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HOUSEHOLD. Christmas Morninr- u-h of c.irl) morning. :> I l.o rtil bin in through the ur i'ry world 11. ' <-r the itl.jryn' H,, 1 I..-M u. licara rtt.fiil r. p Jn-' uithinit ii|iu lli>- >'.! Mlll.ll. VV i t. .h Ihe gleam of 11111:1}- hnir. Are UMJ Christmas fiilrl < i..>lini< Row* <,( An ,,,. r h.-ir mefMOKen <>r K ,.,.! vill,' n hl xr.iat nodi* ure I he*.- ; wi> clT< weav- ing c'li r:> . .! Are t hoo palnn of rw - en Th.it the lovely spirits hrintf t 'lit upon the ilin - ik' r.roiiKh. i'li the MI 'line, ::-ii K holly, s\ mluil . cif .i tilowed '. iy. In their rtmtitiy h;u:.U th.'v i-irry, Steaming n luloni; the w:iy. \Vc will know them nov.-r weary flf ; in-, innocent Mir;.- W...- :-iimi;n'r:y< \V i :li fn.i iirari- an. I tcml.-r eye*. While our little hmi-i-h..!it ;:-. white and irol.'.en !tl the -un. Greet*!- with In- -.v.-.-i .,;.' ,- ,,,,r:e " Mtrpy (.'iiriHtnuu. every on- Christmas Chew- I ksTTi'BKEV. Agood method formatt- ing turkey i., after having prepared and stuffed it as for boiling, to tie a couple of slices of fat pork on its breast, olid put it in tbe baking pan with a very lit ( !. water, some pepper and sail. Dredge with Hour. the neck being laid in the bottom of the T>an, pul in a hot oven and baste often. Vhen it is nenrly done, remove the i of pork, so as lo allow t'le hreasl to hi-own. It should be taken to the table while hot, and nerved with cranberry sauce or jelly. Ihe gravy or sauce should not be pouied over the bird, as it is a nuisance lo the car- ver. ROAST TI-IIKKV ITH OYSTEK Km.. Lay the bird on iu breast and cut down the nnd lie of the buck in a straight .line : then, catting from the neck downward, and keeping the knife-blade cloie to the carcass, Do i ,,,,, llear rind the joints which nmt B the winy, to the ! s | itt | e by , ^h , the ani , body and unjoint them, leaving the bonesof th ,m in a noderately hot oven until of a the wings and the legs m the flesh. In this l i({ht ye || mv ,.,,.. \ V hen don-, ci.v, r tl: cookies wilii i-ing ami put them uack in the ovf-n for a few minutes to allow ihe pat'e. Then add ahont a traspnonf-il <>l e of vanilla and alxml one-fourth tea- spoonful of ratafia, . to taste. Have reaily "lie -half ponn ir. al- nioinls, which hav. h, eu i,; .,,.. ; 1 and dried m in ..\.u to make thorn ciisp, and while ' h. pist>- is q:u'e hot cover each almond with Borne of i', moulding thum int.i a mco shape with the ringer.-. il..il them luimcdi- in i v.iip p ate or pie ili.-ii <: I'm- ed sugar till cuite covered, iui.1 place i hi m on flat dishes for a fow hours to harden. '1 his quantify ii:ild make one hundred and fifty chocolate almonds. How to Make Cider Jcl'y- A good substitute for wine jelly will find favor wall ttiose who ohjivt to the use of wine in cooking. One cupful of cold water, one-half box ot Nelson's p. latine, one cup- ful of I oiling water, a ma!l stick of oinua- mon, one cupful of granulated HIIC.I juice und grated rind of ono large 1-inon, one and one half cupfuU of sweet ci-'er. I. ei t he gelatin.* soak half an hour iu the cold wain. Piiti r ihe lioi ling water upon the .niii.imon and let it ntan-l lithe Imclc of the range till slightly flavored. When the gela- tine u soft add the sugar and boiling water. Stir until dissolved, then add cider and lemon and strain. If it is desired to mould the jelly, allow the mixture to cool, th'ii <>ip the mould into ecld water and pour the jelly in before it begins to sullen. Christmai Cookies. Take seven and a half ounces of butter lei il malt ou the fire, rour it slowly into a deep dish, taking care th it the sediment doen not mix again with khs el*ai melted butler, It is tin: hr.ter only which is used. Al'ow it to stiffen, but not to get 'lien -Hi- it in line and the same direction until of the consistency of thick cream, and add gradually, while you continue to stir, ten ounces of fine sugar, four eggs (which have been beaten befure-handi, one-tenth of an ounce of cinnamon and fourteen ounces of the beH flour. Keep alining until you have a very smooth and l.ght Latter, then grease a shallow cake pan i:b melted but teroud dro,> ihe bailer in it by teaspoon- full, taking care that the little heaps each other. Flatten eau way free the bony carcass of the turkey en- tirely from the flesh, taking care nol to cut ti, e OV en for a I through ihe outer .km, especially along tho I j c j U8 lo ^ t ,irv. breastbone, where there is the greatest | These cookies belong to tbe province of djbWer, Lay the flesh thus separated from Holsteiu. The next u a recipe coming from the bones upon the table, sktn side dowa frankfort on-the Main. It ,s for "uiuce ward, seasoning with salt and pepper to suit the tastes of tnoae who ale to partake. Place the liver, after the gall has been cut away, on the skin of the ne.'k from I the crop has been removed, lay on the oyster forcemeat in sufficient quantity to fill (Uiuce past-?. Take some ripe quinces, peel ami cut in quarters, remove core and seeds, cover them with water and boil until quite soft. Drain them and mash them thro'igh a hair sieve into a vessel which has been weighed beforehand. Then weigh it again latter by subtracting that of the Teasel. Now take sugar weighing as much ss the quince and put it on the fire to boil, with ... . . ' - *.'!*** ** ^ !*. kuuu wciun iv IftUUlll out the liody p umply. then br.n K tii. ; skin | wlt l, the iiiiinec. and gel the weight of the together and fasten it hy larye st-tches, taking care that the original shape is pre- set ve.l u cloosely as n-uy lie practicable. the water drained off, in proportion of one pint to one pound of sugar. Let it, boil un DKKSSIN.;. Into a Urge bowl mh very I til, by dropping a wooden skewer into cold ane the soft part of a small stals loaf, using waler , then into the boiling aytup and *>!; iioneofthe.:rn.t. Season the crumhs very I into the water, yon .-an whirl the syrup hihly with tummer .avory rubbe.1 fine, .ticking to the skewer into a globule. Thi nd pepper. Then into a hot frying j, ca iied in French cookery "cuuson uu t three large spoonfuls of | H)U i e ." The sugar having boiied to this tince and boil until il grows with the bread and adding more of either Tn0 ul.U of various shapes an"i i/e, fill them salt i i or ree arge spoonus o l^ule." The sugar having ix good dripping, add the seasoned crumbs degree, you add to it the <iu aud beam s.irnng tin- nuus as one would the whole, .tirring vigorously i scramnle eggs mixiiiff the dripping well lt ,,r and hard to th touch. M necessary. In two minutes or less all ill be steaming hot and moist, when it should he turned back into the big howl and allowed to cool a little before being used. Ur.u. OLD K5i:i.,<u PI.CM Pr'iiniM.. Ono and three quarters pounds of raiainn, one aud three quarters pounds of currants, one and three-quarters pounds of Suluna raisins, one and three-quarters pounds of suet, one pound of candied peel, three quar- ters of a pound of bread cnirnnn, *ne and one- half pounds of flour, three-quarters of a pound of sugar, *evea eggs, one nutnieg, one-half bottle of brandy. Sprinkle a little flour before mixing everything up, so as to make it less sticky, then mix well together with the hands first, li.nl in small puddings, about eight hour*, or six hours *t rir-t, and then two the day of serving. Put the pud- ding in a how!, cover top with paper and tie the whole in a cloth If the pudding is to be boiled twice, do not remove the cloth, bu 1 tighten the second day of boiling. Kirn MINI-* I'n. -To five pounds of with your quince paste, put them in a warm place for a few dayi to harden, then turn nut tiic piste and keep it dry place ; or put your paste on a baking Iwiird which you have dusted over with powdered sugar, roll it out to any thickness you pleaM, and mould it by means of a variety ol cake cutters into different shapes. A Uiier II, I, l,,,,. Drunk " Dul yon kiii.tv that there is an entire race of people who are never sober?" asked a traveller recently. " Well, it's a fact. There is in the world to-day an entire rnce of people who regard sobriety as a calamity and drunkenness on the acme of bliss. These people are called the Ainu, and inhabit the northern islands of Japan, Thev were the alwrigines of Japan, but were crowded northward by the present inhabitants until they have reached 'the jumping off place,' much as our Indians have been driven into the setting sun by the aggressive white man. finely-minced boiled beef one eight prninds j Ana they are jumping olf. too, at an alarm of sour, jnicr apples, weighed after being i j D g rate. They must have numbered several pared and cored, then nnncrd line ; one pound i.: 1. utter, three fourths of a pound of finely- chopped suet, one pint of New Orleans mo'asrei, four pounds of granulated sugar, two ounces each of ground cinnamon and 1-lmcn, a t ablespoontul of salt, a bowl of millions at one time, but now cannot count JO.lKNt. "Theyare.a small, hairy, half-civili/ei people of a low order of intelligence and the filthiest on the face of the earth. The .Isps l>elieve that cleanliness is vonsin-gertnan lo currant jelly, tbreepoundsof seeded raisins, Lodlinew, and are alwavs paddling in the one pound of well-washed Knglish currants. Mix well and set over the tire. When bat- ter and jelly have melted a.:. I enough tweet cider to moisten well, aud cook sluwlv for a couple of hours. If the meat is canned ti.iil-ngli.it, it may be kept for an indefinite time without uting wine or liquor. Many times a housewife will have in ihe In.int- trim syrups that may be substituted for a portion of the cider, and with good result. Ti>. 'liquor from pickled peaches is excellent . , f..r this purpose. A few words as to the j and I never saw a member of the race who i>r-p.ration of the meat lUelf : It will be ! could be accused of being even reasonably I. inml juicy and tender if put over the fire I sober." 1 1. ill water, but the Ainu rover bathe. At bear feasU and funerals they make a pretence of washing hand-i and face, but not a drop of water touches their bodies except by acci dent. They have a drink called sake. It is enough to cure an American of dipso- msnia, but it will make one drunk, and is swallowed by the Amu in enormous quon lilies. Men, women, ami children appear to be always drunk. I paid them several visits while coasting in the Kastern in lulling water am) cooked very slowly ' until tender. Shortly before it "is done *eas"ii rith salt, and allow it to remain in the liquor in which it is cooked until cold. The mistake is sometimes made of placing *ie meat in cold water. This draws the juices fiom the meat, making an excellent soup, but lea\ ing the meat dry and taste- The following rule for th crust is simple and reliable : A generous pint of floor, one- fourth teaspoonful of baking powder, one- half level tcaspoonful salt, three-fourths of a cupful of shortening, half batter, half lard. Sift the salt and baking powder with tbe flour. Have the batter and lard very cold, and chop through the flour until very One. Mix to a stiff paste with ice cold water. This makes a crust tbat is light and tender, though notso flaky as the celebrated French paste, which takes so much time and paUence to prepare. Chocolate Almond*. Cat up on* pound of chocolate and dissolve it with two or three to&spoonfuls ot milk or c -.-ii in au snasjeled saucepan, or a ja,i s'ondisjg in a B.aeepaa of boiliag w;iter When quit* dissolved mix with it about four pcundsi of confectioner's sugar and >uf- <. it-lit uilfc or cream to mak'i u into a L.tl II M hill _ I -'-.I, i:> I I, el rl. II , A novelty in the hatching of eggs has ap- peared in the shape of an electric incubator. The special feature of this machine is that the beat of the egg drawer is automatically regulated lo the fiftieth riartof a degree. It consists of a tank incubator, heated oy a ra- diation from the bottom of a water tank, which is constructed on the multitubular system. When tho egg drawer reaches the temperature of 104 degrees an electric ther- mostat connects a dry battery with an electromagnet which actuates a damper, al- lowing the heat to escape through the open air, instead of passing through the tinea of the water tank. A Comforting Thought. Mrs. Hockbahwsr Uis Tas awful, Abe- all four of der children down nut dcr meas- les, at vun time ! Mr. Hockheimer . ValLobsjer up, Kepecoa. Any vay, ve save by havteg der doctor treat all font at vtince, ain't if Suppose day vs siok Tun after naadder, hey ? In the twellUi v tached to a footmaoV to drag a kuight from -virv a hook was at liable him the saddlo. Tn-o countries, Austria and Hollund, have retained the, florin a a unit of monetary , taking it ut a tiu> \vlieii it wan very universal in Iv.irnpe, r II-.IL;.! ..-iving been rendered neu'->al!iy ti supremacy of the iiul. unly and mage aymeniH <t tiie other countries of the Continent. A writer in Mil ings says : The decimal sj stem is in al- moHt univorsal uso on n.e continent of Kun>pe. Five nations France, Italy, R>-1- gium, (ireeue, and Sit?erlud have form- ed a iiioi.ei.uy union, ana the silver and olil pieces of one country an s HI i four. The eoppcr i-oina and smiill nickel pn-res of Belgium and Switzerland are not incl-.'bd. '1'iio ;ainiai il coins on tie ( 'ontinent are-^In France, the fi inc : in ^ptiin, the pi-i-ta ; in Italy, the lira; ia HolUiul and Austria, the flwm ) in <;< rmauy, the 1 mark : in Kusia, the rouble, Belgium and Switzerland use tho French name tor ti." piece of 20 sou.-. Kch -it pieces is, like the Amerieun dollar, I into a 100 paj 1 . called kopeck in Russia, p.'eniiin 1 . 1 in t.rriiiany, krcn'./.er ill Aiu'ria, ceiii in Holland, and in It.ily, Krance, and <nain by the word meaning hundredth. Tliese small copper nuns are ' at the post ofGce in France and collectively uiiiii-.!rie-. l"it are not in general j circulation, in Italy ami Spain they have a pi r (rising value \vith the small shop- keepein and are seen everywhere. The origin of tbe names of .-oins in present use is ciiri'UH. In many cases they imply a st..udurd ol weight, tli.tt laii its sigm: igo. This l the case with tneKnelinh standard, the j .,i.;i.I. The word shilling is i ol i ennan ucr.v ;iti-iii. Ike penny, which con.. .; fi inn the liermau |jfe!ining. Tli word "crown" came liom the image placed on the coin. i.ic jm.iie franc was given by King John, who first coined these pieces in 1360. They bore the motto, Le Roi Franc ;King of the Franks', and were of two kinds, one representing the ktug ou hoisrhack. and the other ->n foot. The fianc was formerly also called livre (pound, though the connection wiiiiany ; hperial weight is not evident. The name cf j the (ierman coin, mark, meaning a weight of eii;hi ounces, was formerly in -j. m i -.-il use iu Kuropu The name ! the Italian coin that corresponds with the franc (lira) I also menus pound. The coins in present use in >pain ha/e their mines from other | sources. The five- peseta piece, which cone- p i 'mis with the American dollar, is called esrudo ishicld . " Peseta, "the name of the Ktnall co:n representing the monetary stan- il.u-.l, ineaiiM simply " littl.i pie,-.-.' Rouble is from the word meaning "to cut, " anil was so called lie. ause originally tbe com was made with an ornamental edge. Few pel sons have ever trouiil.-d themselves to think of the derivation of the word dollar. It is from the (term an thai i valley), and came into use in this way some :ii)U years ago. There is a little silver mining city or district in Northern Bohemia called .)( siuhimsthal, or Joachim's Valley. The reigning dukf of the region authorised this city m the sixteenth century to coin a silver piece which wa called " Joachims- [thaler." The word "Joachim'' was soon , dropped, and the name " thaler " only re- tained. The piece went Into gooMaj us* in (eriiiany, and also in Denmark, where the orthography wa changed to "daU-r, 1 whence it came into l'.ni.'hii, and was adopted l:y the Anicnoaii with Htill other I change* in the spelling. The M\icim dollar ! is generally called piastre" in France, and the name is sometimes applied to tbe United States dollar. Thu appellation is in- correct in either cose, for the word piaatre or piartra has for the last 80 years been only applied with eorsectneas to a small silver coin used in Turkey and Kgyut. i 1. 1, -.. m ......'.I The following is the advice given by a prominent dix-tor f.>i gelling rid ot a cold : When the first symptoms manifest them- selves is the time for action, aud this should consist of a hot mustard fool bath before going to bed ami a hot draught of milk. I he covering ot the body should be linen aud wool, the former in the way of the sheet and the latter in the blanket. No al tempt to get up au active sweating should he made. The foot-buth and the warm drink will give a sense of warmth and facilitate the natural excretion of materials winch should pass away by the skin, and any effort to aggravate this will lie not only superfluous, but harmful. The blanket should never be worn nsxt to the night- robe, and should not be so thick as to con- fine the air next to the body. It is, indeed, often advisable to lighten the covering ot the feet, and to preserve a certain amount of weight over the loins, and to have the shoulders protected from the external sur- roundings in general. The last measure is not to IN: underrated. A sensitive lung carries with it susceptibility to tak to iUelf everything that could possibly affect it to it* detriment. Lung diseases belong to sen- sitive persons, and may or may not be the sequence of a "cold." The majority of them, however, can be traced to imprudence in dress and exposure. Pneumonia, pleurisy and consumption are partners of carel<*snes<! in the dressing of the chest and back, nnd "colds," which might stop at the throat by a littlo prudence, are their apprentices. If you have unconsciously contracted a cold and wont to get relief from it, you must , in tne first place, avoid too mncb medication. A properly chid skin and s clear digestion ought to shorten the life of the "cold." If a little comfort can be secured by wearing a light covering on the head .luring indoor hours it should lie respected. Ventilation of apartments comes iu for a slight amount of attention, and It should be simply suffi- cient to furnish fresh air and not to pro- duce currents which can be appreciated. Nothing is more fallacious than tlie belief that health is promoted and life prolonged by air in excess, and this is proved by tomb- stones. There are a few good remedies which appeal to us aa matters of tradition. Our grandparents used them with effect, aud we might follow their example with- out, injury. One of these is sassafras tea, another is boneset tea and another is senna tea. Kach has its office, and each ia of value in its peculiar line, and at the same ume is harmless. Do Time to Lose- Feathcrstoae My ears wer frost-bitten last win MT, aid 1 wouldn't b surprised if I had to wsjar ear-muffs this year. Ring* ay You'd better Me about, it right iwky. feathoMtona WhV^ It iB* colAonougli yet. Ringway Maybe not, M chap, but yon will bave to gl them made to order. riii tin. HUK t< t:. I < Mlt-l.in a KfH xllli Vine ">lr flllirrl.i The ast 4r a t'ka uue. Only nine days before Christmas and we haven t decided one single thing al -ui the WsntorleMavr 4 ul<.varilt Ul-i M r:.. lira Ion, drawing her .liiM .it u. .mi, an we lay ai. chair a liltie closer t> the bright opsu fire, I'.anks with trawls out ami the weather as ( ihat looked o tempting on that dull, cold lint- us yiu n tbat l'e-u'herous day. " Well, you know that's what we're here for to-day to decide on something. Though I can t think why they pul tne on the , locality, a ile:< I- - 'iito v.ew. current brought upon us un' .' u onetime . collision, and when she drifted past yon could have tossed a son'-wester ou he' deck. She was u lumber- laden bark, but waterlogged until her decka w<re almost awonli. All her masts were gone, most of her bulw.n ks carried away, and hanging to her and drifting with her was halt an ucre of wreckage. " Dismasted in a gale Rprunp aleak all lun. is took to the boats !" was the criticism pasted upon the derelict as it gloated away. There m someth ng horribly lonesome in the look* of a wreck like this. A wrath greater t.ian man's lias ben wrecked. SUB .iniiot link, and she is not worth saving, and she must go drifting and drifting, a prey to the currants, a bullet lor the waves aud an object of vengeance to every gale. She may drift lor month* and months be- com- mittee, for I always feel stupid, and sleepy all the winter, like that sensible luilt anf- mui the dormouse. Xow, if they would only wai'. till the glorious spring time " :ively Kttie St.- " Unfortunately Christmas does not make a point of arriving in the glorious sprint; time, " interrupted her friend, young Mrs. Teale, tlie new'y installed mistress of the ...use wherein ifaeselectoommiuee were assembled. " But to business ' First, there will lie the tree to get ; secondly, the tree to nx securely in its appointed place ; third- ly tl.e tree to decorate with the same old tissue paper and silver stars, 1 suppose. ()!i, dear ! why doesn't some ono think of I.M.* thing new." Mrs. Vallere," said Kttie, suddenly, fore her bones find a lee shore and the tread turning fa tall, bright-faced, but thought* wreckers echoea along her decks. The bark diiited off to tho west of us for a couple of miles, and then a counter cur- uiinht her and cuned her to tbe east. She huldTicrcourseforahont three miles, and i t'ten was caught, again and can u i to the north. It was a* if a wounded whalx seek- ing rext but unable to find it was towing I her. >ome u wcrestill loi king at her when she was blotted ont of night in on mutant. It was the fog which had enveloped her that ghostly, ghtstly veil oi ceatli which riaes on the l>anks with appalling rtiidden- aess ant turn* noonday into mi.luij.-ht. In ten minutes more we could not nee each other ut arm's lungth. What adds to the w-irdnesn of a fog is I the uncertainty of sound. The eyes ache to pierce it, but the eye of neither man nor I beast nor bird can penetrate that strange darkness. The ears neck to locate tlie sound of whistle or fog burn, but it may be lo the right, the left, in front, or in rear. One eimply stands aghast at hisown helplessness al the hidden menace above, below, aud all about him. An boar had gone by when we heard the deep bans of u great steamer's fog horn, and a few minutes later the thrash of her pro- I pellers. She is miles away, but the sounds travel along this fog a* if it were crossed hy a thousand telegraph wires. Of what use to sound her fog burn ? It is a great steamer driving over this placid sea ui.l through this midnight darkness without checking her speed in ihe slighlest. There are lisbing boats m plenty, but/ all at anch- or aud all helpless to move out of her path. The notes of their fog horns may reach the orticer on the bridge, but how is he to lo- cate them ? How can he see or know until the bow of the leviathan looms up over the ful looking lady who had not yet spoken, " you always nave so many new ideas, won't you lend us some to-day * " " I was just thinking." was the quiet answer, " why should we have a tree at all." Why ? O, to put the presents on, we can't lay them ou the floor, and yon know there must be something after the singing besides the distribution of candy." " But we might have something a little newer and more original, " and so. the talk went on, till Mrs. Hradon looked at her w it.h and declared that it was six o'clock, and .lack would be waiting for supper. Then the meeting adjourned. Truly, the committee was not a gossiping one that year, for no one could find out from them when and when- the tree had been purchased, or when it would arrive ; and the yoojig gentlemen of the church, who hod pronered their aid in setting il up, were courteously thanked, but told their services would not lie required. No one saw the arch-conspirators, aided by Mr. Bradon and Mr. Teale, working away at the church the night betore Christ- ina.i Kve, at an hour when other good citizens were sound asleep, dreaming, it might he, of Santa Claus Hut everyone in the little town of WelUford saw the notice in the poxtoftice the next morning to ihe effect that all gifts were to beleft. m the ante- ruom of the church, between .'I and H o'clock. Some wondered why, and decided mat when they took their prwuats they would go "right into the church. ' and sector themselves what wa^ gomu on ' But when they tried the door tflky found it was lock- ed, and when they knocked a voice from within demanded the puswonf, informing them that none could enter without it. rail of the little risher and gives him no: " Doors open at 7,' and lime to call upon bia God to receive his the Wellsfordites were on at 7, promptly, hand to fathom soul' This steamer is headed across our bows 1 and too far away to make as nervous. If it were daylight she would loom no grandly, and from her ciitw.iter would sport away a long, thin curl of dark-blue water, which the mystery : ami then a chorus of admira- tion rose, for instead of the. usual tree I her* stood a handcome sleigh, belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Vallere, loaded with presents ; an army of dolls occupied the seats, the floor of il was filled up with gifts wrapped would turn to foam as it feU. We should i in paper, with the more outwardly beautiful catch sight ot hundreds of people on her decks, .if the officer on the bridge, of tiie black smoke trailing for miles behind. We should dip our flag to this monarch of the sea and wave our hats lo the happy people, and hats anil handkerchiefs would be wared at as in return. The fog enshrouds them, but . sleigh itself. present* on ihe lop : silk handkerchiefs and slippers hung from 'the shafts and on OSM runner was the Christmas gift for the minister, a handsome bnftalo rug, while vases and toys were placed in studied con- fusion between ihe runners and under the there is no fear. They make merry it as t hey gather in tho grand salon. Crash ! Half a dn/en men on our decks shriek like women as the sound comes to our ear*, and every man's heart stands still for the next fifteen second*. Then comes The prettiest idea I've seen for a long time," said one lady, wnen, the music be- ing ended, thxy sat awaiting the coming ta Claus. With ajmgle of sleigh he entered, clad m u long, padded, m/. diessing gown, a heavy (?) sack, down to us one awful cry a terrible chorus j seemingly overflowing with toys, on his of shouts, shrieks, and wails of despair. It is a cry which in drawn oat for h.ilf a min- ute and in choking sobs. Then all is so j quiet that we seem to have been engulfed to be rating fathoms deep on ihe boitom of the sea to be dead men striving to look into each other's faces an we incline our heads to listen. rllevlBa- IN.- Berne tram Drndcrrv. Is the home soon to become a mere toy, a thing of pleasure for the ri'Ji only to en- joy T Many electricians boldly predict that within twenty years that animal will he utterly displaced from the waggon, plough, dray, street car. carriage and all olher util- itarian places by that later power, elec- tricity. They promise it shall be cheaper j than the keep of ihe horse, safer to manage, I swifter, stronger and every way more de- sirablo. Already some very clever inven- tions point that way. Alas ! for the horse, then. A brute that was man's compamon, friend and life, al- most, when Job was bemoaning bis sores and the absence of a turkey, what will be its fate? True, ther- are the races, which man is not likely ever to renounce, and Ihe de- lights of pleasure drives and rides are like- ly to continue ; hut what of the millions of patient drudges on farm and in city ! What revolution their withdraw! wonld ef- fect in agricultural economy, when hay and corn and oats are no longer required fir t''eir keep. Added cattle, sheep and hogs must supply their place, or so much in- crease of groin be put upon the market. In any event, the farmer would have much more to sell. No danger of the eqnine's extinction may be thought of, but if the electricians speak truth, the glory of its iiscfulnnss will depart, and it will become as a parlor ornament or a trinket. He Encouraged Hi* Wife's Singing- Gray "Your wife, I hear, is quite a vo- calist." Brown "Yes: and I encourage her in it , an far as is in my power. " "Quite right, too, for music is a divine art. I think it U the most elevating and purifying of all arU, and Shakespesre was right *hon he said that 'the mail who has not musio in bia soul is fit for treason, stra- tagems and spoils.' Don't you lofe music ?" "Very much indeed." "And your wife's singing, I should think, wonld pleas,- you greitly ? "It does, it does, I assure you ; for when she augs she can'ltsak and" The lady oame in at that moment and the conversation was not continued. Wu (Hrl. Huk Misajflypp, %ill"U have oys- ters o r ic<*-Creani * Misi Flypp Bath, please. back : u fur cap, long, white hair, and mask with long grey beard, concealing his identity. "That's Mr. Jeans," said Tom Neal. " No, siree ' he's taller, and not so fat," and a bable of voices arose, checked, when Santa Claus, after walking around the sleigh, said in a deep, slightly muffled' voice : "Oh dear ! oh dear ! here's a pretty go. Go it is, and no mistake, I jnst left my sleifrh a few minutes, while I was filling stockings for the pretty little ditirv at tbat house, and now my pretty lit- tle rein-./, r have run off and left me in the lurch : all these presents must be delivered pretty quickly, for I have to visit Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia before daylight, not to mention the rest of America. Perhaps loan gel thu alongmysclf (trying lo pull the sleigh). No ! It's quite beyond me. I'm getting too old. Why there s Mr. Bradon ; can you help me? you see, when 1 started,! asked the livery man for his Hwiftest rein- deer team, and wiieu he brought them out, be said they were warranted to go, and they've gone : I didn't think he'd play such a joke on the old man." Mr. Bradon replied: If you'U leave t hoe things with ua, we will soon distribute thorn, while yon get a fresh team, sad start for the next town as soou as you like." "Well," said Santa, " 1 11 accept yoar kind offer, for I can't bear to neglect any one, you'll find all the names on the packages ;" tml wishing the audience a " Merry Christmas," he walked down the aisle, and disappeared in thu darkness. It was a 9 days' wonder in Wellsford, as to " who was .Santa Claus '" There was not much to lalk about in that small to-wn, and so every one guessed a ditfercntWmpc'-son*- lion, always to find that tbat man or boy- had been "sitting by" someone else " the whole time :" till one day, one of the girl* remarked lo Mrs. Vallere : " I can't think how be disguised his voice so well," aud that lady off her guard, replied : "Prunes, my dear, Prunes !" The secret was out, the Wellsford Santa Claus for thai year was a lady I He Took in all That Sort of Thine " So Charley has got back from England " Yes : arrived lost week. " " I suppose he saw the Prince and all that sort of thing ?' " Well, I guess he saw all that sort of thing, but I don't think he saw the Prince." A Suspicions Circumstance- Ski.lda W .isn't there something suspj. cious about the death of yosjr grand-fa- ther Uloobumper Yea, He was ever eight? yea.i old, yet he liad never been known to do mything of tho kind Ix-fore. A >oi. a third of thu enf in pepniuUwn of t he ward |..-ifc the CMnoe* language or iU ail; ji! dialect* T W