and according to the army list for Janu- ary of this year, the rank and file, in- cluding the guardia civil, etc., number- ed ll<J,5ol; the first reserve, all train- ed, G:i,212 ; the second reserve, of whom a Utile over one-third have had mili- tary instruction. 518,234. Thia would give au aggregate of 724,997 trained and untrained, taking the army and Its reserves. Hut au eslimate by "a foreign staff olfioer" is added which puts the total of trained men at 414,- C75, including both reserves, with about 175,000 for untrained men, "con- diciunciles." In any cose it appears that the first reserve has been heavily drawn on for Cuba, because the Notes say that "over 100,000 men" were sent thither in 1895- 96, and presuumbly the permanent forces were not abeolutely derived from the peninsula. THE NORMAL STHENGTH of the permanent army in the island is put at 981 officers and 19.199 men. but volunteers and uulitia are said to have increased the total strength to D9,0OO apart from the heavy forces sent from Spain. Finally, the total "army of operations" in Cuba on Dec. 1, 1895, is put ut 92,413, while about March 1, 1896 including |>erhaps 20,OOU sent thither F'eb. 12 preceding, it was about 118,730. It is added that four or five per c«»nt. may bo deducted for losses. Taking other countries alphabetically, the Austro-Uungarian army is found to have a grand total of 319.000 officers and men on its peace footing, while its war budget for 1895-9(i was 95ti,- 100.000. Little Belgium's budget for 1895 was 19,115,322. while her avail- able peace strength at a recent date was estimated at 3,505 officers and 48,- 648 men, with a militia of 31,359 men. Kngland, including India, showed re- cently 3C8Mi6 effectives of aU ranks, while army reserves and militia brought the establishment' for 1895-96 up to H0J,421, with effectives amount- ing to 816.8.'>3. Her auuual military budget iti put in round numbers at •Sst.UOO.UOU. The war expenditure of France for 1895 is put at }123,0OO,000. and the total net effective's of her active army at 524,768. G.rmany, according to this authority, hiis the still heavier peaie strength of 584,734 officers and men of all grades. Then comes a great drop to Holland's homo army of '2l,5UO men. However, the Netherlands also pos- S(\ssus TWO COLONIAL AHMIES. th« East Indhin and the West IndUn, the former of which numlwrs aliout 1.400 offu-ers and 34,000 men. The war builgi't amounts in round nuniU^rs to $9,132,000. The average effective |>eace footing of Italy, as liiuilcsl liy 1 hv bud- gi't for the year ending Juno 30. 1895, was 222,275 of all ranks, couuting em- idoyeeji. Tho full organic strength, however, wiis about 2.(),000. Russia heads the list of enormous milit^.ry es- laldishmeuts with a jM-ace footing of alK)ul S.-^O.OOO of all ranks, to wbidi may l>o addeil 30,000 frontier guards. Her budget for 1896 amounts to nearly $2:«i,0i 10,000. .Switzerland furnlsbos an example of a diiferent. yet effective system. This small republic, who.se Constitution pro- hibits a standing army, adopts a militia system pure and simple, but carries its military training as far as that of some standing armies. From the age of 10 until they Iwive tho prim- ary schools all boys receive gymnastic instruction, whiib includes drill in the manual of arms. Then further gymnastic instruction is given, until their twentieth year, and there are also voluntary cadet corija of scbo<il- iHjys. Of the regular military ser- vice first cornea the elite, lasting from the completed twentieth through the lhirly-s«H-ond year; then tho liiiidwehr, through the forty-fourth year; final- ly the landsturm, through the fiftieth year. It also including youths lH>twefn 17 and 20 years of age. Last year there were 137,619 in tho elite, 80,li02 in the landwihr, and 270,363 in the landsturm. of wlioiu, however, only 61,224 were ariiuul. This estalilishiiieut was kept up on a budget which for 1895-96 car- ried 22.70!t,529 francs. Turning to countries on this side of of the water, we find that ftlexico has a regular army of alwut 23,01)0 officers and men. including tho National Guard and some au.xiliaries and ein- nloyc«<s. 'Tho recruiting U done partly VOLUNTARY KNl.ISTMKNT, partly by eon.scription in tho .States, and partly by sentencing criminals to army -servit^e. Th« budget for 189,5- 96 impr(ipriat(«l ?9, 130,1119.08, rifkoned in M.xican dolhirs. Colombia's iH'aie tvttablishmont was formerly about 5,- 000 men. but It is said that this force has since probably been doubled. The soldiers are all Indians, recruited by impressment. 'rhe notes on small arms form a valu- able imrt of this work. One table, ol>- vlnusly complied wit b great care from official tUita, gives the wuights and dimensions of the various infantry weaiions. It shows In general that the smaller stales which Imve but receiiily rearmed their troops. h;ivo very gen- erally t^ikin to dwri^a.^ed calibreji. Thus .Mexico, Hrazll. and Chili have the .270 MatLser, Holland, Sweden, and Roum- ania the Mannllcher. .256, Norway th* Krag-Jorgeusen .256. This last is in- teresting, as we h/ive the KragJorgen- B«n. .30, for our lu-my. Spain has the .276 Mauser, and Italy the .270 Parra- vlcino-Carcano. i'ho smallest caliber is in our navy .236 Ivoe. It Is suggested that, should these small calibres show their superiority, countries like Germany, France, and KiLssl'i will have to re-arm with them In spite of the cost. But voices from various quarters are heard against further reduction. China in her last w^ar u.se<l mostly Hotchklss .45 maga- zine rifles, made by the Winchester Arms Company ; tut th<!re were vari- ous other rifles employed, tiesides old- time wall pieces, petronels. tridents, and arrows. Japan had her .315 Murata magazine rifle, but Is seems tbat up to March 1. 1895, the single-loader .433 was in u-se. The countries of .South America have shown themselves alive to modern small arms, and statistics are given to show that Brazil, Chili, and Argen- tina are far Ijetter provided with them than the Unit^-d States. One Berlin conipanv has delivered to Argentina 150,000 " Mau.ser rifles anri 10,0i)0 car- bines, while Krupp has delivered 300 FIELD PIECf:S. Brazil has 145,000 small calibre rifles. 5,000 carbines, and 300 Krupp field pieces. Chili has, or will s<x)n have. It is thought, 120.000 Mauser rifles, 10,- OO'I carbines, and 29!) field guns. Canada has purchased of the British AVar Office 40.0(10 Lee-Knfield maga- zine rifles and 2.3'10 carbines, 24 12- pounder guns, 50 Ma.xim guns, with 5,- .500,001) pounds for the latter and 18.- OOtl.OOO of rifle ammunition, and so on. The co-it of these and other items was t2,000,000. Turning to Europe, a new Austria rifle Is spoken of. of almut .196, or far smaller than even our Lee navy rifle, but it U not yet adopted. In Ffi:gland enough magazine rifles have Iweii eom- pleted to arm the entire regular forces and also the militia. Very full ac- counts are given of tho comparative trials of the Slartini-IIenry and the Lee-Metford. Ciivrmany is said to lie adding to her rifle a device to prevent the danger of double feed. Holland has armed her troofxs as has Ijeen not- ed, with the .2.56 Mannlicher. Italy presents a rifle invented by Capt. Cei for which great cl.iims are made. Rus- sia is content with a .30 rifle, hers l«ing known as the Monzin. Of cour.se. enormous sums will be required for her 8Un|)ly. Turkey h;is recent ly ordered 200.000 .Spanish Mausers of calibre .301. The notes 011 equipment declare that In the matter of ne.at. attractive-look- ing stables the English, (lermans, and Austrians take the lead in the order named. The stables are paved, the horses have good l>edding. and neatly plaited straw braid is put along the heelposts and elsewhere where a liorsi' might be injured. Saddles and other articles of horse equipment and artil- lery harness are the natural buff of the leather in all European services. Halter &b.'inks for garrison u.se are made not of leather, but of rope, which is stronger and cheaper. THE ENGLISH AND FRENCH carry the carbine In a boot on the off side, hanging vertically, but the Bel- gians ani .\ustrians carry It slung over the back. 'The Germans carry it like the English when mounted, but the carbine has a sling for carrying It on the b;ick If dismounted. in foreign services privates do not usually carry revolvers. .* f Woohvivh. cadets in pr;u'tise at moving targets ose the re- volver with either hand. The Ger- mans carry the a^bre attached to the saddle behind the left thigh, and some squadrons have scabtiards of wood cov- ered with bhick rublier instead of steel, as being less conspic uous and noiseless. The HeTglans carry the sabre with a V-shaped strap, with a frog on the rear side of the saddle. In fori'ign servU-es Iwth a curb Tit and brldcon are used, and the horses are well traino«l. 'Their curlied bit Is usually very heavy, notably the German, in the moutn-piefe, but the Austrians have a light bit. As to horse.shoi's, tho English and Belgians, instead of throwing away the half- worn shoes, make them over, and con- sider them more durable than new ones. 'The .saildlo generally used is tho Fng- Usb riding saddle or .some modiiicaiion of it, with often a sort of pad about the edge of the side fla|is in front of the knee. A pair of pou.hos at the pommel seeuis to bo preferred to saddlelMgs. The ..Vustriaus have re<-eiilly adop'ed a light, strong water-proof linen shel ter tent, rifles and fixed bayonets con- stituting the tent poles. The piei-e« can in an emergency be used as a storm coat. 'Ihe so-called Tortoise tenis, made in London, accommu<late many nun for thi' weight of canvas, anil the Kainlschalka tent is also worth noting. InilatiHl 8<acks or l>alloons are used for hi-Ipiiig to cross streams in Huiig.iiy. Iron be<Lst«ads wiihiut springs ami b«'d sacks stuff«>d with straw seem to Iv the rule in EuroiK-. In a liarde regiment in Berlin bread and <'o''fi'e art^ served at each meal, with meal and pr'us for dinner and meat on Tuesdays and 'Thursdays at supix'r and anything mure the soldier Ixaighi out of his piiy. For infantry e<iuipment the cowhide knap.s,ack with hair on the outside seems universal in Kuroix-. and there la con- stant drill with the full jvick. TUi: UULKUS OF KNGLAND. Kings have governed England for t>9S years , queens for 120, and protectors for eleven years. The averiig? reign of the kings has lie<'n twenty-three and a hnlf years, of the queens thirty )eais, tht' average reign of all tho .sovereigns Udng lietweeii twenly-threo and twen- ty-four years. The average reign of 1 be kings of the Angevin dynastv â€"thirty and a half year.sâ€" is greater than that of any other reign- ing family, although the average reign of the hou.se of lirunswick very nearly ajipriuichcs it. 'The average of the \orkist kingsâ€" <-ight yearsâ€" is the least of all. Four .sovereigns of Kngland have Ix'en of the Norniau dynasty, and reigned eighty-eight years ; oight were Angevins, or Plantjigenets, and reigned 245 years; three were of tho hou.so of Lancaster, and reigned alxty-two years: thr»« of that of York, and reigned twenty-four years; five were Tudors, and reigned ninety-nine years, and there have lieen six sovereigns of the house of Urunswl'k, whUh has existed now for 181 years. SU.SPICIOUS Don't you think Jorklns la verv at- tentive to his wife? Yes; people ore beginning to remark it* FROZEN MILK IN BLOCKS. CcpenhasfB Is BalldlBg a Plant for It» Haunrarlare. Milk may be bought by the brick in summer, juat the same as some kinds of ice cream. It will be frozen solid, though, and if int.<;nded for use aa soon as received in the household the lacteal fluid for the tea or coffee will have to be chipped off with the handle of th* knife or fork, according to the quan- tity desired in the drink. Perhaps the frozen mUk may he seen in oubea, like sugar, or In pats, like butter, and a man may order a lump of milk witk his coffee and rolls, as well as a lump^ of sugar or "another pat of butter, please." From a fad frozen milk has growu to be more or less of a necessity in th« warmer countries In Europe. It i» claimed that if the milk should be first frozen, it U juat as impervious to the gathering of disease god-ma as is boil- e<l milk or water. Many persons do not take kindly to the idea of frozen miUc. or even pre- served milk. Fresh milk in cans, they claim, (.an be kept fresh for sixteen hours, and If it does not remain sweei for that length of time, they conclude that the milk was not fresh when pouT" ed Into the cans, or that the cans wei* not clean. The tra<le In foreign Importations of frozen milk and cream is yet In lt« infancy, but advices recently received indicate that the Industry will b* speedily developeil to greater propor- tions, especially in Holland. Tha Bel- gian Government designs to increase the trade at an annual outlay of 850,- 000, and in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, a company has been formed and arrangements have been completed for the regular export of frozen milk . The necessary plant has been erected, and contracts have been made already Tor the delivery of 110,000 pounds per week, which will be sewit to all part* of tho world in bricks or blo'ks like ice. If the lines laid down in European countries were closely followed the health inspector would arrange lhe«e lists so that simultaneous occurrence! of infectious diseases in a number of fami- lies served by the same ice-man would be promptly discovered and the mis- chlet checked. FRENCH AIR FOR BABIES. A sweet young mother paid to m* once: "From the time my children »i» a few weeks old they live in the open air. Nothing but driving rain ever keeps them In." When 1 saw the rosy boys and glrU around hex, and thought of the many pale-taced babies I knew whose too busy and too careful motheirs keep them abut up in fumace-heate<l houses from fall until spring. I thought her very wiae. As a rule, our little ones ere far t<x) carefully housetl. In the sun- ny climate of California, where door» and windows are ajways open, and where many invalids live in tents from year's end to year's end., the diseases of obildnn axe unknown. Meaale* srwrlet fever, diphtheria, mumiis.whoop- Ing cough and tbat dread enemy to our tables, croup are seldom mentioned m ttuit land of i-i>aes and eternal sunshine. With thi' exwptiou of the two week* of showery wi-ather called the winieB or rainv seas^m. there Is not a day in whicii tt liai>y could not be out m tbnO balmy air. . , There is no greatiT preventive or oi-oup or of heuvy colds than to give a, l»by. if only for ten minut.<». a total change of teuuH-niture. Like hot-hou.se flowerak if kept loo long in the house, they will liecome too delicate to en- dure anv otbiNr atmosphere. 'The health of her child should be to every true mother tho moet Import- ant consideration of h.r life. No silf- s.u>rifico is loo great, no work tw ar- duous to secure th;kt greatest of t;.lc»»- mgs. 'The world would not be filled wilh so iiujiv nervous men and women to-day if ivomen were more oaretully iraineil iu matters of hygiene. And right here* 1 cvjanot forU'ar speaking ;v word against the soft, dazzling white rugs which look so pretty aiid luxui^. tous m Uiby's carriage. Au eminent o«-ullst decl.iivd that these fur. rugs cause many diseases of the eyes. 1 he tKK.ir little oniv. I'linkiug and trotting in Lis dainiv wrappingst cannot speak aud U'll the cauai^ of Us misery; Init if we put ours»'lve6 literally iu Us plaiw to» a few moments only, wo would not find it hiird to dis*x>ver.â€" Katharine 8eiy. AT FIRST SIGHT. luiprexlonn of M<n Whone SiBhl Has Itreu Itrntorrd. Hliiid people's first experlem-e of sight are curious. Au old man in Pembroke who waa born blind, received his sight by the removal of the cataract. When the bandage was first removed, the i>ati- ont stirtod violently, and cried out as if with fear ami for a while was quite nervous from the effects of the shock. For the first time in hia life he looked uiion the earth. The first thing he noticed was • floi-k of siKiirows. In relating his ex- periciK^o, h« said that ho thi*tgbi they were teacups, although a few moments afterwards he readily dusliuguvahod a watch which was shown to him. it is supposed tbat this recognition was owing to the fact that ho heard it ticking. , • 1 .!« Tho blaze from a lamp exciied the most lively surprLse in his mind.i lie had no idea what it waa, and \vheu it was brought near wanted to pu k it up. When night approached ui oi\ the day when he first used his eyes, he was iu a fright, feavins that he was losing tho .si^ht which he bad so won- ilertully touud after sixty years of darkness. EVIDENTLY IN EAJINEST. Gotham Dameâ€" Do you think Mr. Nicefellow is in earne.st? Daughter-I gnesso. Ho asked m« last eveuiujt whictt one of y'^'ur. <la"Kb- lers was your pot, ftnd 1 told bim mat 1 thought that if all throe were m.ir- ried you would rather live with tiar» ur Dora than 'vith ma.'"