Halton Hills Newspapers

Flesherton Advance, 22 Oct 1896, p. 6

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k AS GOOD AS GOLD. CffAPTER IX. WiiBn Elizabeth-Jane (^lened the blngod caaement next morning the mel- low air brought In the feci of imminent autumn almost aa distinctly as if xhe had been in the Temote»t hamlet. Cas- ter brklgo wa« <he com4>lement of the rural life around ; not its urban oppo- ilt*. Rees and butterflies in the corn- fields at the top of the town, who de- RJjred to get to th« in«Jida at the Ixit- toin, took no rijcultoua course, Vwt flow Btraight down High Street without any apparent coneciounness that they were traversing strange latitudes. And in autumn airy uphere of thiatledown floited Into the same street, lodg^ed up- on the Bhop-fronts, blew into drains; and innumerable tawny and yellow leaves skimmed along the pavement.and stole through people's doorways Into their passages with a hesitating scratch on the floor, like the skirts of timid â-¼isitors. Hearing volres, One of which was close »t hand, she withdrew her head, and glanced from behind the window-cur- tains. Mr. Hencbajxiâ€" now habited no longer aa a great personage, but ba a thriving man of businessâ€" was pausing on his way up the middle of the street, and the Bcotchmoa was looking from tbe window adjoining her own. Hen- efaard, it appeared, had gone a little way past tbe inn before he bad noticed his acquaintanoe of the pirevious evening. He caJiie back a few steps. Donald Far- Crae opening the window farther. " And you are off soon, I suppose," •aid Henchard Upwards. " Tmâ€" almost this moment, sir," said tbe other. " Maybe I'U walk on till the eoach overtakes me." "Which way?" "Tbe way ye are going." "Then shall we walk together to rt>e top o' townf" " If ye'U wait a minute," said the Scotchman. In a few minut«e, the latter emerged, bag in liaiid, Henctiard looked at the bag aa at an enemy. It showed there was no mistake about the young man's departure. " Ah, my lad," he »ald ; " you should have been a wise man and have stayed with me." " Yeaâ€" yes,â€" it might have been wis- •r," Mid Donald, looking microscopical- ly at the houses that were farthest off. "It is only telling ye the truth when I say my plans are vague." Tbey had by this time luased on from tlw precincts of tbe Inn, and Elizalieth- iane heard no more. She saw that they eontinued In conversation, Henchnrd turning to the other occasionally, and emphasising some remaj-k with a ges- ture. Thus they postted the Uolden Crown Hotel, the Market House, the ehurohyard wall, ascending to the up- per end of the lung street till they were â- mall aa two grainii of corn ; wben they bent suddenly to the right into the Bristol Road, and weire out of view. " Ha was a good man â€" and he's gone," rile said to herself, " I was nothing to hAffl, and there \vaa no reason why he •hould luive wished me good-bye." Th« simple thought, with its latent MDse of slight, had moulded Itself out of tbe following Utile t^ict ; when tbo Scotchman came t>ut at the door he luid by accident glanced up at her ; and then he had looked away again without nodding, or smilinc^, or saying a word. " Yuu are still thinking, mulher," she â- aid when she turned uiwards. "Yes; I am thirikiiig of Mr. Hen- ohard's sudden liking fuir that young man. He was always so. Now surely if be t^kee so wa,rinly to people who are not related to him at all, may he not lake as warmly to bis own kin ?" While thev debated this question, a proceMsiiiu of five lojrge waggons went p««l, laden with hay up to tlie bexiroom windows. Th«!y came In from the oounlry, and the steaming horses had proliubly been travelling a great part sf tite night. To the shaft of each hung a little Doard cm which was painlod In white letters, " Ilonchitrd, rrtrn-fao- tor and hay-merchant," The aix'CtHcle renewetl his wife's conviction that, for ber daughter's sake^ she should strain a point to rejuia him. The <liar.ua.^ion was continued during breakfast, and the end of It was that Mrs. Henchard decided, for good or for III, to send Kllzabeth-.lane with a mes- aage to Heiichur<l, to the, effei-l that his relatlTe Susan, a sailor's widow, was In the town; leaving it to him to say whether or not he would recognize her. Whit hnd Ixrought her to this deter- mination were ehlefly two things. He bad Ijoen descrllted an a lonely widower; and lie had ex|)Te«sed shame for a past transaction of his life. There was pro- mise in Ixith. " If he. says no," she enjoined, as Elizabeth-Jane stnnd, bonnet on, ready to dejjart ; "If h«' thinks it does not beoome the g(Mxl piisilUm he has reach- ed to in tbe town, to ownâ€" to let lis eall on him usâ€" his distant kinsfolk, •ay, "Then, sir, we woubl rather not Intrude ; we will leave t^isterbridge as quietly as we have come, and go Imck to our own country." . . . I almost feel thnl I would rathnr he did say so, â- a I have not seen him for so many pars, and we are boâ€" little allied to ^ I" "And if biB says yesf" Inquired the more snngulne one. " In that cane," nnswerecl Mrs. Hen- •hard cautiously, "ask him to write nte a note, cuyiiig wben and how he will see us â€" or me." Elizalielb-Jane went a few steps to- wards the landing. " And tell him," dbntlnued her liinther, "that I fully kmow I have no claun upon himâ€" thrtt I am glad to find he is thriving : t'nat I hope bis life may be long and k»PPyâ€" there, go." Thus with a half- feasted wllllngnesg, n nmothered reluc- unoe, did thm poor forgiving woman (MUT liBr unooinsnluua daughter on this It was hbout ten o'clock, and mar- ket-day, when Elizabeth paced up the High Street, In no great hurry ; tor to herself her position was only that of a [Hjor relatum de,put«'d to hunt up a rich one. The front doors of the pri- vate houses were mostly left open at this warm HUtumn time, no thouglit of umbrella stealers, disturbing the muids of th«' placid l)urgesse«. lleiic^, thrdugh the long, straight entrance passages thus unclosexl could be .seen, aa through tunnels, the mcis.sy gardens at the back, glowing with nastartiums, fuch- siiis, scT-rlet B«»raniams, " bloody war- riors," snap-dragona, and dahlias, this floral blaze Iwlug liacked )iy crusted gr.ay stonework, remaining from a yet remoter C.nsterhridge than the vener- .nble one visible in tlwi street. The old- fashioned fronts of these houses, which had older than old-fashioned backs, rose sheer from the jiavement, into which the bow-windows protruded like b^s- tions, necesslt.iting a pleasing rhassez- deob'issez movemt^nt to the cime-press- ed i>edestrian at every few yards. He w.ns l)OUnd also to evolve other Terp- eichorean figures in re.«!pect of door- steixs, scrapers, eellar-hatchet.t. church buttresses, and the overhanging angles of walls which, originally unoi)trusive, bad become bow-legged and knock- kneed. In addition to these fixed obstacles which spoke so cheerfully of Individual unrestraint as to boundaries, movables ocxTUpied tbe path and roadway to a perplexing extent. First the vans of th" carriers In and out of Casterbridge, who hailed frcin Mellstock, Weather- bury, Hlntock, Sberton-Abbos. Stickie- ford, Overcombe, and many other vll- Liiges round. Their owners were num- erous enough to he regarded as a tribe, and had almost distinctiveness enough to be regarded as a race. Their vans bad Just arrived, and were drawn up on each side of tbe street, in close file, so as to form at places a wall be- tween the pavement and the roadway. Next every shop pitched out half its ' contents upon trestles and boxes on the kerb, extending the dit^lay each week a little farther and farther into the roadway, despite the expostulations of the two feeble old constables, until there remained but a tortuous defile for cirrlagea down the centre of the street, which afforded fine (jjjportunicies for bhowiug skill with the reins. Over the pavement ou the sunny side of the way hung shoii-blinds, so constructed as to give t liu passenger's hat a smart buf- fet off his bead as from the unseen hands of Craustoun's Uoblln i'age, cele- brated In rotuaotlc lore. Horses for sale were tied in rows,thelr fore-legs on the pavement, their hind- legs in the street, in which position they occusLunally nipped little boys by the shuuUler who were passing to school. And any inviting rcceiis in iront of a house that had been modestly kept luick from the general line was utilised by pig-dealers aa a pen for thi'lr stock. The yeomen, farmers, dairymen and towns- folk, who came to transact busLneas in Ihvae ancient streets,8poke in other ways th.in by articulation. Not to hear the words of your interlocutor in metropoli- tan centres is to know nothing oi his meaning. Here the face, the arms, the hat, the stu-k, the Ijody throughout spoke equ;illy with the tongue, 'lo ex- pretu satisfaction the C'asierbri<lge mar- ket-man added to his utterance a broad- ening of the choekfl, a crevicing of the eyes, a thruwiug Ikack of the shoulders, which was intelligible from tbe other end of the strttet. If he wondered, though all Uenchard's carta and wag- gons were rattling post him, you knew It from i)erceiving the inside of his crijnson mouth, itud u target-like cir- cling of bis vyvm. Deliberation caused sundry attacks on the muss of adjoin- ing walls with the end of his stick, a cliange uf his hat from the horizou- tat to the leiu so; a sense of tedious- nesa announced itself in a lowering of the ]M!rs(m by spr<^lng the knees to a lozengti-sluiiied aperture, and contort- ing the urms. Chicanery, subterfuge, bwl hardly a place in the stre«'t8 of this honest borough to all appearance; and it was said that the lawyers in the Court House hjird by occasionally thirt^w in strong arguments for the oth- er side out of pure generosity (though ai)pa.rently by uiischtuK^t) when advanc- ing their own. Thus Caslerbiridge was in most re- spects but the pole, fociLs, or nerve-knot 01 the surrounding country-life; differ- ing from tbe m;my manufacturing towns which are as fiu'eign Ixxliea set down, like 1>()ulde.i's on a plain, in a green wiuld with which they have nothing in common. Casterbridge lived by agriculture at one remove farther from the lountaiii-heiul than the ad- joining villagyirsâ€" no more. The towns- Kolk understood every fluctuation in the rustic's condition, for it affected tlwdr receijtts as much as the lalraurer's ; t hey enteie<l into the troubles and joys which moved the arislcxu'alic families ten miles round â€" for tbe nuine reason. Andeven at the dinnei-parllra of the profeasion- al families tbe subjects of discu.saion were corn, cjiltle-dist^ase, sowing and ie.aping, fencing iind planting; while politics were viewed by Ihcm Teas from their own staiid^ioint of burgt«ses with rights and privileges thjin from the stamlpoint (it tlnfir county neighbours. All the venerable contrivances and confusions which delighted the eye by their qimintne.ss, and in a measure rea- sonablenejw, in 1 his rare old market- town, were metropolitan novelties to the unpractised eyes of Klizal>eth-Jane, frexh (rom netting flsh-seinea in a a*ia-st<le cottage, very little Inquiry \va« iteccswiry to guide her footsteiis. Henchtird'H bouse was one of the best, fronl<«l with luurrey-coloured old bru-k. The front door was open, and, as in othivr houes, she could see through the [Kissage to the end of the gar<ton â€" near- ly a (luarter of a mile ofT. Mr. Ilencluird Wmui not in the house, but in t he storeyard. She waa conduct- ed into tbe mossy garden, and through I si<le-door in tlio wall which waa stud- ded with runty nail.i, speaking of gen- •'ratlona uf fruit-trees that had boen trained ttvere. The door opened upon the yard, and here she was left to find hbu OS she could. It was a place flank- ed by 'hay-lHirns, into which tons of fodder, all' In trusses, were being pack- ed tram the waggons she had seen pass the inn that morning. On other sides of tbe yard were wooden granaries on .stone sta<ldles, to which aco ss was giv- n by Flemish ladders, and a storehouse several floors high. Wherever tbe loora of these places wore o{)en, a close- ly packe<l throng of bursting wheat- >:icks could lie seen standing, with the Ir of awaiting ^ famine tltat would I. lot OQIIM. She wandered about this place, un- ooiafartably conscious of the uuiiending interview, till she was quite weajy of aeurching ; she vemtuaed to inquire of a boy in whut quarter of tbe labyrinth Mr. Henclutxd could be found, lie di- rected lier to an office which she bad nut seen before, and knocking at the door she woa answered by a cry of " Come In." Elizalieth turned the handle ; and there stood before her, bending over .some sjimple-bugs on a table, not tiie corn-me.rcciant, but the yoimg Scotoh- vana, Mr. i'ajfrae- in the act of pour- ing some grains of wheat from one b:ind to the other. His hat hung on .1 peg behind huu, and the roses oi hia ctrpet-bag glowed from the corner of the room. Having toned her feelings and ar- ranged worda on her lip for Mr. Hen- chard, and for him alone, she was for the moment confounded. " Yea whkit is it f" said the Scotch- man, like a man who permanently ruled there. Sh« said fehe wanted to see Mr. Hen- chard. " Ah yes ; will ye wait a minute f He's engaged just now," said the young man, .'ipparently not recognising ber as the girl at the inn. lie handed ber a cbilr, bade beir sit down, and turned to his sample-bags again. While Eliza- beth-Jane sltA waiting in great amaze at the yuune^ man's presence, we may briefly explain how be came there. When the two new acquaintances had paaaed out of sight that morning to- wards the ISath-ond-Bristol road they went on silently, except for a few com- monplaces, till they had gone down an avenue on the town walls called the New Walk, leod'ng to an angle where the North and West escarpments met. From this high corner of the square earthworks a vast extent of country could l»e seen. A footpath ran steeply down the green slope, conducting from the shady promenade on the walls to a road at tXMe bottom of the scarp. It was by this path the Scotchman had to descend. " Well, here's success to ye," said Hencburd, holding out his right hand and leaning with his left upon the wicket which protected the descent. In tne act there was the Inelegance of one whose feelings are nipped and wishes defeiited. " I shall often think of this time and of huw you came at the very moment to throw a light upon my dif- flculty." Still holding tbe young man's hand he peuaed. and then added deliberate- ly : "Now I am not the man to let a ciuae be lost for want of a word. And before ye are gone for ever I'll sw.ak. Once more will ye stay ? Ihiere It is, flat and plain, you can see th'it it isn't all selflslvness that makes me press 'ee ; _ for my business is not quite so Bcit^ntifio aa to requiire an in- tellect entirely out of the common. Others would do for the place without doubt. Some seUishne.ss ])erhiips there is, but there is more; it Isn't vor mo to repeat w-hat. Crane, bide with me and name yo\iT own terms. I'll agree to 'em willingly and without a word of gainsaying ; for, hang it, Farfrae, I like thee well I" The young man's hand remained steady In Henchard's for a mumeat or two. He looked over the fertile coun- try that stretched l>eneath them, then iMckward along the shaded walk reiicbiiig to the top of the town. His face flushed. " I didn't expect such aa this â€" I did not I" he said. "Surely there's destiny in it t Should a man . turrun against fate ( No ; I'll not go to America ; I'll stay and he your man 1" His hiind, which had lain lifeless in Henchard's returned the latter's gra.sp. " Done." said Henchard. " Doae," siiid Uonald Fartrae. The face of Mr. Henuhard lieamed forth a satisfactiuu that was almo.st fierce in its strength. "Ninv you ur« my friend I" he exi-laimed. "Como back to my house ; let's clinch it at once by olear terms, so as to be comfortable In our miuds." Frefrae caught up hia bag oiul reti-aoed the Norlh-West Ave- nue in Hencbitrd'a oompany us he had oume. Hunobaird waa all confidence now. "I am the- must distant fellow in the world when I don't care for a man," lie said. "But wben a man takes my fiuicy he takes it Strang. Now I am .sure you can eat another breakfast. You couldn't have eaten much so early even if they had anything at that place to gie t.lu>e, which they hadn't ; so coma to my house ajid we will have a solid, staunch tuck-in, and settle terms in black-and-white if you like; though my ward's my bond, f can aJways make a good iiieEkl in the morning. I've got a splendid cold pigeon-pie going juai now. You can have some home-lnrew if you want to, you know." "it is too early in the morning for that," said Farfrae with a smile. "Well, of course I didn't know. I don't ilrink It becaaw of my oath ; but 1 am olxliged to brew for luy work- people." 'IriUA talking they returned, and en- tered Henchard's premises by the back way or traffio-emtranoe. Here the mattnr was settled over the breakfast, at which Hnnchurd heaped the young S<-ot Chilian's itliite to a prodigal ful- ness. He wouIkI not rest salisTied till Farfrae had written for his luggage from Ilristol', and despatched the let- ter to the post-office. When it was done this miin of strong impulses de- i>lar«Ml that this new friend should take up Ills alxide in his house â€" at least till some suitable lodgings could lie found. He then took Farfrae round and ahowe<l him the {ulaue, and the stores of grain, ami other stuck ; and finally entered the offices, where the younger of tlieii, had already been discovered by Klizabeth. CUAPTEB X. I While she atill sat under tbe Sootch- man's eyes a man oame up to the door, reaching It as Henehara opened the door of the Inner offline to admit EJlza- Ixvth. The new-iMMiie-r stepped forward like tltti quicker cripple at Itelhesda, an-d entered in her stead. She could hear his words to Henchard I "Joshua Jopp, sirâ€" by appointment â€" the new manager," .* "Tbe new manager Iâ€" he's in hia of- fice," said Hencltard bluntly. "In his office 1" said the man with a "You OS good as engaged me," mur- mured tbe man. "Subject to an interview." said Hen- chard. "I am sorry for youâ€" very sorry indeed. But it can't be heilped." There was no more to be said, and the man come out, enciounterlng Kliza- beth- Jane In his passage. She oould see that his mouth twitched with anger, and that bitter diaapi'/ointment was written in his face everywhere. EU.zal>etb-Jane nOw entered, and stood iK-fore the master of the prem- ises. His dark pupils â€" which always seemed to have a red spark uf Light in them, though this could hardly be a physical factâ€" turned indifferently roued under his dark brows, until they recited on her figure. "Now then, what ii. it, my young woman t" he said blandly. I "Can I speak to you â€" not on business, sir ?" said she. "Yes â€" I suppose." He looked at her nutre thoughtfully. "I am sent to tell you, air," she in- nocently went on, "that a distant re- lative of yours by marriage, Susan New- son, a sailor's widow, is In the town; and to ask whether you would wish to see her." The rich rouge-et-nolr of his count- enance underwent a al'ight change. "Oh â€"Susan isâ€" still alive ?" he asked with difficulty. "Yes, sir." "Are you her daughter?" "Y'es sir- her onJy daughter." "Whatâ€" do you call yourselfâ€" your Christian name ?" "F.lizabeth-Jane, air." "Newson ?" "Elizabeth-Jano News«xi." This at once suggested to Henchard that the transaction of his early mar- ried life at Weydon Fair was unrecord- ed In the family history. It was more than he could have expected. His wife had behaved kindly to him in return for his uiikindneas, and had never pro- claimed her wrouig 1^ her child or to the world. "1 amâ€" a good deal Interested In your news," he said. "And as this IS not a matter of iniainess, but pleasure suppcse we go indoors." (To Be OoDttnued.) AN INCOMPETENT WITNESS. At tihis pcdint the big and fieroe-Uwk ing justice of tiie peace took a hand in the examination aa he glowered at the main witness: "Had you ever saw tbis prisoner be- fore you seen him ateaJiing their har nessf "Not that I knows on." fore you ueen hiin stealing them har- nesses as the one he took from your barn t" "Them's my harness." "(Do you stand up here on your sol- emn oath and say Uiey hain't no other setter harness like them in the uoun- try t" "I got my marks on them harness, aoid cou.id tell 'em if they was in Nov- ey Scoshey." "Would you have knowed them if you wasn't here when the constable brung them into the presence of the court f' "1 tell you I would have knowed them anywhere." "You what!" "I wouud have kmowed 'em any- where." 'Gentlemen of the jury," roared the justice, "1 want to call your attention to this here witnesses' grammar.. In- stead of saying 'he woalid have known,' he says 'ho would have knowed.1 You notice he can't talik correct no more than uutbin'.i 1 won't have no man convicted in this here court on tes- timony what haju't correct. The pris- oner at the bur Is acquitted on the con- ditions of leavln' other follks' harnesses and likewise also other chattels alone." WILL SHE BE A BRIDESMAID? They met ou the street corner. "Why, Maude," said the girl in the green dress, "I waa just om my way to see you." And she giggled with mer- riment. "Yes, it is a long time since yuu called and 1 have lots to tell you." "But it wasn't only to make a call that 1 was going to see you. You see," and she giggled again, "I am going to be married and I want you to be my bridesmaid," "Oh, that is lovely. I shall be so glad. And what are the bridesmaids going to wear, and what will you wear, dear? I hope you will Vear pink. You look so well in that." "1 am going to wear pink and the bridesmaids will weax wtute. You look lovely in white." "Who are going to be the bridea- maids ?" "There's Jenny, Marie, Gladys, Ethel, Edna and Adehne." "All of them?" "Yes. But you haven't asked me who X am going to marry." "Oh, yes, tell me. But here comes that horrid Mr. Lane. He always wants to atop and speak to people and puts himself geuerally In the way. He's smiling at ua now. Let's get out of the way and have a long talk about it." "Mr. I,anel Why. yes. It is he. That, dear, is the man 1 am going to marry." She walked off with Mr. Lane, and now Maude is wondering whether she will be a bridesmaid. stultified air. *^I mentioned Thursday," aald Hen- chard ; "and as you did not keep your apiHilntment, I have engaged another manager. At first I thouglit he must) be you. Do you think I can wait when business Is In question?" "You said Thursday or Saturday, air," Said the new-oomeir, puUlns out a letter. "Well, you atre too late," said tUs ooro-f actor. "I o«a mij no more." ONR or TUB OLD MASTERS. A friend of mine was playing a se- lection from Spohr one day in her apartments, wlwo tbe landlady enter- ing, said: Ah I that reminds me of my dear son who uso<l to play the piano. Why? asked my friend. What did he play? Oh, Bummat from the great masters, she returned; I forget the name. Waa it from Spobr? questioned my friend. No. it warnt Spoihr, and it warn't Spout. Was It Handel f asked my friend. Ah, yea I cried the old lady, brigh- tening up. I knew it was something to do witu a jug. THE WAY SHE DOES IT. Malleiâ€" Why has Miss Elderly tak- en up music I Clar*â€" Because she wants to beat tluw. FATE IN A TEACUP. â- â€¢w VoH Mar Tell lour rorliiBe, If T«« Are Sapemltlouii. Of all the methods of an elder day art which are in survival, fortune telling by tea grounds may be said to dbe the oldest method known and the one \m- lieved to be tbe truest. Our grand- mother^ had many superstitions con- nected with the turning of tbe cup. superstitions which are now a part oC to-day's creed. In the first place we must drink » little of the tea, which should lie hot, and then turn out the rest, being care- ful not to turn out the grounds at tbe same time, and also being careful not to look at them, as this is considered to bring ill-luck. Having turned the tea all off, turn the cup completely over, in order that not a drop of water re- mains, for this would mean tears. Then having turned the cup slowly around toward you three times, at the same time wUhing tbe wish of your heart, set the cup down a moment, resting it against the edge* ol the saucer or any convenient plate. It is very neces- sary that the cup should rest in tbis manner a moment, as putting it flat down upon the tible would be atempb- ioig of ill-fortune, according to tea grounds tenets. Another means of courting Ul-liick is to interfere with anyone else's fortune by presenting your cup while tbe other is being read. Only one person's cup at a time mu:|t be read. According to all authorities, thres small dots in a perpendicular row always stand for the wish, and the nearer they are to the top of the cup^ the quicker the wiah will be obtained. Three small dots that form a triangle mean unlocked for good luck in tiw fulfilment of the wish. A triangle is always a fortunate sign. So also is an anchor, a horseshoe, a otoas, aAd • flag. A flag means that something of unusual advantage to the [jersun is about to occur, or some unexpected good news. Where tbe grounds are well bunched together and It is olear all about them, it promises that every- thing will go well with the seeker after the future. If, on the contrary the grounds are scattered about confusedly there will be much confusion over soma event or something disastrous will happen to the fortune seeker. The grounds surrounded by fine, dust4ika {•articles signifies trouble, and drops o< water in tbe cup stand for tears. The same fine, dust-like grounds bunched together at the bottom or side of the cup is a sum of money. A small rins in the midst of tbe regular grounds means an invitation. A large, very round ring, perfectlj< closed means an offer of marriage ta a single woman, some fortunate un- dertaking to a married woman, and • business offer to a man. Should the rina eucloew a numtwr of small specks, ic means an offer of marriage from a wea^ thy man, or a business transaction in which money is concerned. A very large opening stands for a body of water, and a broken ring signifies a disappointment. The straight slick-like grounds are supposedly people, light or dark, according to their colour, and abort or tall according to their length. A very small stiok means a child., To have the stick or person in a horizontal position is sure to mean illness, and should the larger end of the stick, which is supposed to be the head, lie lower thaa the otter end it signifies ue^tth. The tea grounds often form in semb- lance ol a jiersun, generally standing for ^1k- person whose foitur.e \-» b-.-iog read, especially If found on the right side of tbe cup. Should the grounds tiiink up In two distinct pJaces the person is about to make ai change to another place, large or small as the banking may Indicate. A long trailing line of very fine grounds foretells a Journey, and If connected with a large opening of the grounds, a Journey by, water. A boat also foretells travel- ling by water. A fish Is said to brins good luck In business and it Is also supposed to be a suitor in m^irrlage. A .sm;iJl siieck near tbe top of the cup means a letter, larger ones standing for a package, or trunk if with a per> sun. Look out fur the person with a small bun<.^ of grounds at hia back. He is coming to you with a lot of gos- sip or will talk about you. A bird Ily> lug upward In a cup signifiea a plea- sant letter, but if flying toward the boU torn it is the bearer of uui>leasant news. A borae running is hasty and Important news. A horse Is always a friend ; so also Is a dog. In fact, most every ani- mal signifies good Ivuitk; A rooster crowing Ls great suc^xtss of some kind. A turtle signifies long life or excei>- tlonally good health. An eagle is » friend In need. A dangerous enemy is a anitke, especially if it appears at ttaa top of the cup. If it is in the bottom of tbe cup, supposedly under foot, it can do no harm, but warns one to be oa his guard. MIRRORS IN GLOVES. A mirror in the palm of the glor* is the latest novelty^ With its assist- ance its owner is enabled to be sura that her bonnet is on straight, and al- so that her curls are in perfect order. She can likewise ascertain it her bow is at the most bccomlmg angle at the proper time. All these things and a hundred oth- srs, Important from the feminine point of view, she can find out on the street without attracting the attention of passeraby, with the aid of this simpla contrivauoe. The inventor of this device has so ar-* ranged the little looking-glass in the palm of the glove as not to interfere with the abutting of the hand.> He has likewise taken tne precaution of put- ting it Id the left-hand glove, ao that when its owner shakes hands with a friend it will not lie observed. It is not the fair sex alone that will find this Ingenious contrivanoe useful. Men are qtulie as vain as women, ao the latter claim, and It will be seen by anj; observer to look at themselves in evsry mirror they pass on th« ttirveta.

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