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i"'l4 " ' J * X r •' •y r-^, -. Qt-y,: -J -j^-rtji I • .. aMik- TBI! LAT or mil POKS» K JUhtl D* Lancejr n-i<rnrd a .'.•Si Of hieh©«t nodal irUtloii; Hl« set the f»stiionn, and, I' ' Btf Kt b*r je«J. U* Mlt.T» I tr , With W)U<'»» perlurK'ttWk „ Jttbel D»I,HIIOOV H»<L » »*•«, #. (jLlUitat Fitcherbert IHvcrwos; 'i'4FT^ Hot IMI - ' A bean. t<mt this twHe Mfdl V A (1- T.T. ii>K F-a-ter txinnet, K Jilid, as the uca-O'iu's maHteMtroke^ *#h« durg; ki<v- the species poke, ' > ^'ith a.i the fl-ing* on it. It came; with K!« SO cwefufly ' Sbs TU*teu>-<l to the FL'M to CM; af ^ "lie! be:" * ' " " Quoth she. The ptln* Ac took that poke to preM fl *1*. Aiut shape it to tier fancy <• j * ko n>ezperitii:<«d mm oould giiMi llie at upon it, more or lens. This cunning Mi«s Do I»anoey, And hammered it tor mauy a day, hn* And atept in it, her parent* say; *T V: » I ** Hey I hey l" * _ ' They »«y. OM morn she strolled, aa wed aha nlfht, g$H 1. With vat the least compunction, , - J To pnra!y7,O the sex on night, ** JUiiI ali "our wt, you know," to «lBln l-Ynni Smith otrcc'. to the Junotiooj the ladies nigh, the horses ahy, Ths grains ib the gutter guy j •'Hi! hi!" They C17. IXtider 'he old ancestral oak That evening, calm -nd pleaaant, Bat Kthel. 011 her head the poke, strong, suspicious smell of amoka Proi-.*iru» Tiuherhert present. Around her waist his arm he threw. U'hat awful poke flints out tha view; "Hen! haul" Bhe too. •»#rfKr*w*lf their Uftte dresan of bttse. The at'kei; cord ts )>arted • STie r 11 el poke forbids the Blab ' *Ch. Ethel, ha* it come to th'S? I periuli broken heart d I" AsaEtiiei rbriekit, "I die, pape; See ua interred with great eclat 1" " ha! ha!" They an. --Kmtm* Citg Timet.. MY LITTLE SWEETHEART. " Unole Harrv, may 1 be your sweet­ heart?" asked Marion Sterling, lifting her big brown eyes to mine, with all the innocent frankness of her 8 year., uf Ziuldeiihood. " ThJeed you may," I cried, stooping to lift her to my knee. "No," sbe said, drawing back; "if I am your sweetheart I mustn't sit on •our lap, bat beside you. Yon may kiss we, though, all the same, atd call me May, but I will call jou Harry. Mamma ea}« you are not our really, truly uncle, bat we call you so because we love you." "That is so," I answered; "b.ut if you are not to love me when you are my sweetheart, I shall back out. " Oh, but I will! You see Agnes has Tom Irving to love her, and Janev has Tracy Sill." I winced here, as I had tneu very hard to fill Tracy Hill's place. " It roa&es me dreadful lone­ some," contiuued May, " but then 1 thought <">f you, and perhaps you would tiring me llowers and tell me I added to their l>eanty by wearing them, aud sugar plums, and say that my lip3 wei e sweet­ er than sugar almonds, and take me to walk :uad to ride, and always, always be lorj Jv to me !" "But," I asked gravaly, "what are you to give me ? " •* Oh, I wfll work you a pair of slip­ pers when I am big enough, and I'll kiss some of the sugar plums and let you eat them, and 111 wear the flower*, aud if there is any song you lite very much, I will practice it and learn it, if the ac­ companiment is not too hard." "All right. It'sa bargain. You are my lit­ tle sweetheart and I your devoted adorer from this day," I cried. " But it seems to me, May, that for a lady of your age TOU are pretty well posted on the sweet­ heart question." " Well, you see, uncle--no; you're not my uncle any more." " Dear Harry," I suggested. "Dear Harry, you see there is the sitting-room and there is the parlor, and if Tom Irving comes while Agnes is in the parlor she says : ' Run up stairs, May; that's a good g'rl;' and when I get to the Kitting-room I see Tracy Hill kiss­ ing Janey, and he mutters: 'There's that pest of a child again ;' and I run ixrto the kitdien, and Molly has John McCoy there, and I can't help seeing them ali," she said, piteously. "Exactly. And I think you are a very sensible child to start your own flirtations.' Will you allow me to drive you to the Point this nftoriNxm. Miss Marian?" I added, with my very best society bow. " Thank you, dear Harry," she said, with demure gravity. "I'll go with pleasnre." So we commenced our flirtation, and never had any man a more piquant, lovely little sweetheart than L Harry Montgomery, had for the three years I remained at Maxwell Station, the vill­ age in which the Sterlings were leading people. Mr. Sterling and my father had been friends for many year3, and, when I finished my law studies, Mr. Sterling let me know there was a good opening for me at Maxwell's Station, and a warm welcome at his house, where Mrs. Ster­ ling and the three girls made me at once " like one of the family." My calf-love in its entirety and devo­ tion wna given to Janey, and I was dol­ orously weeping over the fact when Marian generously came 10 the rescue. " What a lovely time we do have, dear Harry," she said to me, when we were picnicking in the woods ; "all the girls think I nave the nicest beau in the world. And nobody guesses who it is who helps me with my French and Ger­ man and shows me all about my Latin, and I go up over their heads because you make all my lessons so easv. It's not cheating if I really study ail the same anddo all my sums and exercises myself, "No," I said, trnthf»lly, for the child's OWE eager thirst for knowledge and hard work gave me only the pleas­ ure of simplifying some of her lessons and defining some of the " hard words." But when I had been nearly four years at Maxwell's Station my father obtained Marian the sole home daughter, and nooicfty was exacting. I heard of her m a brilliant beauty, a musician of great fcaWt, and a bright, sparkling conver­ sationalist. I tried to fit this to my lit­ tle sweetheart and failed. I had lost Diy childish adorer. v 'But I was not fond of society nor de- Voted to the duties of a cavalier. Per- tkaps Janey had left too deep a wound to heal, though I did not think so when, ten years after our first meeting, I fonnd her 'with a party of tourists " doing Eu- ttf)e," a loud-voiced, red-faced woman of fashion, who had left three little chil­ dren at home while she displayed costly dresses and horrible French and German abroad. Tracy evidently pretVrre.l the society of the babies, as he was not oue of the traveling party. " Marian 1" she said, when I inquired for all the home circle. " Why, Marian in London. Didn't you know about Marian ? Ah I Mrs. Agnew--good even­ ing." Tell me," I entreated. "What about Marian? IB she married ? " " Bless me, no 1 Hasn't even a beau, far as I know. May is so prim--cut out for an old maid. And she'll be worse than ever now. Excuse me. Mrs. Maitland is moving to the dressing- room, and I go in her carriage. Good night. Do come aud see us." And her escort came up, and she sailed away. It was not until ten minutes latter I. re­ membered that I had not asked for her address or Marian's. I tried to repair this omission the next morning by visiting all the hotels Sd examining * their registers. The ly result was the assurance that the hole party had left the city that morn­ ing. But the fates favored me. I dropped into a nice legacy, quite sufficient for the wants of a family of modest wants, and I determined to go to America, home ! It was a year since I had met Mrs. Hill in Germany. Was Marian still in Europe ? My little sweetheart! Strange how she had lingered always in my memory as the ideal woman of my bachelor fancy! I determined to go to England, and accept a longstanding invitation to visit my friend. Lord Loringer, at his place, Loringer Hall. I met with a most cor­ dial welcome, and, arriving just before •1 inner-hour, Lord Loringer hurried his ovrn preparations and came into the room assigned to me "What good wind," he exclaimed, "blew you into England ? " I told him of my legacy, my resigna­ tion of my position, and my return home via England. "But you are absolutely your own master for the present?" he asked. " Yes. Nobody expects me at home, as I was returning on that most idiotic principle--a surprise." "Join us, then. We all start next week for a jaunt through France, Spain, Italy, perhaps up the Nile. We are not l»ound by any route, by any promises. We start, a party of fourteen, everybody at liberty to leave if he prefers another route. We are to be joined by a party j of Americans in Paris, Mr. and Mrs. Englewood, Dr. Smith and a Miss Marian Temple, who will probably prove the bore of the party." "Why?" "Oh, she is an old maid, a bine stock­ ing and a poet. I forgave her her novel, 'Irmine,' but deliver me from a woman who writes verses and calls them ' Water Lilies.'" " Now I should enjoy all the pleasures of novelty in meeting her," I exclaimed. " I have not one old maid on my visit­ ing list, and I never hud an hour's con­ verse with a novelist--or is it novelist- ess ?--or a poetess. You don't happen to have her books about you, do you f" "You will find them on the library table, unless some one is reading them. There are several copies about, as most of oar guests brought them." I found them, as promised, on the library table, and after I got to my own room I opened the poems. The more I read, the more I was convinced that no old maid penned them. They were full of the fire, the genius, even the faults of youth, and some of them I seemed to have written myself. The leading one, "Water Lilies," brought back to me the lake where May and I had floated upon the transparent water, gathering the great, white, snowv treasures in pro­ fusion. I saw her sweet face dip into a great heap upon the floor of the boat and come up laughing, far sweeter than the most glorious blossom there. Then I saw her in the Boft, white evening dress, with the wlute Ulies trailing from her soft curls upon her pretty, dimpled, childish shoulders, dancing gleefully, the only little girl in the room, and with an admirer wearing a mustache--her de­ voted admirer. And here it was all in musical verse, with a refrain of regret for the child-love gone forever. It was far into the night when I slept, with tbe volume of "Water Lilies" tucked under my pillow, and at the first daylight I was picking out once more little scraps of memory --a drive we took to Marian's Falls, which Marian gravely assured me were named "years and years." before she was born ; a walk we took, when 1 tucked up her curls in womanish fashion and twisted in sweet brier, being piteously reproached a few hours later with making her "pull every hair out with those horrid thornsa ride wo took to Horseshoe Pond, where we pledged mutual faith and love in cups of lilies, and vowed eternal constancy. ~ " Hash !n she " (wid, " softly. f * Who f ftve me any of the gift you call talent^ ou, who taught me that books wcw not merely dreadful repetitions invented to torment sohool-girls, but preparations for future power of intellect; that les­ sons were not strings of words to be committed to memory, but stores of knowledge to be garnered and cherished. You roused my ambition, my hope, what power I have of expressing what my brain suggests." "May," I said, gaining possession again of the hands she had released, " you have traveled, seeo the world, l*id your conquests; can I, dare I, ho}w 1 may still cail you--" She nestled into my bosom, hor big eyes raised frankly to meet mine, ana said: "Your little sweetheart, now and ever!" " How I meant to torment you !" she told me, later, when, her soft, loving emotion over, herr sauciness regained sway. "I intended to win von back by all tltfi arts of coquetry, of jealousy-- for I have a lover or two, sir--but my heart betrayed me when I saw your love in yottr eyee and knew that you had been faithful all these longyeais. Dear father and mother will be delighted, but, perhaps, I ought to tell you Janoy is a vrtdow." " Then you guessed that secret, too ?" " You gieat goose, you were the fam- ily inhj^Silgri^toek^until I took pity OD - tUB Yotf»e roLiH» •r ma Hem- a hoy had ao mahy name*; They culled itini Jimmy, ami Jim, and J^IIIK and J.wni. ; and well he kueir W no it was that wauled him, too. | The lw»vs in "ie street ran after him. Scouting oUv hmdly. -'J.IN! Hey, J-l-SMSl" lji:tri the eclioi*, link; and f.iw, tvseiuod to.be danciug a Jim Crow Jig. And littte MhImO out in the hall " Jttu-mp.' .f 1 nt-my! ' wuiiul sweetly C*U, Uuui li.-nud let Imr know iVheio she m>gUl hud hiui, sh« lured hits M> Omrdpi. who wasdlgniftwl. a ad itt-id lilt head witu >11 air of pri'ie, D.d'i'i tx'lleve in abridging iwiue.-*, Aud mode TU» UIOM that he could of "J-a-Bi"®"*! But if papa fcrer wan'ed him, OiB;i h:i'l curt was 1 ho auiumoM, " Jimt" l h.it would make 'he boy iu his erranas rns Mucu luster than if he h£d etid, " My son." Bidd£ O'Flrnn could never, it seenuu 'Jail hiiu anything else tmt "Jeem*:" And whoii th.» nurse, old Mr*. McvyaSj Cullinl I11111 "Jamie," it souuded nice. But sweeter and d>-arer than all tbe r*st, u ax the one |Hft name he liked the best; " l>irling!" tie heard it wherever he waa •t, Fur bona but his uiolhar called bini that, --Ht Ificholu. UNCLE FELIX'S STORt, your *8= HOUSEHOLD HINTS. HOT lemonade is excellent for a cold; drink it just before going to sleep. Br OMITTING ail shortening--that, is, both butter and lard--from any good tried cake recipe, and using in place of it a cup of sweet milk, the cakes will l>e light and almost entirely free from grease. Take care to have the lard in which they are fried very hot. To COOK a duck satisfactorily boil it first, until teuder; this can bo determined i by trying the witig, as that is always a tough part of a fowl. When tender take it out, riuse it in clean water, stuff aud put it in the oven for about three-quarters of au hour, basting it. often. WHEN cooking asparagus be sure to put salt in the water; put in almost enough to season it with. The aspara­ gus will cook quicker and be more teu­ der. "A solutit/11 of salt and water boils at a higher temperature thau water alone; consequently a little salt should be addded to the water in which any vegetable is cooked. HICKORY-NTJT cookies which will de­ light the souls or stomaches of children arc easily made. Take two cups of sugar, two eggs, half a cupful of melted butter, six tablespoonfuls of milk, or a little more £han a third of a cup, one teaspoouful of cream of tartar, half a teaspoonful of soda, one enp of chopped meats stirred into the dough. BLACK CAKE.--Three cupfulsof butter, one quart of sugar, three pints of flour, half a pint of molasses, half a pint of brandy, half a pint of wine, one tea- spoonful of saleratus, oue ounce each of all kinds of spices, twelve eggs, three pounds of raisins, two of currants, half a pound of citron. Bake in deep pans, in a moderate oven, between three and four hours. This is one of the best of rich cakes. ALMOND cookies ate very nice. This rule will make a large quantity, and may of course be varied to suit your needs: Two pounds of butter, three pounds of sugar, one pound of almonds blanched and chopped, cut in halves or pounded, two teaspoonfuls of cinnamon, one teaspoonful of saleratus, one cup of boiling water, one lemon, one dozen eggs, knead in flour enough to make the dough as stiff as cooky dough should be, roll and cut in fancy shapes, and after they are in the tins sprinkle the almonds thickly over them. CBACKEB SUET PUDDING.--One-fourth oound beef subt, freed from strings and powdered, one cupful fine cracker crumbs, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, four eggs, three cupfuls of milk, pinch of soda, one teaspoonful salt; beat the rolks wirii the sugar; add to these the hiilk, iu which the cracker has been soaked for half an hour; work into a smooth paste before putting in the suet and soda; whip the whites in last, and bake nearly if not quite an hour. Eat hot with wine sauce. You may also steam or boil this pudding. BOILED POTATOES.--Twelve medium- sized potatoes, one tablespoonful of salt, boiling water to cover; pare the potatoes, and, if old, let them stand in cold water an hour or two to freshen them; boil fifteen minutes; then add the salt and l>oil fifteen minutes longer; pour off every drop of water; take the cover from the saucepan and shake the potatoes in a current of cold air (at either the door or window;) place the saucepan on the baok of the stove and cover it with a clean, coarse towel until serving time; the sooner the potatoes are served the better. This rule will insure perfectly sweet and mealy potatoes if they were good and ripe at first. The Weddinp Ring. In our day, and in our country, the wedding ring has become, to an almost universal extent, a thing of the past, and many there are of our people, married and intelligent, who cannot tell of the significance of the wedding ring, nor where it should be worn. From time immemorial the finger ring has been held as a symbol. In ancient times the ui lines, ana vowea eternal constancy. | neia as a symbol. In ancient times the Page after page brought my sweetheart; seal was always upon a finger ring; and to me, til! I fished my locket out of my the husband, when he placed his ring for me a diplomatic appointment in many, and there was a heart-bi Parting. " it is not the drives and rides, rowing and flowers and candies I'm iaxior" sobbed my little sweetheart^ though Agnes pretends it is. It is because I am going to lose you. You don t believe I love yon just for those things, do yon, dear Harry ?" "No, my little love," I said ; "I be­ lieve you love me with all your pure yonng heart!" ••I do! [ do ! You will come back." Yes, but I shall find you a grown-up lady with dozens of lovers." " No. I'll have no other lover. If you marry I shall just die ! And here is my ivory type and a curl of my hair and I want yours." ' I readily promised the exchange, and went to Germany, the ivorvtype and Cnrl set in a locket--the face promising rare beauty of the golden hair, brown eyed type. We corresponded, of course. At first the correspondence flourished, then it grew languid and finally died. I was eugrossed with business and society; May was working through school! through society aud as a belle. Agut^ and Janey, middle-aged matrons, kit dispatch box and put it round my neck, ready for any emergency--ready to swear with as much truth as most lovers' vows that it had never left my heart since her white hands first placed my treasure round my neck. To Paris I We were en route at last. I knew my darling's verses by heart I had read her novel twice, dreadfully disgusted both times by the fact that the heroine, who had brown eyes and golden hair, •M£'7jp(l&il£ro who Jx>re not the slight- to wrong in the case, let the guilty""! •The comet Is estimated •" "--'•'•--I " ~v" upon the hand of his wife, signified thereby that he had given to her his Beal, and that thenceforth she should be his representative. In old times it was the custom of the Doge of Venice annually, on Ascension Day, to go out upon the water, and from the deck of the ship Bucentaur to throw a ring into the sea, thereby signifying that he had "married the Adriatic," and that the beautiful sea was united with and tributary to Venice. In the days of the commonwealth of England, Cromwell sought to put a stop to the custom of giving and weaving the wedding ring--and many of the Puritans did cast it aside--because of its heathen origin. IH old times, among the nobility, the to serve tbe entire party. Sere, after making my dress an object of most es­ pecial study, I went on the wings of j wedding ring was the husband's seal; but love. A lady stood by the window look- j later a simple hoop of gold is sufficient, ing out, and I went forward timidly. And now: Win n; shall the wedding She must be one of our party or she' ring be worn? Alwavs--from the enr- woiild not be there. Her dres" -- a j best times to the i rch.'ut--ou the fourth Parisian mt>rvel of taste and simplicity j finger of the left hand, counting tlit --was that of a jeune fille ; her figure was tall, graceful and slender, and her golden hair was dressed with all modern abominations. But she never stirred or turned until I stood beside her, when she turned her full face to me. My dar­ ling's face, with all the little baby curls on jkhe forehead, all the sweet innocence in Hie big brown eyes. It utterly un­ manned me. For a moment I could not speak; then I held oat trembling hands, almost whispering: *• My little sweetheart!" Her eyes grew soft, lustrous, dewy. " You have not forgotton? " she said. "I have never forgotten. No other has taken for one hoar your place in my heart. But you, beautiful and fawo™ with your talent--" thumb as number one. If you ask why this finger is sil^'trl, I answer, thore are several explanations; but the oldest, aud therefore the most rational, is this; The ancients believed that a wonderful artery led from the fourth finger of the left hand directly to the heart, and hence this was the point whence love might send its mystic message most readily to the seat of the affections--to the throbbing centre of the soul. Really, I like the idea of the wedding ring. It helps to make more strong and more binding the marriage rite; it helps to sauctify it. May we not attribute much--very muoh--of the present-day disposition 1 to divoroe to the throwing away of so many of the fowns aud sym­ bols held sacred by our ancestors ? In the summer time old Uncle Felix used to sit under the willows down by the creek for hours and hours. When the fish were in a biting humor Uncle Felix didn't like company, but when his line hung idly in the water he would tell stories from noon until sundown. "De sum en substinsob de matter am dat de big fish skeet off inter deep water wen day hears folks a chinnin'," he would remark, by way of apology for refusing to entertain the boys on busy occasion.' One afternoon the boys came along and, seeing by the empty basket that Uncle Felix wasn't catching anything, they began to pave the way for a story. Charlife bad a little book of "nonsense rhymes" in his pocket and, opening it at a place where a leaf was turned down, ho pretended to read. "Wat dat yo're readin'?" asked Uncle Felix. "About the Jobberwock," said Oharlie. "De wat?" "The Jobberwock; did you ever hear of such an animal?" "Mos' 'pears to me I has," said Uncle Felix, closing both eyes and letting his head fall back itgainst the tree at the roots of which he was sitting, for Uncle Felix never would admit his ignorance of a thing. "Mos* 'pears to me," he continued, "dat us boys cot a jabber- wuck way down in de swamp long while back, wen I was 'bout yo' size." "How did it happen, uncle?" asked John; and the three boys cuddled around the old fisherman, whose eyes were bent upwards, evidently searching for facts in the topmost branches of the willow. "In dein days," said the old man, "yo' Uukle Felix was wukkin for Moss Billy, en dar was annuder darkey named Pomp, de same dat was struck by liglitnin' in de yeah '4U. In de day time we darkeys hoed co'n, and many a night we treed coons in de swamp. De las' coon hunt we tuk togedder was 011 a cloudy night 'bout fifty yeah back. We slipped long inter de hawt of de woods, tarrin' tro briers en wadin' tro muck, but de dogs fust smelt dis tree, en den dat widout findin nary coou. Bimeby oid Snap, Pomp's dog, giv a snort en was off. Ob coase we follered heels ober head, en purty soon bof dogs anker'd under a gum tree, en 'gun to rip music outen dere floats wussen a whole team ob bullfrogs on an April ebenin." " Dat coon's up dis gum/ Pomp sez, en I sez: 'Coase he am^Den Pomp sez: '1 sees de moon up dis gum.' 'Wliar?' sez mo, lookin' whar Pomp was pintiu.' 'Dar,' sez Pomp, sezzee. iSho' nuf dar wuz a roun' ball of fire way up on de top limV " " 'Felix,' sez Pomp, kine o' feelin skeered, 'wat's de moon doin' out on a cloudy night like dis fur?" "Mitey cu'rus,' sez ^ie." " 'Let's run,' says Pomp." "Jess den de moon 'gin to mobe, en Pomp en me drapped down under de bushes. Ez we drapped dar cum a voice from outen de bushes beliine us, sayin': 'Ker-wuck! ker-wuck! ker-hoo! ker-liool' 'Lissen,' sez me, gibbin Pomp's hand a pinch, but Pomp was shakin' all ober wid an ager. Den I spy de moon en hel my bref. De moon was uncurlin' hisself on dat lim, en soon 1 sees dat he hab a tail en a head en a body, jess de same ez euny aniniul. De dogs by dis time lied 'gun to sneak off. At dat minnet dar cum anuuder voice from outen de bushes say- in': 'Ker-wuck! Ker-wuok! Ker-lioo! Run, little nigger, runs!' Up bof ob us ljounced, but 'fore we got outen de bush­ es down cum de moon like a flash ob fire. I 'omp yelled loud nuf fur a steam injine wen dar's a cow on de track. 'Way we scampered wid de four-legg'd moon arter us, de dogs mnnin' wid der tails twixt dar lej?s yelpin' en howlin' fit to kill." "Did you get caught, uncle?" asked Charlie. "Wat's dat? Git cotched? Bress yo' little soul, honev. we mqAle tracks outen de swamp quicker's a flash ob lightuiu'. Git cotched? Nosir-ree." "But what was it--the jobberwock?" Uncle Felix folded l is arms around his knees and squeezed hiuisulf as though to hold in the laughter ^fclfeh which he threatened to cxnlodn. , ' "Bress yo' souls, chillen, it was no mo' de moon den it was dis oli hat ob mine. It was a rale libin ooon." ; "A coon!" "Shors yo' bo'n dat's wat it was, and dis am de way it happen: Yonng Moss Billy lied euni home from school np dar in Phildelfy. He was ajokin' sort ob II vonnr; 'mi. en he cot a coon en rubbed him all ober wid fussfurus dat berv night." i "'Rubbed the coon with phosphorus." j "Deed he did: rubbed him wid dnt shiny stufi he'd learn'd 'bout at: school . en Oen sot him free, kind o' knowiu' dat me -nd Pomp'd tree him fo' mo'nin. 11 I '-n-nufsv Int dem little darkeys ( Vc -f J to ref fur ar"*"nf!" .nist then TTncle Felix felt a nibble at his hook, aud frdicaiing to the boys with several energetic Imbs of his head that lie was through with diem for the day. he lvnt to the task of searching for his supi >or. Susie's Dancing Lesson. Wken Susie is fretful and peevish,--- which I am glad to say is not often,-- there is noliody who can pot her in a ! good humor so q:iiokIv as her grown-up sifter Ann. She knows just how to de j w ith the littlo tfirl. | Tims Ann will sny: "What-is the mat­ ter. Susie ?"' "Ar?yoa hungry?" "No." ; "Are vou sleepy?" "Not a'bit of it.' 1 "Do you want me to tell you a story?' > "No." "Are you tired?-' "No." "1 1 have it: you want a good dose of oxer ! eise. That is the very thing you need Come here now aud I'll give you a good dancing lesson." She takes Susie's hands, and whirls lier ont on the floor before she has timo to say a word. Then Ann begins to sing: " Hera we go np, up, up. And here we t»> djwn, down, down-y; II-re we go tld* way and that. And here we gn round, round, round-y " dancing all the time, and whisking Susie about the roem in such a lively way. that the child has to lough 111 spite of herself. Susie soon gets iu high glee, and always wants to have another dance. "What!" says Ann. "Haven't you had dancing enough? Well then, how would you like a fancy dance ? Mind your steps now. Do as you see nap do. Keep time with the music. »U|. and down, fast and slow. Hop and skip, and away we go; Bimi'i a d Kiiind mi'l jump J m Crotr: Oh. won't we rt.utce tli>' polka I" So the little girl is danced about until she has to stop to take breath; and bv that time she is so fi^l of fun, that there is no room for a frown «n her pretty face. •- FABM NOTES. POTATOES FOB PLANTING.--A mixture of lime and phosphates sprinkled over the cut potatoes a day or two before planting will increase the fertility won­ derfully. RUST ON MELONS.--It is said that new ground soil mixed with the manure for the melon patch will prevent rust and brown patches on the melons and keep isfthe vines green longer thau usual. Ex­ perienced growers have discovered that melons and vines do not rust on new land as they do ou old, even in seasons of extreme wet. Koor CROPS.--The faults to be avoided in the raising of beets and mangels are --first, planting the seed too deep, and next, allowing the weeds to get the upper hand. The seeds start slowly at best, and if planted too deeply it will be a month before they are well up, by which time the weeds will have a good growth. SDQAR BRETS.--In France it is gener­ ally recognized as a rule that the sugar beet should never be cultivated upon a fresh manure or barnyard manure, be­ cause this system of culture gives a large yield in weight, but roots so rich in for­ eign matters that they can not l>e worked with profit. The beet should always form the second rotation when the ma­ nure is strong. BONE DUST FOR MELONS.--An Indi­ ana farmer tried four different fertilizers for melons--poultry droppings, well rot­ ted cow manure, barnyard manure and old bones (gathered upon the farm and reduced by placing them in alternate layers with ashes the previous year.) mixing all liberally iu the different hills, which were eight feet apart each way, and he says:--"Such a crop of melons as came from the hills that had the bone dust I never saw before." BEANS.--Plant golden wax and black wax for early. The former is said to be some days earlier than the latter. There is, however, very little difference iu the time of ripening. Both are exceedingly good, but if we could only have oua kind we should take the golden wax. The pod is longer and broader-than that of the black wax. It is of a richer quality, and when cooked presents a "most deli­ cate appearance 011 acaouut of its seeds, which are nearly white. DRAINING.--Au Ohio farmer says he has been putting in tile for the last fif­ teen years, uiitil he has three farms all tiled, and his crops are much better than his neighbors'. He did not have to re­ plant a single hill of his corn, while many of his neighbors had to replant most of their corn, and while lie is getting from three to four bushels of corn to the shock his neigh btsrs, with equally as good soil, got but three-quarters to one bushel of good corn from their shock. Still they cannot see why it is. SHELL LIME.--There is no better way to utilize shells than to burn them. $hell lime is more valuable as a fertilizer than rock lime. But lime itself is of little value as a direct fertilizer, yet for reducing other substances to an available coudt" tion for food for plants it is useful. It renders stiff, clayey soil more friable and liberates salts of soda and potash, mak­ ing fertilizers of them. Many a barren clay soil contains all the elements neces sary for fertility, which, on account of their combinations, are not available. An application of lime decomposes the clay aud liberates the salt. Mixed with muck from swamp meadows it combines with the acids and decomposes the vege- able matter, making an excellent ma­ nure. On lands where night soil has been continuously used it will aid in pro­ ducing good crops if spread broadcast on the land. SCABBY LEGS IN POULTRY.--The nn- sightlv disease which affects the legs of fowls, causing them to swell and to be­ come distorted, is due to a mite, a small insect which is similar in appearance to that which causes the scab in sheep. It is roundish, oval and semi-transparent, about ont-eighth hundredth of an inch in length, appearing, when magnified 400 diameters, abont half an inch long. If the scales from the legs of a diseased fowl are beneath the microscope a num­ ber of these mites may bo found between them. Beneath the scales there are a spongy, scabby growth, in which the eggs and pupae of the mites are to be seen in great numbers. The pupse are very similar in shape to the mature mites, but are very much smaller, ap­ pearing when viewed with the al>ove mentioned power abont one-tenth of an inch in length. The disease being of a similar character to the scab in sheep, or the mange in dogs and cattle, it may lie cured by the same treatment. If his disagreeable affection is suffered to remain in the flock while one fowl is troubled with it, it will certainly spread, as the mites will burrow beneath the scales of the other fowls. If precautions were generally Used the parasite oould soon be exterminated. It should be made a disqualification at poultry shows for fowls to be affected with scabby legs or feet in any degree whatever, for we know that several poultry yards are not- free from this disease, aud whenever af­ fected fowls are sent out disease goes with them.--American Agriculturixt. POTATOES.--In order to have t,ho best success in growing potatoes, and to se­ cure a healthy, vigorous errowtli an 1 crop free from rot, says Thorbnrn, it is necessary to plant as early as the ground ca t be got ready. Select a rich soil and pla it in rows throe feet apart and the sets one foot in the rows. To kill the young weeds, run a light steel tooth liar row ovor the field lengthwise of the rows; this will allow the crop to get the start of the weeds, besides breaking np all lumps and levelling the ground ready for the cultivator. If wood ashes and plaster can be procured sow a good dressing over the field after the potatoes are up. If a very early crop is desired it will l>e necessary to sprout the potatoes before planting. Cut the potatoes into piece* of any size desirable and place in a w irm light room from four to six weeks bofotv required for planting in the open ground During this time shoots will start oui strong and vigorous, so that as s<ion a* planted they will send out roots ant] grow much more rapidly than those treated in the ordinary way. Another method is to place the sets in a hot!>ed two weeks before they are wanted, aud then lift carefully a id set out on fresh horse dung, so fhat the heat will cau.se them to start at once. If the Colorado potato beetle makes its ap|>earance the vines must be dusted with Paris green mixed with about eighty parts of plaster, or, what ia better, mix the Paris green in PERRT DAVIS' Pain-Killer A SAFE AND SUSE REMEDY FOT Rhsiimatisn, Neuralgia, Cramp?, Mra, Diarrtiota, Dphji Scalds, Teothachs AND FOtt SALK _ Mick AI.L DRUMUINTS. water, two tablespoonfuls to a pail, a°d apply with a small brush or broom. Take care to stir the mixture often or else the Paris green will settle at the bottom. Two or throe applications dur­ ing the season will usually suffice to clear off all the beetles. SAYS a recent writer: " What has been the ultimate fate of the Egyptian mum­ mies stored with care in the rocky vaidts and pyramids on the banks of the Nile? They have in these later times been dragged from their recesses and ground into powder as au article of commerce to be exported to Europe The cereal crops of England are partly produced from the mumified remains of human beings who walked about the streets of Thebes 'three thousand years ago.' The bodies of venerable Thebans--swells in their time--laid to rest in fond antici­ pation of securing a mortal immortality, sold at so much a tou to fertilize the ex­ hausted soil ot an island in the German Ocean! That is what the ancient Egyp­ tians have got by all their skill in pro­ tracting the dissolution of mortal re­ mains. Their marvelous preparations have ended in a favorably quoted manure. Gymnastics. "Say, stranger, kin I git a fight In yere?" he asked, looking oautiously ; around and wetting his hands in a pre- i monitory sort of way. | "What kind of a fight would you like?" asked the bar-keeper, eyeing him gloomily. ' "Pistol, knife, fist, tooth, anything. I want to live up to the prevailin' style. Suit yourself, pardner." "Well," observed the host, picking up a base ball bat, "how'll this suit you? Like to try something iu this line ?" "Haven't yer got a sword, or a cleaver, or a buzz saw, or somethin' that yer can rely onto if we git close together ? Ain't there some weapon that goes more into the gore busiuess?" "This will do me," replied the bar- keepar waltzing over the bar and slam­ ming the pugnacious visitor against the wall. "Dou't need auythiug better thau this," and he banged him across a beer table. "Got enough?" "I ain't got started vit," said the stranger, as he lifted the bar-keeper over the stove. "Don't git impatient. I'll warm up in a second," and be hoisted his antagonist over the bar. "Jist in­ dulge these yer false starts; I'll go under the string for a heat in a minute," and he hauled the bnr-keeper out by the ear and broke half a dozen chairs with him. "I'll rouse up pooty quick now. Gimme a little time," and lie danced a hornpipe on his foe and then pitched him through the back door. "Now I'm feelin' the inspiration! Whoop!-' and he kicked his enemy under the porch. "IIi, stranger! iiiu't this fruit? Talk about spring vegetables! What's lamb and peas to this?" and he fired the unhapppy bar­ keeper down cellar. 'What was your object in wantiug to tight me?" asked the wolloped bar­ keeper, as he crawled out and set the bottle and glass 011 the counter. "Yer see, pardner," said the stranger, filling a glass to the brim, and holding it between his eyes aud the light, "yer see, I've only been married a mouth, aud I haven't been home for a week, and I wanted to be warmed up into trim fer the matinee. There's four bar rooms twixt here and my house, and by the time I git thar pot lids and flatirons will only be an appetizer fer me. Married man, pardner?" , "No," replied the barkeeper, shoving the bottle toward his lato enemy, "I'm not, but my father was. I know how it is."--Brooklyn Eagle. A Lucky Escape. During a soiree given at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg in the reign of the Czar Nicholas, some forty years ago, the conversation happened to tarn upon luxuriant growths of hair, and a Gov­ ernor of a distant province remarked that he had frequently noticed in the chief town of his government a venerable Jew, whose countenance was adorned by a beard of extraordinary length and beauty. "How I should like to see him!" ejaculated a lady, smiling win- ningly at the narrator. "Your High­ ness' least wishes are commands," re­ plied the Governor; and that very night ho dispatched a courier to the provincial cajntal with a peremptory order that the Hebrew should be forwarded to him without delay. On receipt of this com­ mand, the loc:il authorities at once caused the Jew to be ouveyed post-haste to St. Petersburg. His protestations of innocence were ignored. When, after traveling for more than a fortnight, ho reached his destination, the police of­ ficials, learning that he had been sent thither at the express order of the Gov­ ernor, assumed that he must be a crim­ inal of the deepest dye. Accordingly they thrust him into a dungeon, having first caused his hair to be clipped close and his beard shaved off, in conformity with prison regulations. By this time several weeks had elapsed since the con­ versation above alluded to had taken place, and the lady's whim had been for- gotteu alike by herself and the Gov­ ernor. As, therefore, 110 questions were asked about the luckless Hebrew, he re­ mained immured in his cell, aud might have spent the remainder of his days there had not his relatives, wealthy traders, bestirred themselves to obtain his release. When they succeeded in di­ recting official attention to his case, it came out, to the infinite amusement of the Russian Court, that his beautiful beard, the motive of his martyrdom, had long since ceased to exist, and with it the necessity for his further sojourn in St. Petersburg. He was therefore, set at liberty, grimly congratulated upon his "lucky escape," and solemnly warned ' 'never to do it again." Ladies' Pet Dogs. Ladies who are fond of dogs as pets, and have long desired to spend their husband's "cigar money"--for it's get­ ting to be quite the thing now to give the wile instead of an allowanoe, the same amount of money that he spends each month for cigars--barring the ones he treats his frieuds to--and she is usu ally satisfied with the amonnt--for a pel dog will be interested in knowiug the tock ot Goods, for the Spring and .Sumner trade value placed upon them by dealers anc1 invites the attention of the bay ins public, at which they are sold in the market Black-and-tan terriers, $10 to $15; Scotcli terriers, $15 to V35; Skye terriers, $20 tc ^50; Italian hounds, $25 to $00; Spits dogs, fclo to *85; poodles, -15 to , #30 lviglisli, Irish, or native pointers. $25 t' 100; English, Iri-sh, or native fi dd coclq ,, , _ rs or water spaniels, $25 to *5 >: Kin** 1 P">P°Be ?_ric»! 'harles spaniels, ^35 to 75; ^ilieriaii" , F.-.r rnee-Usi und 11. *'.t\ Vtnn. T» histrst*d_JVn>pM« a cent, roe) H O L M A N ' S CURES Q simply Without by Dosing! J Absorption W TRADE MARK. Il a sovereign remedy for all forms of Liver and Stomach troubles, and is the ONLY 8AFE and ABSOLUTK cure for Malaria is its various types « Dr. Holman'a Pad Is a genuine and rad* teal remedy, WITHOUT TAKING MEDICINE. Il wns the FIRST article of the kiod that was Introduced to the public generally. It was the ORIGINAL PAD, and waa devised by DR. HOLM AN alone. lie struck out from th: beaten path and made a NEW WAY. No sooner had he rendered the un­ dertaking a CERTAINTY than the IMITATORS and PIRATES who hang to and infest evet suc­ cessful enterprise, started up and have since fol­ lowed in his footsteps as closely as the law will tolerate. Against these DR. HOLM AN give* SPECIAL WARNING. Not only do they FAIL TO CURE, but in disappointing the purchaser they bring doubt and odium en the principal of Absorp* tion, of which Dr. Holman'a Pad is the GENUINE antUONLY TRUE EXPONENT. Svery Imitation is an emphatic endorse* ment of the substantial worth of the genuine article. A poor one is never copied. Each Genuine Holman Pad beers the Private Revenue Stamp of the HOLMAN PAD CO., with thw above Trade. Mark printed in green. Buy Aon« Without It. FOB SALE BY ALL DRUGGISTS, Or sent by mail, post-paid, on receipt of -fia.oo. DR. HOLMAN'S tdrlct is PRES. Full treaties Bent free on application. Address*-. HOLMAN PAD CO.. \P. O. fill* 2112.} 744 Itronri way, N. V. HOSTETTE ̂ n h STOMACH ^ 0* *ittebs Feeble and Sickljr Persons Reoorer tha'r r-'taHtr by pursuing a course of Hoatrt tor's Stomach Bitten, th* most popular invigartnt sad alterative medicine in nse. General debllltf, ienr and acue, dyspepala, constipation, rheumatism and other maladiea are oomp'«te jr removed by it. Ask Una* v^p have used it what It has done for them. tW For sale by all Druggista and Dealers generally. TONIO ts a preparation of Protoxide of Iron, PeruTlsB Bark and tiie I'll.uplink-*, associated with tbe Vejri-t;ible Aromatic-s. Endorsed by the Med leal Profession, and recommended by them for Dy>° peptla, y«"n«'r.il ih-bllity. Female Die* •a»M, Want ®ff Vitality, Kervons •r«stl©as, «'»nvKic-itcciirc (Vom Fevers »ncS S'faJSl® SIBSSS Fever. Itservee every purpose wiiwe a Toxic is newsaary, luahctared by The fir. Barter Medicine Co, St Lom The rollowlng Is one of the very many testimo­ nials we are receiving dally: Gentlrmm:--Some three months ago I began the ise ot" l)it. riAHTKH'8 lno.v Tome, upon the ad­ vice of many frieuds who knew Its vlrtnes. I wee suffering froin general debility to such an extent that my l:ibor was exceedingly burdensome to me. A vacation of a month did not plve me much re­ lief. but on the contrary, was followed by In­ creased prostration ami sinking chills. At tills time I BEJFAN the use of your 1 CON TONIC, from which I realized almost Immediate and wonderful results. The old energy returned ami I fonnd that my natnral force was not permanently alKited. I - « . Illinoi ID Dress Goods, >Iooil-honuds, $3 > to ^100; E igliah mas­ titis, $40 to -100; Newfou idlund dogs, 25 to hull dogs, $35 to $75; terriers, •20 to $40; fox iioiinds, §'2f> to 50; liar •ions and boaglcs, §25 to 50; shepher< io<?s, S-'ot-cli, English, aud iiuLive, §25 ti 75.--JVIT:u> Y(>r,k S nu Tomoeo Ls prohibited to the students f (J >erliu College, Gourd College uud iio Nilvul bohool at Auiiai*>l 3. A sum I ir ride IULB becrn recommended f >r tVcst i'oint by the B >jud of Viaitor.x. Al^Coruell University nearly «11 the stn- Jeiits luive voluntarily tabued a pledge of abstinence. ft to THK ACl.TMAN A T*tLO» OMPAKY, Man-lie<1. O. OT»T l.OOO.OOO Arret of Choice Farm ins Li tbe Near West For snle by the lOwaR.R. Land Co. C*4AV IvupM*, luti Bnuicii oitice. 82 Uaudoiph St, Chicago. U)% LNiur: AM BOOK co, te w. mil su, M.S. J-.Q, ^